PHEV Public Charging
Discussion
To date I've never bothered with public charger for my PHEV (225XE), but I do charge at home if the remaining charge is 50% or less. If you don't charge you might as well stay petrol. Certainly the 19 (ish) mile range works for us as it's used mainly for going to town and short journeys (40-50 mile round trip non motorway).
sjg said:
Free destination charging while you’re doing something else for a few hours? Sure.
If you’re paying typical public charging rates then you’ll probably be better off burning petrol.
This is kinda what I'm thinking.If you’re paying typical public charging rates then you’ll probably be better off burning petrol.
I'll charge at work every day, and at home when required but can't see many situations when I'd use public chargers. Free charger at a cinema maybe.
I'll only use it if it's free, otherwise I just charge at home.
I have only used it at Tesco and a hotel I stayed at in the Lake District so far.
Had a holiday in North Wales last week and there were no free chargers anywhere I wanted to go, so just relied on the petrol engine. Best of both worlds.
I have only used it at Tesco and a hotel I stayed at in the Lake District so far.
Had a holiday in North Wales last week and there were no free chargers anywhere I wanted to go, so just relied on the petrol engine. Best of both worlds.
blank said:
Does anyone bother using public chargers with a PHEV?
I can't see many occasions when I would bother as I think it would have to be free (as in no cost) and I'd need to be parked for a couple of hours to get any meaningful charge.
Just wondering if any PHEV owners bother?
If I had a PHEV I think I'd try to avoid public charging unless I was absolutely certain that I wasn't going to be depriving a BEV of a charge. Hybrids aren't reliant on charging, BEVs are.I can't see many occasions when I would bother as I think it would have to be free (as in no cost) and I'd need to be parked for a couple of hours to get any meaningful charge.
Just wondering if any PHEV owners bother?
aestetix1 said:
blank said:
Does anyone bother using public chargers with a PHEV?
I can't see many occasions when I would bother as I think it would have to be free (as in no cost) and I'd need to be parked for a couple of hours to get any meaningful charge.
Just wondering if any PHEV owners bother?
If I had a PHEV I think I'd try to avoid public charging unless I was absolutely certain that I wasn't going to be depriving a BEV of a charge. Hybrids aren't reliant on charging, BEVs are.I can't see many occasions when I would bother as I think it would have to be free (as in no cost) and I'd need to be parked for a couple of hours to get any meaningful charge.
Just wondering if any PHEV owners bother?
On even a 50kW charger a 330e would take as long to add 10 miles of range as a BEV would take for 200 or so.
blank said:
Does anyone bother using public chargers with a PHEV?
I can't see many occasions when I would bother as I think it would have to be free (as in no cost) and I'd need to be parked for a couple of hours to get any meaningful charge.
Just wondering if any PHEV owners bother?
I charge my PHEV regularly when out and about. I find it quite useful, especially if the charging bay offers free parking too. I can't see many occasions when I would bother as I think it would have to be free (as in no cost) and I'd need to be parked for a couple of hours to get any meaningful charge.
Just wondering if any PHEV owners bother?
Unfortunately my X1 PHEV can only charge at a max rate of 3.6kW irrespective of the charger used. This makes charging for an hour or so utterly pointless as it only adds about 10 miles. I do charge regularly at home and work though where I can leave it plugged in for the necessary time to fully charge up. It means my commute is always fully electric
I drive a PHEV, and I always charge at home. However, I've never charged from a public charger. The main reason is lack of destination chargers where I stop (campsite, service station with caravan on the back, motor racing circuits, station car park, on-street parking). I have parked in one city centre car park in Bristol which had chargers. The chargers didn't allow you to simply pay with a card, but required you to download an app, which I couldn't be bothered with, especially as the cost of the electricity was very high.
I’ve moved from an A3 e-tron PHEV to an LCI i3 BEV, even with the A3 I’d use public chargers a) assuming they were normal slow ones because I’d feel a bit of a dick taking a fast charger when I couldn’t even use it, b) there were plenty of other chargers around for BEV users!
Contrary to popular belief, not all PHEV users are just driving them for the tax benefits - I wanted to go electric but at the time I got the Audi, I could only afford 150ish miles of range which just wasn’t enough for me. Then I inherited a lease on a Q7 and I’ve got that for longer trips, to be honest I guess it could be interesting breaking down which is more eco-friendly, one PHEV or a BEV and an ICE…
Contrary to popular belief, not all PHEV users are just driving them for the tax benefits - I wanted to go electric but at the time I got the Audi, I could only afford 150ish miles of range which just wasn’t enough for me. Then I inherited a lease on a Q7 and I’ve got that for longer trips, to be honest I guess it could be interesting breaking down which is more eco-friendly, one PHEV or a BEV and an ICE…
The same argument applies to full EVs, there’s little point using destination chargers unless they’re free or you’re a long way from home. You can always tell the free ones like Tesco, people getting upset they won’t get 50p of free electricity while they shop when 4 miles from where they live. Make them payable and they’re totally ignored like the podpoint chargers at the McCarthy glen shopping sites. It’s amazing how they went from queues to use them to an empty corner of the car park when you had to start paying. There’s a good argument that supermarket chargers should mainly be used by phevs as they’re most likely to need the charge to complete the round trip kn electric.
And it’s time to drop the ‘PHEV owners only buy them for the tax’ given an awful lot of full EV company cars are had purely for that reason.
And it’s time to drop the ‘PHEV owners only buy them for the tax’ given an awful lot of full EV company cars are had purely for that reason.
Edited by Heres Johnny on Saturday 25th September 08:41
Contrary to the assumptions of some on here we do a lot of miles on electric in our PHEV. We don’t drive it for tax benefits: it’s privately owned. It’s charged up at home (it’s plugged in whenever we get back so is generally always fully charged when we get in it).
But I’ve never charged using a public charger. A combination of lack of chargers where I am when I could use one, cost and annoyance if signing up to apps etc. The supermarkets etc round here don’t have free chargers (and I can get to the supermarket and back multiple times on a single charge so why bother)
If I was stopped somewhere for lunch and had used the battery and they had a free charger would I feel bad about using it and topping a BEV using it? No. They have much longer range on battery so have less need…
But I’ve never charged using a public charger. A combination of lack of chargers where I am when I could use one, cost and annoyance if signing up to apps etc. The supermarkets etc round here don’t have free chargers (and I can get to the supermarket and back multiple times on a single charge so why bother)
If I was stopped somewhere for lunch and had used the battery and they had a free charger would I feel bad about using it and topping a BEV using it? No. They have much longer range on battery so have less need…
Had my private owned GTE for six weeks now and I have charged it whilst out and about 4 times. first time was a trip to Salisbury and whist using the park and ride. Made use of the free charging which gave a full charge after three hours which was ideal.
Charged in Winchester last week which cost 42p as opposed to car park charge of £2. Also the charge bays were the only places to park as the rest of the car park was full.
A trip to Gilks garage and a quick charge whilst having a fry up - Free charge I think
Visit to the coast last month and the same thing, Only parking space available was a charge bay so plugged in and got an hours charge for 50p.
Obviously a 3.5 hour charge for 27 miles isn't ideal and I don't use fast chargers as car has limited charge capacity built in so I use type 2 low KW charge points,
Charged in Winchester last week which cost 42p as opposed to car park charge of £2. Also the charge bays were the only places to park as the rest of the car park was full.
A trip to Gilks garage and a quick charge whilst having a fry up - Free charge I think
Visit to the coast last month and the same thing, Only parking space available was a charge bay so plugged in and got an hours charge for 50p.
Obviously a 3.5 hour charge for 27 miles isn't ideal and I don't use fast chargers as car has limited charge capacity built in so I use type 2 low KW charge points,
Lily the Pink said:
I foresee conflict between PHEV and BEV users at public chargers, if the former can only charge slowly yet have an alternative means of propulsion and prevent a dying BEV from charging.
So, should there be separate charging points for PHEV and separate ones for BEV, or do we stick with just having charging points, and first come first served? Or maybe PHEVs shouldn't be allowed to charge at public charging points, so that access is maintained for BEVs at all time?
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