PHEVs - charging when out and about
Discussion
Evening all, I just want to garner opinion from the existing PHEV drivers about the usefulness and general approach to public charging.
Wouldn’t want to reignite a debate about PHEVs using rapids etc, what I’m really looking for is those who have the 330e / 350e / GTE and such like to comment on if they even bother charging anywhere but home or work?
I’m getting mine in a few weeks and given the splintered state of the charging networks, coupled with the £150 or so cost for a public charging cable, plus charging costs I’m not too convinced of the economic benefits as yet.
Have many of you forked out for the cables and using PodPoint or Polar type fast or destination charging points and seeing a benefit from it?
There’s a part of me that just likes to have the latest gadget and I think I should be maximising the battery potential here but in real terms the admin costs for charges outweigh the benefits for some of the likely charging sessions I’m envisaging.
I’m thinking more in the realms of shopping / restaurants / cinema visits here but any thoughts from the users will be gratefully received.
Wouldn’t want to reignite a debate about PHEVs using rapids etc, what I’m really looking for is those who have the 330e / 350e / GTE and such like to comment on if they even bother charging anywhere but home or work?
I’m getting mine in a few weeks and given the splintered state of the charging networks, coupled with the £150 or so cost for a public charging cable, plus charging costs I’m not too convinced of the economic benefits as yet.
Have many of you forked out for the cables and using PodPoint or Polar type fast or destination charging points and seeing a benefit from it?
There’s a part of me that just likes to have the latest gadget and I think I should be maximising the battery potential here but in real terms the admin costs for charges outweigh the benefits for some of the likely charging sessions I’m envisaging.
I’m thinking more in the realms of shopping / restaurants / cinema visits here but any thoughts from the users will be gratefully received.
I’ve had my C350e 6 weeks now and I’ve not public charged it. It came with both a 3 pin mains plug and a type 2 charging cable in the boot. I charge it when visiting family if there’s a socket handy.
The problem is a battery charge only realistically saves about half a gallon of fuel, so unless the charging is free or less than a couple of quid it’s not worth it from a cost perspective.
Most of the charging networks - and there seems to be dozens of them - need a card/app/account of some kind and they often charge for them so it’s not straightforward to just spot a charge point and use it.
If there was somewhere I went regularly with inexpensive charging I would happily charge it.
The problem is a battery charge only realistically saves about half a gallon of fuel, so unless the charging is free or less than a couple of quid it’s not worth it from a cost perspective.
Most of the charging networks - and there seems to be dozens of them - need a card/app/account of some kind and they often charge for them so it’s not straightforward to just spot a charge point and use it.
If there was somewhere I went regularly with inexpensive charging I would happily charge it.
Given that my GTE takes north of two hours to charge on a decent feed, there is little point.
I charge at home and work when I am I the office, the rest of it’s life is spent not being charged / charging with the engine to ensure there is sufficient energy available to pre-condition (de ice the windows).
I charge at home and work when I am I the office, the rest of it’s life is spent not being charged / charging with the engine to ensure there is sufficient energy available to pre-condition (de ice the windows).
Cheers Quinny, that’s the position I think I’m going to find myself in.
I’ve identified the most likely charging points and there are a couple of free ones but unless I can get a good deal on the cable (only 3 pin supplied) then I’ll pass it up.
Car park at the cinema at Whiteley was nearly full tonight and the charging points weren’t iced for once, I’m fact there was a 350e charging. The three month Polar subscription would come in handy to assess if it would work for me without feeling obliged to go out of my way to justify any costs.
Yeah, I think as it’s now the season for defrosting I’ll ensure it’s kept just topped up - cheers Jasper
I’ve identified the most likely charging points and there are a couple of free ones but unless I can get a good deal on the cable (only 3 pin supplied) then I’ll pass it up.
Car park at the cinema at Whiteley was nearly full tonight and the charging points weren’t iced for once, I’m fact there was a 350e charging. The three month Polar subscription would come in handy to assess if it would work for me without feeling obliged to go out of my way to justify any costs.
Yeah, I think as it’s now the season for defrosting I’ll ensure it’s kept just topped up - cheers Jasper
Edited by jonobigblind on Sunday 12th November 22:31
Its not just PHEVs, unfortunately full EV owners abuse charging bays half the time. The bays can be bigger, more convenient and are sometimes treated like personal spots.
Take a look at zap map or plugshare and see where you travel to and what networks you might use. There are still plenty of free or nearly free destination charging points around, Birmingham for instance use street Polar points and you get up to 3 hours parking on a charger for £1 including electricity which is cheaper than using a car park. Sadly this results in abuse as the motivation for using them is cheap parking and not charging. Some don't even bother starting the charger but very few will ever confess to doing this. Please don't become one of them.
If you charge at home and work, you're already getting a fair bit of benefit and the marginal benefit of paying to charge is someone diminished by the deprivation of the facility to others that have no choice. An hours charge I have no issue with, finding a BMW 330e plugged in on one of only two chargers at the railway station for a whole week was hardly in the spirit of things. They were probably full before his train left the station.
Take a look at zap map or plugshare and see where you travel to and what networks you might use. There are still plenty of free or nearly free destination charging points around, Birmingham for instance use street Polar points and you get up to 3 hours parking on a charger for £1 including electricity which is cheaper than using a car park. Sadly this results in abuse as the motivation for using them is cheap parking and not charging. Some don't even bother starting the charger but very few will ever confess to doing this. Please don't become one of them.
If you charge at home and work, you're already getting a fair bit of benefit and the marginal benefit of paying to charge is someone diminished by the deprivation of the facility to others that have no choice. An hours charge I have no issue with, finding a BMW 330e plugged in on one of only two chargers at the railway station for a whole week was hardly in the spirit of things. They were probably full before his train left the station.
Totally agree Here’s Johnny and that’s the situation I’m trying to avoid. I’ve noted the best places for me to charge (7kw and lower destination type chargers) to get me a mix of ‘doing the right thing’ without blocking the useful chargers for those with full EVs.
I just haven’t convinced myself of the full benefits of doing it as yet. I’ve got the apps downloaded & registered and know which chargers require a 3 pin or type 2, RFiD or app etc etc.
Cinema last night was a perfect example of how I could benefit. PodPoint bays (4 x 7kw from 2 charging posts) and only one of the spaces was taken. Could have stuck it in there whilst being mildly bored by Agatha Christie and would have made the entire 9 mile journey home on battery. Enough space left over for any BEV or PHEV to join the party so everyone’s a winner.
The charging spots I see don’t tend to be too well used and that got me thinking enough to ask the question on here given how PHEVs are increasing in popularity amongst us company car drivers.
I just haven’t convinced myself of the full benefits of doing it as yet. I’ve got the apps downloaded & registered and know which chargers require a 3 pin or type 2, RFiD or app etc etc.
Cinema last night was a perfect example of how I could benefit. PodPoint bays (4 x 7kw from 2 charging posts) and only one of the spaces was taken. Could have stuck it in there whilst being mildly bored by Agatha Christie and would have made the entire 9 mile journey home on battery. Enough space left over for any BEV or PHEV to join the party so everyone’s a winner.
The charging spots I see don’t tend to be too well used and that got me thinking enough to ask the question on here given how PHEVs are increasing in popularity amongst us company car drivers.
RicksAlfas said:
I've never bothered as I don't go anywhere that has free charging points and it's not worth me signing up to any sort of subscription service. I would also feel a bit guilty tying up a charger if an EV driver was desperate for a charge when I've got a 200bhp ICE to "get me home". 
Same here. None of the charge points I've looked at so far make any sense for me.Don't have my GTE yet but the paid-for chargers are marginal at best for cost per mile vs petrol. Many cost enough that you're better off burning petrol.
I'd probably get the lead out and plug in at a free destination charger (supermarket, shopping centre, etc) if the trip home was long enough that I'd run out of charge before I got home, and there were enough free bays for others that needed it more. Else no.
I'd probably get the lead out and plug in at a free destination charger (supermarket, shopping centre, etc) if the trip home was long enough that I'd run out of charge before I got home, and there were enough free bays for others that needed it more. Else no.
From what I can see the cost of charging at these public charging points does not make financial sense. I cannot see any time in which I would charge my 530E at a public charging point unless it was :
a. free
and
b. there was lots of spare points available so that I was not impacting on the ability of someone running a pure EV to get charge.
a. free
and
b. there was lots of spare points available so that I was not impacting on the ability of someone running a pure EV to get charge.
The natural home for PHEVs in the wild would be destination chargers (from what I’ve picked up from my travels across the web and forums).
These dispense the lowest level of charge usually 3.6kw or similar (maybe 7 if you’re lucky( and are placed in office car parks, shopping centres and some inner city car parks.
If you’re a BEV only driver then you’re going to typically need a faster rate of charge than these provide in order to keep the car as topped up as possible. The fast and rapid chargers on streets, car parks, on Shell forecourts and in motorway service stations are more suitable for this type of driving.
In my world, I wouldn’t charge on a fast or rapid but I’d think about a slower one, especially during a free three month trial with Polar as then you’re just paying the electricity price (if any) rather than a £1.20 admin charge plus electricity costs which then render a charge uneconomical vs petrol.
I’m sure there’ll be occassions when I will charge (especially now I’ve bought a bloody lead off eBay) but I do appreciate the whole charging fairly vs those who really need it debate.
Bit more education from the dealers is required to ensure new owners are approaching it all the right way.
These dispense the lowest level of charge usually 3.6kw or similar (maybe 7 if you’re lucky( and are placed in office car parks, shopping centres and some inner city car parks.
If you’re a BEV only driver then you’re going to typically need a faster rate of charge than these provide in order to keep the car as topped up as possible. The fast and rapid chargers on streets, car parks, on Shell forecourts and in motorway service stations are more suitable for this type of driving.
In my world, I wouldn’t charge on a fast or rapid but I’d think about a slower one, especially during a free three month trial with Polar as then you’re just paying the electricity price (if any) rather than a £1.20 admin charge plus electricity costs which then render a charge uneconomical vs petrol.
I’m sure there’ll be occassions when I will charge (especially now I’ve bought a bloody lead off eBay) but I do appreciate the whole charging fairly vs those who really need it debate.
Bit more education from the dealers is required to ensure new owners are approaching it all the right way.
I've got a leaf and never bothered with any of the destination chargers personally, I charge at home or work and if going longer trips I will plan to use rapids tbh, Don't really see the point of trickling 3.3 into the car for a couple of hours for a marginal % battery increase - as I didn't pay the extra 1k Nissan wanted for the 6.6 version
I have a C350e company car and have never charged at a public spot. Mainly as where I go and the times, there is only one or two spots left, and like others, id be disappointed in myself if I tied up a spot for a good few hours to get 15-20 miles of range where someone in a PureEV maybe couldn't get home.
That and Im not convinced of the economics of it with subscriptions/costs etc - I dont tend to drive very sympathetically but 35-40 mpg on ICE only from Cardiff to Swindon I can live with.
I do charge at home and the office when I go there, and being completely honest here its mainly for the pre-entry climate control - its going to be a major culture shock when I have to either sit in a frozen car waiting for it to warm or scraping ice off the windows again!
Cheers
Rob
That and Im not convinced of the economics of it with subscriptions/costs etc - I dont tend to drive very sympathetically but 35-40 mpg on ICE only from Cardiff to Swindon I can live with.
I do charge at home and the office when I go there, and being completely honest here its mainly for the pre-entry climate control - its going to be a major culture shock when I have to either sit in a frozen car waiting for it to warm or scraping ice off the windows again!
Cheers
Rob
Heres Johnny said:
Take a look at zap map or plugshare and see where you travel to and what networks you might use. There are still plenty of free or nearly free destination charging points around, Birmingham for instance use street Polar points and you get up to 3 hours parking on a charger for £1 including electricity which is cheaper than using a car park. Sadly this results in abuse as the motivation for using them is cheap parking and not charging. Some don't even bother starting the charger but very few will ever confess to doing this. Please don't become one of them.
One of the few things the Scottish Government has got right is their approach to electric car charging. In paid for car parks you pay the same as anybody else to park but the electricity is free, this removes the incentive for people to do what you describe above, I wonder if the rest of the UK should copy this.There are also plenty of places where the parking and electricity are free but I am not sure how long that can last.
I public charged my C350e 3 times in a 48 hour trip to Scotland at New Year. Still yet to do so in 5 months in England! Shows what a bit of subsidy and incentive can achieve.
The odd thing was I don’t think I spotted another PHEV or EV on the road in Scotland. There was a car park with a few Leaf’s in at the Fife Council Depot I charged at, but didn’t see any on the road.
The odd thing was I don’t think I spotted another PHEV or EV on the road in Scotland. There was a car park with a few Leaf’s in at the Fife Council Depot I charged at, but didn’t see any on the road.
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