Charging points in car parks etc. will die out?

[Frimley111R]

I can't help seeing all these charging points going into car parks etc and thinking that by the time EVs really kick in they will go far enough on a charge not to need charging at car parks etc, with the possible exception of motorway services. TBH most can do this now unless you want to make a particularly long journey...

[jonobigblind]

They serve a purpose for PHEVs and the relatively small batteries contained in them. They will give enough of a charge to keep the 20 mile or so range topped up whilst in the restaurant / at the cinema / in the office.

You’re right, the future for full EVs is a faster charge delivery and these current ones wouldn’t cut the mustard but whilst the PHEVs are more tax-efficient there’ll be a place for these destination chargers

[Phunk]

Remember that not all car owners are able to charge at home, so public charge points are the only places they can charge.

(I tried this for a year and it was a total nightmare with half of them being broken, blocked by ICE or hogged by those who don't actually need a charge)

[RobDickinson]

Yep that..

Over the next 10 or so years there will be a lot of small battery PHEV cars that will do 20-50km on a charge people will plug in at destinations, together with a bunch of larger battery cars that cant charge at home for some reason.

[NDNDNDND]

Phunk said:

Remember that not all car owners are able to charge at home, so public charge points are the only places they can charge.

(I tried this for a year and it was a total nightmare with half of them being broken, blocked by ICE or hogged by those who don't actually need a charge)

Oi! Who do you think you are, coming on here with all your real world experience?! EV's are the second coming! How dare you!

[Frimley111R]

RobDickinson said:

Yep that..

Over the next 10 or so years there will be a lot of small battery PHEV cars that will do 20-50km on a charge people will plug in at destinations, together with a bunch of larger battery cars that cant charge at home for some reason.

Hmmm, yep good point, its the rise of the hybrids followed by the rise of the EVs I suspect

[anonymous-user]

Some will persist, but I expect many will be so unused that it makes sense to move / remove them

Ultra fast chargers on motorways and trunk roads to facilitate long trips, larger batteries and home / destination charging is how I see it evolving

No surprise if I'm wrong though

[AW10]

jonobigblind said:

They serve a purpose for PHEVs and the relatively small batteries contained in them. They will give enough of a charge to keep the 20 mile or so range topped up whilst in the restaurant / at the cinema / in the office.

You’re right, the future for full EVs is a faster charge delivery and these current ones wouldn’t cut the mustard but whilst the PHEVs are more tax-efficient there’ll be a place for these destination chargers

Not sure I agree - the cost/aggro/range extension of charging a PHEV battery at public charging point is usually not cost effective. Most PHEV owners either charge at home, where it's free or simply don't bother as they've made their tax/road fund savings by purchasing it and after that they can't be arsed. Certainly applies to a few colleagues of mine!

[jonobigblind]

AW10 said:

Not sure I agree - the cost/aggro/range extension of charging a PHEV battery at public charging point is usually not cost effective. Most PHEV owners either charge at home, where it's free or simply don't bother as they've made their tax/road fund savings by purchasing it and after that they can't be arsed. Certainly applies to a few colleagues of mine!

Ah yeah, we’ve got a few of them at our place too. Can’t argue with the BiK savings and you can certainly afford to drop a few MPG by not charging and still come out ahead.

Phev home charging has to be the staple, but there seems to be a portion of the drivers that have picked some up as personal cars (Vauxhall Ampera drivers seem to stand out in this crowd). Destination charging is still fairly popular among this set, as well as those that are trying to make the EV portion work for them and immerse themselves in this side of the culture.

Don’t get me wrong, £1.20 admin fees or costs of rapid charging effectively wipe out the financial benefits of plugging in vs running home on petrol. Where chargers are free or 10-15p pkwh, and you’re going to be around for a couple of hours, they still make sense.

Guess it depends on the ultimate motivation behind the purchase. I like saving a chunk in BiK but will also enjoy dipping my toe in the world of EV ownership.