What’s this then? EV Power sockets on houses with no drive?

What’s this then? EV Power sockets on houses with no drive?

Author
Discussion

Julian Thompson

Original Poster:

2,490 posts

237 months

Sunday 29th September 2019
quotequote all
Might be wrong here but are these EV power sockets? What’s the idea of that? Stick your car on the pavement so nobody can get past and plug in? Or are they just fancy outdoor plugs?


tony wright

1,004 posts

249 months

Sunday 29th September 2019
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Looks like the developers jumped on the free charging point install as a future selling point.

tony wright

1,004 posts

249 months

Sunday 29th September 2019
quotequote all
tony wright said:
Looks like the developers jumped on the free charging point install as a future selling point.
Forgot to say, they are definitely EV chargers as I have the same one fitted to my garage.

Julian Thompson

Original Poster:

2,490 posts

237 months

Sunday 29th September 2019
quotequote all
So how do you use one? Park on the road and dangle your cable out over the pavement? How does that work when someone with impaired vision comes along or whatever? Funnily enough we sell these cable protector ramp things which are used at festivals or on building sites etc to stop trip hazards - maybe you need one of those? Fine if one person plugs in but imagine a whole row of them with dangly wires? Just mad.

gazza285

9,780 posts

207 months

Sunday 29th September 2019
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Same with a block of four houses built up the road from me, they all have external chargers.

Dave Hedgehog

14,541 posts

203 months

Sunday 29th September 2019
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I thought it was a planing requirement now

Typical government disjointed thinking, only grant planning for developments that provide 50% of the required parking to discourage driving (but actually just creates parking hell for the buyers) but force home chargers with no drive lol

PSRG

643 posts

125 months

Sunday 29th September 2019
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Julian Thompson said:
So how do you use one? Park on the road and dangle your cable out over the pavement? How does that work when someone with impaired vision comes along or whatever? Funnily enough we sell these cable protector ramp things which are used at festivals or on building sites etc to stop trip hazards - maybe you need one of those? Fine if one person plugs in but imagine a whole row of them with dangly wires? Just mad.
Based on the estates I driven round recently, what you do is park on the pavement so the visually impaired are forced into the road... wink

Krikkit

26,500 posts

180 months

Sunday 29th September 2019
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Plenty of charging cables available which have non-trip features like covered trunking and even LED lighting to mark them out.

Julian Thompson

Original Poster:

2,490 posts

237 months

Sunday 29th September 2019
quotequote all
So when someone claims to fall over a led illuminated wire and that said fall has rearranged their face will home insurance pay out?

haggishunter

1,315 posts

242 months

Sunday 29th September 2019
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I believe if you have a home with a charging point then it’s automatically rated at the highest efficiency level, even if it’s never going to be used.

valiant

10,068 posts

159 months

Sunday 29th September 2019
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Thing is, there’s no guarantee that you’ll be able to even park outside your own house to charge your own car as a lot of new estates either provide inadequate parking facilities or just one parking spot per household. The above example is typical of a lot of new estates.

So you’ll need a very long cable or start a war with your new neighbours.

Unless you have a dedicated parking spot, owning an electric car is fraught with issues.


PKLD

1,161 posts

240 months

Sunday 29th September 2019
quotequote all
Julian Thompson said:
Might be wrong here but are these EV power sockets? What’s the idea of that? Stick your car on the pavement so nobody can get past and plug in? Or are they just fancy outdoor plugs?

Is this your pic? I’ve got a meeting with a developer and this would be useful to show them what happens with no planning...

BMW330enut

101 posts

90 months

Sunday 29th September 2019
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What they need is an 8ft high pole at the boundary to hook the wire over. That way pedestrians can walk under the cable.

Evanivitch

19,803 posts

121 months

Sunday 29th September 2019
quotequote all
They aren't proper EV chargers, but they allow the developer to say they have tried. They're a about as much use as any other external plug socket.

And that's because they're just 3-pin sockets with a RCB in the compartment below and placed in a Rolec Charger box.

Another example of housing companies sticking their fingers upto the planning guidelines. Tossers.

Cheap and useless.

https://www.electrical-showroom.co.uk/rolec-evwp00...

Evanivitch

19,803 posts

121 months

Sunday 29th September 2019
quotequote all
BMW330enut said:
What they need is an 8ft high pole at the boundary to hook the wire over. That way pedestrians can walk under the cable.
Or just a conduit channel in the pavement...

Sheepshanks

32,530 posts

118 months

Sunday 29th September 2019
quotequote all
Julian Thompson said:
So how do you use one? Park on the road and dangle your cable out over the pavement? How does that work when someone with impaired vision comes along or whatever? Funnily enough we sell these cable protector ramp things which are used at festivals or on building sites etc to stop trip hazards - maybe you need one of those? Fine if one person plugs in but imagine a whole row of them with dangly wires? Just mad.
I might be deaming but I'm sure I've seen charging cables in channels across the pavement - perhaps you can get that done, when you're ready to use it.

Otispunkmeyer

12,557 posts

154 months

Sunday 29th September 2019
quotequote all
Evanivitch said:
They aren't proper EV chargers, but they allow the developer to say they have tried. They're a about as much use as any other external plug socket.

And that's because they're just 3-pin sockets with a RCB in the compartment below and placed in a Rolec Charger box.

Another example of housing companies sticking their fingers upto the planning guidelines. Tossers.

Cheap and useless.

https://www.electrical-showroom.co.uk/rolec-evwp00...
I've got one on my house but it's definitely got a type 2 / level 2 plug not a normal house plug. But! The installer only fit. 16 A fuse in the board so it will only give 3 kW or so. Think it should have had a 32A fuse, but now not sure on the cable gauge , it might not take it.

Evanivitch

19,803 posts

121 months

Sunday 29th September 2019
quotequote all
Otispunkmeyer said:
I've got one on my house but it's definitely got a type 2 / level 2 plug not a normal house plug. But! The installer only fit. 16 A fuse in the board so it will only give 3 kW or so. Think it should have had a 32A fuse, but now not sure on the cable gauge , it might not take it.
Type 2 socket or tethered?

A tethered cable will usually say what it's rated for. Rolex also sell a 16A to 32A upgrade kit. Relatively simple to do if you can do basic electrical work competently. Otherwise, you can also buy an uprated cable and connector pre-crimped from EV bits.

https://www.speakev.com/threads/rolec-32-amp-upgra...

All that said, either 16A suits your domestic needs (My Ampera only charges at 16A so on the rare occasion I don't have enough time to charge at home it's not really an issue), or bin the Rolec for a better charger.


Witchfinder

6,250 posts

251 months

Sunday 29th September 2019
quotequote all
Evanivitch said:
Or just a conduit channel in the pavement...
It's the simplest, safest, cheapest solution, but could exacerbate neighbourhood parking wars when people park outside your home.

Otispunkmeyer

12,557 posts

154 months

Monday 30th September 2019
quotequote all
Evanivitch said:
Otispunkmeyer said:
I've got one on my house but it's definitely got a type 2 / level 2 plug not a normal house plug. But! The installer only fit. 16 A fuse in the board so it will only give 3 kW or so. Think it should have had a 32A fuse, but now not sure on the cable gauge , it might not take it.
Type 2 socket or tethered?

A tethered cable will usually say what it's rated for. Rolex also sell a 16A to 32A upgrade kit. Relatively simple to do if you can do basic electrical work competently. Otherwise, you can also buy an uprated cable and connector pre-crimped from EV bits.

https://www.speakev.com/threads/rolec-32-amp-upgra...

All that said, either 16A suits your domestic needs (My Ampera only charges at 16A so on the rare occasion I don't have enough time to charge at home it's not really an issue), or bin the Rolec for a better charger.
It's not tethered, just a socket. It was a free install as part of an EV trial we were involved with.