Home and on the road charging
Discussion
Pretty new to this EV game, just swapping into one as a Company Car to replace my Hybrid Toyota. (Next 3 years income tax savings make it worthwhile, as I can spend it on petrol for my RR and TVR))
Main fuseboard is in Garage, and already has a spare 32A circuit for an old, unused electric shower.. I'm presuming that the Charger installer could use that?
Looks like I'll be getting a 62kW Leaf, Could I ask any owners what carging point they've had installed at home, and which ones they tend to use (inc costs) when out and about please?
TIA.
Main fuseboard is in Garage, and already has a spare 32A circuit for an old, unused electric shower.. I'm presuming that the Charger installer could use that?
Looks like I'll be getting a 62kW Leaf, Could I ask any owners what carging point they've had installed at home, and which ones they tend to use (inc costs) when out and about please?
TIA.
My advice is get a simple charge point. You can get fancy ones with all sorts of timers and wifi and other stuff, but it's just more to go wrong.
A basic 32A charger, little more than a circuit breaker, is what you want. I have a Rolec one.
The only exception is if you have solar then it might be worth getting a charger that can divert some of that to the car, but otherwise simple is best.
A basic 32A charger, little more than a circuit breaker, is what you want. I have a Rolec one.
The only exception is if you have solar then it might be worth getting a charger that can divert some of that to the car, but otherwise simple is best.
Anything done on the OLEV grant has to be "smart" now which has bumped up the cost a little. Sounds like a straightforward install though. I have one from ChargedEV but a mate had a better experience with Podpoint.
Public charging - have a play with https://www.abetterrouteplanner.com/ for some typical routes and see which may make sense for you.
The good news is that the ecotricity chargers at the motorway services are generally reliable with the Leaf (and the Chademo connector that it uses) but there are plenty of Polar and Instavolt chargers just off the motorway and on the main A-roads. BP and Shell are rolling out more and more on their forecourts too.
Instavolt are one of the few to just take a contactless credit/debit card. While everyone will do the same eventually, most still need you to have an app on your phone (and an account with a card registered) to use, so most EV drivers end up with a few on their phone just in case.
Public charging - have a play with https://www.abetterrouteplanner.com/ for some typical routes and see which may make sense for you.
The good news is that the ecotricity chargers at the motorway services are generally reliable with the Leaf (and the Chademo connector that it uses) but there are plenty of Polar and Instavolt chargers just off the motorway and on the main A-roads. BP and Shell are rolling out more and more on their forecourts too.
Instavolt are one of the few to just take a contactless credit/debit card. While everyone will do the same eventually, most still need you to have an app on your phone (and an account with a card registered) to use, so most EV drivers end up with a few on their phone just in case.
Not all EV's have the ability to schedule charging times etc. so having a smart charger with this ability can be very handy, especially if you are on a specific EV tariff?
I'm looking at the EO MIni Pro. Small, discreet and has all the functionality you might need for under £500 (with the grant)?
https://www.eocharging.com/eo-mini-pro?gclid=CjwKC...
I'm looking at the EO MIni Pro. Small, discreet and has all the functionality you might need for under £500 (with the grant)?
https://www.eocharging.com/eo-mini-pro?gclid=CjwKC...
Gassing Station | EV and Alternative Fuels | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff