‘Flashcharge’ mobile EV recharging service

[essayer]

Spotted this on Facebook - someone’s rigged up a 50kW charger and generator running bio diesel and is offering mobile charging services

Says he’ll be operating top of M5 sort of area to alleviate charger congestion as well as events / mobile recovery etc

Seems a smart idea? Hope it works out for him

https://www.flashcharge.uk/

[Glasgowrob]

Genius idea tbh especially over the next few years as infrastructure fails to keep up with new EV sails

[TheDeuce]

It might alleviate some charging stress but in terms of efficiency.. a diesel 4x4 towing a huge diesel powered generator to produce electricity for an EV!?

The anti EV squad will have a field day with this solution

[Red9zero]

Glasgowrob said:

Genius idea tbh especially over the next few years as infrastructure fails to keep up with new EV sails

They are powered by wind ?

[anonymous-user]

Worth a try - this sort of rig isn’t uncommon for more generalised power generation for events and film shoots etc, everything else is just branding.

[TheDeuce]

This is basically an off board ICE range extender, like the onboard one you can option on an i3.

Ironic really as once ice is banned on board range extenders won't be permitted.. but this mobile one will.

It's the equivalent of an EV owner driving around with a 3kw generator in the boot that they can take out and use to top up the battery with their granny charger.

Hard to see the venture has much future though. Anywhere that rig starts to do good business will quickly demonstrate the need for more chargers and then it's out of business on that patch. I suppose that's kind of a good thing for getting more chargers where needed though.

[SWoll]

Well, you'll certainly pay for the privilege. Membership is £7.99 per month, but without it that's quite a cost for 25kW, especially after 8PM?



Their info on the website could also do with being better reviewed, unless 60 minutes at 50kW gets you more range if you're a member of course..

[georgeyboy12345]

Can't you get AA/RAC/etc to recover you to the nearest services if you run out of juice anyway?

[survivalist]

SWoll said:

Well, you'll certainly pay for the privilege. Membership is £7.99 per month, but without it that's quite a cost for 25kW, especially after 8PM?



Their info on the website could also do with being better reviewed, unless 60 minutes at 50kW gets you more range if you're a member of course..

If you use it frequently enough to be a member, surely you’d be better off buying a diesel vehicle in the first place? £58 for 100 miles is probably what I get out of my E92 M3.

[SWoll]

georgeyboy12345 said:

Can't you get AA/RAC/etc to recover you to the nearest services if you run out of juice anyway?

Seems to be more a case of someone being willing to pay well over the odds for a significant charge (25-50kW) so they can complete a journey rather than a short charge in an emergency as the RAC are able to provide.

survivalist said:

If you use it frequently enough to be a member, surely you’d be better off buying a diesel vehicle in the first place? £58 for 100 miles is probably what I get out of my E92 M3.

It's going to be a very occasional use (couple of times a year perhaps) rather than something to regularly rely on.

And are you sure about that figure for your M3? Works out considerably less than 10mpg even at current prices?

Edited by SWoll on Sunday 5th December 09:14

[survivalist]

SWoll said:

georgeyboy12345 said:

Can't you get AA/RAC/etc to recover you to the nearest services if you run out of juice anyway?

Seems to be more a case of someone being willing to pay well over the odds for a significant charge (25-50kW) so they can complete a journey rather than a short charge in an emergency as the RAC are able to provide.

survivalist said:

If you use it frequently enough to be a member, surely you’d be better off buying a diesel vehicle in the first place? £58 for 100 miles is probably what I get out of my E92 M3.

It's going to be a very occasional use (couple of times a year perhaps) rather than something to regularly rely on.

And are you sure about that figure for your M3? Works out considerably less than 10mpg even at current prices?

Edited by SWoll on Sunday 5th December 09:14

If it’s very occasional use then having a monthly membership fee doesn’t make much sense.

I was being pessimistic about the mpg as otherwise people seem to jump all over you on this forum. My 2 year average is 14mpg, but it usually only gets used for spirited drives. Does better on longer trips.

[SWoll]

survivalist said:

If it’s very occasional use then having a monthly membership fee doesn’t make much sense.

I was being pessimistic about the mpg as otherwise people seem to jump all over you on this forum. My 2 year average is 14mpg, but it usually only gets used for spirited drives. Does better on longer trips.

Based on their pricing if you think you're likely to use the service for one charge per year it's worth being a member as would save you between £20-50?

[annodomini2]

I can see it being a benefit for business users, who are constantly travelling and arrive at a charger and there is a queue.

As a general user, where time may be less critical then it looks relatively expensive.

They are probably not allowed to charge you on the side of the motorway, so you probably still need breakdown cover.

[Frimley111R]

I think the idea is sound but the £ don't stack up. To buy all that kit and run it is very costly.

I can see many car owners thinking 'How much? No thanks, I'll call the AA'. Even if you did use it you'd do so once and make sure you never needed to use it again.

[DonkeyApple]

This has the slight whiff of a swan rescue, lanyard fettishist who's just won a larger than expected inheritance.

[so called]

SWoll said:

Well, you'll certainly pay for the privilege. Membership is £7.99 per month, but without it that's quite a cost for 25kW, especially after 8PM?



Their info on the website could also do with being better reviewed, unless 60 minutes at 50kW gets you more range if you're a member of course..

I think I'll offer this service with my Ioniq 5 V2L system.

[SWoll]

so called said:

SWoll said:

Well, you'll certainly pay for the privilege. Membership is £7.99 per month, but without it that's quite a cost for 25kW, especially after 8PM?



Their info on the website could also do with being better reviewed, unless 60 minutes at 50kW gets you more range if you're a member of course..

I think I'll offer this service with my Ioniq 5 V2L system.

As long as they don't mind waiting 10 hours+ to get that 25kW.

[so called]

SWoll said:

so called said:

SWoll said:

Well, you'll certainly pay for the privilege. Membership is £7.99 per month, but without it that's quite a cost for 25kW, especially after 8PM?



Their info on the website could also do with being better reviewed, unless 60 minutes at 50kW gets you more range if you're a member of course..

I think I'll offer this service with my Ioniq 5 V2L system.

As long as they don't mind waiting 10 hours+ to get that 25kW.

I'll be throwing in free entertainment, coffee and cakes. 10 hours, £500.- Bargain.

[Toaster Pilot]

I'm amazed that a lot of people seem to be positive about this. It's a ridiculous idea and it provides far more fuel for the anti-EV FUD machine than any possible good it'll ever do.

Yes, the marketing stunt they're doing by pitching up at Gloucester services when it's busy does well to show Gridserve that the capacity there is far lower than demand, but that's about the only good thing I can see (and I'm sure they already know that, anyway!)

I don't understand the business model in the slightest. It'd be like the AA offering you emergency fuel at £6 a litre - you're not going to choose to use it if you have ANY other option, are you? Why would you pay for this when your breakdown service will get you to a charger anyway, and you're already paying for that?

[shakindog]

Toaster Pilot said:

I'm amazed that a lot of people seem to be positive about this. It's a ridiculous idea and it provides far more fuel for the anti-EV FUD machine than any possible good it'll ever do.

Yes, the marketing stunt they're doing by pitching up at Gloucester services when it's busy does well to show Gridserve that the capacity there is far lower than demand, but that's about the only good thing I can see (and I'm sure they already know that, anyway!)

I don't understand the business model in the slightest. It'd be like the AA offering you emergency fuel at £6 a litre - you're not going to choose to use it if you have ANY other option, are you? Why would you pay for this when your breakdown service will get you to a charger anyway, and you're already paying for that?

Is a self inflicted failure to proceed a reason to call your breakdown. As it’s not actually broken down
Breakdown companies only do out of fuel/charge as a courtesy

You can be charged for recovery as it’s self inflicted/operator stupidity/error