Category Archives: Charging

Drivers would switch to an EV if charge points mandated at fuel stations

July 30, 2017Charging, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and CommentJo

The availability and accessibility of charge points could overcome one of the “biggest barriers” to the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs).

That’s according to the fleet industry and a Fleet News poll which revealed almost a third (29.2%) of drivers would make the switch to an EV if they were able to charge their car at the pumps.

A further one in five (22.2%) said they would consider choosing an EV, while one in 10 (9.9%) said they already drive a plug-in car.

The poll was conducted after the Government announced in the Queen’s Speech that it would introduce an Automated and Electric Vehicles Bill which will require the installation of charge points for EVs at motorway service areas and large fuel retailers.

The UK’s largest leasing company, Lex Autolease, welcomed the move.

“One of the biggest barriers to greater adoption of electric vehicles is range anxiety, so more charging points at petrol stations and motorway services will help to address that fear,”

said Chris Chandler, the firm’s principal consultant.

“The measures are a recognition of the need for pathway charging – essentially making it easier for electric vehicle drivers to get from one end of the country to the other, without worrying about their next charging point. This should broaden their appeal and open up the market for electric vehicles across the UK.”

Both Total and Shell had already confirmed their intention to install charge points at their stations, while earlier this year the head of BP Fuel Cards in the UK, Andy Allen, told Fleet News that charge points were a ‘logical step’ for the fuel giant.

Home Refuelling: The Ultimate Guide to Charging an Electric Car at Home

July 28, 2017Blog, Charging, Electric CarsTrevor Larkum

The Government has just announced that Britain is to ban sale of all diesel and petrol cars and vans from 2040. The writing is on the wall, with some sources saying that most cars sold will be electric as soon as 2025. If you want to learn about what’s coming, and how owning an electric car is going to affect you, then this guide is for you.

I have been driving an electric car for four years; first a Renault ZOE (48,000 miles) and now a BMW i3. Through my blog sites at Fuel Included and My Renault ZOE I have answered tons of questions about home charging. I decided it was about time to put all the answers together in one place, in a downloadable eBook.

Click on the image, enter your name and email, and download your free guide.

If it leaves any questions unanswered, just get in touch (contact details here and in the eBook).

Dr Trevor Larkum
FuelIncluded.com
MyRenaultZOE.com

200th eVolt Rapid EV Charging unit to be installed at Heathrow Airport

July 27, 2017Charging, Evolt, News, Reviews and CommentJo

eVolt’s 200th electric vehicle (EV) Rapid Charging unit has been supplied to Heathrow Airport, after the charge point supplier was awarded the contract to provide the UK’s largest airport with 18 of its units in phase one.

The significant milestone has been achieved as a result of the hard work of Freemantle Electrical – the selected EV charger and infrastructure installer for the initial phase of works. The chargers were installed using a specific new designed EVCI-Go modular plinth system developed by Freemantle that allows wiring through the plinth system, which avoids any major civils works and speeds up the installation process. The Airport selected eVolt as its supplier of EV charge points following a competitive tender where multiple suppliers were reviewed.

The new Rapid charging units have been installed at eight of the airport’s airside locations including the Airside Operations Facility (AOF). They will be used by Heathrow Airport’s growing fleet of EVs run by Heathrow Airport Limited and its tenants assisting in everyday operations.

Richard Freemantle, Managing Director at Freemantle Electricals, says eVolt came highly recommended:

“The reliability of eVolt’s charging units is well known and that was key to Heathrow Airport Limited’s selection,” he says. “Its units are well maintained and have a high up-time, meaning the Airport’s EVs will be able to operate with maximum performance.”

Three Compact Rapid charging points, that can simultaneously charge two EVs to 80% battery capacity in 30 minutes at 50kW DC and 43kW AC, have been installed, taking the number of eVolt Rapid charging units installed in the UK to over 200. A Semi-Rapid Raption 22kW Triple charging unit that charges an EV to 80% in one hour has also been installed. This is ideal for fast top-up charges and utilises the latest modular power technology for enhanced reliability and performance.

The contract also includes the supply of eVolt 7kW and 22kW AC Wall mount charging units, which typically take up to four hours to charge an EV (battery size dependent). It is expected that these will be used to provide charging to ‘off-duty’ EVs, ensuring that when a shift starts the vehicles are able to make use of a full charge.

Justin Meyer, General Manager of eVolt UK, says:

“We are seeing increasing opportunities with major public transport hubs looking at ways to reduce emissions,” he says. “It’s a testament to our equipment’s reliability and performance that 200 Rapid charging units, the most technical and desired in terms of charging time, are operational.”

Source: Gravity London Email Press Release

The Milton Keynes Electric Vehicle Experience Centre (EVEC) has Launched

July 26, 2017Blog, BMW, BP Chargemaster, Charging, Electric Cars, EVEC, Golf GTE, i3 94Ah, Leaf, Milton Keynes, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Outlander PHEV, VolkswagenTrevor Larkum

Last weekend saw the long awaited opening of the Electric Vehicle Experience Centre (EVEC) in Milton Keynes. It officially opened to the public on Saturday 22nd July. It is funded through a government scheme awarded to the local council and is managed by Chargemaster, the company that has installed the majority of charge points around Milton Keynes.

The Preview Event at the Electric Vehicle Experience Centre (Image: T. Larkum)

The EVEC is essentially a car showroom for electric cars but is located in a shop space on Crown Walk in the main centre:mk shopping centre (it’s close to the middle and next to Boots). It doesn’t resemble an out-of-town dealership so much as the boutique style shops developed by Tesla, Apple and most mobile ‘phone companies.

EVEC Purpose

The aim of the Centre is to both showcase existing electric models and be an information point for EV ownership in general. Visitors will be able to talk with staff about all elements of owning and running an EV, with test drives available too. It has been established to increase the number of EVs sold in the area. Milton Keynes’ target is for 23% of all new cars registered locally to be electric by 2021.

We are grateful to Chargemaster for inviting us to the Preview Event on Friday Night (Jo’s thoughts: A Little Bit of Zen). Most of the other guests appeared to be existing EV owners. The showroom housed examples of the Nissan Leaf, BMW i3, Volkswagen Golf GTE and Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. There were drinks and snacks, and then introductory speeches by David Martell, Chief Executive of Chargemaster, and Ted Foster, the new EVEC Manager. After the talks we had an opportunity to talk to Ted and the other staff.

EVEC Test Drives

As well as providing help and guidance on electric cars and EV driving, the EVEC is also making cars available for test drives. These can be short accompanied drives, however there is also the option of week-long extended test drives. For these there will be a charge (we understand about £70) largely to cover the inevitable cost of insurance. That’s seems fair to us – £10 per day to drive a new car, particularly considering the fuel costs will be negligible.

The Preview Event at the Electric Vehicle Experience Centre (Image: J. Pegram-Mills)

The enthusiasm of the EVEC ‘gurus’ is clear and we certainly appreciate the enthusiasm and resources that have gone into building and staffing the first dedicated electric vehicle showroom in the UK (and probably in the world). We wish it every success and will be supporting it by passing local customers to it for test drives.

If you live near Milton Keynes and are interested in taking a test drive in any one of a large range of new electric cars (including the Renault ZOE, Nissan Leaf, BMW i3, Golf GTE, and others) just get in touch with us on 01908-904020, or by email at sales@ fuelincluded.com.

Ecotricity Change Cost Structure of their Rapid Chargers.

July 26, 2017Blog, Charging, Ecotricity, Electric CarsJo

Ecotricity recently changed the cost structure for their rapid chargers. Below is a summary of the letter they sent to their customers explaining the changes.

It is about a year since Ecotrictity introduced ‘charging for charging’ on the Electric Highway, after being free to use for five years. Charging was set at a rate of £6 for 30 minutes, with intention to monitor use and later produce “a more sophisticated approach to charging”.

With that now done a new model has been developed and rolled out, promising to give

“more flexibility and typically lower charging costs across all makes and models”.

The new rates are charged at 17p per unit, which they explain is

“pretty much the rate that people pay at home”

the cost of providing the service is administered via a £3 connection fee for all sessions.

Dale Vince wrote

“In our modelling this will typically lower the cost of charging for all makes and models as well as charge more proportionally for energy taken.”

They have also increased the maximum length of charging sessions to 45 mins, it is hoped this will offer greater flexibility to those customers who need a bit longer to charge up.

For Ecotricity customers there currently is no connection fee, this reflects their opinion that their customers’ energy bills help them build the network.

Those existing Ecotricity customers that benefit from the offer of 52 free charges in a year will continue to benefit from this arrangement until their first anniversary with the company, or their first 52 charges (whichever comes first). After this they will be automatically transferred to the new charging model.

The new rates and process came into effect on 26th June 2017, it is recommended that customers of update their mobile phone app’s to pick up the new tariff changes.

Information Source: Email from Ecotricity

Second electric vehicle charge point installed in Daventry

July 25, 2017BP Chargemaster, Charging, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and CommentJo

A second free public charging point for electric vehicles has been installed in a Daventry car park due to increased demand.

DDC’s Environmental Improvement Officer Joely Slinn with Operations Assistant Rob Burton at the new electric vehicle charging point in Lodge Road.

The addition of the new facility in the Lodge Road car park means up to four electric vehicles can now be charged for free at the same time. It has been installed by Daventry District Council (DDC) following the success of the first charge point, which opened in May 2013.

The £7,000 project follows the publication of DDC’s Electric ‘Plug-In’ Vehicle Infrastructure Plan 2016-18, which highlighted the need to improve facilities across the district in response to a 250% increase in the numbers of electric vehicles on our roads in the last two years.

The first charge point at Lodge Road has been used more than 1,400 times since it was installed, saving 7.6 tonnes of CO2 compared to the emissions produced by the average petrol or diesel vehicle. That’s roughly the amount of CO2 that would be created by driving an average petrol car for more than 12 days non-stop.

Councillor Jo Gilford, Environment Portfolio Holder at Daventry District Council, said:

“We have seen growing demand for the public charge point as the take-up of electric vehicles has grown.

“We are committed to being at the forefront of environmental innovations in transport, and key to that is having the infrastructure in place to meet future demand. This new charge point will help us meet that demand and we expect it to be well-used by the public.”

Both of the public charge points at Lodge Road are Chargemaster single phase 32 Amp/7KW with type 2 sockets (7-pin sockets) and are free to use for up to 4 hours.

They are compatible with Plugged in Midlands (formerly Plugged in Places), POLAR/Chargemaster, Plugged in Midlands and BMW RFID cards. Compatible cards are also available to borrow from the Council’s reception during office opening hours.

Electric Vehicle Experience Centre (EVEC) Preview Event

We are grateful to Chargemaster for inviting us to their Preview Event ahead of the opening of the new Electric Vehicle Experience Centre (EVEC). The event took place on Friday evening 21 July 2017 ahead of the official public opening on Saturday 22 July. The EVEC is located on Crown Walk in the main Central Milton Keynes shopping centre.

The event ran from 6-8pm and included welcome speeches from David Martell, Chief Executive of Chargemaster, and Ted Foster, EVEC Manager.

For more details see our EVEC news page.

Panasonic Joins Push to Put Photovoltaics on More Car Roofs

July 11, 2017Charging, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, Solar, ToyotaJo

Panasonic Corp. sees the future of solar on car rooftops.

The Osaka-based electronics maker has started producing a 180-watt array of solar cells that can be fixed to the roof of an automobile. In February, Panasonic announced that its photovoltaic module would be used on the roof of Toyota Motor Corp.’s latest Prius plug-in hybrid.

Cars represent a potentially lucrative new outlet for solar cells in an industry where intense competition from Chinese manufacturers has pushed down prices sharply. That’s prompting some manufacturers to adapt solar cells for everything from home roofing tiles and the outer skins of buildings to backpacks and tents.

Solar panels on the roof of Toyota Motor’s Prius plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHV). Photographer: Tomohiro Ohsumi/Bloomberg

“Car roofs have the potential to become a new market for solar panels,” Shingo Okamoto, the general manager at Panasonic who was in charge of developing the technology, said. “We made history in the auto industry and in the solar industry with the sun powering mass-produced cars for the first time in the world.”

New Market

Cars could hold the promise of a giant new market for solar panels from Panasonic, which also is partnered with Tesla Inc. in making batteries at its Gigafactory outside Las Vegas. There are 264 million cars and light trucks in operation in the U.S., according to the National Automobile Dealers Association.

Others are noticing the potential. Tesla Chairman Elon Musk tweeted in November that his company’s Model 3 car may come with a solar roof. He’s also beginning to sell a type of roof tile for homes featuring embedded photovoltaics. Nissan Motor Co. offers an add-on solar panel option for its Leaf electric cars, giving extra charge to systems such as the air conditioners and radios, according to Nicholas Maxfield, a spokesman for the company.

First electric vehicle charge point set up in Brent as council looks to tackle poor air quality

July 7, 2017Charging, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, Source LondonJo

The first of 33 electric vehicle charge points has gone up as the council looks to have them placed in 24 different locations throughout Brent

Brent’s first Electric Vehicle Charge Point is up and running on Dudley Road (Photo: Brent Council)

Brent council has erected its first electric vehicle charge point in the borough as it looks to tackle poor air quality.

Dudley Road is the home to the first of 33 charge points for electric cars in the area as the council aims to set them up in 24 locations.

Cabinet Member for Environment, Councilor Eleanor Southwood, said:

“This is a really proactive step forward in the move towards greener energy sources in the borough.

“We want to make it easier and more convenient for existing owners of electric vehicles in the borough and create the infrastructure so that more people are able to switch to electric vehicles in the future.

“Poor air quality is one of the biggest issues facing London and we will work hard to find innovative ways to improve air quality in Brent.

“Everyone has a part to play when it comes to reducing air pollution and we will continue to work with residents, schools and businesses to improve things in all parts of the borough.”

Source: GetWestLondon

Green energy given the go-ahead with electric vehicle charge point

July 5, 2017Charge Your Car, Charging, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and CommentJo

An electric vehicle charge point has been installed in the Tove Short Stay car park in Towcester by South Northamptonshire Council (SNC).

Cllr Dermot Bambridge and Facilities Manager Stephen Wright

The charge point is a type-two floor mounted socket which is part of the Charge Your Car electric vehicle re-charging network.

The charge point can be activated by using the Charge Your Car access card, Charge Your Car mobile phone app or automated pay-as-you-go telephone line and is compatible with most electric vehicles.

There are two parking bays designated for electric vehicle charging only and they are marked in green.
Parking restrictions of three hours maximum stay, with no return within 3 hours Monday to Friday 8am until 6pm still apply.

Cllr Dermot Bambridge, SNC’s portfolio holder for environmental services, said:

“This is a really proactive step forward in the move towards greener energy sources in the district.

“As a council it’s important for us to encourage the use of more environmentally friendly travel options, and also pave the way for other councils to follow suit.

“I hope that, as electric vehicles become increasingly accessible and common place, we will see an increase in use and adoption of charge points such as this.”

Electric vehicle owners will need to supply their own cable in order to use the charge point.

Rebecca Roper, Community Manager for Charge Your Car, also said:

“Here at Charge Your Car we want to make it as easy as possible for electric vehicle drivers to charge their cars, so it’s encouraging to see organisations such as SNC taking the initiative and installing charge points in more rural locations.”

Source: AboutMyArea/Northamptonshire