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[bwanamdevu]

Just had my MG5 for a little over two weeks and yet to use a public charger. Preparing myself nevertheless and downloaded lots of apps from the various companies but some say I can apply for a RFID card. I know generally what a RFID does but what does it do in relation to car chargers?
I was put off by Geniepoint’s charge of £8 for one so if I can use their chargers with just the app instead of using a RFID CARD I shall be satisfied!
A few companies have sent me a card which appears gratis, Instavolt and Osprey. LifeEv are sending a fob - I shall use this one in Sheffield.

 

[5teep]

Depends where you are I suppose. In Scotland the vast majority of chargers are on the chargeplace Scotland network and one rfid card is pretty much all you need.
Down south there can be so many competing networks an app is probably better.

That said contactless payment is coming to all chargers over the next couple of years so you shouldn't have to worry about apps or rfid.

 

[HarryTheGreyhound]

Biggest advantage is if your phone or its battery has a problem, an RFID card should still work.

 

[Archev]

In Scotland I think most chargers are “Charge Place Scotland” operated. They can be started by an app or the Webpay scheme but both rely on your phone having a decent signal. As I’ve discovered, go a bit out of the way and remote, and you’re struggling. At least if you have the RFID card (currently £10 for five years) there’s a much better chance of connecting with the machine and receiving a feed for your epic electric conveyance. Archie

 

[Shrink Proof]

Living in the Highlands of Scotland, a mobile signal is not just unreliable but unreliably unreliable. What worked fine in one location on one occasion may be a black spot ten minutes later. Wouldn't want to rely on it, especially if I was low on volts at 3:00 a.m. and I was somewhere in N W Sutherland.

Or, worse, if it was 3:00 a.m. and I was at the charger at Inverness Crematorium (creepy doesn't even begin to describe it....).

 

[AnonymouseDriva]

Just had my MG5 for a little over two weeks and yet to use a public charger. Preparing myself nevertheless and downloaded lots of apps from the various companies but some say I can apply for a RFID card. I know generally what a RFID does but what does it do in relation to car chargers?
I was put off by Geniepoint’s charge of £8 for one so if I can use their chargers with just the app instead of using a RFID CARD I shall be satisfied!
A few companies have sent me a card which appears gratis, Instavolt and Osprey. LifeEv are sending a fob - I shall use this one in Sheffield.

Geniepoint will let you register your own RFID card. I use my Octopus Electric Highway card for my Geniepoint account as well.. You could just use one off your other 'gratis' ones or your fob.

 

[biffo]

Unless there is an associated cost, get both - I've seen the RFID card fail on a unit but the app start it, and vice versa. As mentioned, you may never need one of these until it's cold, wet and 3am with the family desperate to get home.

 

[Peterch]

Just had my MG5 for a little over two weeks and yet to use a public charger. Preparing myself nevertheless and downloaded lots of apps from the various companies but some say I can apply for a RFID card. I know generally what a RFID does but what does it do in relation to car chargers?
I was put off by Geniepoint’s charge of £8 for one so if I can use their chargers with just the app instead of using a RFID CARD I shall be satisfied!
A few companies have sent me a card which appears gratis, Instavolt and Osprey. LifeEv are sending a fob - I shall use this one in Sheffield.

Ive had a charge your car card for 7 years but have decided this year not to renew as it costs £20 per year! and with the apps seems irrelevant!

 

[Fluffykins]

All this is exactly the same as a pay at pump petrol pump. NOT.

 

[Gomev]

All this is exactly the same as a pay at pump petrol pump. NOT.

To be fair, (an expression I am not overly fond of using, ) most rapids I have used have been contactless. Instavolt, Shell Recharge, Osprey, Gridserve. I believe even Geniepoint have moved to contactless now as well. Not sure about BP Pulse, I think they can be used contactless.
I think that covers most of the big players.

 

[Fluffykins]

Got caught out by (presumably elderly) Geniepoint a week or two back. Bloody thing. What made it worse was no mobile signal and the store too far away for their WiFi to reach.
Surely it wouldn't have been beyond the wit of man to put a wee WiFi hotspot in the charge point - even with connectivity limited to just the points server.
Well get there eventually I suppose but it'll still take a while for all suppliers to get away from their Walled Garden mentality.

 

[Peterch]

To be fair, (an expression I am not overly fond of using, ) most rapids I have used have been contactless. Instavolt, Shell Recharge, Osprey, Gridserve. I believe even Geniepoint have moved to contactless now as well. Not sure about BP Pulse, I think they can be used contactless.
I think that covers most of the big players.

I used BP earlier in the year and needed to put a "payment " on my app account (must have a £5 balance) before the car would charge, but no issues

 

[Fishettibean]

I was put off by Geniepoint’s charge of £8 for one so if I can use their chargers with just the app instead of using a RFID CARD I shall be satisfied!

Don't pay the £8! You can register any rfid card (even a competitor's card) and it will tie to the payg account. Or you can register an amiibo and have pikachu or mario charge your car... ?

 

[AnonymouseDriva]

Don't pay the £8! You can register any rfid card (even a competitor's card) and it will tie to the payg account. Or you can register an amiibo and have pikachu or mario charge your car... ?

Not sure a plumber is a good idea. Pikachu is OK though as he's an electric type...

 

[Fishettibean]

Not sure a plumber is a good idea. Pikachu is OK though as he's an electric type...

The worse one is a Tom Nook amiibo. You will have to pay him back.... ?

 

[Fluffykins]

I wonder when all charging stations for EVs will become as simple, starightforward and convenient to use as a pay at pump petrol station.

Right now the various attempts at charging companies offering walled gardens, differential pricing for subscribers vs normal people and a wealth of chargepoints completely inaccessible by people with just a debit/credit card, is one of the biggest turnoffs for prospective purchasers.

The other bugbear is chargepoint availability, with equipment faulted and either partially or completely unavailable. Think app access failed and only contactless payments possible.

Maybe ZapMap could include a league table of shame, with charge networks ranked by proportion of failed points, mean time to repair and longest time to repair/refurbish.

Fat chance, I know but it'd be interesting to hear from any chargepoint providers with a justification for making life as difficult as possible, with walled gardens, points only accessible via an app or special card, etc.

 

[5teep]

When ice cars were first available you had to go to a chemist to buy petrol. It took 15-20 years for the first petrol stations to appear and they grew in number as car ownership grew. So it will be with EVs. Probably not dedicated stations although I expect petrol stations will evolve into charging hubs or disappear. I think home charging will become the thing with various tech solutions to make it easier.

Unless...hydrogen becomes the norm

 

[Fluffykins]

When ice cars were first available you had to go to a chemist to buy petrol. It took 15-20 years for the first petrol stations to appear and they grew in number as car ownership grew. So it will be with EVs. Probably not dedicated stations although I expect petrol stations will evolve into charging hubs or disappear. I think home charging will become the thing with various tech solutions to make it easier.

Unless...hydrogen becomes the norm

Agreed but why on Earth did EV charging take three or four steps firmly backwards? One would have been forgiven for thinking things would have started from at least somewhere close to gasoline fuelling.

Hydrogen has its issues. Most commercia hydrogen is produced from hydrocarbons, as other routes: electrolysis etc, are not economical enough.
Even if you crack that, you then get the energy (and financial) cost of compressing or liquifying the stuff.

Then there's the size of the hydrogen molecule. It's teensey, unlike even methane (CH4). It tends to leak out through containment vessel walls, seals and the like. Fuel loss is significant, as I understand.

Then there's the issues of material compatibility. Hydrogen has an interesting habit of insinuating itself into the structure of other materials. Steel is susceptible to hydrogen embrittlement, for one. Not a good idea if one has a steel cylinder full of H2 at insane pressure. It'd reach the point where it could fail if one looked at it a bit funny.

I recall reading an interesting discussion on the subject in the comments section on The Register. If I can find it I'll post it here. (www.theregister.co.uk is a continual source of entertainment and informed comment. Plus the BOFH - look him up)

 

[5teep]

Agreed but why on Earth did EV charging take three or four steps firmly backwards? One would have been forgiven for thinking things would have started from at least somewhere close to gasoline fuelling.

I'm not sure I understand that but if you mean why did they not start by putting chargers in petrol stations then you only have to look at the oil companies who 'were' totally invested in oil products.
Now of course many of them have seen the writing on the wall and are scrambling desperately to catch up, to protect their revenue streams.

 

[Fluffykins]

Nope. It's the simplicity of pay at pump petrol stations vs. the current convoluted situation with EV chargers.

Forget driving in, swiping a debit card, fuelling and away, which is what you'd do for a tabkful of diesel.

With an EV it's will the thing be working? What app do I need? Which of my handful of RFID cards will work? Will contactless be accepted? Will it work? Do I need an app? Do I have to use the website? Have I got a mobile signal? Is there WiFi if not?

IOW: totally unike buying a tank of diesel.