A difficult journey highlights issues with UK public charging infrastructure.

[Susanna]

@Tim Green
Parking at most airports is incredibly expensive, and the route into terminals 1-3 at Heathrow can get very congested. I used to live fairly close and could use the buses, which are free along the Bath Road specifically to reduce traffic into the airport.

It makes sense to park anywhere other than in the airport itself!

 

[Gadget Geek]

This is the charger I used in Slough, you do need the chargepoint app to use it though

View attachment 13884

I will definately be giving that one a visit, although it's a shame it's not PAYG.

 

[Tim Green]

Are you sure that the airports charge for parking when charging? Nobody else seems to!

 

[Gadget Geek]

Are you sure that the airports charge for parking when charging? Nobody else seems to!

Yes.

Heathrow Terminal 5 parking

Looking for Heathrow airport parking at Terminal 5? See our range of short stay, meet and greet and business parking at T5. Compare & book now.

www.heathrow.com

 

[Tim Green]

Well, having looked at the website, I am confused! One bit said that you pay for parking but not the electricity used, another required a form to be filled in that intimated charging for the electric. Who knows - maybe someone that has actually used it!

 

[Deleted member 9196]

But Tesla managed it!
It IS possible.

Because Tesla included the necessary firmware in the vehicle. Trying to do it in an "adapter cable" would be considerably more complex, and almost certainly not cost-effective as a third-party add-on,

 

[Tim Green]

I guess if the hand-shaking is different it is a non-starter.

 

[Gadget Geek]

I've had some replies from the network providers;
Hi,

Thanks for getting in touch.

We wanted to let you know that the charger Aixa-Mazy that you reported via the Pod Point app, has now been reset remotely and all doors are working once again. We are sorry for any inconvenience that this caused you in the meantime.

If you need any further help, please reply to this email or visit our Help Centre.

Thanks,

Tiago
Customer Support Executive
Pod Point Ltd.


Dear Alan,

Thank you for providing the details. It appears this charger is experiencing an error on CCS2 and we sincerely apologise for the inconvenience, frustration and delay on your journey caused.

Together with our Partner ABB we will fix this issue as soon as possible.

We are logging your feedback and please remember if you need support during your charging session, please call our 24/7 customer service hotline on 0333 1234 333, they can provide you with real-time assistance at our charging locations.

Once again we appreciate you raising this issue, please don't hesitate to contact us with any further questions or comments.

Kind regards,

Evelien | Customer Service Representative | GRIDSERVE®

Interesting that Gridserve can offer real-time assistance and yet need ABB to go and fix it. I doubt that would happen in real-time.

 

[IanMG]

Because Tesla included the necessary firmware in the vehicle. Trying to do it in an "adapter cable" would be considerably more complex, and almost certainly not cost-effective as a third-party add-on,

Not exactly.
The hardware addition on the model S was so it was able to use CCS. The Chademo to Menkes 2 adapter has a software board in it to sort out hand shaking etc.
Historically Tesla, call that Elon, got fed up with waiting for the CCS group to come up with a standard, so he went ahead with the Menkes Type 2 that, on a Tesla, carries the DC as well. It switches the pins to suit, clever - yes! When CCS sorted out there issues and the Model 3 came along, Tesla went with the CCS system.
So buy a 2015 onwards ish Model S and you might get two adapters, Chademo and CCS!
If Tesla can do it anybody can, but the signatories to CCS are constrained by the CCS agreement that ties them to CCS only! Is that right, answers on a postcard, because some might think it a restrictive practice!

 

[IanMG]

I've had some replies from the network providers;
Hi,

Thanks for getting in touch.

We wanted to let you know that the charger Aixa-Mazy that you reported via the Pod Point app, has now been reset remotely and all doors are working once again. We are sorry for any inconvenience that this caused you in the meantime.

If you need any further help, please reply to this email or visit our Help Centre.

Thanks,

Tiago
Customer Support Executive
Pod Point Ltd.


Dear Alan,

Thank you for providing the details. It appears this charger is experiencing an error on CCS2 and we sincerely apologise for the inconvenience, frustration and delay on your journey caused.

Together with our Partner ABB we will fix this issue as soon as possible.

We are logging your feedback and please remember if you need support during your charging session, please call our 24/7 customer service hotline on 0333 1234 333, they can provide you with real-time assistance at our charging locations.

Once again we appreciate you raising this issue, please don't hesitate to contact us with any further questions or comments.

Kind regards,

Evelien | Customer Service Representative | GRIDSERVE®

Interesting that Gridserve can offer real-time assistance and yet need ABB to go and fix it. I doubt that would happen in real-time.

I wonder if you would get a letter like that from Genie Point!
I think their computer might be broken along with the majority of their chargers!

 

[Gadget Geek]

Not exactly.
The hardware addition on the model S was so it was able to use CCS. The Chademo to Menkes 2 adapter has a software board in it to sort out hand shaking etc.
Historically Tesla, call that Elon, got fed up with waiting for the CCS group to come up with a standard, so he went ahead with the Menkes Type 2 that, on a Tesla, carries the DC as well. It switches the pins to suit, clever - yes! When CCS sorted out there issues and the Model 3 came along, Tesla went with the CCS system.
So buy a 2015 onwards ish Model S and you might get two adapters, Chademo and CCS!
If Tesla can do it anybody can, but the signatories to CCS are constrained by the CCS agreement that ties them to CCS only! Is that right, answers on a postcard, because some might think it a restrictive practice!

This is what happens when governments lets industries regulate themselves . . . chaos ensues. At filling stations, you get two nozzles, one for petrol, one for diesel (for obvious reasons). Imagine if they had different nozzles for every grade of petrol, or BP used different nozzles to Shell, and to supermarkets who use their own? That is effectively what we've got in the EV world.

 

[Tim Green]

It does seem ridiculous to have more than one socket approved. However, the EU usually want to specify everything down to the bend in a banana, yet it is the same over there.

 

[Roldorf]

You can still get bent bananas here, I think you have to blame Margaret Thatcher for that myth.

 

[Tim Green]

My point is just that no-one has managed to secure any one particular socket in their sphere of influence, at least in Europe. It replicates the situation where there are some four or five mains sockets - but they were all introduced at least 50 years ago. We never learn!

 

[WalkingBootWeather]

 

[Tim Green]

Very good!
My vote goes to...........no 16!

 

[DB Go Rex]

It does seem ridiculous to have more than one socket approved. However, the EU usually want to specify everything down to the bend in a banana, yet it is the same over there.

CCS is pretty much universal now.

Is the EU really dictating the shape of your bananas?

Boris Johnson says EU laws about vacuum cleaners and bananas are ‘crazy’. We take a look at whether he is right

www.theguardian.com

 

[Tim Green]

Sorry, my fault for mentioning the EU-hence the 6 year old articles! However, it is surprising that one thing they could specify did not get done.

 

[N2STY]

This just reminds me of VHS (CCS)vs Betamax (CHAdeMO)

 

[Roldorf]

On all the fuel pumps I have used there are 3 or 4 different nozzle's, for diesel, 92, 95, super+. Some of the older cars can't use 92, kills them.
So analogies with brenner (burner) motors don't hold up.
Here we have Chademo (Japan/Asia older models), which will probably be phased out in the near future, CCS, Type 2 and the Tesla supercharger connection (soon to be fitted with CCS, there are only a handful that have so far been converted) so really only 3. The biggest problem is the number of operators and cards/accounts you have to have. Luckily we have one large operator ENBW where you can use the same account/app/card with almost all the other operators at a reasonable price. I have just applied for a card from our local operator/energy supplier (EWE) which will allow me to charge a few cents cheaper on the Type2 connections, so will have 2 cards and one app for charging anywhere in Europe, unfortunately NOT in the UK, so for the time being I will not be taking my car to see my sister or kids/grandkids.