Best apps to find commercial chargers on a journey

[timeades]

Well, my friend said that when she walked over to the chargers this afternoon to get the info, two cars were charging. And a neighbour had used the chargers for a while before his wall box was installed despite the exorbitant price. So it must be possible.

Just having a dig through the website to see what I can find, but it's a bit short on info. The US site is better but not great

 

[Rolfe]

It's all about how businesses and organisations can install their chargers. Absolutely bugger-all that I can see about how plebs with cars actually use the chargers.

 

[Diggsy]

Looks like it’s all done through their app…

Billing and Payments: Get in Touch (EN-GB)

Contact Blink Charging UK for help with billing and payments. Streamline your EV charging operations with our reliable support.

blinkcharging.co.uk

 

[timeades]

Looks like it’s all done through their app…

Billing and Payments: Get in Touch (EN-GB)

Contact Blink Charging UK for help with billing and payments. Streamline your EV charging operations with our reliable support.

blinkcharging.co.uk

Just downloaded the app for a look, don't have the MG4 as an option only ZS & 5. Payment looks like scan and pay via attached CC or DC rather than RFID.

 

[Rolfe]

Yeah, I finally managed to register on the app, but then came a cropper when it wanted to register the car. Unless I had lied about the model of course. It says on ZapMaps that there is an RFID card, but no sign of an offer of one. I hate hate hate relying on my mobile phone for anything without a backup. I print cinema tickets, dammit.

It did say that registering the car was optional, so hopefully they will take my money.

 

[Ian Key]

This might be of some use

https://blinkcharging.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/8-Blink_EVDriver_FAQCommunication.pdf

 

[WonkoTheSaneUK]

It has - EB Go! after that.

Apparently, EB got bought by Blink at the start of April.

Try this link for shouting at them - Chat with a Consultant | Blink Charging UK

 

[CarlMG4]

Related to the OP; I'm finding that CYC ChargeYourCar points are a nightmare atm, they were taken over by BP pulse (which are particularly bad too), most of them show on BP Pulse online Map, but not in the app so without an RFID card you're unable to start a charge.

Even when putting in the unit serial number, the app doesn't recognise it so is unable to start a charge.

If it's a free charger, I'm having to call them on the technical help telephone number in order to get them to initiate the charge remotely.

So The BP Pulse app is as much use as a chocolate fireguard for me at the minute, as most of the chargepoints no longer show.

Zap-maps show most of the chargepoints near me, and the prices seem to be updated and in line with what they actually are.

 

[Rolfe]

Zapmaps is still showing the charging to be free in the car park I use when I go to Glasgow, but the ChargePlace Scotland app shows it as 40p per unit. (Zapmaps is also showing a second charging station in that car park that doesn't appear to exist.)

 

[timeades]

Zapmaps is still showing the charging to be free in the car park I use when I go to Glasgow, but the ChargePlace Scotland app shows it as 40p per unit. (Zapmaps is also showing a second charging station in that car park that doesn't appear to exist.)

Zapmaps can be a little out of step. Around my way we have had another 20 lamppost chargers installed but not all of them are showing.

I think this is more down to the suppliers than Zapmaps as all they are doing is calling various APIs to get the data and if the suppliers are slow to update their systems Zapmaps won't know about it

 

[Rolfe]

This might be of some use

https://blinkcharging.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/8-Blink_EVDriver_FAQCommunication.pdf

That looks as if it might be an American site? The phone numbers are not UK codes. Anyway, it's lying. I couldn't get a Blink guest code because as soon as I typed anything into the required field for my phone number it told me that this was an invalid number. I literally tried every digit from 0 to 9 and got the same result.

There is a "Customer Support" phone number on the charger outside my friend's house, 0330 111 0076, but do I trust them to answer? I do not.

I'll take my granny charger so I can charge at my friend's house itself, but that charger 50 yards away would be really handy if I could access it. Having doubts here.

 

[timeades]

That looks as if it might be an American site? The phone numbers are not UK codes. Anyway, it's lying. I couldn't get a Blink guest code because as soon as I typed anything into the required field for my phone number it told me that this was an invalid number. I literally tried every digit from 0 to 9 and got the same result.

There is a "Customer Support" phone number on the charger outside my friend's house, 0330 111 0076, but do I trust them to answer? I do not.

I'll take my granny charger so I can charge at my friend's house itself, but that charger 50 yards away would be really handy if I could access it. Having doubts here.

Blinks UK number is +44 01727 807 263

 

[Rolfe]

Well, I do have their app on my phone, and I have a backup plan if the damn thing doesn't work when I get there next week, so I think I'll just suck it and see.