I'm with Octopus now - what EV charger do you chaps think is best?

[John Sauve Rodd]

MG ZS LR 22 plate at a home with 6.6Kwh of solar panels and a smart meter, 'old' (2020) PodPoint charger 7Kwh but not compatible with Octopus. I see Octopus offer a choice of 4: Zappi, Hypervolt, Ohme Home Pro and Ohme Epod. (we also have a 70 plate Renault Zoë)

Before I blow a grand I'd be grateful for some experiences (please).

 

[DB Go Rex]

Is it worth the cost for change?

Standard Octopus Go (compatible with the pod point) is what 8p off peak? They also recently expanded the overnight bandwidth on standard Octopus Go.

Intelligent is a couple of pence cheaper.

That's a lot of charging to make up the difference on a new charger...

 

[Jomarkh]

If you haven't got a compatible EVSE for IOG then check out energy.

 

[Bam Bam]

I tend to agree with @DB Go Rex .

Why replace a working EVSE? Unless you aren't happy with it for some reason.

I expect that the others are superior units with more features etc. but are they really work the extra expense?

I'm on Octopus Go as of this week (charger isn't compatible with IOG) and it is nice and straightforward with 5 hours cheap overnight (8.5p/kWh).

I'd wait for the podpoint to fail and then get the latest one at that (pod)point in time.

In terms of those three, I'm less keen on the look of the Zappi, but they are very common and so presumably reliable.

 

[Eclectic]

I have a similar setup, the original dumb Chargemaster EVSE that came wiith my Renault Zoe, and a ZS Trophy LR (also solar panels and Powerwall 2)

I've been on plain Octopus GO for a long time, and it has recently upped the export payment from the solar panels from 8p to 15p/kWh, as well as giving an extra hour on the overnight cheap rate.

I did the calcs, and its easy to see that unless the old EVSE fails, replacing it with an Intelligent Octopus unit would take an awful lot of charging to recover the cost. GO is a nice easy tariff, no faffing around, set the car timer to the cheap overnight rate and plug it in.

 

[John Sauve Rodd]

Dear Eclectic - I am beginning to see the light (smiley face)

Thank you. I've asked Octopus to sort me out.

 

[Bam Bam]

Dear Eclectic - I am beginning to see the light (smiley face)

Thank you. I've asked Octopus to sort me out.

Do put your old podpoint on the local freegle group if you can't find a buyer for it.

Someone on our local group was looking for a charger a few months ago.

 

[Tim Green]

I understand the latest podpoint has protection against the risk of "floating neutral" supply which is important for EV chargers. Others may have it too.

 

[Topeka]

I'm with Octopus and my home EV charger is a Hypervolt one (Home 3.0 Pro). It works pretty flawlessly with Intelligent Octopus Go (the smart tariff). To charge the car (either via a schedule/planned charge or plug and go) you need the Octopus app and the Hypervolt app.

After you've set it all up following the app instructions, all you do to charge it is:

1. Plug the charger in
2. Unlock the charger via the Hypervolt app (so it changes to 'Pending')
3. Let the Octopus app plan a smart schedule to charge your car off-peak

If there are any issues with it not charging or not sticking to the schedule 99% of the time it's because an update is due for either the Hypervolt app or the Octopus app.

 

[Tim Green]

It could be a bit of a problem if you're expecting your car to be charged for trip and it hasn't been!

 

[John Sauve Rodd]

MG ZS LR 22 plate at a home with 6.6Kwh of solar panels and a smart meter, 'old' (2020) PodPoint charger 7Kwh but not compatible with Octopus. I see Octopus offer a choice of 4: Zappi, Hypervolt, Ohme Home Pro and Ohme Epod. (we also have a 70 plate Renault Zoë)

Before I blow a grand I'd be grateful for some experiences (please).

Things with Octopus did NOT go well when I asked to change tariff and AI was the start. I asked by e mail (normal) how to chage to GO and got a speedy 'Hi there!' reply and simple instructions. But they were completely wrong and caused by faulty AI. When I got to humans the problem persisted with an escalation as I was getting more and more frustrated i.e angry. I am now in rec't of an encourageing email . . . . But I have another querey on charging.

So, I am in Antwerp on a public charger using the RFID card of my daughter in law (bless) and I plug in and off we go. How is it that the guy with the Model Y next to me can do 10% to 100% in 8 hours (he told me as I tried not to drool on his tyres) but my MG ZS manages under 2kW and takes 20 hours to reach 85%? Any ideas you widely travelled chaps?

 

[Jomarkh]

So, I am in Antwerp on a public charger using the RFID card of my daughter in law (bless) and I plug in and off we go. How is it that the guy with the Model Y next to me can do 10% to 100% in 8 hours (he told me as I tried not to drool on his tyres) but my MG ZS manages under 2Kw/hr and takes 20 hours to reach 85%? Any ideas you widely travelled chaps?

Are you on a DC rapid or AC EVSE?
The tesla can probably do 3 phase 22kW charging.
If you are using a type2 single phase 32A cable you will only get 7kW.

 

[John Sauve Rodd]

It's not a rapid charger (DC) in Ballarstraat for sure. I am using a type 2 cable (comes with car) but 7kW that I get at home (PodPoint) and in some UK public chargers is just not happening here. But since I posted, my drly beloveds here tell me that rapid chargers have already come to a new development close nearby.

 

[Coulomb]

I am using a type 2 cable (comes with car) but 7kW that I get at home (PodPoint) and in some UK public chargers is just not happening here.

Presumably, your "charger" at home is tethered (has its own cord), and is rated at 32A. I'm guessing that your cord to use at untethered public charging is only rated at 16A, so you'll only charge at 3.6kW, less about 1kW for 12V loads and losses.

Or it's possible that this location has only an 11kW "charger". That's 3.6kW per phase, and most MG4s have only a single phase on-board charger. The Tesla likely has an 11kW on-board charger, so it will charge 3x as fast. Probably 4+ times as fast with loads and losses. 22kW on-board chargers are still fairly uncommon.

 

[Tim Green]

Coulomb is right, John Sauve is only charging at 3kW when not at home.
Use tethered chargers which use both parts of the socket.

 

[John Sauve Rodd]

Thanks Coulomb (great screen name, reminds me of Mr Rose's physics lessons) and Tim Green - but I'd be OK with 3.6kW, ten hours 36kWh, more than enough for my Antwerp-Calais-Kent/home journey. But the stats were not even close to 2kW. On the bright side, the city of Antwerp has installed chargers all over and with private operators (Blauwe Hond/Blue Dog are frequent) the charging possibilities are pretty good. Better still, huge renovation of a famous buidling (Alcatel) has underground parking with a dedicated EV floor andmultiple rapid DC chargers. But what Coulomb says on Teslas just makes me drool even more than normal. They are as common as dirt in this city.

 

[Bam Bam]

It's not a rapid charger (DC) in Ballarstraat for sure. I am using a type 2 cable (comes with car) but 7kW that I get at home (PodPoint) and in some UK public chargers is just not happening here. But since I posted, my drly beloveds here tell me that rapid chargers have already come to a new development close nearby.

So your cable can do 7kW but it isn't getting that in Belgium even on a 22kW charger?

I wonder if the EVSEs at 76 Haantjeslei might have be worth checking out (they appear on the Electroverse app but I have no idea if they are functioning properly or where they are purported to be). Cheaper, no connection fee and depending on your cable they might even be faster (despite being rated lower).

 

[John Sauve Rodd]

Thanks Bam Bam; I shall use my EV map on my Mac to see what info is available on the chargers on speed/power and all that.

Thanks Bam Bam; I shall use my EV map on my Mac to see what info is available on the chargers on speed/power and all that.

So here's the right Haantjeslei charger and it says
Available 38.2 mi / hour 12.7 kW (AC)
Type 2

I presume that means you can get 38.2 miles from an hour's charging - if so that is a new stat for me; I am still no wiser as to why my charge was so dreadfully slow. Some big Beamers and Teslas and the odd Audi can be seen on these chargers quite often.

 

[Bam Bam]

So here's the right Haantjeslei charger and it says
Available 38.2 mi / hour 12.7 kW (AC)
Type 2

I presume that means you can get 38.2 miles from an hour's charging - if so that is a new stat for me; I am still no wiser as to why my charge was so dreadfully slow. Some big Beamers and Teslas and the odd Audi can be seen on these chargers quite often.

12.7kW is a strange number. Makes me wonder if it is three phase at 4kW per phase. Which is another relatively slow charge for single phase MGs.

If you can leave it plugged in for a really long time I guess you are fine even at a slow speed.

 

[Rob Roy]

MG ZS LR 22 plate at a home with 6.6Kwh of solar panels and a smart meter, 'old' (2020) PodPoint charger 7Kwh but not compatible with Octopus. I see Octopus offer a choice of 4: Zappi, Hypervolt, Ohme Home Pro and Ohme Epod. (we also have a 70 plate Renault Zoë)

Before I blow a grand I'd be grateful for some experiences (please).

I’ve got an ICS charger but can’t seem to get an electric quote for my MG4. Does anyone know who will provide one?