Planning a trip to Scotland

[Gomev]

CPS are different to Electroverse. They don't get any commission on the charging. Almost all of the chargers on their system are operated by local authorities, and the Scottish Government engaged them to act as a central 'enabler'.

If you're sticking to heavily populated areas, you should be OK with the app, flawed though it is. But if you plan on going into the hinterland, the west coast north of Glasgow / Loch Lomond, or anywhere north of Inverness, you really need the card. If you're going there, £12 isn't really going to add a lot to the cost of the trip - equivalent to a gallon and a half of that petrol stuff we used to have to buy!

It's not the actual amount but the fact that they charge I object to when everyone else doesn't. Why do they need to when others don't. Swarco won't be providing the back office services for free so will be paid anyway.

 

[QLeo]

The Electroverse card should work, but recently, our local Highland Council-owned charger stopped responding to the Electroverse card (Not Authorised) and required the CPS RFID card. This is annoying, as it's cheaper with the Electroverse card, and knowing the Council's small-mindedness may be the reason. This may be restricted to the local charger and/or Highland Council chargers, but I thought I'd better let you know.
Oh, and the Electroverse only works on the journey chargers, not the destination chargers, at least in our experience of a number of Highland Council chargers.

Great, that's what I was hoping to hear now I just need to check that the card works as I've had it for a year but not needed to use it.

Just to report back - I've just been in to Lochinver and thought I'd give the Electroverse card a go on the journey charger, just to see if it now works again. And yes, it did.
But we think that the cost we get charged is now the same as with the CPS card - 70p in the Highlands for Highland Council owned chargers. Electroverse reports the cost as being 62 or 64 (can't recall which.)
Anyway, we're off to the ballet in Inverness later in the week and we'll use overnighting at an hotel as an opportunity to do a balance charge. If your trip takes you to Inverness, the Premier Inn at Inverness West is not far from a set of destination chargers (35p) alongside the Highland Archive Centre, adjacent to the Botanical Gardens (well worth a visit) and the Leisure Centre (who wants to get hot and sweaty, other than in the hothouse at the Botanics.)

 

[Rolfe]

I'd still recommend getting a CPS card. It can smooth things a lot if a charger is malfunctioning. The guy on the phone asks for your membership number, and then everything magically arranges itself.

I think they charged for the card back in the day when all the chargers were free to use, but then never rethought that policy.

 

[GaryMG4]

I'd still recommend getting a CPS card. It can smooth things a lot if a charger is malfunctioning. The guy on the phone asks for your membership number, and then everything magically arranges itself.

I think they charged for the card back in the day when all the chargers were free to use, but then never rethought that policy.

I followed the advice on here and now have a shiny new CPS card ready for my trip having only had a 50% success rate with the Electroverse card here in Norfolk I decided it wasn't worth the risk.

 

[Archev]

I followed the advice on here and now have a shiny new CPS card ready for my trip having only had a 50% success rate with the Electroverse card here in Norfolk I decided it wasn't worth the risk.

I’ve been using the CPS card and the open Tesla chargers happily.
The new kids on the block are Arnold Clarke. There’s a line up of chargers at many of their branches and they’re a bit cheaper than most. You have to book ahead to use them but that means you are assured of a charge and their coffee and biscuits are inviting.
I had a right old rant about my first encounter with them in Kilmarnock a few days back but looking back perhaps most of the problem could have been geriatric customer ineptitude with something new.

 

[Rolfe]

 

[AndrewS]

I keep planning a holiday doing the NC500, maybe one day I will actually do it but why do Charge Place Scotland charge £12 for their RFID card ? Definitely off putting. Electroverse doesn't nor do any of the others (or if they do I haven't got it).

I did the NC500 last year, competing in the contender event for the FIA Ecorally Cup. There are a number, but not many, chargers around the NC500 route. Outside of Inverness they are all Chargeplace Scotland chargers and a good few years old. So a CPS card is essential. Inverness, & Aviemore have Tesla chargers, but that's about it.

It's absolutely a trip you should make. The scenery is outstanding. Just don't be in too much of a rush around it.

 

[Gomev]

I did the NC500 last year, competing in the contender event for the FIA Ecorally Cup. There are a number, but not many, chargers around the NC500 route. Outside of Inverness they are all Chargeplace Scotland chargers and a good few years old. So a CPS card is essential. Inverness, & Aviemore have Tesla chargers, but that's about it.

It's absolutely a trip you should make. The scenery is outstanding. Just don't be in too much of a rush around it.

Thank you for that. We were planning on taking a week or so over it, maybe taking in a trip to Orkney just for the sake of it. I'm sure that one way or another makes no difference but my head wants to take me anti-clockwise, any thoughts ? How are the midges that far up and any times to avoid as they really love feeding on my missus.
Yes it is virtually all CPS but looking there does seem to be chargers at many locations on the route.
Map according to Chargefinder

 

[Archev]

Thank you for that. We were planning on taking a week or so over it, maybe taking in a trip to Orkney just for the sake of it. I'm sure that one way or another makes no difference but my head wants to take me anti-clockwise, any thoughts ? How are the midges that far up and any times to avoid as they really love feeding on my missus.
Yes it is virtually all CPS but looking there does seem to be chargers at many locations on the route.
Map according to Chargefinder
View attachment 35107

I can’t find a fridge magnet I used to have - it was a large midge saying
“ send more tourists- any blood group will do “
I’m certain the wee devils are now plugging in to those self same charge points as I’ve provided sustenance for them whilst connecting up.
I think a stainless steel seamless onesie provides reasonable protection.

 

[5teep]

I did the NC500 last year, competing in the contender event for the FIA Ecorally Cup. There are a number, but not many, chargers around the NC500 route. Outside of Inverness they are all Chargeplace Scotland chargers and a good few years old. So a CPS card is essential. Inverness, & Aviemore have Tesla chargers, but that's about it.

It's absolutely a trip you should make. The scenery is outstanding. Just don't be in too much of a rush around it.

Update on this, all the older chargeplace Scotland chargers on the NC500 route will be replaced by the end of March. Highland council own them and they are replacing all of the old chargers in the Highlands. Saw them changing one in Helmsdale the other day.

/edit it's all part of the new law on chargers being more accessible, so they will all have contactless payment options.

 

[Shrink Proof]

Hello, Inverness resident here....

Which way round you do it really doesn't matter; I've driven the whole of it both ways piecemeal over years and it's equally good either way IMO.

The important thing is to take it slowly and savour the scenery. Too many folk do the NC500 for the 500 rather than the NC.

Even better is to schedule a stop or two that's longer than just one night if you've got the time, and explore at least one area a little bit - there's some world-class walking (not necessarily SAS-type route marches) if that's your thing. And take a camera. Or two.

 

[AndrewS]

Update on this, all the older chargeplace Scotland chargers on the NC500 route will be replaced by the end of March. Highland council own them and they are replacing all of the old chargers in the Highlands. Saw them changing one in Helmsdale the other day.

/edit it's all part of the new law on chargers being more accessible, so they will all have contactless payment options.

That's good to hear. It will make a big difference.

 

[Jomarkh]

Update on this, all the older chargeplace Scotland chargers on the NC500 route will be replaced by the end of March. Highland council own them and they are replacing all of the old chargers in the Highlands. Saw them changing one in Helmsdale the other day.

/edit it's all part of the new law on chargers being more accessible, so they will all have contactless payment options.

But what will the new cost per kWh be?
Some early ones were cheap but the new ones seems to be over 50p/kWh

 

[jackois]

Those Tesla chargers at Harrogate are miles and miles and loads of time from the A1M and no real facilities (in a garden centre car park). I wouldn't go that far off route. Wetherby Gridserve has increased the number of chargers recently and now has 29 CCS connectors and good facilities. It was always very busy at lunchtimes with queues but possibly not now with the new chargers added. Still best to avoid lunchtime anywhere though if you can.

Download the new Gridserve app... it's brilliant! It will alert you at 80% charge...

 

[Rolfe]

Update on this, all the older chargeplace Scotland chargers on the NC500 route will be replaced by the end of March. Highland council own them and they are replacing all of the old chargers in the Highlands. Saw them changing one in Helmsdale the other day.

/edit it's all part of the new law on chargers being more accessible, so they will all have contactless payment options.

That's interesting. There were things on that route that looked as if they came out of the ark. The one at the Torridon Hotel didn't seem to have any way to start it at all! I thought about the app, but then it said it had to email me a password change which wasn't a lot of help as I didn't have email enabled on my phone. Fortunately the guy on the helpline was on the ball and started the charge for me, also said if I deleted the app and re-installed it, the password problem would go away. The actual electricity cost about 87p/unit though, which was on a par with the Torridon Hotel prices across the board.

Also the screen on the one at Eilean Donan Castle died between the two charges I did there. Being a touch-screen, that meant I couldn't start the charge. It took me about five minutes to persuade the helpline guy that there was something wrong, he kept saying, but it's fine, somebody used it yesterday, and I kept saying, yes I know, that was me, it was fine then but it isn't now. Eventually he started the charge for me and I got charged and on to Applecross.

I hope they don't hike the price up even more.

 

[5teep]

But what will the new cost per kWh be?
Some early ones were cheap but the new ones seems to be over 50p/kWh

HRC prices have been the same for a while now, quite expensive compared to some others but they do have a lot of new machines to pay for.

DC costs 70p per kwh, AC costs 35p per kwh. For almost ten years all HRC chargers were free to use but nobody could sustain that when the price of electricity shot up.

 

[5teep]

That's interesting. There were things on that route that looked as if they came out of the ark. The one at the Torridon Hotel didn't seem to have any way to start it at all! I thought about the app, but then it said it had to email me a password change which wasn't a lot of help as I didn't have email enabled on my phone. Fortunately the guy on the helpline was on the ball and started the charge for me, also said if I deleted the app and re-installed it, the password problem would go away. The actual electricity cost about 87p/unit though, which was on a par with the Torridon Hotel prices across the board.

Also the screen on the one at Eilean Donan Castle died between the two charges I did there. Being a touch-screen, that meant I couldn't start the charge. It took me about five minutes to persuade the helpline guy that there was something wrong, he kept saying, but it's fine, somebody used it yesterday, and I kept saying, yes I know, that was me, it was fine then but it isn't now. Eventually he started the charge for me and I got charged and on to Applecross.

I hope they don't hike the price up even more.

Is that the one behind a hedge in a gravel car park? I've seen it but never used it.

 

[Rolfe]

Yes. I'd never seen anything like it before. I knew it was ridiculously expensive but it suited me to charge there, I wanted lunch, and I was having a cheap holiday otherwise.

 

[gwig66]

Early research for a trip planned for May, we'll be heading from Kings Lynn to Ardgarten. I've just downloaded the CPS app, will my Electroverse card work with their chargers, or do I need to order theirs? An initial go with ABRP suggests Gridserve Wetherby, Carlisle Ionity and Osprey at Queen of the Loch. Any experience of these sites or alternative suggestions?

There's a great array of rapid and ultra-rapid chargers at Newton Aycliffe on A1 Also a Subway, Greggs and McDonald's.

 

[5teep]

Saw a new charger in Fort William, a Hyper Rapid with 2 ccs connectors on it but I think it's just for trucks. It wasn't turned on so no idea how fast it might be or whose it is.