EV charging is changing.

[RogerL]

Thanks for the update it brings real world experience to towing with an EV. Even in a Bank Holiday chargers availability was good, but that’s not of interest to the media. They only want queues of EVs waiting for a charger. The availability of charging points seems to be getting much better given the increased rate of installation.

I don't know what the Easter bank holidays were like but traffic was very light on the May Day bank holiday just gone - we stopped at Corley services on the M6 and it was like the Marie Celeste.

I did though notice many roadside signs for EV chargers just off a main road - they seemed to be uniform design in black/white.

 

[RogerL]

@Tobes how do you go on parking the caravan while charging? I think that's the real "fear" for a lot of folks (me included). I know that one of the motorway services has the caravan parking area past the normal parking, making it impossible to park the caravan there then go back to a charger.

Some motorway services have high kerbs set at 2m width on their car parks to prevent larger vehicles using them - so using the HGV/caravan parking would be the only option.

I wouldn't be happy to leave my wife with the caravan while I recharged the car somewhere else - she could hardly stop any thief.

 

[otherclive]

I don't know what the Easter bank holidays were like but traffic was very light on the May Day bank holiday just gone - we stopped at Corley services on the M6 and it was like the Marie Celeste.

I did though notice many roadside signs for EV chargers just off a main road - they seemed to be uniform design in black/white.

We are seeing more charging points being installed. There’s a new big group near J17 at The Pit Stop, a group going in on the A350 at Melksham, plus existing Instavolts just a half mile further on.

 

[Dustydog]

My son is always on the look out for the new 350kw chargers. Two more are now available to him between Wiltshire and Harrogate. A very rapid charge rate , in fact more than his Volvo could draw. So it seems EV charging is improving.
As stated before he found them very expensive compared to home , most 10 x more!

Tobes how did you find the costs and were the ones you used 350kw?

 

[otherclive]

My son is always on the look out for the new 350kw chargers. Two more are now available to him between Wiltshire and Harrogate. A very rapid charge rate , in fact more than his Volvo could draw. So it seems EV charging is improving.
As stated before he found them very expensive compared to home , most 10 x more!

Tobes how did you find the costs and were the ones you used 350kw?

As availability improves I’m sure competition will come in and put pressure on prices.

 

[ProfJohnL]

As with the Monopoly that Dino juice stations on the motorways have, I don't expect there to be "cheap" chargers at service stations. But elsewhere there might be some pressure from competition to lower high speed charging costs.

But this thread is vindicating the points I and others have made about the improving (but still not good enough) installation numbers.

It's also showing how it is possible to drive electric, but it doesmean a change the mindset from Dino juice to EV about how to plan a journey.

 

[Tobes]

@Tobes how do you go on parking the caravan while charging? I think that's the real "fear" for a lot of folks (me included). I know that one of the motorway services has the caravan parking area past the normal parking, making it impossible to park the caravan there then go back to a charger.

This is a huge bone of contention. While MSAs are adding new chargers all the time, they are not thinking about EVs that are towing. My solution - 1st avoid MSAs if I can. Garages are smaller, but much more accessible in terms of 1 way, and I just unhitch in one or two parking spots and make do. I always ask if there is somewhere to register my numberplate to avoid any possible parking charges.
- However I used 2 MSAs on this trip, and did so because I can see the layout using Google maps satellite view right from my car screen. In the 1st (Burton in Kendal north) I used the caravan spaces, and was able to return to them after charging. The setup is such that there is some two way traffic allowed. The 2nd, Corey, I parked in the car parking zone, the caravans being relegated to the truck stop much further down the 1 way system. For us it was fine, the caravan is narrower than the width bollards and I could easily park. For an 8 foot wide van, it would be very tight.

Summary - park and ask forgiveness rather than permission. It's a sensible request that, as long as you follow time rules, and dont park in an unsafe or blocking way, is not going to get challenged.

 

[Tobes]

My son is always on the look out for the new 350kw chargers. Two more are now available to him between Wiltshire and Harrogate. A very rapid charge rate , in fact more than his Volvo could draw. So it seems EV charging is improving.
As stated before he found them very expensive compared to home , most 10 x more!

Tobes how did you find the costs and were the ones you used 350kw?

Most I used were not 350kW, more like 150 or 125, but my car (and your sons) tops out at 155kW so it doesn't matter.

For Costs - the two charges on the way home cost £49.52 and £15.52 respectively. I left from 100% and to get back to 100% at home was an extra £4.50 or so, so the whole 240 miles cost about £70.

On the way up, I spent £50 in Nantwich and £34 at Burton in Kendal, so £84, but as noted eleswhere I had lots of range left on arrival on the way up.

 

[GaryB]

I wouldn't be happy to leave my wife with the caravan while I recharged the car somewhere else - she could hardly stop any thief.

Or worse, forget she's there and continue the journey leaving her sitting in the caravan!

 

[GaryB]

@Tobes , thanks for the info, I find it really interesting to get a real-world view rather than listening to assumptions. I get involved in EV charging points for my job (the electricity supply network, not planning etc) and on several occasions I have asked if any consideration is given to charging larger vehicles or vehicles towing, I just get blank looks.