New ev driver - basic question re public charging.

rarees1

We've recently bought a new ev. It's really great but being dinosaurs I don't understand how to pay for public charging. Our home charger will be installed soon but thinking of long trips. We've looked at public chargers in our town but you can pay with a debit/credit card at only 1 of 6 that we looked at. There seems to be a number of different public ev charger companies.

Could someone please explain how we pay? Do we have to sign up to different companies?

TadleyBaggie

Not an EV user myself, but I think the majority are accessed via apps on your phone.

Rodders53

Govt have mandated that all public chargers should (in the fullness of time) accept Debit / Credit card payment via RFID readers.

But in the meantime: you will potentially have to sign up to multiple supplier apps. Likely just do it as/when you need them. Octopus do the Electroverse RFID card which will work with multiple EVSE suppliers… IF you are with their Intelligent Octopus Go you even get a discount. I'm not on IOG but am with Octopus so don't have that one (yet).

Tesla (open to all) are frequently one of the cheapest places to charge… so worth having that app (many Tesla sites have card readers though).

MFG (have EVSEs at Morrisons) are currently cheap (59p/kWh) over the summer (but again they have card readers in the main).

Your car maker may have a 'special rate' - mine, Volvo, doesn't.

I have the Monta app because Warner Hotel chargers use that system.

Some apps offer discounted rates if you pay a subscription: can be worth it if that brand's chargers are on the route and destination(s) you visit.

SpeakEV is useful forum to browse for this sort of information.

NB You are very unlikely to want to charge in/near your home Town - unless a "test". Home electricity even at full rate will always be cheaper.

tom192

Zap map is worth downloading. Worth looking at ones just off the motorway rather than the ones at the services for cheaper rates when doing a longer run.

You will charge faster when your battery is lower, after 80 percent, charging will slow down, you may find it quicker doing two smaller charges from say 30 percent to 80 percent rather than topping up fully to 100 percent.

Tap and pay will likely reserve funds on your bank card similar to how petrol pumps work, so keep this in mind when doing multiple charges in the same day as the amounts can mount up.

rarees1

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82066945#Comment_82066945

I did say I'm a dinosaur 🤣 Whats an EVSE?

paul_c123

It really isn't complicated:

1. Plug the car in
2. Pay by contactless card/Apple Pay
3. (The car will start charging)

To stop it, either press the "STOP" button on the charger or the "release the cable" button on the car.

GDB2222

As a new EV driver in January, I installed several apps on my phone. The most useful is ABRP, which helps you plan your trip so as to make use of chargers en route. It takes into consideration the car you are driving, initial charging level, temperature, head wind, and the minimum charge you want left at the end of the journey.

On main roads, the cost of high speed public charging is high- typically 90p per kwh. So, if possible charge to 100% before you leave.

I have a granny charger, a charger that plugs into an ordinary 13a socket. It provides around 2kw charging, which is great for our limited mileage.

rarees1

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82066992#Comment_82066992

Actually we did try charging with the contactless charger just to see how it works and it really isn't. It's just that there is only 1 contactless charger in our town of 30k people so I assumed that would also be the case elsewhere.

QrizB

I did say I'm a dinosaur 🤣 Whats an EVSE?

Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment, aka "charger" although not all EVSEs actually include a charger; your home charge point is likely to just supply AC to your car's onboard charger.

Octopus do the Electroverse RFID card which will work with multiple EVSE suppliers

I'll second this; it's a single app and payment system that covers perhaps 3/4s of the UK EV charger networks. Notable exceptions include Gridserve (which is the usual supplier at motorway services) and Tesla (who do their own thing).

They'll also supply you with an RFID card (payment card) that makes it possible to use chargers without using the app (which is sometimes quicker and easier).

Zap map is worth downloading.

Agree with this too, it is the most comprehensive EV charger mapp app I've found. Seems to include chargers that aren't on the Electroverse map. It's not as useful for payment though and so you might end up needing individual suppliers' apps for that.

Rodders53

EVSE stands for Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment

DC EVSEs are the fast / superfast ones with big fat tethered cables. The charging is controlled by that talking to the vehicle's battery management computers.

AC EVSEs are slower and also what are fitted to homes… They just switch / supply mains AC to the vehicle's own in-built charger. (Hence charger is the wrong word for an EVSE below something like 25-50 kW when they are DC EVSEs).

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-public-charge-point-regulations-2023-guidance/public-charge-point-regulations-2023-guidance is the law that requires contactless to be the norm for the major EVSEs and all DC EVSEs.

Only the slowest chargers will keep using apps… THOSE you'll only want to use at a 'destination' like a hotel car park typically. {Hence only install a needed app when you actually need to.}

YBR

As per PP, download Zapmap. I've found it much more useful than the car's built-in information.

Try to plan in advance noting more than one option. Some will be out-of-order, or have a queue of users - particularly at main service stations with few charge points. OTOH there are an increasing number of sites not far from motorway junctions with many chargers and a costa or similar. Instavolt are good for this on my known routes. You may then need/choose to download multiple branded charge apps either because contactless is not provided or doesn't work, or is the most expensive option.

Not all my experiences are as simple as 1,2,3 but I've never been stranded either.