Got a Leaf for the weekend, 1 question re chargeing

Stealthirl

So i have gotten a lone of a Leaf for the weekend and so far I'm very impressed with it but the dealership only gave me the public charge connector. He is trying to sort out a granny cable for me by tomorrow but in the mean time I'm afraid to do much driving as ill have no way to recharge or is there a way to access the public charge network without the ESB card ? I heard a visa card might work

So far i have done 35km back from the garage and if i have to go back and get the granny lead that's another 35km

stesaurus

That's ridiculous, send you off in an EV with no way of charging and all it will do is set you up for a fail.

Some of the chargers will accept any old rfid card. Maybe worth a test if you're near a fast charger? Nip around to test. Download the eCars app and you'll be able to check the nearest FCPs

KCross

You can also rock up to any rapid charger and just ring the number on the charger and they will remotely activate it for you.

goz83

Download the ecars app, or search "ecars map" in google and go from there. While it's a bit poor that you didn't get a granny charger with the car, it's not the end of the world. Where in Kildare are you? There should be a few places you can charge up. Either you call ecars for them to start the charge, or you use any rfid card. I used my bank card yesterday to start a charge on a triple machine.

Is it a 24 or 30 Leaf you are thinking?

Sabre Man

KCross wrote: »

You can also rock up to any rapid charger and just ring the number on the charger and they will remotely activate it for you.

Does this work 24/7?

KCross

Sabre Man wrote: »

Does this work 24/7?

Yes

unkel

You can't be too far away from the fast chargers in either Lucan, Clondalkin or Naas. You can find them here:

https://www.esb.ie/our-businesses/ecars/charge-point-map?gclid=CKuL2v_P-9ICFYSw7Qod7QcJKw

By ticking the CHAdeMO box and unticking every other box. The one in Lucan for sure works with any rfid car (newish bank cards, any leap card, etc.) or even with your phone if it has rfid enabled. Or ring the number and they'll connect you

Soarer

If you're down Cork way, you're welcome to borrow my card and granny cable.

Stealthirl

Thanks everyone. I'll try the one in Lucan tonight, I'm only down the road in Celbridge.
I went up to the ecar one in Hazelhatch station with no joy before work.
It's a 30Kw but I'm down to 55% now.

Salesman rang me back to say he will leave a granny cable on his desk for me to collect tomorrow

n97 mini

Stealthirl wrote: »

Thanks everyone. I'll try the one in Lucan tonight, I'm only down the road in Celbridge.
I went up to the ecar one in Hazelhatch station with no joy before work.
It's a 30Kw but I'm down to 55% now.

Salesman rang me back to say he will leave a granny cable on his desk for me to collect tomorrow

The SCPs (i.e. like the slow charger at Hazelhatch) won't work with any old RFID card (e.g. Leap card), unlike the FCPs like the one at Lucan. You can phone ecars though and ask them to switch it on. You can do this with any CP.

Speaking of which Lucan FCP is getting extremely busy. Fridays and Sundays are the busiest days, so don't be surprised if there's a queue there

EDIT: here is what it looked like last week, black bars are occupied periods.

ELM327

Where do you source that info?

Gumbo

If your near glasnevin, you can borrow my granny cable.

unkel

n97 mini wrote: »

here is what it looked like last week, black bars are occupied periods.

That's crazy. FCP should just be a fast charge point, not somewhere you have to wait first!

I pass there several times a day, but never charge if I have to wait and if someone arrives when I'm charging (and so they are waiting on me), I don't overstay my visit (normally cut off straight away or within a few minutes)

And for the record, I have not charged there in the last few weeks

Orebro

@n97 - I'll second that question of where did you get the FCP usage info? Now that would be extremely useful for points I use.

n97 mini

ELM327 wrote: »

Where do you source that info?

Orebro wrote: »

@n97 - I'll second that question of where did you get the FCP usage info? Now that would be extremely useful for points I use.

It was posted on one of the Irish EV FB groups. I'm not the author so I'm not going to post it on boards.ie -- you'll find it on FB if you search.

Which reminds, said FB groups are a wealth of info and I would recommend anyone with an EV join them. While this forum is a useful resource, the FB groups have a far greater active membership. I suppose it's the way the world is going, FB groups are going up, bulletin boards are going down.

n97 mini

unkel wrote: »

That's crazy. FCP should just be a fast charge point, not somewhere you have to wait first!

I pass there several times a day, but never charge if I have to wait and if someone arrives when I'm charging (and so they are waiting on me), I don't overstay my visit (normally cut off straight away or within a few minutes)

And for the record, I have not charged there in the last few weeks

As I said I don't charge there anymore. If I'm low and need to go somewhere urgently but don't have 3 hours to wait at an SCP I will try it. It's not very often that happens, maybe every month or two, but when I do go there I'd say 50-75% of the time it's in use (chart above bears that out). Which is frustrating. Why? A lot of the people I've got talking to at that CP live and work locally, i.e. in Lucan or Leixlip and could be charging at home.

I have met people there who are regular users but don't live locally, i.e. work in Dublin but live in Enfield or Port Laoise. That's fine by me, but statistically, they are held up occasionally by the nice lady in the red Leaf who lives in the estate next to mine in Leixlip who only charges at that FCP.

Maybe people don't know that if they charge at home twice a week they're only going to add around a tenner a month to their electricity bill?

unkel

n97 mini wrote: »

I'd say 50-75% of the time it's in use (chart above bears that out). Which is frustrating. Why? A lot of the people I've got talking to at that CP live and work locally, i.e. in Lucan or Leixlip and could be charging at home.

Can't really make it free and then expect people not to use it though!

There are really only 3 solutions here that I can think of:

1. Your one, the moral one. Only people who urgently need to charge are allowed to use the FCP. Good luck with that

2. Build more FCP

3. Start charging for the use of FCP at commercially viable rates

A combination of the last 2 works the best and is international best practice - Fastned is a good example of how it should be done.

n97 mini

unkel wrote: »

Can't really make it free and then expect people not to use it though!

Yeah, I don't disagree. Build it and they will come, and who can blame them.

unkel wrote: »

There are really only 3 solutions here that I can think of:

1. Your one, the moral one. Only people who urgently need to charge are allowed to use the FCP. Good luck with that

2. Build more FCP

3. Start charging for the use of FCP at commercially viable rates

A combination of the last 2 works the best and is international best practice - Fastned is a good example of how it should be done.

I was over there earlier this evening to go to O'Brien's. Didn't buy anything; the Corkscrew at Kenny's is much better There is an elderly gentleman I've met before in a silver Leaf who lives in Lucan and was charging. I wasn't looking to charge, I was only looking for beer.

Walking into O'Brien's it occurred to me that that FCP should be sited on the M4 proper (dunno where tho), and not in a shopping centre car park. Probably the two worst locations for FCPs in the whole country are Blanch and Naas and I think the community as a whole recognises that. Both are at shopping centres. So maybe Lucan is the 3rd worst location?

unkel

Agreed, should be on the main national roads and motorways only. Just like everywhere in mainland Europe, you have an ICE filling station every 30-40km, we should have FCP stations just like those

ED E

unkel wrote: »

Agreed, should be on the main national roads and motorways only. Just like everywhere in mainland Europe, you have an ICE filling station every 30-40km, we should have FCP stations just like those

Does anyone have numbers on forecourt profits for ROI? Fuel vs Shop vs Ancillary (Car wash, Air, Vac)?

If you could get one or two major franchises to go all in on say 4 FCPs per motorway stop you could make a large dent.

Stealthirl

unkel wrote: »

The one in Lucan for sure works with any rfid car (newish bank cards, any leap card, etc.) or even with your phone if it has rfid enabled. Or ring the number and they'll connect you

Rocked up just after 10:30 and the place was practically empty bar the youngfellas ditch drinking near the charger. Disconnected at 95%
Thanks alot

n97 mini wrote: »

It was posted on one of the Irish EV FB groups.

Would that be Irish EV Owners and Irish EV Owners Association or are there others ?

3 of my co workers and i are now sold on the leaf/EV's after i took them for a spin.
The only issues i have is the 1 i have keeps resetting the clock/radio/Bluetooth every time it's turned on/off and no reach adjustment on the wheel

Now to decide if i should wait for the new leaf or try get a deal on the current one.

Big thanks again

Stealthirl

unkel wrote: »

Agreed, should be on the main national roads and motorways only. Just like everywhere in mainland Europe, you have an ICE filling station every 30-40km, we should have FCP stations just like those

Along the N4 i would have thought the Foxhunter Texaco and Apple-green in Celbridge would have been better locations

Soarer

If 4 of ye are interested, ye're in a great position to haggle.

What dealer isn't gonna want to do a deal on €100k worth of cars?

unkel

Stealthirl wrote: »

Rocked up just after 10:30 and the place was practically empty

I did charge there this evening around 7PM. No one to be seen before me or after me. Tried my phone to activate charging and it worked too

Stealthirl wrote: »

Now to decide if i should wait for the new leaf or try get a deal on the current one.

First thing you need to find out is what kind of deal you can get an a current Leaf 24kWh or 30kWh. Might be able to get a savage deal. Then take a guess of how much the new Leaf will be. And I presume you are aware of the Ioniq too?

n97 mini

Stealthirl wrote: »

Would that be Irish EV Owners and Irish EV Owners Association or are there others ?

One or tudder. There are only the two.

n97 mini

unkel wrote: »

I did charge there this evening around 7PM. No one to be seen before me or after me. Tried my phone to activate charging and it worked too

Must have just missed you. I stopped there for literally 10 mins on my way back from down the country just before 7. Left before I was tempted to buy something I didn't need

unkel

I had to buy stuff in SV for an impromptu family party. And I avoided having to eat the Chinese takeaway they were getting by having a quicky Mao eat in

BoatMad

unkel wrote: »

Can't really make it free and then expect people not to use it though!

There are really only 3 solutions here that I can think of:

1. Your one, the moral one. Only people who urgently need to charge are allowed to use the FCP. Good luck with that

2. Build more FCP

3. Start charging for the use of FCP at commercially viable rates

A combination of the last 2 works the best and is international best practice - Fastned is a good example of how it should be done.

BEV takeup in Ireland is Twice the rate of PHEV takeup , almost all down to the free charge points

this is the incentive we need to maintain to get to 10,000 EVS in 5 years

Fasted is a joke and expensive to use , its a tiny network limited to high density areas and completely untransferable to Ireland in general

European countries are NOT ahead on this , our system is actually better , unfortunately its now in a limbo

BoatMad

The only issues i have is the 1 i have keeps resetting the clock/radio/Bluetooth every time it's turned on/off and no reach adjustment on the wheel

Thats a fault , it doesnt normally do that

BoatMad

ED E wrote: »

Does anyone have numbers on forecourt profits for ROI? Fuel vs Shop vs Ancillary (Car wash, Air, Vac)?

If you could get one or two major franchises to go all in on say 4 FCPs per motorway stop you could make a large dent.

no commercialisation of FCPS is possible in Ireland at present , with 2500 EVs its a joke