Airport parking and charging

mel.b

I'm organising a trip away for a few days in Sept and need to organise airport parking. I don't want to leave the car fully charged, but at the same time don't want to waste time when I get back having to charge the car for the 240km trip home.

I saw that Quick Park have a charger on site. I emailed to see if they would do something like premium parking for electric cars where they charge the car before you get back but they weren't interested and even said 'we are not really permitted to touch or use the charge points in case damage occurs when you're away'.

I guess in the future when there are more EV cars this is something that will be offered. I've ended up instead booking parking at the Clayton as the Topaz opposite it has a fast charger so I'll just have to do that when I get back

goz83

You could charge to 80% at the topaz when you arrive and then park the car up. It will be ready to go when you get home. How much is it costing to park there? You could nearly park up on my road and I could plug it in before you're back.....I'm only down the road from the clayton....but I suppose they have the airport shuttle bus service and you don't know me from Adam. I might steal your battery and replace it with a 2012 version :pac:

mel.b

goz83 wrote: »

You could charge to 80% at the topaz when you arrive and then park the car up. It will be ready to go when you get home. How much is it costing to park there? You could nearly park up on my road and I could plug it in before you're back.....I'm only down the road from the clayton....but I suppose they have the airport shuttle bus service and you don't know me from Adam. I might steal your battery and replace it with a 2012 version :pac:

:
Lol, thanks for the offer goz - do you do airport transfer as well :pac: there could be a little side business there for you!

It was €30 for 5 days so not too bad. I like that their parking is underground (esp in winter).

I'll have to look at the route planner - i know on my first trip i left dublin port with 93% and got to athlone with 7%, so i might be able to make it to kilbeggan starting at 80% (or do a very quick top up atvthe topaz again before i leave).

goz83

I'm afraid the airport transfer is a family service only but you're welcome to park up if it makes life easier. Leave the flap open and I could plug the granny cable in before you return and you would have 100%.

I made it from my home to Kilbeggan and had 9% left. Leaving from the Clayton, you have a couple less kilometres to do. You will make it to Kilbeggan on 80% of a 30kWh, but there is also nothing stopping you from charging to 90% before you park up.

DrPhilG

The Quick Park "we won't touch your car" excuse is a joke.

They will valet your car and move it to the exit on your return date if you pay them, but they won't plug it in? I would gladly pay a small fee for that.

mel.b

I would too. I took it as it's the chargers themselves they wouldn't touch rather than the cars.

KCross

Plug it in at the airport and remotely activate the day before you get home via the app?

Just make sure your timers are off.

mel.b

KCross wrote: »

Plug it in at the airport and remotely activate the day before you get home via the app?

Just make sure your timers are off.

A good idea in theory but i wouldn't leave it plugged in for 5 days hogging a space when its not charging

Del2005

DrPhilG wrote: »

The Quick Park "we won't touch your car" excuse is a joke.

They will valet your car and move it to the exit on your return date if you pay them, but they won't plug it in? I would gladly pay a small fee for that.

They did a nice job on a friends car which was only parked in the VIP section, which they did resolve quickly in their defence , so I wouldn't be confident letting them near to anything which could be damaged.

DrPhilG

KCross wrote: »

Plug it in at the airport and remotely activate the day before you get home via the app?

Just make sure your timers are off.

If your timers are off it will just charge when you plug it in though?

goz83

DrPhilG wrote: »

If your timers are off it will just charge when you plug it in though?

I think he may have meant to say to set the timers to charge for 5 mins per day....right kcross?

KCross

@mel.b , I would consider an airport charger fair game for being connected for 5 days, even 2 weeks. That's what they are exactly for.

How many people return to an airport within 24hrs!

If it's more convenient to use those spaces I'd go for it. What really should be provided is a service to move your car for you and they don't provide that so just use it as is.

@drphilg, correct, I should have said what @goz83 said. Set timer 5mins per day and remote activate for a full charge on the last day.

stesaurus

The long term red car park has two chargers available with 4 cars able to charge at any one time. I've used it a fair bit. 1 week isn't a huge problem to sit at a high state of charger and you can fiddle with timers etc. if staying longer.
Problem is that recently they have put up a notice saying 1hr max parking at these spaces. Absolute dimwits putting this up means they are completely pointless. When challenged on it their reply was that they are 'fast' chargers and you would be fully charged after an hour. They are 22kW units but seeing as how only a Zoe can currently get those speeds it's ridiculous. Also they really expect you to park in a normal space for your stay and then spend an hour after you've landed at their 'fast' charger before heading off. Dimwits

ELM327

mel.b wrote: »

A good idea in theory but i wouldn't leave it plugged in for 5 days hogging a space when its not charging

Good advice normally but at the airport you can't expect someone to fly back home to move their car!

KCross

KCross wrote: »

Plug it in at the airport and remotely activate the day before you get home via the app?

Just make sure your timers are off.

If the timers are off the car will charge immediately and not a good idea to have it at 100% for long and this may void the manual it's clearly written in the manual.

KCross

Deleted User wrote: »

KCross wrote: »

Plug it in at the airport and remotely activate the day before you get home via the app?

Just make sure your timers are off.

If the timers are off the car will charge immediately and not a good idea to have it at 100% for long and this may void the manual it's clearly written in the manual.

I clarified 2 posts up!

bopsy1234

Looks like they got your message. 1 hr max signs all gone.:)

stesaurus wrote: »

The long term red car park has two chargers available with 4 cars able to charge at any one time. I've used it a fair bit. 1 week isn't a huge problem to sit at a high state of charger and you can fiddle with timers etc. if staying longer.
Problem is that recently they have put up a notice saying 1hr max parking at these spaces. Absolute dimwits putting this up means they are completely pointless. When challenged on it their reply was that they are 'fast' chargers and you would be fully charged after an hour. They are 22kW units but seeing as how only a Zoe can currently get those speeds it's ridiculous. Also they really expect you to park in a normal space for your stay and then spend an hour after you've landed at their 'fast' charger before heading off. Dimwits

mel.b

KCross wrote: »

@mel.b , I would consider an airport charger fair game for being connected for 5 days, even 2 weeks. That's what they are exactly for.

How many people return to an airport within 24hrs!

If it's more convenient to use those spaces I'd go for it. What really should be provided is a service to move your car for you and they don't provide that so just use it as is.

Sorry, yes, you are correct. For some reason I was thinking the chargers were also available to members of the public wanting to stop in for a charge, but obviously they are behind barriers so that's not a concern.

The Clayton is booked & paid for now so I'll remember quickpark next time. Maybe if a few people contact them about setting up a scheme for moving and charging EVs they might consider it (and get some 'training' so they can touch the chargers without risking damaging them or the cars :rolleyes:)

They're the same charge points my work place installed, they have 6 of them on campus. 12 charging spaces, not bad !

unkel

Dublin airport long term car parking charging is a bit of a non-issue though, isn't it? There's an FCP only a few minutes drive away. And several alternative FCPs only about 10-15km away.

Parked up Ioniq last month for nearly 2 weeks at one of the long term car parks and the percentage charge was exactly the same coming back as when I left it., No issue, no charging needed at long term car parks, FCP will sort you and EVs don't lose charge while being parked up.

Thread fail :pac:

stesaurus

unkel wrote: »

Dublin airport long term car parking charging is a bit of a non-issue though, isn't it? There's an FCP only a few minutes drive away. And several alternative FCPs only about 10-15km away.

Parked up Ioniq last month for nearly 2 weeks at one of the long term car parks and the percentage charge was exactly the same coming back as when I left it., No issue, no charging needed at long term car parks, FCP will sort you and EVs don't lose charge while being parked up.

Thread fail :pac:

Ummmm you've been driving EV for all of 5 mins! 😂 You don't live that far away either.
There's been a few times that all of the FCPs nearby we're down. There's a lot to be said for knowing you'll have a full charge and can just head home after a long flight.

mel.b

stesaurus wrote: »

Ummmm you've been driving EV for all of 5 mins! �� You don't live that far away either.
There's been a few times that all of the FCPs nearby we're down. There's a lot to be said for knowing you'll have a full charge and can just head home after a long flight.

Exactly. I also have a 240km drive home so i'm going to have stop once on the way for a charge anyway. Having the car fully charged when i get back to it reduces my journey time home by 30-40minutes. If it was a late flight into DUB this would be even more important to me.

DrPhilG

unkel wrote: »

Dublin airport long term car parking charging is a bit of a non-issue though, isn't it? There's an FCP only a few minutes drive away. And several alternative FCPs only about 10-15km away.

Parked up Ioniq last month for nearly 2 weeks at one of the long term car parks and the percentage charge was exactly the same coming back as when I left it., No issue, no charging needed at long term car parks, FCP will sort you and EVs don't lose charge while being parked up.

Thread fail :pac:

Leaving the car full for 2 weeks isn't advised which means charging on return and if I'm having to drive back to Donegal after a long flight, the last thing I want to do is hang around at a charger for half an hour.

Only time I've used those chargers at the car park I did what was suggested earlier. Plugged in at about 30% and set the timer for 10 minutes a day. Before boarding in the States I remote started the charge so it would be full on return.

unkel

stesaurus wrote: »

Ummmm you've been driving EV for all of 5 mins! �� You don't live that far away either.
There's been a few times that all of the FCPs nearby we're down. There's a lot to be said for knowing you'll have a full charge and can just head home after a long flight.

No need to be patronizing. I've had my car for over 3 months and 5k km and I've driven all over the country a good few times. Needing planning about charging just the same (and with running out not an option unless I want to be divorced and never see my children again )

That said, I agree there's nothing worse than having anxiety when coming home late at night after a long days travel (with kids)

OP needs to travel 240km in a Leaf on motorways, so even if the car was 100% charged, they need to stop to charge twice. Same if the car is 80% charged. Might as well park up at 80% and not having to think about charging while being parked. The car will be perfect on arrival and for sure will make it to the next unoccupied FCP (check the app). Someone charging their car to 100% just before arriving would be pointless.

mel.b

unkel wrote: »

No need to be patronizing. I've had my car for over 3 months and 5k km and I've driven all over the country a good few times. Needing planning about charging just the same (and with running out not an option unless I want to be divorced and never see my children again )

That said, I agree there's nothing worse than having anxiety when coming home late at night after a long days travel (with kids)

OP needs to travel 240km in a Leaf on motorways, so even if the car was 100% charged, they need to stop to charge twice. Same if the car is 80% charged. Might as well park up at 80% and not having to think about charging while being parked. The car will be perfect on arrival and for sure will make it to the next unoccupied FCP (check the app). Someone charging their car to 100% just before arriving would be pointless.

I have the 30kwh leaf so i thankfully only need to stop once if charged to 100% (well actually made it with one stop with the car charged to 93% when i started)

KCross

@unkel, I believe Mel.b car is a 30kWh so one stop should do IF they start with 100% so having it at 100% is relevant in this case.

stesaurus

unkel wrote: »

No need to be patronizing. I've had my car for over 3 months and 5k km and I've driven all over the country a good few times. Needing planning about charging just the same (and with running out not an option unless I want to be divorced and never see my children again )

That said, I agree there's nothing worse than having anxiety when coming home late at night after a long days travel (with kids)

OP needs to travel 240km in a Leaf on motorways, so even if the car was 100% charged, they need to stop to charge twice. Same if the car is 80% charged. Might as well park up at 80% and not having to think about charging while being parked. The car will be perfect on arrival and for sure will make it to the next unoccupied FCP (check the app). Someone charging their car to 100% just before arriving would be pointless.

So you can be patronizing saying this whole discussion is pointless but I cant rib you a little?
I was being very much tongue in cheek with regards your EV experience but in fairness you have a seriously myopic view at times.

There's a serious difference between 80-100% in some current EVs. In my case I can precondition the battery and cabin on a cold dark morning while connected to an scp. After arriving from a long flight I just want to get home. At 80% I can't do that and it means a stop for me. OP and many others are similar.

ELM327

stesaurus wrote: »

So you can be patronizing saying this whole discussion is pointless but I cant rib you a little?
I was being very much tongue in cheek with regards your EV experience but in fairness you have a seriously myopic view at times.

There's a serious difference between 80-100% in some current EVs. In my case I can precondition the battery and cabin on a cold dark morning while connected to an scp. After arriving from a long flight I just want to get home. At 80% I can't do that and it means a stop for me. OP and many others are similar.

The problem with taking a viewpoint from someone whose sole EV experience is driving an Ioniq (no offence Unkel) is that they have less/no experience of real range anxiety that a gen1 EV owner (leaf, imiev, etc) would have. It may not make a difference in an EV with 180km range and 15/20 minutes to 94% charge time but it certainly makes a difference in a leaf with <150km and >30 minutes to >80% charge time.

unkel

Apologies, with the 30kWh it's a completely different story with only needing one stop if fully charged.

@ELM327 - fair points!

@stesaurus - preheating the cabin in September when OP is flying?