ESB eCars

the_amazing_raisin

eagerv wrote: »

Last week when I was at said Garage, there were a few tables at the front and a few at back wall. (None unfortunately at the Charger:P)


Very busy at lunch time and the owner was alternating between tables like a Restaurant "Maitre D", and directing traffic/parking. When he saw me returning to my charging car with a Gourmet Chicken roll and coffee, I got a big wave and thumbs up..:)

Well that's disappointing, I was hoping for more drama than that



Next time don't buy anything, see if you get a middle finger instead of a wave

Kramer

eagerv wrote: »

the owner was alternating between tables like a Restaurant "Maitre D", and directing traffic/parking........I got a big wave and thumbs up..:)

Maybe he has been reading the poor reviews on Google?
If it's the MACE, just 2.0/5
Applegreen, just 3.4/5.

Not great .

Mace Cork Rd. Waterford

Applegreen Cork Rd. Waterford

eagerv

cruisey1987 wrote: »

Well that's disappointing, I was hoping for more drama than that



Next time don't buy anything, see if you get a middle finger instead of a wave

Haha, the first time I visited about 3 weeks ago I did not know until he told me later that he was the proprietor. (Been there twice now). He was picking up rubbish near the charger and reversed me into the bay. Before I had time to switch off and get out he had the charge door of my car open and about to plug in. Had to stop him, explaining it was my first time using an ECars fast machine and wanted to experience the setting up myself.


Also, haven't been charged yet for either charges, so will be back..:pac:

Kramer

Kramer wrote: »

Yes, but that's an obsolete metric you're using. The tech has moved on & even though the i3 maintains good speed throughout the cycle, it's way behind current comparable EVs.

Take for example the ID.3 58kWh. Similar car, RWD, far cheaper, same category etc.
The ID.3 charges at twice the speed.
It can take on 30kWhs in half the time.
It can go twice as far as the i3, given the same time spent charging.



19 mins would net you 14kWhs in your i3.

There is nothing you can do to improve this, unfortunately, but you do have the ReX, so you won't ever get stuck for a charge anyway .

Are you near Waterford? There's a grand DC charger there apparently - even has a bench & ice cream shop nearby :pac:.

I realise there are faster charging cars,

Ok, lol let me try it another way. It would be great if the "faster charging cars of today" could "maintain" their max speed as long as the i3 which was really great for the time the 94 ah came out.

innrain

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innrain wrote: »

For the second time now at Stillorgan once a Zoe tries to connect to the triple the charging speed on CCS drops to 25kW. I presume is the same for them. The stupid thing is that beside the rapid there are 4 22kW standards giving Zoe the same speed. What's the point of the triple when it can't deliver?

Got a call from ecars this evening to let me know they are looking into this as it is not expected behaviour. Hopefully it will get fixed.

Black_Knight

Black_Knight wrote: »

Not that it makes much difference, but isn't there 5?

Dublin Port
Kilcullen
Galway Plaza
Portlaoise
Park Ri Kells



In other news, the new 50kW units in Galway and Westport are both Unavailable. Hopefully not a software issue (with their new software) - or if it is hopefully they can fix it quick

Westport still unavailable, and now ballina is unavailable. Galway green again. Doesn't seem like they're reliable.

Black_Knight

Switched over to prepay just now. Nice quick process, but they couldn't tell me what would happen if I was mid charge, and didn't have enough credit on my account for the units I was consuming. ie. I have 6 euro credit, but i'm about to consume more than €6 worth of electricity. Is their billing and auto top up quick enough that once I drop below the €5 mark (even mid charge) it'll stick on another €20?

unkel

I asked that very question when I switched over. He wasn't sure but he said you could only use the credit you got. My thinking is that maybe the system will just stop mid charge, maybe it will just trigger an auto top up of €20 after your charge and then deduct the bit you went over. I guess the latter is more likely

Anyway I have my €20 pre paid nicely sitting in my account, not doing anything, maybe ever

JohnC.

Black_Knight wrote: »

Switched over to prepay just now. Nice quick process, but they couldn't tell me what would happen if I was mid charge, and didn't have enough credit on my account for the units I was consuming. ie. I have 6 euro credit, but i'm about to consume more than €6 worth of electricity. Is their billing and auto top up quick enough that once I drop below the €5 mark (even mid charge) it'll stick on another €20?

Looking at my account, there appears to be 6-7 seconds between it realising it needs money and it getting money.

JohnC.

unkel wrote: »

maybe it will just trigger an auto top up of €20 after your charge and then deduct the bit you went over.

Looks like that's what it did on mine.

the_amazing_raisin

Black_Knight wrote: »

Switched over to prepay just now. Nice quick process, but they couldn't tell me what would happen if I was mid charge, and didn't have enough credit on my account for the units I was consuming. ie. I have 6 euro credit, but i'm about to consume more than €6 worth of electricity. Is their billing and auto top up quick enough that once I drop below the €5 mark (even mid charge) it'll stick on another €20?

I think it auto tops up when you're below a certain amount, something like 5 or 10 euros.


Since it bills you afterwards, I'm guessing if you don't have enough money in your account it'll trigger the top up and then take payment (or maybe it'll go negative and then top up)


If the top up fails and you owe them money then I'm guessing they'll suspend your card after a while

cannco253

One of the spots in new Galway retail park chargepoint was ICEd earlier today...I didn't need to charge but was disappointing to see.

It's in a very busy retail park where parking is at a premium, so I'm sure it will be blocked on a regular basis.

The park has a warden that tickets you if you park and leave to go into the city centre, why can't they also do something about blocking the charge points? AFAIK it's a private car park so I'm sure they could do something if they want to?

Do you have to call Ecars to change to prepay ? I can't change it via my account or app. Nuts.

slave1

I just phoned in the change, took him all of 30 seconds, say he's well used to it these days

unkel

Deleted User wrote: »

Do you have to call Ecars to change to prepay ? I can't change it via my account or app. Nuts.

Yes this is beyond ridiculous in 2020, a simple box on the website and Bob's your uncle

Instead they have to incur costs by employing humans (on the phone)

Somehow it doesn't surprise us though, does it?

unkel

unkel wrote: »

Yes this is beyond ridiculous in 2020, a simple box on the website and Bob's your uncle

Instead they have to incur costs by employing humans (on the phone)

Somehow it doesn't surprise us though, does it?

Haha actually, no, it's no surprise.

Black_Knight

From the ievoa virtual event video.

"First multi charging hub" to be open in 2021 in monasterevin.
-Odd, does that mean there's no hubs yet despite what esb say?

Survey coming on iceing.
-ok, but what will they do when the survey says iceing happens! Seems a pointless survey to me.

eagerv

Dropped into my favourite ECars fast charger in Waterford again last night:).


Garage shop was closed, it's an eerie place at night, very dark with no lighting around charge point at rear of garage. Had to use phone torch to see what I was doing. Owner appeared out of nowhere, he must live there lol. Told me security would be there shortly, has had intruders lately. I didn't ask any further questions..



Gone in about 20 mins, didn't hang around.:)

the_amazing_raisin

eagerv wrote: »

Dropped into my favourite ECars fast charger in Waterford again last night:).


Garage shop was closed, it's an eerie place at night, very dark with no lighting around charge point at rear of garage. Had to use phone torch to see what I was doing. Owner appeared out of nowhere, he must live there lol. Told me security would be there shortly, has had intruders lately. I didn't ask any further questions..



Gone in about 20 mins, didn't hang around.:)

I reckon he lives in that shed behind the charger

I wonder was he calling security to remove you, or to keep an eye on your car? Also, what security exactly does he mean? I can't imagine G4S were exactly racing to his shop because a car parked up

I can see why you didn't want to hang around

Black_Knight

Dark chargers are a balls. Open 24/7, but horrible and at some level scary to use. Had to charge in Ashbourne last year. Back of a shop, no lights, puddles everywhere. Didn't feel easy at it.

Give it a few years and some more adoption (people more regularly using these dark units) and they'll be prime for hijackers. Though they could end up stealing a car that needs a full charge.

eagerv

cruisey1987 wrote: »

I reckon he lives in that shed behind the charger

I wonder was he calling security to remove you, or to keep an eye on your car? Also, what security exactly does he mean? I can't imagine G4S were exactly racing to his shop because a car parked up

I can see why you didn't want to hang around

Ha, I mentioned it was a quiet place at night, he replied that he has security on later because of previous problems...


Now that I think of it, he may have come out of that shed..:D

the_amazing_raisin

Something is wrong here, we've gone 2 days without a complaint about eCars!!! :eek::D

Black_Knight

cruisey1987 wrote: »

Something is wrong here, we've gone 2 days without a complaint about eCars!!! :eek::D

Since it's the hot topic, Waterford ESB unit is offline. THE Waterford unit

the_amazing_raisin

Black_Knight wrote: »

Since it's the hot topic, Waterford ESB unit is offline. THE Waterford unit

eagerev, what did you do???

the_amazing_raisin

Black_Knight wrote: »

Since it's the hot topic, Waterford ESB unit is offline. THE Waterford unit

Damn, I was just thinking of some post lockdown fun. We could get a bunch of EVs to go to that charger at the same time, start an argument over who gets to charge first, then go into the shop and complain to the manager that there aren't enough chargers

Black_Knight

cruisey1987 wrote: »

Damn, I was just thinking of some post lockdown fun. We could get a bunch of EVs to go to that charger at the same time, start an argument over who gets to charge first, then go into the shop and complain to the manager that there aren't enough chargers

Bring some tea bags, and just "grab a drop of hot water off ya there" from the shop.

eagerv

cruisey1987 wrote: »

eagerev, what did you do???

Well it seemed to be free anyway.....


Perhaps my VW card horlicked it:)


Definitely not going back now..:D

Irishjg

eagerv wrote: »

Well it seemed to be free anyway.....


Perhaps my VW card horlicked it:)


Definitely not going back now..:D

LOL I think that charger only likes the actual Ecars card. I heard it could get bunched by using a CC to activate it back when it was free to charge.

kanuseeme

Yepe card reader was constantly on the blink.

graememk

Poking around the ecars account info, I see I have an invoice covering till Dec 10th, still on the introductory offer, so I think I'm good on the free subscription until at least then.