IONITY - charging / fees / tips

zg3409

cruisey1987 wrote: »

Interesting article about Ionity looking for investors:
https://www.electrive.com/2021/01/21/ionity-struggles-with-charging-network-expansion/

It looks like all may not be well in our favourite joint venture, BMW and VW seem to feel the network is being held back due to lack of investment. They're currently lagging behind their 2021 target by 100 charging sites

There's some interesting tidbits there around Ionity's ownership

It seem all of the group members have put in €200 million, so it looks like it's an equal partnership and if they want to invest more then all the members presumably have to agree. I'm guessing some of them are reluctant to invest further hence the argument and the hope for more investors

VW make an interesting comparison between Ionity and Electrify America which is currently doing fairly well (thanks to the US courts system). It's looking like VW might try going it alone if Ionity doesn't pan out, Audi and Porsche are already doing something similar

I could see this going 3 ways:

1. VW and possibly BMW ditch Ionity and do their own thing
2. VW (or someone else) buys Ionity from the rest of the owners, it's not exactly a fortune to a company like VW. The other companies could then pay some sort of fixed price and get a discount on charging for their cars
3. VW & BMW go and make their own networks but also keep on as partners in Ionity to try and cover their bets and possibly look to sell Ionity or spin it out as a separate venture later

Anyways, interesting times ahead...

I always thought manufacturers assuming ionity would satisfy all motorway charging for all public users was ambitious or even unrealistic. As it is they are presuably burning through money, and even with 200 million more from Hyundai they will run out of cash and queues will appear at key sites as manufacturers roll out more cars. I can't see how any if this is viable. Investors would want to be very long term to expect a return.

the_amazing_raisin

zg3409 wrote: »

I always thought manufacturers assuming ionity would satisfy all motorway charging for all public users was ambitious or even unrealistic. As it is they are presuably burning through money, and even with 200 million more from Hyundai they will run out of cash and queues will appear at key sites as manufacturers roll out more cars. I can't see how any if this is viable. Investors would want to be very long term to expect a return.

Ionity was always more about driving car sales than anything, and since at least one of the members (Ford) doesn't sell any EVs, they're probably not willing to invest more in the short term.

For the members it also means they get a decent quality charging network without taking on all the risks

I'd rather see ionity succeed than see every manufacturer have their own proprietary network. I know Tesla can get away with it but imagine there were VW, BMW and Hyundai specific chargers at each charging site, it'd be an unbelievable waste of resources

Black_Knight

cruisey1987 wrote: »

Ionity was always more about driving car sales than anything, and since at least one of the members (Ford) doesn't sell any EVs, they're probably not willing to invest more in the short term.

For the members it also means they get a decent quality charging network without taking on all the risks

I'd rather see ionity succeed than see every manufacturer have their own proprietary network. I know Tesla can get away with it but imagine there were VW, BMW and Hyundai specific chargers at each charging site, it'd be an unbelievable waste of resources

Imagine what a Toyota self charging hub would look like!

liamog

Black_Knight wrote: »

Imagine what a Toyota self charging hub would look like!

I don't have to imagine, there's one just down the road from me

the_amazing_raisin

liamog wrote: »

I don't have to imagine, there's one just down the road from me

Jaysis, look at those prices, and people complain about Ionity

markpb

liamog wrote: »

I don't have to imagine, there's one just down the road from me

Presumably the ambulance is there for the inevitable heart attack when people realise their aren’t self charging?

the_amazing_raisin

markpb wrote: »

Presumably the ambulance is there for the inevitable heart attack when people realise their aren’t self charging?

I'd assumed it was there for anyone who ordered food from subway

Silent Running

cruisey1987 wrote: »

Jaysis, look at those prices, and people complain about Ionity

I dunno... last time I bought diesel it was €1.20. That was a few years ago, thankfully.

WattsUp

I stopped at Ionity Kill southbound....The layout of the charging spots is shocking. They are on the slip road into the filling station and are perpendicular to the road.

* If you have a front chargeport they are easy to drive in but you have to reverse out into traffic arriving at speed getting off the N7
* If you have a chargeport to the rear you end up having to top in the lane and reverse against traffic coming off the N7.

Good news, the EV Rodau app worked at 49c / kWh

the_amazing_raisin

WattsUp wrote: »

I stopped at Ionity Kill southbound....The layout of the charging spots is shocking. They are on the slip road into the filling station and are perpendicular to the road.

* If you have a front chargeport they are easy to drive in but you have to reverse out into traffic arriving at speed getting off the N7
* If you have a chargeport to the rear you end up having to top in the lane and reverse against traffic coming off the N7.

Good news, the EV Rodau app worked at 49c / kWh

Yikes, that's shocking, good to know if I'm heading that way. Are the chargers close to the petrol station or in the middle of no man's land?

I guess on the bright side, they're unlikely to be ICED

EDIT: Just looked it up on Google maps and I see what you mean, right beside the road, not ideal at all

On another note, I see Google maps now gives the power and availablity of Ionity chargers. I wonder will they bring in EV route planning soon?

AndyBoBandy

Anyone have any issue adding a payment card to ChargePoint?

I'm trying there and keep getting the 'card declined' message!!

I did get a message from my bank saying ChargePoint tried to charge €1 to my card, and to reply with 'yes' if it was legitimate... so I did that and they said the card would become active again shortly, but I'm still seeing the same 'card declined' message in ChargePoint!!

Might need to use Ionity next week, so want to be prepared...


Edit: Seems to have gone through now!!


I don't yet have an RFID card for ChargePoint, but I assume its straightforward enough to start a charge on Ionity using the app?
Just looking there, and it doesn't let me select which unit to start the charge from!!

every time i tap the icon for the 4 Ionity units, it keeps alternating between unit 1 & unit 2... so what if I want to use unit 3 or 4?

WayneEnterprise

AndyBoBandy wrote: »

Anyone have any issue adding a payment card to ChargePoint?

I'm trying there and keep getting the 'card declined' message!!

I did get a message from my bank saying ChargePoint tried to charge €1 to my card, and to reply with 'yes' if it was legitimate... so I did that and they said the card would become active again shortly, but I'm still seeing the same 'card declined' message in ChargePoint!!

Might need to use Ionity next week, so want to be prepared...


Edit: Seems to have gone through now!!


I don't yet have an RFID card for ChargePoint, but I assume its straightforward enough to start a charge on Ionity using the app?
Just looking there, and it doesn't let me select which unit to start the charge from!!

every time i tap the icon for the 4 Ionity units, it keeps alternating between unit 1 & unit 2... so what if I want to use unit 3 or 4?

Think you can tap your phone at the point you want to use

ELM327

You can scan the QR code too I believe.
But it's best to get the RFID, Chargepoint send these out for free. I have a card (in my apple pay wallet) and an RFID from them.

AndyBoBandy

ELM327 wrote: »

You can scan the QR code too I believe.
But it's best to get the RFID, Chargepoint send these out for free. I have a card (in my apple pay wallet) and an RFID from them.

I requested a card about a week or so ago, so hopefully it arrives this week.

I do prefer having a card over using an app.... card out, tap, charge........
I don't like faffing about on apps.

I actually have a Maingau card, but would rather use ChargePoint for the cheaper price..

Black_Knight

AndyBoBandy wrote: »

I requested a card about a week or so ago, so hopefully it arrives this week.

I do prefer having a card over using an app.... card out, tap, charge........
I don't like faffing about on apps.

I actually have a Maingau card, but would rather use ChargePoint for the cheaper price..

FYI, Maingau charge you only for what you use. Chargepoint use a credit system, so they'll take €10 at a time off you. eg. I used Ionity via Chargepoint a few months back. Came to like €12. I was charged €20, so I have a little under €8 remaining on my account. Grand, until Chargepoint up their prices and I've to skillfully only use what balance I have left so they don't take another €10 off me while i'll then never use.

the_amazing_raisin

Black_Knight wrote: »

FYI, Maingau charge you only for what you use. Chargepoint use a credit system, so they'll take €10 at a time off you. eg. I used Ionity via Chargepoint a few months back. Came to like €12. I was charged €20, so I have a little under €8 remaining on my account. Grand, until Chargepoint up their prices and I've to skillfully only use what balance I have left so they don't take another €10 off me while i'll then never use.

ESB must have modelled their PAYG system around Chargepoint then :rolleyes:


There's also the question of how long the credit lasts and will you get to use it before it expires

AndyBoBandy

Black_Knight wrote: »

FYI, Maingau charge you only for what you use. Chargepoint use a credit system, so they'll take €10 at a time off you. eg. I used Ionity via Chargepoint a few months back. Came to like €12. I was charged €20, so I have a little under €8 remaining on my account. Grand, until Chargepoint up their prices and I've to skillfully only use what balance I have left so they don't take another €10 off me while i'll then never use.

Interesting..

might just load the card details onto the Maingau account then..
If I need Ionity, it'll just be for a quick splash to get me up to the supercharger in Ballacolla..

AndyBoBandy

.....and the ChargePoint card just arrived!!

WayneEnterprise

AndyBoBandy wrote: »

.....and the ChargePoint card just arrived!!

Same here, in the post this morning. Now if only I had an EV to charge :pac:

AndyBoBandy

I only got it as I've to do Dublin - Cork - Dublin on Thursday, and a bit of driving around Cork before heading up the road again, so not sure if I'll make it back to Ballacolla, and don't want to fully rely on eCars DC chargers...so Cashel Ionity is handy to have as an alternate.

the trick will be to stop the charge as close as possible to 15.6kWh so they only take the €10 from my card.... that'd give me around 30% which would be enough to get me to the Supercharger in Ballacolla

markpb

WayneEnterprise wrote: »

Same here, in the post this morning. Now if only I had an EV to charge :pac:

You could have bought a shiny new EV just before Covid and get to see it sit outside, going nowhere all year long

Black_Knight

AndyBoBandy wrote: »

I only got it as I've to do Dublin - Cork - Dublin on Thursday, and a bit of driving around Cork before heading up the road again, so not sure if I'll make it back to Ballacolla, and don't want to fully rely on eCars DC chargers...so Cashel Ionity is handy to have as an alternate.

the trick will be to stop the charge as close as possible to 15.6kWh so they only take the €10 from my card.... that'd give me around 30% which would be enough to get me to the Supercharger in Ballacolla

Double check how they bill. They might have a minimum balance which triggers a new payment. I know when I first used it I had no balance, and then days later they billed me €10, and then €10 again the next day.

Could create a virtual card on revolut and sign up with that, then after they take €10 cancel the card.

AndyBoBandy

If I even have to use Ionity, It'll be the minimum amount possible to just get me up to Ballacolla... (and even if I do have to stop in Cashel, the first port of call would be the eCars unit anyway...)

I'm hoping though to catch a few DC top up sessions anyway while in Cork to get enough to get back to Ballacolla anyway, so hopefully won't need Ionity at all.

ELM327

I have to do that trip a lot recently - albeit from Meath via Dublin - and I find a quick topup at Frankfield is needed if I have to do some driving around cork.
Rather do that than support Ionity, who I only ever use if I have absolutely no other choice. I used them in the past when it was a flat fee, or when I had a hack for free charging.

AndyBoBandy

We'll see how it goes..

It's Thursday, so should be fun (and power consuming) weather!!

MJohnston

I'm happy to support Ionity. We're always going to need a network like them to expand and provide an ESB alternative at the 'expensive' end of the charging network spectrum.

the_amazing_raisin

Gosh there's a lot of hate for Ionity today, what's the deal?

MJohnston

cruisey1987 wrote: »

Gosh there's a lot of hate for Ionity today, what's the deal?

Tesla owner is a cheapskate shocker

the_amazing_raisin

MJohnston wrote: »

Tesla owner is a cheapskate shocker

I'm sure if the Supercharger network was opened to all other cars at €0.79 per kWh then Tesla owners would have no problem whatsoever with those prices

ELM327

cruisey1987 wrote: »

Gosh there's a lot of hate for Ionity today, what's the deal?

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