Since I had my domestic charging point fitted, I have been falling more and more in love with my car. Driving an EV is nothing like driving an ICE car. It's much more fun, the car talks to you and tells you how you're driving, what the air pollution is like around you, how economically you're driving etc etc. I do really love the feedback it gives you.
But, and this is quite a big but...
I bought my Zoe from City Motors Renault Bristol as an ex-demo model. One of the features of the Zoe is that you can access the comfort timer and programme your car via a smartphone app. However, to do this you need an activation code. For new Zoes this comes with the car in a welcome letter. For used Zoes the code is more illusive than unicorn feathers. The advice that the Renault website gives is to contact your Renault Dealer. I've asked City Motors Renault three times now for the code, each time they've said they'll get back to me. I've asked again today, nothing so far... This means, that unfortunately I cannot report on this feature and even more unfortunately, I can't use this feature. Disappointing to say the least.
To add to the disappointment, today my Zoe also decided to display a 'Carry out service' warning light in bright orange together with a nice bright orange spanner warning light. I've checked the documents and it says the service isn't due until May 2015. Guess it's back to Renault to get this seen to and to get the climate control fixed. Not overly impressed with all the glitches in the Zoe, first the battery charging impossible, now this. Hmmmmmm expected more.
Saturday, 10 January 2015
25th Nov- The Self-Defrosting Car
Today is a smug day to be a Zoe owner.
I usually have to leave my house at 6.20am in order to start getting my two children to school and me to work. The temperature her in Bristol has dropped and the overnight temperature was predicted to be in the minus figures. Leaving the house at 6.20 is bad enough, but having to defrost your car at that time is just offensive.
The Zoe has what's called a 'comfort timer': (as long as the car is plugged into a power source) you can set the time that you want the car to be ready and it will prepare the vehicle to be comfortable for you to drive in. I'd read that this mean that the car defrosted itself too, but I didn't really believe it. I haven't had chance to try this feature out before because I wasn't able to leave the car plugged in, but, thanks to my new Rolec unit (courtesy of SOL Electrical) I can now leave EV plugged in overnight. With the temperature predicted to be so low, I thought I'd give it a go and set the comfort timer for 6.15am.
The alarm went off at 6am (yes, I only leave myself 20 minutes to get out of the house - I can't bear to set it for 5 something) and I could hear a whirring noise from outside. It was actually quite loud, but I do live on the edge of the countryside and it's very quiet here. I still thought that the car might just be warm inside, but I'd have to scrape the windows. To be honest, I wasn't hopeful at the inside temperature being warm because I've driven it for over an hour at a time and it's yet to reach the climate controlled temperature. The kids and I went out to the car at our usual time and to our great surprise, the car was warm and completely defrosted. We drove to the school bus stops this mooring with smug looks on our faces as we drove past all the ICE cars that were all iced up.
I'm starting to really love my car.
I usually have to leave my house at 6.20am in order to start getting my two children to school and me to work. The temperature her in Bristol has dropped and the overnight temperature was predicted to be in the minus figures. Leaving the house at 6.20 is bad enough, but having to defrost your car at that time is just offensive.
The Zoe has what's called a 'comfort timer': (as long as the car is plugged into a power source) you can set the time that you want the car to be ready and it will prepare the vehicle to be comfortable for you to drive in. I'd read that this mean that the car defrosted itself too, but I didn't really believe it. I haven't had chance to try this feature out before because I wasn't able to leave the car plugged in, but, thanks to my new Rolec unit (courtesy of SOL Electrical) I can now leave EV plugged in overnight. With the temperature predicted to be so low, I thought I'd give it a go and set the comfort timer for 6.15am.
The alarm went off at 6am (yes, I only leave myself 20 minutes to get out of the house - I can't bear to set it for 5 something) and I could hear a whirring noise from outside. It was actually quite loud, but I do live on the edge of the countryside and it's very quiet here. I still thought that the car might just be warm inside, but I'd have to scrape the windows. To be honest, I wasn't hopeful at the inside temperature being warm because I've driven it for over an hour at a time and it's yet to reach the climate controlled temperature. The kids and I went out to the car at our usual time and to our great surprise, the car was warm and completely defrosted. We drove to the school bus stops this mooring with smug looks on our faces as we drove past all the ICE cars that were all iced up.
I'm starting to really love my car.
23rd November: Midsomer No Go
Since I had my domestic charging unit fitted I've been using that rather than charging publicly. So far, I haven't had the best of experiences with trying to use public charging points and I worry whether the EV infrastructure in the Bristol area is up to supporting EV drivers. However, I've decided that I need to do something to fix that if it's not, rather than being passive and just charging at home. Besides, if I need to undertake longer journeys (which I will because my family all live over 100 miles away) then I'll have to get used to relying upon public charging points. Public charging is one of the main aspects of driving an EV after all.
Today I had to join a friend and head down to Bognor Regis, so I decided to find EV a charging point near their home that I could leave EV parked up in, while I continued my journey with them. I found a POD Point charging unit at South Wansdyke Leisure Centre which was 45 mins drive and 22 miles away from my home. I'll be honest, I wasn't overly confident, so I made sure that my Zoe was fully charged before I went, meaning that I'd have enough battery to get back should it not work.
I arrived at the leisure centre, found the sparky parking bays easily, all looked promising. I attached my cable, tried to activate the unit with my card, and... nothing. I couldn't get the unit to recognise a card was being presented to it. I tried both my POD Point and sourceWEST cards, to no avail. No free public charging for me today. I left Zoe parked there thirsty, while I continued my journey in my friend's ICE car.
When I arrived back to my car, it was dark, late and very cold. It took me a while to defrost the car. The climate control still isn't working, so it was a long, cold 22 miles back home. I'll have to find time to take off work in order to get the climate control fixed. Not such a great day for EV driving today.
Today I had to join a friend and head down to Bognor Regis, so I decided to find EV a charging point near their home that I could leave EV parked up in, while I continued my journey with them. I found a POD Point charging unit at South Wansdyke Leisure Centre which was 45 mins drive and 22 miles away from my home. I'll be honest, I wasn't overly confident, so I made sure that my Zoe was fully charged before I went, meaning that I'd have enough battery to get back should it not work.
I arrived at the leisure centre, found the sparky parking bays easily, all looked promising. I attached my cable, tried to activate the unit with my card, and... nothing. I couldn't get the unit to recognise a card was being presented to it. I tried both my POD Point and sourceWEST cards, to no avail. No free public charging for me today. I left Zoe parked there thirsty, while I continued my journey in my friend's ICE car.
When I arrived back to my car, it was dark, late and very cold. It took me a while to defrost the car. The climate control still isn't working, so it was a long, cold 22 miles back home. I'll have to find time to take off work in order to get the climate control fixed. Not such a great day for EV driving today.
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| EV parked up and ready to accept a charge |
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| This is the only thing that this point wanted to say today |
20th Nov: Domestic Bliss - Home Charging Activated
I'll be honest, where I live, unless you have an external plug socket (and a lot of time), completely relying upon public charging points is a bit of a pain in the bum. This means that having a domestic charging point installed is really the best option. I have been enjoying driving EV - I love a gadget and this is one of the largest I suppose that I'll ever get - but, I'm a single mum, I work full-time and have a chronic illness, so I can't really afford the time to go out of my way everyday finding public charging points. Needless to say, I was extremely excited about the domestic charging unit install today.
I've been talking to Marie from SOL Electrical who is absolutely lovely and a fellow Renault Zoe owner. Marie arranged for Simon (the electrical installer) to be at my house for 7.45am ready for the big install. True to their word at 7.45 Simon, and all the Rolec bits and bobs were there.
After only a couple of hours, my charging point is up and ready to go. Simon did a great job; it was all very easy, stress free and had perfect results. I'm a happy EV owner today.
I've been talking to Marie from SOL Electrical who is absolutely lovely and a fellow Renault Zoe owner. Marie arranged for Simon (the electrical installer) to be at my house for 7.45am ready for the big install. True to their word at 7.45 Simon, and all the Rolec bits and bobs were there.
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| SOL Electrical arrive |
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| The install begins |
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| Mine isn't the largest of electricity cupboards, but Simon achieved it anyway... |
After only a couple of hours, my charging point is up and ready to go. Simon did a great job; it was all very easy, stress free and had perfect results. I'm a happy EV owner today.
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| The Rolec point in place |
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| EV plugged in at home and charging up. |
Friday, 9 January 2015
15th Nov: Unravelling EV Charging Networks
Today marked another landmark for EV Zoe and the Electric Alice family.
So, far I've used either trickle charging or charged my Zoe at Ikea which is supplied by Ecotricity. After the Bath Debacle (Electric Alice: Day 2: The Bath Debacle) on the second day of having the Zoe, I've been a little cautious.
I had a free afternoon and a good friend of mine was in Bristol for the afternoon, so I decided to try out a sourceWEST charging point for the first time. sourceWEST is funded by Bristol City Council and is an EV car charging network that covers Bristol City. You need to register online for a card, this costs £20 per annum, but at the minute you can get the first year free. There are some charges (I explain these below) but if you use the 7Kw chargers, they are free.
So, EV, me and Mini Alice started our trip to the centre of Bristol in search of a sourceWEST point, heading for the Millennium Square charging point as our preferred option.
The journey, as always in EV, was great. I haven't spoken much about actually driving EV yet, but it is honestly the best car that I have ever driven. You feel as though you are floating down the road, it's quiet and accelerates amazingly quickly. The climate control doesn't seem to be working on EV at the moment, so it's a bit chilly, but hopefully I can get that fixed by Renault.
We arrived at the Millennium Square car park and managed to find the EV charging points straight away (they are just on the left as you go in). The charging points are unteathered, this means that you have to use your own charging lead to connect to the point. However, the card was recognised straight away and there is a sign on the wall with detailed instructions on how to charge your car at the sourceWEST points.
The points look a little different to any others I've come across and it was worth reading the signs to check I was doing everything correctly. This is what they look like:
With EV plugged in, Mini Alice and me when to meet our friends for our own sustenance. By the time we returned, EV was fully charged and we'd only had to pay the usual car park fee. This has to be the easiest public charge to date.
Unlike in Ireland, where I believe that there is a single charging network to sign up to (ESB), in the UK charging points are fitted and maintained by different companies who each have a network of charging points. To be able to charge your car at a public charging point you need to check three things:
sourceWEST covers Bristol City and also covers: Bath and North East Somerset, and the Counties of South Gloucestershire, North Somerset and Gloucestershire. The sourceWEST network is provided via Charge Your Car. You need to register for a charging card that will give you access to the charging units provided through sourceWEST. There is a fee of £20 p.a although you can claim the first year free at the time of writing. You will also need to register a credit or debit card to your account because there is a cost for some of the charging points. There is no clear link to charging costs on their website. However, as far as I can see, the standard charging points (7Kw and under) can be used free of charge. The rapid charging points are charged at £4.50 per hour.
ZeroNet run by Zero Carbon World. This is a network of charging units that you do not need to register or pay for. The units are provided to businesses free of charge by Zero Carbon World for members of the public to use. Although there are no registration fees, sometimes there are access restrictions when using these charging points (for example if the business is only open 9-5, the point may only be accessible 9-5). The charging map provides details of the types of charging unit at different locations and any access arrangements that need to be adhered to.
There may be other networks that you'd like listing, if so, just comment and I'll add them.
Zap-Map provide the most comprehensive list of charging points, their fees, types of charging point and the networks supporting them, but I have also stumbled across charging points not listed, so it is by no means complete.
So, far I've used either trickle charging or charged my Zoe at Ikea which is supplied by Ecotricity. After the Bath Debacle (Electric Alice: Day 2: The Bath Debacle) on the second day of having the Zoe, I've been a little cautious.
I had a free afternoon and a good friend of mine was in Bristol for the afternoon, so I decided to try out a sourceWEST charging point for the first time. sourceWEST is funded by Bristol City Council and is an EV car charging network that covers Bristol City. You need to register online for a card, this costs £20 per annum, but at the minute you can get the first year free. There are some charges (I explain these below) but if you use the 7Kw chargers, they are free.
So, EV, me and Mini Alice started our trip to the centre of Bristol in search of a sourceWEST point, heading for the Millennium Square charging point as our preferred option.
The journey, as always in EV, was great. I haven't spoken much about actually driving EV yet, but it is honestly the best car that I have ever driven. You feel as though you are floating down the road, it's quiet and accelerates amazingly quickly. The climate control doesn't seem to be working on EV at the moment, so it's a bit chilly, but hopefully I can get that fixed by Renault.
We arrived at the Millennium Square car park and managed to find the EV charging points straight away (they are just on the left as you go in). The charging points are unteathered, this means that you have to use your own charging lead to connect to the point. However, the card was recognised straight away and there is a sign on the wall with detailed instructions on how to charge your car at the sourceWEST points.
The points look a little different to any others I've come across and it was worth reading the signs to check I was doing everything correctly. This is what they look like:
With EV plugged in, Mini Alice and me when to meet our friends for our own sustenance. By the time we returned, EV was fully charged and we'd only had to pay the usual car park fee. This has to be the easiest public charge to date.
Public Charging Explained
One thing that you'll need to know and understand if you're considering using an electric vehicle (EV) is how to charge your car at public charging points. This took me a minute to get my head around when I first started looking into EV driving. So, I thought that I'd explain how things work in the UK.Unlike in Ireland, where I believe that there is a single charging network to sign up to (ESB), in the UK charging points are fitted and maintained by different companies who each have a network of charging points. To be able to charge your car at a public charging point you need to check three things:
- which type of chargers are supported by the charging point
- which network the charging point belongs to
- whether there is a cost for using the charging unit
Types of charging points
Depending upon your car, you need to select a charging unit suitable for your car's connector type. The Renault Zoe uses a Type 2 charger, the others are listed here by this informative piece written by Zap-Map: Know Your Connectors. This link will give you all the information you need.Networks
In the UK most of the charging networks require some kind of subscription before you can start using them. At the time of writing this, the majority of charging points are still free to use. However, I've noticed that many of the companies who run charging networks seem to be setting up their services to be able to accept payment for charging in the near future. I sincerely hope that this is not the case, because it's my opinion that having a fee for public charging will prevent owning an EV from being a viable option for most. Below, I list the main networks and whether there is a fee for using the charging points.
The main networks:
Ecotricity. These points are most commonly found at UK motorway service stations and IKEA stores. You need to register for an Ecotricity Swipe Card but these are free and arrive very quickly. Most of the Ecotricity points are provide a fast charge (47Kw/ 50Kw) and these are free to use. Personally, I am a huge fan of Ecotricity.
Plugged-In Midlands. This part of the national network scheme that runs at council and other regional public spaces, for East and West midlands. You will need to register of a PiM card which will cost you £20, but this is the only fee that you will need to pay (unlike sourceWEST, a similar scheme for the Bristol are, where there is a fee for rapid charging).
POD Point. These points are fairly wide spread and you can also ask them to install your domestic charging point (I don't know whether there are fees for this). In order to use POD Point charging units you will need to register for a Charge Card, this costs £12.50. At the minute, the use of POD Point chargers is free. However, their website is referencing a Pay-as-you-go mobile phone app, which makes me think that free charging through POD Point is limited.
POLAR Network. This network is part of the chargemaster company. POLAR do not offer any free charging points. The fees for using the charging units vary depending upon the subscription you choose. The full list can be found here POLAR charging fees. I have not used any POLAR charging units because I do not see the need to pay for public charging at the present time.
Source London. Personally, I don't have any experience of this network. However, from the website it looks as though there is only a £5 registration fee to use the Source London charging units. There is no mention of any other fees, you also don't have to pay the congestion charge if you're driving an EV.
sourceWEST covers Bristol City and also covers: Bath and North East Somerset, and the Counties of South Gloucestershire, North Somerset and Gloucestershire. The sourceWEST network is provided via Charge Your Car. You need to register for a charging card that will give you access to the charging units provided through sourceWEST. There is a fee of £20 p.a although you can claim the first year free at the time of writing. You will also need to register a credit or debit card to your account because there is a cost for some of the charging points. There is no clear link to charging costs on their website. However, as far as I can see, the standard charging points (7Kw and under) can be used free of charge. The rapid charging points are charged at £4.50 per hour.
ZeroNet run by Zero Carbon World. This is a network of charging units that you do not need to register or pay for. The units are provided to businesses free of charge by Zero Carbon World for members of the public to use. Although there are no registration fees, sometimes there are access restrictions when using these charging points (for example if the business is only open 9-5, the point may only be accessible 9-5). The charging map provides details of the types of charging unit at different locations and any access arrangements that need to be adhered to.
There may be other networks that you'd like listing, if so, just comment and I'll add them.
Finding a suitable charging point
There are a number of websites that provide details of the different charging points and types. Each network also provides an interactive map of their point on their websites. So far, I haven't been able to find a smartphone app that covers all the charging points (I wish there was one!). The best app I have found is: The Open Charge MapZap-Map provide the most comprehensive list of charging points, their fees, types of charging point and the networks supporting them, but I have also stumbled across charging points not listed, so it is by no means complete.
November 11th: breakdown - 'Battery charging impossible'
Oh dear, is all that I can say. Today, EV had a ride on a tow-truck.
This morning I went to work and tried charging my car at a POD Point charging unit. I swiped my car, plugged in it and waited, staring at the charging unit screen for the confirmation message saying that the charge had started. Nothing happened. I went to the car to look and see if it was still completing its 'checks'. This is what I found.
This morning I went to work and tried charging my car at a POD Point charging unit. I swiped my car, plugged in it and waited, staring at the charging unit screen for the confirmation message saying that the charge had started. Nothing happened. I went to the car to look and see if it was still completing its 'checks'. This is what I found.
Battery charging impossible?? How can an electric car come up with the error message 'battery charging impossible'? I took out the Zoe Driver's Handbook and checked the advice. This is what it says:
I couldn't believe it. I've had the Zoe a week and it's already having to be returned to the dealer. I only had 11 miles left on the battery and I wasn't sure that I would make it to the nearest dealer (any I didn't know where my nearest dealer was - being on a campus in the middle of nowhere with limited phone signal and a 10 minute walk to the building), so I had no choice but to abandon work and phone Renault Assistance. Unfortunately, although the phone number provided by the onboard computer is an 0800 number, to call the number from a mobile (as you're most likely to be doing given that it's a car breakdown) cost me 14p per minute.
This is getting better and better. First, my car breaks down meaning that I have to get it fixed rather than going to work. Secondly, the number I need to call to fix it is 14p per minute. I am not impressed.
Given the fact that the telephone call is costing so much, you'd think that it would be answered by the most eloquent, gentile and understanding of people who are happy to help and understand your predicament. The gentleman who answered my call had other ideas. He asked what was wrong, then abruptly asked if I'd at least attempted to take the car to my nearest dealer. I explained that I was on a campus that I didn't usually work at and I didn't know where my nearest dealer was. The conversation went something like this (not verbatim, but the gist):
Me: My car has broken down
Renault Assist (RA): Have you tried taking it to the nearest dealer?
Me: No, I only have approximately 11 miles left and I don't know where my nearest dealer is.
RA: Well haven't you looked?
Me: Isn't it your job to help me? I haven't got many miles left on the battery and I don't know how to get to the nearest dealer.
RA: So you're telling me that you haven't even looked?
Me: I'm telling you that I can't look and I need you to help me.
RA: Well you need to get it to the dealer there's one in Bath.
Me: Is there any point in phoning this number?...
Eventually, he agreed that is was probably best for me to stay where I was and for them to attend the car. Although, because it's a Zoe, Renault don't authorise anyone to work on the cars by the side of the road, so the car HAS to be towed to the nearest Renault dealer.
After about an hour, a lovely man from Hinton Rescue turned up to take EV away. EV was loaded onto the back of his lorry, and I joined the fella in the front while we made the journey back to City Motors Bristol, where I bought the car from.
Work? Completely out of the window now.
Probably about three hours after the 'battery charging impossible' message came up on the screen the City Motors Bristol mechanic looked at the EV. He explained that there was a problem with the POD Point charging unit and as a result the car's computer had shut down. I asked him if there was something wrong with the car. He told me that the POD Point unit was to blame. I asked him if the car would have reset itself if I'd tried to charge it at a different unit. I was told that once the 'battery charging impossible' message is displayed the car will not accept charge from any source and it will need to be reset at a Renault garage (as per the handbook advice).
This all seems a bit dodgy to me, I can see there the potential for me to be spending a lot of time in and out of towing trucks if the system has to be reset every time it suspects a problem with the charging points. But the mechanic has assured me that it doesn't happen very often and that most charging points are fine. So, we'll have to see how this one goes.
Once at home, I telephoned POD Point and told them that their charging point had broken the car. They told me that the charging point was functional and had been serviced the week before.
Is it really possible that Renault have made an electric car that isn't able to accept charge from public charging points? Also, if it suspects a faulty charging point it actually shuts down to the point that you have to be towed back to a Renault dealer? The plot thickens. All in all, not happy with my decision to be an EV pioneer at this moment in time. Wondering whether I've purchased a car or a very expensive golf buggy.
Today's final thought: Is it the car, or the unit? That is the question.
Day 3 - Domestic Charging Points: Decisions
Although I am absolutely loving having EV it's becoming more and more apparent that I need a home charging point. My nearest fast charger is at Ikea Bristol which is about 6 miles away.
Under the OLEV domestic charge point grant scheme, existing EV car owners can apply to have a charging point installed at their home. At the minute 75% of the cost of a domestic charging point is covered by the grant. The remaining 25% is either passed on to the EV car user, or absorbed by the manufacturer/installer, depending upon which company you choose to go with. Because of this, it's worth looking around to see which companies install in your area and what charges you may be liable to incur.
To give some examples:
British Gas install domestic charging points free to all new Renault Zoe customers. However, for used Zoe customers there is a charge starting at £115 depending upon the unit opted for.
Chargemaster (the Polar Network) offer a free 3kw home charging unit. However, there is a £95 charge for a 7kw unit and other charges that may also apply depending upon your electricity supply. Initially, I tried to order my unit through Chargemaster. I ended my dealings with them because:
I have spoken to Marie and Simon at SOL Electrical who install the Rolec charging units in my area. I was asked to email photos of my electricity fuse box, the outside of the house, the position that I'd want the box to be installed and a couple of other things. After they were received, Simon (the installing electrician) telephoned me to confirm the details of the install and Marie agreed an install date for me. My date is set for the 20th December - this is a much quicker turn around than any of the other companies that I've dealt with. Both Simon and Marie have been a joy to deal with so far and I would feel happy recommending SOL Electrical. Roll on the 20th November!
Under the OLEV domestic charge point grant scheme, existing EV car owners can apply to have a charging point installed at their home. At the minute 75% of the cost of a domestic charging point is covered by the grant. The remaining 25% is either passed on to the EV car user, or absorbed by the manufacturer/installer, depending upon which company you choose to go with. Because of this, it's worth looking around to see which companies install in your area and what charges you may be liable to incur.
To give some examples:
British Gas install domestic charging points free to all new Renault Zoe customers. However, for used Zoe customers there is a charge starting at £115 depending upon the unit opted for.
Chargemaster (the Polar Network) offer a free 3kw home charging unit. However, there is a £95 charge for a 7kw unit and other charges that may also apply depending upon your electricity supply. Initially, I tried to order my unit through Chargemaster. I ended my dealings with them because:
- It would have cost me a minimum of £145 to have a 7kw charging point installed at my home.
- I found the company difficult to deal with and organise definite date for installation. They insist upon a 'free survey' first, at which point they will tell you what extra charges you will incur. Then they arrange for installation depending upon the survey.
I have spoken to Marie and Simon at SOL Electrical who install the Rolec charging units in my area. I was asked to email photos of my electricity fuse box, the outside of the house, the position that I'd want the box to be installed and a couple of other things. After they were received, Simon (the installing electrician) telephoned me to confirm the details of the install and Marie agreed an install date for me. My date is set for the 20th December - this is a much quicker turn around than any of the other companies that I've dealt with. Both Simon and Marie have been a joy to deal with so far and I would feel happy recommending SOL Electrical. Roll on the 20th November!
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