Anthony Hibbs drives a Volkswagen e-Golf 35kWh 2019 and shares his experiences to-date on public charging.
What do you think of the UK public charging network in general?
The reliability of public chargers has improved considerably in the three years I’ve owned my EV. Which is just as well as demand for them is increasing due to the increasing popularity of EVs. I use apps such as WattsUp and Zap-Map and always plan a primary and backup charging station. Out of four recent charges I have had to move onto my backup due to my primary being in use.
My favourite networks have changed completely in three years, my top three now are:
- Gridserve – their Norwich Electric Forecourt is pure EV heaven, chargers always work and are fast
- InstaVolt – always reliable, however, too many are only two units and are usually busy
- PodPoint – reliable, the only network with which I have a 100% app use success record. Reasonable prices, sometimes even free at Tesco.
Prices are increasing due to the energy crisis. A certain network recently increased to £1 per kWh meaning it’s cheaper to fuel an ICE car than use it. I’m actually boycotting that network now. So, in conclusion, reliability is up, availability is down. Prices are increasing. Hopefully funding will still allow the public charging network to keep expanding and the energy crisis will pass. EV ownership is at a crossroads, financial considerations will always prevail.
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What and where are your favourite UK public chargers?
My favourite chargers are Gridserve’s Norwich Electric Forecourt. No charger anxiety there, plenty of chargers & great facilities, EV Heaven. Hopefully, this is the future of electric vehicle charging.
What’s been your best experience with a UK public charger in your Volkswagen e-Golf?
Gridserve – I regularly use Birch Services, even in the old Ecotricity days I found this a convenient, reliable charging stop.
When Gridserve upgraded the chargers they had comms issues, lots of negative comments on Zap-Map etc. I contacted them directly and was assured they would be on free vend until these issues were resolved and indeed they were true to their word. This response began my loyalty to this network.
What’s been your worst experience with a UK public charger?
Old Ecotricity on the M1. Hopefully those days of stress and inconvenience are consigned to EV history.
What’s got to change about public charging in the UK to get more people driving electric cars?
- More hubs and electric forecourts
- lower prices
- less apps
- fair prices when paying by contactless.
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