How does one use one of these EV charging banks on Autoroute stops…?
On the advice of the local Gendarmerie, my Golf R has been sold and the poor Evora is sitting ever so sad on a forecourt and in their place is a tank of a Mercedes Benz with half battery and [the ignominy of it] half Renault 1.3 petrol engine.
During the handover, the sales chappie waffled on, but he did say that best value was gained in using the battery as much as possible, and with the orange man-baby sending prices spiralling, maybe I should. So one backs in like a mare being forced to have good seeing-to, what then? Are all plugs the same or must I find a bay with ‘suitable for Mercedes’ (I understand that some mfrs use differing plugs…)? Then, is it just like a fuel pump - plug in the thingy and just wait? How does one pay - the same as a fuel pump: carte bleu? Do they take Apple or Google Pay? I read somewhere that one needs an app for charging - yes? no?
Which Mercedes is it? Some hybrids can’t use rapid chargers, only the slower type typically found at home. Connectors are pretty much standard and it will either by Type 2 for slower chargers or CCS for rapid chargers.
Do you have a toll card? Like BipnGo, or other names I forget. If so you can add on a EV charge card - some people have several as rates vary slightly. And then apps to tell you where and when to go. Mine will plot a journey to make best use of available charge points and convenient driving - ie small top ups while you stop for coffee. It is French so plans a longer stop at lunchtime of course.
I was getting worried until your edit, as I have not a clue! But with your pic, it is the first - a type 2. So must I check that a bay is Type 2 before I back in?
It appears that one really needs an app or an ev charge card (of which there is a myriad to choose from)but I see various references to an EU direction that public chargers in 2027 must be fitted with POS terminals for bank cards.
I use the Ulys tag that offers an EV charge account, but the Bip n go app looks more user friendly.
I’ve used SANEF’s BipAndGo for years to pay French tolls, it’s always worked well for me. It covers all toll operators you don’t need to have a Ulys gadget as well.
I don’t yet have an electric car so can’t comment on that side of things.
You can only charge at bornes of 22kw and below so I suspect most autoroute chargers won’t be open to you. If you get the ABRP (A Better Route Planner) app, you can set filters so that it only shows suitable chargers. I don’t think charging en route is really the use case for plug-in hybrids, more electric for local journeys and petrol for long distance.
I use an Electroverse card which pretty much covers every charger, often with a small discount. You can set up charging on the app and get a contactless card which bills you directly.
Never be embarrassed to ask questions, no one can know everything. Well, apart from me, according to my wife. I’m pretty sure that’s what she meant by “know all”.
What is your maximum range on electric power and what’s your maximum charge rate? They are the two key factors to use in deciding whether it’s worth charging a hybrid when out and about, or just at home. Probably not worth charging (definitely not at max 11kW) on a long trip, you’ll make no progress.
I think charging cards are handier than the associated apps (unless you are stuck in the middle of nowhere with an incompatible charger, as happened to us in Spain) just slap it up against the charger and away it goes. I’ve a bunch of them, including Bip&Go, they are generally free or cost a few quid to order. However, I generally use the one that came with the car which is affiliated with many, many providers and I’ve taken out an Ionity subscription through it. Tesla chargers you have to use the app, but it is slick. The only cards/apps I have found unsatisfactory are Shell UK who are daylight robbers and Mobilize, the Renault Financial Services one, they couldn’t get their billing system to work, so I dumped them.
I think practically every UK supplier is a daylight robber, with the prices they charge. I saw a post the other day saying that Instavolt is charging £0.92 per kWh.
No Lidl near by and all the other supermarkets that have them are way overpriced. Having said that I think they are cheaper than the services at Scotch Corner.
I can strongly recommend Chargemap - the card and app that (literally) opens up 800,000 charging stations in Europe, with a particularly broad coverage in France. Their app helps you plan the route, identifying suitable charging stations that accept Chargemap, and estimates the charging time needed etc. You are billed centrally, some days after usage. Their card cost us a one-off €19. Their coverage in the UK is more limited than I would like but this may represent the more “decentralised” charging station situation there.
