Electric Vehicles-Infrastructure

[mickthemaverick]

The more I read about EV driver's experiences the more I am tilted towards the Hydrogen Fuel Cell solution. Obviously I realise that the Hydrogen supply infrostructure is way behind the charger network BUT it is in the position of learning from the mistakes made by the charging suppliers like smartphone reliance, payment arrangements etc. In principle the Hydrogen network has begun by offering the fuel at existing filling stations making use of the current systems in use for the supply of fossil fuels.

This means a far simpler transition from petrol or diesel to Hydrogen for the non technically minded drivers. SWMBO is an example of the ideal EV user but she will never take up a BEV because of her inherent fear of anything electrical, eg the charging cables etc. not to mention the phone use required. To be able to stop at a different pump, use a different transfer nozzle and otherwise do everything else as she does now would almost certainly convince her to swap to a fuel cell vehicle and enjoy the other benefits which would then be open to her, although it is highly unlikely she would ever use the infotainment system as she won't even change the station on the existing radio in case she cannot get it back to her favourite choice! (I have now pre programmed ALL bar 1 of her presets to go to her favourite station so she is much less likely to lose it by accidental button pushing! )

I am fully aware of the other issues regarding Hydrogen as explored on our Hydrogen thread but from a pure access and payment point of view it certainly remains my first choice!!

[NewcastleFalcon]

10,000th view of the thread, thanks to everyone who has chipped in with a contribution. Hopefully it continues to keep everyone well informed, as the infrastructure builds as it undoubtedly will, and at an increasing pace.

Even in our current times the average journeys by the UK driver for which 2018 is probably the most relevant full year was 6,530 miles 125 miles per week. The majority of current vehicles in 2021 will cope with that sort of mileage on a single charge a week. Go back 5 years and a couple of charges a week would be necessary, go forward 5 years and most EV's will be in the 200 miles + range category.

The odd visit once a week to your local charging hub should more than cope with fuelling your vehicle, whether you live in a block of flats, have no off-street parking, or a pavement running between your flat or house and the place you park your car.

Not entirely sure whether the flooding of a small number residential streets with charging points, and a "fuel pump" in your on-street parking space, with "slow chargers" is value for money at £10,000 a post.

Regards Neil

[NewcastleFalcon]

In our expedition to North West Durham today a fair number of new charging points had sprung up in useful locations.

In particular quite a proliferation of 7kW posts from "Mer". With the Government still not coming up with any mandatory requirement for new installations to allow payment by contactless card the particular one we chose was download the app, register and stop start and pay via the app, virtually mandating a smart phone. Only solution...get someone to download the app on their phone, register, and get a RFID card sent out to add to the collection.

So that part of new "MER" infrastructure is currently out of bounds for us.

The alternatives nearby had expanded a bit, but pod point at Lidl is doable if you get through to someone who will play ball, but again effectively mandates the app and therefore a smart phone. Haven't tried to get round the Pod Point Tesco chargers yet. I do have an account and am registered with pod-point but without the smart phone probably again a call up a help desk and try to persuade them to start a charge.

The oasis in the smart phone app driven playing field is InstaVolt, and Osprey. A piece of cake to use and contactless payment. As with many McDonalds locations, Consett has 2 Instavolt Rapid Chargers for a simple and straightforward charge up.

I have a HUBSTA RFID card and Consett is the current Location of HUBSTA's HQ for back office services. There were 4, 7KW outlets at their unit on the Business Park so I went to check them out for future reference. My RFID card was however rejected by the chargers, so phoned up the help desk. In a first of excellent service, I had a young lady from Hubsta literally come out of the office, to the charge point and got my RFID card linked to my account

The times I have phoned them up before they have always been very pleasant and helpful, but today was a first with the direct personal intervention.

The "Office" was logoed up as "Elmtronics", and in a further quirk back on the home laptop, I read that "Mer" referred to earlier had taken over "Elmtronics".

There was a gorgeous sky over the industrial estate as we were faffing about sorting the RFID card out!

Regards Neil

[NewcastleFalcon]

There is a chain, and in the world of electric vehicle charging it usually ends up with a large energy company. So our Consett Elmtronics office has these links.

1 HUbsta are part of the Elmtronics Group
2 Mer have recently acquired Elmtronics
3 Mer are owned by StatKraft
4 StatKraft is owned by the Norwegian Government

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statkraft

Statkraft AS is a hydropower company, fully owned by the Norwegian state. The Statkraft Group is a generator of renewable energy, as well as Norway’s largest and the Nordic region’s third largest energy producer. Statkraft develops and generates hydropower, wind power, gas power, district heating and solar power, and is also a player in the international energy markets. The company has over 4000 employees and their headquarters is located in Oslo, Norway.

Regards Neil

[NewcastleFalcon]

Heres another player in the UK EV infrastructure development.

St Albans' very own MFG. Motor Fuel Group

https://www.motorfuelgroup.com/locations/

There is a nice little map of the UK on their website, and their business is/was petrol forecourts for many brands together with the ancillary services, with growth by acquisitions and a franchising model for operation of the sites.

They have big plans to expand electric vehicle hubs at their sites.

MFG to install HPC at 60 locations across the UK

MFG Charging hub Putney


REgards Neil

[NewcastleFalcon]

and in a first, Shell rip out all of the petrol pumps and replaces them with an electric vehicle charging hub in Fulham

https://www.shell.co.uk/motorist/ev-cha ... g-hub.html

https://www.shell.co.uk/motorist/ev-charging/shell-recharge-fulham-road-our-first-uk-all-ev-charging-hub.html

REgards Neil

[NewcastleFalcon]

Gridserve News

As with domestic electricity, on the road electricity has had a bit of a price bump up recently. Not everyone as yet but most operators have announced price increases per kWh over the last couple of months.

Gridserve are the latest.

https://www.fleetnews.co.uk/news/latest ... ling-costs

The other bid of gridserve news. Hitachi Capital buys £10m stake in Gridserve.

https://www.fleetnews.co.uk/news/latest ... -gridserve

Big players will dominate the electric vehicle infrastructure business through mergers and acquisitions.

https://www.gridserve.com/

REgards Neil

[NewcastleFalcon]

Gridserve are heading north coming to Gateshead and Wetherby. They have taken over the "Electric Highway" which previously was both expensive and unreliable, and hardly fit for even the embryo stage of on-road charging.

Their model "looks the part" and a welcome next stage of the UK electric vehicles infrastructure.

https://www.gridserve.com/2021/12/09/bi ... k-airport/

Without the clear UK, and EU and wider global policy commitments to electrification, and notice to the automotive industry, the rapid pace of development we are beginning to see would not be taking place. Many of the valid criticisms of the 2022 infrastructure (coverage, proliferation of providers each with their own app, no mandatory PAYG from every charging point, poor reliability and dependability with no alternatives nearby) will be corrected, and the 2025 or 2030 infrastructure will look very different from the one we have now.

Regards Neil

[Gibbo2286]

If Hyundai make this piece of kit available as an accessory the EV suddenly becomes a much more useful car, take a look about 7.3 minutes in on this video.
https://youtu.be/c2tHJD6mMbE

[mickthemaverick]

The whole Ioniq 5 looks like a car I might be able to live with despite its SUV roots. I honestly think they have come up with an acceptable looking car and the power lead adapter is a great facility!!

[NewcastleFalcon]

If Hyundai make this piece of kit available as an accessory the EV suddenly becomes a much more useful car, take a look about 7.3 minutes in on this video.
https://youtu.be/c2tHJD6mMbE

Makes it simple. Would have been useful in our powercuts, and useful and practical on the road. There are more hardware heavy and expensive offerings for V2H (Vehicle to Home) capability. Ford's F150 Lightning goes a step further, and is one of its selling points.

[*]The Ford F-150 Lightning’s Intelligent Backup Power system works to power your home with your all-electric pickup.
[*]The system requires the 80-amp Charge Station Pro to feed power into your home when it loses power.
[*]Ford says that extended-range Lightning trucks can power your home for up to three days, assuming average power use.



Regards Neil

[myglaren]

Britishvolt have secured the funding for the battery plant in Blyth.

[NewcastleFalcon]

Britishvolt have secured the funding for the battery plant in Blyth.

Britishvolt also announced backing from investors Tritax and Abrdn, that should unlock about £1.7bn in private funding.

The government wants the UK to become a major force in the fast-growing market for electric cars.
But if it wants manufacturers to build them here, then having gigafactories in the UK as well is vital.

The partners they need to secure, are electric car manufacturers. The current UK automotive industry makes 2. Nissan have their own battery factory plans, and BMW are more than likely to source their batteries from elsewhere.
Ditto with any of Stellantis' plans, they are heavily investing with EU assistance in their own battery factories in Europe.

British Volt need auto-manufacturing partners, the UK automotive industry needs additional manufacturers setting up factories, to add to the current sorry tally of only 2 models of electric car being produced by the entire automotive sector in the United Kingdom.

REgards Neil

[NewcastleFalcon]

The opposite of highly visible charging locations, single charger up a back street behind the main roads recently shifted there from the former leisure centre. Very useful though, easy to use with a contactless card, and vacant

NCC charging station number 1.

Regards Neil

[myglaren]

Charging point installation