10% of FCPs down

Satriale

There is absolutely no way you could use the Ecars map as an accurate snapshot of the network health at any given time.

BoatMad

Shane732 wrote: »

I'm sorry I don't understand - "The upside is you get a far better driving experience"

Money aside, do you actually think the experience of driving an EV is better than a petrol engine car?

Way better driving experience , faster instant acceleration , little noise , one pedal driving , less wear on brakes and way lower servicing costs.

Better road holding and handling due to very low centre of gravity as well ancillary advantages are that cabin climate control an be maintained with engine off ( very handy for long chats with the GF ! ) , or started remotely in the mornings. Great to get into a fully warmed up car on those cold mornings.

DrPhilG

BoatMad wrote: »

Did she check the app or the map before she went instead of blindly driving to charge points

The map/app is pointless. It's never up to date or accurate. Pure shot in the dark using it.

I recently checked the map before a trip to Portrush, chargers were showing as unable to connect. Esb assured me that this meant there was a communication issue but the chargers would be working. Arrived in Portrush, both SCPs down.

A number of times I have checked the app and been told chargers are working, only to find that they are not.

Checking plugshare, Facebook etc is more reliable as you can see and hear from actual users, but if users haven't checked its pot luck.

The app is frequently inaccurate. Call the esb to ask directly and they are just as clueless.

BoatMad

DrPhilG wrote: »

The map is pointless. It's never up to date or accurate. Pure shot in the dark using it.

I recently checked the map before a trip to Portrush, chargers were showing as unable to connect. Esb assured me that this meant there was a communication issue but the chargers would be working. Arrived in Portrush, both SCPs down.

A number of times I have checked the app and been told chargers are working, only to find that they are not.

Checking plugshare, Facebook etc is more reliable as you can see and hear from actual users, but if users haven't checked its pot luck.

The app is frequently inaccurate. Call the esb to ask directly and they are just as clueless.

The app is a help it clearly indicates chargers that are marked down are in fact down . Yes where a fault is reported the map is not updated until the fault is confirmed and that is an issue. ( the app needs a third status, unconfirmed fault ?

Plugshare is utterly useless. Far too few people using it.

For any key strategic fast chargers I ring ecars and ask when the last good charge was logged. I've found that a reliable way to confirm the status of the charger.

Note that the call centre is not the esb. It's a third party conpany ( and they will tell u that )

Again ask about usage data , not just is the charge point up.

For example I went Gorey Athlone via Lucan rather then Carlow / portlsoise because the ecars app clearly flagged the Carlow and portlsoise fcps as out of order

Ps Facebook can be very unreliable , people have flagged issues that often don't relate to chademo or have trouble with the connector and post of FB that the charged is down. I've changed successfully at several marked on FB as faulty. The other issue is that FB often reports faulty chargers but rarely reports them back up.

The app remains far more useful then plugshare or FB

DrPhilG

We will agree to disagree.

I stood in Portrush on the phone to ecars while they told me that one of the SCPs was working and had been in use that morning. Even as I stood beside it and let them hear the beep it made as it failed they still insisted it was working. The reported usage they had was me plugging in, charging for 10 seconds then crashing.

Plugshare is of course limited to how many people use it, but I would take the word of a user who reported a failure in the last few days over the word of ecars who may be telling me it was used this morning.

BoatMad

DrPhilG wrote: »

We will agree to disagree.

I stood in Portrush on the phone to ecars while they told me that one of the SCPs was working and had been in use that morning. Even as I stood beside it and let them hear the beep it made as it failed they still insisted it was working. The reported usage they had was me plugging in, charging for 10 seconds then crashing.

Plugshare is of course limited to how many people use it, but I would take the word of a user who reported a failure in the last few days over the word of ecars who may be telling me it was used this morning.

I was more specifically referring to the FCPS, as I believe very few of the SCPS have real time monitoring. I personally find little use for SCPSs other then the one on my house wall.

equally , I had one mechanical issue with a FCP, That ecars couldn't detect , thats fair enough .


Like you I dont accept that the current state of the FCP network is acceptable , and that the app could be drastically improved

cros13

Shane732 wrote: »

Money aside, do you actually think the experience of driving an EV is better than a petrol engine car?

Vastly, as much as double the torque per horsepower and instant response.
With many EVs, particularly the higher end ones you have the combination of precise power delivery and regen braking on the one pedal which allows one pedal driving.

You'll find a lot of the early i3 owners for example, including myself, were previously owners of various M3s & M5s. Many of the i8 buyers have bought the i3 as well.

In my own case, I have more fun driving my i3 around Dublin than I had with my E90 M3 in Germany.

I've also test driven a Tesla Model S P90DL which is a next level experience again. The accelerator on that thing is more like a pedal for giving every occupant of the car including the driver a panic attack. I was mildly surprised I hadn't left indents in the steering wheel with the grip I had on it.

DrPhilG

Fully agree on the driving experience.

I've been driving my dad's diesel Dacia recently as he's off the road after a heart attack. It's bloody horrible to drive compared to the Leaf.

I had to drive the diesel yesterday, absolutely dreadful thing altogether. Painful experience, put your foot down, no power for what seems like an eternity. NO, no way I'm ever going back to any ICE as my main car.....50,350 kms later, no way, the network isn't perfect and electrics aren't for everyone yet and I expect not many will change to EV until at least until range reached 300 kms minimum, and 320-280 km range electrics should be available to order this time next year or early 2018, public charging will be rare.

TBi

Shane732 wrote: »

I'm sorry I don't understand - "The upside is you get a far better driving experience"

Money aside, do you actually think the experience of driving an EV is better than a petrol engine car?

Yes

BoatMad wrote: »

That's fine in theory. The nature of the current limited public network combined with the restricted range of current EVs means that at present you have to " plan " any long distance journey. . That's means understanding the route , the availability of chargers and the state of those chargers. It also might include knowledge of the topology , weather and temperature.

The upside is you get a far better driving experience and you presently pay zero for the fuel ( try that in your ice )

You are right but we shouldn't need to. I didn't like how you put the blame back on the girl when clearly it is ESB's fault that she had the issue.

tubos

BoatMad wrote: »

You forgot , to add Dublin airport to that list

What would be useful would be to collate over say a three month period what chargers failed.

Dublin Airport has been down for months now it seems.

BoatMad

You are right but we shouldn't need to. I didn't like how you put the blame back on the girl when clearly it is ESB's fault that she had the issue.

its not a question of assigning blame, The fact remains , you cannot just drive around ireland in an EV without doing specific planing. If she doesnt do that or isn't aware that she needs to do it, that a proportion of blame lies with her. even in an near utopia, there will always be requirements for people to " think " before acting

The EV situation in Ireland is in the early adopter phrase, its not suitable for people that want to ignore the drawbacks

cros13

Naas is back up and the ECars app is now showing whether a rapid is occupied or not

cros13

cros13 wrote: »

Naas is back up and the ECars app is now showing whether a rapid is occupied or not

:eek: I don't believe it !

Not showing this on the App for me, maybe there is an update ?

appfry

BoatMad wrote: »

That's fine in theory. The nature of the current limited public network combined with the restricted range of current EVs means that at present you have to " plan " any long distance journey. . That's means understanding the route , the availability of chargers and the state of those chargers. It also might include knowledge of the topology , weather and temperature.

The upside is you get a far better driving experience and you presently pay zero for the fuel ( try that in your ice )

Sounds like looking after a horse, not a car.

stesaurus

cros13 wrote: »

Naas is back up and the ECars app is now showing whether a rapid is occupied or not

Is this the little black car like symbol?

pwurple

Shane732 wrote: »

I'm sorry I don't understand - "The upside is you get a far better driving experience"

Money aside, do you actually think the experience of driving an EV is better than a petrol engine car?

Yes. It's better for me anyway.

I test drove a porsche last week... petrol just feels like old technology to me now. Rickety.

cros13

s.welstead wrote: »

Is this the little black car like symbol?

yup!

Naas is still down for CCS.... working for chademo.

got stuck there for an hour and a half last night to charge enough on the AC to reach home.

cros13

cros13 wrote: »

yup!

Naas is still down for CCS.... working for chademo.

got stuck there for an hour and a half last night to charge enough on the AC to reach home.

And what about the ICE ? could that not power you the rest of the way ?

What do the electric company receive for keeping these chargers working?

cros13

Deleted User wrote: »

And what about the ICE ? could that not power you the rest of the way ?

Nope, I emptied the REx tank a few days earlier due to two other rapids that were down and at 23:05 I didn't have enough range to reach anywhere to fill that.
The REx does not operate like a PHEV. Things like fuel system pressurization are electrically driven. Realistically I would have needed a 35-40% charge of the traction battery anyway to get home without stopping to fill the REx tank a second time. I was better off waiting another 30 minutes on the AC.

If there's every a rule about BEVs getting priority access to charging infrastructure the REx i3 needs to be special case.

cros13

Deleted User wrote: »

What do the electric company receive for keeping these chargers working?

nada.... but they also got most of the capital costs from EU grants and research programs.

It won't be possible for the charging network to be financially self-sustaining until at least 10% of vehicles on the road are EVs. Heck petrol stations don't make a profit on fuel, why would an EV charging network be expected to be financially self-sustaining when 95% of the charging your 1600 potential customers do is at home? Some EV owners never use the public network at all.

In the medium term, the network will need funding from general taxation.

cros13

cros13 wrote: »

nada.... but they also got most of the capital costs from EU grants and research programs.

It won't be possible for the charging network to be financially self-sustaining until at least 10% of vehicles on the road are EVs. Heck petrol stations don't make a profit on fuel, why would an EV charging network be expected to be financially self-sustaining when 95% of the charging your 1600 potential customers do is at home? Some EV owners never use the public network at all.

In the medium term, the network will need funding from general taxation.

So there is no incentivising to keep them running. If they should charge regular rates for electricity they would be working I think. Why do they not charge for using?

I see the app now showing the DC's in use. I see on FB where there can be a 15 min delay. It would be nice if it told you the last update and what charge % the car was at at the time.

I see Naas, Lucan and Blanch in use right now, N4 Apple Green West Bound DC's. Works for the SCP's also.

All this doesn't remove the need for a fast charge, what would be really helpful is 2 + DC chargers at each site.

No Government funding this year oh well......by the time they do I hope to be driving an EV with 350 odd kms range.

peposhi

Shane732, an EV it is actually better than any ICE car, regardless what powers it (the ICE).
I bought an EV led by pure economics. Now I would exchange it only for another EV if an estate model comes along or I get to double the driving range so the car covers 100% of my journeys rather than the current 95%. That said by someone who adored his 1.9TDI 130bhp Avant... well, still love it but want it battery powered lol

The Black Oil

Is the point at Rush & Lusk working, too much of a trek from the Applegreen?

BoatMad

Deleted User wrote: »

So there is no incentivising to keep them running. If they should charge regular rates for electricity they would be working I think. Why do they not charge for using?

the revenue they would get from charging you would be minuscule, it wouldn't pay for a single service engineer.

The incentive to keep them free is we have a dismal uptake in BEVS. free charging would at least keep that incentive alive, charging anywhere like they intended, would force people back to diesel

IN the last 6 years free charging hasn't exactly made people buy ev in high numbers. 6 years for feck sake so there's gotta be something wrong. and it's not public charging. People don't want to charge in the first place, now if they can after 350 kms instead of 110-150 kms that will have a major impact on people's decision to buy an ev, knowing public charging will be rare.

Add 200 + kms range , now there'd be a real incentive.

As I said before, the issue of home charging in Apartments, rented properties and on street is much more of an issue.

EV charging needs to be made a legal right.