Pod Point - 18min interview with CEO

Conba

I found this new 18 minute interview with the Pod Point CEO very informative - lots of interesting views about the future of charging infrastructure in the UK

yannakis

Amazing interview indeed, watched it yesterday.

n.d.os

My wife is experiencing problems the last few days with Pod Points EV charger at Centre parcs in Longford. First she plugged in her car, it charged for 15 mins on the app she installed and AIB blocked her card. They said when she phoned them that her card had be used in the UK. Pod Point are a UK based company.

I then set up the app on my phone, added €20 credit to it and she plugged the car in again and selected the charger and pressed confirm charger, the car started charging and I was brought to a screen on the app saying 'Charge Confirmed.' However when I clicked out of this it brought me back to the previous screen and there was no information available that my car was charging. After 15 minutes the car stopped charging and we couldn't get it to charge again. Anyone who has been to Centre Parcs knows that you have to park you car 30mins away from your cabin.

This is of course super frustrating and not our first bad expeience with public chargers at hotels. Does anyone have experience using this brand of charger and know what might be happening?

**Update. Charger was reported as having an issue in October. Refunded by PodPoint. Second holiday in two months where the chargers haven't been working at our destination. Please for the love of god, ban charger apps.

CMOTDibbler

According to PlugShare, those chargers are supposed to be free?

n.d.os

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122808210#Comment_122808210

The charging situation is frustrating, especially since they charge for it and it’s such a hassle. Recently, at various destination chargers, the experience has been disappointing. My wife is away with the kids this weekend, and trying to charge the car at Centre Parcs has turned into a nightmare. If her friends hear about this, it could discourage another three or four families from considering an EV, thinking this is the standard. The apps are unreliable, and the most irritating part about public chargers is the uncertainty of whether to plug in the car before or after paying. I’ve seen so many people anxiously plugging and unplugging their vehicles, trying to make it work. Why can’t it be as simple as plugging in the car, inserting the card, entering the PIN, and starting the charge? Is that really too much to ask from the charging networks?

CMOTDibbler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122809963#Comment_122809963

The plug and charge standard isn't widespread yet, I think it's being implemented in some new cars and software retrofitted to others. I think Polestar will have it soon in the 2. Read something about it in one of their news flashes. When it does become widespread it will solve a lot of problems.

There's a 50kW ESB charger very nearby in Ballymahon. Would it not make more sense to use that one?

n.d.os

So the cars themselves are part of the reason an app is required? I didn't know that. I actually own a PS2.

CMOTDibbler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122811679#Comment_122811679

Cars and chargers tbf. Not sure what chargers have it implemented yet, but it will solve a lot of problems. The statement from Polestar on plug and charge is a little vague, but seems to imply retro-fitting:

"Available in Polestar 3 now, with other Polestar models planned to gain the functionality in 2025."

joe1303l

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122808210#Comment_122808210

Considering what CentreParcs charge to stay there, they should be free.

n.d.os

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122816082#Comment_122816082

We were later informed that the chargers were free, which created conflicting information from two different staff members. Ultimately, it was a staff member with an EV who helped my wife in the end. Regardless, the situation was poorly organised; the charger she used had reportedly been glitchy for over a month, making the whole experience frustrating as usual. The app is ineffective when your car stops charging automatically after 15 minutes due to a technical issue—that’s simply unacceptable. I’m beginning to understand why some people are hesitant about electric cars. While I find public chargers manageable, there have been numerous occasions when I plugged my car into an Ionity or Apple Green charger, only to see the charging light turn red. I had to unplug and try again, and it usually works on the second attempt. It's disappointing when home chargers are so much more effective.