Provided chargers at shops

AndyBoBandy

An SEAI grant aimed at retail of say ~€25,000 towards the installation of a DC charger would be fairly useful right about now.

EasyGo would and should be all over that, and it could mostly happen with existing power supplies.

Then say a location wants to expand their number of DC chargers, and a supply upgrade is needed, how about the Government pays its own company to upgrade the supply? Or they simply get mandated to do it (providing obviously it's worthwhile by meeting various criteria).

slave1

Charging should be a free good and public infrastructure, no grants to any private retailer.

Should be pure eCars and proper Hubs.

Likes of EasyGo, Ionity and Tesla can go for private placement like shopping centres, hotels etc

zg3409

I see nmd installed this lamp post charger near the airport in Waterford. It seems to be a retrofit on an existing pole. It has an isolator unlike many other public chargers. I presume it's cheaper than a whole new pole. It is harder to find than a big green lamp post.

ted1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118605263#Comment_118605263

Staff? Visiting sales reps ? They’d all spend some time in store.

JohnC.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118649442#Comment_118649442

I see on Plugshare that there's a green sign and 2 marked spaces (for one socket). There's another bollard one there too. Again with 2 marked spaces for one socket. Both units marked https://char.gy

cannco253

Passed by the busiest free charging “hub” in Galway over the weekend (B&Q/Dunnes) and it was empty. Usually had people queueing for a socket to plug into.

Since last Friday it’s now paid charging using the Plugsurfing app. I’ve never used Plugsurfing before, the site doesn’t show up on the app so I guess you need the RFID/Fob to start the charge - €10 each from the store with max stay 3 hours. No idea what the cost is.

I presume this is the way things will go on “free” chargers given the cost of energy now.

liamog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118625971#Comment_118625971

I'd rather see a 50kW charger installed at a supermarket where I'm going to spend time anyway than drive to the nearest motorway services to fulfill charging needs for people with on street parking. Local hubs should be encouraged at supermarkets, it's pretty much the same reason we see petrol stations co-located with supermarkets, except in the case of DC charging their is even more synergy in the length of stay.

ELM327

I agree but remove the "overstay" fee at these chargers and install a lot of them, like 8-10.

innrain

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118846162#Comment_118846162

Like this proposed Lidl off M4 in Maynoot? Looking at PV loads of them, battery storage and a few DC chargers. An interesting development.

ongarite

Would be good except that Lidl have appealed against installing the EV chargers that Kildare CoCo want as part of this planning application.

They will probably pull the expansion of the site if forced to do this.

liamog

That's an interesting one @innrain, the current planning regs require them to install EV charging to 10% of the parking spaces, and provide ducting to the other spaces. They are contesting this requirement as they believe they are better served providing DC charging to a smaller number of spaces as the majority of their customers do not attend the store long enough for an AC enabled space to make a difference.

Black_Knight

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118845796#Comment_118845796

The unit at Woodies/homestore and more at Turners cross Cork is seemingly the same setup. No official notice on how to use it, but someone said it can be started using a plugsurfing fob. Last I heard it was free to use, so maybe the same for Galway?

So €10 is for the plugsurfing fob I guess? Bargain if you regularly use those units. You'd be no time at all recouping €10 on a free unit.

slave1

If they are AC tethered I may use them and stroll a bit slower through Lidl, but if untethered then I would not be bothered given my night rate cost at home.

DC, no brainer in hooking up

liamog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118846556#Comment_118846556

I think the whole point is that chargers in Lidl aren't for people who can charge at night rate at home.

innrain

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118846395#Comment_118846395

It is indeed. Honestly they have valid points. I don't know much how the building regs are worded. Is there a technical spec which takes in consideration the installed power? We all have seen chargers installed just because is required and never turned on except at the building certification day. Are there repercussions if these chargers never work or are not maintained? Are the building regs an enactment of the EU directive from 2016 because they had to be dealt with but is just the 10% and that is? If there are no technical specs should they be? In my thinking a 50kW DC is equivalent to 2.5 x 22 kW AC but there should be a discussion of the intended use of the car park as well. I never spent more than 45 mins at Lidl so AC are kinda pointless. Maybe in the future there will be wireless charging and the need for ducting the whole car park could make sense. I just wonder how many chargers KCC has and if they understand the concept or is just a case of "computer says NO"

the_amazing_raisin

https://www.electrive.com/2022/03/30/carrefour-expands-charging-to-all-stores/

Carrefour leading the way, DC and AC chargers in all stores from the looks of it. As well as facilities for charging bikes and scooters and it looks like AC will be free for the first hour for loyalty card holders

DC will be paid but you can bet there'll be a discount for loyalty cards

Black_Knight

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118846653#Comment_118846653

I think that's your opinion.

Lidl chargers are a free for all from what i've experienced. Looks like our night rate is going to double next month. To me it's not worth dawdling around Lidl to get an extra 1-2kWh, but plenty will, or park up for hours to get a full free charge given the increase in electricity prices.

liamog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118859969#Comment_118859969

Lidl are moving away from the free AC charging model and generally now install a paid EasyGo DC charger. The context of the conversation was a poster saying they would rather charge at night rate at home instead of on the paid DC whilst doing their shopping.

cannco253

https://twitter.com/electricfelix/status/1509492442525061123?s=21&t=xfHRgxbsQMXlznadcj0_ZQ

Dont forget E.Leclerc ….

ELM327

I mean, if they are opening up the network but also massively expanding the network then maybe that;'s a positive.

sh81722

That will be a happy row of E.Leclerc shoppers without home charging able to do their weekly shop and charge regardless of which CCS equipped car they have. Nice one.

cannco253

Galway B&Q showing up on Plugsurfing now

0.28 per kWh plus 0.20 starting

One Leaf using it, out of the 6 spaces.

AndyBoBandy

ALDI have announced an expansion of chargers at some of their stores.

https://www.joe.ie/news/aldi-reveals-locations-41-new-electric-vehicle-charging-points-throughout-ireland-750009

Aldi Ireland has said it will double the number of electric vehicle (EV) charging points it offers over the next year as part of its "drive" towards a more sustainable future.

Under the plans, 41 additional EV charging points are scheduled for installation in Cork, Dublin, Galway, Kerry, Mayo, Meath, Louth and Wexford.

This will mean a total of 79 EV charging points will be available across 19 Aldi stores.

Two additional EV charging points will be available at Aldi’s Clonakilty store (Cork) which is due to open in the coming months

Four additional EV charging points will be available at Aldi’s Santry store (Dublin).

Eight additional EV charging points will be available at Aldi’s Mountbellew and Tuam stores (Galway), which are due to open in the coming months

Four additional EV charging points will be available at Aldi’s new Caherciveen store (Kerry).

Nine additional EV charging points will be available at Aldi’s Ardee store (Louth), which is due to open in the coming months.

Four additional EV charging points will be available at Aldi’s Ballina store (Mayo), which is due to open in the coming months.

Two additional EV charging points will be available at Aldi’s Laytown store (Meath).

Eight additional EV charging points will be available at Aldi’s Newtown Road and Trinity Street stores (Wexford).

Well done Aldi. Both themselves & Lidl are leading the way.

Red Silurian

Has anybody successfully managed to charge at the Parkway shopping centre in Limerick? Says use plugsurfing but the last 2 times the charge never started

zg3409

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119211274#Comment_119211274

From plugshare app. Most/all others users earlier in the year could not get it to work. Note this user seemed to use a physical card from plugsurfing.

markpb

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119210944#Comment_119210944

Aren’t those all 22kW chargers, the same ones Tesco were widely criticised for installing (except free)? I love a good three-phase charge myself but I can’t see the point of these for most people. Picking up 7 whole kilowatts kWh while doing your shopping seems not very useful.

Fingleberries

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119212485#Comment_119212485

If you drive 15-20 mins to your shop, spend 1 hour going around getting your big shop in, you'll be leaving with more in the car than you arrived with (charge in the battery, I mean, but also your groceries in the boot).

As one of their competitors says 'every little helps' 😁

Red Silurian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119211486#Comment_119211486

I was there 2 weeks ago at the drivers licence crowd and couldn't get it to work

Not sure I want yet another card in my pocket

fafy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119212485#Comment_119212485

No, they are not, when i used one some months ago, it was well below even 7kw, charging rate, so making it totally pointless. I should have taken a more precise note of the charging rate, but the charge time of about 60 minutes, yielded less than 3 kw of charge, so it was like using a 3 pin granny cable to charge.

Better to charge something, and have a decent charge level, as all these particular slim blue Aldi chargers :

will mean, some people will hog the spaces all day long to get some free juice.

Some other Aldi stores, have chargers like EasyGo, have mush faster charging rates.

slave1

Fair dues but Aldi for us is a stand alone unit where we are in and out in 30minutes, not worth the effort of hooking up, would only do it if tethered unit