While my E-Car gently... charges

veryangryman

I feel that theyve missed a trick by not placing return machines close to ecar charging - maybe the newer rolled out ones migHT consider this.

Alot of us have time to kill while waiting for the charge and not all want to waste money on overpriced coffee. Any other thoughts on things a service area can provide. Some good ideas in some places with kid play areas.

Buddy Bubs

Anything that will make you spend money. These are businesses I can't see them becoming public service stops.

My business gets unsolicited emails quite often asking if we'd be interested in installing chargers which would result in footfall and custom for us.

We are not remotely interested we aren't a retail unit but that's where chargers will be.

I can't see children's play areas being commonplace or anywhere else that you don't spend money. The chargers on their own I wouldn't imagine are profitable enough.

Look at petrol stations, very much designed around filling car then spending in the shop. They would be prepay at pumps if the profit was in the fuel, but they make you go in to pay where the profitable sales are.

I public charge on return trip of my cross country work journeys and I work my lunch around the stop. If I didn't have my own charger and charged locally I would just bring the dogs for a walk while it charged if I didn't want to spend money.

RainInSummer

I always thought those outdoor gyms you see in parks be a decent idea, crank out a few pullups while you wait.

CivilEx

Hi speed WiFi maybe - crank out some work or take a virtual meeting from the car while you wait?

Alun

I saw a thread recently, on SpeakEV I think it was, where someone in the UK had set up a website of car parks for local trails and walks that had chargers where you could charge your car while going for a walk which sounds like a neat idea. Most of these would be AC chargers though I guess.

10-10-20

Have you seen what Gridserve have done in parts of the UK…?

They have a few massive forecourts and things like a gym, meeting rooms, picnic areas, showrooms, doggin' area, etc. They even had a treadmill which charges your phone off your expended energy. 😁 Impressive.

https://www.gridserve.com/electric-vehicle-charging/electric-forecourt/braintree/

ted1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058367866/while-my-e-car-gently-charges

hoovers ….

return machine would encourage other to block the charger. And you’d still need to walk inside to get your cash.

ted1

Most people have 5G on their phone. Just hotspot of it

Buddy Bubs

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122588160#Comment_122588160

hoovers is not a bad call, maybe a power washer too although that may not be safe. Some sort of car washing paraphernalia anyway.

kanuseeme

A 5 star Michelin restaurant, Olympic sized swimming pool, Disney ( or a theme park of similar quality)

Red Silurian

Simple vending machines that serve sweets, sambos, ice cream and coffee. I once came across a vending machine that served freshly cooked chips

flyer_query

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122587930#Comment_122587930

"Look at petrol stations, very much designed around filling car then spending in the shop. They would be prepay at pumps if the profit was in the fuel, but they make you go in to pay where the profitable sales are."

most of the big chains company owned and operated sites are now installing credit card machines at the pumps, both at new sites and retrofitting.

jonnybangbang

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122588394#Comment_122588394

You're absolutely right. Many big fuel operators in Ireland are installing credit card machines at the pumps. This is not because of the big profit being made on fuel but to stops drive off's. Can't drive off without paying if your credit/debit card has already been scanned to start the pump.

Most service stations are teaming up with other well know brands to offer a full offering on their coffee, food and general facilities if they can accommodate the size required. e.g. Supermacs, M&S, O Briens, chopped etc.

Coffee proably one of the biggest profit margins in a service station. cost €0.50 per cup. Sell €4(ish)

eagerv

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122588145#Comment_122588145

doggin' area, etc.

😂😁

Buddy Bubs

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122588394#Comment_122588394

Didn't know that, haven't been at one in 2 years now

the_amazing_raisin

I've always reckoned low power DC charging down to 25kW would be a good idea for supermarkets, shopping centres, cinemas and gyms

I think some of the Delta chargers can have up to 4 cars plugged in at once, and then there's the Kempower setup

Go for a lot of spaces with lower power chargers instead of a few spaces with high powered ones. Set the overstay fee longer as well, 2-3 hours

If you look at those Ecars monstrosities with a 150kW and 50kW across 3 spaces, you could do up to 25kW across 8 spaces with a Kempower system

That's plenty of time to cover your weekly shop and still get 50-75kWh or more. And because there's lots of chargers available it doesn't matter that you're plugging in for an hour or more

Instead we're seeing shops go with AC chargers where most cars will pull 7-11kW max

Del2005

My car can gently charge when I'm home or in work. I don't want fancy facilities, a toilet would be handy, I just want plenty of fast chargers so that I can get charged and on the road again.

Shopping centres, gyms, restaurants etc should be installing a lot more mid speed chargers.

liamog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122588827#Comment_122588827

Not sure I'd lump supermarkets in with those others, supermarkets are 50kW/100kW range. I wouldn't wish two hours in Tesco on anyone.

veryangryman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122588836#Comment_122588836

20 minutes is not fast in real terms. Alot of cars cant take faster than 50KW DC so you do get stuck for a while.

If i knew id be idling the while, id dig out my can pile and use the time to empty it at a return bank there.

zg3409

To be fair I was at the motorway services on the M1, used the toilets, in the past kids used indoor and outdoor play area. Both times bought nothing and home charged only. I brought a snack for young kids as they prefer their regular home food compared to motorway offerings. They also now have a bottle return feature. (Northbound near Dundalk). If they had a dozen chargers it might be handy for those that need a charge.

I believe even 50kW is not good enough for supermarkets. I have shopped and still not filled up enough.

the_amazing_raisin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122589024#Comment_122589024

True, I was kind of thinking of 25kW as the minimum. With enough density you'd be able to plug in even if there's been cars charging for an hour and probably get over 50kW since some of those cars will have finished

Taking the Ecars hub in Blanch as an example, you've 800kW split over 8 spaces. If you used a Kempower system you could split it down to 32 spaces, I guarantee you'll almost never be queueing and you can still potentially get 200kW as chargers free up

The problem with most current DC charging is the overstay kicks in after 45 mins so it's a bit too short for a supermarket trip. You'd probably want 1.5-2 hours to account for a big shop, queues, bringing the trolley back, etc.

JPA

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122589736#Comment_122589736

You need to streamline the shopping. 1.5 to 2 hours? Kill me first!

Buddy Bubs

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122589750#Comment_122589750

I was in supermarket for 30 mins today for the big shop, Jesus it was torture.

the_amazing_raisin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122589750#Comment_122589750

When you add up the time for a big shop it can be over an hour from parking to leaving. I'm pretty much ready to kill everyone in the vicinity by that time though

Cork Lass

Washing machines and dryers. Charge your car, put on a wash and go for a walk while listening to an audio book 😀.

crl84

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122589736#Comment_122589736

Said the same at the time for the Blanch ESB ones.

People who are using the centre are generally going to be in there more than 20mins, so with the walk to and from the centre, your car would be fully charged and you'd have to move it before you could do anything worthwhile inside.

Shitloads of 25KW chargers are a much better option there. Ben Dunne Gym, Cinema, Dunnes, Aldi, and various big retail outlets within a few minutes walk of the chargers, but because of the higher speed chargers, you basically have to sit in your car and then move it when it's charged.

Plenty of places where 150KW chargers are needed, but at massive retail/leisure facilities where people will generally be spending well over an hour, isn't one of them.

liamog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122590316#Comment_122590316

Chargers as you describe are for a destination such as Blanchardstown Shopping Centre to invest in, the flip side is as an eCars charging customer I have access to amenities such as a Starbucks and some toilet facilities close to where I need to charge my car. It's probably the best eCars can get away with without investing in building out their own service stations now that the service station operators are looking to build their own charging networks.

RainInSummer

A brothel.

freddieot

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122592459#Comment_122592459

Not enough time....

...Ghost...

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122588160#Comment_122588160

Or…use the return credit toward the cost of the charge. Pull in, Plug in, Return Vend, Scan receipt and see the amount come off the cost of charging, or credit your charge account. Anyone want in?

Going…Going…….OK, NVM.

Oscar_Madison

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122592710#Comment_122592710

show off 🤪

the_amazing_raisin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122592710#Comment_122592710

Too much time 🫣

the_amazing_raisin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122592719#Comment_122592719

Dunnes Stores spend €35 and get €5 charging credit

Didn't Tesco have a deal with their petrol stations years ago, you got a discount if you filled up after shopping?

MightyMunster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122588209#Comment_122588209

Sounds great but charging times are so short you wouldn't even be at the top of your first Disney queue by the time the car is ready

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122590316#Comment_122590316

I've no issue with what you're proposing. However I think you're forgetting blanch for example isn't just a destination.

It's also charging hub. It's a central location for locals and other users wanting to rapidly fast charge for a whatever reason. They aren't going to the cinema, shopping, having lunch. They are only there to fast charge.

the_amazing_raisin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122593526#Comment_122593526

If I was dealing with Blanch traffic purely to charge I'd buy a diesel

Okay, slight exaggeration but there's Maxol and SSE going to be nearby soon so I don't see people going to the shopping centre purely for the kilowatts

liamog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122594669#Comment_122594669

Having lived in Ongar for a long period of time a big chunk of which was spent with an EV and no home charger, I'd much rather charge my car in Blanchardstown than a service station on the N3, or an SSE hub up in the industrial wasteland of Ballycoolin.

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122594669#Comment_122594669

I'd have to drive past Blanch and through that traffic anyway to get to those chargers.

I've only used the Blanch chargers when I had no charger, and when I needed a faster charger than my home charger so very rarely. I assume that's more useful the larger the battery .

I see people using the chargers outside the "destination" scenario. That's all. More DC charging is always good.