ESB eCars - Thread 2

They seem to be trialling a new variant with a cable management system with much longer cables. I havent seen any pics of another unit like this. This is a recent install at Knocktopher near Kilkenny. Hopefully it works well and gets rolled out as a retrofit across the network, it'd be a big improvement.

I've had to park that way a few times at Jn 14 and once in Obama, not ideal but better than waiting for a space on the 'right' side and I was able to leave enough space between me and the next car that it wasn't a major issue.

The 1st time I tried , I was pleasantly surprised that the cable was able to reach.

These are ABB units. They can be specced up to 360kW in modules of 30kW so it can be anything. It claims dynamic load balancing so hopefully no more 50:50 split.

I was at the 50kW charger in Union Place, Sligo (beside Lidl), on two occasions over weekend. Pot luck that I got in to charge with only 5 to 10 minutes wait on both occassions. While I was there, several cars came to queue and most left again (I was charging for about 20 mins each time). I only ever go there when it's non-peak times.

What an oversubscribed charge that one is, the only 50kW charger ESB has in Sligo. Also, absolutely awful layout: parling lines at 45 degrees. One of spaces is beside a side wall with a metal box intruding into the space, really very cramped (some athleticism required to navigate the space). Filthy dingy corner it is too.

I do hope ESB can get something better going in Sligo. They have kind of forgotten that town.

Gosh a whole month without a post on the eCars thread, have they started doing their job properly or do we all have Stockholm syndrome at this point? 😅

Anyway, new chargers are installed in Airside in Swords. Some fancy new units claiming to give up to 360kW

Sorry about the thumb over the camera in picture 2, I was sitting on the bike in the middle of the car park 😅

Those look like Alpitronic units, very cool

I'm guessing they'll load share to 180kW per side. I'm curious what the voltage is, whether it's 360kW at 800V since normal 400V chargers can't go above 200kW

So it might be a 180kW charger for many cars in reality

Site seems ready and might just be waiting on the grid connection. It'll probably be open around 2027 in that case 😏

Came across some a-hole with a Volvo PHEV at the 22kW unit in Dungarvan who was plugged in but wasn't, and hadn't been, charging. Presumably pretending to charge to avail of Waterford Council's free parking for charging.

Oh are those the same units Fastned is using in Banbridge? They seem similar

One thing I've noticed about the eCars tight on space setup is that the fairly rigid cable of the units at Blanch/Carrickmines often pushes the charger head up and sometimes even 'loose' of my cars charge port. Happens a lot at Blanch to me, and means I'll often just get charging errors.

It's basically that the rigidity of the cable when you're close up to the charger presses on the ground and pushes the head upwards.

Anyway, I'm sure in some cases the car park owners have constrained the space available, but it's not the best

The capital cost to CPO's to install these facilities seems to be lost on Johnny Public when they bleet on about the cost/kWh of public charging.

I know the charger you are referring to. Parking is only 50 odd cents per hour in the town or it certainly is across the bridge from the charge point which makes the actions of these drivers all the more galling.

Is there any traffic wardens in the town? The council offices are literally a stones throw from the CP - I've not once seen one walking the streets.

Unfortunately I was in Killarney today, unaware the Citizenship ceremonies were on at the INEC. Several thousand peeps in town for that - the whole town was a carpark.

The ESB "hub" consisting of 4 chargers on 2 units was a basketcase - only one side of each unit was operating when I came through. Luckily I got by and made my way up to Shannon whilst heading north

Absolute dream there with their new chargers. Easy to acces - although strangely enough the unit I was on only accepted the app to start on side, whilst the other accepted the app or RFD card.