Today I've been reading post on Facebook on the UK Electric Vehicle Owners Club group...
The topic was about free chargers at Tesco - and that 4 free 7kw chargers were utilised - and the rapid 50kw (with a cost to use) was empty...
A lot of comments were "we need more chargers" as people "need" to charge...
My thoughts on this are thus :-
People are using the free chargers - because they are free. Not because they "need" to charge.
If someone "needed" to charge - in order to get home - they'd spend £5 on the rapid charger and be on their merry way...
Would people with home charging be using the 7kw if they had to pay say 20p per kwh? I suspect not... And then there would be "enough" chargers for those who "need" it....
Yes, free is nice - nobody will turn away from free stuff... But it's a distraction from the bigger picture of having the right chargers in the right places...
My view is :-
Anywhere where you're likely to be parked for over 2-3 hours - needs a bank of slower 3-7kw chargers (with no concerns about hogging).
Places like - multi storey/long stay car parks. park and ride sites, Hotels. Theme parks. Airports. Train Stations.
These should have 7kw chargers - no rapid chargers (and the increased costs of installation) are needed..
Supermarkets (if they want to give away free electric...) should do as they're doing currently - slower free ones.. with chargeable rapids for those who need more of a boost but are willing to pay...
For shorter stay places then Rapid chargers should be set up (with an overstay charge to prevent all day hogging)
These should be at places like :-
KFC/McDonalds/Starbucks etc, retail parks with 90-120 minute parking limits...
Short stay council car parks..Gyms, Leisure Centres, Motorway Services
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