Electric car charging – motorways?

I want to do a road trip in my electric car. Is that going to be difficult?

I’ve had an electric car for 3 years and never charged it anywhere other than at home, but we’re going to Cornwall next week (from S Yorks). My Audi app will calculate the range / stopping points etc but I have never used any chargers. I understand they’re surprisingly expensive, but probably slightly less than diesel (which is the alternative) so not a dealbreaker.

How do I do it? Just rock up to a charger with a contactless card?

Zap Map seems helpful. Audi have their own app but this appears to show similar data.

Are there some services I should sign up to? Audi do a monthly subscription thing I don’t think I want or need.

I’ve got a cable that came with the car (“Charging cable; Mode 3, type 2, 32A, 3-phase”) but I have heard some cars need adaptors. That’s not going to be an issue is it?

Is my family going to kill me because I can’t find a charging space and I make them wait around in a depressing service station for hours on end until a charger becomes free?

Am I overthinking this?

I’ve got a cable that came with the car (“Charging cable; Mode 3, type 2, 32A, 3-phase”) but I have heard some cars need adaptors.

DC rapid chargers have the CCS cable tethered to them. You won’t need to use your Type 2 cable to charge at these. (Still take it with you though)

Underneath the charge port on the car thatyou plug into at home there should be a plastic cover. Remove this and it’ll expose the bottom bit of the CCS charging port.  The DC charging plug uses both of these ports at the same time.

Almost all motorway DC chargers will have card payment facilities.

Am I overthinking this?

Yes, it’s about as simple as using a pay at pump petrol station.

Kind of, it’s certainly easier these days but you can improve the experience by aiming for the better spots, there’s still some motorway services with just a couple of older, slower ones.

If you can hit Cribbs Causeway by Bristol then there’s loads of different ones around there (and options for eating). Exeter services has loads now. If you’re going Plymouth way then there’s a 10-bay MFG site by Saltash.

Pretty much all take contactless card these days.

30,000+ electric miles here, charged everywhere from Carlisle to Exeter and had almost no issues.

Zapmap is good for narrowing down the faster chargers- you don’t want to rock up to find 7kw slow ones- you want 150kw+ so that the car will charge faster than you can get to the loo and buy some lunch. I tend to target the MFG sites just off the motorway as they tend to have lots of chargers and be fast.

https://venues.theextramile.guide has a filter for places with chargers if you don’t want to be bound to motorway services.

It’s not a free service, but even on fast chargers should be cheaper than diesel.

Also, the DC charging cable is really heavy and sometimes, on some cars, it pulls itself out slightly under its own weight and doesn’t connect properly. I always hold it in place when starting the charge until you hear and feel the locking mechanism engage to hold it in place. once it’s locked in it will be fine.

Once you’re down there we found Cornwall to be really well set up for EVs too. Chargers in lots of the towns and tourist sites. On the motorways it’s easy enough, Almost all units on pay by card unless there is a benefit to using something else, I still get better rates at Ionity using my VW card and applegreen is cheaper if you use the app.

It’s really easy, but just to reassure yourself I’d just rock up to your nearest fast charger (Zapmap will tell you where) and put a few kWh in just so you’re aware of how easy the process is and the little quirks to be aware of, like where the often short-ish CCS cable is in relation to your charging port, before exposing your family to it.

perchypantherFree Member

Yes, it’s about as simple as using a pay at pump petrol station for an hour

FTFY

Yes, it’s about as simple as using a pay at pump petrol station for 18 mins while you’re stopped for a pee and a sandwich anyway , except you don’t need to stand like a tadger and hold the pump for more than about 10 secs

FTFM

800V architecture, battery preheating and a truly astonishing charge curve.
No waiting about for an hour for this panther.

Generally on motorways you just swipe your debit card and that’s it. Some slow chargers at destinations need an app, but zap map will tell you.

It’s worth getting Electroverse if you are an Octopus customer. You’ll get 8% off or something.

Another vote for the MFG sites, which are usually just off motorway junctions rather than in traditional service stations.

Gridserve ones ain’t bad either.

Yes, it’s about as simple as using a pay at pump petrol station for an hour

I’m about to go to Scotland in one of the slowest charging cars out there, and the plan has 2hrs of charing in 8.5hrs of driving. Not bad.

Doesn’t all that fast charging reduce battery life?

Doesn’t all that fast charging reduce battery life?

They say that only fast charging might – but probably not these days.  With proper cooling and management it’ll be fine.  And for a few charges now and then – that’s never going to be a problem.

For example, Leafs have never had battery cooling.  The first ones in 2013-2014 would overheat whilst driving and charging and the batteries degraded faster, but from 2018 onwards don’t really have a problem and all they did was refine the software and materials – they still don’t have cooling.

I’m going to get very confused now there’s TWO electric car charging threads! Can’t we merge them into one?

Doesn’t all that fast charging reduce battery life?

I’ve had 2 cars (Tesla model3 and VW ID3) both of which I charged on DC rapid chargers exclusively for 2 years each (it came included in the monthly fee).  I was doing about 15000miles a year, so 30000 miles for each car @ 100% on DC rapid chargers and I didn’t notice any particular degredation of either of the batteries (the ID3 required a battery module replaced under warranty, but no indication that had anything to do with regular DC charging tho). However, I think you’re right that it’s recommended not to rapid charge regularly as a precaution. Also there are now LFP batteries used by many manufacturers which are completely different to the Li-on batteries, they like to be abused and regularly charged to 100%.