Seems we're getting a bad rep.

[Stu]

Ecotricity recently singled out Outlander drivers on Twitter. This little piece also popped up earlier:

https://transportevolved.com/2015/02/03/plug-cars-hit-roads-inconsiderate-use-public-charging-provision-rise/

A tad prejudice?

 

[maby]

It highlights the problem with public charging - at least for PHEVs - I do go into London quite frequently and could plug in for a charge - but I'm not going to if I have to come back out of my office an hour later and move the car - with no certainty of finding a parking space. It is simply not worth the disruption to save perhaps £2 in petrol.

 

[greendwarf]

I think its fair comment. If we find the charging point taken then we can just drive on, whereas the poor Leaf driver is buggered In one of the photos in the article it looks as though the Leaf user has "disconnected" the Outlander - so it is in our own interest to be considerate. How about a note in the windscreen giving your mobile?

 

[Stu]

I think its fair comment. If we find the charging point taken then we can just drive on, whereas the poor Leaf driver is buggered In one of the photos in the article it looks as though the Leaf user has "disconnected" the Outlander - so it is in our own interest to be considerate. How about a note in the windscreen giving your mobile?

I agree with that.

I think what's a little unfair is that any BEV/PHEV can block a charger and not just an Outlander. It's surely the driver's attitude rather than car they drive?

 

[maby]

I think its fair comment. If we find the charging point taken then we can just drive on, whereas the poor Leaf driver is buggered In one of the photos in the article it looks as though the Leaf user has "disconnected" the Outlander - so it is in our own interest to be considerate. How about a note in the windscreen giving your mobile?

I agree with that.

I think what's a little unfair is that any BEV/PHEV can block a charger and not just an Outlander. It's surely the driver's attitude rather than car they drive?

It's being damned by its success - how many non-Outlander PHEVs have you seen on the roads?

 

[Stu]

I think its fair comment. If we find the charging point taken then we can just drive on, whereas the poor Leaf driver is buggered In one of the photos in the article it looks as though the Leaf user has "disconnected" the Outlander - so it is in our own interest to be considerate. How about a note in the windscreen giving your mobile?

I agree with that.

I think what's a little unfair is that any BEV/PHEV can block a charger and not just an Outlander. It's surely the driver's attitude rather than car they drive?

It's being damned by its success - how many non-Outlander PHEVs have you seen on the roads?

Good point well made.

 

[Sharky]

I think the article is missing a point that some Outlander PHEV owners have brought the car to use the battery as much as possible and as such they have every right to use a charging point as much as the next person. As for using the "free space" to charge and park are the leaf and the like, owners also going to move their car after the charging cycle, I don't think so. Singling Outlander owners seem unfair wait till the Audi A3 and others start to hit the road in numbers, then they will have something to moan about. Would I take advantage of charge and park yes I would, but I don't see why I or any body else should get the space or the electricity for nothing! if you pay you can stay!!

 

[maby]

I think the article is missing a point that some Outlander PHEV owners have brought the car to use the battery as much as possible and as such they have every right to use a charging point as much as the next person. As for using the "free space" to charge and park are the leaf and the like, owners also going to move their car after the charging cycle, I don't think so. Singling Outlander owners seem unfair wait till the Audi A3 and others start to hit the road in numbers, then they will have something to moan about. Would I take advantage of charge and park yes I would, but I don't see why I or any body else should get the space or the electricity for nothing! if you pay you can stay!!

The problem will go away as charging points are moved onto a commercial basis - it will not make sense to plug an Outlander up to a point which costs money.

 

[Lyra252]

How about if we leave a note on the window saying "Should be complete in 20 mins, will return to unplug"

Chris

 

[Kim]

This is what they promote to use in a German EV-forum:

And that's how it translates:

 

[JKL]

I live in Germany, where can I get these ?

 

[Kim]

You can download them.

Deutsche Version: http://e-auto.tv/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/ladescheibe.pdf

Nederland versije: http://e-auto.tv/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/laadschijf.pdf

English version: http://e-auto.tv/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/chargingdisc.pdf

Version française http://e-auto.tv/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/disquedechargement.pdf

Australian version: http://www16.zippyshare.com/v/2PKHF2Q1/file.html

 

[JKL]

Thanks a lot, very useful !

 

[byrnehj]

Interesting article. I think we are getting a bad rep only (as the author writes), because as the proportion of Outlander PHEV's on the road increases, so does the proportion of complaints. I do feel aggrieved though in the attitude that (just because we dont have to run on electric) we are somehow not entitled to use a charging station to the same extent as a LEAF etc. And why, for example, do Ikea have 2 parking spaces but only 1 charger? (at least the one in Cardiff does!). I parked there the other day only to find that a Tesla was charging next door - fair enough i thought, i'll pop down in 30 mins to see if he has finished and then charge my car; however some LEAF d***head driver then reported me (humiliation over the tannoy!) before I got back for parking 'improperly'... even though by the time i got back to the car park he had plugged in and scarpered into the store...in theory i 'was there first' so maybe i should have unplugged him :lol: ...but I am too polite for that. Anyway, rant over, but I do feel like there is indeed an attitude out there that we Outlander owners are becoming second-hand citizens when it come to the charging network. Anybody had similar problems? And any Ikea users out there can comment on '2 spaces/1 charger'? is it just my store?

 

[maby]

Given that the IKEA chargers are free, I guess they can do anything they want - perhaps they should remove one of the marked bays?

 

[tlongdon]

Interesting article. I think we are getting a bad rep only (as the author writes), because as the proportion of Outlander PHEV's on the road increases, so does the proportion of complaints. I do feel aggrieved though in the attitude that (just because we dont have to run on electric) we are somehow not entitled to use a charging station to the same extent as a LEAF etc. And why, for example, do Ikea have 2 parking spaces but only 1 charger? (at least the one in Cardiff does!). I parked there the other day only to find that a Tesla was charging next door - fair enough i thought, i'll pop down in 30 mins to see if he has finished and then charge my car; however some LEAF d***head driver then reported me (humiliation over the tannoy!) before I got back for parking 'improperly'... even though by the time i got back to the car park he had plugged in and scarpered into the store...in theory i 'was there first' so maybe i should have unplugged him :lol: ...but I am too polite for that. Anyway, rant over, but I do feel like there is indeed an attitude out there that we Outlander owners are becoming second-hand citizens when it come to the charging network. Anybody had similar problems? And any Ikea users out there can comment on '2 spaces/1 charger'? is it just my store?

Same at IKEA Bristol. 2 bays, 1 ecotricity charger, two cables (one AC, one DC).

Assumed my Ecotricity card wasn't working as I'd plugged in (there was a Leaf charging in the other bay). They said 'oh yes that's right, only one car can charge at a time'. Lesson learned.

So IKEA should absolutely remove the two bays and just leave a single one, to avoid confusion and argument.

But while we're on the "bad rep" (not 'bed rep' surely?) - I'd argue that the Nissan Leaf HOGS the public charging point as it takes much longer to do a full charge. So the PHEV should in fact get priority.

:twisted:

 

[welljock]

Interesting article. I think we are getting a bad rep only (as the author writes), because as the proportion of Outlander PHEV's on the road increases, so does the proportion of complaints. I do feel aggrieved though in the attitude that (just because we dont have to run on electric) we are somehow not entitled to use a charging station to the same extent as a LEAF etc. And why, for example, do Ikea have 2 parking spaces but only 1 charger? (at least the one in Cardiff does!). I parked there the other day only to find that a Tesla was charging next door - fair enough i thought, i'll pop down in 30 mins to see if he has finished and then charge my car; however some LEAF d***head driver then reported me (humiliation over the tannoy!) before I got back for parking 'improperly'... even though by the time i got back to the car park he had plugged in and scarpered into the store...in theory i 'was there first' so maybe i should have unplugged him :lol: ...but I am too polite for that. Anyway, rant over, but I do feel like there is indeed an attitude out there that we Outlander owners are becoming second-hand citizens when it come to the charging network. Anybody had similar problems? And any Ikea users out there can comment on '2 spaces/1 charger'? is it just my store?

Same at IKEA Bristol. 2 bays, 1 ecotricity charger, two cables (one AC, one DC).

Assumed my Ecotricity card wasn't working as I'd plugged in (there was a Leaf charging in the other bay). They said 'oh yes that's right, only one car can charge at a time'. Lesson learned.

So IKEA should absolutely remove the two bays and just leave a single one, to avoid confusion and argument.

But while we're on the "bad rep" (not 'bed rep' surely?) - I'd argue that the Nissan Leaf HOGS the public charging point as it takes much longer to do a full charge. So the PHEV should in fact get priority.

:twisted:

The two bays worked quite well the last time I was there, I parked up and plugged in (there was an ICE in the other one) went away to do my shopping came back around 30 minutes later to find a Leaf in the other space with my car unplugged and the charger in the Leaf. My initial thought was cheeky b******d taking it out, but as the car had finished charging it wasn't really a problem. With only one space the Leaf driver would either had to have waiting around for me to come back or do without the charge.
More spaces than chargers could actually reduce the resentment as other Plug ins could interchange cables when the charging is finished rather than having to wait for a bay to become clear.

 

[tlongdon]

Interesting article. I think we are getting a bad rep only (as the author writes), because as the proportion of Outlander PHEV's on the road increases, so does the proportion of complaints. I do feel aggrieved though in the attitude that (just because we dont have to run on electric) we are somehow not entitled to use a charging station to the same extent as a LEAF etc. And why, for example, do Ikea have 2 parking spaces but only 1 charger? (at least the one in Cardiff does!). I parked there the other day only to find that a Tesla was charging next door - fair enough i thought, i'll pop down in 30 mins to see if he has finished and then charge my car; however some LEAF d***head driver then reported me (humiliation over the tannoy!) before I got back for parking 'improperly'... even though by the time i got back to the car park he had plugged in and scarpered into the store...in theory i 'was there first' so maybe i should have unplugged him :lol: ...but I am too polite for that. Anyway, rant over, but I do feel like there is indeed an attitude out there that we Outlander owners are becoming second-hand citizens when it come to the charging network. Anybody had similar problems? And any Ikea users out there can comment on '2 spaces/1 charger'? is it just my store?

Same at IKEA Bristol. 2 bays, 1 ecotricity charger, two cables (one AC, one DC).

Assumed my Ecotricity card wasn't working as I'd plugged in (there was a Leaf charging in the other bay). They said 'oh yes that's right, only one car can charge at a time'. Lesson learned.

So IKEA should absolutely remove the two bays and just leave a single one, to avoid confusion and argument.

But while we're on the "bad rep" (not 'bed rep' surely?) - I'd argue that the Nissan Leaf HOGS the public charging point as it takes much longer to do a full charge. So the PHEV should in fact get priority.

:twisted:

The two bays worked quite well the last time I was there, I parked up and plugged in (there was an ICE in the other one) went away to do my shopping came back around 30 minutes later to find a Leaf in the other space with my car unplugged and the charger in the Leaf. My initial thought was cheeky b******d taking it out, but as the car had finished charging it wasn't really a problem. With only one space the Leaf driver would either had to have waiting around for me to come back or do without the charge.
More spaces than chargers could actually reduce the resentment as other Plug ins could interchange cables when the charging is finished rather than having to wait for a bay to become clear.

That's strange.
I tried to unplug the LEAF (I could see on the dash it was full).
The IKEA/ecotricity machine wouldn't allow my card to end the charge going to the LEAF, and I was unable to remove the LEAF's cable from the car.

How did the Leaf driver manage to disconnect you?

 

[jdsx]

That's strange.
I tried to unplug the LEAF (I could see on the dash it was full).
The IKEA/ecotricity machine wouldn't allow my card to end the charge going to the LEAF, and I was unable to remove the LEAF's cable from the car.

How did the Leaf driver manage to disconnect you?

My understanding is that rapid chargers automatically unlock when the charge is finished (usually when it reaches 80%). But I hardly ever rapid charge so can't say for certain!

 

[Stu]

What would happen on a rapid charger if you hit the emergency stop button?

Presumably it would just shut down and stop charging the car it was attached to?