Charging electric vehicles on club pitches

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  • robsail
    robsail Forum Participant Posts: 1,441
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    edited September 2017 #32

    The other thing to consider is that if more and more people are charging their car, then what about all those posters that remind you to watch the amount of electricity that you consume when the sites are busy! does this means power failures?

  • GodivaNige
    GodivaNige Forum Participant Posts: 606
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    edited September 2017 #33

    At M in M around Christmas and New Year earlier this year, the whole site, which at the time was fully booked, was regularly tripping out in the mornings as everyone’s heating was on, and morning brews were being made.

    As and when plug in vehicles become the majority mode of transport, without doubt, site electrical capacity will need to be increased.

  • trellis
    trellis Forum Participant Posts: 1,102
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    edited September 2017 #34

    Could the club install metered EHU sockets in the LNA  area ,then during the day said leccy cars could be charged .The owner's would know how long it will take,so they could book a time slot....Just a thought.

  • peedee
    peedee Club Member Posts: 9,387 ✭✭✭
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    edited September 2017 #35

    The short term answer is to charge those with electric vehicles an extra pitch fee. In the longer term metering is the solution to reducing consumption. Those site that have already fitted pitch metering alege they have cut site usage by as much as 50 percent.

    peedee

  • lordsward
    lordsward Forum Participant Posts: 69
    edited September 2017 #36

    Either introduce higher pitch fees for those who charge an electric or hybrid car or allow them to pay for a more expensive membership upon renewal.  Surely thats fair?

    An full charge is roughly the cost a litre of diesel for those of us on internal combustion.

    I was at M &M for the Christmas and New Year and I was sick of it tripping out, and yes I saw Mitsubishi's on charge.  No doubt we'll soon see Renault Zoes being trailered by motorhomes too.

    Electric and Hybrid cars aren't going away and nor are electricity charges.  The club does need to address the situation in a fair and workable way. 

  • Rocky 2 buckets
    Rocky 2 buckets Forum Participant Posts: 7,101
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    edited September 2017 #37

    Is that fact PD or another of your best guess/wind up statements?laughinglaughing

  • birderbilly
    birderbilly Forum Participant Posts: 349
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    edited September 2017 #38

    EVs, Electric Bikes, Air-Conditioning, Awning Heaters etc etc

    The only equitable solution to these increasing challenges is metered electricity.

  • lordsward
    lordsward Forum Participant Posts: 69
    edited September 2017 #39

    Surely that would cost serious money and then add to check out complications?  Far better to just charge a small upfront fee for those who wish to charge-up?

    I don't think we/ the club should be discouraging those who wish to recharge their batteries.

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited September 2017 #40

    Those site that have already fitted pitch metering alege they have cut site usage by as much as 50 percent.

    Wot ....... no links?  smile

  • geordie01
    geordie01 Forum Participant Posts: 108
    edited October 2017 #41

    So they are charging an electric vehicle so what? what about awning heaters extra beer fridges and what about mobility scooters, e bikes?

    I plug in an electric guitar and amp just think about the amount of leccy I am using

    Just some thing else to whinge about.

  • young thomas
    young thomas Forum Participant Posts: 11,356
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    edited October 2017 #42

    if it were metered id stil charge my electric bike but from my leisure batteries which, in turn, are charged from my solar panel...

    so the site fee would be considerably cheaper for me as i wouldnt pay the built in 'inclusive leccy' fee....bring it on....smile

    perhaps those who charge their cars could do it from SPs fitted to their caravans.....no whinging then.wink

    as my leisure batteries are easily capable of charging our two ebike batteries (via an inverter) i wonder if a couple of decent caravan leisure batteries could charge one of these cars in the same way?

  • Navigateur
    Navigateur Club Member Posts: 3,880 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited October 2017 #43

    Hmmm.  Got me thinking that did.  How about solar panels fitted to the electric cars?  Could even charge when in use.

  • Spriddler
    Spriddler Forum Participant Posts: 646
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    edited October 2017 #44

    It'll be interesting to see how this develops, since if non-club sites install metering  (they may well be the first to do so) and the CAMC doesn't there could be a rush of non CAMC folk becoming new members, and then there'd be an even greater lack of pitches on all sites.

    However, an electric vehicle battery that could be sneakily charged overnight via a long lead from a sanitation block shaver socket would be a wondrous thing wink  (and generate a rush to bag the pitches nearby).

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited October 2017 #45

    Out of interest, our electric car would probably only need a short charge every three days or so on a site if just travelling around locally. So it's not going to add much to all those electric grills, hot plates. deep fat fryers and awning heaters etc already in use as previously said. But it would be good to hear from the club on this subject. smile

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited October 2017 #47

    Many thanks Rowena, the reply from the sites operations team sounds sensible to me. It's good to have some prompt feedback. smile

  • Navigateur
    Navigateur Club Member Posts: 3,880 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited October 2017 #48

    Thanks, Rowenna.  I read the reply as meaning that as long as each pitch does not exceed 16 amps then everyone is happy.  What each pitch occupier does with that daily 92kWh does not matter.

    So the requests in site leaflets etc regarding use of electricity are just so much marketing speak to make it look as it it matters.

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited October 2017 #49

    A short charge will not use much electricity and surely the general request to be aware of the costs applies to all users?

  • peedee
    peedee Club Member Posts: 9,387 ✭✭✭
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    edited October 2017 #50

    It does Brue but how many take any notice? Thanks for the response Rowena but seems to me the Club is just burying its head in the sand.

    peedèe

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,644 ✭✭✭
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    edited October 2017 #51

    Already in the pipeline Nav. Sono Motors have developed a prototype. 

    The self-charging car will get power from the solar panels fitted to its roof and sides, though drivers will also be able to use power outlets as an alternative.

    Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3803758/Now-S-call-sun-roof-Solar-powered-car-travel-115-MILES-single-charge.html#ixzz4uNW0xLAL
    Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

  • thesharps
    thesharps Forum Participant Posts: 2
    edited June 2018 #52

    A constant theme that I notice in these discussions is that a certain element among members (a minority, I hope!) are constantly observing the activities of other members, with a view to openly criticising their behaviour on-site.  

    I’ve read vitriolic posts/letters in the mag about children being noisy when playing (quelle surprise!), other members not using facilities to the  arbitrary standard of the complainant, and even a '‘Colonel Blimp’ style diatribe about people having the bare faced affrontery to have flags and external lighting on display!!   How very dare they? We didn’t do that in 1950!   

    Well, my family and I will be visiting 3 CaMC sites this summer in our Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, which will, with the Club’s permission, be plugged in to charge on a nightly basis (when the leccy is cheaper) in order to save, yes, our own fuel costs, but also the environmental impact of running family car, which burns fossil fuel.  A full 16A charge costs around £1.20 - probably less than running an awning heater, extra fridge, microwave, external 240v lighting etc.  Which we don’t.  

    Like it, or not, it’s the future - albeit in its infancy.  Diesels, our solution for many years, are becoming an automotive ‘pariah’, due to their localised pollution issues, so we need to address how we will continue with our chosen way of holidaying.  By the way, I’m no tree-hugger - I own petrol powered classic cars and I LOVE the internal combustion engine: I just realise that it’s time as a mainstream source of transport is slowly, but surely coming to an end!

    I know it’s a bit of a rant, but the point I set out to make was ‘Why can’t we all just get along?’  If caravanning is to continue, and I hope it is, we need to look forwards, not backwards.............

     

  • thesharps
    thesharps Forum Participant Posts: 2
    edited June 2018 #54

    Thank you for your helpful input.  

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited June 2018 #55

    We're still enjoying our EV, haven't taken it to a site yet. Last year there were two EV owners in our small village, now increased to six. We sometimes forget how expensive fuel is now and get a sharp reminder when we take the motorhome away. smile

  • taff11
    taff11 Forum Participant Posts: 12
    edited September 2018 #56

     I run a VW hybrid estate and it costs 75p to charge overnight 10KW.

    I dont use an electric heater and cook on gas plus I pay full membership and pay for use of the clubs electric in my fees,even with charging the car I would find it hard to use £2 of electric per night.

    Exactly the same as leaving a heater on overnight at 1kw.

    plus it can happily tow a 1600kg caravan.

    People need to get with the times and look at alternatives to Diesel.

     

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,142 ✭✭✭
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    edited September 2018 #57

    Thanks for telling us what we need to do. 😐

  • Kennine
    Kennine Forum Participant Posts: 3,472
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    edited September 2018 #58

    Like it or not.  Camping organisations will be obliged to allow the charging of Electric Vehicles in the near future.  As petrol and diesel powered vehicles die out, to keep their businesses trading they will have to embrace modern technology.   The "we've always done it this way and we will not change" people will be shooting themselves in the foot if they refuse to modernise. 

    wink

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,144 ✭✭✭
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    edited September 2018 #59

    I won’t be changing from diesel any time soon.  By the time 2040 comes along I would imagine I’ll be a very distant memorysmilesurprised

  • Wildwood
    Wildwood Club Member Posts: 3,581 ✭✭✭✭
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    edited September 2018 #60

    My nephew has a Tesla and he reckons a charge costs £5.50. If charging becomes more common the price of pitches is bound to rise as the costs will go through the roof.

  • Oscarmax
    Oscarmax Club Member Posts: 257 ✭✭✭
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    edited October 2018 #61

    In mid 2017 we replaced our euro 5 Honda CRV for a new euro 6 Ford Kuga, in mid 2020 we will be changing to a PHEV.

    We use our solar panels and only use electric for the fridge and microwave everything else is of the 12v system, so in theory I use less electric than most.

    Next time you see an old diesel driving around site, just remember it is poisoning your grandchildren, we all have to change.