New charges for electric car charging
Comments
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Think that the original post is a good idea, why should the Club and Members subsidise a certain type of vehicle ? or even encourage one type of propulsion over another......not on the clubs remit surely ? Make the fast chargers (if they are ever installed) metered payable by card. And unfortunately agree now with general electric supply metering on pitches.Has to come or EV owners will 'milk the system' dry.
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IMHO I think the new charging system is just to "test the water" as site staff already have misgivings as to how it will be "policed/monitord " when EHU was an additional charge if wanted it was (I am reliably informed)and it was before the WTD, site staff would often do a late walk about their sites with a list of those not on EHU and very often noted the members outfit plugged in
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As in Demerera?
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...and that electricity usage should be apportiond fairly?
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Perhaps one for Brue as she has an EV. Surely any purpose built charging point wouldn't need to be supervised or need input by site staff? Would it not have a built in method of payment either by credit card or prepaid card or perhaps even a phone app?
David
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Would a purpose built charging point be of any real use to a motor caravan user unless it was on the pitch that they selected to camp upon? Even if super fast charging became possible, would people be willing to park in one spot for the required charge time and then move off to a "regular" pitch so that others who were meanwhile on a "regular" pitch could move to charge? And how is it determined who is "next"?
So I have an out-of-box idea. Site bollards would have an additional socket (perhaps not of the traditional blue plug type) that was controlled by a locking switch. A number of fast charger units would be available for hire on site that plugged into this socket, and anyone wishing to charge an electric vehicle would get a charger unit from the warden. Payment would include a certain amount of electricity and a maximum time of usage. Perhaps lower rates for through the day even.
These chargers could be used on virtually any pitch on the site, and as any given bollard usually covers a number of pitches then one charge outlet would service multiple pitches. As technology improves then more efficient chargers could be easily introduced simply by bringing to site and plugging in. As there are at present different charging connections from different manufacturers the chargers could be kept simple by having different chargers for different connections instead of one charger having to fit everything.
On sites that are wired with a three phase supply looped through each bollard there could even be a three phase supply to the chargers. The really clever bit would be if electronic control was included so that the consumption of the whole site was monitored and when close to capacity the vehicle chargers were shed from the load.
All we need is a manufacturer to build the units.
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I’m wondering how we as a species ever evolved when something as simple as charging a battery is debated & argued to the minutiae. The World is changing it may upset some folk but it’s for the best. Jump aboard or fight it as a Luddite, it will still arrive. Welcome to the 21st century🤷🏻♂️
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i have been on a couple of commercial sites where this is exactly what is happening already,
I was reading an article quite recently where, i think Bristol for taxis, they are trialing a method that has a wifi plate in the ground, taxi has a similar wifi plate underneath that has some form of unquie identifier, cab drives over plate, identifier recognised, batteries charged.
I can see why some companies are holding back on installing technology that could become obsolete in a very short time frame, and for sure the club would not want to invest in kitting out every pitch on every site with expensive infrastructure that could be obsolete before it is paid for. I think in the interim, charging points as DK suggests could be installed somewhere convenient for all on site, recently been to commercial site where 4 where situated adjacent to the facilities block, i think the club have done some trials with this, Brighton ?.
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its nothing to do with club members, it is the human race, if we can get something for free we will have it, so if that involves getting out of bed at 0200 hrs plugging in the EV, and then removing it some time later, somebody will do it, whether over here or over there, and those in charge will be none the wiser.
Been on a couple of sites in the UK where you buy a card from reception to charge your meter, £5 or £10, would seem a relatively simple scheme, and trouble free, but apparently somebody had cloned the cards.
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Would a purpose built charging point be of any real use to a motor caravan user unless it was on the pitch that they selected to camp upon?
Are there any motor caravans on site that are EV? Pointless providing an unrequired service.
Even if super fast charging became possible, would people be willing to park in one spot for the required charge time and then move off to a "regular" pitch so that others who were meanwhile on a "regular" pitch could move to charge? And how is it determined who is "next"?
Determining who is next would be fairly easy. Either booked through the office or online. As for people not moving a penalty charge after a set time would solve that one. At present I doubt that there would be much take up.
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Are there any motor caravans on site that are EV?
As this is outside-the-box thinking it is considering what could be a plan for the future, Easy. We all know well enough the speed of progress within The Caravan Club.
It is going to come eventually - I'm just hoping that they get battery cars and vans sorted before I need to use one.
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"As for people not moving a penalty charge after a set time would solve that one."
That's unenforceable, Easy.
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Convenient as it would be to provide the "out -of-box" facility of fast charging to every bollard would be for those requiring a fast charge, IMO the infrastructure cost would be horrendous.
Not only that, how equitably would the club deal if two, three or four wanted to use the same bollard?
I suspect cost restrains will lead to the likes of the visitors late arrivals parking area, but with banks of commercially provided charging points?
The Club's chosen provider paying the capital cost to set it up in return for x years lease. Then the camper paying their fee.
Sadly, the EV users would have to walk or cycle to and from their pitch to their EV, or forgo fast charging on site. Much in the same way that today we go to the ablution block if needs must.
We will see.
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Hi everyone, We are in the process of communicating our plans with regards to charging for electric and hybrid vehicles wishing to charge their vehicles at Club Sites. As soon as I have more information I will let you know on Club Together.
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On the Norfolk Broads some mooring areas have EHUs that accept a prepaid card, but as the latest add charging for some vehicles comes into effect from the 1st march on club sites, there has been some "interesting"conversations on here today, and one of the ideas was for prepaid cards as on the Broads ,which one member did say that "full cloned cards" that stay full, have been on sale in some quarters for a while ,honest boat owners/ users also then?
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. . . but The Club now-a-days has to admit non-members.
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Quite, but obtaining a penalty payment itself, which is what you advocated, is unenforceable.
All the club needs to do is issue formal warnings. Two strikes and you’re out, for example.
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