Current Affairs

[david63]

we were in the other one. Is it any sort of offence to park in an ' electric charge zone ' type parking spot

It is called ICEing (Internal Combustion Engine) and yes in some places it is an offence and can lead to a parking fine - not only that you will incur the wrath of EV motorists who may be in desperate need to recharge thier car. It's one thing to run out of petrol as you can get a can from the nearest petrol station, but it is another thing altogether if an EV runs out of battery charge.

Motorists who park in EV spaces when they don't have an EV are selfish - according to a friend!

[Stephen]

Went to a well known Dorset country store today, they had a couple of parking spaces allocated to electric charging points. One was blocked by a long van and we were in the other one. Is it any sort of offence to park in an ' electric charge zone ' type parking spot ... asking for a friend

It should be.

I'd have let your tyres down.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Another issue. The EU are passing legislation to make all phones/tablets etc use the same type of charging plug so chargers are interchangeable and don't have to be replaced if you get a new phone. The UK has so far indicated it won't follow suit.

In principle I think it's a good idea. (As an aside I think electric cars should follow the same course so any car can be charged at any charging point).

However, if this is only an EU directive are firms like Apple going to change their whole production to conform, will they go to the complication of producing separate models for the EU and the rest of the world, or will they say get stuffed?

And if they do produce a model that conforms, surely it is irrelevant whether the UK passes legislation or not. If there is a model that suits the EU surely that is the one they'll sell here?

Or actually is this just the EU meddling and chucking their weight around again?

[barney]

193 countries in the world.
27 in the EU.
The worlds largest economies are not EU so I don’t expect Apple are overly concerned.

Far more importantly, had the U.K. not left when it did, the future would have been very different.
Today, they were discussing a proposal to do away with a veto, with all decisions being approved on majority voting.
A total change to the existing treaties.
It’s what many suspected the future held while the EU zealots said it would never happen.

[Ranchi]

When I first read this earlier today, I immediately thought of Betamax & VHS. The creep of USB-c connectors has been growing apace recently and I thought how pointless of UK to resist or even to make a stand. If I’m correct in my thinking, Betamax was a far superior product but lost out to VHS due to market forces.
Later though, I realised that Apple are increasingly moving towards plugless charging (don’t ask me- I just use the kids’ hand me ups) so maybe Apple are not that worried. Also they seem to run a nice little earner already in adapters.

[towny44]

Went to a well known Dorset country store today, they had a couple of parking spaces allocated to electric charging points. One was blocked by a long van and we were in the other one. Is it any sort of offence to park in an ' electric charge zone ' type parking spot ... asking for a friend

Probably.

[david63]

As an aside I think electric cars should follow the same course so any car can be charged at any charging point

With very few exceptions that is the case. There are some first generation cars that can only use the older type of charger, but there is a convertor to enable them to use the "standard" charger. The only other exception are som Tesla cars that can only use the dedicated Teslar chargers but all current Teslas use the standard charger and dedicated Tesla charging points will also have a standard charging point.

[Kendhni]

Another issue. The EU are passing legislation to make all phones/tablets etc use the same type of charging plug so chargers are interchangeable and don't have to be replaced if you get a new phone. The UK has so far indicated it won't follow suit.

In principle I think it's a good idea. (As an aside I think electric cars should follow the same course so any car can be charged at any charging point).

It is a very good idea and it is good to see it being pushed. All the the other manufacturers adopted USB many years ago but Apple hung on to its own proprietary format, there is no technical reason for it, it is purely a marketing decision to help sell more over priced cables and chargers. The current USB C standard will do anything they need and with the next generation of USB due out soon a lot more will be possible.

Innovation for electric cars will probably not come from standardisation of charging points but more likely standardisation of the battery packs that, instead of charging, the norm will be to replace them. Fully automated stations are already being trialled around the world ... I was reading about one the other day ... you park your car outside, the car drives itself in (assuming autonomous drive capability, otherwise you drive it in) and fully automated equipment removes the old battery pack and screws a new one in ... all in about 5 minutes.

Or actually is this just the EU meddling and chucking their weight around again?

Interestingly, the original directive was written and agreed when the UK was a member of the EU ... the UK voted for it.

[Kendhni]

we were in the other one. Is it any sort of offence to park in an ' electric charge zone ' type parking spot

It is called ICEing (Internal Combustion Engine) and yes in some places it is an offence and can lead to a parking fine - not only that you will incur the wrath of EV motorists who may be in desperate need to recharge thier car. It's one thing to run out of petrol as you can get a can from the nearest petrol station, but it is another thing altogether if an EV runs out of battery charge.

Motorists who park in EV spaces when they don't have an EV are selfish - according to a friend!

I did see a Tesla parked across a couple of ICE cars taking up charging spots at our local supermarket ... it looked like a couple of drivers felt the rules did not apply to them .. guess which country both cars originated from. I would have loved to have had the time to wait about to see what happened

[Mervyn and Trish]

As an aside I think electric cars should follow the same course so any car can be charged at any charging point

With very few exceptions that is the case. There are some first generation cars that can only use the older type of charger, but there is a convertor to enable them to use the "standard" charger. The only other exception are som Tesla cars that can only use the dedicated Teslar chargers but all current Teslas use the standard charger and dedicated Tesla charging points will also have a standard charging point.

My understanding was that beyond technical limitations some chargers required users to be signed up to an app to use. I'd like to see chargers as generic as fuel pumps with pay by credit card, no app needed, universal operation. I also understood only Teslas could use Tesla charging points. Is that not correct? I've never seen anything other than a Tesla using one.

[towny44]

As an aside I think electric cars should follow the same course so any car can be charged at any charging point

With very few exceptions that is the case. There are some first generation cars that can only use the older type of charger, but there is a convertor to enable them to use the "standard" charger. The only other exception are som Tesla cars that can only use the dedicated Teslar chargers but all current Teslas use the standard charger and dedicated Tesla charging points will also have a standard charging point.

But are all the charging points available to everyone, or do you need different access cards to use all machines.

It seems I was late again and this has already been mentioned.

[towny44]

Another issue. The EU are passing legislation to make all phones/tablets etc use the same type of charging plug so chargers are interchangeable and don't have to be replaced if you get a new phone. The UK has so far indicated it won't follow suit.

In principle I think it's a good idea. (As an aside I think electric cars should follow the same course so any car can be charged at any charging point).

It is a very good idea and it is good to see it being pushed. All the the other manufacturers adopted USB many years ago but Apple hung on to its own proprietary format, there is no technical reason for it, it is purely a marketing decision to help sell more over priced cables and chargers. The current USB C standard will do anything they need and with the next generation of USB due out soon a lot more will be possible.

Innovation for electric cars will probably not come from standardisation of charging points but more likely standardisation of the battery packs that, instead of charging, the norm will be to replace them. Fully automated stations are already being trialled around the world ... I was reading about one the other day ... you park your car outside, the car drives itself in (assuming autonomous drive capability, otherwise you drive it in) and fully automated equipment removes the old battery pack and screws a new one in ... all in about 5 minutes.

Or actually is this just the EU meddling and chucking their weight around again?

Interestingly, the original directive was written and agreed when the UK was a member of the EU ... the UK voted for it.

With the size and weight of current electric car batteries, unless there is a major advancement to reduce the battery size, it seems unlikely that will ever become a practical "filling station" approach. But hydrogen or methane charging would seem a possible fiiling station option.

[david63]

My understanding was that beyond technical limitations some chargers required users to be signed up to an app to use.

That is true for some, mostly fisrt generation, charging points - although yoy do ned the app to get free charging at Tesco.

I'd like to see chargers as generic as fuel pumps with pay by credit card, no app needed, universal operation

Virtually all of the latest charging points will allow payment by credit/debit card - although it is at a higher rate than if you use their app.

I also understood only Teslas could use Tesla charging points. Is that not correct? I've never seen anything other than a Tesla using one.

A lot of Tesla charging points also have a type 2 connector but Tesla I believe are now moving over to type 2

it seems unlikely that will ever become a practical "filling station" approach.

This is already in operation in one of the Scandanvian countries (cannot remember which one)

[Kendhni]

it seems unlikely that will ever become a practical "filling station" approach.

This is already in operation in one of the Scandanvian countries (cannot remember which one)

Norway.
There are about 1400 stations worldwide so far (a drop in the ocean) but the plans are to grow rapidly.

[Stephen]

You need to have your brain in gear first as well as your car, as this lady clearly hasn’t.

https://www.facebook.com/10000058592355 ... 545148951/

[towny44]

it seems unlikely that will ever become a practical "filling station" approach.

This is already in operation in one of the Scandanvian countries (cannot remember which one)

Norway.
There are about 1400 stations worldwide so far (a drop in the ocean) but the plans are to grow rapidly.

But are all cars manufactured to give easy access to swap batteries, and are all batteries identical with universal plug in types?

[david63]

This will probably be the biggest step forward with charging EVs in the future - https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/60905195

[Kendhni]

This will probably be the biggest step forward with charging EVs in the future - https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/60905195

Does that mean that a battery can exist in a state of being both charged and uncharged at the same time?

[david63]

Does that mean that a battery can exist in a state of being both charged and uncharged at the same time?

Yes - it's called partly charged

[Manoverboard]

Motorists who park in EV spaces when they don't have an EV are selfish - according to a friend!

As it happens there weren't any alternate spaces available and we were in the store for less than ten minutes, should I assume that e-car drivers are so selfish and self important that they cannot wait that long.

ps ... I may have to tell my friend that she was being selfish to park in an empty unused spot rather than blocking somebody in.

[david63]

we were in the store for less than ten minutes

Did you leave a note on your car to that effect? If not then how would anyone know?

Simple question. If the only space available was a mother & baby space would you have parked there?

[Manoverboard]

we were in the store for less than ten minutes

Did you leave a note on your car to that effect? If not then how would anyone know?

Simple question. If the only space available was a mother & baby space would you have parked there?

When we drove into the space the ' machine ' outwardly looked just like a ' Do not park overnight in this Car Park ' type sign, didn't actually twig what it was till we returned to the car. T'was the first one either of us had ever seen Mother and Baby spaces are of course well marked and clear to see.

Time to invent Blue 'n' Yellow indicator boards and /or an ' e ' painted in the middle of the allocated charging spots.

[david63]

Time to invent Blue 'n' Yellow indicator boards and /or an ' e ' painted in the middle of the allocated charging spots.

Many of them are painted green.

One of the big issues with EV charging is in educating other motorists

[Stephen]

we were in the store for less than ten minutes

Did you leave a note on your car to that effect? If not then how would anyone know?

Simple question. If the only space available was a mother & baby space would you have parked there?

When we drove into the space the ' machine ' outwardly looked just like a ' Do not park overnight in this Car Park ' type sign, didn't actually twig what it was till we returned to the car. T'was the first one either of us had ever seen Mother and Baby spaces are of course well marked and clear to see.

Time to invent Blue 'n' Yellow indicator boards and /or an ' e ' painted in the middle of the allocated charging spots.

Spec Savers are currently open

[Manoverboard]

Time to invent Blue 'n' Yellow indicator boards and /or an ' e ' painted in the middle of the allocated charging spots.

Many of them are painted green.

One of the big issues with EV charging is in educating other motorists

I'll drink to that