ev charging – Pulpaddict

Play your cards right with cinchCharge

We test the “faff-free” app and card that makes charging an EV much easier…

The great switch to electric vehicles is not without its issues. The high upfront cost of EVs, range anxiety and finding a public charger, to name but a few.

Then there’s the multitude of different companies providing chargers, each requiring registration, meaning some EV drivers have phones packed with apps or wallets loaded with (RFID) cards.

Anything that can smooth things along helps, which is why car marketplace, cinch, is on to a winner with cinchCharge.

Marketed as “faff-free EV charging”, cinchCharge is a payment card and app which gives cinch EV buyers access to more than 30,000 public chargepoint connectors across over 18 networks.

In one fell swoop, electric car drivers who’ve bought via cinch can pay for charging using the cinchCharge card or app without having to shuffle cards and flick through different apps.

We’ve been testing out cinchCharge for ourselves over the last couple of months and we’re impressed.

The cinchCharge app helps you find and filter accessible public chargers by availability, speed and distance from your location.

What’s more, the cinchCharge app is free to download, there’s no monthly subscription and no fees.

When you stop at the charger, simply tap the cinchCharge card or use the app to start charging. Then you end your charging session and payment is taken from your linked debit or credit card, so you only pay for what you use.

The cinchCharge card worked perfectly on every public charger we used, including Gridserve, Motor Fuel Group, Osprey and Ionity.

Typically, there were also a couple of occasions where we were miffed because we weren’t able to use fast chargers on the Instavolt and BP Pulse networks, because they are not cinchCharge providers, but on the whole, the coverage is impressive.

The app is fine, though perhaps not the slickest out there, but it is integrated with Google Maps, Waze and Apple Maps, meaning you can easily get directions to chargers, once you have located them.

What’s more, the interactive map within cinchCharge shows you whether the chargepoint is available, compatible, the speed it will charge your car, as well as highlighting the price.

Our only suggestion is that would be a great bonus if the kWh prices were discounted a little for cinch owners.

So, overall cinchCharge works and certainly alleviates one of the key “faffs” of owning an electric vehicle (ie registering with various suppliers and needing multiple cards).

It’s just a shame that all EV drivers can’t benefit from cinchCharge and you have to buy a car via cinch in order to be able to access it!

The Italian Job: Kia EV6 GT finishes 1000 Miglia Green in style

The Kia EV6 GT has completed the 1000 Miglia Green 2023, dubbed the “most beautiful race in the world”.

Finishing as the highest-ranking performance electric vehicle entered and sixth overall, the 1000 Miglia is a true test of endurance for both car, driver and navigator, requiring performance, precision and skill in order to score well throughout the race.

The 1000 Miglia Green is a sub-category of the historic Italian event, open only to fully electric cars.

The 2023 event was the longest in the race’s near 100-year history, spanning five days and more than 2,000 kilometres.

Not only was the Kia EV6 GT the first Korean car to ever compete in the 1000 Miglia Green, but the pro rally driver pairing of Jade Paveley and Ross Leach was the only team to represent Great Britain in the race.

In addition, the event marked the first time that an EV6 GT has been entered into a competitive, FIA-approved motor race.

Designed from the outset as a true GT car, the EV6 GT offers blistering performance from its twin electric motor setup that together deliver 577bhp and 740Nm of torque through all four wheels.

That power translates into a 0-62mph time of just 3.5 seconds, and an official top speed of 162mph.

Mated with a powerful 77.4kWh battery, the car is capable of covering 263 miles (WLTP combined) per charge.

Charging is equally rapid, thanks to the car’s E-GMP platform that supports 800V charging, enabling 10-80 per cent charge in as little as 18 minutes at the fastest charge points.

Importantly and despite the considerable distance and demanding nature of the roads and speeds required for the race, each of the timed legs travelled during the event were completed using a single charge of the car.

Charging was completed using public charge points, plus destination charging where possible at hotels at the end of each day.

The 1000 Miglia Green’s blend of rapid road driving under police escort along with precision time-trial and special stages on closed roads were the perfect test for the car’s considerable performance.

“The 1000 Miglia Green is a fantastic challenge that blends fast open road driving with time-trials and special stages,” said Ross Leach, rally driver and navigator

“It’s a great way to put any car through its paces and although incredibly demanding, the EV6 GT never skipped a beat and was a constant pleasure to be in. Particularly where outright speed and handling are concerned, the GT is able to easily hold its own, even against those in the supercar segment.

“We’re delighted to have participated in this year’s event, put the EV6 GT to the test and come home in sixth place overall but as the highest-scoring performance EV.”

Is charging a smartphone faster than an EV?

Home / Auto News / Is charging a smartphone faster than an EV?

Gareth Herincx

3 days ago
Auto News

Electric vehicles take half the time to charge than your iPhone does, according to new research by Peugeot.

In its mission to debunk common misconceptions of EVs, the French car brand investigated the charging time of an average EV (based on the top-selling models in the UK) compared to everyday alternatives you may also wait to charge.

Of course it takes much longer to charge an electric car compared to filling up with fuel at a service station, but the research found that you can still charge up an EV quicker than you can a phone, MacBook or tablet.

For a 20-80% charge, you can rapid charge an electric car with a 150kW charger in just 31 minutes. Looking at the equivalent charge for a phone, it would take over an hour.

Considering the size difference, Peugeot claims it’s pretty impressive how quickly EVs can charge compared to other commonplace electronics.

Peugeot created the average EV profile by using the Department for Transport’s 2020 data on the top 16 selling electric cars in the UK. For the average petrol and diesel vehicle, the DfT’s 2020 Top 10 bestselling selling cars list was used.

Tags EV ev charging macbook mobile phone Peugeot Peugeot e-208 smartphone

Gareth is a versatile journalist, copywriter and digital editor who’s worked across the media in newspapers, magazines, TV, teletext, radio and online. After long stints at the BBC, GMTV and ITV, he now specialises in motoring.

Check Also

Revealed: Top 20 car theft hotspots

Greater London is the car theft capital of the UK by a mile, according to …

Revealed: England’s most popular public EV charging locations

The most popular public electric vehicle charging locations have been revealed by Zap-Map, the UK’s leading EV charging app.

The findings come during one of the busiest periods on the roads as families travel across the country during the summer holidays.

Based on analysis of the more than 1.6 million charging sessions tracked by Zap-Map over the second quarter of 2022, the top five charging locations are:

1. GRIDSERVE Electric Super Hub at Moto Rugby
Moto opened its Rugby site in April last year, complete with a flagship, GRIDSERVE Electric Super Hub just off the M6. It has 12 high-power charging devices, which have both CCS and CHAdeMO connectors. Accepting contactless payments and capable of charging at up to 350 kW, these chargers can add around 100 miles in 10 minutes.

2. GRIDSERVE Electric Super Hub at Moto Exeter
This Electric Super Hub at Moto’s Exeter site has some 17 charging devices, with something for everyone. Indeed, the hub boasts two fast Type 2 AC chargers, three medium-power, and twelve 350 kW-capable devices with CCS and CHAdeMO connectors. Opened on March 31st, on a popular holiday route, GRIDSERVE’s Exeter Super Hub is off to a flying start in its first three months of operation with a 240% increase in EV traffic on site.

3. MFG EV Power – Newington
MFG EV Power, the ultra-rapid charging network belonging to Motor Fuel Group, also makes it into the UK’s most popular charging locations with its ultra-rapid charging hub at Newington in south London. Sporting seven charging devices, the hub is conveniently located next to the A201, between Elephant & Castle and Bermondsey.

4. bp pulse – bp Hammersmith
bp pulse’s Hammersmith charging hub is just off the A4, between Hammersmith and Barons Court tube stations. With one rapid charging device and four ultra-rapid devices, the hub may well be the smallest of the top five, but its location next to the Hammersmith Flyover sees it put to extremely good use.

5. GRIDSERVE Braintree Electric Forecourt
GRIDSERVE’s first Electric Forecourt at Braintree in Essex opened in late 2020 – and boasts a whopping 30 charging devices. While these are predominantly ultra-rapid devices for EV drivers topping up on longer journeys, the hub sees some fast and rapid devices thrown in too for good measure. Located just off the A131, adjacent to Great Notley, the chargers are powered by a canopy of solar panels, as well as GRIDSERVE’s network of solar farms. There’s also a 6 MWh battery on site that allows solar energy to be stored.

“With over 500,000 pure-electric cars on UK roads, and the number of EV drivers joining their ranks showing no signs of slowing, high-power charging hubs are becoming increasingly popular, as these five most popular charging locations show us,” said Melanie Shufflebotham, Zap-Map Co-founder & COO.

“It’s great to see so many people joining the EV community and using these ultra-rapid hubs, not only because they enable longer electric journeys, but ultimately because every EV driver on the road is helping to reduce our carbon emissions.

“It is popular locations such as these that help to provide peace of mind for EV drivers undertaking longer journeys, who know they can easily find a convenient location for a quick boost.”

Toddington Harper, GRIDSERVE CEO, added: “It’s great to see three of our GRIDSERVE Electric Highway locations in the top five most used sites across England.

“We are committed to building an awesome UK-wide charging network, enabling anyone, anywhere, in any type of EV to take on any journey and have a great customer experience.

“GRIDSERVE Electric Super Hubs and Electric Forecourts® help provide EV drivers the confidence they need to undertake any journey, irrespective of what electric vehicle they drive, and charge quickly, reliably, and affordably.

“We’ve launched seven Electric Super Hubs so far this year, including Exeter, through our partnership with Moto plus our Electric Forecourt in Norwich and we will continue to deliver many more locations on the GRIDSERVE Electric Highway throughout this year and ongoing.

“This is the sort of action that is necessary to move the needle on climate change, and it’s great to see how the passion and the pace of development within GRIDSERVE is delivering such a positive impact.”

Ken McMeikan, CEO at Moto Hospitality said: “I am delighted to see our Moto sites at Rugby and Exeter occupying the top two spots, it’s a real vote of confidence from motorists in both our charging offer and our fantastic facilities.

“As the largest UK Motorway Services Operator, we are continuing our mission to transform the UK’s rest stop experience. Reducing range anxiety by revolutionising the EV charging experience for motorists on motorways is at the heart of our plans.”

As of the end of July 2022, there were more than 20,300 charging locations across the UK with almost 33,300 charging devices, according to Zap-Map data.

This represents a 35% increase in the total number of charging devices since July 2021, while there has been a 70% increase in the number of ultra-rapid devices across the country in the same time period.

The Zap-Map app helps EV drivers search for available charge points, plan longer journeys and pay for charging on participating networks. It now has more than 430,000 registered users.

10 alternative EV charging locations off the motorway

It’s the Great British Holiday season and millions of us will be taking to the roads for staycations and days out.

Motorway service stations are an obvious choice for drivers of electric vehicles looking for places to recharge on their journey, but car maker Lexus has researched some interesting alternative locations.

The EV charging locations suggested by Lexus are all a few miles from a motorway junction and offer more than a place to plug-in your car – providing a view, an activity, or a cafe, for a stop that is an enjoyable experience, rather than a necessary chore.

A30

Strawberry Fields Farm Shop, Lifton, near Launceston, four minutes from the A30 exit signposted Tavistock/B3362/A384

Anyone who has driven to Cornwall is likely to have encountered the A30, running through the heart of Devon and Cornwall, all the way to Land’s End.

Strawberry Fields is a family-run, award-winning Devon farm shop and restaurant, which includes a butchery selling home-produced meat, an artisan bakery, a jam room, and a well-stocked deli. During the summer months the popular ‘Pick Your Own’ strawberry fields are open.

This popular stop-off has two electric charge points.

Stockwood Discovery Centre near Luton, one mile from junction 10

Stockwood Discovery Centre features lots of open space for children to let off steam and a range of themed landscapes including an Elizabethan knot garden, a Dig for Victory planting, 17^th century Italian and Dutch gardens, and a Victorian garden. There is also a lovely café, serving sandwiches, cakes and hot drinks, a play area and a shop selling a range of gifts and artisan food products. If you have enough time, go and see the largest carriage collection in Europe, which is also housed here.

The centre is free to enter and is open from 11am to 5pm, Wednesday to Sunday during the summer and 11am to 4pm during the winter.

There are two EV chargers with four connectors in the car park.

Clifton Park Museum, Rotherham, Yorkshire: four miles from junction 33 or 34

For adults, Clifton Park has beautifully landscaped gardens surrounding a grade II listed Georgian house containing a museum, which will provide an interesting diversion while the car is charging. For those travelling with younger children, you might want to make a day of it, to take full advantage of the fun park, with its crazy golf, miniature funfair, water rides, bumper cars, and arcade games.

Clifton Park Museum is open every day except Monday (check the website for opening times).

There are two 22kW EV chargers with three connectors in the car park.

M11
Wimpole Estate, near Cambridge, eight miles from junction 12

This National Trust-owned estate is an all-year-round place to visit, reflecting the changing seasons, with something to captivate and inspire all visitors, including parkland and the Old Rectory Restaurant, as well as Wimpole Hall house itself. Parking is included within cost of entry to the Estate.

There are six devices with 12 connectors available.

M25
RHS Garden Wisley, Surrey, three miles from junction 10

This is one of the UK’s most visited and best-loved gardens. Wisley was given to the RHS in 1903 and is now a hub of horticultural excellence with some of the largest plant collections in the world. However, if you don’t have much time, you can enter the Wisley garden centre for free, to browse the collection of indoor and outdoor plants, gardening tools, gifts and homewares, or visit the Coffee Shop at the entrance.

There are eight standard 7.2 KWH 32 Amp sockets available for re-charging

Cotton Lake and Wharf pub, one mile from junction 1

Cotton Lake is a small fishing lake which you can wander around, have a picnic, or visit the Wharf pub which has a carvery and bar where customers can enjoy views over the lake. There are two pay-as-you-go rapid charging points, suitable for all electric cars.

M3
National Motor Museum, Beaulieu nine miles from junction 3

The Beaulieu Motoring Museum houses a world-famous collection featuring 285 vehicles. You can see the cars that broke the land speed record, be star struck by Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and re-live some favourite TV moments in the World of Top Gear. There’s also a new adventure play area, Little Beaulieu.

There’s an electric charge point that has 3 devices and 6 connectors.

M4
Tredegar House, National Trust, two miles from Junction 28

Tredegar House is one of the architectural wonders of Wales and one of the most significant late 17^th century houses in the British Isles. Situated in 90 acres of beautiful gardens and parkland, this delightful red brick house provides an ideal setting for a stroll. It has a play area (with ice cream kiosk in peak months) and a cafe.

Tredegar offers a ‘pay and display’ car park with a 7.2KW EV charging point with connection mode three.

M40
British Motor Museum Warwick: 1.3 miles from exit 12

The British Motor Museum is home to the world’s largest collection of historic British cars, with more than 400 on display. It offers free tours and interactive family activities.

There are four charging points at the conference entrance, located at the back of the museum building, and six charging points to the rear of the museum’s visitor car park. Two of these have a 22kW charging socket, the others have 7kW charging sockets. You can charge your electric vehicle using the Shell Recharge app, or ad hoc using a QR code.

Bicester Village, three miles from junction 9

Bicester Village is home to more than 160 outlet boutiques from leading British and international fashion and lifestyle brands, all offering year-round savings on recommended retail prices. You can also dine at various restaurants on outdoor terraces, with menus offering a wide variety of choices from salmon poke bowls, to cream teas, and sushi.

There is free parking at Bicester village and there are seven charging devices with 14 connectors, providing a top-up service only.

M5
Clevedon Seafront & Pier – 1.9 miles (6 minutes) from junction 20

The seaside town of Clevedon is a quick hop from the M5. It’s low craggy coastline includes many fine shingle beaches and a lovely west facing cliff-top promenade – ideal for a stroll to stretch your legs, or to sit and relax and take in the sea air and spectacular views across to the Welsh coast.

There is parking at Clevedon Hall, which has four charging devices and four connectors available. It’s just a 10-minute walk from the Victorian pier.

M56
Quarry Bank | National Trust, National Trust: 1.5 miles from junction 7

Quarry Bank Mill and Styal Estate is one of Britain’s greatest industrial heritage sites, home to a complete industrial community. Depending on how much time you can spare, you can explore the domestic life of the mill-owning Greg family in their home, Quarry Bank House, or walk to Styal village to see how the mill workers lived, or grab some food at the restaurant, café or mill shop.

Entry to this attraction is free to National Trust members; charges apply to non-members. The car park is open from 8am to 8pm, and parking is included with entry to Quarry Bank.

There are two devices with three connectors for EV charging.

M6
Rheged Centre two miles from junction 40

If you’re travelling to the west of Scotland, consider charging at the Rheged Centre, which is an ideal meeting place at the gateway to the Lake District, offering a gallery, café, shopping, and a cinema. Outside there is a large play structure designed to resemble a Roman fort with tunnels, slides, and ramparts to explore.

There are two charging devices with five connectors available in the car park, which is open daily from 8am to 8.30pm.

Helpful EV apps

Drivers who own a Lexus EV or PHEV can use the Lexus Link app on their phones. It has a map function that shows every charger covered and you can zoom in on locations to find charging stations nearby, or along the route, or can type them into the search box: Lexus charging network

The app can also be used to check the status of progress of battery re-charging, and to pre-set the cabin temperature, or to defrost the windscreen in winter. It also has some handy contact details, such as roadside assistance.