TfL opens an EV charge hub in Woolwich

[dan_b]

This looks interesting - an EV rapid charge hub in Woolwich funded by TfL.
It has bays with 8x ESB chargers, nothing in the article about their power capabilities so can only assume they're 50kW units?

https://tfl-newsroom.prgloo.com/news/tf ... n-woolwich

[Mr Gus]

There is a "guy" bemoaning this as a wasted design space online already (came up in my feed).
Site "Murky Depths"

https://www.fromthemurkydepths.co.uk/20 ... using-too/

[Mr Gus]

TFL marketing? ..ha

The problem with foisting EV on people is it appears that a lot of it is done by people with bugger all interest in the product, (or too lazy to GAD) & get the best out of the money stumped up & the work done.

No mention of the solar array potential (or if it has battery storage)
No mention of the charger types it offers (& maybe a list of EV's for the confused new owner)
No mention of overstay fee's.
No mention of rates for charging.
No mention of which RFID's & phone apps work with it.
No mention of why site was chosen, nearby amenities coffee / loo's
No mention of much value re security, lighting, cameras.. to reassure users sitting in a car at night.
No mention of hours of operation (presumably 24 hours)

FAAAK

[dan_b]

Here's a bit of reporting on it with some details at least

https://fleetworld.co.uk/new-rapid-char ... -woolwich/

So 8x 50KW ESB Chargers which have both CCS and ChaDeMo connectors.
Site chosen because of proximity to boundary of the forthcoming expansion of the ULEZ.
Part of a plan to have TfL funded charging hubs in all of the major regions of London

[dan_b]

Info from the construction company - doesn't say the size of the solar canopy but does mention UK Power Networks had to install a new sub-station converter

https://www.volkerhighways.co.uk/en/new ... for-london

[dan_b]

Construction time-lapse video


Looks like 48 panels on the canopy.

[Mr Gus]

Nice finds & sleuthing the piecemeal info dan.

Still raises the question as to why TFL are too incompetent to utilise detail that is out there?

DO they have a "czar for the electric car" yet?
I fired off an email to TFL press office calling their release effort incompetent.
Does anyone have a contact for sadiq khan's office I'd like to send it across his p.a's desk & ask for better now (a correction) & for the future, they need to look at Dundee for their copy & paste material.

[greentangerine]

Pity they are only 50kW but better than nothing.

The new ones in Stretford, Manchester are 150kW; the bigger chargers are usefully quicker when on a journey as my car will take 80kW - many of the 50kW units don't produce their rated output in my experience.

[nowty]

Looks like the site has 52 Solar PV panels, probably 2m long ones, so say 400w each, so my finger in the air estimate is around a 20kW array. That location and almost flat array will generate circa 15MWh a year, they might generate a bit more if they are bi-facial panels.

So only 50% more than Nowty Towers.

I suspect practically all generated power will be used onsite as won't be enough PV to run a single charger in midsummer.

PS - Once the Ripple wind turbine is operational, total Nowty Towers generation will probably exceed that site.

[dan_b]

Found the site on the ESB Charge Map (not on Zap-Map yet though, tut tut!)

https://www.esbenergy.co.uk/ev/charge-p ... ich,1585si

They're actually triple-headers, so has a 43kW AC connector too for the Renault Zoes of this world.
Looks like the tariff is 30p/kWh for contactless, which is actually pretty reasonable I reckon.