Gonville
Well-known member
Started at 7:30 this morning with a full charge courtesy of a Best Western and Zero Carbon World. Lesson learned that the breaker switch above the type 2 connector is switched down for on up for off. Ha ha. Wonder if they are all like that.
After weeks of planning and a family get together on the Saturday night we punted off early.
07:30 Planning 2 rapid stops and one slow charge to be there by tea time. Good plan.
First stop on the M5 north bound after seeing a lovely sunrise coming over the bridge from Wales. Able to try the traffic jam assist for the first time as vehicles stacked for Bristol before heading north. Across the bridge into the sun the ACC kept dropping out but finally re-engaged after I pressed the set button instead of resume. Odd.
8:40 Gloucester services. 35% remaining. Rapid easy to find and engaged first time. Great. These really are a fantastic model for services. Layout is great. Charging is away from the door area less likely to be iced. So coffee. 09:09 enough charge to reach next rapid at IKEA Wednesbury. Reconoitered 8 weeks ago. On setting off it pings to let us know we have left a door open so we stop in the petrol station to close rear door hard. This seems to happy most times we've used the rear doors. Needs a heavy clunk. Next it tells us we can't make it. Mmmmmm. Switch to Eco pro and it's ok by a few miles. Press on.
Play with the heating. Have heat pump so that's a bonus. Occasional use of seat warmers before finally switching to Eco pro plus just to be sure. Slow traffic joining M6 means less power. Have been keeping max at 65mph to extend range. Fast enough not to tangle with lorries and not annoy others too much by being a blocker to faster traffic. Seems like a good compromise speed. Reach IKEA.
11:14. It was all going too well. CCS is bust. "check if the intake and exhaust port of the charger is not clogged". Great. Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV is parked in one of the spots but not coupled up. Strong smell of melting electrics. Anyway after discussion with Ecotricity who are not aware of any faults...hahah. Eventually get the AC working by repositioning and lifting the nozzle to flex the charge plate in the i3. Standard procedure now and I think the fault lies in the i3. So if you ever get red flashing and "voltage too low" message just try lifting the cable as the synchronisation starts. Once it's blue you can let go. There is still ice on the ground and the filters on the inlet are all soggy with frozen water being at ground level? Who designed this? There is a concrete plinth but I bet when it snows it drifts up against the filters. Ecotricity say no errors.
At this point we are going to miss the school pickup and serious questions are asked about dropping other half at station......not good. Still it is a one off commute.
So more coffee break and not going to make it to Sheffield for tea. Shop in IKEA instead.
14:12 Leave noticing that a LEAF has plugged in sorry for blocking you if you read this. The LEAF starts its DC charge as soon as I unplug? How come that DC works? Maybe my AC charge has warned it up and melted all the ice in the filters? Take a picture of the split menekes connector which has obviously been dropped.
15:15 Donnington with no excitement except the slip back onto the M6 southbound was shut. Anyway make Donnington all on comfort mode no drama. At this point we decide to have a delayed lunch as we know we are in for a trickle charge. After the same flashing red lifting tilting trick we have a charge. Third of the day.
17:00 leave for Sheffield. M1 busy and save some range in the road works at 50 and coasting on the down hill sections. Chesterfield is a draw back. Enter with 9 miles spare and mega jam at the syntners roundabout means juice is eaten up. 3 miles spare as we race up the hill to Sheffield. More jams in Sheffield as we are at rush hour peak time. Anyway make it. At the end there is no difference in Eco pro or comfort mode.
18:16 Sheffield 7% 2 miles remaining. What a trip.
Tomorrow find a charger within 2 miles ;-)
I hope that gives people knowledge and confidence in what can be achieved. 195 miles and no money paid out to petro chemical retailers.
After weeks of planning and a family get together on the Saturday night we punted off early.
07:30 Planning 2 rapid stops and one slow charge to be there by tea time. Good plan.
First stop on the M5 north bound after seeing a lovely sunrise coming over the bridge from Wales. Able to try the traffic jam assist for the first time as vehicles stacked for Bristol before heading north. Across the bridge into the sun the ACC kept dropping out but finally re-engaged after I pressed the set button instead of resume. Odd.
8:40 Gloucester services. 35% remaining. Rapid easy to find and engaged first time. Great. These really are a fantastic model for services. Layout is great. Charging is away from the door area less likely to be iced. So coffee. 09:09 enough charge to reach next rapid at IKEA Wednesbury. Reconoitered 8 weeks ago. On setting off it pings to let us know we have left a door open so we stop in the petrol station to close rear door hard. This seems to happy most times we've used the rear doors. Needs a heavy clunk. Next it tells us we can't make it. Mmmmmm. Switch to Eco pro and it's ok by a few miles. Press on.
Play with the heating. Have heat pump so that's a bonus. Occasional use of seat warmers before finally switching to Eco pro plus just to be sure. Slow traffic joining M6 means less power. Have been keeping max at 65mph to extend range. Fast enough not to tangle with lorries and not annoy others too much by being a blocker to faster traffic. Seems like a good compromise speed. Reach IKEA.
11:14. It was all going too well. CCS is bust. "check if the intake and exhaust port of the charger is not clogged". Great. Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV is parked in one of the spots but not coupled up. Strong smell of melting electrics. Anyway after discussion with Ecotricity who are not aware of any faults...hahah. Eventually get the AC working by repositioning and lifting the nozzle to flex the charge plate in the i3. Standard procedure now and I think the fault lies in the i3. So if you ever get red flashing and "voltage too low" message just try lifting the cable as the synchronisation starts. Once it's blue you can let go. There is still ice on the ground and the filters on the inlet are all soggy with frozen water being at ground level? Who designed this? There is a concrete plinth but I bet when it snows it drifts up against the filters. Ecotricity say no errors.
At this point we are going to miss the school pickup and serious questions are asked about dropping other half at station......not good. Still it is a one off commute.
So more coffee break and not going to make it to Sheffield for tea. Shop in IKEA instead.
14:12 Leave noticing that a LEAF has plugged in sorry for blocking you if you read this. The LEAF starts its DC charge as soon as I unplug? How come that DC works? Maybe my AC charge has warned it up and melted all the ice in the filters? Take a picture of the split menekes connector which has obviously been dropped.
15:15 Donnington with no excitement except the slip back onto the M6 southbound was shut. Anyway make Donnington all on comfort mode no drama. At this point we decide to have a delayed lunch as we know we are in for a trickle charge. After the same flashing red lifting tilting trick we have a charge. Third of the day.
17:00 leave for Sheffield. M1 busy and save some range in the road works at 50 and coasting on the down hill sections. Chesterfield is a draw back. Enter with 9 miles spare and mega jam at the syntners roundabout means juice is eaten up. 3 miles spare as we race up the hill to Sheffield. More jams in Sheffield as we are at rush hour peak time. Anyway make it. At the end there is no difference in Eco pro or comfort mode.
18:16 Sheffield 7% 2 miles remaining. What a trip.
Tomorrow find a charger within 2 miles ;-)
I hope that gives people knowledge and confidence in what can be achieved. 195 miles and no money paid out to petro chemical retailers.
