EV charging attendants help out at GRIDSERVE Electric Super Hubs

During the busiest periods on our network, we're deploying our friendly EV charging attendants - otherwise known as ‘bay marshals’ if your name is Troy Hawke - at key Electric Super Hubs. This friendly first line of defence are here to help provide drivers with the quickest and most positive charging experience, so you can get back on the road as soon as possible.
Read the full story here: www.gridserve....

[@marvinsamuels1237]

Having a person on site to support users makes so much sense for something that is still very new for a lot of drivers.

[@Reddylion]

Ya

[@adsheff]

One thing I would say is make the buttons bigger and more obvious on the screens. You have these big screens, but the buttons are just small and to one side - just make them massive and more obvious. Often see people staring at the screens for a few seconds trying to decide what to tap next.

[@marvinsamuels1237]

I agree. I’m an experienced charger user, but I inadvertently stopped someone else’s session as it wasn’t clear which session I was viewing. Fortunately, they were driving a PHEV and had around 60% charge.

[@davecooper3238]

Parking pay points are often not easy to understand.

[@PitchnYaw]

For British people, EV's are a fantastic opportunity to create some new queues!

[@gary63693]

I can currently pay at the pump and be done in 3 minutes. No endless coffee's and fast food adding to the UK obesity problem. 3 minutes and have 340 mile range. Bye bye!

[@kevinlorryman781]

65000 miles never waited no need

[@PenkoAngelov]

Great job! Some people need help accessing a new charging station or have issues with apps or payments. Help on site is much appreciated!

[@solentbum]

Being a ChaMeDo user I keep finding that I am blocked off from chargers by CCS users. At Cherwell I have even had to use the disabled bay, Having a Marshall on site would have helped . I have been cut off on a dual charger by another user pressing the wrong 'button' on the rather poor screen. A redesign is needed or the need for a represent of the credit/RFID card.

[@showme360]

Yep the graphic design system needs an overhal!!

[@terryjimfletcher]

@solentburn Definitely need to show the same payment method (card) again before shutting off a session. #RealWorldTestingNeeded

[@michaelgodbold6247]

It's your own fault for having a milk float.

[@solentbum]

@@michaelgodbold6247 It's probably the fastest milkfloat in the area!

[@Peoplestariff]

Such a great role - I’m very tempted to join your team of gurus - Derek was brilliant at Gatwick

[@kennshearer526]

All very well but it’s time Gridserve employed someone to design the layout of their sites. If you have ever tried to charge at Exeter services you will know what I mean. It’s a nightmare. 🤬😡

[@terryjimfletcher]

@kennshearer526 Trouble is it's not their site. 🙂

[@harryfear]

Queuing? No thanks!

[@stuartwood5448]

Queue to charge your car- what nonsense-

[@johnkeen4271]

The future,, hahaha 3 minites to fill my diesel car, 600 miles range, scrap all electric rubbish now, and get some common sense

[@TK-Will.]

Thing I find odd is not 18months ago (and still a thing) we were told by the government to save energy, turn off your TV, don’t leave anything plugged in, switch off this switch off that…. We don’t have enough energy and run the risk of rolling blackouts. But we’re fine and dandy to build massive charging stations (yes I know some have batteries) but a lot don’t.

[@DevAnubis]

That's not why energy saving advice was given, it was to save costs during the (ongoing) energy-cost crisis.

[@lharris828]

Bring your prices down - please!

[@Mrmaddog]

Who do you think is going to pay for these attendants..? Prices won't be coming down, completely the opposite.

[@showme360]

@@Mrmaddog If there chargers need attendants then there is something wrong with thier chargers. Unreliable, poorly layout, on cover no access for disabled, etc etc the list goes no!!!

[@callumcurtis15]

I think the next key thing is to have a mix of fast and ultra rapid charging available because For myself at least if im going on 200+ mile journey I like to stop for about 30-40 minutes anyway. So if I was offered a slower 50Kw charger at a 20% cheaper rate then I would absolutely do that . Local Grid limitations will hurt the expansion of charging networks unless we start to think like this, my biggest annoyance at the minute is with supermarkets installing a few 'ultra rapid' chargers rather than many 'fast' chargers, Which for most people visiting those types of sites is completely unnecessary.

[@michaelheadley2041]

Sainsbury’s is one example I gather

[@davidsonkeith8465]

Having a mixture of 50-200kW chargers I find preferable. Wish there was a bonus reduced rate! Our Soul EV won't go past 75kW speed, so tend to use any of 'the bottom end' ones. Our car does quite well at those PodPoint rapids at Lidls even! Those charging units might have the inside gumbings for ulta-rapid kW speeds, but the site might not be allowing?

[@Lewis_Standing]

To be fair Sainsbury's are installing kempower load sharing equipment. They might have 8 x 150kw unit's but the grid capacity will be less maybe 2/3rds of total possible power delivery.

[@timrothwell33]

the slower your EV's maximum rate means you are more likely to spend a longer time on the charger so, of anything, the cost should be higher per kWh@@davidsonkeith8465

[@callumcurtis15]

​@@Lewis_StandingThat sounds like a good solution if implemented properly, But still this is a stand out and not the standard .

[@littlechanges13]

Need to see penalties for leaving cars sat after charge complete, it’s terrible behaviour. Signs discouraging charging over 80% would also be helpful.

[@charlesuk5358]

Why no canopy's ( preferably solar) over the charging points?

[@andrewbarnes1295]

Canopies

[@TalentedTom91]

I wish we’d stop saying things like ‘wondering which charging port the car has’ In reality 90% of cars in the UK and everywhere but the US and Japan have the same charging port. It’s just confusing a misleading to say otherwise!

[@simoncroft9792]

High prices are inevitable at the moment, as its a sellers market. Having the supermarkets get into it is a good thing, it certainly helped in the petrol fuel market. But attracting people to spend money for an hour in the shop is an even bigger selling point.

[@mike.n.davies]

Want to differentiate yourself from the competition? PRICE!!! Compete with Tesla on price and you will be busy. Price gouging 79p wins you no friends. Anyone charging over 60p a kWh deserves to be shunned by the charging public.

[@Lewis_Standing]

The fact that the only major supplier selling for that price is one that doesn't need to make a profit should tell you something

[@robinbennett5994]

Knowing there will be working, available chargers is more important than price. I mostly charge at home and don't mind paying for the occasional rapid charge. I'd rather charging companies had an incentive to keep building chargers, because we're definitely going to need them.

[@mike.n.davies]

@@robinbennett5994 I've never had any problem with getting a working charger nor have I had to queue. I do avoid obvious honeypot locations that every EV sems to go. Chargers are getting to be commonplace and so should be treated like petrol stations, go for the cheapest price.

[@rayjones9231]

When is Gridserve pairing up with Octopus Electroverse?

[@terryjimfletcher]

@rayjones9231 This might come when Gridserve launch their own app.

[@Pete-rf6zz]

Great stuff, I have had a great experience with Gridserve chargers. So easy to use. It would definitely be nice to have some under cover it would also protect the charger from bad weather, ideally with some solar on top ☀️😎👍

[@timtim4603]

A lot more sense would be scrap this madness and waste of time

[@Chris-hy6jy]

Rip off prices! Complete madness.

[@showme360]

Great idea guys, but your representative did not introducing himself to us at Gridserve Rugby as an assistant for your company, and just asked us to wait, I thought he was security or something, because we have witness some poor behaviour of some drivers when coming to charge here. So he was not much help at Ruby when he could see we were having trouble getting the one and only available Chademo charger of 6 to work with our Nissan Leaf. The one other Chademo bay was coned off, like it was the last we visited 6 months ago, and where we failed to get a charge to work with our car. In fact since we purchase our 2020 Leaf we have never managed to get your chargers to work with our car! We are seasoned EV owners for 6 years, so yes we know what we are doing. So sorry Gridserve you need to try harder, EV Power is our go to chargers now, as they have Chademo on all their chargers and a cover to keep the rain off.

[@Mrmaddog]

So many of the chargers being installed are not fast chargers so your going to be there for hours, and people jump the queues instead of waiting hours for their turn, which is going to push the charge pricing up because these attendants need paying for..

[@petesig93]

Pull-through chargers please. Could you imagine the fuss there'd be if anybody towing a trailer or caravan had to disconnect it somewhere else before lining their ICEV up to refuel? Pure crackpot incompetent design of the charging stations, and it is happening everywhere. I suspect a snarky old BigOil con-job to make EV use more difficult.

[@paulcope9819]

Far too expensive to use. I will only splash and dash the absolute bare minimum charge in an emergency to get me to my destination. It is cheaper to fill a large petrol engined car than use one of these chargers per mile. Captive audience.

[@yggdrasil9039]

Solar canopies would be a good idea too, and night time lighting. Spent a whole lot of time standing in the rain in the dark at some god-forsaken charging station trying to read the instructions with my phone light.

[@jayhoney2422]

😅 Yay lets learn how to queue in an orderly fashion cos us brits have never learnt that.......

[@royeasto885]

A terrible idea. The customer pays for these attendants increasing the charging price. Tesla concentrates instead on cheap build price, cheap land rental, reliability and larger numbers of chargers and that is all reflected in the lower kWh costs.

[@terryjimfletcher]

Don't forget that the cheap price also comes from the initial rollout (5+years ago) that including the "free" charging in the price of new vehicles.

[@michaelgodbold6247]

These a big sign saying :idiots queuing here;

[@carlishiggins]

i am waiting for petrol prices to come down so i can buy a 3litre SUV or if public ev charging prices come down to 7p kwh then an EV, whichever is cheaper for my family and children , home charging takes ages

[@davecooper3238]

It may be worth you looking as the cost of a U.K. Road Fund Licence before purchasing a 3 litre SUV.

[@judebrown4103]

So does sleeping, I recommend doing both simultaneously. 👍

[@jerrypalmer1786]

At some point you have to stop and ask: "Just what is it that EV's are supposed to be saving us from?" There is one question that is never addressed that would expose the "climate crisis" for the scam that it is, which is "What percentage of the atmosphere is CO2?" The answer, never given in plain language, is that CO2 is currently around 420 parts per million, (google it) increased, they tell us, from 280 ppm in 1850. That's a difference of 140 ppm, or in terms more readily understood by the layman, the composition of the atmosphere has changed by 0.014% (14 thousandths of 1%) in the last 170 years. LESS THAN 1 THOUSANDTH OF 1% PER DECADE! How much closer to "zero" do they think it's possible to get? How gullible do you have to be to believe that this rate of change is causing extreme weather events, which have always happened and always will? Their claim is that this tiny amount "traps heat". ALL gasses dissipate heat and even if CO2 is an exception, the suggestion that a total of 0.042% can overwhelm the capacity of the remaining 99.958% to dissipate that heat is abject nonsense. CO2 DOES NOT control the global temperature, there is no "climate crisis". Wind farms, solar panels, heat pumps, EV's.. None of these measures are necessary, nor will they have the slightest effect on the weather. Eye-watering sums of money have already been wasted on this futile exercise. Time to wake up, stop throwing our money at these boondoggles and squandering the world's resources on projects that cannot possibly succeed as there never was a problem to begin with. There is no need to save the planet from a minuscule increase in the gas on which all life depends, but it does need to be rescued from idiot politicians and media mouthpieces that push this garbage.

[@terryjimfletcher]

If the energy is cleaner AND CHEAPER (wind power is cheaper, AND EVs are at least 300% more efficient that petrol or diesel) then why would you NOT do it ??? BTW once you've burnt petrol or diesel you can't recycle it. +95% of a battery, i.e. the stuff you've dug up IS recycled. So at some point the "digging up" will abate, unlike the drilling for oil. BTW you do know that the oil companies get subsidies from our Govt - now that's what I'd call scandelous - using our money to pollute the planet and "hold us captive" - as you like to say. At least with electric there's competition AND, if you're luck to have a driveway and solar you can generate it for free!!!! We've had many gas-guzzlers, never going back.

[@jerrypalmer1786]

@@terryjimfletcher Just about everything you claim is WRONG. Intermittent wind and solar is what has been driving energy costs up, as they cannot operate without 100% backup from thermal generation, thus ensuring we pay TWICE for electricity, even before "green" subsidies and taxes are applied. As yet, there is no economical method of recycling lithium. Oil companies do NOT get subsidies, they are unfairly taxed at 65%, much more than any other industry. EV's are certainly NOT more efficient than internal combustion, you need to learn about energy density. You have been brainwashed, learn the truth here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qWS3l6ufqtRgpa8

[@judebrown4103]

Yeah ok, tell that to the mother whose child died from pollution induced asthma.

[@wojciechkruzel6569]

More drive through bays.

[@gerrycooper56]

So it’s free then?

[@Andrew-rc3vh]

The level of ability in the UK is astonishing. Maybe they need help going to the toilet as well.

[@TamiyaGuy123]

As a British person, I'm sure that I would be very offended if I could read.

[@showme360]

Thats how the Tories want it! have you not worked that one yet!!!!

[@stevewatkins228]

Wtf??

[@busog97641]

*EXCELLENT video, except for it having to be a music video!*

[@skidy2]

Now it's time for the hard sell because people are waking up to the pit falls of EV ownership.

[@Lewis_Standing]

I've not found any pitfalls, what are these?

[@Andrew-rc3vh]

'A blonde with every joule'

[@MrGonetopot]

This is the issue. you're in as much denial as each other whilst the majority of us who are sat on the fence would rather just stick the known that we know that works. Instead of listening to complete bias from either side. @@Lewis_Standing

[@mach1nefan]

@@MrGonetopot how do BP’s boots taste? Just kidding, I know they’ve got their grubby fingers in every area of the auto pie

[@djtaylorutube]

​@@MrGonetopotVery valid and the only way to get informed is to have a good long think about how your (not just you of course but anyone thinking) needs and actual requirements could fit and communicate openly with owners of different vehicles, in terms of living with it. Someone with a car with a slow charger and small range who only does 20 miles a day to the shops and only charges at home can only describe that experience and to them, they have no issue. Someone then going on roadtrips with that car will have a very different experience. Then at the other end of the scale are cars which are very capable of roadtrips, access the best charging infrastructure and are easy to live with. You need lots of input from all and I would suggest that the key element to experience on any test is charging. At the end of the day, they're just vehicles with a different powertrain but buying solely on the basis of a test drive for "feel" and counting the stitches in the leather is anything but a good indicator of how the vehicle will be like to live with. Then there's the cost, for many people at present, there's no compelling reason to change and that's ok too. 🙂

[@andrewnicholson9857]

When is Gridserve going to launch it's app? For what seems like years there has been talk of an Auto charge type app. Contactless is good but auto charge would be better.

[@solentbum]

Please Please Please not another App. keep it simple .

[@bikes_camera_more]

It'll be interesting to see what's going on at Rugby tomorrow/Friday. Was there 2 weeks ago on a Friday and again the Saturday. No queuing whatsoever. Forgetting the Tesla chargers, there were at least 5 free chargers, and no need for queuing. That said, a 100% charge was required as no other viable charging options between Rugby & my intended destinations.

[@showme360]

Where was your intended destination? Downunder!!!

[@terryjimfletcher]

It really depends on the time - We queued at Rugby for 12 minutes with two cars hogging chargers when they were full.

[@bobjohnson6007]

Bit pricey, but good

[@rkde2042]

Lock the chargers to only do 80%

[@robinbennett5994]

It would be nice if they did that at busy times, but it's not necessary when there are lots of empty chargers.

[@valeriobagalini4882]

When is peak time for EV charging?

[@robinbennett5994]

The vast majority of EV charging is done slowly, at night because that's when it's cheapest. I'd guess that the Octopus GO tariff is the most popular. That that's 9p / kWh from 0030 to 0430, so that's when most charging happens. Each rapid charger has it's own pattern of use, but I'd guess those at a motorway services will be busy on bank-holiday weekends when people are doing long trips.

[@solentbum]

@@robinbennett5994 If your look at Google Maps it often shows the 'busy' time for places selected, so select your target M/Way services, etc.

[@terryjimfletcher]

I would check google maps to get a good idea of when a particular charging site is busy - it can be surprising sometimes. e.g. Southwaite Services M6 (N) doesn't get busy until 2-3pm, which is very different to Rugby M6 j1.

[@yggdrasil9039]

Brilliant idea.