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InstaVolt installs record number of rapid chargers in March

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#1 ·
Good news for those with EV's in the UK

InstaVolt installs record number of rapid chargers in March

InstaVolt has announced that 72 rapid charge points were installed in March, a new record for the network.

Once all final checks and power supply connections have been completed in the next few weeks, the total number of units on the rapid-only network will be more than 310 points across the UK.

Installations have been completed at sites such as petrol stations, Starbucks branches, supermarkets, and retail parks. In March, the new charge points were added from Dorset to Cumbria.

The dual-header units feature CCS and CHAdeMO connectors, can charge at up to 50 kW, and are accessed with a contactless credit or debit card - with no registration required.

Tim Payne, CEO of InstaVolt, said: "March has been an incredibly busy time for us, as we continue to build our network and 72 chargers in one month represents a new company record.

"It quite possibly represents the highest number of rapid chargers install by an operator in a single month, within the UK."
 
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#2 ·
Good news. Thanks

👍
 
#3 ·
Interesting. I've used them twice in Norwich without issue.
It would be nice if they were going to increase the power to 100kW or more. That would mean less time waiting in the future.
 
#6 ·
DougTheMac said:
Chewy said:
Contactless payment using CC or DC is great. Wonder how much a kWh cost?
35p. Expensive? No. They work, well, easily, reliably. Worth every penny.
I don't use Rapid Chargers often, but it is comforting to know that there are reliable ones out there when the need arises.

A 20% to 80% top up would be about 50kWh. Works out about £17.50, or the cost of around 3 gallons of fuel.

60% of 240 miles = 144 miles. Doesn't sound too bad to me. Way better than my other cars :)
 
#7 ·
Yes, I haven't used many yet either, but my limited experience of Instavolt is perfect. The only problem is that because there is no App or messing about registering, etc, there also isn't any way (AFAIK) to track live availability.

Re cost, as I've posted elsewhere, we have to get used to the idea of paying a premium rate for DC chargers. You're not buying "ordinary" units of 240V AC electricity, you are buying 400V 125A highly controlled DC, which requires expensive hardware. If charging networks don't make a profit, we won't have any....
 
#8 ·
Re cost to rapid charge, my last car was a BMW i3 Range Extender so I had a choice - charge up or continue driving using the petrol powered range extender. There were times when certain Rapid chargers were more expensive than buying petrol (at 40 mpg) so on principle I wouldn't use them. Charge Your Car was one supplier I stopped using on cost grounds, they eventually reduced their prices. I always felt guilty driving on petrol when I could have charged. I feel the same about Instavolt, so they are a last resort for me but at least availability will be high due to cost. I do understand that we need to get used to paying more for charging but I question if the time is right when we are trying to motivate people to move from their ICE cars. When I get approached at a charging stop, the question that always comes before the range question is "how much does it cost to charge".
 
#10 ·
I have two main choices in Scotland. ChargePlace Scotland (run by Charge Your Car which is owned by BP Chargemaster in case anyone didn't know) or InstaVolt. There are others, but these seem to be the predominant suppliers here. CPS is effectively free in most places (£20 a year subscription for the RFID card and free charges except in Dumfries and Dundee I believe). InstaVolt is 35 per kWh. Guess which one I'd rather use.

With charging, it's starting to feel like you very much get what you pay for. IV are really good. Reliable. In useful locations. And EASY. I don't need an armful of cards or a phone full of apps. Tap my Apple Watch on the charger. Plug in. Wander off. They've really got it right. And when I can charge from 0-100% at home for £4, I really don't mind paying a lot more for the odd time I need to charge on the road if I know it will work and I won't be standing around in the freezing cold and/or rain trying to get a helpline to make the charger work.
 
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