You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
Just got a new car yesterday on some daft deal with the missus work, and its a full electric job. Im researching into public charging stations and see that most public charge points have a variety of leads...I know that our car uses a Type 2 CCS (its an Etron), but when another car is using a different type of lead, such as the CHaDeMo thing, can I hook my car up at the same time or is it only one lead in use per station at any one time?
Type 2 for AC charging. CCS is DC for the faster speeds. A charge point will typically only charge one car at a time.
Worth getting the 'zap map' app - shows you what chargers are in your area, whether they are free or pay, what connections, and whether they are in use.
Pretty useful overall - found that there are free chargers at a couple of locations near us which means sometimes can go grab a coffee and get some work done somewhere and leave car charging for an hour or two for a free top up.
Only one DC charge at a time. Some can manage AC as well when a DC car is charging, most will be one car per charger.
Ecotricity ones at the motorway services you also have to look out for the mix of connectors, they all have Chademo, then some have AC and some have CCS.
Don’t make the newbie mistake of using AC on a rapid, that’s for Zoes. It’ll fit in your car and charge but really slowly (same speed as at home). You want CCS (often called DC Combo on menu screens) which looks like type 2 but with the two big DC pins underneath.
the local free Engie ones that I use are one DC type only (I think you can use both DC and Type2 at the same time but it may ramp down both or just the type2, not sure)
I believe others can do both at the same time ie 2 cars on DC, but you only get 1/2 speeds / KW per vehicle or they might be two chargers in one body or something (also subject to the charging limitations of the vehicle i'd expect). As a general rule I'd expect one at a time on DC per charger
Just look at charging at home and forget anything else (4 years experience)
I've used a charger in Poland with a Tesla on the Combo and the Zoé on the AC. Plugging in the AC slowed the DC charge so much we worked out it would be quicker to let the Tesla finish and then use the Combo.
I charge anywhere there's a charger and I need a charge (nearly 4 years experience).
Generally its one car per station. The stations that offer dual are nticebaly slower.
What FunkyDunc says....i just leave mine overnight (and set to charge off peak too) and if i ever need to top up i have the superchrgers available.