Charging at public station s

All Audi Q4 related discussions
Post Reply
Geh2021
Posts: 267
Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2021 6:42 pm

Post by Geh2021 »

Hi,

I’ve had my Q4 for a week now but will have to wait a few weeks before the Pod Point will be installed at home, so for the time being I’m using public points. This week I’ve used the free service at Tesco using the Pod Point app that went well, a BP Pulse point using the BP Pulse app but paid for the charge. What’s doing my head in is trying to work out what charging suppliers work with the Audi e-tron card, or the MyAudi app so I can use the £150. And I’ve seen that my local Shell petrol station has a HPC point, so can I use that with the Audi e-tron card or do I need the Shell app set up with payment details? All questions I guess I should know the answers, but would appreciate some help from users with more experience.

Thanks
Audi Q4 e-tron s-line 35, Narvarra Blue, Comfort & Sound pack.

EDF referral scheme where we both get £50 added to your account if you sign up using this link.

https://referme.to/grahamh-586

Edam77
Posts: 146
Joined: Tue Aug 31, 2021 10:49 am

Post by Edam77 »

If you look on the my Audi app on the map you can filter to see the charging points that are under the ECS, I think most are, I used instavolt with the card and worked fine

Image

Screenshot_20211121-083000_myAudi.jpg

Geh2021
Posts: 267
Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2021 6:42 pm

Post by Geh2021 »

Hi,

I’ll try that next time. Thanks as this was sending me mad!
Audi Q4 e-tron s-line 35, Narvarra Blue, Comfort & Sound pack.

EDF referral scheme where we both get £50 added to your account if you sign up using this link.

https://referme.to/grahamh-586
9761Spencer
Posts: 22
Joined: Mon Dec 20, 2021 8:42 pm

Post by 9761Spencer »

Hi

I’ve just found and connected to my first Podpoint 22kw charger at Rushden Lakes, Northamptonshire.

After a. Four hour charge, 28kw had been added. Without trying to look or sound stupid, wouldn’t that be what I would get from a 7kwcharger?

Am I right?
Is there something wrong with the car?

Thanks anyone
hugodoodle
Posts: 90
Joined: Wed Oct 06, 2021 4:35 pm

Post by hugodoodle »

The 22 kW charge point is almost certainly AC power. The Q4 has an ‘onboard charger’ rated to 11 kW - this means it can charge from AC power (converting to DC) at a maximum rate of 11 kW and no more.

For higher charge rates, you need to use a DC charger - which does not need conversion and where charger speeds can be higher.

Note that a lot of charge points state their maximum power capacity - but in my experience a lot of them don’t achieve it.

Other factors affecting charge speed include ambient temperature, any other auxiliary load (such as air con or heating) and the actual state of charge of the battery. As the state of charge increases towards 80% and past that, the rate of charge will slow to protect the battery against damage and premature wear.

Public charge points with two connections, usually balance supply between the two vehicles charging. So two vehicles connected to a 22 kW charge point would unlikely both be charging at 22 kW at the same time, even if their ‘onboard chargers’ were rated to that.
Q4 50 Quattro Edition 1 C+S
9761Spencer
Posts: 22
Joined: Mon Dec 20, 2021 8:42 pm

Post by 9761Spencer »

Thanks Hugodoodle.
Realty appreciate the detailed reply. Albeit I am now worried!
Should I have known this about the11kw max charge speed?
Might as well get myself an HGV licence and a wash at if that’s the case. Make loads of new trucker friends at various service stations
Just charged at home to 100% for the first time and I’ve got 225 miles. Wow! I knew the claimed 312 miles would be bollocks in England in winter but 225???
lexathon
Posts: 72
Joined: Fri Dec 24, 2021 1:33 pm

Post by lexathon »

AC charging is pretty much pointless on the move unless you are staying overnight somewhere, so 11 or 22kw max isn't really worth worrying about.

Your guesstimated range is based on the driving you've been doing, so if you've been making short journeys in cold weather or lots of motorway driving at 80+ mph, 225 sounds about right.

EV driving takes a bit of a shift in thinking. Instead of driving full to empty, I tend to plug in at 50%. Overnight this gets me back to 80% in the 4 hours that is super cheap in my off peak electricity rate. For longer journeys it's about planning to the next high speed charger on your route... How much will you need to get there? Rapid chargers will get you to 50% within about 20 mins, but it's a lot slower to get to 100%, so only worth doing that if you know you'll need it or have time to wait.
9761Spencer
Posts: 22
Joined: Mon Dec 20, 2021 8:42 pm

Post by 9761Spencer »

Thanks Lexathon

It sounds like you’ve gone Octopus Energy (the ev tariff)? I’ve looked long and hard at this and am not convinced 20 hours at 7p more will be offset by the 4 hours at 5p?? I don’t have a dishwasher or Washing machine with a timer so all my non charging electric will be at a higher price?
Are you actually better off?
Thanks
Spencet
lexathon
Posts: 72
Joined: Fri Dec 24, 2021 1:33 pm

Post by lexathon »

I don't think so now as they've put the rate up, but when I signed up the peak rate was 16.26. I get to keep that till September, yay!!

Sadly we're all going to be hit this year at some point.
Tony
Posts: 458
Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2021 9:27 am
Location: London

Post by Tony »

We tried to switch to get the Audi Octopus deal but no go, rates are too high for new customers 😞
Post Reply