Charging Point Installation in underground carpark

[drmax101]

Hello all.

I am interested in the PHEV as my next company car but live in a 2nd floor flat in the middle of a city. I do have an allocated parking space in the underground car park which does have a wall next to it but have concerns about whether a charging point can be installed there. I get the impression that if you live in a house installation is straight forward but it may be a little trickier if you live in a flat. Has anyone encountered this or is in the same situation? I would be grateful for any advice.

 

[Hypermiler]

Hi.
My initial reaction to your query:

1. Do you own the flat or rent it - landlord's permission would be needed presumably.
2. Is there power near where you park?
3. How would the power be allocated to you, or would there need to be a shared element to the charger - who would foot the electric bill?
4. If you wanted to benefit from the olev grant for the charger you need a mobile phone signal - unlikely in an underground car park.
5. You can plug in to a normal 13a socket - if there are any in your car park, that would be your best bet (and hope no one notices the bill increase!).

Can't really see how a dedicated charge point would work.

The mpg without plugging in regularly is not going to be great. There is no requirement to plug the car in to benefit from the BIK rate. Perhaps you could plug in at work instead? Or move house?!

Best of luck
H

 

[drmax101]

Thanks Hypermiler for your comments and thoughts.

I spoke to a few 'official' installers listed on the government website today and got varying responses. I got a flat no from British gas while Chargemaster (recommended by BG) and another independent company said they would need to assess the location and carry out a survey which is free. The latter said they have installed in an underground car park before so there's hope!

They both asked similar questions to yourself so for information to anyone else who may be interested..

1. I own the flat - it would be difficult/impossible if it was rented - I will need permission from freeholder and will need to pay a fee but don't know what this is. My view is that this technology will only get more popular in future and installing a charge point may well be a selling point and add value to a rental flat for a landlord
2. There is no power near my parking space but there are electricity points elsewhere which are used by the management company. The electricity meters are actually situated in basement so there are possibilities here although the cable my need to be routed a fair distance
3. I would need to foot the bill, hence the dedicated charge point
4. Surprisingly there is a signal, 2 bars of 5 on a HTC phone on O2 network
5. Yes there are but behind locked doors for management company use only

Work are going to install 2 points so this is an option. Can't move house, I live in a great location in the city!

Test drive PHEV on Saturday so fingers crossed I like it. 25mins out of a 1.5 hr slot - I feel as if this is not long enough?

 

[aitchjaybee]

Ref the short test drive, it's such a popular car there's a wait list, and thus a real shortage of demo vehicles (why let each dealer have 3 demos when you can sell them instantly) and it's a straight supply/demand issue. If everyone had a 1 hour demo, they could only show 8 people a day the car. By reducing you to 25 mins they can double that to 16 with a bit to spare.

I test drove the diesel outlander for size / fit and comfort and ordered my phev before the PHEV Demo's even hit the uk shores. I figured the test drive was more about comfort and fit for me and used the online reviews for phev peculiarities. After your phev demo, if you need more time, consider if the diesel variant would help, they've got a few more demos of those!

 

[Hypermiler]

Cool, that doesn't sound too bad then.. there is hope for you yet! Excellent re workplace charging. Agree re charge point being a positive selling point if you do decide to move one day...

+1 re test drive comments -we also drove the diesel to check out interior space. We only drove the phev for about 10 mins - think that might well have been after we'd ordered it!

You'll most likely love it and you can always ask any extra questions on here (we tend to know more than the dealers!
H

 

[drmax101]

Thanks for the comments again.

I am OK with all aspects of the PHEVs, size, etc but I have not driven a hybrid before so my primary reason for the test drive is to see if I can get used to / live with the different driving style and technology. I am told that they are different experience from a conventional car, neither good or bad just different which is why 25 minutes does not quite seem enough time to commit to a 3 year lease although at this stage even without a test drive I am finding it difficult not to see this as my next company car - the financials just make it a no brainer for me as it fits my usage profile. May I also add that I did not even know this car existed until a couple of weeks ago when some one mentioned it to me! Finding this site with a wealth of information has really been extremely useful.

My suprise from the dealer is more, it is a 1.5 hour slot but you will only be test driving it for 25mins. My first thought was what are we going to do for the rest of the hour!!? I understand supply and demand but in general if you were going to make a decision to buy any new technology that costs £30k+, surely you would want a bit more than 25mins?

You have both said what I was planning to do if I can't get more test time with the PHEV and take the diesel out.

Again thanks for the advice. Great forum.

 

[maby]

I don't think it has to be a different experience from a conventional car - that is your choice. Shortly after Toyota launched the Prius, they ran an advertising campaign along the lines of "The new Prius - just drive!" - you could say the same of the Outlander. This forum is populated mostly by nerds who delight in understanding the technology deep down and competing to see who can get 3000 miles out of a tank of fuel or 50 miles out of a charge... If that's what turns you on, by all means do it, but it is equally valid to treat it as a rather large, quiet, comfortable estate car that will turn in some quite good fuel economy figures and help you avoid quite a lot of unwelcome taxes - just drive it!

 

[todgefast]

I have had my PHEV for 5 days now, and it's been great so far.
My dealer lent me the demonstrator for 24 hrs, and I think this is more important for a car such as the PHEV to really see if it is for you. Is there another dealer nearby where they could let you have the car for a sensible period??
Things like charging (It really doesn't make too much sense if you are unable to charge it regularly (tax benefits aside)), use of regen, use of battery save and charge buttons were all new to me, and there is no way I could appreciate these in 25mins!

 

[Fortune7]

My suprise from the dealer is more, it is a 1.5 hour slot but you will only be test driving it for 25mins. My first thought was what are we going to do for the rest of the hour!!? I understand supply and demand but in general if you were going to make a decision to buy any new technology that costs £30k+, surely you would want a bit more than 25mins?

I reckon they'll be charging it for the other hour, so you can get some EV driving...

Cheers, Andy