- This topic has 17 replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 1 year, 1 month ago by
.
- Topic
Hi all, I ordered my new car this week, it’s an Elroq EV.
Within 24 hours Motability notified me Bumble Bee would contact me regarding EV charger. They said they were trialling this new company as OHME couldn’t handle all the volume.
Within another 24 hours Bumble Bee contacted me with instructions of photos they needed of our house.
So far so good, I’ll report again when it’s fitted.
Regards, wonky
- Replies
Hi Kezo, not got that far yet, that’s the next contact. It will no doubt be same spec as OHME.
I will update later.
Regards, wonkyThe Bumblebee website lists the Ohme Home Pro, so perhaps they are just handling their installation.
Indeed, their website home page states that they are installers:
” Bumblebee is one of the UK’s largest network of electric vehicle charge point installers.”Also, their Bumblebee Point charger is a rebranded Nexblue Edge, so they are not manufactures like Ohme are.
I doubt that Motability start installing a different charger, when the Ohme options are tried and tested.
It looks like these are the chargers that BumbleBee installs for Motability:
- waEV-charge
- Hypervolt Home Pro 3
- MyEnergi Zappi V2
Hopefully, if you are assigned BumbleBee you will get the choice, as only the Hypervolt is compatible with OVO Charge Anytime.
Hi Matty, I didn’t know chargers were energy supplier specific. I assumed all chargers would work with all energy suppliers.
Im with Octopus at present, so what happens if I change energy suppliers. do I need a different charger?
Regards, wonky
@Wonky I pointed that out in my first post 🤣
Both the Hypervolt 3 and Zappi are both compatable with Intelligent tariffs from Octopus.
The rebranded Nexblue Edge is not compatable with intelligent tariffs, but is well built and has many features and won Charger awards in 2024 and likely be the one you get, showcasing the Bumble Bee brand Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!
waEV-charge, is the lesser known brand and kind of resembles BG Sync chargers in my book however, I don’t know much of this company.
These chargers are ccntred around OCPP 1.6 compatibility, which is based on the Open Charge Point Protocol, one of the most widely used communication protocols in the electric vehicle charging industry. It was developed by the Open Charge Alliance, and enables charging stations (EVSEs) to communicate with central management systems in a standardised way. Often based on RFID functionality to allow authorised users or payment via an app and adverisement led apps with in the prepay structure, the list is long . Its more what I deal with in the non domestic market and are more than suitable as an home charger, not requiring intelligent integration.
You can read more here on the protocol:
https://www.plugflare.com/article/ocpp-1-6
What is worth pointing out in the domestic energy market, is intelligent tariffs have not took off out of the big 6 energy providers, only 2 offer such tariffs and its virtually unheard of outside the big 6!
Whilst many domestic energy providers use Octopus Kraken in their backend systems, its there maninly to determine a users use of peak/off peak and generating the next customer bill. Tariffs like Eon Next Drive and Orange energy provide some of the cheapest and longest EV charging tariffs available today with “fixed” peak rates, often beating these intelligent tariffs, do you really need to worry!
Hi Kezo, sorry if I missed the info you’ve already posted, I can’t find it now.
You obviously have good knowledge and understanding of EVs and chargers and we are lucky to have your input.
Bumble bee asked me a couple of questions, do I have solar panels and who is my energy supplier, they then said a charger will be sent immediately. I didn’t understand the relevance of these questions.
I just want a charger that works now and is future proof incase I change supplier or even get solar panels.
Ive looked at the tariff Octopus has and whilst it’s 7p overnight, I don’t like the extortionate daily standing charge. Also, 6 or 7 hours overnight can only put in 42 or 49 Kw so not very good if you want a full charge.
Ive had a hybrid for last 3 years and it’s been great, good mpg and no range fears. If it wasn’t for silly APs on everything non electric I’d have gone hybrid again. Not really looking forward to electric motoring.
Regards, wonky
Bumble bee asked me a couple of questions, do I have solar panels and who is my energy supplier, they then said a charger will be sent immediately. I didn’t understand the relevance of these questions.
What did you answer to this question?
Ideally, if you are sent an Hypervolt or Zappi charger, all area’s are covered in the future should you wish to use a intelligent tariff however, Zappi V2, as I remember is either inteligent capable or solar. The Nexblue charger is solar PV compatable.
Any questions don’t hesitate, happy to help.
Hi Kezo, thanks for that.
I told Bumble bee, Ive not got solar and I’m with Octopus.
I phoned Octopus this afternoon asking about intelligent go tariff.
They asked which car I’d ordered, I said ŠKODA Elroq, they said it doesn’t talk to intelligent go tariff but if charger does that may be ok. I didn’t realise the car had to do this.
I put it to Octopus, 6 hours overnight @ 7Kw can only put in 42 Kw, they said it wouldn’t as it doesn’t charge continuously, it dips in and out according to grid load. It’s a guess as to how much you’ll get but if you wanted to plug in at say 6 pm, if there’s any spare capacity before 11.30 it will charge. So not very good, no going out just incase. Added to this the Intelligent tariff is a few pence dearer on all your other usage along with being 3p a day dearer standing charge. They said I could always bump charge at anytime, this would be at full cost!!
with this info I phoned Motability, they didn’t realise electric cars had to be compatible with the energy supplier. They also didn’t realise you don’t get a constant charge on energy companies cheap rate. They sympathised and suggested topping up at normal full price rate. I said this wasn’t acceptable and Im reviewing my choice to go electric.
Any thoughts greatly appreciated.
Regards, wonky
This is all very disappointing to hear, and completely avoidable if MB were more thorough.
I thought I was dead-set to get an Ohme charger, which has excellent smart tariff compatibility.
I’m now worried I’ll end up with some off-brand charger – it would be cheaper in that case to have an Ohme charger fitted out of my own pocket!
MB never fail to amaze.
I’m now worried I’ll end up with some off-brand charger – it would be cheaper in that case to have an Ohme charger fitted out of my own pocket! MB never fail to amaze.
Why would it be cheaper to have Ohme?
EON next Drive 6.7p kWh for 7 hours and a fixed peak rate.
Many of these off brand chargers as you call them are superior in build quality than Ohme.
They asked which car I’d ordered, I said ŠKODA Elroq, they said it doesn’t talk to intelligent go tariff but if charger does that may be ok. I didn’t realise the car had to do this. I put it to Octopus, 6 hours overnight @ 7Kw can only put in 42 Kw, they said it wouldn’t as it doesn’t charge continuously, it dips in and out according to grid load. It’s a guess as to how much you’ll get but if you wanted to plug in at say 6 pm, if there’s any spare capacity before 11.30 it will charge. So not very good, no going out just incase. Added to this the Intelligent tariff is a few pence dearer on all your other usage along with being 3p a day dearer standing charge. They said I could always bump charge at anytime, this would be at full cost!! with this info I phoned Motability, they didn’t realise electric cars had to be compatible with the energy supplier. They also didn’t realise you don’t get a constant charge on energy companies cheap rate. They sympathised and suggested topping up at normal full price rate. I said this wasn’t acceptable and Im reviewing my choice to go electric. Any thoughts greatly appreciated.
If I go back to EON Next Drive (6.7p kWh for 7 hour), you would charge at 7kWh for a full 7hrs offpeak, adding 49kWh to the car exc losses. You can also topup during the day at 7kW hour but this will be at the more expensive dayrate.
Most of the domestic energy providers, provide tariffs like this with between 5 and 7 maybe 8 hours of off peak charging. Even Octopus have atariff like this simply called “Go”.
Intelligent tariffs, namely Octopus Intelligent and OVO anytime, require either a charger or car to be compatable and they work differently to economy 7 type tariffs above and slightly different between them.
Octopus Intelligent for exampl, you set a next morning ready by time the evening before and during that time it’ll charge your car at varied times by varied amounts during that time period, so there is variable amounts of charging done, to a set point you have added to charge your car by.
OVO allows you to charge anytime of day and adjusts the tariif to take into account the cheap charging rate by using its backen Kalluza and refunds you the difference.
Ohme/Octopus Intelligent tariff, can have issues obtaining a manufacturers API, which can be a nuisnce to keep ontop of. Skoda is one such manufacturer.
Thats the basics.
if I don’t have an Ohme charger, 7p becomes 24p.
So our (estimated) £600 charging costs over 3 years become £2000.
if I don’t have an Ohme charger, 7p becomes 24p. So our (estimated) £600 charging costs over 3 years become £2000.
I’m lost if I’m honest mate, because all domestc energy providers provide a EV charging tariff, either based on smart metered econom7 tariff.
Example:
EON Next Drive 7hrs @6.7p kWh – Any time of use charger compatable
Octopus Go 5hrs @8.5p kWh – Any charger.
The benefit of some of these tariffs is the peak rate is fixed.
You are incorrect with assumptions and sums regarding ohme, octopus intell, and the ev.
Your car does not have to be compatible with octopus, ohme.
I use octopus intell and charge the ev manually. I set the charge schedule from the car, currently 11.30 until 7.30, but going to change it to 11.00. the ohme charger is set as octopus intell. I plug in about 9 or 10.00 at night and don’t confirm plugin until I want to start the charge.
A couple of nights ago I started at 11.00 put in 53.6kw it took 7.23 hours and cost $3.75..quid not dollars.
The charge hours are flexible.
Don’t get hung up about the finer details. It works, you don’t have to have everything set. It’s clunky, but it works.
Hi Kezo, Fluffy and others,
Iv just found out the charger from Bumble bee is a, Hypervolt home pro3.
This is compatible with Octopus.
Many thanks for everybody’s help.
Regards, wonkyHi Kezo, Fluffy and others, Iv just found out the charger from Bumble bee is a, Hypervolt home pro3. This is compatible with Octopus. Many thanks for everybody’s help. Regards, wonky
Indeed it is compatable with IOG and other tariffs
https://octopus.energy/blog/intelligent-go-faqs/faq-hypervolt-signup/
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.