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A bad experience!
Christmas morning, Calculated before leaving home, in Berkshire to travel to Southport, some 240 miles, that a stop at Norton Canes service area on the Midland Expressway ,would be necessar
They have a couple of GRIDSERVE chargers, available, ,”which I use successfully , “.at Exeter services “ on my return journey to Cornwall t o visit a sick relative.
Anyway,I could not get the chargers to charge, and after 3 hours, yes three hours I managed to get the extremely slow almost comatose, domestic type charger to work and half an hour later I had topped up by 10miles which gave me enough charge to get to the next services, which I discovered also had GRIDSERVE charger, but these are more up to date and it took only 35 minutes to top up to 100% and we were on our way – late but with enough charge to get to Southport and a few days running around.
What a way to spend Christmas morning, but what a way to spend yesterday morning when a Parking Charge notice for £100 arrived from Norton Canes – yup , they have fined me for waiting in the queue to ‘ unsuccessfully ‘ charge from their crappy chargers!
Naturally , I have appealed but have to bite my fingernails for the next 28;days whilst my appeal is considered?
Needless to say, Successful Appeal or not, they will not get a penny out of me!
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We use Norton Canes many times each year, but have never thought about charging there. Look at the comments on Zap Map, the reviews are appalling, maybe print some of the comments off and use them in your defence if you go to court.
On a positive note, they are in the process of installing lots more new chargers, they may be ready for the summer season.
I’ve done several long distance road trips around the UK have you considered trying Tesla superchargers not are they the most reliable but also the cheapest around.
I have used a Tesla charger in Cornwall, and I must admit it was fuss free tension free , and as you say ‘cheaper’!
I will certainly look into their uk network – cheers
Times like this you still wish you had E-Power!
Hi Kezo,
The Qashqai ePower is a great car, with a 100% electric drive, just like the Ariya, and it is certainly easy to live with , given the number of fuel pumps available in the UK, compared to ev. Chargers, but it is noisier , less comfortable,slower ( in real time), smaller internally than the Ariya, and doesn’t’ drive or ride as well.
The boot is supposed to be bigger than the Ariya ,but the Ariya took a whole lot more stuff for a week in Southport.
,
I have the Advance, with heated electric seats heated steering wheel,built in wireless charging and an electric opening panoramic roof with an auto tailgate etc etc.I have had 3 Quashqai’s , so a big supporter, but , it is not in the same league as the Ariya.
Preheating ~cooling is a godsend btw.
Mike its partly because you were travelling on a holiday where everyone is out an about. Its a learning experience.
Just plan your route using Tesla chargers and their App. The only hickup is city chargers which tend to be very busy.
If you install the tesla app, you can see where the chargers are located and how many stalls are available.
The othr thing is, it is changing rapidly, as more charge station come online. Its not going to be that bad in the future. Indeed, as petrol pumps are removed to i stall chargers, it will be the ICE cars that will have trouble finding a station in the next 4 years.
The app is a great way to find the superchargers, depending on your vehicles integrated system for example I have a Volvo EX 30 which uses Google Automotive built in.
The car will automatically precondition the battery when navigating to a charging station, I have set Google up to only suggest Tesla Open to All superchargers therefore the car will precondition the battery to optimise charging speed upon my arrival. I find It just makes life easier while driving.
Mike its partly because you were travelling on a holiday where everyone is out an about. Its a learning experience. Just plan your route using Tesla chargers and their App. The only hickup is city chargers which tend to be very busy. If you install the tesla app, you can see where the chargers are located and how many stalls are available. The othr thing is, it is changing rapidly, as more charge station come online. Its not going to be that bad in the future. Indeed, as petrol pumps are removed to i stall chargers, it will be the ICE cars that will have trouble finding a station in the next 4 years.
I think that you are probably right, and in the future, near or far, EV chargers will become dominant ,as more and more EV’s are sold – it is inevitable.
They say that once you experience an EV, you will never go back to an ICE car, and I think that they are probably right- I , for one, will never go back to an ICE car, and the thousands like me will eventually become Millions and tens of millions!
My next longish journey will be to Goonhavern in Cornwall which is some 240 miles away, so 1 stop will be necessary ( as the car will travel only around 145 miles on the motorway, compared with up to 280-300 miles around Town etc .) somewhere around the Exeter area, where I shall research Tesla Charging before leaving, and we will stay at Fratton where there are Tesla chargers anyway !
Times like this you still wish you had E-Power!
I have the Advance, with heated electric seats heated steering wheel,built in wireless charging and an electric opening panoramic roof with an auto tailgate etc etc. I have had 3 Quashqai’s , so a big supporter, but , it is not in the same league as the Ariya. Preheating ~cooling is a godsend btw.
How do you find the Ariya?
My order window is open now. I’m going to arrange a test drive, as like you, I currently have a QQ ePower.I have a choice of the standard range with pan roof, or long range without. Only the Advance trim available.
I have ASD and thus have difficulty with social and understanding information, written and verbal. I process information in logical blocks, before I reply. Sometimes I'm right and sometimes I'm wrong.
I also have a corneal visual condition, which makes me visually impaired without daytime, or daytime bulbs, among other disabilities/conditions.The app is a great way to find the superchargers, depending on your vehicles integrated system for example I have a Volvo EX 30 which uses Google Automotive built in. The car will automatically precondition the battery when navigating to a charging station, I have set Google up to only suggest Tesla Open to All superchargers therefore the car will precondition the battery to optimise charging speed upon my arrival. I find It just makes life easier while driving.
I think that using ‘Wow’ as the title for the thread was right?
My next longish journey will be to Goonhavern in Cornwall which is some 240 miles away, so 1 stop will be necessary ( as the car will travel only around 145 miles on the motorway, compared with up to 280-300 miles around Town etc .) somewhere around the Exeter area, where I shall research Tesla Charging before leaving, and we will stay at Fratton where there are Tesla chargers anyway !
Tesla supercharger open to all in Lifton is just 2 mins off the A30 on the Devon / Cornwall border. We always stop there on our frequent trips to Cornwall. There’s a pub / cafe with toilets and around 14 Tesla chargers, never had issue charging there. That usually does us for a few days in Cornwall when we then charge at Tesla Camborne.
There’s also a Tesla open to all charger at the Service centre just if the M5 at Cribbs Causeway nr Bristol but we’ve never needed to stop there.
My next longish journey will be to Goonhavern in Cornwall which is some 240 miles away, so 1 stop will be necessary ( as the car will travel only around 145 miles on the motorway, compared with up to 280-300 miles around Town etc .) somewhere around the Exeter area, where I shall research Tesla Charging before leaving, and we will stay at Fratton where there are Tesla chargers anyway !
Tesla supercharger open to all in Lifton is just 2 mins off the A30 on the Devon / Cornwall border. We always stop there on our frequent trips to Cornwall. There’s a pub / cafe with toilets and around 14 Tesla chargers, never had issue charging there. That usually does us for a few days in Cornwall when we then charge at Tesla Camborne. There’s also a Tesla open to all charger at the Service centre just if the M5 at Cribbs Causeway nr Bristol but we’ve never needed to stop there.
we always stop at Strawberry Fields Farm Shop, so it will be very convenient – thanks.
My next longish journey will be to Goonhavern in Cornwall which is some 240 miles away, so 1 stop will be necessary ( as the car will travel only around 145 miles on the motorway, compared with up to 280-300 miles around Town etc .) somewhere around the Exeter area, where I shall research Tesla Charging before leaving, and we will stay at Fratton where there are Tesla chargers anyway !
Tesla supercharger open to all in Lifton is just 2 mins off the A30 on the Devon / Cornwall border. We always stop there on our frequent trips to Cornwall. There’s a pub / cafe with toilets and around 14 Tesla chargers, never had issue charging there. That usually does us for a few days in Cornwall when we then charge at Tesla Camborne. There’s also a Tesla open to all charger at the Service centre just if the M5 at Cribbs Causeway nr Bristol but we’ve never needed to stop there. we always stop at Strawberry Fields Farm Shop, so it will be very convenient – thanks.
Yep, it’s practically next door, we stop at Strawberry Fields as well, very nice coffee and lovely toilets.
Times like this you still wish you had E-Power!
Hi Kezo, The Qashqai ePower is a great car, with a 100% electric drive, just like the Ariya, and it is certainly easy to live with , given the number of fuel pumps available in the UK, compared to ev. Chargers, but it is noisier , less comfortable,slower ( in real time), smaller internally than the Ariya, and doesn’t’ drive or ride as well. The boot is supposed to be bigger than the Ariya ,but the Ariya took a whole lot more stuff for a week in Southport. , I have the Advance, with heated electric seats heated steering wheel,built in wireless charging and an electric opening panoramic roof with an auto tailgate etc etc. I have had 3 Quashqai’s , so a big supporter, but , it is not in the same league as the Ariya. Preheating ~cooling is a godsend btw.
Thats not a bad spec and at least you get creature comforts, you missed on the N-Conecta.
Just my two pence to what everyone already said.
I presume you drove on M4 and then down to M5 to Cornwall. There are Tesla chargers I am using. Otherwise on A303 there’s absolutely nothing, which can charge you at 150kw and above.
On M roads you will also find IONITY charges – after Tesla they’re my preference: you know the price across all their charging stations remains the same as opposed to Tesla or others.
One thing to keep in mind with Tesla chargers – they don’t well communicate with non Teslas, so the charging speed begins to drop very quickly, so I prefer to charge a bit and then drive over to the next Tesla, if this is the case.
Also for either Tesla or IONITY on very long journeys like 310 miles all the way to my amazing Geordies at Newcastle and same 310 miles back. Plus another 40 miles across Newcastle to meet and greet, I prefer to purchase one month membership for either of the networks.
Sent from a mobile device.
Apologies for briefness and spelling mistakes.Motability Skoda Enyaq SportLine 85x April 2024 (unhappy customer - Ombudsman pending)
Motability Mazda CX-60 PHEV July 2023 (unhappy customer - early termination on mechanical grounds)
Motability VW Touran Family Pack May 2019 (happy customer)Times like this you still wish you had E-Power!
I have the Advance, with heated electric seats heated steering wheel,built in wireless charging and an electric opening panoramic roof with an auto tailgate etc etc. I have had 3 Quashqai’s , so a big supporter, but , it is not in the same league as the Ariya. Preheating ~cooling is a godsend btw.
How do you find the Ariya? My order window is open now. I’m going to arrange a test drive, as like you, I currently have a QQ ePower. I have a choice of the standard range with pan roof, or long range without. Only the Advance trim available.
Well, I have now had my 2025 Ariya Advance 63 , with the sliding panoramic roof, for just over 4 months, covering just over 3600 miles.
The car is kept outside all year, so
Pre – heating & cooling are a godsend, getting into a warm frost free car in winter (no window scraping or spraying ) or a cool ( a/c fully on) car in the summer is tremendous – 10 minutes costs about 4-5 miles of battery usage- well worth it.I get around 140-150 miles fully loaded travelling at 70+ on the motorway, and around 250- 300 miles rural/ around Town .
As I use the car, mainly , locally, the 63 is ok for me – it charges slightly quicker and accelerates slightly better than the heavier bigger battery longer range version.
As previously indicated, my last car was a Qashqai ePower, which i had for nearly three years and travelled over 30,000 miles – which until The Ariya arrived was the best of 6 other new Nissan Datsun models.I have owned —- overall, the Ariya is by far a better car than the any of the others, especially good on build quality!
It is quick & stays very flat going around corners, and it has very nippy ‘instant ‘ acceleration surprisingly for a big heavy car, especially in Sport mode’ & it does it all in silence, and loads & loads of space inside.
I have previously owned from ‘new’ , a Volvo XC 90, two XC60’s an XC 70 & a V60, plus Rovers, Fords, Vauxhalls,Triumphs, AustinMorris, WW Tiguan etcetc. And in my humble opinion, the Ariya is the best ‘overall’ of all these.
I am impressed by & fully recommend the Ariya.
Well, I have now had my 2025 Ariya Advance 63 , with the sliding panoramic roof, for just over 4 months, covering just over 3600 miles. The car is kept outside all year, so Pre – heating & cooling are a godsend, getting into a warm frost free car in winter (no window scraping or spraying ) or a cool ( a/c fully on) car in the summer is tremendous – 10 minutes costs about 4-5 miles of battery usage- well worth it. I get around 140-150 miles fully loaded travelling at 70+ on the motorway, and around 250- 300 miles rural/ around Town . As I use the car, mainly , locally, the 63 is ok for me – it charges slightly quicker and accelerates slightly better than the heavier bigger battery longer range version. As previously indicated, my last car was a Qashqai ePower, which i had for nearly three years and travelled over 30,000 miles – which until The Ariya arrived was the best of 6 other new Nissan Datsun models.I have owned —- overall, the Ariya is by far a better car than the any of the others, especially good on build quality! It is quick & stays very flat going around corners, and it has very nippy ‘instant ‘ acceleration surprisingly for a big heavy car, especially in Sport mode’ & it does it all in silence, and loads & loads of space inside. I have previously owned from ‘new’ , a Volvo XC 90, two XC60’s an XC 70 & a V60, plus Rovers, Fords, Vauxhalls,Triumphs, AustinMorris, WW Tiguan etcetc. And in my humble opinion, the Ariya is the best ‘overall’ of all these. I am impressed by & fully recommend the Ariya.
How is the audio, better or just the same as the QQ?
I don’t generally do over 60mi per day. My school run is around 32mi round trip. If I do use the motorway, it’s never over 60mph on ProPilot. I also have a private off road drive for my home.
I have ASD and thus have difficulty with social and understanding information, written and verbal. I process information in logical blocks, before I reply. Sometimes I'm right and sometimes I'm wrong.
I also have a corneal visual condition, which makes me visually impaired without daytime, or daytime bulbs, among other disabilities/conditions.The Audio is almost exactly the same design as that in the QQ, but with Google play added.
the sound quality is really no different – I think that it is the same unit that is fitted to the QQa!
Two things –
1) When we travelled to Cornwall last year, I paid the monthly fee to Ionity for a couple of months and got the charging rate of 53p perKwh. We drove from Swansea and stopped at Cullompton on both journeys to top up. It was busy and we had a little wait but it was fine.
2) I have the Ariya Evolve with the bigger battery and as Mike says, I would nver go back to an ICE car. I absolutely love it.
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