UKC

I bought an electric car yesterday. Today I went along to the chargepoint at my local railway station. It seemed to suggest that I had to join Chargeplace Scotland to use it, is this true? Went on their website and it's a bit crap, not much useful info. I registered anyway. My question is, can I now go along, plug in my car and charge it? Or do I need to wait for confirmation and something called an RFID card?

Either download the CPS app, register (and link a credit card) and use the app to get the charger working-more or less reliable depending on, well, you name it...

Or swipe your credit card on the charger.

Getting the RFID card is a good move and seems to work better than the app, but either way you'll get to know the folk on the support desk in short order!

I downloaded the app, but I can't find anything on it other than a map of charge points. How do I get it to make the charger work? Or can I just use my bank card on the charger, without using the app?

If you tap one of the icons on the map then the name and description of the charge location should appear at the bottom of your screen. Drag that up and there will be a list of the charging stations there, identified by a five digit number which you will find either on a sticker or written on the side of the unit. If you tap on the right unit on the app you should then get the option to start the charge on the relevant plug/socket.

Bank cards can be used on many of the big DC units, certainly most of the newer ones and I think they are retro fitting it to many older ones too. I don't remember seeing the option on any of the smaller AC units but I could be wrong.

I have a RFID card and find that the simplest way to get charging. My experience of ev charging from the last year has been that it largely works but could definitely be an easier, smoother more intuitive process. I think we are moving from a phase where the user experience was aimed at techy minded people, who were happy with having multiple apps and systems and work-arounds, to the more a mass market phase where hopefully these things are ironed out better.

Thanks for the replies, very helpful. 

Should, hopefully, be going that way. One of those "do it or we'll make you do it" gov positions. And a pretty sensible one tbh.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/all-new-rapid-chargepoints-should-offer-... 

Whether they're compelled to make it clear that is an option, rather than starting and ending the instructions with "download our app", well, that's a different question

So far it's been shite. The machine won't connect through the app, I have to phone a helpline, they connect me from their end. It's a faff