Cycle charge aahhhh

[wurly]

Indeed Flecc
I usually say most ebikers would only require a 'top up' which is of course much less than the figure i(we) are quoting.

I see Neptune's point that we need to be 'singing the same' tune so to speak.
I find when talking amps and kilowatts to people they have trouble understanding, to say a charge will cost no more than approx 10pence is i think a fair assumption.

So far the biggest problem has been where an available convienient 3pin socket is situated. After a little discussion, a solution can easily be found.

 

[flecc]

Yes, sockets can be a problem, provision tends to be minimal in public areas for safety reasons. Got them on trains for commuting e-bikers though!

 

[funkylyn]

Neptune,

Best thing is to ask Paul for some copies of the leaflet he has done from the website,then explain to the potential chargepoints that it will only cost them a few pence in electricity but they will benefit from free publicity on our website and potentially more customers, everyone I have spoken to so far have been very enthusiastic.....if you give them the leaflet to read then the explaining is done for you.
Just remember you arent trying to sell them double glazing/insurance etc.....so they will be so grateful about that they will happily join up...we are doing their business a favour which far outweighs any minute cost to them

After you do the first you will see its easy.
Full detailed instructions on how to register are now on the site so hopefully there wont be any more hitches, but Paul and I are monitoring it closely.....though right now paul has been busy getting the directory live on site.
Let us know how you get on.......and please register yourself as a member if you havent already.

Lynda

 

[Cyclezee]

It ain't rocket science, even these guys can do it, simples

 

[neptune]

Thanks for your help everyone .I have registered as a member on the cyclecharge and sent my donation by paypal . However , on paypal I could not see how to send my name and address , so I sent that to you in a separate Email , quoting the paypal donation reference number . Hopefully you will be able to tie it all together and I will get my card . The Sustrans cycle route 1 passes through here and my aim is to get some charge points along it , as well as a few in the town itself .

 

[morphix]

Just a quick update for anyone who has requested membership cards or charge point stickers/leaflets to promote the scheme....thanks for the postage contributions that's been a big help to keep the costs down.

Sorry it's taking a bit longer than expected to get these out to you.. my printer decided to go kaput at the worse possible time! But it should be sorted by tomorrow and then I can begin sending leaflets and stickers out again.. I thought I'd wait rather than just send stickers and incur two lots of postage. Hope it hasn't caused problems for anyone.

Membership cards are going to take a wee bit longer, so bear with me on those.. prolly have them going out either end of the week or Monday/Tuesday next week. Nice laminated ones!

 

[Cyclezee]

Well done Morphix, you are doing a great job

I am glad to see Trek MK has signed up and that my little adventure on Sunday wasn't pointless.
CycleCharge - The UK's E-Bike Battery Charging Scheme

I would urge other members to print off a few flyers just to carry around and drop off at any suitable business or venue you might be visiting, no need to make a special trip.
There is also no need for a lecture or powerpoint presentation, just a 2 minute chat is all that is required.

This is for everyones benefit and also helps spread the word about electric bikes

 

[morphix]

Big thank you to Wurly for the sterling job of producing leaflets and info sheets on a colour laser printer...they arrived today and look glossy and nicely done! Packs in the post today to those awaiting them.

 

[neptune]

I have just had a thought that may not be relevant , or it could turn out to be very relevant . If you work in an office , or in any job where you use electrical appliances in the course of your job ,These appliances have to be safety tested annually under the PAT [portable appliance testing ] regulations . Any appliance you use at work should have a small green label on it giving the date of the last test. The test is partly visual , looking for frayed mains leads , etc , and may include a high voltage insulation test .If it is decided that chargers need PAT testing, your local Domestic Appliance Engineer will do the test for a small fee [£5? ] and put on the necessary label . If it is decided that this is unneccessary , it behoves us all to at least check our chargers . If the charger has a seperate mains plug fitted , take off the cover , and check all terminals for tightness , and make sure the cable clamp is tight . No frayed cables or busted cases bodged with ducktape . And of course if you build your own lithium battery packs , you need to be sure that they are not going to spontaneously combust .Not trying to be negative , but maybe it is something to think about .

 

[morphix]

Those are very good points neptune, I think it's very relevant. This might be something of a grey area still in as far as does the PAT apply to customers equipment used on commercial premises? And assuming it does apply, do businesses have a legal obligation or is it just a recommendation? I tried to get some answers to these questions some months back from government sources but was unable to get any authoritative answer...and there seems to be conflicting views too from people knowledgeable about health & safety in the industry.

But I agree with the point you make about members being responsible and making sure their equipment is in good order (particularly the plug and wiring/correct fuse rating as you pointed out). Obviously it's not possible for us to approve every charger and battery before issuing a membership card, and although some chargers and batteries are from well known bike manufacturers and will have better safety standards than grey imports, there's not much we can do to differentiate...The big worry is the self-build batteries as you pointed out. Not wanting to knock anyone here who does self-build and I know there's some very knowledgeable people who do... unless you know what you're doing and that your battery/charger is safe..you shouldn't take it into a charge point really... this is the weak spot for our scheme I think.. all it takes is one battery to explode and it would be a major setback and PR disaster. It might even be worthwhile having a rule that self-build kit has to be PAT tested and members have to arrange if they can't do it themselves?

I have put in the Charge Point Info Sheet / Letter which new Charge Points receive under the guidance notes, that any charger or battery which looks damaged or unsafe should not be charged.

 

[muckymits]

The entire PATs thing is a nightmare, as a BnB I can do ours as I am classed as a competent person (ex fitter) but this still is at the local Fire Officers discretion. We have always said but how about all the stuff that guests bring in hairdressing stuff and mobile chargers etc and no one seems to know.

I saw a person testing a plastic cased hoover other week, who had done the 'propa course' he used the testing machine to check the insulation but never checked the plug or unwound the cable to check, competent? He had no idea but had paid his £50 for a bit paper.

 

[neptune]

@Morphix . You make some very good points . If it is grey area it may be left to members disgression . If you are the worrying kind , arrange to take it to your local appliance man and have it tested . Peace of mind for a fiver or so . When I was an appliance engineer , I used to PAT test everything after repair as a matter of course .I still have my PAT tester , but I will not pay £100 to have it recalibrated to just test one charger ,I will phone one of my mates in the trade . Basically , for purposes of PAT testing there are two types of appliance , those with metal cases or exposed metalwork , which must have a 3 wire mains lead[including earth] and the plastic case variety which are called "double insulated " and have no earth , just a 2 wire mains lead . If your charger has a metal case , make sure that all 3 wires are connected within the plug , unless it is a sealed plug in which case you cannot check . A check you should do , irrespective of the type of plug , is to use a multimeter to check that there is a very low resistance connection between the earth pin on the plug , and the metal case of the charger . All we really need here is a very large dose of common sense . Almost all premises are protected by earth circuit breakers these days , so the risks are very small .
@Muckymitts . It is true what you say about paying £50 for the right bit of paper . I am actually surprised that insurance companies dont insist that all the appliances in our homes are PAT tested . Incidentally , it is my understanding that PAT testing applies only to portable appliances , which means anything fitted with a mains plug .So it does NOT apply to electric cookers or indeed BATTERIES . Then there is this "competent person " thing . I ran my own business for 20 years as an appliance engineer . I was self taught , and was informed that there are no recognised qualifications apart from City and Guilds , which are voluntary . My mate who was a self taught mechanic worked for the local crane company . He was very good at what he did , and indeed used to test similar machines for the local council , in his capacity as a "competent person " I think that the legal definition of a "Competent Person " is someone to blame when the excrement hits the fan . . Long live common sense .

 

[morphix]

Sounds like good approach neptune, we'll get something up on the website outlining what you said and leave it to members/charge points discretion.

 

[wurly]

I just wonder how many businesses ask to see a PAT label on a laptop charger before a customer is allowed to plug it in? The PAT label is one of the questions thrown back at me when i first enquired about 'using' someone's electricity socket. (My chargers had one anyway).
I think the whole point of the scheme is to find enthusiastic businesses who are happy to belong to the charging scheme. Those who don't want to, can claim the the reasons being chargers require PAT labels. It is their perogative. Anyone signing up to the scheme hopefully will not be too concerned about it. Bigger chains like macdonalds and weatherspoons are unlikely to support it because of these reasons....and it's their loss, because smaller restaurants and pubs will quite happily welcome those customers if macdonalds and the like won't.
If someone wants to use my charge point, i won't ask to see a PAT label. My place offers free coffee and biscuits too.

 

[neptune]

I am looking forward to recruiting some charge points , and I like the free coffee and biscuits idea , although we can not expect that at all charge points ! Another idea I had is this . Do not forget that when your battery is removed to be charged at a charge point , you still have an ordinary bike . So you need not hang around the charge point for an hour or so , you can use the time for local sightseeing , shopping etc .

 

[morphix]

I just wonder how many businesses ask to see a PAT label on a laptop charger before a customer is allowed to plug it in? The PAT label is one of the questions thrown back at me when i first enquired about 'using' someone's electricity socket. (My chargers had one anyway).
I think the whole point of the scheme is to find enthusiastic businesses who are happy to belong to the charging scheme. Those who don't want to, can claim the the reasons being chargers require PAT labels. It is their perogative. Anyone signing up to the scheme hopefully will not be too concerned about it. Bigger chains like macdonalds and weatherspoons are unlikely to support it because of these reasons....and it's their loss, because smaller restaurants and pubs will quite happily welcome those customers if macdonalds and the like won't.
If someone wants to use my charge point, i won't ask to see a PAT label. My place offers free coffee and biscuits too.

Interesting points there wurly about nationals and local businesses.. others have said the same that the national chains are unlikely to be willing to support our scheme. As you say, their loss. Maybe we should not even try to approach them or leaflet them, and just focus on independent smaller businesses instead. If the scheme becomes popular enough, maybe the big chains will come to us ;-)

The smaller local businesses are more community-orientated anyway and often under threat so need all the help they can. I noticed an unusual initiative is taking place in Bristol where they have produced their own currency to try and keep money in the local economy! The nationals in Bristol won't be supporting that either I expect heh.

 

[Cyclezee]

I can see you are not busy Morphix, so when can we have a map like the Pedelec one or the electric car recharging point map Charging points map UK | Electric car charge points | Next Green Car?

 

[morphix]

I can see you are not busy Morphix, so when can we have a map like the Pedelec one or the electric car recharging point map Charging points map UK | Electric car charge points | Next Green Car?

A brand new site roll-out is planned for later this month or early next month which will include the charge point map and a much better directory with loads of searching and browsing options.. but first we need enough charge points to justify the big investment in time! That's why this month we're focusing on the promotional side... Lynda thought it might be good to aim for a target of 50 charge points by the end of the month. We're already 20% of the way there!

 

[neptune]

morphix , when you say 50 charge points by the end of the month , is that 50 per member , or 50 total ? LOL . My printer is out of action at the moment , but I talked a friend into printing me a few flyers and leaflets . In our town we have two local bike shops . I just called in on the nearest one , which is the more Lycra oriented one . He seemed very keen on the idea . He has a Sakura bike in the window . I know the guy vaguely , and my opening gambit was "I saw this idea on the internet , and I thought of you ." It seemed to work well for me . Another useful tip is , if possible , call on businesses at a time when they are not busy . Being retired , I can do that because I have all day . Cant wait to try some other businesses .

 

[wurly]

Off to Exmoor this weekend to try my BPM motored bike up Porlock Hill, I'll be targeting some more restaurants and pubs. We have got to keep the momentum going to increase the charge points. I hope everyone doing there little bit and handing out leaflets in their area's.