MDL latest customer alienation.

Volkswagen and Tesco are delivering the UK’s largest retail EV charging network, with free top ups available to all electric vehicles, powered by Pod Point.
If only vw built marinas ?
 
The £400 that Elessar quotes is complete installation for the charging point. This includes a Government contribution, £250 or £300. I don’t recall which. A business will write that down over 3 years, so £135 pa for the installation. Not a lot in the scheme of things. Elessar’s point is that the MDL’s charge is disproportionate compared with other businesses.
 
I'm also an EV driver (well, two actually, we have no petrol/diesel cars now). Our boat is 150 miles from home, which I can do easily one way but not return, on a tank of electrons (or should that be coulombs, my O-level physics is a bit ropey)... so being able to charge at the marina is of value to me. I'm in Swanwick (Premier not MDL). There is an ad hoc EV charging facility open to berth holders, currently free to use but only two slots. I've been advising Premier on how they might expand this to the benefit of berthholders.

Marinas are ahead of the game in that the demands of shore power mean that a chunky AC supply already exists. My view is that the having the ability to recharge at the marina is valuable but it's open to abuse or hogging. There seems to me to be three possible use cases:

1. Turn up. Plug the car in, leave it, and go cruising. The charge rate can be very slow but means that the charging 'slot' is occupied for days or weeks. Might mean every other space needs a charge point.
2. Turn up. Charge overnight, move the car when done, then go cruising. Needs fast charging at 7kW. Need a much smaller number but has to be policed to stop people leaving the car. Swanwick has at least 10-20 EVs there every day now. So maybe 6-10 slots.
3. Turn up. Charge in 60 minutes, move on. DC Rapid or Ultra the only option but only need a small number (?2-4) but again needs policing.

As for costs - I'm happy to pay for the leccy at the same rate as I pay for shore power for the boat, or maybe 2x that for the Rapid.
 
I'm also an EV driver (well, two actually, we have no petrol/diesel cars now). Our boat is 150 miles from home, which I can do easily one way but not return, on a tank of electrons (or should that be coulombs, my O-level physics is a bit ropey)... so being able to charge at the marina is of value to me. I'm in Swanwick (Premier not MDL). There is an ad hoc EV charging facility open to berth holders, currently free to use but only two slots. I've been advising Premier on how they might expand this to the benefit of berthholders.

Marinas are ahead of the game in that the demands of shore power mean that a chunky AC supply already exists. My view is that the having the ability to recharge at the marina is valuable but it's open to abuse or hogging. There seems to me to be three possible use cases:

1. Turn up. Plug the car in, leave it, and go cruising. The charge rate can be very slow but means that the charging 'slot' is occupied for days or weeks. Might mean every other space needs a charge point.
2. Turn up. Charge overnight, move the car when done, then go cruising. Needs fast charging at 7kW. Need a much smaller number but has to be policed to stop people leaving the car. Swanwick has at least 10-20 EVs there every day now. So maybe 6-10 slots.
3. Turn up. Charge in 60 minutes, move on. DC Rapid or Ultra the only option but only need a small number (?2-4) but again needs policing.

As for costs - I'm happy to pay for the leccy at the same rate as I pay for shore power for the boat, or maybe 2x that for the Rapid.
If your advising Swanwick about a decent charging point be reminded that virtually the whole site floods about a foot at least once a year , the charging point would have to be placed in a spot where this doesn’t happen , I hope your batteries are sealed in case your cars parked in a bad spot .
 
Free electricity for cars is not the long term offer…it’s there to get you hooked and once converted the costs will only go one way. I’m happy to pay for diesel for now just like we were advised by the government several years ago as that’s the way forward, It’s all about money now and will have no effect on the environment.
If I could fill my car for a tenner I wouldn’t be moaning about it, there’s no such thing as free…there’s always a cost somewhere.
 
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If your advising Swanwick about a decent charging point be reminded that virtually the whole site floods about a foot at least once a year , the charging point would have to be placed in a spot where this doesn’t happen , I hope your batteries are sealed in case your cars parked in a bad spot .
I think his car has a safe wading depth of 400mm so he may be ok parked in 12” of water maybe not next to a 50kw charger though ⚡️?
 
Mark, hope you’re well mate. I found MDL had gone far too corporate by the time I left them. Take Port Hamble where I had my last boat. Cost me circa £12k per annum, they refurbed the toilet / shower areas and made them too small for clients. In the summer you would queue forever in their unisex members area. Which they made available to charters and those who basically didn’t pay £12k per annum…… just to attract the charter companies and not considering private owners. plus you couldn’t get a parking space anymore. If I was back in the UK I would personally look elsewhere now.
 
I suppose its a case of supply and demand. Whilst their marinas are rammed full, they can charge what they like knowing that if people decide to leave they can always fill their berths. What we need is a recession, not a Covid induced recession but a good old fashioned economic recession to teach these rip off marinas who's boss:)
Mike, I am disappointed that you be suggesting we should have a good older fashion recession . I am not supporting MDL actions in any way , but the boat business needs boom , which is what is happening now, but boat companys ( like myself included in that ) are here to make money at the end of the day , boating should remain a relatively expensive pastime.
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Has the sun got to you or something? Why should boating remain expensive?? So it’s just for the elite? That’s not a very good statement.
No, the suns nice. Its has always been an elite sport I don't know why you would think otherwise.. If you can't afford something, you move on to something or except the outgoings No point in sitting on your 50ft flybridge , then going on about the running costs ,and then expecting other company's, engineers, small business , suppliers or any one else for that matter in business here to make profit , to offset running costs. You don't go into tesco and ask for a discount on a pack of donuts. You except the price,and pay accordingly so it should be exactly the same for the boat business and is not greed.
 
...then expecting other company's, engineers, small business , suppliers or any one else for that matter in business here to make profit , to offset running costs. You don't go into tesco and ask for a discount on a pack of donuts. You except the price,and pay accordingly so it should be exactly the same for the boat business and is not greed.
Really? You're telling me that in your boatbuilding business you just accept and pay your suppliers' asking prices without negotiation or question? Doubt it very much but I may be wrong...
 
No, the suns nice. Its has always been an elite sport I don't know why you would think otherwise.. If you can't afford something, you move on to something or except the outgoings No point in sitting on your 50ft flybridge , then going on about the running costs ,and then expecting other company's, engineers, small business , suppliers or any one else for that matter in business here to make profit , to offset running costs. You don't go into tesco and ask for a discount on a pack of donuts. You except the price,and pay accordingly so it should be exactly the same for the boat business and is not greed.

I have no issue with paying my way and accept that our pastime is not the cheapest thing to do but there is a world of difference between paying a fair price and paying to contribute to someone else‘s inflated profit margin based upon their view of the world.

Perhaps there is a bit of an elite bubble on the south coast but many boaters would not consider themselves elite (I certainly don’t) and work hard in ordinary jobs to be able to enjoy their pastime. To say that we should expect to pay over the odds because it is ‘an elite sport’ is just plain wrong.
 
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