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> Every damn thing needs an app (and an account and registration - fun if you don't actually live in the country in question). Seriously just put up a charger and a contactless payment reader. Imagine if every petrol pump needed an app to start? May as well go back to having to put pound coins in a meter...

This actually isn't true. It is law in the UK that every public charger must have a contactless reader on it. Many of them have apps but you don't need to use them.

Your point about the price is very valid though. With the exception of Tesla Superchargers they are extremely expensive. For some reason Supercharger prices range from 12-35p. The Supercharger network in the UK is pretty good, but driving anything other than a Tesla is a nightmare.

I think your knowledge may be a little out of date. I charge my (non-Tesla) EV at Tesla Superchargers and pay 30p/kWh at the excellent Ionity (350kW!) chargers.

There is exactly one Ionity charger for the whole of Greater Manchester, with the other nearest ones being more than an hour drive in two directions.

Not a realistic suggestion for anyone not living in London.

There are 12 Ionity chargers in Greater Manchester, plus 18 Tesla ones. I've used both sets.

You seem to be confusing home/destination chargers and rapid chargers - which is a common mistake for non-EV drivers to make. Unlike petrol, electricity comes to you.

> You seem to be confusing home/destination chargers and rapid chargers

Well, or they went to https://ionity.eu/en/network/network-status or https://www.zap-map.com/live/ looked at Manchester and it listed only one Ionity charger, "Manchester East".

This.

Doesn't really matter, but that's one location that contains multiple chargers.

Of course, very few people that live in Greater Manchester would use a really fast charger like those there whilst in Greater Manchester. Maybe if you're a taxi driver, or caught short somehow? This is the confusion I was talking about.

> that's one location that contains multiple chargers.

It's still one location. If I live in Trafford is easily a 45 minute drive, much worse at peak times.

> very few people that live in Greater Manchester would use a really fast charger

Because obviously we all have driveways and we can leave the car there overnight. Fuck 'em terraces scum. /s

Like many UK EV owners I don't have a driveway either and use a lamp post charger overnight.

Good for you, but I'm pretty sure there isn't a lamppost for every car out there.

Luckily not every car needs charging every day, plus there are extender bollards for the gaps

I wish the EU would do that. Driving in Germany is impossible without one of the charge cards. I really don't get why credit cards aren't mandated to work on all public chargers.

EU is doing that as well now: https://www.theverge.com/23806690/eu-ev-fast-charger-60km-la...

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The regulation also requires that ad-hoc charging payments can be made via cards or contactless devices, without requiring a subscription. That should make it possible to pull over to any charging station from any network and charge your EV without first hunting for the correct app or signing up for a subscription. Operators are required to clearly list prices at their installed recharging points via “electronic means,” including wait times and availability.

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It will take time for all chargers to convert though.

Amusingly in Australia, most car rental companies provide free charging and you can return the car at whatever battery suits. They give you a card to tap, and Tesla Superchargers are probably the most expensive charger you can find.

> Every damn thing needs an app

EU is going to require all chargers to just work with credit cards: https://www.theverge.com/23806690/eu-ev-fast-charger-60km-la...

--- start quote ---

he regulation also requires that ad-hoc charging payments can be made via cards or contactless devices, without requiring a subscription. That should make it possible to pull over to any charging station from any network and charge your EV without first hunting for the correct app or signing up for a subscription. Operators are required to clearly list prices at their installed recharging points via “electronic means,” including wait times and availability.

--- end quote ---

Wow, this is great news indeed! I never really understood how this was not regulated right from the start. But better late than never...

> at 85p/KWh at public recharging points.

Wow. For rates like that it'd be worth making your own public charger. ;)