263 - The Canopy Episode
About this episode
Exploring the curious absence of canopies at many UK electric vehicle charging hubs, this episode delves into the practical, financial, and planning challenges behind their scarcity. Host Gary shares real-world examples from major charge point operators like BP Pulse, Shell, Instavolt, and GridServe, contrasting sites with and without canopies. Discussions include customer needs, cost trade-offs, planning delays, and accessibility concerns, especially for disabled drivers. The episode also highlights differing industry perspectives and invites listeners to weigh in on whether canopies should be prioritized or if funds are better spent on more chargers or lower prices.
In this episode Gary explores the lack of canopies at electric vehicle charging hubs across the UK.
Despite the presence of canopies at traditional petrol stations, many EV charging sites—especially newly built hubs—lack this basic weather protection.
Gary examines various Charge Point Operators (CPOs) like BP Pulse, Shell, Instavolt, Gridserve, and Fastned, highlighting inconsistencies in canopy installation. He discusses the practical implications for users, especially in adverse weather, and presents arguments from CPOs regarding cost, planning, and customer demand.
The episode concludes with a call for listener feedback on whether canopies should be a standard feature at EV charging hubs.
The EV Musings Podcast is sponsored by Zapmap, the go-to app for EV drivers, helping you find and pay for public charging with confidence.
Links in the show notes:
- Upgrading a Leaf and doubling the range. - Cool thing
Episode produced by Arran Sheppard at Urban Podcasts: https://www.urbanpodcasts.co.uk
(C) 2019-2026 Gary Comerford
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Nissan Leaf
"...s now but many people are 30 kilowatt-hour Nissan Leaf will have been their first 4A into electric vehic..."
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