EV Charging Disaster: Shell Recharge Failures & Zap-Map Inaccuracies

Initial Charging Quest

• 💡 The speaker aimed to find cheap EV charging at 21p per kilowatt-hour at Deepdale Retail Park in Preston, as advertised on Zap-Map.
• 🎯 The primary goal was to locate an affordable public charging option, especially for those unable to charge at home due to high rates or lack of access.

Encountering Offline Chargers

• ⚠️ Four Shell Recharge chargers found outside Starbucks were not listed on the Shell Recharge app and required an RFID card or the app for activation, neither of which worked effectively.
• ⚡️ Another four Shell Recharge chargers near Aldi were discovered to be offline after attempting activation via a QR code, despite being advertised at 25p/kWh.
• 🛠️ The physical chargers themselves appeared unsteady and potentially faulty, contributing to a poor user experience.

Zap-Map and App Discrepancies

• 🔍 The single 21p/kWh fast charger advertised on Zap-Map for Deepdale Retail Park, supposedly