Lotus Charging Card

[aquiss]

So out of the blue, I get a Lotus Charging Card, that advises me to go to the Lotus App and register my card and link it to the Lotus app/my account, so I can use it at 500000 chargers across the UK and EU.

However, as anyone in the UK managed to complete the application in the app? For me, the Register button never lights up.

[C8RKH]

Big headline numbers to impress. Why do companies' like Lotus do it? Because they think no one will ever call it out.

There are 54,000 charge points in the UK (according to Zap Map, Nov 23). I can guarantee that that card will NOT give you access to all of them as they are not all linked to the same systems.

Same in Europe, there are around 535,000 charge points (if you include Turkey) and again, they are not all connected to the same systems so you will not get access to them all, guaranteed.

It will come, but it will take years, as the charging market is currently fragmented with rival "groups" jostling for position and volume.

[Bibs]

Their website does state over 600k across Europe, they're not far off if there are 589,000 currently.

https://www.lotuscars.com/en-GB/lotus-charging

It's a bit strong that they promote it that you won't have to search for a credit card to start charging. There's more chance of you having your wallet/purse with you than this card, which will more than likely be in your wallet anyway unless you keep it in the car.

To be fair, Kia did a scheme with a small discount for a monthly fee but I just charged at home 90% of the time, it's a tenth of the price of public charging in most cases, that was really just for loooong journies.

[C8RKH]

2 hours ago, Bibs said:

Their website does state over 600k across Europe, they're not far off if there are 589,000 currently.

That's total EV charge points @Bibs. They're not on a common access network for payments/registration so it is very misleading. You'll be lucky to access 50%. It's one of the biggest complaints of EV owners, the number of different payment "tokens" they need (cards/rfid/accounts/apps etc).

[Barrykearley]

Charging an electric car in the 10 years I’ve owned them has been a royal pain in the ass unless at home. It properly ruins the whole EV experience - it so should be like petrol filling.

[aquiss]

On 19/12/2023 at 08:21, aquiss said:

However, as anyone in the UK managed to complete the application in the app? For me, the Register button never lights up.

I think this thread went off a journey, rather than really picking up on my main point.

It appears if you're within the UK, you can't actually register the supplied card they have sent in the post. From what I can gather, they are using Bosch backend systems, which are expecting the "county" to be filled in. Only problem is, the county can't be supplied as it's a missing field. Selecting another country, then the form fails of postcode validation as they are using regex checks.

I swear Lotus don't check things before they send stuff out. It's not the first time comms is sent out, but not aligned with reality. 

[C8RKH]

9 hours ago, aquiss said:

I swear Lotus don't check things before they send stuff out

Welcome to Lotus 2.0 - the bold new experiment in driving customers away - "Once was for the drivers...."

[Rambo]

Please Santa, can we have Lotus 1.0 back again? 🎅

[Bibs]

Can we stay on topic please. 

[kabre]

Hi, I'm a new member, just collected Eletre yesterday.  Charge card was provided in an envelope when I collected the car, registering it on the Lotus app was straightforward.  Apologies that that does not help the OP issue, but hopefully it gives you confidence it might work.  However, not convinced as to how useful the card will be given the massively fragmented market that EV charging networks have become!  I suspect it is companies like Octopus Energy with their charge card scheme (which in some cases offers discounts on charging) that are likely to be the main consolidators in the industry.

[Db10mw]

I registered it in the uk. Hasn’t worked on any chargers I have tried in london though !

[Emil Borconi]

Had no problem with registering the card, neither with using it, in NL, DE, AT, HU and RO, however the prices you pay are just way too much, so better get a charging card from one of the providers that suites your daily life and use the Lotus one more like as a last resort thing.

[Footie]

I think until charging station replicate your local petrol station as in you can go to any of them and use your credit card there will remain that concern for many to switch to EV.

That and the fact that few countries produce enough surplus electric to supply the potential number of cars that will flood the market over the coming years.

Personally like most here I charge almost exclusively at home.

[aquiss]

11 hours ago, Footie said:

I think until charging station replicate your local petrol station as in you can go to any of them and use your credit card there will remain that concern for many to switch to EV.

Within the UK, all public chargers over 8kW, will have to offer contactless by the end of 2024. Likewise, charger data (ie: availability - in use, offline, available) also has to be open and public by the same time period (so cars and apps can integrate). Prices also have to be clear before a charge is even started and also contained within Open data (ie: see prices in cars).

[C8RKH]

The contactless requirement is that they can take a contactless payment, but the ability to support full roaming is at least 2 years away, and even then it is unclear what that means.

The market will remain fragmented and disjointed for some time, and the downturn in EV sales and confidence may be harmful to the market in the short term (1-3 years).

[aquiss]

39 minutes ago, C8RKH said:

but the ability to support full roaming is at least 2 years away

As I understand it, that relates to RFID cards from the various partner networks, but I think in the meantime, most people will end up just reverting to contactless for ease of use. For example I've not bothered with an RFID or apps for at least 3 years and I think the path of least resistance will end up being the choice of many. 

[Bibs]

Agreed - I must have had 20+ apps when I had my EV, most of which required a credit to use so ended up just using a debit card. 

[Db10mw]

Depends I guess. You get cheaper rates in london if you get a source network card and can prove you are a resident. 

[Bibs]

Press release out this morning...

Lotus partners with Bosch and Mobilize to give customers access to over 600,000 European charging stations

• Lotus owners across Europe will benefit from charging access on the road with Bosch and at home with Mobilize
• Partnership provides access to public charging stations across 30 European countries including the UK
• Lotus drivers can locate the nearest public charger on Lotus HyperOS, its award-winning in-car infotainment system, making charging on the move easier

London, UK – 19 January 2024
Lotus has announced two new pan-European charging partnerships to support the rapidly growing number of customers taking delivery of its electric vehicles.

The company’s Eletre owners will be able tap into Bosch’s and Mobilize Power Solutions’ charging capabilities, enabling them to charge their hyper-SUV at home or on the move, providing them with further access to easy-to-use, reliable charging. The partnerships will also support owners of the company’s upcoming electric hyper-GT, Emeya, which Lotus will be delivering to customers in Europe later this year.

Through the Bosch charging network, Lotus owners have access to more than 600,000 public charging stations across 30 European countries including UK, Germany and France¹. Lotus will continue to expand its charging network across Europe by adding additional network operators over time.

Drivers access the network with a simple tap of the Lotus Charging Card, and can find all the information they need easily via the Lotus Cars smartphone app. The app allows drivers to keep track of their charging history, manage costs and monitor vehicle battery status remotely.

Mike Johnstone, Chief Commercial Officer at Lotus Group, said: “Lack of charging infrastructure continues to remain one of the biggest barriers to electric vehicle adoption. We need make it easier than ever before to own an electric vehicle, in order to accelerate the transition to electrification and collaboration across the industry is key to this. By tapping into Bosch and Mobilize Power Solutions, we’re able to offer our customers further confidence in owning an electric Lotus by providing them with more and effortless options, wherever they are in Europe.”

Lotus’ electric vehicles offer exceptional charge times to keep drivers moving with minimal downtime. With a 350kW DC fast-charger, Eletre and Emeya can add 74 miles (120km)² of range with approximately five minutes of charge; the same fast-charger can also boost the battery from 10-80% in 20 minutes for the hyper-SUV and 18 minutes for the hyper-GT.

Lotus Hyper OS, the award-winning in-car infotainment system in the Eletre and Emeya, uses intelligent EV routing to help drivers locate nearby public chargers. This feature reduces range anxiety and can significantly cut travel times. The system can even suggest alternative routes based on the driver’s real-time battery consumption – all delivering an optimised Lotus EV driving experience.

Lotus is teaming up with Mobilize Power Solutions to unlock the home as the primary charging location by offering an all-inclusive package which includes the supply and installation of a charging point, with personalised support from ordering to commissioning. Competitively priced from £1,199 including VAT (from €2,155 including VAT), it comes with a tethered cable as standard and can utilise energy generated by a domestic solar array.

Olivia Arago, Vice-President, eMobility Services, Bosch Electrified Motion, said: “Availability of the public charging network is a primary concern for almost half (44%) of potential EV buyers and we are making significant headway to improve access across Europe. We are delighted to be working so closely with Lotus customers to encourage more widespread EV adoption in the UK and EU, ensuring that drivers can readily locate and use our chargers while on the go.”

Nicolas Schottey, CEO, Mobilize Power Solutions, added: “Charging at home is the most convenient way for Lotus customers to get the most from their EV and, thanks to our solutions and this new partnership, that is now easier than ever. We are proud to be the Lotus’ EV installation partner of choice.”

Today’s announcements come on the heels of Lotus’ launch of its own EV charging solutions, including an ultra-fast 450kW DC charger, a power cabinet and a modular unit for charging up to four vehicles at once. Lotus is future-proofing its charging solutions in preparation for when next-generation fast-charging infrastructure becomes more widely available.

Lotus has committed to developing its own charging solutions to support its Vision80 strategy that is seeing the company transform from a British sports car manufacturer to an all-electric global luxury technology brand by 2028.

The company is delivering on that promise with Eletre, which started customer deliveries in 2023. Emeya was unveiled last year, and the company is expected to see it arrive with customers in H2 2024 in Europe.

For more information on Lotus charging capabilities, visit: https://www.lotuscars.com/lotus-charging

[aquiss]

I must admit I gave up with this as I could not seem to register my card. I must see if things have changed later.