THIS is Britain’s largest EV hub where drivers claim charging is a nightmare and costs more than traditional fuel.
The sprawling Birmingham ‘gigahub’ at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) has more than 180 editions but has been heavily criticised by customers.
The electric vehicle site was opened earlier this year by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, but it doesn’t seem to appeal to many motorists.
Lorenzo Santana, who attended the recent motorcycle show there, told MailOnline: “It’s as undeniable as putting your bank card on the side of a machine.
“To use it, you have to either have an RFID card or an app – and there seems to be a glitch with the app.
“I found out about this place online and it seemed logical to leave the car on charge while we went to the show.
“It’s a lot more than carrying it at home. “
Lorenzo said that when he uses his home charger overnight, he will pay just 6p per kWh, while the NEC’s public charger charges him 69p.
He added, “It’s like fuel. “
His concerns were echoed by Jamie Stevens, who was charging up nearby and said he wouldn’t buy an electric car again if he had a choice.
He explained: “They say the threshold is 25p per kilowatt hour – if you pay more than that, the fuel would be cheaper, and it costs 75p. “
“It doesn’t make any sense, but the company I work for has an EV policy related to corporate cars, so I don’t have a choice. “
And in September, The Sun spoke exclusively to Michael Lawlor, who claimed that the mega charging station was too hard to find.
Michael told us, “It’s a wonderful place, but my navigation formula couldn’t locate it, only Google Maps, and we had to leave the highway heading north to get there.
“It’s a smart concept to have a giant EV charging station like this, but for other people like us, it’s a little out of the ordinary and they struggled to locate it.
“It’s what we want on highways across the country and tucked away in one place. We want more on the main roads. “
However, some consumers at the station told a very different story.
Tourists Julian Wall and Tessa Lock described the NEC centre as “incredible”, adding that they had “nothing like it” in their local Australia.
Tessa continues: “We’ve had electric cars at home for three years now and I wouldn’t drive anymore.
“We live at home in a solarium where we grow blueberries and raise cattle, which means we have been able to move freely for 3 years.
“I like zero emissions and the lack of gears. “
A spokesperson for BP Pulse, which manages charging issues at the site, told MailOnline: “At BP Pulse, we aim to offer fast, reliable and convenient charging for electric vehicle drivers on the move.
“We believe we provide value for money given our fast and convenient locations and we aim to price competitively.”
The Sun has contacted BP Pulse for comment.
NEC Group, owner of the Birmingham venue, declined to comment.
©News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. “The Sun”, “Sun”, “Sun Online” are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers’ Limited’s Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. View our online Press Pack. For other inquiries, Contact Us. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO)
Our bloodhounds try to be accurate, but we make mistakes. For more key points about our complaints policy and to register a complaint, please click this link: thesun. co. uk/editorial-complaints/