The Purchase

Posted on 24/03/2014 by stevenbarrett23

After much clicking of our calculator we finally decided it was financially viable to part exchange our PCP Mercedes C200 for a PCP Nissan Leaf Tekna as Nissan didnt treat us as idiots, offered a decent settlement on the Merc and a cracking monthly deal on this top of the range motor. So the paperwork has been signed and hopefully we should become the very proud owners of an electric vehicle by the end of the month. Armed with this info I thought we needed to do a recce of some of our favourite weekend haunts. So Sunday morning off we drove in our ICE (internal  combustion engine) Golf up to Birstall Retail Park.We arrived very early and took a ride around all three levels of IKEA, nothing, then a good run around the main parking lot including M&S again nothing. I had a chat with the security guys who looked very puzzeled but assured me there isnt any charging on site. I have emailed the site owners and discovered that IKEA are scheduled to get chargers but not the main site so I guess we will have to change our weekend shopping to somewhere more EV friendly. Continuing our trek we got onto the M62 and headed up to Hartshead Moor Services, no chargers. I asked to see the duty manager but he / she was too busy to speak to me in person I was told that they may be getting some chargers soon, they may be getting some sales out of me soon too !.

Missing out on a a cuppa we headed off to

Birch Services. We already knew they didnt have chargers East bound but we thought it was worth a punt West bound, surprise, surprise, nothing !. Continuing on we got to The Trafford Centre and scoped out the EV chargers. On returning home I emailed GMEV, Greater Manchester Electric Vehicles who replied today and told me how to buy an RFID card so we can use these chargers I have now parted with ten quid online and expect a card soon. Unlike Ecotricity it looks like GMEV charge to charge up but the GM area is littered with charging points, unlike Leeds, Bradford & Halifax. Just Nissan & Sainsbury in Halifax which brings me nicely onto my next point ………

About stevenbarrett23

I run a telephone & computer supply and maintenance business, mainly VoIP, traditional phone systems & Cloud office systems. www.portelav.co.uk. I've been with the Company since 1981 so pre-mobiles pre-PC's. We are very keen on reducing our own and other businesses carbon output so we all work from home. The EV is just the next logical step towards being carbon neutral both in business and personally. Your kids will be thanking us for leaving a bit of the Planet for them once we push off !
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