Vehicle infrastructure

17 - 25 October 2020

Way-hey!!  Lefkada has got an electric vehicle charging point!!  This is big news - given that we have the only electric car on the island.  It must have been required by law: while the authorities were putting in boat charge points, they have had to throw this in as an extra.  

 Anyway, it made us very excited, so we set out to have a go at charging from it, and writing it up on the 'Plugshare' App to inform other EV drivers.  At the charge point, we found that it required a pre-paid card, which the notices said were available at 'the kiosk' or at the town hall.  We asked at the tobacco and sweets kiosk but he knew nothing, and we eventually established that it was the tourist information kiosk that was meant.  That kiosk is usually unstaffed from September through to May.

So we went to the town hall.  As it was 3pm, there was no-one there.  We did find the payment window, and a small note saying the cards were available there, but they only open in the morning, and as all other municipal payments are made in the same place it could be a long wait for a card.

Discouraged we returned to Nydri - uncharged.  While sitting in Elite cafe some days later we noticed that the boat charge points on Nydri quay required the same card.  We asked questions until we found out the cards were available from a chandlers on the high street.  No queue.  We bought a 20 euro card.

Next day we went back to Lefkas and after some fumbling - one of the plugs didn't work - we managed to get an electric current flowing into the car.  Hurrah!  We went for lunch to celebrate.  I wouldn't like to be desperate for a charge and reliant on this system, though.  It hasn't been thought out.

Success!  Our car charging at a municipal station on Lefkas quay.

Meanwhile, Dave has been replacing all the spokes in the back wheel of his E-bike, as they had started to ping out.

And on the subject of infrastructure, if not vehicles - the time to sweep the chimney has come round again (to my dismay).  Once we start the process, I can't take photos, because there is too much soot, on hands and clothes and brushes.  We have to take the bottom section of chimney off, and it is always a bit stuck and tricky to work.  But it went okay, and we are set up for another season of heat and cooking, if the weather ever cools down.