EV with real 300+ mile range?
Discussion
LordFlathead said:
TheDeuce said:
matt21 said:
Looking for an electric car that will do 300 motorway miles on one charge. This is for a monthly 280 mile round trip where it would not be convenient to charge at the destination. I know I could charge enroute, but for cost and simplicity would prefer to charge at home.
A new Tesla M3LR or some of the late Model S models have 400 miles WTLP range which I’m sure is over stated. But even in winter will they reliably do 300 miles plus?
Anything else for around £40-45k max?
Thanks!
Th LR Tesla's will do it all year if not driven over 70ish on the motorway.A new Tesla M3LR or some of the late Model S models have 400 miles WTLP range which I’m sure is over stated. But even in winter will they reliably do 300 miles plus?
Anything else for around £40-45k max?
Thanks!
Out of interest do you not stop at all along the drive? There are loads of EV's that would do the journey for the sake of a 5-10 minute rapid charge and quite a few of those would do it without worrying in the least about how you drive/speed etc.
The cost to add 100 miles at rapid charger is £20 and takes ten minutes. Or £240 per year in public charging, for perspective, based on your monthly trips.
The entry model.
If you could pick up a LR RWD then even better.
Mr E said:
For additional reference.
Tesla model Y dual motor.
Today’s milage (ie current drive and since last charge) are all motorway work in borderline ideal conditions.
Lifetime (21k miles worth) on the right.
Today I think I could just do 300 miles on a full battery, but it would be at a very strict 70mph and with absolutely zero margin. I’d be looking for a charger and a toilet 4 hours in.
Wifes Model 3, RWDTesla model Y dual motor.
Today’s milage (ie current drive and since last charge) are all motorway work in borderline ideal conditions.
Lifetime (21k miles worth) on the right.
Today I think I could just do 300 miles on a full battery, but it would be at a very strict 70mph and with absolutely zero margin. I’d be looking for a charger and a toilet 4 hours in.
over her 20,000 miles, she is averaging 211 watts/mile
Super economical.
- And she has 44 miles of motorway every day
blueg33 said:
Seats. We have a new Volvo and they have tweaked the seats for the Polestar just enough to ruin them. The head rest is fixed and pushes your head forward at an uncomfortable angle. It may be ok for other but it gave both me and my wife neck ache very quickly.
A shame because the seats in the Volvo are fantastic
Did the Polestar you tried have the plus pack? The seats have a bit more adjustability than without although wouldn't solve the headrest issue. A shame because the seats in the Volvo are fantastic
I find mine comfortable but based on what I read elsewhere it is a very individual thing depending on your size and proportions. Some complain about feeling a bar across the seat, others complain about legs rubbing on the centre console, others say it is the most comfortable car they've been in. I suppose it shows the value of trying different cars out properly before buying
Wagonwheel555 said:
We were debating the ICE vs EV thing recently when my Wife said she wanted a new car, she was running a 9 year old 330D at that point. Our choice was largely a Cupra Born due to a decent lease deal.
Wife: How many miles does it do
Me: Around 220
Wife: That's not great
Me: How many miles do you get from a tank now?
Wife: 470 or so
Me: and how often do you fill up?
Wife: Once every 2 weeks.
Me: Right so, you would need to charge the Born once a week then.
Wife: Oh, ok then. That seems fine.
Now we have a lovely new Born sitting on the driveway.
and yes, I realise its going to be less than 220 in the winter or if doing 95mph on the motorway etc etc but you get the point.
I get the point and you look to have made a very sensible decision given your circumstances. Wife: How many miles does it do
Me: Around 220
Wife: That's not great
Me: How many miles do you get from a tank now?
Wife: 470 or so
Me: and how often do you fill up?
Wife: Once every 2 weeks.
Me: Right so, you would need to charge the Born once a week then.
Wife: Oh, ok then. That seems fine.
Now we have a lovely new Born sitting on the driveway.
and yes, I realise its going to be less than 220 in the winter or if doing 95mph on the motorway etc etc but you get the point.
However, from what I gather it isn't just driving at 95mph on the motorway that causes an issue - a few pages back it was suggested even 77mph wouldn't help and I can see how that might be a pain for someone doing longer journeys. I'll bet at that speed your wife's old 330d had a range of well over 500 miles albeit she might have used it rarely if ever!
blueg33 said:
Maracus said:
blueg33 said:
Tesla 3 - very poor build quality, awful styling, annoying controls
This gets rolled out a lot.I've just handed my Model 3 back to the lease company after 4 years. There may have been some poorly built ones, but I know mine and another colleague's that went back were no different to any other lease car I've had over the years.
The new one is on a different level. The indicators are also a lot easier to adjust to than I could ever imagine.
The styling is obviously subjective. No getting away from that
The controls that really bugged me were for the heating and directing airflow. Forgot to add that the rear seat was uncomfortable pushing your knees up too high (maybe ok for a short person).
Tesla was not for me, which is a shame as I wanted to like it, it definitely had the best range and the supercharger network was attractive
Register1 said:
Mr E said:
For additional reference.
Tesla model Y dual motor.
Today’s milage (ie current drive and since last charge) are all motorway work in borderline ideal conditions.
Lifetime (21k miles worth) on the right.
Today I think I could just do 300 miles on a full battery, but it would be at a very strict 70mph and with absolutely zero margin. I’d be looking for a charger and a toilet 4 hours in.
Wifes Model 3, RWDTesla model Y dual motor.
Today’s milage (ie current drive and since last charge) are all motorway work in borderline ideal conditions.
Lifetime (21k miles worth) on the right.
Today I think I could just do 300 miles on a full battery, but it would be at a very strict 70mph and with absolutely zero margin. I’d be looking for a charger and a toilet 4 hours in.
over her 20,000 miles, she is averaging 211 watts/mile
Super economical.
- And she has 44 miles of motorway every day
It matters - they are completely different units describing completely different things.
Saying I average 220 watts would be like me saying I average 30 BHP in my petrol car.
And averaging a power output of 220W would mean the car was being driven incredibly slowly - nothing to be proud of
blueg33 said:
I do regular 3hrs journeys without stopping (I never break a 3 hour journey) sometimes at short notice, with no charger at destination. I then often spend a couple of hours at the destination and turn round and do the 3 hour journey back.
I tend to cruise at 77mph on the motorway.
I like to use heated seats, steering wheel and heating etc in the winter and aircon in the summer.
Even though I'm an EV driver myself, that sounds like a text book definition of one of the the worst possibleI tend to cruise at 77mph on the motorway.
I like to use heated seats, steering wheel and heating etc in the winter and aircon in the summer.
use cases for an EV imaginable!
Why not just stick with ICE for the next ten years?
PBCD said:
blueg33 said:
I do regular 3hrs journeys without stopping (I never break a 3 hour journey) sometimes at short notice, with no charger at destination. I then often spend a couple of hours at the destination and turn round and do the 3 hour journey back.
I tend to cruise at 77mph on the motorway.
I like to use heated seats, steering wheel and heating etc in the winter and aircon in the summer.
Even though I'm an EV driver myself, that sounds like a text book definition of one of the the worst possibleI tend to cruise at 77mph on the motorway.
I like to use heated seats, steering wheel and heating etc in the winter and aircon in the summer.
use cases for an EV imaginable!
Why not just stick with ICE for the next ten years?
The bit about heated seats and aiircon etc, that gets spoken about a lot but does anyone really drive around in winter in an unheated car? I haven't seen anyone on these forums saying they do that..
blueg33 said:
I am still on the fence, not sure this thread has helped.
I do regular 3hrs journeys without stopping (I never break a 3 hour journey) sometimes at short notice, with no charger at destination. I then often spend a couple of hours at the destination and turn round and do the 3 hour journey back.
I tend to cruise at 77mph on the motorway.
I like to use heated seats, steering wheel and heating etc in the winter and aircon in the summer.
I don't like SUV's and prefer sporty cars. I have no charger at work.
I have test driven the following:
Ioniq5 - nearly bought one as I like the styling but range isn't enough I think, and I worry that it will date quickly
Polestar2 - too uncomfortable
Kia EV6 - same range issue as Ioniq5
Tesla 3 - very poor build quality, awful styling, annoying controls
Tesla S - very poor build quality and expensive
Audi e-tron GT - I liked it, but range is dire
Porsche Taycan AWD - range poor, exterior styling a bit meh, depreciates fasted than a half chewed donner kebab
Of the list the etron GT was the closest to my requirement but range is not great as far as I can tell
I am trying to find a EV that works for me. I am equally fussy about petrol cars.
Maybe if Alfa could do my Giulia with the same handling and 300+ miles real range and capability for very fast charging then things are looking up
But generally, what I really need is to try an EV for a month to see if it works for me.
You still haven't noted what the bulk of your mileage is made up of...? I do regular 3hrs journeys without stopping (I never break a 3 hour journey) sometimes at short notice, with no charger at destination. I then often spend a couple of hours at the destination and turn round and do the 3 hour journey back.
I tend to cruise at 77mph on the motorway.
I like to use heated seats, steering wheel and heating etc in the winter and aircon in the summer.
I don't like SUV's and prefer sporty cars. I have no charger at work.
I have test driven the following:
Ioniq5 - nearly bought one as I like the styling but range isn't enough I think, and I worry that it will date quickly
Polestar2 - too uncomfortable
Kia EV6 - same range issue as Ioniq5
Tesla 3 - very poor build quality, awful styling, annoying controls
Tesla S - very poor build quality and expensive
Audi e-tron GT - I liked it, but range is dire
Porsche Taycan AWD - range poor, exterior styling a bit meh, depreciates fasted than a half chewed donner kebab
Of the list the etron GT was the closest to my requirement but range is not great as far as I can tell
I am trying to find a EV that works for me. I am equally fussy about petrol cars.
Maybe if Alfa could do my Giulia with the same handling and 300+ miles real range and capability for very fast charging then things are looking up
But generally, what I really need is to try an EV for a month to see if it works for me.
But you seem to be putting obstacles in the way.
That's fine. Just buy the specific colour, make and model ICE car you want and quit worrying about it.
But...
"3hrs" could mean any sort of distance in this country, from 60 miles to 250 miles...though typically IME it's 150-190.
Poor as you note the range is on a Taycan (and in winter when chugging on it can be down around 150 miles)....it pretty much has always done "3hrs" IME.
Charging is super quick and taking a break on longer trips has been a bit of a revelation in terms of being chilled out and relaxed at destination.
(My folks are likely to get a charger soon, having seen my use of an EV and considering one themselves, which will mean my regular long trip needs zero public stops, which will be a bonus).
But we're all different. And nobody really has to worry about it for well over a decade.
We just bought a PHEV for family duty... I think it's making my OH realise how many unnecessary miles she does, and also that an EV would have worked fine.
TheDeuce said:
PBCD said:
blueg33 said:
I do regular 3hrs journeys without stopping (I never break a 3 hour journey) sometimes at short notice, with no charger at destination. I then often spend a couple of hours at the destination and turn round and do the 3 hour journey back.
I tend to cruise at 77mph on the motorway.
I like to use heated seats, steering wheel and heating etc in the winter and aircon in the summer.
Even though I'm an EV driver myself, that sounds like a text book definition of one of the the worst possibleI tend to cruise at 77mph on the motorway.
I like to use heated seats, steering wheel and heating etc in the winter and aircon in the summer.
use cases for an EV imaginable!
Why not just stick with ICE for the next ten years?
The bit about heated seats and aiircon etc, that gets spoken about a lot but does anyone really drive around in winter in an unheated car? I haven't seen anyone on these forums saying they do that..
aircon (or heating as with a heat pump they're sort of the same in reverse) uses around 1kW, and the electronics/ stereo add around 400W. That's the equivalent of 6 miles of range lost per hour of use. It's minimal and you certainly don't have to turn them off to save charge, that's just nonsense.
There was an issue with early EV's with resistive heaters which typically use much more power, but heat pumps are much more efficient.
Even if you are caught in a stop start tail back where you are stationary for a long time, you can keep the heating or aircon going (unlike a petrol car where the aircon stops as soon as the engine turns off, as it must by law when you are stationary.)
John87 said:
blueg33 said:
Seats. We have a new Volvo and they have tweaked the seats for the Polestar just enough to ruin them. The head rest is fixed and pushes your head forward at an uncomfortable angle. It may be ok for other but it gave both me and my wife neck ache very quickly.
A shame because the seats in the Volvo are fantastic
Did the Polestar you tried have the plus pack? The seats have a bit more adjustability than without although wouldn't solve the headrest issue. A shame because the seats in the Volvo are fantastic
I find mine comfortable but based on what I read elsewhere it is a very individual thing depending on your size and proportions. Some complain about feeling a bar across the seat, others complain about legs rubbing on the centre console, others say it is the most comfortable car they've been in. I suppose it shows the value of trying different cars out properly before buying
Murph7355 said:
You still haven't noted what the bulk of your mileage is made up of...?
But you seem to be putting obstacles in the way.
That's fine. Just buy the specific colour, make and model ICE car you want and quit worrying about it.
That’s my take on this too. About the only barrier to an EV which the OP hasn’t used is the need to tow a caravan.But you seem to be putting obstacles in the way.
That's fine. Just buy the specific colour, make and model ICE car you want and quit worrying about it.
An EV won’t work for the OP. They should just get an ICE.
Zigster said:
Murph7355 said:
You still haven't noted what the bulk of your mileage is made up of...?
But you seem to be putting obstacles in the way.
That's fine. Just buy the specific colour, make and model ICE car you want and quit worrying about it.
That’s my take on this too. About the only barrier to an EV which the OP hasn’t used is the need to tow a caravan.But you seem to be putting obstacles in the way.
That's fine. Just buy the specific colour, make and model ICE car you want and quit worrying about it.
An EV won’t work for the OP. They should just get an ICE.
Perhaps that bit of logic was overlooked when the question was posed, so now it's about motorway speed and aircon..
Murph7355 said:
You still haven't noted what the bulk of your mileage is made up of...?
But you seem to be putting obstacles in the way.
That's fine. Just buy the specific colour, make and model ICE car you want and quit worrying about it.
But...
"3hrs" could mean any sort of distance in this country, from 60 miles to 250 miles...though typically IME it's 150-190.
Poor as you note the range is on a Taycan (and in winter when chugging on it can be down around 150 miles)....it pretty much has always done "3hrs" IME.
Charging is super quick and taking a break on longer trips has been a bit of a revelation in terms of being chilled out and relaxed at destination.
(My folks are likely to get a charger soon, having seen my use of an EV and considering one themselves, which will mean my regular long trip needs zero public stops, which will be a bonus).
But we're all different. And nobody really has to worry about it for well over a decade.
We just bought a PHEV for family duty... I think it's making my OH realise how many unnecessary miles she does, and also that an EV would have worked fine.
The bulk of my miles are:But you seem to be putting obstacles in the way.
That's fine. Just buy the specific colour, make and model ICE car you want and quit worrying about it.
But...
"3hrs" could mean any sort of distance in this country, from 60 miles to 250 miles...though typically IME it's 150-190.
Poor as you note the range is on a Taycan (and in winter when chugging on it can be down around 150 miles)....it pretty much has always done "3hrs" IME.
Charging is super quick and taking a break on longer trips has been a bit of a revelation in terms of being chilled out and relaxed at destination.
(My folks are likely to get a charger soon, having seen my use of an EV and considering one themselves, which will mean my regular long trip needs zero public stops, which will be a bonus).
But we're all different. And nobody really has to worry about it for well over a decade.
We just bought a PHEV for family duty... I think it's making my OH realise how many unnecessary miles she does, and also that an EV would have worked fine.
Daily - about 140 miles motorway and fast country B roads
twice a month the trip i mentioned earlier. 320 miles roundtrip with no destination charging, so its 165 miles non stop mostly at 77mph on the motorway and dual carraigeway, 2 hours at the destination to do some work and 165 miles back. I do not usually stop en route
twice a month (varies with little warning) about 300 mile round trip to attend emergency meetings at HQ, normally I find out when I have got to the office which is 60 miles from home. No charging available at HQ (trying to sort that)
The other obstacles are real for me, I am not going to spend £70k plus on a car that is uncomfortable or that I don't enjoy driving.
I want electric to work for me, I don't want to make a large financial commitment and find it doesn't work
Unfortunately in Devon I cannot install a charger (its to do with the capacity of the infrastructure), and its 25-35 mins to the nearest public charger and there is just one charger there, so that is also a limitation. This is why range is important.
blueg33 said:
Unfortunately in Devon I cannot install a charger (its to do with the capacity of the infrastructure), and its 25-35 mins to the nearest public charger and there is just one charger there, so that is also a limitation. This is why range is important.
eek, I am planning on moving to Devon soon and this has me worried. I've done the briefest searching without success. can you link to some info on the restrictions please?TheDrownedApe said:
eek, I am planning on moving to Devon soon and this has me worried. I've done the briefest searching without success. can you link to some info on the restrictions please?
This is specifically North Devon. My house is near Hartland, the nearest charger is in Bideford at a petrol station. Charge maps show another nearby, but they have actually just double counted the one at the petrol station.TheDrownedApe said:
blueg33 said:
Unfortunately in Devon I cannot install a charger (its to do with the capacity of the infrastructure), and its 25-35 mins to the nearest public charger and there is just one charger there, so that is also a limitation. This is why range is important.
eek, I am planning on moving to Devon soon and this has me worried. I've done the briefest searching without success. can you link to some info on the restrictions please?It'll be interesting to find out.. maybe a house with a 60a main fuse and no dno permission to increase it??
But worse case scenario, unless either of you are planning on doing hundreds of miles a day, every day, a plug in granny charger would be more than adequate. If you can boil a kettle without plunging the rest of the street into darkness, you can use a granny charger
@blueg33, did you consider or try a Mercedes eqe? I've had a 300 for a year and find its range very good (pretty much wltp numbers outside of winter). There's even a long range 350+ variant.
Given the large battery, I haven't faced any issues despite also not being able to charge at home (yet).
on top of that, we do 850 mile (1 way distance!) to the in-laws 6x a year and outside of winter, those also work perfectly fine. (we do overnight stop in winter, as 16h is long, and if anything happens along the way, it becomes dangerous at the end of the run despite us sharing the steering wheel.
Given the large battery, I haven't faced any issues despite also not being able to charge at home (yet).
on top of that, we do 850 mile (1 way distance!) to the in-laws 6x a year and outside of winter, those also work perfectly fine. (we do overnight stop in winter, as 16h is long, and if anything happens along the way, it becomes dangerous at the end of the run despite us sharing the steering wheel.
blueg33 said:
The bulk of my miles are:
Daily - about 140 miles motorway and fast country B roads
twice a month the trip i mentioned earlier. 320 miles roundtrip with no destination charging, so its 165 miles non stop mostly at 77mph on the motorway and dual carraigeway, 2 hours at the destination to do some work and 165 miles back. I do not usually stop en route
twice a month (varies with little warning) about 300 mile round trip to attend emergency meetings at HQ, normally I find out when I have got to the office which is 60 miles from home. No charging available at HQ (trying to sort that)
The other obstacles are real for me, I am not going to spend £70k plus on a car that is uncomfortable or that I don't enjoy driving.
I want electric to work for me, I don't want to make a large financial commitment and find it doesn't work
Unfortunately in Devon I cannot install a charger (its to do with the capacity of the infrastructure), and its 25-35 mins to the nearest public charger and there is just one charger there, so that is also a limitation. This is why range is important.
I run an EV and greatly enjoy doing so, but I would say your usage case is weak. If you can't install a charger at home, I wouldn't consider an EV.Daily - about 140 miles motorway and fast country B roads
twice a month the trip i mentioned earlier. 320 miles roundtrip with no destination charging, so its 165 miles non stop mostly at 77mph on the motorway and dual carraigeway, 2 hours at the destination to do some work and 165 miles back. I do not usually stop en route
twice a month (varies with little warning) about 300 mile round trip to attend emergency meetings at HQ, normally I find out when I have got to the office which is 60 miles from home. No charging available at HQ (trying to sort that)
The other obstacles are real for me, I am not going to spend £70k plus on a car that is uncomfortable or that I don't enjoy driving.
I want electric to work for me, I don't want to make a large financial commitment and find it doesn't work
Unfortunately in Devon I cannot install a charger (its to do with the capacity of the infrastructure), and its 25-35 mins to the nearest public charger and there is just one charger there, so that is also a limitation. This is why range is important.
blueg33 said:
This is specifically North Devon. My house is near Hartland, the nearest charger is in Bideford at a petrol station. Charge maps show another nearby, but they have actually just double counted the one at the petrol station.
thanks. We come to Woolacombe twice a year and have often commented on the lack of support and even public chargers; this explains it.Gassing Station | EV and Alternative Fuels | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff