What they don't tell you about electric cars
Discussion
McGee_22 said:
What do EV owners do if they visit or stay over at friends houses?
A genuine question though - what is the etiquette here?
I never ask, and only once in four years has someone offered (my son’s electrician father-in-law in rural Tuscany). With a Tesla there’s no real need, as there are Superchargers in most places, but for other EV brands with only the public charging network, it could be useful to charge at a host’s place if on a really tight schedule.A genuine question though - what is the etiquette here?
If it were me, I’d bring wine/chocolates/etc well in excess of the value of the few quid of electricity consumed. And ask before arriving rather than springing it on friends once in their own home.
tamore said:
TheDeuce said:
Yep - but the number of things likely to need fixing are less, and we need more time and data to work out the average lifetime cost.
Even so, unless the average lifetime repair cost of EV's proves to absolutely dwarf that of ICE, the ~£2k or whatever the average driver will save each year in running costs is going to more than offset whatever difference there may be.
At the end of the day, EV's are far simpler and more efficient machines, it follows that they will prove to cost less for the same useage. As do digital cameras over film, Spotify over CD's, lightbulbs over cameras etc etc.
was nodding to all of that, then got to 'lightbulbs over cameras'. was that after the last swig of sherry for the night? Even so, unless the average lifetime repair cost of EV's proves to absolutely dwarf that of ICE, the ~£2k or whatever the average driver will save each year in running costs is going to more than offset whatever difference there may be.
At the end of the day, EV's are far simpler and more efficient machines, it follows that they will prove to cost less for the same useage. As do digital cameras over film, Spotify over CD's, lightbulbs over cameras etc etc.
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McGee_22 said:
What do EV owners do if they visit or stay over at friends houses?
We had friends overnight once and they asked to plug their electric Volvo in overnight in order to be able to continue their journey the next day. Next morning the extension cable was warm to the touch and the plug and socket were hot.
After they left it struck me as odd that they didn’t offer any money for the obvious amount if electricity they had gained and I wondered when I go to stay with them next whether I should ask them to fill my car with petrol at their cost
A genuine question though - what is the etiquette here?
My sister came to stay the other day and I bought a Chinese for us and her family - not even a thank you let alone an offer to contribute!We had friends overnight once and they asked to plug their electric Volvo in overnight in order to be able to continue their journey the next day. Next morning the extension cable was warm to the touch and the plug and socket were hot.
After they left it struck me as odd that they didn’t offer any money for the obvious amount if electricity they had gained and I wondered when I go to stay with them next whether I should ask them to fill my car with petrol at their cost
A genuine question though - what is the etiquette here?
It's a people etiquette problem
Personally I have never asked to charge my car at anyone's house, other than my business partner who also has an EV and has used my charger too. There's no point really, wherever someone lives there's going to be a far faster method of charging within a short distance these days.
all depends if you're staying at someone's with an EV who knows the score re time of use tariffs. i've had people use my charger overnight as it's generally cheap (agile), and if i knew someone was doing the same and i was saying at their place, i'd have no problem arranging to charge up on the cheap bit and sort out some beers/wine.
wouldn't ask to plug in a granny charger if i was staying in a house inhabited by those dreadful ICE luddites (joking!)
wouldn't ask to plug in a granny charger if i was staying in a house inhabited by those dreadful ICE luddites (joking!)
I will admit to taking an extension lead to an airbnb I stayed at for a few nights... That was a several years ago now and I don't think I'd bother again - and arguably didn't really to bother then. It was cheeky and mostly down to it being my first long trip in an EV.
Although that was before Putin went on a jolly and the price of electricity shot up. Back then there was actually a trend of some B&B's, hotels etc, installing free to use chargers for guests to take a chunk of the supposedly affluent EV customer demographic.
I'd love to know the posters (whose friends came to stay and nicked their leccy) approx location - what's the betting there are decent chargers within a short drive away!
Although that was before Putin went on a jolly and the price of electricity shot up. Back then there was actually a trend of some B&B's, hotels etc, installing free to use chargers for guests to take a chunk of the supposedly affluent EV customer demographic.
I'd love to know the posters (whose friends came to stay and nicked their leccy) approx location - what's the betting there are decent chargers within a short drive away!
Charging with a granny plug at 3kWh will put in the same amount of charge in (say) 12 hours overnight that you can achieve in 14 minutes at even a 150kW DC charger. It's just not worth the bother. I have a granny charger in the boot as it came with the car, but I have never used it (and never expect to.)
Just stop at a DC charger before you arrive at your friends house and you can be fully charged again when you arrive.
Just stop at a DC charger before you arrive at your friends house and you can be fully charged again when you arrive.
740EVTORQUES said:
Charging with a granny plug at 3kWh will put in the same amount of charge in (say) 12 hours overnight that you can achieve in 14 minutes at even a 150kW DC charger. It's just not worth the bother. I have a granny charger in the boot as it came with the car, but I have never used it (and never expect to.)
Just stop at a DC charger before you arrive at your friends house and you can be fully charged again when you arrive.
Yep. Or just 5 minutes at a decent charger gets you more than enough juice to reach another equally decent charger the following day - if you're tight on time. There is little reason to need to arrive as a guest with such concerns these days! You're visiting friends/family, focus on spending time not running cables Just stop at a DC charger before you arrive at your friends house and you can be fully charged again when you arrive.
TheDeuce said:
I will admit to taking an extension lead to an airbnb I stayed at for a few nights... That was a several years ago now and I don't think I'd bother again - and arguably didn't really to bother then. It was cheeky and mostly down to it being my first long trip in an EV.
I've done it several times and still do it if I overnight. Plugging it in overnight gives me 200km range. The thing I dislike most when traveling is getting well rested in your car in the morning only to have to go out and find the nearest petrol/charging station instead of getting on with the journey for at least a couple of hours.We go skiing to a remote lodge with 2 EV's and a PHEV, we take turns plugging in overnight which keeps the vehicles topped up.
McGee_22 said:
What do EV owners do if they visit or stay over at friends houses?
We had friends overnight once and they asked to plug their electric Volvo in overnight in order to be able to continue their journey the next day. Next morning the extension cable was warm to the touch and the plug and socket were hot.
After they left it struck me as odd that they didn’t offer any money for the obvious amount if electricity they had gained and I wondered when I go to stay with them next whether I should ask them to fill my car with petrol at their cost
A genuine question though - what is the etiquette here?
ask and pay is the only possible etiquette.We had friends overnight once and they asked to plug their electric Volvo in overnight in order to be able to continue their journey the next day. Next morning the extension cable was warm to the touch and the plug and socket were hot.
After they left it struck me as odd that they didn’t offer any money for the obvious amount if electricity they had gained and I wondered when I go to stay with them next whether I should ask them to fill my car with petrol at their cost
A genuine question though - what is the etiquette here?
fatjon said:
ask and pay is the only possible etiquette.
I usually have the opposite reaction. I offered someone in Croatia 20 EUR for charging ~70kWh. They looked at me like I was crazy to pay that much to have an "appliance" plugged
. I don't know what the going rate would be for them, but I'm sure I'd have paid more than 30c/kWh on a public charger 
.TheDeuce said:
My sister came to stay the other day and I bought a Chinese for us and her family - not even a thank you let alone an offer to contribute!
It's a people etiquette problem
Personally I have never asked to charge my car at anyone's house, other than my business partner who also has an EV and has used my charger too. There's no point really, wherever someone lives there's going to be a far faster method of charging within a short distance these days.
What do you call "short"It's a people etiquette problem
Personally I have never asked to charge my car at anyone's house, other than my business partner who also has an EV and has used my charger too. There's no point really, wherever someone lives there's going to be a far faster method of charging within a short distance these days.
Mine is an 18 mile round trip.
monkfish1 said:
TheDeuce said:
My sister came to stay the other day and I bought a Chinese for us and her family - not even a thank you let alone an offer to contribute!
It's a people etiquette problem
Personally I have never asked to charge my car at anyone's house, other than my business partner who also has an EV and has used my charger too. There's no point really, wherever someone lives there's going to be a far faster method of charging within a short distance these days.
What do you call "short"It's a people etiquette problem
Personally I have never asked to charge my car at anyone's house, other than my business partner who also has an EV and has used my charger too. There's no point really, wherever someone lives there's going to be a far faster method of charging within a short distance these days.
Mine is an 18 mile round trip.
There can hardly ever be a need to spend several hours charging at a friend's house Vs 10 minutes at a rapid charger on the journey. That's not to say there's anything wrong with charging at someone else's house if it does make most sense - but definitely ask nicely and offer payment!
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/cars/news/demand-for-ele...
The Telegraph yesterday: Demand for electric cars slows sharply as customers revert to petrol
The Telegraph yesterday: Demand for electric cars slows sharply as customers revert to petrol
G-wiz said:
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/cars/news/demand-for-ele...
The Telegraph yesterday: Demand for electric cars slows sharply as customers revert to petrol
Excuses to publish a telegraph article are always tough to justify. But specifically in this instance, how do think it relates to this thread or what was currently being discussed on this thread?The Telegraph yesterday: Demand for electric cars slows sharply as customers revert to petrol
TheDeuce said:
G-wiz said:
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/cars/news/demand-for-ele...
The Telegraph yesterday: Demand for electric cars slows sharply as customers revert to petrol
Excuses to publish a telegraph article are always tough to justify. But specifically in this instance, how do think it relates to this thread or what was currently being discussed on this thread?The Telegraph yesterday: Demand for electric cars slows sharply as customers revert to petrol
Any discussion just attracts people dying to tell you all the negatives, like Harry Enfield.
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