Anyone giving up EV?

[740EVTORQUES]

For long journeys you charge to 100% at home then top up anywhere between 20 and 40% dependent on where a convenient fast charger is.

What you shouldn’t do is adopt the ICE approach of running down to 10% or less and then trying to find a charger as a) the charging speed will be much slower, and b) if you can’t find one you’re in trouble.


It sounds a faff but actually isn’t and you will spend less time charging this way

[SWoll]

740EVTORQUES said:

For long journeys you charge to 100% at home then top up anywhere between 20 and 40% dependent on where a convenient fast charger is.

What you shouldn’t do is adopt the ICE approach of running down to 10% or less and then trying to find a charger as a) the charging speed will be much slower, and b) if you can’t find one you’re in trouble.


It sounds a faff but actually isn’t and you will spend less time charging this way

Depends on you destination and number of charging options. In a Model Y LR 20% could leave you with 60 miles of range, 5 minute of planning beforehand and if there are a number of locations close together to choose from 10% (30 miles) would be fine.

Why anyone would start a 4+ hour drive without having looked into charging options beforehand is beyond me.

[Chasing Potatoes]

Not least because the Tesla will literally work it out for you.

Start the journey with 100% and let the Satnav work it out along with preconditioning en-route.

[cerb4.5lee]

SWoll said:

740EVTORQUES said:

For long journeys you charge to 100% at home then top up anywhere between 20 and 40% dependent on where a convenient fast charger is.

What you shouldn’t do is adopt the ICE approach of running down to 10% or less and then trying to find a charger as a) the charging speed will be much slower, and b) if you can’t find one you’re in trouble.


It sounds a faff but actually isn’t and you will spend less time charging this way

Depends on you destination and number of charging options. In a Model Y LR 20% could leave you with 60 miles of range, 5 minute of planning beforehand and if there are a number of locations close together to choose from 10% (30 miles) would be fine.

Why anyone would start a 4+ hour drive without having looked into charging options beforehand is beyond me.

I haven't lived with an EV granted, but what I'm seeing when I read between the lines, is that EVs are great for nipping about/short journeys. But for doing long journeys/high miles, ICE is still head and shoulders above an EV. However I guess that as time goes on, EVs will get better at doing the distance stuff though(with better batteries/better infrastructure etc).

[Cobnapint]

I suppose you've got to add in charger waiting time as well. ie, somewhere like Cornwall only has one (or two at a push) main routes into it, and I should imagine during holiday season there'll be ever increasing numbers of EVs full of kids and spouse needing a top up.

Is the infrastructure down there keeping up with demand does anybody know? Do irate queues form for chargers?

[Evanivitch]

SWoll said:

Why anyone would start a 4+ hour drive without having looked into charging options beforehand is beyond me.

What I find interesting is that we're literally a generation on from when sat nav became widespread. It was probably 2005-ish? 2010? When separate sat navs became popular and we're quickly replaced by phones.

Until then, actually using a map and writing down directions was the norm.

Even today, apps like A Better Route Planner and Teslas inbuilt functionality do all the planning for you.

[SWoll]

Cobnapint said:

Is the infrastructure down there keeping up with demand does anybody know? Do irate queues form for chargers?

Bank holidays will always be busy, but you cant expect anyone to invest enough to handle that surge for a handful of days a year when the rest of the time they'll sit idle.

The current useful 50kW+ charger locations in Devon/Cornwall.

[Nomme de Plum]

cerb4.5lee said:

I haven't lived with an EV granted, but what I'm seeing when I read between the lines, is that EVs are great for nipping about/short journeys. But for doing long journeys/high miles, ICE is still head and shoulders above an EV. However I guess that as time goes on, EVs will get better at doing the distance stuff though(with better batteries/better infrastructure etc).

Have you completely ignored the posts from EV owners that travel to their places in SE France and Italy?

[SWoll]

Nomme de Plum said:

cerb4.5lee said:

I haven't lived with an EV granted, but what I'm seeing when I read between the lines, is that EVs are great for nipping about/short journeys. But for doing long journeys/high miles, ICE is still head and shoulders above an EV. However I guess that as time goes on, EVs will get better at doing the distance stuff though(with better batteries/better infrastructure etc).

Have you completely ignored the posts from EV owners that travel to their places in SE France and Italy?

And since when is a car capable of 2-300 miles without refueling only useful for "nipping about/short journeys"? That's 4-6 hours of driving in the UK, not a regular occurrence for many I'd suggest?

[cerb4.5lee]

Evanivitch said:

SWoll said:

Why anyone would start a 4+ hour drive without having looked into charging options beforehand is beyond me.

What I find interesting is that we're literally a generation on from when sat nav became widespread. It was probably 2005-ish? 2010? When separate sat navs became popular and we're quickly replaced by phones.

Until then, actually using a map and writing down directions was the norm.

Even today, apps like A Better Route Planner and Teslas inbuilt functionality do all the planning for you.

I've never had a brilliant sense of direction to be fair, but in some ways I miss those days when you used a map and planned your route when you went on holiday. It reminds me of a different time for sure.

Plus EVs weren't around back then either, so that was also a bonus for me personally because of my obsession with ICE. EVs have given me something to moan about though now, and as most of you can gather...I do enjoy a good moan for sure!

[cerb4.5lee]

SWoll said:

Nomme de Plum said:

cerb4.5lee said:

I haven't lived with an EV granted, but what I'm seeing when I read between the lines, is that EVs are great for nipping about/short journeys. But for doing long journeys/high miles, ICE is still head and shoulders above an EV. However I guess that as time goes on, EVs will get better at doing the distance stuff though(with better batteries/better infrastructure etc).

Have you completely ignored the posts from EV owners that travel to their places in SE France and Italy?

And since when is a car capable of 2-300 miles without refueling only useful for "nipping about/short journeys"? That's 4-6 hours of driving in the UK, not a regular occurrence for many I'd suggest?

Obviously I don't know first hand because I haven't run an EV for myself, but how reliable/accurate would 300 miles range be in an EV?

I often read that EVs never get anywhere near the manufacturers claimed range figures, plus I also read that owners of EVs turn the heater off/A/C off to try to improve the range etc. I don't like the idea of having to compromise with doing stuff like that to try to improve the range if you know what I mean?

[740EVTORQUES]

cerb4.5lee said:

Obviously I don't know first hand because I haven't run an EV for myself, but how reliable/accurate would 300 miles range be in an EV?

I often read that EVs never get anywhere near the manufacturers claimed range figures, plus I also read that owners of EVs turn the heater off/A/C off to try to improve the range etc. I don't like the idea of having to compromise with doing stuff like that to try to improve the range if you know what I mean?

That’s all an urban myth.

Most EVs have heat pumps which are far more efficient than old resistive heaters and the power consumption of the heats pumps is only a few percent, likewise the AC. I’ve never thought of turning things off, it adds at most 5 miles of range which is insignificant.

The range indicators are generally very accurate, I’ll happily run mine down to 5 miles left travelling home as I know I can plug in there (it’s not a good idea to leave the battery at a low state of charge, but it’s fine to run it down if you are charging immediately.)

[romft123]

this obsession with 200/300 mile range when 99.5% of your journeys are probably less than 50 is laughable.

[Moonpie21]

I've gone from ICE to BEV to HEV and my next car will likely be a hybrid of some sort probably not plug in. Some of the things that go through my mind by way of rationale:

- I like cars/driving, but the form of propulsion is just a contributing factor and actually I had a Merc A45 for a while and the engine noise got to me (in an unpleasant way).

- I like the environment and have a kid so it's nice to think I do something for air quality, had a diesel a while back for local journeys, wouldn't ever go there again.

- I'm really lazy, I hate planning and I dislike having to plug in every night on the off chance I may need to go somewhere. Petrol is a convenient known quantity that enables adhoc travel freedom, even if charger infrastructure was to catch up I'd hate being told I had to wait somewhere for 30-40 mins or have to stop every 100 miles for a 10 min top up.

- I love the way an EV drives, specifically the I3s I had, heavier EV's are fine too. I just like the serene/push in the back effortless torque.

- The Nissan X-Trail I have at the moment with e-Power e 4orce is actually pretty good, I like the series instead of parallel hybrid as it is closer to BEV. Personally I would love to see the Mazda rotary hybrid become a popular thing, on the off chance a rotary engine makes the ideal reliable frugal generator.

I dare say I am pretty typical for a middle aged family person and probably the thoughts above have occurred to most with commuting family lives. I hope that series HEV's get more efficient and there is more choice, so that I can choose the package that suits me best at the time; saloon, hatch, estate, SUV, pickup or sports.

[Fastlane]

Cobnapint said:

I suppose you've got to add in charger waiting time as well. ie, somewhere like Cornwall only has one (or two at a push) main routes into it, and I should imagine during holiday season there'll be ever increasing numbers of EVs full of kids and spouse needing a top up.

Is the infrastructure down there keeping up with demand does anybody know? Do irate queues form for chargers?

Lots of rapids in Cornwall now, including 8 Tesla chargers in Camborne just off the A30 (there are 16 Tesla multi brand compatible V4 chargers just over the border at Lifton) and 8 more awaiting implementation in Fraddon just off the A30, 2 Osprey in Camborne, 8 BP Pulse in Newquay, every McDonalds has one, Shell at Hayle has several, several in Falmouth and Truro, 2 in Scorrier, 3 at Porthleven, 16 at Cornwall Services etc, etc. Lots of slow chargers too.

There are lots of local EVs down here probably because lots of people have off street parking.

Not seen any irate holiday makers yet.

[Evanivitch]

Fastlane said:

Lots of rapids in Cornwall now, including 8 Tesla chargers in Camborne just off the A30 (there are 16 Tesla multi brand compatible V4 chargers just over the border at Lifton) and 8 more awaiting implementation in Fraddon just off the A30, 2 Osprey in Camborne, 8 BP Pulse in Newquay, every McDonalds has one, Shell at Hayle has several, several in Falmouth and Truro, 2 in Scorrier, 3 at Porthleven, 16 at Cornwall Services etc, etc. Lots of slow chargers too.

There are lots of local EVs down here probably because lots of people have off street parking.

Not seen any irate holiday makers yet.

The rapid infrastructure south of Bristol has exploded in the last 2 years.

[AlexIT]

cerb4.5lee said:

I haven't lived with an EV granted, but what I'm seeing when I read between the lines, is that EVs are great for nipping about/short journeys. But for doing long journeys/high miles, ICE is still head and shoulders above an EV. However I guess that as time goes on, EVs will get better at doing the distance stuff though(with better batteries/better infrastructure etc).

Look, this winter I have driven ~1200 Km (or 750 miles) in 2 days between Italy and Germany, with temperatures as low as -15 °C with the Model 3 RWD.
I have set the cabin temperature at 20 °C, seat heating and steering wheel heating on auto and I stopped with about 10% left after ~180 miles as it was lunchtime and then set off again for the remaining 200 ish miles.
Plugged the car to the slow chargers (22 kW, but the M3 only charges at 11 kW) for the time I was attending an exhibition, left with ~60 % went to the hotel, plugged again for the night, left the morning with full battery, defrosted car, 20 °C cabin temperature despite far below 0 °C temperatures, went back to the exhibition, left in the afternoon, stopped twice on the way for 2 quick top-ups and I was at home.

With an ICE I would have probably skipped one stop on the way back, but overall the trip would have been identical.

I am not saying that an EV can suit everyone, but I am pretty convinced that they are perfectly fine for the large majority.

[KingGary]

SWoll said:

Why anyone would start a 4+ hour drive without having looked into charging options beforehand is beyond me.

Because they are used to driving an ICE where it’s not a consideration? As others have said, it’s an extra inconvenience to have to plan when and where your car needs feeding. Disingenuous to suggest otherwise.

[Nomme de Plum]

740EVTORQUES said:

cerb4.5lee said:

Obviously I don't know first hand because I haven't run an EV for myself, but how reliable/accurate would 300 miles range be in an EV?

I often read that EVs never get anywhere near the manufacturers claimed range figures, plus I also read that owners of EVs turn the heater off/A/C off to try to improve the range etc. I don't like the idea of having to compromise with doing stuff like that to try to improve the range if you know what I mean?

That’s all an urban myth.

Most EVs have heat pumps which are far more efficient than old resistive heaters and the power consumption of the heats pumps is only a few percent, likewise the AC. I’ve never thought of turning things off, it adds at most 5 miles of range which is insignificant.

The range indicators are generally very accurate, I’ll happily run mine down to 5 miles left travelling home as I know I can plug in there (it’s not a good idea to leave the battery at a low state of charge, but it’s fine to run it down if you are charging immediately.)

I do not believe Lee wants the truth. It is much easier to read stuff which supports a particular prejudice. We know that real world range for ICEs is rarely what is stated and likewise EVs. Energy consumption is also impacted greatly by the driver.

What i do find strange is why he wastes time posting anything in a thread on which he admits he has zero knowledge or experience. Why not stick to M4, Caterham or ICE type threads.

As to needing a car that can do 700 miles between fuel stops I do wonder what concentration levels a person would have after at lest 10 hours non stop driving. Personally I think this is fantasy stuff.

[Castrol for a knave]

A long trip just requires a little thought, but it's not really challenging.

I did a 450 mile round trip in an i4 last week.

Set off at 100% (which cost me about £6).

I have membership of the Tesla network, and passed one of the allocated chargers, so grabbed the chance and paid 45p a KW to put in 20% I had used. Took 15 minutes.

I then charged up 30% at Ionity ( my £5 membership per month knocks 18p per KW off) - that took another 15-20 minutes, and got home with 20% left.

I probably stopped for as long as I used to with an ICE car- for a pish and to pick up emails.