My First EV experience.....
Discussion
I've still only had to use a public charger once with my i-pace. It was part of the instavolt network. 50kW and worked perfectly. I found it just off the A1 using Zap-Map. Doing approx 1,000 miles a month and always charge from home. So far all very straight forward and easy. Wouldn't go back to an ICE for my daily hack, but equally won't be selling the 911!
There seems to be a bit of a parallel here with pre-planning on where you can fill up, whether it is working or not, etc as I run on LPG. Despite Shell recently having removed 200 of their LPG pumps, I can still find somewhere on my route, no matter where I'm going, where I can refuel every 200 or so miles. The difference is, if I get there and the pump isn't working, I continue on the remaining gas and when that runs out, flick a switch and use some of the 1/4 tank of petrol I keep in reserve (much like the spare wheel, to be used in emergencies only).
Taking an hour to recharge every couple of hours is just a waste of time and, as noted in the video, just means you are an hour later home than you could be if driving something else. My sister recently bought a Leaf and, despite her expecting me to disown her, I actually think she is the ideal EV owner. She does 4 miles each way to work and a 15 mile round trip to do the weekly shopping. As she said, if they want to go out any distance, her husband has a proper car.
Taking an hour to recharge every couple of hours is just a waste of time and, as noted in the video, just means you are an hour later home than you could be if driving something else. My sister recently bought a Leaf and, despite her expecting me to disown her, I actually think she is the ideal EV owner. She does 4 miles each way to work and a 15 mile round trip to do the weekly shopping. As she said, if they want to go out any distance, her husband has a proper car.
Gilbertd said:
There seems to be a bit of a parallel here with pre-planning on where you can fill up, whether it is working or not, etc as I run on LPG. Despite Shell recently having removed 200 of their LPG pumps, I can still find somewhere on my route, no matter where I'm going, where I can refuel every 200 or so miles. The difference is, if I get there and the pump isn't working, I continue on the remaining gas and when that runs out, flick a switch and use some of the 1/4 tank of petrol I keep in reserve (much like the spare wheel, to be used in emergencies only).
Taking an hour to recharge every couple of hours is just a waste of time and, as noted in the video, just means you are an hour later home than you could be if driving something else. My sister recently bought a Leaf and, despite her expecting me to disown her, I actually think she is the ideal EV owner. She does 4 miles each way to work and a 15 mile round trip to do the weekly shopping. As she said, if they want to go out any distance, her husband has a proper car.
All depends on the EV and journey, I did a recent 400 mile, 7 hour round trip and spent < half an hour charging in total despite it not being a 'proper car'. Taking an hour to recharge every couple of hours is just a waste of time and, as noted in the video, just means you are an hour later home than you could be if driving something else. My sister recently bought a Leaf and, despite her expecting me to disown her, I actually think she is the ideal EV owner. She does 4 miles each way to work and a 15 mile round trip to do the weekly shopping. As she said, if they want to go out any distance, her husband has a proper car.
Rather different to the hour of charging every couple of hours driving scenario?
SWoll said:
All depends on the EV and journey, I did a recent 400 mile, 7 hour round trip and spent < half an hour charging in total despite it not being a 'proper car'.
Rather different to the hour of charging every couple of hours driving scenario?
As discussed on numerous threads, most people using "A Better Route Planner" would. E surprised at how short the stops are needed in a Tesla or 100kW+ charging car. Rather different to the hour of charging every couple of hours driving scenario?
NMNeil said:
I wanted to buy a new Model 3 Tesla, but I can't buy a new one in New Mexico or Texas, I have to drive to Colorado which is too far to be able to drive it home, or buy it and register it in another State, have it shipped here, then re register it 
Yes, because they had the audacity to not use a dealer network, what were they thinking!I don't know who said it first, but having politicians wear their sponsors on their suit would clarify much about decisions like that. (although that one doesn't need clarification)
essayer said:
20-80% on a 50kWh car is not far over 20 minutes on a 100kW charger - good for 120 miles to the next charger or 160 miles to get home.
7x20 minute charges for LEJOG
Depends. Unfortunately most the budget 50kWh cars don't have the ability to sustain anything near 100kw past 50%.7x20 minute charges for LEJOG
Most people rarely do 400 mile journeys so it's not worth paying tens of thousands extra just to get a car that charges a bit faster.
For most people that extra hour or two once or twice a year is worth it for the huge savings the rest of the time, and of course not emitting so much pollution if they care about such things.
For most people that extra hour or two once or twice a year is worth it for the huge savings the rest of the time, and of course not emitting so much pollution if they care about such things.
Evanivitch said:
essayer said:
20-80% on a 50kWh car is not far over 20 minutes on a 100kW charger - good for 120 miles to the next charger or 160 miles to get home.
7x20 minute charges for LEJOG
Depends. Unfortunately most the budget 50kWh cars don't have the ability to sustain anything near 100kw past 50%.7x20 minute charges for LEJOG
Decent rapids at Ecotricity sites on A74M would take maybe half an hour off that. Could have used the ionity at Gretna but not keen at 70-odd pence per kWh
In very cold weather it would be much more charging and I took my wife’s diesel instead for some Edinburgh trips as charging would have been too stressful. And I consider myself pretty seasoned after 56k electric miles in last five years. The truth is somewhere between “everyone should have an electric car it’s so easy” and “I won’t get an electric car until I can drive 700 miles non-stop ...”
It does depend very much where you are travelling. Daughter number two wants to go to Aberystwyth university and mid Wales charging is pretty non existent
oop north said:
Not just “budget”. I did 365 miles in my ipace on Saturday (Preston to Edinburgh and back). No reliable rapid chargers between Gretna and Edinburgh (until Ecotricity get fixed). I charged for about 1 hr 45 minutes - 30 mins at Penrith Booths Instavolt on way up (arrived with 66%, averaged about 33kW - needed to provide good safety margin in Edinburgh), just under an hour at new GeniePoint at Straiton shopping centre in Edinburgh (arrived 33%, got about 40kW speed and it kicked me off at 80% and refused to charge any more) then quick top up at Penrith again on way home.
Decent rapids at Ecotricity sites on A74M would take maybe half an hour off that. Could have used the ionity at Gretna but not keen at 70-odd pence per kWh
In very cold weather it would be much more charging and I took my wife’s diesel instead for some Edinburgh trips as charging would have been too stressful. And I consider myself pretty seasoned after 56k electric miles in last five years. The truth is somewhere between “everyone should have an electric car it’s so easy” and “I won’t get an electric car until I can drive 700 miles non-stop ...”
It does depend very much where you are travelling. Daughter number two wants to go to Aberystwyth university and mid Wales charging is pretty non existent
But then you arrived at 33% and 66% charge. I appreciate you may not have the confidence or the wallet, in some of the other charging options,but you must agree that what you did isn't optimal for journey time.Decent rapids at Ecotricity sites on A74M would take maybe half an hour off that. Could have used the ionity at Gretna but not keen at 70-odd pence per kWh
In very cold weather it would be much more charging and I took my wife’s diesel instead for some Edinburgh trips as charging would have been too stressful. And I consider myself pretty seasoned after 56k electric miles in last five years. The truth is somewhere between “everyone should have an electric car it’s so easy” and “I won’t get an electric car until I can drive 700 miles non-stop ...”
It does depend very much where you are travelling. Daughter number two wants to go to Aberystwyth university and mid Wales charging is pretty non existent
Aber is getting better. I think there's a couple of rapids in Aber, but nothing in the gap between the border!
Evanivitch said:
But then you arrived at 33% and 66% charge. I appreciate you may not have the confidence or the wallet, in some of the other charging options,but you must agree that what you did isn't optimal for journey time.
Aber is getting better. I think there's a couple of rapids in Aber, but nothing in the gap between the border!
There is a whopping great (reliable) charging desert between Gretna and Edinburgh (as in 85 miles with nothing working - I had one trip where a closed road and failed plans B, C and D all caused a lot of stress...), and rapid chargers in Edinburgh are not numerous, they are spread out, (the first one I went to was being used by a taxi) and several don’t work with the ipace. I arrived in Edinburgh with 33% precisely because I charged in Penrith so I would have had a safety margin. Had I not done so I would have been in trouble in Edinburgh if the GeniePoint had not been ok - it was, but it is a recent addition and I hadn’t used it before. On the other hand I got home with 4% battery left, so I don’t mind running it down when I know I can charge at the destination Aber is getting better. I think there's a couple of rapids in Aber, but nothing in the gap between the border!
ZesPak said:
Yes, because they had the audacity to not use a dealer network, what were they thinking!
I don't know who said it first, but having politicians wear their sponsors on their suit would clarify much about decisions like that. (although that one doesn't need clarification)
The interesting thing is that Texas gave Musk all sorts of incentives to build his new factory there.I don't know who said it first, but having politicians wear their sponsors on their suit would clarify much about decisions like that. (although that one doesn't need clarification)
https://electrek.co/2021/03/12/tesla-gigafactory-t...
Now could this be a coincidence?
https://www.teslarati.com/tesla-texas-direct-sales...
NMNeil said:
The interesting thing is that Texas gave Musk all sorts of incentives to build his new factory there.
https://electrek.co/2021/03/12/tesla-gigafactory-t...
Now could this be a coincidence?
https://www.teslarati.com/tesla-texas-direct-sales...
Far from it. They welcome the new jobs, fix some hindering in legislation. Texans can now buy "Texas made cars". https://electrek.co/2021/03/12/tesla-gigafactory-t...
Now could this be a coincidence?
https://www.teslarati.com/tesla-texas-direct-sales...
And not to forget, Texans love their pickup trucks.
I didn't realise Tesla is charging 35p/kWh at some Supercharger sites, and Shell is at 41p/kWh.
When we stop for Rapid charging we tend to add about 50kWh, so thats around £20 verus £5 to charge at home, or even 'free' for quite a lot of Tesla owners with older cars.
Its seems like EVs are really going to increase the wealth gap in the UK. Those who have the luxury of a driveway and can charge at home will end up paying ALOT less for personal transportation compared to those who need to rely on public charging. This cost doesn't even include time lost to finding and than charging at a public rapid charger versus plug in at home.
Surely this issue needs to be addressed really quickly in the next few years?
When we stop for Rapid charging we tend to add about 50kWh, so thats around £20 verus £5 to charge at home, or even 'free' for quite a lot of Tesla owners with older cars.
Its seems like EVs are really going to increase the wealth gap in the UK. Those who have the luxury of a driveway and can charge at home will end up paying ALOT less for personal transportation compared to those who need to rely on public charging. This cost doesn't even include time lost to finding and than charging at a public rapid charger versus plug in at home.
Surely this issue needs to be addressed really quickly in the next few years?
Evanivitch said:
ZesPak said:
Tbh if you look at who doesn't have a driveway, it's almost exclusively city folk.
So people who are already very limited in their car/personal transportation.
Eh? Have you ever left the big smoke?So people who are already very limited in their car/personal transportation.
Obviously they have an interest and very difficult to confirm the claim but if anywhere near accurate there are a huge number of UK drivers that could shift to EV and be able to charge pretty much exclusively at home to meet their range needs?
Gassing Station | EV and Alternative Fuels | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff