EV car when no option to charge at home
Discussion
Am I mad?
Currently have an E43 - looking at an EQE 500 - similar power.
Given the cost of petrol these days I'm looking in to maybe getting an EV. The catch is I only have on street parking, I live in a conservation area so can't change the front garden to a drive way (it's also too short) - I do have a lock up off a lane about 50m away but it doesn't have any power (though power could be installed for around £1500) I probably couldn't get the car in the lock up easily due to the width of the lane it is in - I could run a cable and park on the main lane where I've marked in red on the attached sheet (my lock up is the one with the dashed green line)
There are a couple of slow chargers in streets nearby, these are 26p KWh and 56p a kWh and are normally free during the day. I work from home so there's no commute. I do do a lot of little journeys though running kids and parents about.
We do travel as a family to Europe by car - petrol prices are astronomical there, whilst EV charging isn't too bad, especially if I take a subscription out with the manufacturer.
Has anyone else managed without a home charger?
Currently have an E43 - looking at an EQE 500 - similar power.
Given the cost of petrol these days I'm looking in to maybe getting an EV. The catch is I only have on street parking, I live in a conservation area so can't change the front garden to a drive way (it's also too short) - I do have a lock up off a lane about 50m away but it doesn't have any power (though power could be installed for around £1500) I probably couldn't get the car in the lock up easily due to the width of the lane it is in - I could run a cable and park on the main lane where I've marked in red on the attached sheet (my lock up is the one with the dashed green line)
There are a couple of slow chargers in streets nearby, these are 26p KWh and 56p a kWh and are normally free during the day. I work from home so there's no commute. I do do a lot of little journeys though running kids and parents about.
We do travel as a family to Europe by car - petrol prices are astronomical there, whilst EV charging isn't too bad, especially if I take a subscription out with the manufacturer.
Has anyone else managed without a home charger?
I like EVs, I have one and about to get another, but I don't think "the high cost of petrol" is a compelling reason to switch for someone relying on public charging. The lower your mileage the less the saving, the higher your mileage the greater the hassle of ensuring you're charged up. Also, the hit you take on purchase Vs sale of something like an eqe is going to take a lot of clawing back, if it's really about saving money.
barryrs said:
One thing to consider is that if you were to get a new supply in the lock up, it won t be considered domestic but commercial and the standing charge is much higher. This could make a real difference to your costs over a year.
I hadn't thought of that, it wasn't mentioned when I spoke to SSEN about a new supply though. occasionalranter said:
I like EVs, I have one and about to get another, but I don't think "the high cost of petrol" is a compelling reason to switch for someone relying on public charging. The lower your mileage the less the saving, the higher your mileage the greater the hassle of ensuring you're charged up. Also, the hit you take on purchase Vs sale of something like an eqe is going to take a lot of clawing back, if it's really about saving money.
I'd be buying a second hand EV if I was to go down this route.We probably do around 10-12k a year, and given my current car gets 15-20 mpg in town (30 - 35 on the motorway) that's a lot of petrol to purchase. Now I could get a different petrol car - but where is the fun in that.
We can charge at the big Tesco when we do the shopping,
These are the figures I came up with.
Suspicious_user said:
Am I mad?
Currently have an E43 - looking at an EQE 500 - similar power.
Given the cost of petrol these days I'm looking in to maybe getting an EV. The catch is I only have on street parking, I live in a conservation area so can't change the front garden to a drive way (it's also too short) - I do have a lock up off a lane about 50m away but it doesn't have any power (though power could be installed for around £1500) I probably couldn't get the car in the lock up easily due to the width of the lane it is in - I could run a cable and park on the main lane where I've marked in red on the attached sheet (my lock up is the one with the dashed green line)
There are a couple of slow chargers in streets nearby, these are 26p KWh and 56p a kWh and are normally free during the day. I work from home so there's no commute. I do do a lot of little journeys though running kids and parents about.
We do travel as a family to Europe by car - petrol prices are astronomical there, whilst EV charging isn't too bad, especially if I take a subscription out with the manufacturer.
Has anyone else managed without a home charger?
If you work from home what mileage do you? I work around a mileage of 6000 a year and that would be roughly £100 petrol (diesel around £90) month an EV at a typical fast charger would work out at £70 a month. So it's not really worth paying for a subscription on top. Currently have an E43 - looking at an EQE 500 - similar power.
Given the cost of petrol these days I'm looking in to maybe getting an EV. The catch is I only have on street parking, I live in a conservation area so can't change the front garden to a drive way (it's also too short) - I do have a lock up off a lane about 50m away but it doesn't have any power (though power could be installed for around £1500) I probably couldn't get the car in the lock up easily due to the width of the lane it is in - I could run a cable and park on the main lane where I've marked in red on the attached sheet (my lock up is the one with the dashed green line)
There are a couple of slow chargers in streets nearby, these are 26p KWh and 56p a kWh and are normally free during the day. I work from home so there's no commute. I do do a lot of little journeys though running kids and parents about.
We do travel as a family to Europe by car - petrol prices are astronomical there, whilst EV charging isn't too bad, especially if I take a subscription out with the manufacturer.
Has anyone else managed without a home charger?
The price range difference is marginal at £30.
I am in a similar position, conservation area, on street parking only. What kills it, is the dearth of any decent fast chargers. I expect the charging to improve in the next few years, but not immediately.
The issue of the charging point in the lock up is correct. In a separate installation we have tried to get a second electricity feed into the other end of our church, and we have been told it will be regarded as a separate supply with the added fixed day rate that comes with that.
The issue of the charging point in the lock up is correct. In a separate installation we have tried to get a second electricity feed into the other end of our church, and we have been told it will be regarded as a separate supply with the added fixed day rate that comes with that.
ashenfie said:
If you work from home what mileage do you? I work around a mileage of 6000 a year and that would be roughly £100 petrol (diesel around £90) month an EV at a typical fast charger would work out at £70 a month. So it's not really worth paying for a subscription on top.
The price range difference is marginal at £30.
We do about 10000 - 12000 a year, judging by the MOTs over the last 4 years, we drive to Europe at least once a year. We do 250 mile round trips at least every fortnight. The price range difference is marginal at £30.
A typical month would be
Daily runs to kids activities in the evenings
every other day - Tesco for shopping
Weekly drives to the country 120 - 150 mile round trip
Fortnightly drives to other big cities 250 mile round trip
Winter - drive to Austria or Italy for skiing 2500 mile round trip.
Which is why the current estate is just brilliant does everything superbly, except fuel efficiency in town. I'm not adverse to keeping a petrol car, I'm just exploring alternatives, and appreciate the input.
Well that is definitely doable with an EV, and your fuel cost calculations seem fair, I just think you need to decide whether you want a change of car anyway. If you don't, then the transaction costs /spreads could outweigh a few years worth of fuel savings.
Also, do you see yourself moving home within the next 3 years or so ?
Also, do you see yourself moving home within the next 3 years or so ?
occasionalranter said:
Well that is definitely doable with an EV, and your fuel cost calculations seem fair, I just think you need to decide whether you want a change of car anyway. If you don't, then the transaction costs /spreads could outweigh a few years worth of fuel savings.
Also, do you see yourself moving home within the next 3 years or so ?
Yes. I was looking at changing the current car. It’s done 73k and out of warranty So now a little concerned about something big going wrong. Also, do you see yourself moving home within the next 3 years or so ?
Wouldn’t be moving in the next 3 years. We’re in a great school catchment area.
I think the slow chargers in the street nearby are your friend. You can charge at these overnight, and often that type of charger is cheaper overnight.
I just posted elsewhere that I'm about to move from a house with drive and garage in the sticks to London, and am considering houses without driveways or off street parking. I'm already an EV convert. I think the profusion of slow chargers in the neighbourhood I'm looking at will do me fine and still be a significant saving over petrol.
I've been an EV driver for 9 years, and have used public chargers a limited amount.
I just posted elsewhere that I'm about to move from a house with drive and garage in the sticks to London, and am considering houses without driveways or off street parking. I'm already an EV convert. I think the profusion of slow chargers in the neighbourhood I'm looking at will do me fine and still be a significant saving over petrol.
I've been an EV driver for 9 years, and have used public chargers a limited amount.
Suspicious_user said:
barryrs said:
One thing to consider is that if you were to get a new supply in the lock up, it won t be considered domestic but commercial and the standing charge is much higher. This could make a real difference to your costs over a year.
I hadn't thought of that, it wasn't mentioned when I spoke to SSEN about a new supply though. I just checked and EDF are £2 a day for a small business connection now!!
barryrs said:
One thing to consider is that if you were to get a new supply in the lock up, it won t be considered domestic but commercial and the standing charge is much higher. This could make a real difference to your costs over a year.
OP is calling it 'a lock-up', but it might actually just be a garage in a separate block, a short distance from the houses. That style of estate was quite common in the 1970s. If it's really just a garage, would it still be classed as commercial supply? To me, 'a lock-up' is more like a small building in a industrial estate, and typically rather larger than a domestic garage.mikey_b said:
OP is calling it 'a lock-up', but it might actually just be a garage in a separate block, a short distance from the houses. That style of estate was quite common in the 1970s. If it's really just a garage, would it still be classed as commercial supply? To me, 'a lock-up' is more like a small building in a industrial estate, and typically rather larger than a domestic garage.
You mean like Arfur's lockup?mikey_b said:
barryrs said:
One thing to consider is that if you were to get a new supply in the lock up, it won t be considered domestic but commercial and the standing charge is much higher. This could make a real difference to your costs over a year.
OP is calling it 'a lock-up', but it might actually just be a garage in a separate block, a short distance from the houses. That style of estate was quite common in the 1970s. If it's really just a garage, would it still be classed as commercial supply? To me, 'a lock-up' is more like a small building in a industrial estate, and typically rather larger than a domestic garage.26p/kWh is still going to be a fraction of the cost of running a petrol car if you can reliably access that charger.
Another option might be to look at whether a PHEV suites your mileage profile. They're a very good solution to a specific use case that doesn't fit everyone, ie doing regular short urban journeys with occasional longer journeys where you might not want or be able to charge.
Looking at your mileages you mentioned
With the battery depleted they run as a hybrid so do pretty decent fuel economy (I get 45-50mpg from a 2 tonne SUV), you have the instant pickup of an EV, and you generally get more power (mine has about 25% more power than the non plug in, some brands take it a lot further, a Volvo T8 has bout 50% more power than the mild hybrid version), and certainly in Toyota's case the drive train is less complicated and more reliable than a petrol automatic.
They're definitely not for everyone but great at what they do.
Another option might be to look at whether a PHEV suites your mileage profile. They're a very good solution to a specific use case that doesn't fit everyone, ie doing regular short urban journeys with occasional longer journeys where you might not want or be able to charge.
Looking at your mileages you mentioned
Suspicious_user said:
Daily runs to kids activities in the evenings - electric
every other day - Tesco for shopping - electric
Weekly drives to the country 120 - 150 mile round trip - 50/50 electric/petrol
Fortnightly drives to other big cities 250 mile round trip - electric for the urban bits at either end and petrol for main roads in the middle
Winter - drive to Austria or Italy for skiing 2500 mile round trip. - petrol to get there and use local chargers for any local driving once you're there
My NX claims to do about 80km on electric, and the reality is pretty close to that for town driving, but drops at motorway speeds. The majority of our day to day mileage is covered by the electric, and for longer journeys I have the petrol. However obviously you need access to the charger a lot more often to take advantage.every other day - Tesco for shopping - electric
Weekly drives to the country 120 - 150 mile round trip - 50/50 electric/petrol
Fortnightly drives to other big cities 250 mile round trip - electric for the urban bits at either end and petrol for main roads in the middle
Winter - drive to Austria or Italy for skiing 2500 mile round trip. - petrol to get there and use local chargers for any local driving once you're there
With the battery depleted they run as a hybrid so do pretty decent fuel economy (I get 45-50mpg from a 2 tonne SUV), you have the instant pickup of an EV, and you generally get more power (mine has about 25% more power than the non plug in, some brands take it a lot further, a Volvo T8 has bout 50% more power than the mild hybrid version), and certainly in Toyota's case the drive train is less complicated and more reliable than a petrol automatic.
They're definitely not for everyone but great at what they do.
mikey_b said:
OP is calling it 'a lock-up', but it might actually just be a garage in a separate block, a short distance from the houses. That style of estate was quite common in the 1970s. If it's really just a garage, would it still be classed as commercial supply? To me, 'a lock-up' is more like a small building in an industrial estate, and typically rather larger than a domestic garage.
Anything that isn’t a house will be classified as commercial unfortunately Suspicious_user said:
I'd be buying a second hand EV if I was to go down this route.
We probably do around 10-12k a year, and given my current car gets 15-20 mpg in town (30 - 35 on the motorway) that's a lot of petrol to purchase. Now I could get a different petrol car - but where is the fun in that.
We can charge at the big Tesco when we do the shopping,
These are the figures I came up with.
Do check what sort of chargers Tesco have. Our closest 'superstore' only have slow AC chargers, so you wouldn't get much of a fill from them.We probably do around 10-12k a year, and given my current car gets 15-20 mpg in town (30 - 35 on the motorway) that's a lot of petrol to purchase. Now I could get a different petrol car - but where is the fun in that.
We can charge at the big Tesco when we do the shopping,
These are the figures I came up with.
After four years with an EV & no home charging:
As long as you can charge during one of your routine stops (shopping, gym, movies,...), the local driving is not really a problem. Barring extreme weather (or orchid-like constitution that has zero-tolerance for temperature variations), your city-driving range is about 180% of WLTP. So you can typically drive 15-20 hours in the city and still have enough charge to reach the next fast charger on longer trips - and from then on the long-distance travel is easy (at least on the Continent).
There's also much less wear and tear caused by actually using the "similar power":
Actually accelerating a 5-second ICE car from rest to 60 in under 6 seconds seems to mean faffing around the menus, stomping the accelerator to the floor, and waiting for the revs to rise before releasing the brake (or, in the old days, releasing the clutch and quick prayer for the health of the friction surfaces). A 5-second EV will be at 60 in under 6 seconds from the moment the safe opportunity and immaturity collide, and does it discreetly.
As long as you can charge during one of your routine stops (shopping, gym, movies,...), the local driving is not really a problem. Barring extreme weather (or orchid-like constitution that has zero-tolerance for temperature variations), your city-driving range is about 180% of WLTP. So you can typically drive 15-20 hours in the city and still have enough charge to reach the next fast charger on longer trips - and from then on the long-distance travel is easy (at least on the Continent).
There's also much less wear and tear caused by actually using the "similar power":
Actually accelerating a 5-second ICE car from rest to 60 in under 6 seconds seems to mean faffing around the menus, stomping the accelerator to the floor, and waiting for the revs to rise before releasing the brake (or, in the old days, releasing the clutch and quick prayer for the health of the friction surfaces). A 5-second EV will be at 60 in under 6 seconds from the moment the safe opportunity and immaturity collide, and does it discreetly.
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