Polestar 2

[Pixelpeep Electric]

ZesPak said:

James6112 said:

Sounds a real faff
I’ll stick with the 2014 Skoda diesel (700 mile range/£30 a year car tax) until the EV compromises are resolved..

Had one of those.
Wasted 20 min of my life (and about 100 EUR) every week to fill it up. A real faff.

Right faff paying congestion charge, ULEZ, defrosting in the morning, killing small rabbits with the NOx spewing from the tailpipe and cleaning the oil drops from your driveway every few weeks.

Not to mention having to wait behind slower moving tractors on single lane roads, waiting for a suitable mile long straight with no oncoming cars in order to overtake.

What a faff

[8bit]

EddieSteadyGo said:

8bit said:

Why would a Tesla be any better in that regard? Surely it can only charge as fast as the charger can supply power? It was said on this very thread that the Tesla charger network is opening up to other brands too.

My point was really that you don't need to use the public charging network if you have a Tesla. And I personally wouldn't rely on using the Tesla network for non-Teslas. Yes, it's possible, but it's also limited in terms of locations. And the whole point of Tesla building its own network was about selling more Tesla cars. So it doesn't make sense from their perspective to dilute the experience of Tesla owners, and give up one of their USPs, to properly upon up their network in order to get a few extra pounds of charging revenue.

It might open up faster in the US, as Tesla want to make sure they get the massive new federal tax incentives (which are hugely beneficial to Tesla in the US). But apart from that, I think you will see token gestures from Tesla rather than wholehearted commitment to open up their chargers.

Are you saying you don't need third-party (i.e. non-Tesla) charging network when you have a Tesla, or just don't need to charge it when you're out and about at all, presumably because they have greater range than other EVs?

In our case the reality is this is not likely to cause us significant hassle as we only maybe do one or two trips in a year where we'd be at all likely to trouble the max real-world range of the Standard Range, Single Motor P2 we have coming this year, just curious to know more about how the different charging options work so we're prepared if/when we need it.

[dgswk]

ZesPak said:

Had one of those.
Wasted 20 min of my life (and about 100 EUR) every week to fill it up. A real faff.

Same here, diesel Audi A6 Saloon, previously, doing a similar 25k miles a year. Hateful thing, I'd never go back.

[TheRainMaker]

ajap1979 said:

James6112 said:

Sounds a real faff
I’ll stick with the 2014 Skoda diesel (700 mile range/£30 a year car tax) until the EV compromises are resolved..

Anything can be a faff… if you make a faff of it.

I regularly make 300 mile round trips to visit my parents and I’ve not once had an experience where I’ve felt that charging has impacted on my journey. You’ve just got to know how to do it.

I'm calling BS on that unless you are stopping overnight.

My Polestar this month is averaging 43.8 kWh/100mi which gives me a total range of 168 miles from full to flat.

You would be looking at adding 1 hour of charge time minimum on a 150kW charger to complete a 300-mile round journey.

So unless you have a 150kW charger right next to your folks' house, which most people won't I can't see how you can say charging hasn't impacted on your journey.

Today my average was 56.6 kWh/100mi as it has snowed etc, that gives me a total range 125 miles, this is the long range twin motor.

[Flooble]

TheRainMaker said:

ajap1979 said:

James6112 said:

Sounds a real faff
I’ll stick with the 2014 Skoda diesel (700 mile range/£30 a year car tax) until the EV compromises are resolved..

Anything can be a faff… if you make a faff of it.

I regularly make 300 mile round trips to visit my parents and I’ve not once had an experience where I’ve felt that charging has impacted on my journey. You’ve just got to know how to do it.

I'm calling BS on that unless you are stopping overnight.

My Polestar this month is averaging 43.8 kWh/100mi which gives me a total range of 168 miles from full to flat.

You would be looking at adding 1 hour of charge time minimum on a 150kW charger to complete a 300-mile round journey.

So unless you have a 150kW charger right next to your folks' house, which most people won't I can't see how you can say charging hasn't impacted on your journey.

Today my average was 56.6 kWh/100mi as it has snowed etc, that gives me a total range 125 miles, this is the long range twin motor.

The key word there is "felt". If I stop for lunch en-route, and charge up while doing so, then I can "feel" that charging has not impacted the journey. Regardless of whether I really wanted to stop for lunch at a Motorway services.

Although I'd also point out the OP said it's a 300-mile round-trip. So 150 miles each way. Perhaps they stay at their parents for more than an hour? My parents have a 7kW charger. So if visiting for the day (and if you had driven 150 miles, I think that's the least you would do, if not making it an overnight trip) then you could easily be banging in 7 * 7 = 49kWh

[EddieSteadyGo]

8bit said:

Are you saying you don't need third-party (i.e. non-Tesla) charging network when you have a Tesla, or just don't need to charge it when you're out and about at all, presumably because they have greater range than other EVs?
....

I'm saying the former.

I have owned various EVs including an i-pace and quite a few Leafs. I currently have an e-niro and model 3. I really like all EVs. But the public charging network is still just poor - I had too many occasions of high stress caused by the chargers that should work either not working properly, being full, or they just wouldn't charge my car for some reason (app issues, network connectivity issues, hand-shaking with car issues etc etc).

Harry Metcalfe summed up the i-pace for example by saying you could only drive it 100 miles from where you live (because its range was circa 200 miles) and charging was a pita. That's slightly over-stating the case, but the basic point stands.

And now you can even buy a standard range Tesla for £40k brand new which has a 200+ mile range, autopilot etc etc it's hard to overlook imo.

[ajap1979]

TheRainMaker said:

ajap1979 said:

James6112 said:

Sounds a real faff
I’ll stick with the 2014 Skoda diesel (700 mile range/£30 a year car tax) until the EV compromises are resolved..

Anything can be a faff… if you make a faff of it.

I regularly make 300 mile round trips to visit my parents and I’ve not once had an experience where I’ve felt that charging has impacted on my journey. You’ve just got to know how to do it.

I'm calling BS on that unless you are stopping overnight.

My Polestar this month is averaging 43.8 kWh/100mi which gives me a total range of 168 miles from full to flat.

You would be looking at adding 1 hour of charge time minimum on a 150kW charger to complete a 300-mile round journey.

So unless you have a 150kW charger right next to your folks' house, which most people won't I can't see how you can say charging hasn't impacted on your journey.

Today my average was 56.6 kWh/100mi as it has snowed etc, that gives me a total range 125 miles, this is the long range twin motor.

They don't live far from the Ionity chargers just off the A1 at Alnwick, but I've used the InstaVolt chargers north of Morpeth quite often too. Maybe the word impact means different things to each of us, I'm more than happy to leave the car and take the dog for a walk. If that takes 45 mins or an hour, I'm perfectly happy.

FWIW, mine is a SMSR and 180 miles is the very least I've seen to a charge, but it's typically 200+ miles.

[8bit]

EddieSteadyGo said:

8bit said:

Are you saying you don't need third-party (i.e. non-Tesla) charging network when you have a Tesla, or just don't need to charge it when you're out and about at all, presumably because they have greater range than other EVs?
....

I'm saying the former.

I have owned various EVs including an i-pace and quite a few Leafs. I currently have an e-niro and model 3. I really like all EVs. But the public charging network is still just poor - I had too many occasions of high stress caused by the chargers that should work either not working properly, being full, or they just wouldn't charge my car for some reason (app issues, network connectivity issues, hand-shaking with car issues etc etc).

Harry Metcalfe summed up the i-pace for example by saying you could only drive it 100 miles from where you live (because its range was circa 200 miles) and charging was a pita. That's slightly over-stating the case, but the basic point stands.

And now you can even buy a standard range Tesla for £40k brand new which has a 200+ mile range, autopilot etc etc it's hard to overlook imo.

Understood, thanks for the clarification.

[CoupeKid]

Second longish journey today.

Practically zero degrees and snowing all the way.

I decided to charge up at Warwick North services.

5 Gridserve chargers. 4 parking spaces. I tried one high speed charger - wouldn't connect, the low speed tethered charger was in use so I tried to use the untethered point with my lead - no joy, it simply wouldn't speak to the car.

By the time I buggered off to the services to warm up and returned someone was just leaving. He said he had had problems getting the first high speed cable to work but had success with the second one. So it wasn't just me. I had success connecting to the second point and put in about 40% in half an hour.

When I got back someone was going through the same pain as I had earlier.

I've had better fun in the snow...

[ajap1979]

CoupeKid said:

Second longish journey today.

Practically zero degrees and snowing all the way.

I decided to charge up at Warwick North services.

5 Gridserve chargers. 4 parking spaces. I tried one high speed charger - wouldn't connect, the low speed tethered charger was in use so I tried to use the untethered point with my lead - no joy, it simply wouldn't speak to the car.

By the time I buggered off to the services to warm up and returned someone was just leaving. He said he had had problems getting the first high speed cable to work but had success with the second one. So it wasn't just me. I had success connecting to the second point and put in about 40% in half an hour.

When I got back someone was going through the same pain as I had earlier.

I've had better fun in the snow...

Plenty of other threads to whinge about the public charging network...

[JonnyVTEC]

Shame to hear.

InstaVolt at Warwick mcdonalds prob a better bet. If you had stopped at Banbury first that is.

[CoupeKid]

ajap1979 said:

Plenty of other threads to whinge about the public charging network...

True
I don't want to come across as negative about the car. Every time I use it I learn a bit more about its capabilities.

Ultimately it's a very smooth, comfortable, relaxing place to be. The infotainment system is intuitive, the driving position almost perfect and I haven't yet been unable to charge on had serious range anxiety.

Humour me with this but I really like the indicator stalks and sounds. It's such so chilled which sums up the whole driving experience.

I've been waiting a long time for the car and it now feels totally natural to drive. No regrets at all.

Edited by CoupeKid on Thursday 9th March 20:32

[CoupeKid]

JonnyVTEC said:

Shame to hear.

InstaVolt at Warwick mcdonalds prob a better bet. If you had stopped at Banbury first that is.

I wish I had. I work with InstaVolt and have a lot of time for them. I want to use one of their chargers so I have something to talk to them about next time I visit.

[Diderot]

CoupeKid said:

Second longish journey today.

Practically zero degrees and snowing all the way.

I decided to charge up at Warwick North services.

5 Gridserve chargers. 4 parking spaces. I tried one high speed charger - wouldn't connect, the low speed tethered charger was in use so I tried to use the untethered point with my lead - no joy, it simply wouldn't speak to the car.

By the time I buggered off to the services to warm up and returned someone was just leaving. He said he had had problems getting the first high speed cable to work but had success with the second one. So it wasn't just me. I had success connecting to the second point and put in about 40% in half an hour.

When I got back someone was going through the same pain as I had earlier.

I've had better fun in the snow...

Not trying to teach you how to suck eggs, but I'm assuming the Polestar charging interface is identical to my Volvo XC40 Recharge. If that is the case, then you sometimes need to hold the CCS cable end tight in place while the car and charger do the handshake, otherwise the connection can drop with the weight of the cable pulling it out sufficiently to prevent it completing. Normally, it's a matter of 5 - 10 seconds. Worth a try next time.

[CoupeKid]

Diderot said:

Not trying to teach you how to suck eggs, but I'm assuming the Polestar charging interface is identical to my Volvo XC40 Recharge. If that is the case, then you sometimes need to hold the CCS cable end tight in place while the car and charger do the handshake, otherwise the connection can drop with the weight of the cable pulling it out sufficiently to prevent it completing. Normally, it's a matter of 5 - 10 seconds. Worth a try next time.

All good knowledge. I'll try it next time.

[CheesecakeRunner]

Other thing to do is use the Instavolts at Banbury when going north on the M40. Far more reliable.

In fact a detour into Banbury itself and using the open Tesla superchargers is even better.

[Diderot]

CoupeKid said:

Diderot said:

Not trying to teach you how to suck eggs, but I'm assuming the Polestar charging interface is identical to my Volvo XC40 Recharge. If that is the case, then you sometimes need to hold the CCS cable end tight in place while the car and charger do the handshake, otherwise the connection can drop with the weight of the cable pulling it out sufficiently to prevent it completing. Normally, it's a matter of 5 - 10 seconds. Worth a try next time.

All good knowledge. I'll try it next time.

Found the You tube vid which put me on to this. Here's the precise location so you don't have to suffer the rest of it:

https://youtu.be/CM_qyOBQlR0?t=754

[JD]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Not everyone is lucky enough to have a driveway based petrol station, so they have to drive out of their way to acquire the fuel.

[TheRainMaker]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

The 20 mins are just BS, the 100 EUR is easy enough though.

[Pixelpeep Electric]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

that's 10 hours driving roughly.