Maddie Goes Electric - A Beginner’s Guide - Fully Charged -
Discussion
SWoll said:
Out of interest as can't remember, how often are you doing 350-400 mile non stop trips?
About once a month, and it isn't a non-stop, it is a round trip to somewhere I can't get access to a mains socket - have to park about 200 yards from Sister-in-laws.That usually ends up at 300 miles, but I wouldn't want to try and do 300 miles in winter without some range in hand.
Other than that, most months involve at least one 2-300 mile trip, usually out into the middle of nowhere.
Wednesday this week was an "Oh, it's a nice day, where looks interesting on the National Trust map?" that ended up with a 200 mile drive!
That's the problem, I enjoy driving too much...
I regard myself as a petrolhead and have run a long succession of cheap fast sheds (Jag V8, V12, BM Straight 6, Saab turbo etc and still have a Ford Capri), but have little interest in new ICE cars. I have just spent a small fortune on a Hyundai Ioniq PHEV. I wanted my commute and general running about to be EV, I do have a conscience about polluting urban areas, but I also do frequent long journeys so may struggle to go full EV (and can't afford Tesla).
Fast and exciting it is not, but my local dawdling about/commute/kids taxi runs are so calming without a sodding ICE running in traffic. I charge at home and when I can but if I can't it doesn't matter, it defaults to hybrid mode when it runs out of electricity. It's definitely an interesting car. Friends all want a 'go' in it.
My point is, there is demand, the price will put many off, but for those looking at new things, it's surely now an option, the tech is interesting to me. I am beginning to regard anything that doesn't have a motor for the slow stuff as a bit antiquated.
The kids like Maddie, I will get them to watch it as my excuse for doing so!
Fast and exciting it is not, but my local dawdling about/commute/kids taxi runs are so calming without a sodding ICE running in traffic. I charge at home and when I can but if I can't it doesn't matter, it defaults to hybrid mode when it runs out of electricity. It's definitely an interesting car. Friends all want a 'go' in it.
My point is, there is demand, the price will put many off, but for those looking at new things, it's surely now an option, the tech is interesting to me. I am beginning to regard anything that doesn't have a motor for the slow stuff as a bit antiquated.
The kids like Maddie, I will get them to watch it as my excuse for doing so!
Last week I did a 380 mile round trip with one of our directors in his Tesla Model S. He had to charge at services, but in the 30 minutes we were stopped for a sandwich he added over 200 miles of range back in. It felt pretty painless to me.
Admittedly Teslas aren't cheap and the non-Tesla infrastructure is still pretty crap, but it gives you an idea of where we can be.
Admittedly Teslas aren't cheap and the non-Tesla infrastructure is still pretty crap, but it gives you an idea of where we can be.
Watch some of these 1000km challenge videos if you want an idea of where we are already (at least in parts of mainland Europe).
Pretty painless long distance driving is easily doable in quite a few EVs now, provided the chargers are there. Even in something like this...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqKx2qnB8Xv...
Pretty painless long distance driving is easily doable in quite a few EVs now, provided the chargers are there. Even in something like this...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqKx2qnB8Xv...
Edited by MaxSo on Friday 17th January 13:41
giveitfish said:
Last week I did a 380 mile round trip with one of our directors in his Tesla Model S. He had to charge at services, but in the 30 minutes we were stopped for a sandwich he added over 200 miles of range back in. It felt pretty painless to me.
Admittedly Teslas aren't cheap and the non-Tesla infrastructure is still pretty crap, but it gives you an idea of where we can be.
Regarding infrastructure, Shell seem to be leading on this, with many of their forecourts now having 50kw chargers, and a network of 150kw chargers starting to be rolled out. Contactless debit/credit card for payment, no apps/fobs/RFID card bAdmittedly Teslas aren't cheap and the non-Tesla infrastructure is still pretty crap, but it gives you an idea of where we can be.
ks.Give it 5-10 years and we'll be there.
Yours,
Happy EV owner of more than 2 years (an EV which only cost me £10k to buy).
The problem with Fully Charged is they're not bothered about any sort or journalistic integrity so it'll be nicely produced and if you like Robert Llewellyn's rants then that's great but be under no illusion that they're totally biased towards EVs.
Maybe that's fair enough but you need to get your balance from somewhere else.
Maybe that's fair enough but you need to get your balance from somewhere else.
georgezippy said:
I regard myself as a petrolhead and have run a long succession of cheap fast sheds (Jag V8, V12, BM Straight 6, Saab turbo etc and still have a Ford Capri), but have little interest in new ICE cars. I have just spent a small fortune on a Hyundai Ioniq PHEV. I wanted my commute and general running about to be EV, I do have a conscience about polluting urban areas, but I also do frequent long journeys so may struggle to go full EV (and can't afford Tesla).
Fast and exciting it is not, but my local dawdling about/commute/kids taxi runs are so calming without a sodding ICE running in traffic. I charge at home and when I can but if I can't it doesn't matter, it defaults to hybrid mode when it runs out of electricity. It's definitely an interesting car. Friends all want a 'go' in it.
My point is, there is demand, the price will put many off, but for those looking at new things, it's surely now an option, the tech is interesting to me. I am beginning to regard anything that doesn't have a motor for the slow stuff as a bit antiquated.
The kids like Maddie, I will get them to watch it as my excuse for doing so!
Check out Maddie's Do You Know on CBeebies, you'll.....*cough*......your kids will love itFast and exciting it is not, but my local dawdling about/commute/kids taxi runs are so calming without a sodding ICE running in traffic. I charge at home and when I can but if I can't it doesn't matter, it defaults to hybrid mode when it runs out of electricity. It's definitely an interesting car. Friends all want a 'go' in it.
My point is, there is demand, the price will put many off, but for those looking at new things, it's surely now an option, the tech is interesting to me. I am beginning to regard anything that doesn't have a motor for the slow stuff as a bit antiquated.
The kids like Maddie, I will get them to watch it as my excuse for doing so!
Already have an EV so don’t really need educating, but will be watching purely because I quite fancy the presenter. Love it when my kids ask to watch CBeebies. 
I did actually think that first episode was good though. She clearly knows little about cars, but that’s who this needs to appeal to in order to really educate; the vast majority of folk are in the same boat.
I did actually think that first episode was good though. She clearly knows little about cars, but that’s who this needs to appeal to in order to really educate; the vast majority of folk are in the same boat.
ChocolateFrog said:
The problem with Fully Charged is they're not bothered about any sort or journalistic integrity so it'll be nicely produced and if you like Robert Llewellyn's rants then that's great but be under no illusion that they're totally biased towards EVs.
they are incredibly biased true but also have about the most integrity I have ever seen in journalists. bobbylew literally apologizes for any error anywhere even if its obvious and irrelevant 
blueacid said:
I really want one.
I drive a mix of urban and some longer distance (200 mile) motorway journeys, these make up 99.9% of my mileage.
Currently running a Euro 5 diesel which is lovely, but it's both polluting and out of place on the urban journeys (hello, DPF!). But I park it on a driveway that's right in front of my house, so could easily charge an electric car.
I'd far rather produce far less pollution in the city, and with stuff like the E-Niro, Tesla S and Tesla 3 being able to do "just over" 200 miles real-world range, I'd be at the point where I could complete the drives from my native Manchester to London / Edinburgh / Surrey (parents house) either by driving gently and not needing to charge, or getting enough to ensure my arrival with a mere 10-15 minutes on a rapid charger. Given that I usually stop for around that long anyway, that wouldn't materially affect my journey.
My only problem so far has been that the 10 year old diesel cost me around 8k. An EV with 200 miles of range would be around 35k. Sadly the running costs of the diesel are low enough that I can afford to replace the DPF, injectors and pay a load of London Pollution Taxes and still come out financially on top.
As soon as the man-maths stack up, though, I want one.
I’m in a somewhat similar position with a Euro 5 A5.I drive a mix of urban and some longer distance (200 mile) motorway journeys, these make up 99.9% of my mileage.
Currently running a Euro 5 diesel which is lovely, but it's both polluting and out of place on the urban journeys (hello, DPF!). But I park it on a driveway that's right in front of my house, so could easily charge an electric car.
I'd far rather produce far less pollution in the city, and with stuff like the E-Niro, Tesla S and Tesla 3 being able to do "just over" 200 miles real-world range, I'd be at the point where I could complete the drives from my native Manchester to London / Edinburgh / Surrey (parents house) either by driving gently and not needing to charge, or getting enough to ensure my arrival with a mere 10-15 minutes on a rapid charger. Given that I usually stop for around that long anyway, that wouldn't materially affect my journey.
My only problem so far has been that the 10 year old diesel cost me around 8k. An EV with 200 miles of range would be around 35k. Sadly the running costs of the diesel are low enough that I can afford to replace the DPF, injectors and pay a load of London Pollution Taxes and still come out financially on top.
As soon as the man-maths stack up, though, I want one.
The thing is for me I don’t really want to lease one, yes I could afford to do so but I prefer to buy, so either save up,get a loan and buy or HP instead of PCP etc.
The only EV I really like that is suitable is too new and too expensive at the moment-the Model 3, going to give it another couple of years when there are some used ones on the market then hopefully make the switch, quite looking forward to it when the time comes though!.
borcy said:
I wonder why pay and go chargers have taken so long to get going?
I've not got an EV, but all that faffing about with apps and membership is a bit off putting. I think one ev might work quite well for us, but at the moment our second car is £1000 type of car.
I find this very annoying. So many different apps and accounts, then there's ones like the new rapid chargers going in at various Morrisons stores (I forget the brand) where you need to load credit onto an account, it you're just wanting a quick top up and run into things like this it can take longer than the charge itself!I've not got an EV, but all that faffing about with apps and membership is a bit off putting. I think one ev might work quite well for us, but at the moment our second car is £1000 type of car.
I'm sure it will come eventually but it should have been done years ago. It probably take years though before they are put in in any numbers to have an impact.
Why does this idea of being a member before you can use it come from? I'm guessing companies think they can make more money?
Why does this idea of being a member before you can use it come from? I'm guessing companies think they can make more money?
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