The all things EV chat thread
- Thread starter need_my_wedge
- Start date
Jason.H
Well-known member
I test drove a Cupra Born a couple of weeks ago and that was 43k spec. It was nice to drive but i didn’t buy it. I guess I’m a little undecided at the moment. I have my own driveway so a home charge point would be easy. Are MG,s British?
D
Deleted member 23270
Guest
I wouldn't. EV owners always talk about charging their cars from 10 to 80% Based on 175 motorway miles in winter that's only 122.5 miles. Driving at 70mph means you are stopping to charge less than every 2 hours. No thanks.
PJ87
Journeyman Pro
Not anymore. Chinese (as is everything)
It really depends what your looking for in a car
If you want a to b and your commute isn't much, leafs , mg wouldn't break bank and would do what you need
If you want something fancy and your looking at that price you have VW's, Skoda models , copra . Inonic is lovely .. then ofc the model 3 telsa is just a class above .. only say that because they have been nothing but ev from day 1 so what they don't know about EVs isn't worth knowing
hovis
Tour Winner
Worse case I charge my car when it's freezing outside I'll get about 250/260 worth of charge instead of 300. As long as I don't exceed 70mph I'll get about 230 real miles with the heater on. If I do 65mph I'll get 240/245. If you drive at 80mph I'll get about 210 miles. I've noticed that the car will do its stated miles at about 55mph
It's worth noting that when you drive in the winter the car has a battery heater that enables you to charge to its full capacity. so if I charge to 80% on the go it will charge to 240 miles in about 30 minutes.
You can use the battery heater at home to get the full charge but I hear its not cost efficient. I only use that function if I absolutely need the 300 miles.
There's lots of technical stuff about my car that I'm still trying to get my head around ?
Last edited:
PJ87
Journeyman Pro
Other factors would come into play it really isn't black and white as 122.5 miles then stop
If you leave home with 100% and you can get to your destination in under 90% go for it
Leaves more than 15 miles in the tank to find a charger later on or if the place you going has a charger even better
Or if you are going let's say for sake of argument 250 miles , you leave with 100% drive 150 miles which will take you what 2.5 hours? Then stop, charge from 10% to 80% and do the final 100 miles
One stop in a 250 mile drive isn't unreasonable
Pants
Challenge Tour Pro
So on a 500 mile round trip (yes, I often do those as MIL is in York and I'm SE London) having spent a small fortune on being able to get "free" energy, you still have to stop part way to find a charging point, maybe wait a while for one to become available, spend 30/45 (?) mins charging up to only 80%, get to destination, find charger, top up, ditto on way back... You may think that not unreasonable. I think it's downright inconvenient and probably not a lot cheaper than my oil burner that easily does the round trip without refilling. And please, please don't give me all that
about going EV saving the planet. Keeping my diesel for a few more years will cause far less ecological damage than scrapping it, or selling it on, and having a brand new EV manufactured.
PJ87
Journeyman Pro
You may think that not unreasonable. I think it's downright inconvenient and probably not a lot cheaper than my oil burner that easily does the round trip without refilling. And please, please don't give me all that
Isn't that the point rather than switching right this second it's when you naturally would be switching anyways? So it doesn't add to your carbon footprint as you were scrapping anyways.
If you frequently do 500 mile round trips then obviously EV isn't for you.
bobmac
Major Champion
If you've got any sense you'll use Zap-Map.
That tells you where the chargers are, if they work and if they are being used.
So if there are 4 chargers, one is out of order and the other 3 are being used, don't go there, go to the next one.
Smiffy
Grand Slam Winner
Looking at the bigger picture, does anybody think that house prices will be affected by the inability to have a charge point installed. Anyone with no off-road parking or garage is going to be stuffed after 2030 aren't they?
PJ87
Journeyman Pro
There is a new charger out there , brilliant idea. They install it in the house but it is just the wiring and when people get EV they just click this cover on and bamn it becomes an EV charger
Also if you install a load of them on same circuit it will manage the load between them all
Very clever
That's adds a significant extra layer of time and stress onto a journey though. You plan to stop at point A on a journey heading south. You are driving, you can't check the app on your phone. You arrive and there are no chargers available at A, you don't want to wait for someone to come back to their car, who knows how long that will be? You check your app, there is another charger 10 mile north, back on yourself, 25 south, pushing your range, or 8 miles west, again away from your route.
If you are doing a big trip you just don't need those delays, stresses etc. It's perhaps okay if you have all day to make that trip but most people are not in that position, I'm not for example.
I do decent sized journeys still and still don't see the banks of chargers that I need to see before changing enters my mind, not even close. We keep being promised them but that's all we get, promises. When it finally happens I'll join in but telling people to bounce around charging points in order to find an empty one, a charger that is empty when you check your phone at 8.00 might be used by 8.15 when you get there, is not the answer.
D
Deleted member 23270
Guest
I downloaded and tried out my local bike/electric scooter hire scheme. Picked up a scooter at the 'depot' just round the corner from my house and scooted to Asda where I dropped it off. When I came out I walked back to the collection point but that scooter had gone so I checked the app. Nearest one was about 600 yards away in the High Street so off I go. Quite literally I was 5 yards away from it when a kid unlocked it and rode off. No more anywhere close so I took a bike instead.
Bit like real life and electric chargers I guess. App might show them as available but when you actually get there.........
bobmac
Major Champion
Drive what you want.
I'm done.
I'm done.
Mandofred
Well-known member
I still think 2030 will be delayed.....just can't see it happening.
hovis
Tour Winner
People just chucking barriers in to support their bias mate. I drove to Glen eagles and back that was 315 each way. I stopped at penrith, plugged in my car and had a 25 minute break in morrisons (crazy price for a breakfast BTW). On the way back I did the same in Carlisle. Even on a 250 mile one way journey who doesn't stop for a break on a 250 mile trip?
PJ87
Journeyman Pro
I would love to get a model 3 long range to take advantage of their supercharger network, the Teslas are a league of their own
On your point of stops, when I was in my 20s my best mate lived 222 miles away and I used to drive it all the time without stopping , I couldn't do that now at 35. I reckon 2 hours would be my limit and that would be pushing it
I remember once 222 there, quick wee and 222 back as we were going on holiday .. was mental . Scary to think that now
Discussion is good but if you want to push people down a certain route, post 3049, you have to expect questions. Answer those questions, show us how worries are unfounded. If they are not then don't push.
You have said it before, electric is great for local journeys, less so for long distance. When that changes the argument for change becomes far stronger.
PJ87
Journeyman Pro
The problem is (without too much straying into the P word) the government have put this date in, whilst holding back the tech that is needed.
After covid they changed the law / requirement for ALL carparks to have ev chargers installed , now it's only new or refurbished ones , that's one obstruction
All new builds should have had to have them years ago, along with solar
I know it sounds green rubbish but honestly we have a problem in this country of needing to change but holding back the tech that enables it
Solar farms because they don't look pretty etc
The date of 2030 would be achievable with support from gov into really launching EVs properly and even scrappage schemes to encourage people.. all kinds of things
@pauljames87 , yup, agree with all of that and more. The deadline is a nonsense figure, with little to back it up other than bluster, sadly.
