The all things EV chat thread

[Pants]

I'm sure it's something you'd get used to! Having found its limits, you'd probably plan for a break and top-up somewhere at around 70 miles!

But you shouldn't have to, and something that I, for one, have no wish at the moment to "get used to".

 

[PJ87]

I'm sure it's something you'd get used to! Having found its limits, you'd probably plan for a break and top-up somewhere at around 70 miles!

I must be using my car all wrong. In 2 years I've not run out of battery whilst out and about

Be able to get to work and back 3 times (50 mile round trips) before considering charging

Even did 70mph on motorway 65 miles one way to golf and 65 miles back using a while 75% of the battery on a hot day with the air con on

It's almost like they work fine if you use them correctly

 

[IJames]

I must be using my car all wrong. In 2 years I've not run out of battery whilst out and about

Be able to get to work and back 3 times (50 mile round trips) before considering charging

Even did 70mph on motorway 65 miles one way to golf and 65 miles back using a while 75% of the battery on a hot day with the air con on

It's almost like they work fine if you use them correctly

I don't give a toss about charge mileage, as I'm not an EV user (yet)! But BB might be - and how it can be increased. Of course, the obvious way is to convince your employer to install chargers at your workplace! It would also help their 'green' profile, though I'm not convinced EVs are (yet!) significantly greener - over whole of life - than ICE ones!

 

[PIng]

Had the “pleasure” of moving a BMW i3 today. Eighteen months old. The vendor fully charged it, and it was showing a range of 171 miles when I set off on a journey of 109. I had it in eco mode, and pretty much all the auxiliaries were turned off as I drove up the M40 like Miss Daisy. I barely got over 60mph, slipstreamed lorries at every opportunity, and spent more time looking at my energy consumption than I did the road ahead.

All this, and despite having a leeway of 62 miles I made it to my destination with a range of 6 miles to spare. So, despite being as frugal in my use of the battery as I possibly could, a journey of 109 miles used 165 miles of charge.

Sorry, but I thought driving was supposed to be fun. That was about as much fun as playing golf in white trousers whilst suffering with prolapsed haemorrhoids.

There must be something wrong with the car. I've had 2 evs now, a Hyundai an an MG, and both have been accurate with their range.

 

[bobmac]

How much did the 109 mile journey cost you?
The i3 only has a small battery so perfect for little journeys.
If you drive longer distances, get a car with a bigger battery.

 

[Hobbit]

Isn’t it a case of horses for courses? Long journey with a time constraint = petrol/diesel/hybrid. Long journey with time to plug in on that journey = electric is acceptable. Town/commuting = electric is the best option.

But at present, the catch-all option is still the fossil fuel option. It then comes down to personal choice/what suits someone’s circumstances & beliefs. My personal choice, and has been for 5yrs now, is hybrid. It’s low cost/low emissions urban cycle is brilliant. It’s a little heavier on fossil fuel for long journeys but I don’t do many of those. And I don’t have to sit in a service station for xxxx mins charging it.

 

[Billysboots]

I'm sure it's something you'd get used to! Having found its limits, you'd probably plan for a break and top-up somewhere at around 70 miles!

I think you’re missing the point slightly. If the car is indicating a range of 170 miles, and I only have a journey of 109 then, given all the precautions I took to be conservative in my use of the battery, charging en route should never have even entered the equation.

If 170 miles is the range, then unless I drive it like an arse I expect to be able to do a journey of 109 miles without giving a thought to charging.

I do need to clarify that I deliver cars, so I’m not being gormless and buying a run around vehicle to regularly complete long journeys. In the (highly unlikely) event I ever own an EV then I would get one with a range suited to my driving profile. Alas, at work I get what I get. And invariably they are a pain in the backside because the ridiculously long time taken to find a serviceable and available charging point and then charge the wretched things completely screws my day up.

I know I view EV’s from that perspective, which is perhaps wrong of me, but I absolutely hate them. Sorry.

 

[HPIMG]

My wife’s bmw ix says upto 257 miles but she reckons it will never do over 200 no matter how she drives it. That’s fine for my wife as she only does small journeys.

 

[bobmac]

I think you’re missing the point slightly. If the car is indicating a range of 170 miles, and I only have a journey of 109 then, given all the precautions I took to be conservative in my use of the battery, charging en route should never have even entered the equation.

If 170 miles is the range, then unless I drive it like an arse I expect to be able to do a journey of 109 miles without giving a thought to charging.

I do need to clarify that I deliver cars, so I’m not being gormless and buying a run around vehicle to regularly complete long journeys. In the (highly unlikely) event I ever own an EV then I would get one with a range suited to my driving profile. Alas, at work I get what I get. And invariably they are a pain in the backside because the ridiculously long time taken to find a serviceable and available charging point and then charge the wretched things completely screws my day up.

I know I view EV’s from that perspective, which is perhaps wrong of me, but I absolutely hate them. Sorry.

My previous car was a Skoda diesel which was supposed to get 63 mpg, I never got much more than 40 mpg, which shows manufacturers massage the mpg figures and always have done.
And don't forget, ice cars love driving at a constant speed, EVs are the opposite, especially when it's cold.

 

[Billysboots]

It's almost like they work fine if you use them correctly

Meaning you think I didn’t?

With respect, I drive over 60,000 miles a year delivering an enormous variety of vehicles and have probably driven more different EV’s in the last two years than everyone here put together. I’m not an occasional user, and as such like to think I know what I’m doing.

Even the vendor raised his eyebrows yesterday when I told him where I was travelling to. He told me I might just about get there. That, to me, confirms what most realistic drivers know - the range quoted in the glossy brochures and even indicated by the vehicles themselves is invariably not achievable.

 

[PJ87]

Meaning you think I didn’t?

With respect, I drive over 60,000 miles a year delivering an enormous variety of vehicles and have probably driven more different EV’s in the last two years than everyone here put together. I’m not an occasional user, and as such like to think I know what I’m doing.

Even the vendor raised his eyebrows yesterday when I told him where I was travelling to. He told me I might just about get there. That, to me, confirms what most realistic drivers know - the range quoted in the glossy brochures and even indicated by the vehicles themselves is invariably not achievable.

Yet you rush to add to the anti EV side no? What about the positive experiences from the trips or they not worth sharing ?

So the milage isn't what's claimed? Exactly like quoted mpg in the glossy brochure

 

[PhilTheFragger]

I think you’re missing the point slightly. If the car is indicating a range of 170 miles, and I only have a journey of 109 then, given all the precautions I took to be conservative in my use of the battery, charging en route should never have even entered the equation.

If 170 miles is the range, then unless I drive it like an arse I expect to be able to do a journey of 109 miles without giving a thought to charging.

I do need to clarify that I deliver cars, so I’m not being gormless and buying a run around vehicle to regularly complete long journeys. In the (highly unlikely) event I ever own an EV then I would get one with a range suited to my driving profile. Alas, at work I get what I get. And invariably they are a pain in the backside because the ridiculously long time taken to find a serviceable and available charging point and then charge the wretched things completely screws my day up.

I know I view EV’s from that perspective, which is perhaps wrong of me, but I absolutely hate them. Sorry.

I also deliver cars and have no real issues with them, we have a policy that on delivery, they must have a minimum of 50% charge left, so it is assumed that we are going to have to recharge at least once and we factor that in when allocating work to our drivers.

So take a typical 200 mile range EV, if it’s going 75 miles, should be no need to charge, if going 125 miles, then prior to your departure, use the various apps to locate 3 rapid chargers en route and go there in order, and use whichever one is free / working.

Re the issue of range and the car telling you one thing and you experience a totally different figure.

This can happen in certain older EV’s with small batteries, Temperature can have a big effect on stated range,

I tend to ignore the range figure and concentrate on the % charge left as I find that more constant.

 

[Billysboots]

Yet you rush to add to the anti EV side no? What about the positive experiences from the trips or they not worth sharing ?

So the milage isn't what's claimed? Exactly like quoted mpg in the glossy brochure

The positives? It’s difficult to say. They’re quiet, responsive and so on. But a car’s a car.

It’s the charging issues and ranges which are a huge minus. And whilst I’m aware ICE manufacturers overestimate their MPG, there is a crucial difference that most here who rattle on about that point are missing. Totally ignoring MPG, if I start up an ICE and it tells me the RANGE left in the tank is 170 miles then, give or take, you can guarantee around 170 miles is what I’ll get. In my experience you rarely get that with an EV, if ever.

 

[bobmac]

So you've driven more EVs than all of us put together.
So you'll know that constant speeds in cold weather has a negative effect on EV range. (no regen braking)
You also know that you won't get the predicted range.
The vendor even told you you'd struggle to get there which is why you drove it carefully.
My question is, if you can add 30 miles of range in 8 minutes at a 50kwh charger, why didn't you stop on the way for 8 minutes, then you could have enjoyed the trip

 

[Billysboots]

I’m out. Apparently, I’m not allowed to dislike EV’s.

And yes, Bob, I probably have driven as many different EV’s as the rest of you put together. But as a driver working with a logistics firm who drives around 10-15 different vehicles every week I’d say that’s a given, wouldn’t you?

I’m not so stupid as to not be able to see the benefits of EV’s. Relatively short journeys combined with home and workplace charging must mean these are a dream to many.

But equally I’d like to think you’re not so stupid as to realise they can be a right royal pain in the arse. And you will see I have clearly stated that, from the perspective of somebody who delivers vehicles, invariably EV’s are a chuffing nightmare. I have to work to tight timescales, often factoring in bus and train timetables, as well of the needs of customers and other drivers. And because I deliver vehicles the journeys are rarely short. People won’t engage a logistics firm to move a vehicle twenty miles.

So from my perspective, given the awful range overestimates, and the ready availability of serviceable rapid charging points, I hate EV’s. And, as someone who does a lot of long social journeys until the available range and infrastructure improves I will not buy one. That question was, after all, the purpose of this thread and I’ve answered it, with my own personal rationale.

We know you love EV’s Bob. It’s very evident. But is that any reason to constantly try and belittle and patronise those of us who don’t? Your responses are as predictable as a McIlroy Masters meltdown.

 

[clubchamp98]

I’m out. Apparently, I’m not allowed to dislike EV’s.

And yes, Bob, I probably have driven as many different EV’s as the rest of you put together. But as a driver working with a logistics firm who drives around 10-15 different vehicles every week I’d say that’s a given, wouldn’t you?

I’m not so stupid as to not be able to see the benefits of EV’s. Relatively short journeys combined with home and workplace charging must mean these are a dream to many.

But equally I’d like to think you’re not so stupid as to realise they can be a right royal pain in the arse. And you will see I have clearly stated that, from the perspective of somebody who delivers vehicles, invariably EV’s are a chuffing nightmare. I have to work to tight timescales, often factoring in bus and train timetables, as well of the needs of customers and other drivers. And because I deliver vehicles the journeys are rarely short. People won’t engage a logistics firm to move a vehicle twenty miles.

So from my perspective, given the awful range overestimates, and the ready availability of serviceable rapid charging points, I hate EV’s. And, as someone who does a lot of long social journeys until the available range and infrastructure improves I will not buy one. That question was, after all, the purpose of this thread and I’ve answered it, with my own personal rationale.

We know you love EV’s Bob. It’s very evident. But is that any reason to constantly try and belittle and patronise those of us who don’t? Your responses are as predictable as a McIlroy Masters meltdown.

It always amazes me when someone like yourself gives an honest critique.
That it is questioned.
EVs have their good points but as you have highlighted long journeys are not one of them.

 

[Robster59]

I was chatting to one of my work colleagues yesterday. He has just taken delivery of a company BMW i4, which he is delighted with. It takes him 12 hours to charge at home (our company funds a charger at your house) and the cost is less than £20. He went to see his parents in South Wales (he lives in Newcastle) and he had to charge it when in Wales. As he had nowhere nearby to plug into, he had to use a fast charger and that cost him £60. His effective range is probably max 250 miles so he had to ensure he was fully charged. With petrol or hybrid you can shop around for a cheap petrol station nearby, with electric at the moment, that is much more difficult.
For those who think I am anti-electric, I'm not. I think they have their place but they are not the panacea to cure all ills, like some think they are.
Today, I will be travelling down to London from Glasgow in my hybrid Skoda. If I can find a charging point, then great. But if I can't then most of my journey will be via the ICE. I will be stopping en-route but probably only a couple of times, for 15 minutes each time, and no need to refuel. To do the same journey in an electric car would probably mean a minimum of two longer stops, providing there are charging points free.

 

[Billysboots]

I was chatting to one of my work colleagues yesterday. He has just taken delivery of a company BMW i4, which he is delighted with. It takes him 12 hours to charge at home (our company funds a charger at your house) and the cost is less than £20. He went to see his parents in South Wales (he lives in Newcastle) and he had to charge it when in Wales. As he had nowhere nearby to plug into, he had to use a fast charger and that cost him £60. His effective range is probably max 250 miles so he had to ensure he was fully charged. With petrol or hybrid you can shop around for a cheap petrol station nearby, with electric at the moment, that is much more difficult.
For those who think I am anti-electric, I'm not. I think they have their place but they are not the panacea to cure all ills, like some think they are.
Today, I will be travelling down to London from Glasgow in my hybrid Skoda. If I can find a charging point, then great. But if I can't then most of my journey will be via the ICE. I will be stopping en-route but probably only a couple of times, for 15 minutes each time, and no need to refuel. To do the same journey in an electric car would probably mean a minimum of two longer stops, providing there are charging points free.

I really enjoyed reading that post from the comfort of the BMW M4 I’ve just collected.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

I can’t remember the last car I had I couldn’t exceed the brochure stated consumption figures, but then that’s driving VW/Skoda diesel or Mazda petrol.

 

[Robster59]

My previous car was a Skoda diesel which was supposed to get 63 mpg, I never got much more than 40 mpg, which shows manufacturers massage the mpg figures and always have done.
And don't forget, ice cars love driving at a constant speed, EVs are the opposite, especially when it's cold.

My previous car was a Skoda Superb Diesel. I don't think I ever got below 50mpg on average.