The all things EV chat thread

[larmen]

I think my mum had the prettiest looking BMW of them all, it was identical to this one, except hers was RHD;

View attachment 49815

I want one, but it has to be light blue.

 

[GreiginFife]

Question for the experts on here; I have the iX now for "a couple of days" which may, or may not, be accurate. Thing is, I need to go to my client site tomorrow and Thursday, which means I need to charge it (gave me it with 141 miles and in the space of 3 "real" miles it's down to 129).

I don't have a home charger, obvs, so will I need to mess about setting up accounts to pay for charging for the space of a couple of days and possibly just one charge?

 

[PIng]

Question for the experts on here; I have the iX now for "a couple of days" which may, or may not, be accurate. Thing is, I need to go to my client site tomorrow and Thursday, which means I need to charge it (gave me it with 141 miles and in the space of 3 "real" miles it's down to 129).

I don't have a home charger, obvs, so will I need to mess about setting up accounts to pay for charging for the space of a couple of days and possibly just one charge?

See if you can find a charger near you that accepts debit cards, then you don't need to mess around with apps. Many McDonald's have Instavolt chargers, which are good but not cheap.

 

[PJ87]

Question for the experts on here; I have the iX now for "a couple of days" which may, or may not, be accurate. Thing is, I need to go to my client site tomorrow and Thursday, which means I need to charge it (gave me it with 141 miles and in the space of 3 "real" miles it's down to 129).

I don't have a home charger, obvs, so will I need to mess about setting up accounts to pay for charging for the space of a couple of days and possibly just one charge?

Yes most likely you will need to set up an account for a couple days. However what I would do is find what chargers are near you

Download the zap map app, that will show you what chargers are around you. Then you set up an account with that brand.

I only say this as they should be accepting debit cards by now but you just know they won't. So better safe than sorry

Zap map you can plan your routes and see chargers on way

 

[GreiginFife]

Yes most likely you will need to set up an account for a couple days. However what I would do is find what chargers are near you

Download the zap map app, that will show you what chargers are around you. Then you set up an account with that brand.

I only say this as they should be accepting debit cards by now but you just know they won't. So better safe than sorry

Zap map you can plan your routes and see chargers on way

Tesco looks like the best bet although they are normally always taken. Don't appear to be many chargers around my area.

Looks like I will need to give it somewhere around 40-50 minutes. Not sure what I will do in that time as don't need any shopping.

 

[PJ87]

Tesco looks like the best bet although they are normally always taken. Don't appear to be many chargers around my area.

Looks like I will need to give it somewhere around 40-50 minutes. Not sure what I will do in that time as don't need any shopping.

Best ones I find is find a local restaurant which has one attached and go to lunch whilst you charge

But like you say most likely taken

Some garages have them at super high speeds, if you can find one they will charge it quicker by looks it can accept it



If using rapid just charge to 80%, because once you go over 80 the charge speed ramps down due to chemistry stuff lol

Did they include a 3 pin charger ? If so leave it plugged in overnight before you go to be as full as possible

 

[bobmac]

Question for the experts on here; I have the iX now for "a couple of days" which may, or may not, be accurate. Thing is, I need to go to my client site tomorrow and Thursday, which means I need to charge it (gave me it with 141 miles and in the space of 3 "real" miles it's down to 129).

I don't have a home charger, obvs, so will I need to mess about setting up accounts to pay for charging for the space of a couple of days and possibly just one charge?

I use pod point at Tesco.
Reasonable prices and you can pop in for the shopping while you're charging

 

[GreiginFife]

I use pod point at Tesco.
Reasonable prices and you can pop in for the shopping while you're charging

Best ones I find is find a local restaurant which has one attached and go to lunch whilst you charge

But like you say most likely taken

Some garages have them at super high speeds, if you can find one they will charge it quicker by looks it can accept it

View attachment 49820

If using rapid just charge to 80%, because once you go over 80 the charge speed ramps down due to chemistry stuff lol

Did they include a 3 pin charger ? If so leave it plugged in overnight before you go to be as full as possible

No garage around here has electric charge points. I don't know what's been included but I certainly won't have time to stop for lunch anywhere. I need to charge it, at worst, tomorrow evening when I finish work as I can get to the site on the current charge.

 

[GreiginFife]

I use pod point at Tesco.
Reasonable prices and you can pop in for the shopping while you're charging

Would be ideal, If I had any shopping to get.

For long term use it might be handy but the practicalities in this one off scenario are quite limited.

 

[GreiginFife]

Oh and it's not a nice motor, at all. Sparse is a word I used to describe the interior and don't get me started on iDrive 8. Bloody dangerous would be my polite wording.

Odd shaped steering wheel too.

 

[PJ87]

No garage around here has electric charge points. I don't know what's been included but I certainly won't have time to stop for lunch anywhere. I need to charge it, at worst, tomorrow evening when I finish work as I can get to the site on the current charge.

Check the boot, if it has a 3 pin charger you can just hook it up to a normal socket and charge at home overnight. It will be 2kw an hour so whilst you sleep you can add a fair amount of charge

Otherwise the Tesco idea is the way to go, podpoint app is what you need

 

[GreiginFife]

Check the boot, if it has a 3 pin charger you can just hook it up to a normal socket and charge at home overnight. It will be 2kw an hour so whilst you sleep you can add a fair amount of charge

Otherwise the Tesco idea is the way to go, podpoint app is what you need

No, just a large charge cable the looks like it’s for actual chargers. Doesn’t look standard 3 pin. More like 110v tapped earth.

 

[PJ87]

No, just a large charge cable the looks like it’s for actual chargers. Doesn’t look standard 3 pin. More like 110v tapped earth.

Fair enough that will be a "type 2" charger which like you say you will use at the AC chargers (limit 22kw on AC), if you use a DC rapid charger they will have their own cables as they have 2 more connectors (CCS)

They stopped including "granny" chargers on some cars to save money as people use them less often and can get them for Screwfix for like £100

Anyways yes best option is to find a high speed charger (100kw plus will be ideal) and use CCS to charge as it will be quicker for you

 

[GreiginFife]

All 3 chargers were in use at Tesco, I sat and waited 15 mins but no one was moving.

Zap Map said there was another in a car park half a mile from there but when I got there it was out of use.

I now only have 110 miles. Wasted miles driving around looking for charging

 

[PJ87]

All 3 chargers were in use at Tesco, I sat and waited 15 mins but no one was moving.

Zap Map said there was another in a car park half a mile from there but when I got there it was out of use.

I now only have 110 miles. Wasted miles driving around looking for charging

It is utterly ridiculous that they give out electric hire cars to people with no facilities to charge at home. Throwing in a 3 pin charger to borrow would at least provide you with some form of charging.

If you plan the route to your client tomorrow does zap map say there is a charger on route that you could use? Seems like might be the only way round it.. or on way back (sorry I don't know how far it is away)

But I fully agree it is a pain

 

[Pants]

All 3 chargers were in use at Tesco, I sat and waited 15 mins but no one was moving.

Zap Map said there was another in a car park half a mile from there but when I got there it was out of use.

I now only have 110 miles. Wasted miles driving around looking for charging

For goodness sake stop being so negative Greig. Electric vehicles are the present and future - apparently

 

[PJ87]

For goodness sake stop being so negative Greig. Electric vehicles are the present and future - apparently

It's almost as if giving someone an electric hire car when they don't own an EV.. there for have no home charger available, then providing them with no back up 3 pin charger .. was a bad idea ....

Almost like providing someone with a can of food for tea with no can opener ...

 

[D-S]

It's almost as if giving someone an electric hire car when they don't own an EV.. there for have no home charger available, then providing them with no back up 3 pin charger .. was a bad idea ....

Almost like providing someone with a can of food for tea with no can opener ...

Surely it’s the same situation if you, for example, live in a flat and have no off street parking?

 

[PJ87]

Surely it’s the same situation if you, for example, live in a flat and have no off street parking?

Yes and no. The no part being the fact that some kind of research would have been undertaken before purchasing the car.

The OP has litterally been dumped this car whilst the car he owns is being worked on.

I'm sure if he was purchasing one he would have researched nearest chargers. Set up accounts for them etc etc

Just like when I decided to take the plunge whilst the car was on order I got myself on an EV tariff and had a charger installed / bought a 3 pin charger before the car arrived so when it did arrive there would be nothing to do.

 

[Jimaroid]

Phew! The clubs fit.