The all things EV chat thread

[PJ87]

I agree. The issue I find when travelling is that hotels usually have maximum 2 chargers. Some only have one. The Holiday Inn Express in Crewe has a parking space next to its charger that you can only fit an electric moped into! And I would say that the current reliability of these chargers is pretty poor as well.
The infrastructure is better, but there is still a long way to go.

Just watched a what car video

They did 10 charge stops to check the charge network

They set a 15 min wait deadline

First one they had to wait 17 mins (on 15 mins the car next to them was 99% so was silly not to wait) but soon as the car next to them had finish they could unplug it themselves and use the charger

Stop 2 no wait

Stop 3 offline (but they did say it was said to be offline on zapmap they just wanted to check if zapmap was right)
Stop 4 no wait
Stop 5 no wait
Stop 6 offline (again zapmap said it was)
Stop 7 no wait
Stop 8 no wait
Stop 9 no wait
Stop 10 offline (zap again said off)

They didn't want to end of on a downer so went to number 11 a service station

They had to actually wait 15 mins which was annoying

But out of the 11 chargers they had to wait at 2 and 3 were offline. The positives from this video I took was zapmap is very good
at updating if offline

They were disappointed that Cobham services (stop 11) only had 6 chargers. Simply not enough

 

[Captainron]

That's a nice car. Have you had a chance to test drive it?

Are they giving you a home charger or is that for you to sort?

Have tested it and it is nice.

Need to get a charger myself

 

[PJ87]

Have tested it and it is nice.

Need to get a charger myself

I can fully recommend an ohme pro (or zappi if you have solar) I say ohme pro because they come with a tethered lead (can get one without) but mainly because they are compatible with the most smart EV tariffs out there

Octopus and OVO do the best deal for EV drivers depending on your needs (octopus myself)

Tethered is my personal choice because it's less faff with the cable that comes with the car. Just leave it hanging there.

 

[Robster59]

They also have to sort out the mindset of people so they don't just plug in, check in and leave the car to hog the charger.

They are starting to incur punitive penalties if you stay over the allowed time (e.g. at my first hotel it was £10 per hour if you went over your 3 hours). In reality, with a PHEV, that isn't long enough due to the low charging it can take. I had to go back and do a second charge to fully charge it.

 

[Robster59]

This is the single car charging point at the Holiday Inn Express in Crewe. What this photo doesn't show you is that there is a foot square concrete post for the building support on one side, the fence on the other, and the parking road behind it is only just wide enough for one car with a wooden fence behind so it's almost impossible to manoeuvre any vehicle into it. For my Skoda Superb it is impossible. If free, I park in the space where the white car is and pull the wire to it.
But I have rarely seen it used because of the access issues. I wouldn't mind if there wasn't plenty of better places all around the hotel. But there are. This is probably the worst place they could have put it. It's a pretty pointless installation.

 

[PJ87]

This is the single car charging point at the Holiday Inn Express in Crewe. What this photo doesn't show you is that there is a foot square concrete post for the building support on one side, the fence on the other, and the parking road behind it is only just wide enough for one car with a wooden fence behind so it's almost impossible to manoeuvre any vehicle into it. For my Skoda Superb it is impossible. If free, I park in the space where the white car is and pull the wire to it.
But I have rarely seen it used because of the access issues. I wouldn't mind if there wasn't plenty of better places all around the hotel. But there are. This is probably the worst place they could have put it. It's a pretty pointless installation.
View attachment 52356

That's proper tokenism like on a menu we have veggie options (salad)

 

[jim8flog]

Have tested it and it is nice.

Need to get a charger myself

Personally I went untethered mainly based upon cost. I already have a lead . Why buy another one?

However I only charge the car up once a week so put up with a small bit of extra work to get it charged.

 

[PNWokingham]

Not a dig at electric cars, just an update from a user who wants out and wishes he never bought. On top of the 120k purchase price 2 years ago to circa 40k current value, what schocked me was that Porsche would not even take it as trade in against a second hand 911 that he wants to swap to as the market is flooded with cars.

Conversely, you would have to say that 40 odd grand to buy a secondhand 2 year old Taycan could be a good option for many others.

 

[SteveW86]

My first long trip was planned for may. (Bath and back with staying down for 3 days)

However the Mrs is in a very kind mood

So in Easter I'm doing overtime on one day. Driving down 9pm after work to Southampton. Got a nice premier inn booked

Golf the next morning, after golf driving down to bath to have dinner at my mates.

Now she doesn't finish work until 5, I finish golf around 2 and she's 50 miles from Southampton. So the same charger we gonna use in may going to test out.

Zapmap with a conservative 240 mile to a charge (I get more) says I'll arrive in bath with 40% (will leave home with 100% and top up at work) so I'll top up to 80% then go for dinner.

Will give me at worst 190 miles range which the drive home is 155 miles.

Should be a good test without the kids to make sure all fine when kids are there and also chance for golf with the best man from my wedding and dinner with my mate.

Happy days

Which course are you planning on playing?

 

[PJ87]

Personally I went untethered mainly based upon cost. I already have a lead . Why buy another one?

However I only charge the car up once a week so put up with a small bit of extra work to get it charged.

I find tethered is much preferred as you don't need to go putting away cable in the rain, and if your charging say every night it just makes sense

Which course are you planning on playing?

Oh nothing exciting tbh, just paultons next to Peppa pig world lol we have played dibden before but last time he wanted to go there as it's nicer. Enjoyed it myself and I'm staying in that premier inn so makes sense

Tbh it's more about the company than the golf, we only get to meet up twice a year these days. Altho this year he's coming up the week before to play my course

 

[SteveW86]

I find tethered is much preferred as you don't need to go putting away cable in the rain, and if your charging say every night it just makes sense


Oh nothing exciting tbh, just paultons next to Peppa pig world lol we have played dibden before but last time he wanted to go there as it's nicer. Enjoyed it myself and I'm staying in that premier inn so makes sense

Tbh it's more about the company than the golf, we only get to meet up twice a year these days. Altho this year he's coming up the week before to play my course

It might have dried out by then

 

[need_my_wedge]

This thread has moved on a long way since I originally posted. Just updated the thread title to reflect the movement

 

[ExRabbit]

a no for what?



BWM

The 'No' was my answer to the original thread title, which has been changed since,

 

[jim8flog]

I find tethered is much preferred as you don't need to go putting away cable in the rain.

If it is raining I tend to be staying in the house and waiting for it to stop before disconnecting the cable. Most of the cable is under the car so it is only the ends that need to be dried.

 

[PJ87]

It might have dried out by then

Yeah I read online that it's a bit wet ATM lol won't they all be wet around the area?

 

[PJ87]

If it is raining I tend to be staying in the house and waiting for it to stop before disconnecting the cable. Most of the cable is under the car so it is only the ends that need to be dried.

I'm more thinking of the mess tbh, I keep a towel in the car for when I charge at work and dry the cable because it gets dirt on it and it's messy

Tethered one has been brilliant, plug in and forget then just hang up next to it

 

[SteveW86]

Yeah I read online that it's a bit wet ATM lol won't they all be wet around the area?

Most places are very wet, the ones on chalk are coping but pretty borderline

 

[PJ87]

Most places are very wet, the ones on chalk are coping but pretty borderline

To be fair we are soaked but drains well so best in area

What ones are chalk? Might branch out

 

[SteveW86]

To be fair we are soaked but drains well so best in area

What ones are chalk? Might branch out

I dont think anythin particularly close to there. Royal Winchester or Hockley probably the closest, or could head down to Poole area and you have Broadstone/Parkstone/Ferndown, but then the green fees will be substantially higher.

 

[PJ87]

I dont think anythin particularly close to there. Royal Winchester or Hockley probably the closest, or could head down to Poole area and you have Broadstone/Parkstone/Ferndown, but then the green fees will be substantially higher.

Yeah might be out of my mates price range

I did get tempted with driving down to isle of Purbeck as that course is beautiful