| Electric cars 14:11 - Jun 28 with 5242 views | DJR |
I am not sure whether anyone has posted this before but I was wondering what experience people have had with purely electric cars, and especially long distances.
The reason I ask is that a friend bought one a year ago, and has come to the conclusion that long distances are a no-no because of the difficulty of charging away from home. Indeed, he mentioned to me that there are fewer charging points this year than last.
The contrast couldn't be greater with Norway, where I have recently come back from. The tax system there makes electric cars cheaper than non-electric cars, and virtually all car sales are electric these days.
And when it comes to infrastructure, the person I was visiting owned a Tesla, and because of difficulties charging at home due to works being carried out, they were able to drive to a garage nearby which had 20 charging points, with they being the only user.
When it comes to the UK, I don't think I've ever seen more than two charging points in one place.
Of course, if all you do is drive within range, they are obviously ideal, but I don't think I'd want to use one on the two hour (or often more) drive to Town games when the trains are up the creek. [Post edited 28 Jun 2023 14:16]
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| Electric cars on 19:05 - Jun 28 with 1765 views | BloomBlue |
Don't own one (couldn't give up the V12 Ferrari) but i do know a lot of people who own an EV and all love them.
But from what they say the rule of thumb is.......
If you're journeys are mainly short 30-40 miles then any EV is OK. Even better if you have a home charger.
But
If your journeys are regularly longer 100+ then only go with a Tesla. Mainly because their charging network is superior than any of the other charging networks [Post edited 28 Jun 2023 19:09]
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| Electric cars on 19:15 - Jun 28 with 1750 views | Nutkins_Return |
Had a Tesla nearly a year. Can honestly say I haven't had to plan any journey based on charging. If you are doing long journey the car sorts the plan to a fast charger when you put the journey in. Main part of choosing Tesla (despite some brilliant other Ev's like Polestar, Ev6 etc) was for the extensive charger network. Currently a lot less stressful than other EVs which are sharing chargers and often far less of them. Definitely more demand for the chargers but I'm yet to have to wait though have taken the last one a few times.
I don't do loads of big journeys though. Worth noting in summer you get a lot better range then winter. I would say only ever a problem if you were doing huge daily commutes. The super chargers have you in and out in 20 mins. It doesn't affect your journey as I'd stop longer anyway. Flip side is is no more trips to the pump. I just plug in at home or at work.
I wasn't someone desperate to get an EV but took the plunge. If I had to sum it up it feels like a step change in transport like when iPhones first came out for mobiles (keyboard just suddenly seemed ridiculous). It's a huge step forward in driving experience. The wife has a nice petrol car. It just feels weird, slow and loose now. Couldn't go back. |  | | |
| Electric cars on 20:11 - Jun 28 with 1712 views | homer_123 |
| Electric cars on 19:05 - Jun 28 by BloomBlue |
Don't own one (couldn't give up the V12 Ferrari) but i do know a lot of people who own an EV and all love them.
But from what they say the rule of thumb is.......
If you're journeys are mainly short 30-40 miles then any EV is OK. Even better if you have a home charger.
But
If your journeys are regularly longer 100+ then only go with a Tesla. Mainly because their charging network is superior than any of the other charging networks [Post edited 28 Jun 2023 19:09]
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As a Polestar owner, I have to disagree with the 'If your journeys are regularly longer 100+ then only go with a Tesla....' part of your post. |  |
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| Electric cars on 20:13 - Jun 28 with 1706 views | positivity |
| Electric cars on 18:56 - Jun 28 by DJR |
Do all the the different charging points work for every vehicle? |
teslas are different (as is their owner) | |
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| Electric cars on 20:15 - Jun 28 with 1706 views | positivity |
| Electric cars on 20:11 - Jun 28 by homer_123 |
As a Polestar owner, I have to disagree with the 'If your journeys are regularly longer 100+ then only go with a Tesla....' part of your post. |
if you're buying 2nd hand he's probably right, but if you're buying/leasing new plenty have 200, 300 miles or more.
tesla are being caught up fast and are far more expensive | |
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| Electric cars on 20:58 - Jun 28 with 1689 views | NBVJohn |
I have a company EV which I got in early February.
Since the weather got warmer the range has significantly increased, though equally it took me a month or so to adjust my driving style to get the best regeneration.
I drove it down into central France in March and had no problems recharging whatsoever. You just have to think differently about your trip.
For example, on a long work trip I charge at every convenient opportunity until I know I have enough power to get home. It’s rare that I don’t need to break a journey and join a Teams call or something so I plan in the stop for somewhere where I know there are plenty of chargers.
I have found that as well as the obvious and expensive motorway service stations, there are many cheaper fast chargers close to slip roads. For some reason, Harvester car parks are pretty reliable.
I do have a home charger and ensure I always leave with a full battery. | | | |
| Electric cars on 20:59 - Jun 28 with 1685 views | ElephantintheRoom |
The biggest cost in car ownership by far is depreciation.
You have to be pretty stupid to want to saddle yourself with an electric car when there is no infrastructure to support its use - and beyond stupid when you see it has no second hand value. | |
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| Electric cars on 21:20 - Jun 28 with 1680 views | TractorBrew |
| Electric cars on 20:59 - Jun 28 by ElephantintheRoom |
The biggest cost in car ownership by far is depreciation.
You have to be pretty stupid to want to saddle yourself with an electric car when there is no infrastructure to support its use - and beyond stupid when you see it has no second hand value. |
Only if you subscribe to the must have new car every 3 years mentality, that is actually the biggest issue with vehicle ownership and not what is under the hood. If we stopped the infatuation of getting a new car when the one you have is perfectly fine, it would actually solve a big chunk of the problems we face with raw material shortages… | | | |
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| Electric cars on 21:22 - Jun 28 with 1679 views | TractorBrew |
| Electric cars on 20:13 - Jun 28 by positivity |
teslas are different (as is their owner) |
A lot of the Tesla network is now being opened up to other EVs, not the highest spec ones I don’t think. Guess this is a positive for wider EV, but possibly a negative for Tesla owners | | | |
| Electric cars on 21:58 - Jun 28 with 1653 views | Nutkins_Return |
| Electric cars on 20:13 - Jun 28 by positivity |
teslas are different (as is their owner) |
You can charge a Tesla at any charge point. You just can't charge other EVs at any Tesla charge point. Tesla were going to open theirs up (would make them a ton of cash) but since demand for them is getting higher for just Tesla's I think they have decided not to piss off their customers. It's a a massive selling point for them having Tesla only charging network. | | | |
| Electric cars on 22:06 - Jun 28 with 1647 views | Freddies_Ears |
| Electric cars on 16:04 - Jun 28 by homer_123 |
"Most people who own electric cars don't use them for longer journeys..."
Not sure that is the case....define longer journeys.
For me, I head to Devon, Cornwall and Wales on a fairly regular basis....use EV for that no issues. |
A longer journey for me is an ITFC away game, with no electric charging point at the away ground. So, that is most away games (anything over 250 miles total, or 125 miles x2). Preston, for example, I can do on a single tank of fuel there & back; electric I would be stopping, possibly queuing, paying over the odds, on both outward and return trip. | | | |
| Electric cars on 22:24 - Jun 28 with 1614 views | TractorBrew |
| Electric cars on 21:58 - Jun 28 by Nutkins_Return |
You can charge a Tesla at any charge point. You just can't charge other EVs at any Tesla charge point. Tesla were going to open theirs up (would make them a ton of cash) but since demand for them is getting higher for just Tesla's I think they have decided not to piss off their customers. It's a a massive selling point for them having Tesla only charging network. |
https://www.tesla.com/en_gb/support/non-tesla-supercharging#selected-countries
Spotted a Polestar hooked up to one the other day and looked in to it | | | |
| Electric cars on 22:36 - Jun 28 with 1596 views | Nutkins_Return |
| Electric cars on 22:06 - Jun 28 by Freddies_Ears |
A longer journey for me is an ITFC away game, with no electric charging point at the away ground. So, that is most away games (anything over 250 miles total, or 125 miles x2). Preston, for example, I can do on a single tank of fuel there & back; electric I would be stopping, possibly queuing, paying over the odds, on both outward and return trip. |
Genuinely can't imagine you doing much queuing or paying over the odds for a regular Saturday trip. | | | |
| Electric cars on 22:43 - Jun 28 with 1591 views | Nutkins_Return |
Yes interesting. They've been talking about it for years and still in pilot phase. I still haven't see. A non Tesla in one so must still be very limited. I. I saw your earlier post and my use of 'any' was meant to mean (not all are open to you if non Tesla) but probably read as (none).
I think they have kept most closed off (or possibly they open them only when loads free etc). I think it's hard for them to keep the sweet spot of it being a big selling point to sell cars and also getting money from other EVs | | | |
| Electric cars on 23:14 - Jun 28 with 1575 views | WicklowBlue |
I'm not an EV owner but aim to be one within the next 12 months.
The poster who said EVs are like mobile phone tech is spot on. The evolution of battery tech is still evolving.
Charging infrastructure is a barrier that Governments need to invest in. The Irish Government have stated they aim to invest in high powered chargers (whatever that means) every 60km on our motorways. The aim being that new ICE vehicles will be phased out by 2030. (Ambitious!)
Most modern EVs range is 200 miles plus. If you can install a home charger that really solves range anxiety. Unless you are regularly travelling 200 miles plus in a day, then you need to plan having stops to charge.
In Ireland diesel is cheaper than petrol which meant a lot of people bought diesel cars. What is the one thing that kills diesel engines?...short trips to the shops which leads to dpf issues etc. Even more so since the pandemic and more people working from home. My Mazda CX5 is a great example, it needs a long journey regularly to run through its dpf cleaning cycle.
The Nissan Leaf was the break through car in terms of EVs. The new MG4 is an all round great EV which has decent spec, good range and more affordable than other mainstream manufacturers. Depending on your needs, if the majority of your car journeys are shorter trips, with the occasional longer journey and don't have a large family the MG4 is currently best in class. Other manufacturers are catching up too hence Tesla having to reduce their prices.
Hydrogen powered cars have been around since JC was still on the BBCs payroll. I seem to remember James May buying a Toyota Mirai but hydrogen is still a very expensive tech. If H is the way forward a lot more investment is needed. |  | | |
| Electric cars on 23:31 - Jun 28 with 1570 views | vilanovablue |
| Electric cars on 23:14 - Jun 28 by WicklowBlue |
I'm not an EV owner but aim to be one within the next 12 months.
The poster who said EVs are like mobile phone tech is spot on. The evolution of battery tech is still evolving.
Charging infrastructure is a barrier that Governments need to invest in. The Irish Government have stated they aim to invest in high powered chargers (whatever that means) every 60km on our motorways. The aim being that new ICE vehicles will be phased out by 2030. (Ambitious!)
Most modern EVs range is 200 miles plus. If you can install a home charger that really solves range anxiety. Unless you are regularly travelling 200 miles plus in a day, then you need to plan having stops to charge.
In Ireland diesel is cheaper than petrol which meant a lot of people bought diesel cars. What is the one thing that kills diesel engines?...short trips to the shops which leads to dpf issues etc. Even more so since the pandemic and more people working from home. My Mazda CX5 is a great example, it needs a long journey regularly to run through its dpf cleaning cycle.
The Nissan Leaf was the break through car in terms of EVs. The new MG4 is an all round great EV which has decent spec, good range and more affordable than other mainstream manufacturers. Depending on your needs, if the majority of your car journeys are shorter trips, with the occasional longer journey and don't have a large family the MG4 is currently best in class. Other manufacturers are catching up too hence Tesla having to reduce their prices.
Hydrogen powered cars have been around since JC was still on the BBCs payroll. I seem to remember James May buying a Toyota Mirai but hydrogen is still a very expensive tech. If H is the way forward a lot more investment is needed. |
Got an MG4 the basic one it's a decent vehicle. The mileage thing is workable. For getting round locally it's a breeze. I've done 300 miles in a day with some forward planning. |  | | |
| Electric cars on 01:01 - Jun 29 with 1548 views | wkj |
I have one and went to Barnsley and back. I would say it added about 1.5 hours on to the Journey.
The key is to plan the journey out in advance like the good old days of A-Z maps, scrutinising places with fast charge locations (Tesla and BP Pulse networks are the gold standard of fast charing)
When it comes to EV drivers looking frustrated at service stations, this is usually a sign that an EV driver is treating the journey as they would in a petrol car. Get to low, do a big charge. The smarter thing to do is to bounce the charge between 30-80% for a series of shorter chargers, but higher frequency.
You can get EVs with > 300 mile range now (real range about 260+ in warm weather, 220+ in cold weather).
TLDR
The key to long hauling and EV ownership is
- Plan your trips around the best EV charging networks
- Leave yourself plenty of extra room for error
- Charge little and often vs petrol tank mentality
- Be mindful that in cold weather you will be working with reduced range |  |
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| Electric cars on 11:44 - Jun 29 with 1432 views | TractorBrew |
| Electric cars on 23:31 - Jun 28 by vilanovablue |
Got an MG4 the basic one it's a decent vehicle. The mileage thing is workable. For getting round locally it's a breeze. I've done 300 miles in a day with some forward planning. |
Opted for the Trophy version - it was great until someone smashed in to the side of it this week. Couple of niggles, but not worth the additional £12k for a traditional manufacturer / Polestar / Tesla of the same spec
MG could be on to a winner, and the likes of BYD will also have a considerable impact I think. Heard a rumour Saab might be relaunched as an EV brand also! | | | |
| Electric cars on 12:42 - Jun 29 with 1389 views | wkj |
This is essentially the biggest issue with EV ownership. Not the cars themselves, but rather the charging infrastructure itself | |
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| Electric cars on 13:23 - Jun 29 with 1359 views | emergencylime |
Echo previous sentiments around a change of mindset/behaviour.
I did Ireland to Suffolk and back in Feb, my Ioniq does about 130 miles on a charge.
Planned where to top up, (and a nearby backup), and the extra stops versus my old petrol FR-V meant i felt more refreshed having been able to walk around more (could also have been the lack of gear changes over 500+ miles too!)
Not for the impatient yet, but if you're willing to persevere and adapt it's grand. |  |
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| Electric cars on 13:49 - Jul 4 with 1039 views | JakeITFC |
| Electric cars on 11:44 - Jun 29 by TractorBrew |
Opted for the Trophy version - it was great until someone smashed in to the side of it this week. Couple of niggles, but not worth the additional £12k for a traditional manufacturer / Polestar / Tesla of the same spec
MG could be on to a winner, and the likes of BYD will also have a considerable impact I think. Heard a rumour Saab might be relaunched as an EV brand also! |
How are you finding it?
I went to test drive one yesterday and thought it was really nice and planning to take the plunge in the next few weeks (currently have a Nissan Leaf). Real world experience on mileage, effect of AC etc. would be handy if you wouldn't mind. |  | | |
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