The Electric Car Thread

Edukator · 2020-07-26T16:52:32Z

All the threads I wanted to bump are over a year old so here's an attempt at a durable thread. A couple of years ago we did a road trip in a Zoé 40 which showed up weaknesses in the charging infrastructure; when all else failed we found a campsite and charged overnight. This year we decided to visit family and friends so did Pau, Berlin, Lodz (Poland), Bavaria and Austria: 5050km. France still isn't great, there's a limited number of DC chargers and too many operators with different cards. We used 22kW chargers with Mobive (which is currently shambolic as they're being taken over and twice required phone calls to start chargers), Leclerc, Lidl, Intermarché and local council chargers. The only 50kW DC charger on our route failed - there was a Dutch guy there with 2% battery wondring what to do next. All free or cheap as you'd expect with French electricity prices. Germany and Austria have gone from nightmarish to brilliant. Mobility+ has signed contracts with many of the 300+ operators to provide a nationwide network. Lots of 50-300kW DC chargers - we saw one of those new Porches using a 300kW charger near Munich. Every one we used worked as it should from the app. Pricing is better than it was too: 39cents for AC kWs and 47cents for DC kWs which is not bad considering the price of electricity in Germany and the 77cents of some competitors. Lidl and Aldi have 50kW chargers in some places too but we couldn't find a simple way of knowing which of them had chargers. There are more than on the Chargemap app anyhow. There's still a problem with with fully charged hybrids squatting chargers for free parking in some places so we went for fast chargers on autobahns when possible. Poland. Once we'd bought a Polish SIM card to put in the phone it was fine. You can only download the Orlan app with a Polish SIM (try it, I'd be interested to know if it's just French SIMs that are blocked on Google Play). Orlan chargers are great and because they're in a service station if they don't work there's someone there to sort them out. As for the new Zoé, the extra range and fast charging make 600km+ days confortable, confortable meaning 9 hours from leaving one hotel/camping to checking into the next. On a 50kW Orlan charger the Zoé charged at exactly the same rate as the Tesla Model 3 that was on it before, 37kw. We never saw more than 37kW on any charger, it was generaly hot and the car had done about 200km before the charge. 50mins for 70% of the battery was typical.

Blazin-saddles

Posts: 4466

Full Member

I swap between Polestar and T5.

I also recognise the 'feels so archaic' comments.

I drive an ‘18 plate Peugeot Boxer all week as a work toolbox on wheels, when I get in our Polestar at the weekend it feels like a space shuttle! Monday is always a disappointment.

Posted : 13/04/2026 6:26 pm

hardtailonly

Posts: 2321

Full Member

We might be in the market for a small electric car in the next few months ... R4/5 look like contenders! But, I am so out of touch with the motoring world; is there I good reliable YouTube channel that'll have plenty of reviews to watch?

Posted : 13/04/2026 7:24 pm

DrP

Posts: 12113

Free Member

Speaking of YouTubers and Polestars....

I actually spent time and effort making a video of my experience tracking an EV!

(kind) thoughts welcome!

DrP

Posted : 14/04/2026 2:03 pm

mrchrispy and mulacs reacted

molgrips

Posts: 91161

Free Member

Can someone please make a Fabia estate sized thing that is a) not made by VAG b) has real world 250 mile range and c) not made by VAG

Mercedes CLA shooting brake?

Posted : 14/04/2026 5:24 pm

Forum menu