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A rather diff question, I'd like the good lady to trade in her wee 500 for a leccy one.
They're bloody expensive, but with a 3k deposit (ie her petrol 500) she can get one for 199 a month (I'm sure better deals are available, but I've not looked into it much).
What happens at the end of the pcp deal, when she's no carvto use as a deposit? Need to find cash yourself, or carry on paying monthly cos you're 'in'?
This thread seems a bit 'quaint' to read now... https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/fuel-additives-for-diesel-cars-what-do-you-use-%f0%9f%a4%94/
I can't ever imagine going back..
No beer - I'm in the market for a petrol 500 in the next few months. Send some details if you like?
This thread seems a bit ‘quaint’ to read now… https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/fuel-additives-for-diesel-cars-what-do-you-use-%f0%9f%a4%94/
I can’t ever imagine going back..
That's funny because I was reading the I drove 3 hours to go camping and couldn't ....then drove home thinking.... Heck if he had an electric car the pitch would have dried out before he could drive home.
Horses for course.
@Karnali
Check your car has the type2 3-phase cable included
use Zap-Map app as said above. I'd register beforehand with a few of the main networks, Shell Recharge / Osprey, BP Polar, Geniepoint, Electric Highway. Definitely plan your route beforehand I generally plan to stop somewhere where there are a few options. Prioritise Instavolt (contactless payment) then the above networks in that order (not sure about Electric Highway these days, I've never used them, they had/have the worst rep). You should check in zap-map that any specific charger has 22kw AC charger as an option, most of the rapid DC chargers do have an AC option I think, but in most cases you supply the cable.
It's worth knowing that if you register and use Engie chargers in West Yorkshire, they are currently free to use until October. register and charger Map here (green=available, Blue=in use, Red=broken) https://ev.engie.co.uk/ They all have a 22kw AC plug
The MG ZS has a 43Kwh battery a socket will provide 3Kw
Charger blocks I've used have/had a 2kW limit unless plugged into a Greenup plug socket in which case they're 3.2kW.
A quick bit of (very rough and probably inaccurate maths) that’ll be £30-40 of leccy.
I got the same number based on 700 miles. But cutting it another way, assuming a 10A charge rate they’d need to be plugged in solidly for 4 and a half days. Does that still seem right? Or have they stopped off at a rapid at some point?
Still, if I was the tenant I’d have asked.
And leave a few notes behind to cover costs if they were significant.
But cutting it another way, assuming a 10A charge rate they’d need to be plugged in solidly for 4 and a half days. Does that still seem right? Or have they stopped off at a rapid at some point?
They might have charged elsewhere too I guess. Probably plugged it in for 12-14 a day for 7 days so could have racked up 4ish days....But judging by where they said they've been they will have covered some miles. They wen to John o' Groats (why do all our punter do this?) which is a 280 round trip from ours so they must have charged up elsewhere during the day.
@convert
Where is your holiday accommodation? My pals have two hols a year in Scotland, Munro bagging, aways looking for Highlands rentals.
Just returned from Fort Augustus (2 electric cars) and luckily there was a free rapid charger just down the road and on some of our planned routes. We both turned up with cables and extensions as emergency back up and had an agreement with the owner to reimburse him, but wasn't necessary.
@boombang That’s certainly an interesting response from the installer. I can understand it though as there seems to some differences between DNOs.
For example, Northern Powergrid told me they would never fit anything above 80a on a domestic property and even most small business properties are the same. We have three phase coming into our house (services 4 houses in total but comes in under our drive) and the fuse carriers (x3) all have 100a stamped on them but I know they definitely have 80a fuses in them. Not sure why it’s like this because it’s confusing, e.g. if you send a photo and it says ‘100a’ I would assume it contains a 100a fuse! But you can’t check without breaking the seals (not that I would be poking around in there anyway!).
I was told our 7kw podpoint would simply throttle the current if I decided to have a tumble dryer party, not sure what the name is for this. We used a local company rather than podpoint direct so probably paid a bit more because they sorted all the paperwork etc. I would get a second opinion form another installer.
Charger blocks I’ve used have/had a 2kW limit unless plugged into a Greenup plug socket in which case they’re 3.2kW.
I got 3Kw with my Golf which seems to be what most report.
For example, Northern Powergrid told me they would never fit anything above 80a on a domestic property
They fitted a new cut-out in my terraced house last December (due to age of the old one), it says 100a on it. I've no idea if it is actually 100a but it would seem strange that such a company is going around fitting mislabeled kit as standard.
so is a difference in efficiency of something like 1 or 1.5kWh
It's not something like 1 or 1.5kWh though is it? You're actually talking 25-40% less efficient. That's a LOT of kWhs which is a lot of extra power that has to be generated somehow.
It's worse for electric than for ICE too. Just look at the difference just bigger wheels make on a Tesla Model 3 - It's around 8% in range. Now consider the size of the wheels for the Volvo, and the aerodynamic penalty of those wheels and the size/weight/drag of the bodywork to hide them. So you now need a bigger battery, which is heavier, so you need bigger brakes to stop you, and more crash protection to save you. bigger, bigger, bigger, bigger. What a damn waste. And the fact that people are either too stupid to understand it, or just unwilling to even consider it is properly sad, especially for future generations.
My little i3 (which actually isn't that small) quite happily does 8.3km/kWh. So I can get 140-150 miles out of a 33kWh battery. That Volvo needs a 75kWH battery to go 205 miles!. Almost 2.5x the battery size for 50% more range.
Why - because the i3 was designed to be an efficient electric car. The Volvo isn't. it's an existing design, adapted to electric as Volvo believes (quite correctly) that it'll sell and like you, they car more about what it looks like and if it sells, than actually how good it truly is for the world.
I really hope that we start taxing electric cars soon and that the fixed tax be based size and weight and that a proportion of that fixed component becomes a scaler against miles driven.
Thanks for that, this is a local firm who are not tied to any particular charger. We have a 10mish cable run (if run at right angles) under floors so most firms would either take an easier route and run it outside as much as possible or want to take floors up. These guys will work under the suspended floor if they can get under (neighbour with similar layout said he could).
I'll try another but now started process with UK Power Networks might as well follow through.
As said I've seen 2 other installs (next door and a friend locally) who's installs are close to a bodge, I'd like to get it right and safe.
They fitted a new cut-out in my terraced house last December (due to age of the old one), it says 100a on it.
It'll be 80A if Northern Powergrid. The 100A marking is the rating of the cutout, not the fuse.
I got 3Kw with my Golf which seems to be what most report
Mine have been 3kW too but only work at 2kW unless they detect the thing in the greenup socket to tell the block it's safe to draw 15A rather than 10A. Maybe this is just French thing.
The socket on the left is the standard Euro three pin and the one on the right which takes the same plug has a chip or something in it which tells the charger block it can draw 15A rather than 10A.
It's all I need at home, there's a fast charger up the road if I need to go out again quickly.
Edit to add explanation: houses here are wired with four or more different thincknesses of cable. Lighting circuits can be wired with 1.5mm2 cable so bedside light sockets are only safe for 10A. To make sure people don't overload by plugging in the car into a light circuit socket the blocks will only work at 15A with a greenup socket which must be wired with at least 2.5mm2 cable.
Houses in France are also mainly wired radial not ring so have even less current carrying capacity by design before you get to the cable thickness.
You can use whatever breaker and cable is appropriate to the application, Trail_rat. The cables up to my meter are shall we say "generous" and the EDF fuses are 200A. The current carrying capacity of any spur is what corresponds to what you are going to use it for and is defined in the regs, the current carrying capacity is if anything higher with multiple spurs rather than a ring. It's a delight to work on, no need to pay a qualified electrician, you can do it yourself, just comply with the regs.
To add a spur: check what the load already is on the differential breaker, add one if necessary. Fit the breaker that corresponds to use and connect it to the differential, run a radial spur with cable of appropriate thickness and fit appropriate socket(s). Done.
So what your saying is....
If I plug into a random french socket at a holiday let with my car. It could be anything.
Which having seen the state of what my folks inherited I'd believe that must be "to regs" is interpreted with a gallic shrug.
That’s possible what it is Edukator as one thing we have right is pretty strict regulations for electrics. I’ve never tried the E Tron as it would take far too long.
If I plug into a random french socket at a holiday let with my car. It could be anything.
If it's a modern property or been brought up to standard you'll know what you're plugging into:
However you are only obliged to bring things up to curent standards that you work on. Any old installation can be left in place with no obligation to bring it up to modern normes, however if you rent it out it must be safe and you have to provide the people renting with a report by an inspector whatever state it's in.
When I rented out my places complied with the latest normes and had no remarks on the report. Not all people renting out are so rigorous. Even in a modern building you'd be unwise to plug in anything high load in the bedroom, in other rooms you should find sockets are wired with 2.5mm2 if there are a lot of sockets on the spur and fitted with 16A/20A breakers.
On my ride today at the beginning I was behind an i-Pace and an electric Amazon van at the roundabout then the next car I saw was an iD3 passing under the bridge; then an e-UP on the way home. Then today several more model 3s and another iPace. Numbers are definitely growing fast. When I got my hybrid in 2006 hybrids were pretty rare on the road for quite a while.
Good news for UK EV drivers. Gridserve announce the Gridserve Electric Highway
As well as replacing the old Ecotricity EH chargers, which they have made a good start on, they will be opening more than 10 ultra rapid charger hubs with 6-12 350kW chargers at each location.
[tongue in cheek] All this has been made possible by Bono, lead singer of U2 and eco warrior, who is a founder of the RISE eco fund which is a major new investor in Gridserve [\tongue in cheek]
10 new Electric Hubs, each featuring 6-12 high power 350kW chargers per location, expected to be completed this year – starting with motorways services deployments in Reading (East and West), Thurrock, and Exeter, and Cornwall Services.
The latter are desperately needed. That's great news.
That is good news, service stations are probably the worst places to charge at the moment. I'm looking at a drive up the M6 at the weekend and all the good charging locations are off the motorway, most the services still have the old DBT units so just one CCS plug if it works.
It's not all been great with the new ABB units Gridserve are putting in, stopped at a service station and one of the new units was complaining about needing to wait for power so ended up moving to the other.
That is good news, service stations are probably the worst places to charge at the moment.
Let's face it though....they are the worst place to fill up with dinosaur as well.
Unfortunately the electric car is a much more captive audience for them if they get their act together.
I hope they also recognise Mid and North Wales for this development as it'd currently be quite difficult for me to take a trip there in the EV to climb a mountain or something.
Stick eight or ten rapid chargers at that Starbucks outside Dolgellau please.
Just arrive having charged up at the last charger before you go into the dark ages.
Range anxiety isn't an issue with modern electric cars so I'm told.
Range anxiety isn’t an issue with modern electric cars so I’m told.
Range anxiety mostly isn't a thing (apart from perhaps deepest Wales and other very remote rural areas). However, charger anxiety is very real, you're never absolutely certain that it won't be broken, blocked, or hogged. And most rapid chargers are single chargers still.
Flat 30p/kWh is a stupid system. Partly because it'll be 60p/kWh once the directors of Gridserve and Ionity have slept together, but also because it doesn't respect demand.
All the chargers empty? Then charge cost price for electricity. As they fill up, increase the price until they're all full, when you can set a high rate to encourage drivers to just put in the electricity they need at the fastest 350kW rate and then piss off.
Actually, you could have the price set in inverse proportion to the charging rate to stop people filling their battery to the brim.
I hope they also recognise Mid and North Wales for this development as it’d currently be quite difficult for me to take a trip there in the EV to climb a mountain or something.
Here's some Good news for you
Just arrive having charged up at the last charger before you go into the dark ages.
That works but means going up the A49 and charging at Oswestry, so you miss the lovely A470 drive 🙂
Here’s some Good news for you
It is good, thanks.
I wish I'd got more miles on the lease now!
I'm signed up for Octopus Go now with the 5p/kWh overnight tariff. Given the car's efficiency Ohme reckons it's costing 1.03p a mile.
At that rate (if it were possible) I could drive 20,000 miles over two years, which is all the lease allows, and it'd cost me £206 in fuel.
The Passat would be giving me about 48mpg in mixed driving, long term average (even less if it were used for the commute that the Ioniq does) and 20k miles would cost £2350. So very roughly 10x more expensive in fuel.
The Ioniq would have cost £28k new - a new Passat is about the same or even a bit more cos the Ioniq has reasonable kit. Ok a new one would be more efficient than mine, to be fair.
^ that's a convincing argument about EV's...
Sadly we still need manual to get the lads through driving test on smaller car.
The big car carries bikes on towball and roof, or canoes on roof, regularly. What's the EV options for a 'utility' vehicle with some good range for Highlands?
At that rate (if it were possible) I could drive 20,000 miles over two years, which is all the lease allows, and it’d cost me £206 in fuel.
Bear in mind you're currently getting Summer efficiency figures from the Ohme app. October to March will be less. However you're still only talking £250 region, assuming all charging from home of course.
Hyundai Kona for price and Ok range
Skoda Enyaq for range but more costly
Neither are cheap but not expensive like some
EVs are creeping down in price but unsurprisingly it’s the lower range that are cheaper
Of course, but the range is not the thing stopping me from driving the Ioniq everywhere.
The Ioniq would have cost £28k new – a new Passat is about the same or even a bit more cos the Ioniq has reasonable kit. Ok a new one would be more efficient than mine, to be fair
not quite comparing like with like. an ioniq is golf sized at best, an efficient golf is more efficient than a passat, but you're still up.
best to figure in the cost of your home charging kit, and fitting as well though. Takes a bit off the saving
Of course, but the range is not the thing stopping me from driving the Ioniq everywhere.
Yeah 10000 miles a year isn't much (assuming that's what you mean), I've currently got 12000 allowance on mine but i can buy add on mileage packages up to 750 extra miles a month. I've been / will be doing more Dales Lakes and Scottish trips Just because it's so cheap.
I’m in the process of getting a car from work and I’m finding the process of thinking about an EV frustrating!
If we get a car it has to be able to carry bikes well, unfortunately a lot of them can’t be fitted with a towbar so it rules a lot of them out. We need a decent boot size but most of the mid sized car boots are frankly rubbish. I’ve looked at a few already.
But I also need a decent range for work (I work in utilities and often have emergencies to attend which may be a long way away) and play purposes (going to wilds of Scotland and Wales). I’m worried about the range but I think we can live with it if I get 250 miles plus.
However I seem to be stuck in that the cheaper EVs which I can afford are either too small or the range is pitiful OR the charging facility slow. I got excited about a Citroen Belingo EV which is VERY cheap for me (£50 a month all in for the XTR version) but the range is pitiful - 170m which will probably be 150 real world. That’s terrible for a car advertised as a lifestyle vehicle.
On the other hand I could choose an Enyaq, an Audi Etron. But they would be a real stretch financially. However their big issue is that my wife struggles to drive them - she is only 4’11” and when the seat is in her position it is a real struggle to get in and out of the car (seat is high and forwards and due to angle of A pillar it’s like trying to get into a car with a roll cage) and her heel is generally 100mm off the floor when she uses the accelerator. We know from experience that means a very painful driving experience for anything above local driving.
There is some new cars coming out which might work for us - Hyundai Ioniq 5 looks really good but from speaking to a local dealer it sounds like I’ll be lucky to be able to get a sit in one as they have had so much demand for them and they may still have the issue of small boot but expensive to get for me.
So at the moment I’m hovering over the order button for an Octavia Estate SEL iV PHEV. 43 mile (so maybe 35 real world) on electric, 205bhp so pretty fast, big boot, comfy for my wife (we’ve tried it) and I can have for £160 a month all in including my BIK tax.
I know this will be my last car with an ICE, I have to keep it for 4 years. I just hope in 4 years we have more choice than high up SUVs and city runarounds.
Kia e-Niro?
Of course, but the range is not the thing stopping me from driving the Ioniq everywhere.
No, it’s not a big issue at all. Just a bit careful planning. I’m heading to Preston on Monday, tempted to take the E-Tron for a test run before I got to Scotland. Looks like it will be one 20 minute stop each way using the 150Kw chargers. That is far from an inconvenience.
Matt out and about:
Max load becomes an issue on the Korean cars, and Tesla M3. Ioniq and Eniro have a Max load 418 kgs or thereabouts. VW id4 has 600ish which would solve load lugging. Ioniq (ev) doesn't have a specified roof load at all iirc, and no roof rack points (you can get a the clamp style). One option could be to get a Tesla M3 with a towbar specced and pull a trailer with canoes and stuff (and bikes). The roof rack on the M3 still freaks me out with glass breaking risk.
@b230ftw as Edukator says e-Niro sounds worth a look.
Search for "bike carrier towbar", can get folding and fixed versions to retrofit. There are various threads about with statements from authorities and Kia saying it is ok to fit without braking laws or type approvals so long as you don't fit anything other than a cycle carrier.
Why they don't factory fit I have no idea but for me it's a massive irritation as want to lease for a couple of years.