MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
We will be in touch
Here, the recovered energy could, ime, get as high as 25 to 30 % of the consumed total energy.
Hmm, when you drive around in town you are going much slower and recovering more energy, the consumption only goes up about 20% at most.
Also Fully Charged generally – I find it very watchable.
Generally I'd agree with you but lately it seems to consist mainly of infomercials for dodgy renewable startups.
Also Robert Llewellyn's ranting about SUVs are getting tiresome. He recently went off on one about the Volvo XC40 recharge so I looked up the dimensions of his Tesla Model 3 and guess what, it has a larger footprint on the road than the Volvo!
I looked up the dimensions of his Tesla Model 3 and guess what, it has a larger footprint on the road than the Volvo!
Now look at efficiency, aerodynamics and pedestrian collision.
Hopefully agreeing on a 2017 signature 41kwh Q 90 tomorrow. Anything I really need to know or ask. If all goes ahead I'll need to drive it back and charge on route, this is all a learning curve, us there any chargers I can't use with a Zoe, or any places that people can recommend to stop and charge between Lincolnshire and Cumbria, journey is 230 miles
Zap Map.
Nissan Chademo won't work on the Zoé, nor will the Euro Combo, you need a type 2 which happily are the most common.
Now look at efficiency, aerodynamics and pedestrian collision.
Why should I they are both zero emissions and Euro NCAP 5 star
Also Robert Llewellyn’s ranting about SUVs are getting tiresome. He recently went off on one about the Volvo XC40 recharge so I looked up the dimensions of his Tesla Model 3 and guess what, it has a larger footprint on the road than the Volvo!
Increase in footprint isn't a particularly important variable with regards power consumption. Aerodynamic drag of a XC40 is likely to be a chunk more than a Model 3. His ranting about it might be tiresome but I'd say the impact on our emissions of our collective SUV habit is more so.
I assume (certainly hope) it's not still be the case but about a year ago all our improvements from moving to smaller petrol engines, hybrids and EVs were collectively not enough to counteract the increase associated with our shift from normal format cars to SUV type vehicles.
Worth knowing (particularly with Zoe) that Gridserve are cracking on with motorway services rapid charger replacements. Worth checking zapmap and http://evmap.mazshar.com for current status. Mostly AC that older Zoes need is coming via separate units after so aim for services not done yet or BP Pulse (Polar), Shell, Osprey or similar just off the motorway.
His ranting about it might be tiresome but I’d say the impact on our emissions of our collective SUV habit is more so.
Like I said both are zero emissions vehicles and petrol equivalents will not be on sale after 2030 so is a difference in efficiency of something like 1 or 1.5kWh really a problem in a world where the power grid is decarbonising and the ICE is being legislated out of existence.
Personally I think RL's time would be more constructively spent ranting about the lack of charging infrastructure in a country where we expect EV use to grow exponentially in a couple of years.
So...posting on a thread with electric car users to garner opinion rather than start a new thread.
We have a holiday cottage we run next door. Current punters have an electric car. An MG ZS EV. Looks ok. This is the Highlands and they've had a very active holiday travelling (relatively) far and wide. I'd say they've covered 500 miles and will be driving home 200 tomorrow. Good to see you can have that sort holiday seemingly unperturbed by being in an electric car.
But this is the thing....I paid for it!
Car plugged in to a 13 amp plug through the window whenever they are in. A quick bit of (very rough and probably inaccurate maths) that'll be £30-40 of leccy.
As electric car users would you say plugging your car in to a holiday cottage without asking is just the expected thing you can do if you own an electric car? I'm thinking probably yes. But it still feels a bit cheeky. I don't pay for the fuel for petrol car owners. At the same time I'm all for electric cars becoming a thing so kind of support it...
Long term it looks like it's something I'll have to account for. Maybe put a charging point on the cottage and make it a selling point. But I'll maybe have to put the prices up too if I'm going to be pay for their travel whilst they are with us.
I've always asked and offered to pay giving them an idea of what it'll take in electricity, usually about 5e worth, they've always said help yourselves, it's free, and found us a suitable socket. Except once where they point blank refused, so we cancelled and moved on.
We rented out a ski flat a few times, the people who turned on all the heaters flat out cost us a lot more than an electric car can draw without a special socket - do you charge extra for people who turn the place into a sauna?
The most a car car draw from a standard domestic plug is 10A so 2.2kW.
We rented out a ski flat a few times, the people who turned on all the heaters flat out cost us a lot more than an electric car can draw without a special socket – do you charge extra for people who turn the place into a sauna?
This is true - though the heating controls are beyond reach. They could stay in 24/7 and have 3 baths a day. Or just scratch/damage stuff through carelessness. So in comparison it's not a biggie.
But you are still saying you'd ask?
Interesting question. I would ask before just running a cable. I don’t think it’ll be quite as much as £30-40 but I think common courtesy would be to talk to you about it.
I’ve wondered about this at campsites.. heading to Goodwood (hopefully!) in a couple weeks but the extra for an electric hookup pitch is waaaay more than just hitting a rapid charger for 20 minutes.
Can I ask how long anyone might have waited for UK Power Networks to get in contact and then install a 100amp fuse?
Submitted request over a week ago and waiting for call now, not 100% sure as and when they come out that my electric kit meets their standards to fit a 100a, but wondering how long that might take.
Ready to order an EV but not doing that till know we are on for a charger at home.
@boombang What is your current main cutout rated at? I had my 32amp podpoint on our 63amp main cutout for a year with no issues whatsoever.
Our DNO is Northern Powergrid and we eventually got it upgraded it to 80amp. 100amp wouldn’t be done unless there was an exceptional reason. I think from logging the call with the DNO to getting the works done it was maybe 2 months and involved digging up a bit of the driveway.
A quick bit of (very rough and probably inaccurate maths) that’ll be £30-40 of leccy.
About £6 if completely empty. Bit cheeky of them to do it without asking, IMHO.
You could ask them not to do it on safety grounds, I suppose.
Aye, think I’d be more worried about the safety element of it more than the cost.
Yes, I ask and offer to pay, seems fair and polite. If I charge for 12 hrs that's half the battery, 25kWh which is 4 euros here. I couldn't use £30-£40 in a week. It takes over 6 hours to empty the battery on main roads which leaves 18 hrs to charge so even doing that every day for a week wouldn't get to £30. It depends on what you pay for leccy, I did feel a little guilty in Germany where it's three times the price and they simply said plug in, it's free.
You could ask them not to do it on safety grounds, I suppose
In which case they might report you for having a dangerous electricity supply, it's 10A, that's an electric kettle.
I wouldn't ask to plug my car in but I would give the owners an extra £20 or whatever it was.
Why are you lot having your supply upgraded? 7kW charger not enough? Or is it everything else as well?
Is my house going to trip out when the car starts charging tonight? Our boiler's on the blink so I've got the immersion heater on.
@nickewen not sure, not opened it to see but according to the guy lined up to install based on photos:
'You haven't got a big enough head fuse to have a car charger. Yours is only a 60/80. You'd need to have it uprated to a 100 amp. You would need to contact UK Power networks and request for a new cutout fuse.'
When I asked about adaptive fuses he said 'most manufacturers don't do adaptive fuses they just have a CT clamp. You can't get the grant without the 100 amp cut out fuse though as UKPN need to be notified its been done. They won't accept anything less than a 100amp on the paperwork as a formality.'
I have taken that at face value then everyone I spoke to since with a charger says they on smaller fuses and had no issues.
Maybe put a charging point on the cottage and make it a selling point.
EVs make up less than 1% of the vehicles on the road so you might never have another customer driving an EV for the next couple of years. Plus if they really have driven 500 miles in the week plus another full charge to get home then they've used about £28 of leccy. I suspect given what you are probably charging them in rental that's peanuts.
I know UK holiday accommodation just now is a sellers market but in a years time it won't be and for an EV driver like me having access to a fast charger would be a great selling point. At £0.16 per kWh the most anyone is going to take in a 10 hour period is £3.84 so either suck it up, add it to the rental or install a fast charger and enroll in Co Charger.
Charging a car with, say, a 100kW battery from 10% full is probably only about £0.15 x 80 = £12 maybe bump it up to £15 if you’re allowing for losses or the air conditioning is left on.
edit and that assumes there’s enough current. As quicker folks than me point out, charging at 3kW/hour is even less: 3kW x £0.15/ kWh x 10 hours =£4.50
It is not different from having a 3kW fan heater on. I was almost embarrassed when a nice chap offered me £20 after using my charge point to charge his EQC overnight.
Still, it’d be polite to ask if it’s OK. I would have and I’d have offered £10. With EVs still rare an extra £10 of electricity disappearing could be an unwelcome surprise to a host.
On 100A supply fuses. Interesting. I’ve told my supply fuse tale before. 7kW charger was installed on our second consumer unit. We had a 60A fuse to supply both units. OK most of the time. But one night: bang! Seems all the regular things + car (32A) + washer + drier was a bit much. North west power were with us a couple of hours later and installed a 100A fuse very quickly. Any supply fuse 60A+ should be fine. But 7kW charging will suck up over half the possible current.
In which case they might report you for having a dangerous electricity supply, it’s 10A, that’s an electric kettle.
Yeah, but most people don't run an electric kettle for ten hours straight on an extension lead through the window. They're also double-insulated so safe in the event of a PEN fault.
BTW, 80A fuse in a 100A cutout here, no issues with a 7kW charger install. DNO not the slightest bit bothered about me having a car charger on a looped supply, though may cause a headache for the neighbour if they want one too.
A quick bit of (very rough and probably inaccurate maths) that’ll be £30-40 of leccy.
The MG ZS has a 43Kwh battery a socket will provide 3Kw. 43/3 is a little more over 14 hours. Let’s say you pay 15p an hour for easy maths.
3x15x14 = £6.30
They have around 140 mile range so let’s say 4 full recharges, if they only recharged at the cottage. That’s just over £25
It would be polite to ask but I bet that doesn’t eat into your profit margin much. We’re off to the West Coast this year to a cottage we visit every couple of years. It’s a fraction of what they charge off peak never mind post peak.
I agree install a charger make it attractive for EV uses it’s a nice selling point if you’re in a remote area.
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.
Yeah 10000 miles a year isn’t much (assuming that’s what you mean)
Yes - the car was meant to be a runabout, we nearly went for less.
Of course it's not like-for-like to comapre an Ioniq to a Passat, but I think it's bigger than a Golf in terms of rear passenger and boot space. The down-side as said above is that the overall load carrying capacity is low.
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?
My shortlist for caravan towing was Polestar 2 and Ioniq 5. Although I don't know what boot space is like they have 1600kg towing limits. There's also the Tesla X but I don't think I could bear to look at it.
Max payload for those cars is still low though, at only 500kg for the Ioniq 5, so a trailer is by far the preferred option for carrying stuff.
EDIT ooh, 1,900kg towing capacity for the iD4 and a 610kg load - that could be the one to go for!
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.
I don’t think I’ll be allowed to fit one afterwards as it’s a work company car. Needs to be factory fit as an option.
Anyhow it’s an SUV again and probably has the same driving position issues as other SUVs we’ve tried. I’ll have a look at how much it’ll cost me first before I go and have a look.
i recon the id buzz will have a higher towing capacity and load rating, given they want to flog a commercial version of it..
5lab: idbuzz will be on the same platform as the id4 is on. The.commercial one will be on a different one iirc.
Right then, just signed on the dotted line and our ID3 will arrive in about 2 weeks!
What do I need to do now...we're in discussions with the council about how to charge at home from our end of terrace house with no off street parking.
Work should be fitting chargers soon so in the meantime I'll be using the tesco and council chargers locally to me.
I have to sign up to dragon charging for the council ones here in Pembrokeshire, are there other suppliers I should have an account and RFID card with?
Any tips greatly appreciated!
Feels like we've jumped off a cliff but in a good way...
Zap-map and/or Plugshare are the go to sites and apps for charger locations. Just had a quick look at Pembrokshire on zap-map and unfortunately you appear to be, just like most of Wales, in a relative charging desert. Suggest you put every effort into getting a home charging option and hope work charging materialises. Probably sensible to get the PodPoint and Genie Point apps although the Pod Point rapid charger in Pembroke Dock Tesco appears to be FUBARed. For trips further afield Instavolt is my go-to and nowadays probably Gridserve Electric Highway. Both take contactless debit and credit card so no need for apps.
b230ftw
Full Member
I think the Octavia estate falls under the 40m official range hence it is £160 per month. The hatchback is more like £70 per month. The boot is not much smaller but less height at the back of course. Also on the tow bars you cannot currently select a factory fit tow bar. You can get the prep done at the factory but the delivering dealer needs to fit the tow bar which may or may not cause issues with your company.
Brink do bike-only towbars for things like the Kona and eNiro. They have extra nubs on the side of the ball so bike carriers fit but not trailers. Bypasses any issues around type approval etc.
More stuff has factory solutions now, ID.3 has a neat “transport hitch” that hides behind the rear numberplate, ID.4 has a proper towing towbar as an option.
I think the Octavia estate falls under the 40m official range hence it is £160 per month.
It’s 43 miles on electric.
What do you mean £160 a month?
For me I have to pay a user contribution of around £140 for the spec I want and the BIK works out at around £18 a month.
More stuff has factory solutions now, ID.3 has a neat “transport hitch” that hides behind the rear numberplate,
Yeah but it’s comically high up so the bikes sit too far up for no reason at all and crazy expensive too.
Plus the ID3 has a rubbish infotainment, terrible switchgear and is generally poor quality. The Koreans are building much better EVs right now.