The Electric Car Thread

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:

https://schema-electrique.net/norme-electrique-2019-2020-reglementation-installation-NF-C-15-100.html

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.