The Electric Car Thread

Further to that silliness just had word my Enyaq has been delayed from early September to November sometime. Dunno that I’ll see it this year. Would have liked a period getting used to it in earlier weather really.

Guy on a FB group has just posted a review after a cross Europe trip. Car sounds great but infotainment is woeful. I wonder how many of the issues VAG can be arsed to resolve with OTA updates. Be a massive missed opportunity if they don’t but I’m not all that hopeful

The U.S. government has opened a formal investigation into Tesla over its partially automated driving system after a series of collisions with parked emergency vehicles left 17 injured and one dead.https://t.co/Nvl7rLqYVR

— NPR (@NPR) August 17, 2021

Does anyone know what functionality the recent Hyundai Ioniq infotainment has with route planning to show up to date charging points of different specs? A La Tesla? Availability? Not clear from what I’ve been able to find on the web.

I know nothing of the Ioniq 5 but some reports say it’s similar to other Hyundais. In my bog standard Ioniq (zero?) it’s somewhat less than useful but that’s to be expected in some ways, given how it has to work.

It will show you the nearest chargers and I think it can pick chargers en-route, but it doesn’t have any idea how useful or accessible they are. The two long trips I’ve taken I did my own research first – in both cases I only needed one charger so it was pretty easy – so I haven’t got much experience of relying on it. Whilst the ‘nearest charger’ feature seems to point me at the most suitable one near me, when we’re at home, when I’m driving along it points at things I’m not sure I’d want to try driving off my route to find some of these places.

But I stress I haven’t properly tested it out. I may try it tonight and cross-reference it with ZapMap to see what it does.

Looks like the EV charging cartel is coming along nicely. Tesla now 37p/kWh at motorway superchargers.

Does anyone know what functionality the recent Hyundai Ioniq infotainment has with route planning to show up to date charging points of different specs?

If its standard Hyundai/Kia infotainment like on my e-Niro its useless. Its going to be years before non-Tesla EVs get the kind of route planning and real time charger availability info Tesla owners have now. Until then use something like zap-map to plan your charging stops and always have a plan B and C.

Ok so I’ve been round a few garages looking at EVs. Requirement is small/medium, got to be able to 150mile round trip on motorway in winter, not mega bucks – so want to check list that meets those criteria:

Kia – Niro (bigger battery versions) and Soul
Hyundai – Kona and Ioniq – bigger battery versions
Nissan Leaf – e+ versions
Renault – Zoe
VW – ID3

Is that it – have I missed anything obvious? In terms of first impression Zoe (too small) and ID3 (too plastic) are out.

The Leaf options can ge got relatively cheaply but reviews are not brilliant.

I quite liked the Soul – but not heard much about them

Our requirements were the same. I think you e covered them all tbh. Leaf was my fave car but gave up 30 miles of range to the Ioniq. Anecdotally Kia/Hyundai are a bit closer to their claimed range figures than other makes.

We have a Soul and love it to bits, amazing car. Range forcast very accurate, 210 odd in real winter and about 280 now. Essentially a Kona in a different shell, but because it looks a bit different they have chucked all the bells and whistles at it. I would have quite happily gone for the Kona too, but the soul worked out cheaper and better spec. Plus Kia let us have a 48hr test drive in a Niro which was really useful. That was great too, but felt a bit long and low we are used to Doblo/Panda/Vans. And was a bit scared of the RWD in the snow/ice.

Question for the floor that an admittedly quick search has failed to answer. Can you plus a type 2 cable into a ccs connector and charge? I know the ccs is an extended type 2 with DC charging but am unclear if your typical ccs equipped service station charger can be used to AC charge a type 2 connecter car.

I think that a CCS connector is a type 2 with two extra pins, My car has CCS but I use a type 2 at home like everyone else does. Only when I plug in at a service station do I remove the cover for the extra pins because the rapid charger has them.

The rapid chargers at service stations generally have a cable har wired into them. Some might also have type 2 sockets so can plug your own cable and charge but I’ve never looked as I can’t imagine why on Earth you’d want to do that.

Just discovered that the home charger I got installed when I had a hybrid a good few years ago is 3kw not 7kw. I had planned to simply get the tethered cable swapped to type 2 and use if for the bug 73kwh battery on the new car I hope to get but will this be a problem in terms of forever finding the car isn’t charged up enough for the journey I want to make?

will this be a problem in terms of forever finding the car isn’t charged up enough for the journey I want to make?

That depends entirely on your usage! We drive about 10 miles a day in ours which is easily put back. Bear in mind even if you do a long trip you don’t need it 100% again the following morning unless you are going to do another long trip. Even if you are, there are fast chargers for that.

And was a bit scared of the RWD in the snow/ice.

allegedly this has been a problem in probably every car you have owned to date as it has a big heavy engine sat over the front wheels, and not a lot over the back. EVs are a lot closer to a 50-50 distribution.

Can anyone on here provide a real world experience from last winter?

I took delivery of an ID3 (RWD) in May this year so I’ve not had a chance to use it in the Highland snow and ice yet.

It can’t be any worse than the front wheel drive Seat Leon FR that it replaced which was diabolical.

Can anyone on here provide a real world experience from last winter?

E Tron was fine in the snow but then again it has Quattro so it’s to be expected.

Question for the floor that an admittedly quick search has failed to answer. Can you plus a type 2 cable into a ccs connector and charge? I know the ccs is an extended type 2 with DC charging but am unclear if your typical ccs equipped service station charger can be used to AC charge a type 2 connecter car.

Nope, on a CCS connector you just have pilot/control pins and earth in the top bit, no AC.

https://thedriven.io/2019/05/03/why-cant-the-cable-i-was-given-work-with-certain-types-of-charging-plugs/

You also can’t normally extend a type 2 using another cable anyway – the control pins are deliberately shorter than on a type 2 socket to prevent you doing that.

Just schlepped up to the North York Moors from the  South Coast in a Tesla Model 3 SR+

such an easy journey, car chose it’s recharging spots and pretty much did all the driving for me.

Less good is the charging network up here. Only vaguely fast charger for miles around is a 50kw in the Lidl car park.

The national parks really need to get a shift on with charger strategy.

Some might also have type 2 sockets so can plug your own cable and charge but I’ve never looked as I can’t imagine why on Earth you’d want to do that.

Car only has type 2 so no choice. This was Winchester services southbound. Appears to be no way of type 2 charging. Zap map also only show chemdemo and ccs.

Thanks simon_g 👍.

Just discovered that the home charger I got installed when I had a hybrid a good few years ago is 3kw not 7kw.

The charger I got installed at home is a 7kw charger but because of the shit electrics in the flats I only get about 3.5kw. This is okay for me as I charge mine at work and only have ever charged it at home twice in 10 months. But if I had to rely on the home charger I wouldn’t have gone for a full EV.

Zap map also only show chemdemo and ccs.

Surely it can be filtered for type 2?

Car only has type 2 so no choice. This was Winchester services southbound. Appears to be no way of type 2 charging. Zap map also only show chemdemo and ccs.

Type 2 is coming, but Gridserve were limited on the units they could get their hands on. Some sites have had posts and conduit installed for separate 22kW units, and the first rapid with an AC socket appeared at Ferrybridge services yesterday. They’ve said all will get one or the other once they can.

That’s good to know. Thanks

Yes it can molgrips I meant it only shows those two types at that site.

beamers
Full Member
I took delivery of an ID3 (RWD) in May this year

What’s your opinion please (or anyone else that has one) my Model3 goes back on 8 Nov and I want to replace with a hatchback. By the sounds of thing with new cars I need to pull my finger out sharpish. have a test drive booked on Monday, so any advice on stuff to look at that I might love/hate. I really like the look of them altho I hear the interior trim isn’t great

Drove a Skoda Enyaq last week. Really nice and big inside.

Off to try an Ioniq 5 tomorrow.

I’m a month into owning an ID3. Absolutely no regrets at all and we’re unable to charge at home so only using public chargers…which is a slight faff but not too bad.
There a few issues with the car that, in an ideal world, would be sorted but nothing major.
It drives beautifully and is, in my eyes, just so goddamn cool and modern.
I can’t see me ever owning another petrol car…not sure how the T5 replacement is coming on yet but I’m waiting and excited for it!

Ive had my model 3 for about 18 months and my wife has had an ID3 for about a month. The ID3 is a great little car and I agree with lister that it’s a really cool motor – I like the side profile the best. Few things that jump out at me when I jump from the Tesla the V Dub:

> One pedal driving is not possible. Tesla have done such a great job of integrating throttle and regen, it feels like a step back. Even in the higher regen ‘B’ mode I still have to use the brake pedal at most junctions.
> The interior is not as ‘premium’ a place to be with cheaper materials used throughout, but that’s expected given the price difference and not really an issue.
> Seating position is a bit high for me. Feels like I’m sat on the car rather than in it if that makes sense.
> Steering wheel only adjusts for rake and not reach which was disappointing.

Oh and lock to lock on the steering feels like miles! But the steering wheel itself is lovely. Nice compact size and not too chunky like a lot of modern cars.

Getting a drive in one is the only way to know if it’s for you.

Our iD3 has steering wheel reach adjustment.

Otherwise, after 1500 miles all is good so far. Comfy, super easy to drive, modern safety tech seems useful.

Interior is fine but not luxurious. Very roomy for the exterior size. Nippy enough.

And 3.9 mi/kWh so far.

@tlr what mix of driving is that?

Re one-pedal driving, I’m still not sure how good it is. I drive mine in the middle setting and it’s good for adjusting speed in driving but you still need to swap pedals, and this means that when you do lift your foot off to go to the brakes it gives you a bit of a jerky slowdown. Or indeed if you just disengage cruise.

But maybe I need to go all in on max regen and see if I don’t even need the brake pedal.

Ioniq 5 – Swiss Toni salesman, really quiet to drive, infotainment system not very good, boot is small. Looks stunning though.

The regen breaking on my E Tron is very impressive chucks a lot of charge in. But it doesn’t work as well for breaking as the adaptive cruise control on my Golf GTE, it’s not meant to though. However, on the auto regen setting it detects roundabouts, junctions and such so begins to slow. It also slows a little in traffic but again not as effective as adaptive.

Cheers Nick
I had heard that you can’t turn off creep in the ID.3 and certainly the one pedal driving in the M3 is great, I’ve had it set that way from the start (I might turn creep back on to prepare myself for the ID.3 test drive. don’t want an accident in a demo car). I’ve heard the turning circle is good and that people seem to be now questioning whether the heat pump option is worth the cost as apparently it’s not that efficient in the ID.3. I’m probably only leaning towards the ID.3 for the exterior looks and could probably have a fully loaded Nissan Leaf for the same cost or a longer range eNiro for similar cost and spec

Ioniq 5 – Swiss Toni salesman, really quiet to drive, infotainment system not very good, boot is small. Looks stunning though.

Oh. Disappointing that the boot is small. I had high hopes for it being a reasonable size.

Just to point out that increasing regen doesn’t get you any more energy. Lifting off the throttle activates regen braking according to your settings, but pressing the brake pedal does the same thing. Actual friction brakes are only brought in under heavy braking. At least in my car and my previous hybrid is was like that, I’d be amazed if it weren’t true for all EVs. The motoring press seem oblivious of this.

I’d be amazed if it weren’t true for all EVs

Prepare to be amazed. Audi have different regen rates, you can use the paddles to change it or let the car decide.

I went to look at ioniq 5 yesterday. Really like the looks in the flesh. Interior quality v good apart from the centre bin area which was a bit scratchy. Buttons abs materials far nicer generally than my dads mk8 golf.

@murray surprised what you say about infotainment as all reviews I’ve read say it’s sharp and fast to use? Also can use apple car play for zapmap charger planning Which is the one area where Tesla has it but I don’t believe vw is any better than Hyundai.

Agree coming from golf estate boot looked small. But remove the top cover for a bit more depth abs the rear seats a bit forward it was adequate for the 1:100 trip when fully loading up.

@molgrips

About 50% town, 50% 60mph dual carriageway. Basically my wife’s 15 mile commute. It’s not been on a motorway yet, so that probably helps.

Certainly in my case and I suspect in others, not having to use the brake pedal just makes day to day driving simpler, nicer and more convenient, simple as that. I don’t think I’ve ever given the slightest thought as to what energy I might or might not be recouping. Altho I suppose it might depend on type of car, what sort of range you get and type of journey (shopping trip or long distance). I have heard some people turn everything off on long journeys in the belief that lots of coasting will give them more miles, I’ve no idea.

Audi have different regen rates, you can use the paddles to change it or let the car decide.

Yes, but if you set 50% regen and then touch the brake pedal, it activates the other 50% rather than apply friction braking. If that’s not how it works then Audi have made a massive cock up.

Audi electric vehicles feature two types of recuperation via coasting or braking which can be activated by:

1. Deceleration (“One-Pedal”) Recuperation – Once you release the accelerator pedal, the electric motors act as a generator converting a large proportion of the car’s kinetic energy into electrical energy which is stored in the high voltage battery and increases the battery’s range.
2. Brake recuperation – This happens automatically when you press the brakes. The kinetic energy that was propelling the car forward escapes. But instead of being wasted as heat, kinetic energy is recovered from the wheel axles and is turned into an electric charge. In turn, this energy recharges the car’s electric battery and increases range. When you need to come to a stop quickly, the car will switch from recuperating using the electric motor to using the brake discs to slow you down, the transition between the two is seamless.

You can select the intensity of recuperation either automatically or manually. In automatic mode, the car decides when and how to recuperate by analysing the driving situation.

In manual mode, you can select three recuperation levels via a paddle on the steering wheel (standard on e-tron and e-tron Sportback – please check model specific information for other models). Selecting a stronger level will increase the recuperation intensity, harvesting more energy, and therefore maximising your range.

Like I say it uses different regen rates. They’re very effective, coming up 11k miles on the car and barely any wear or the brake pads.