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[Technology] Electric Car advice



Randy McNob

Randy McNob

> > > > > > Cardiff > > > > >
Jun 13, 2020
4,724
In the Netherlands they will start charging road tax on electric cars from next year, they haven't said how much yet

It' s inevitable other countries will follow. Bear this in mind if you're considering a leccy car
 






Lady Whistledown

Lady Whistledown

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 7, 2003
47,624
A mex eyecan said:
My ICE car goes back a year today so it’s time to start thinking type of car to get. Normal car usage EV seems to be okay, however we spend quite a bit of time taking breaks in UK staying in cottage rentals. So far to date not one we have stayed in has had any form of charging facility. Given my stress levels (read short patience levels) I couldn’t cope with bu88ering around planning charging point routes or such like. So from that I’m really unlikely to go EV. Anyone else have experience of rentals/chargers. To add to the complications any cottage we rent has to be dog free as my other half has a serious allergy to dogs. Many cottages now allow dogs so quantity of properties to select are already greatly reduced.
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Same here (minus the cottage breaks and dog allergy). I commute from Mid Sussex to Worthing most days, about a 50 mile round trip. I don't do many longer journeys, other than the occasional away game. I'd just need to get over the anxiety re access to charging for the long drives.
 








R

ROSM

Well-known member
Dec 26, 2005
6,743
Just far enough away from LDC
Lady Whistledown said:
Same here (minus the cottage breaks and dog allergy). I commute from Mid Sussex to Worthing most days, about a 50 mile round trip. I don't do many longer journeys, other than the occasional away game. I'd just need to get over the anxiety re access to charging for the long drives.
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When using route guidance ours builds in charging stops for long journeys such as Liverpool. You just need to trust them. On the m40 an instavolt battery park near banbury with a Costa rather than a service station is usually selected.
 


A

A mex eyecan

Well-known member
Nov 3, 2011
3,838
just thinking that a couple of weeks break away with no charging facilities at property could mean a heck of a lot of your time is spent farting about trying to find charging points and then waiting around, whereas a good old fashioned ICE is a case of filling up before you leave home and then probably one 5 minute top up while away and one more to set you up for your return journey.
 






Flounce

Flounce

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Nov 15, 2006
4,226
Papak said:
Now or in April?

My 5L V8 (1998) is currently £345 but I typically SORN it over Winter so I actually only pay about £150 for using it over the course of the great British Summer :)
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Now, anything pre 2001, not over 40 years old, over 1500cc or maybe 1600cc is £345. I will not be vaguely surprised if it gets a big hike again next year though. We have money grabbing car haters at the helm.
 








G

Greg Bobkin

Silver Seagull
May 22, 2012
15,985
A mex eyecan said:
My ICE car goes back a year today so it’s time to start thinking type of car to get. Normal car usage EV seems to be okay, however we spend quite a bit of time taking breaks in UK staying in cottage rentals. So far to date not one we have stayed in has had any form of charging facility. Given my stress levels (read short patience levels) I couldn’t cope with bu88ering around planning charging point routes or such like. So from that I’m really unlikely to go EV. Anyone else have experience of rentals/chargers. To add to the complications any cottage we rent has to be dog free as my other half has a serious allergy to dogs. Many cottages now allow dogs so quantity of properties to select are already greatly reduced.
Click to expand...
If you've got off-street parking at the property, just plug it into the mains. Depends how far you'll be venturing, but a trickle charge overnight/when you get back will add more miles than you might think.

If not, just use the charging network – it's really not that bad (when it works). I took a Dacia Spring (with 131 miles driving range) to Banbury the other day, so I knew I was going to stop. Pulled into the services, got some food and let it do its thing. Fortunately I was able to charge at my destination, so left with 108 miles available. Stopped at Cherwell Valley and added more miles than I needed (knowing that motorway speeds was going to hamper it) and then stopped at Pease Pottage for literally about five minutes to get me home. Yes, that might sound like a right ballache for some, but it didn't really disrupt my progress too much at all.

Clearly not many people are going to use that car for that run (not even once!), but there are countless vehicles that offer 300+ now – some close to 400 miles – and the technology is just getting better and better all the time.
 


A

A mex eyecan

Well-known member
Nov 3, 2011
3,838
Greg Bobkin said:
If you've got off-street parking at the property, just plug it into the mains. Depends how far you'll be venturing, but a trickle charge overnight/when you get back will add more miles than you might think.

If not, just use the charging network – it's really not that bad (when it works). I took a Dacia Spring (with 131 miles driving range) to Banbury the other day, so I knew I was going to stop. Pulled into the services, got some food and let it do its thing. Fortunately I was able to charge at my destination, so left with 108 miles available. Stopped at Cherwell Valley and added more miles than I needed (knowing that motorway speeds was going to hamper it) and then stopped at Pease Pottage for literally about five minutes to get me home. Yes, that might sound like a right ballache for some, but it didn't really disrupt my progress too much at all.

Clearly not many people are going to use that car for that run (not even once!), but there are countless vehicles that offer 300+ now – some close to 400 miles – and the technology is just getting better and better all the time.
Greg Bobkin said:
If you've got off-street parking at the property, just plug it into the mains. Depends how far you'll be venturing, but a trickle charge overnight/when you get back will add more miles than you might think.

If not, just use the charging network – it's really not that bad (when it works). I took a Dacia Spring (with 131 miles driving range) to Banbury the other day, so I knew I was going to stop. Pulled into the services, got some food and let it do its thing. Fortunately I was able to charge at my destination, so left with 108 miles available. Stopped at Cherwell Valley and added more miles than I needed (knowing that motorway speeds was going to hamper it) and then stopped at Pease Pottage for literally about five minutes to get me home. Yes, that might sound like a right ballache for some, but it didn't really disrupt my progress too much at all.

Clearly not many people are going to use that car for that run (not even once!), but there are countless vehicles that offer 300+ now – some close to 400 miles – and the technology is just getting better and better all the time.
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Thank you for your reply. I fear our problem may be that a typical break for us would be to leave Sussex, drive up to say Lake District with just one stop. Stay in some quite remote cottage and each day go off out for a drive exploring as many off the track hamlets and scenic stops as we can find. Doing this each day I just can’t imagine would be conducive to EV driving and infrastructure without spoiling your days with charging headaches. Are the same type holidays around North Norfolk or Cornwall as example.
 






G

Greg Bobkin

Silver Seagull
May 22, 2012
15,985
A mex eyecan said:
Thank you for your reply. I fear our problem may be that a typical break for us would be to leave Sussex, drive up to say Lake District with just one stop. Stay in some quite remote cottage and each day go off out for a drive exploring as many off the track hamlets and scenic stops as we can find. Doing this each day I just can’t imagine would be conducive to EV driving and infrastructure without spoiling your days with charging headaches. Are the same type holidays around North Norfolk or Cornwall as example.
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Gotcha. It's doable with an EV but, to a lot of people, that sort of break would be enough to put people off. I guess I've learned to use the network over the past three years in a number of different vehicles and locations (with chargers of varying speeds and quality!) When it works, it's seamless – but the trouble is that there are many gaps and teething problems along the way.

From your description of yourself, it sounds like you might not be ready for an EV by next year (or, to put it another way, EVs – and everything that comes with them – might not be ready for you). If it was me in the scenario you describe, I would simply drive half way to the Lakes, stop and charge and possibly charge before my destination so I've got a full battery (or as close to it as possible). In the perfect world, you would probably spend about an hour charging in total – and then use those miles to explore. Maybe plan to visit places that have charging onsite, so it's not dead time (there's a lot of planning and plans B and C that come into play with EVs)?

And then charge up the night before (either through a three-pin plug or one of the fast charging hubs around (might need to search but, again, you could combine it with going out, a dinner or whatever. The goal is to charge when you need to stop, don't stop when you need to charge.

But you might find you're not ready to take the plunge to switch to EV, which is fine. It's not worth getting stressed out about during what is supposed to be a relaxing break!
 




C

CoolTed

Member
Nov 2, 2015
49
A mex eyecan said:
My ICE car goes back a year today so it’s time to start thinking type of car to get. Normal car usage EV seems to be okay, however we spend quite a bit of time taking breaks in UK staying in cottage rentals. So far to date not one we have stayed in has had any form of charging facility. Given my stress levels (read short patience levels) I couldn’t cope with bu88ering around planning charging point routes or such like. So from that I’m really unlikely to go EV. Anyone else have experience of rentals/chargers. To add to the complications any cottage we rent has to be dog free as my other half has a serious allergy to dogs. Many cottages now allow dogs so quantity of properties to select are already greatly reduced.
Click to expand...
Since I’ve had my EV we have been away five times on short breaks – caravan park, lodge, cottage, B&B and an hotel. All had working chargers at reasonable prices, but they all had different payment methods! The smaller businesses had their own payment mechanism (adding it to the bill and using a standard 3 pin charger), the others utilised services which could be paid for via the Electroverse app. None had 'turn up and pay' contactless options. You do have to do a little bit of research first (apps like Zapmap, Electroverse, etc. help) but I’ve found it pretty straightforward. At all those places we had dog free rooms which we prefer.
 


A

A mex eyecan

Well-known member
Nov 3, 2011
3,838
A mex eyecan said:
Thank you for your reply. I fear our problem may be that a typical break for us would be to leave Sussex, drive up to say Lake District with just one stop. Stay in some quite remote cottage and each day go off out for a drive exploring as many off the track hamlets and scenic stops as we can find. Doing this each day I just can’t imagine would be conducive to EV driving and infrastructure without spoiling your days with charging headaches. Are the same type holidays around North Norfolk or Cornwall as example.
Click to expand...
CoolTed said:
Since I’ve had my EV we have been away five times on short breaks – caravan park, lodge, cottage, B&B and an hotel. All had working chargers at reasonable prices, but they all had different payment methods! The smaller businesses had their own payment mechanism (adding it to the bill and using a standard 3 pin charger), the others utilised services which could be paid for via the Electroverse app. None had 'turn up and pay' contactless options. You do have to do a little bit of research first (apps like Zapmap, Electroverse, etc. help) but I’ve found it pretty straightforward. At all those places we had dog free rooms which we prefer.
Click to expand...
aside from my Mrs allergies to dogs, the amount of times you hear of people allowing their dogs to sleep in beds with them quite frankly is enough to stop me wanting to use a bed after them, sheets changed or not ….
 
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N

nsclurker

Well-known member
Apr 3, 2018
413
Papak said:
Now or in April?

My 5L V8 (1998) is currently £345 but I typically SORN it over Winter so I actually only pay about £150 for using it over the course of the great British Summer :)
Click to expand...
My 2006 5.2L V10 S8 is now over £800... 😱

Qualifies for LEZ & ULEZ, though, which is a bonus. 😂
 


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