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EV cars

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  • System
    System Posts: 178,222 Community Admin
    10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    Try https://www.speakev.com if you want to know more about the pros and cons of EVs. Public charging is changing so expect to pay anything from £4.50 to £7.50 for a rapid charge. Grants have also fallen recently and will no doubt continue to fall as the EV take up increases. Driving long distances in an EV is possible but it requires a lot of 'what if' planning and patience. You can spend more on coffee waiting for a car to charge than it would cost in petrol to go 80 miles.
    This is a system account and does not represent a real person. To contact the Forum Team email forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com
  • guiriman
    guiriman Posts: 536 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts Name Dropper
    I've an Outlander PHEV, had it about six weeks now. Daily commute is 22 miles each direction, I can just about make it one way with only small bursts of the heater to keep the windscreen clear. Having said that the electric range varies dramatically, one day I got to work with 8 miles range remaining (slip-streamed a lorry the whole length of the motorway stretch), another it ran out with five miles to go. Home charging point going in in January, £185 after government grant.
  • almillar wrote: »
    I don't know what a puddle jumper is, but do you realise the price of a Clio these days?!

    Anyway, I've got a Zoe. £5,000 gov grant, and £5,000 Renault contribution helped! £320 deposit, £151 including battery per month for 2 years. I won't be buying it at the end of the PCP! Limited to 7,500 miles. Free 32A charger installation at your house. They're not that cheap now though.

    You do need to think about your range. I've got a 16 mile commute in and out of Belfast so it's great for me instead of chugging along in my manual gas guzzler. In NI (and in the south) we've also got an excellent network of chargers, which are also fast.
    If you do under 60 miles a day, and you're willing to charge every night, if necessary, go for it. Especially if it's a second car.

    That wouldn't be much use. I assume you mean Leaf.


    Perfect!

    Hmm, not quite. Charging for 1 hour at these is a good use of your time, but you won't be full. The 1st Zoe motor could charge at 43kW (at IKEA, Shane Retail Park and others) and will hit 99% in around an hour. The newer, more efficient motor can only charge at 22kW (most other public charger speeds) so when I plug mine in, the predictor is usually around 2 hrs. It'll charge really fast up to 90%, and as a general guide, it's a waste of time to charge beyond that at these fast chargers. It will sit at 99% for ages BTW, balancing the cells. That's definitely something to save for when it's sitting at home, the odd time. Ask away with any questions!

    Another Zoe owner here for nearly a year, great wee car, surprisingly quick off the lights. For 99% of journeys range is not an issue, the odd trip further afield requires a bit of planning and a bit of faith that you'll be able to get a charge or a plan B if a charger is down/blocked. Great at the moment being able to charge for free everywhere at the moment.
  • almillar
    almillar Posts: 8,621 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    Someone's had an aixam electric car on car zone.ie for the last few months
    Is that not a quadricycle - and therefore nowhere near as safe as a car?
    How long would it take to get home from cork?
    That depends entirely on where 'home' is! Likely to be a trailer job to NI, I don't know the range of these things, or the top speed, but I think if you do some research you might put yourself off.
  • qwert_yuiop
    qwert_yuiop Posts: 3,617 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts
    I'm a motorcyclist so anything with a roof feels less exposed. Esb, the southern electricity company, have an app indicating all the charging points. Near portadown - 246 miles or so. Might set a weekend aside.
    “What means that trump?” Timon of Athens by William Shakespeare
  • qwert_yuiop
    qwert_yuiop Posts: 3,617 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts
    edited 29 December 2015 at 9:32PM
    almillar wrote: »
    Is that not a quadricycle - and therefore nowhere near as safe as a car?

    That depends entirely on where 'home' is! Likely to be a trailer job to NI, I don't know the range of these things, or the top speed, but I think if you do some research you might put yourself off.

    Just checked - top speed 30mph, range 37 miles, 8 hour charge-in time. That's approx 56 hours of charging time, involving 7 protracted breaks and 8 hours driving time. Too slow for the motorways. See you next week.
    “What means that trump?” Timon of Athens by William Shakespeare
  • Just checked - top speed 30mph, range 37 miles, 8 hour charge-in time. That's approx 56 hours of charging time, involving 7 protracted breaks and 8 hours driving time. Too slow for the motorways. See you next week.

    With the tail wind of hurricane frank that should be halved at least :D
  • almillar
    almillar Posts: 8,621 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    I'm a motorcyclist so anything with a roof feels less exposed.
    In this case, I think I'd rather be thrown off the bike than stuck inside that thing! Definitely for cities only.
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