Are EVs suitable for low usage?

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DrEskimo wrote: »

Lol...the cable gets locked to the car

So I get to keep the plug at least

DrEskimo

facade wrote: »

So I get to keep the plug at least

Haha....Yes....but unfortunately the car getting stolen isn't a problem specific to EV's :P

I can't imagine something like a Zoe or Leaf is high on the car criminal's steal list (I assume they all get monthly newsletters...?).

Or perhaps they will when they realise the price of the batteries...!

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Seems trivial I know, but with the metal thieves round here, a nice copper cable dangling off the front of a car is going to disappear overnight, whether it unplugs or has to be cut.
I would need to clear out the garage and keep it in there. Not insurmountable, but a fair bit more trouble than popping in £20 of lead free every other week when I do the shopping.

DrEskimo

facade wrote: »

Seems trivial I know, but with the metal thieves round here, a nice copper cable dangling off the front of a car is going to disappear overnight, whether it unplugs or has to be cut.
I would need to clear out the garage and keep it in there. Not insurmountable, but a fair bit more trouble than popping in £20 of lead free every other week when I do the shopping.

Well the charger itself would be far more valuable than the small amount of metal in it. Cutting it would make little sense...particularly the risk associated with cutting an active cable suppling 3kW of energy!

I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but these comments are pretty typical of non-EV owners.....the risk is so astronomically low it doesn't even cross my mind. I've been a member of SpeakEV forum for a good year or so now, and not once have I seen a new thread about cables getting stolen...! A quick search suggests there has not been one incident reported...

It's a bit like worrying about your petrol being stolen by cutting into your petrol tank....If I was to express concerns about buying an ICE for those reasons, you will likely be making a rather quizzical face...!

AdrianC

DrEskimo wrote: »

particularly the risk associated with cutting an active cable suppling 3kW of energy!

Zero risk. It'd trip the RCD the instant they started to cut into it.

Anybody using one without an RCD would be a fool...

gzoom

coffeehound wrote: »

Thanks folks; very informative and helpful. The situation is like Arklight described -- they want a reliable car to retain their independence in their own home for as long as poss. S/H makes good sense, but I suspect they would buy new for peace of mind with warranty and backup.

Yes the reduced servicing requirements would be good, and also I suppose not having to get in and out at petrol stations would reduce stress for older folks.

I think your find they will love an EV. Much easier to drive than any manual and even automatic. Given their usage no need to ever visit a petrol station again, and even 'servicing' on virtually all EVs is just a stamp in the book - our car hasn't had one in 29k and I wouldn't be taking it in for a 'service' for till it hits 50k and the battery coolant needs replacing.

If they want reliable stick to Nissan/Hyundai/Kia, they all do smaller EVs with more than enough range. The MG is abit of an unknown, likely will be fine but the battery cell chemistry is a bit of a unknown for degredation, so if buying to keep longterm might be risky.

Kona EV is a great size car for people who don't need the space, comes with decent tech, great reliability, but as you expect of a good product commands a premium price.

almillar

Low mileage/usage EVs. They're great for this - no worries about cats not getting warm, DPFs getting clogged etc. One thing to worry about - there's a big 'traction' battery, and like ICE cars, a 12V battery, which does the same job as on an ICE. It gets charged by the traction battery when the car is running, or charging (in general). If you leave the car for weeks at a time, the 12v battery discharges. Because there's no big starter motor to crank, it might be a bit of a low spec battery. I've read reports for the Leaf, Zoe, and Soul EV all having 12v batteries fail - resulting in random electrical errors, or just not starting, even if the traction battery has plenty of charge. On the Zoe for example, the 12v battery is recommended to be changed ever 3 years. Mine lasted about 2 years and 355 days!
SO, my advice would be to at least switch the car on every week, even if you're not going to drive it, especially in winter which is particularly tough on batteries.

One other thing I meant to ask: is unintended acceleration syndrome a similar problem with EVs, or do they have some safeguards?

What is this syndrome? If it's got something to do with accidentally mashing the accelerator instead of the brake, the pedals are in the same place, so it's got nothing to do with having an EV> Maybe just 'new car syndrome' or 'it's my first automatic' syndrome. Or 'I didn't realise the'engine' was running' syndrome. BTW, any EV I know of has a light on the dashboard to show the the 'engine is running'.

I don't really get the hype around the ZS EV.

Unlike the Corsa you reference, it's an SUV, which is a popular shape. And it's cheap for what it is. Many people buying will either forgive the corners cut, or will find out about them for the first time.

You need an unbelievably expensive lead that is not supplied with the car.

If the car doesn't come with one (Zoe) then it's a big expense to get back, but loads do, and that includes the Leaf, unless it's used and has gone missing. A proper charger is more efficient, but for OP's proposed use, if the electrics in the home are good, it'll be fine. They're usually 10 amp rather than the 13 amp max, but over a sustained period it could be a strain on the wiring.

Arklight

My concern about these vehicles is that they are inaudible and a danger to cats. A cat sitting under one of these vehicles would be totally unaware it was turned on and about to roll over them.

supersaver2

facade wrote: »

Seems trivial I know, but with the metal thieves round here, a nice copper cable dangling off the front of a car is going to disappear overnight, whether it unplugs or has to be cut.
I would need to clear out the garage and keep it in there. Not insurmountable, but a fair bit more trouble than popping in £20 of lead free every other week when I do the shopping.

If you cut the cable it's worthless, the cable locks in both ends and requires the key to unlock it. Do you equally worry about your petrol/diesel being syphoned?!

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supersaver2 wrote: »

If you cut the cable it's worthless, the cable locks in both ends and requires the key to unlock it. Do you equally worry about your petrol/diesel being syphoned?!

Not syphoned, no. They just spike the plastic tank and leave you with a bill for a new tank as well as drain all the fuel. :eek:
Round here they are more likely to steal the whole car than the petrol, and most of them want diesel anyway.



The cable is worth £3.50 a kg as burnt copper, so maybe £1 or so as scrap.
They steal the manhole covers and the little cast covers over the stop cocks in the street here
Now the press are publicising theft of catalysts, I expect they will start to disappear soon.



It isn't a game-changer anyway, if I wanted an EV I'd get a fast charger, then I wouldn't need to leave the cable out overnight.