Battery Electric Vehicle News / Enjoying the Transportation Revolution

pensionpawn

I've had 7.1 kWs of solar, with DNO approved 6kWs export, for over 10 years however I haven't invested in a domestic battery as the RoI (for me) is nearly the warranty. I have also resisted migrating to an EV as my mileage (~5000 pa) is too low (moved part time 4 years ago) to RoI the EV premium over ICE. However I have been following (the painfully slow) development in VTH / VTG / V2X over the last few years and hopefully a commercial product will be available by the end of the year. There are plenty of chargers available: Wallbox Quaser, Enphase, SigEnergy (for DC) and others for A/C. The attraction is that for just around £3k-£4k more than an equivalent ICE vehicle, you get ~80kWhrs of battery to eliminate non cheap rate import, and you will be able to time shift a fair amount too. Some initial sums suggest that the EV premium, including charger, will take around 4 years to repay. Polestar use the tagline "we envisage a future where EVs do more than just drive!"

silverwhistle

You might find that the EV premium is not what it was a few years ago due to the wider competition. I'd also say as a low mileage driver myself (with an annual drive to Italy!) that the driving experience is so much better. By chance I was talking to someone last night who had a hire car whilst her EV was in dock following an accident: she found driving the large engined automatic Audi a disconcerting change as it was so slow to respond.

By the time I get a new EV, this one is only 4 years old, it may well have V2H or V2G, but in the meantime I find V2L handy for when Agile gets too peaky. No elimination of non-cheap rate import, but a 1p to 40p round trip difference (or similar) makes a little bit of manual intervention worthwhile, although it would be good to automate the process.

pensionpawn

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81942458#Comment_81942458

I test drove a Kia EV5 GT Line S in early Jan as we have never driven an EV before. Mainly to get used to the regenerative breaking as for us this is probably the most radical difference with an ICE vehicle. I've always been keen to move to an EV and both me and my wife liked the experience. However we're more than happy to just wait until the tech and features (and affordability) that I want from an EV are available to the consumer.

Just as important is how the energy companies are preparing tariffs for bi-directional charging EVs. Octopus have their "Power Pack Bundle", however they do not permit the EV to power the house. I also want "Island Mode / Home Gateway" capability, as this will keep the house running in the event of grid loss. The EV also needs to be type approved with the DNO, as it will be considered as a generator.

Plenty to sort out however the rewards for the individual, and potentially the country, are immense. Maximising household self reliance / minimising the need for more power (green and nuclear) generation and transmission infrastructure, often forgotten about.

Martyn1981

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81942439#Comment_81942439

Can I ask what prices you are seeing though, as the V2G charger cost still seems to be the issue (to me)? I'm seeing £5k to £6k for the Quaser 2, which puts it a similar cost to a Tesla Powerwall 3, or large AC side batts and inverters.

The Enphase looks much cheaper, but I see not available (in the UK) yet, and that you will need additional kit costing several £1,000's. Couldn't find a clear est of price for the SigEnergy, varied massively from £1.5k to £3.5k for the unit. Are any of these available (and permissable) in the UK now?

Netexporter

I've seen Sigenergy chargers "in the wild" (well on Youtube installer videos) and have assumed they are working. I suppose it may be well-heeled customers future proofing, but as adding the charger unit later is almost a DIY job I imagine they'd keep the cash in their wallets until they were permitted for use.

pensionpawn

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81942727#Comment_81942727

As you've pointed out, the whole solution has to pay its way compared to a domestic battery install. I haven't seen prices much different to you, and they are "indicative", not quotes. Also, Kia (in my case) are being very cagey with respect to endorsing a particular manufacturer at the showroom, although Gemini AI maintains that Wallbox are the official partner for Kia, and that I should approach them for a trial as I've plenty of panels and a 6kW export limit. Of course the showroom's official line is buy one of our EVs, it is bi-directional ready. To which I reply, which bi-directional charger do you suggest I buy then, as I don't want to buy / install twice?

There's also the nagging doubt of paying out 3 to 4 times for a DC charger (compared to an A/C charger) for a few extra kWs, which is limited by whether you are single phase or three phase. Finally, there's the issue of export payments above the trading allowance clipping the "system payback".

Happy to wait until the fog clears, however you have to wonder why the government are not pushing this? Then again, it's taken 12 years plus for a government to mandate solar panels (and battery's) on all new builds (not commercial though..?)

Martyn1981

Great news for Copenhagen, and a comment suggests Oslo is also 100% electric for buses. Article heavily points towards the air pollution side of going BEV, as well the CO2 issues.

100% Of Copenhagen’s City Buses Are Now Electric

While some people are aware diesel and gas vehicles generate carbon emissions that directly contribute to climate change, there may be less awareness of the negative effects on human health. “In fact, air pollution is associated with increased risk of respiratory and cardiovascular disease, and in children air pollution can cause asthma and respiratory infections.”

The elderly, young children, and people with existing health conditions are the most vulnerable to toxic air pollution. Diesel buses generate too much harmful pollution, which is why they must be replaced with fully electric ones and not hybrids, which still use fossil fuels.

Martyn1981

SMMT results for Mch are out. Figures show a nice rise, and roughly 35% PEV.

Martyn1981

Nice news headline and milestone with BEV's cheaper than petrol. Sadly, there are a lot of caveats, such as after discounts, and the UK EV subsidy, but heading in the right direction.

Average new UK electric car price is now lower than petrol vehicles

The price of new battery electric cars has fallen below petrol cars in the UK for the first time, according to the car sales website Autotrader, in a significant milestone in Britain’s transition away from fossil fuels.

The average price of a new electric car listed on the website was £42,620, compared with £43,405 for a new petrol model – making the former £785 cheaper based on advertised prices after discounts.

Prices in the UK have been pushed down by the electric car grant brought in last summer, offering up to £3,750 off some models. Carmakers have also been under intense pressure to drop prices to meet electric car targets, known as the zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate, and from an influx of Chinese competitors that have been able to undercut traditional brands.

EricMears

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81967950#Comment_81967950

Alas, the so-called 'luxury car tax' is based on the list price rather than actual amount paid so EV owners are still more likely than ICEV owners to fall foul of that.