EV Charge Tariffs - Your opinion/experience of best company/rate to use

jumeriah64

niktheguru said:

Petriix said:

I assume that your Audi can make use of the 22kW three-phase AC charger? (most EVs can't).

This is a very good point.

@jumeriah64 make sure you have added the factory fit option of a second on board charger to your ordered audi. If you do this you'll be able to charge at 22kw/h on your home charger. If you do not add this factory fit only option to your car the maximum rate on AC for your car will be 11kw/h (and then the whole purpose of getting a 3 phase supply is wasted....for the car at least) Its only a tiny £1300 on top. (every add on is ridiculously priced with the VAG group)
I'm sure you will have probably already thought of it and added it, but worth mentioning just in case)

Also if you are thinking of joining octopus. Audi has a special partnership with them, so if you move both energy supplies you will get a £90 bonus. This is better than their standard £50 refer a friend bonus.
The link is here: https://www.audi.co.uk/uk/web/en/electric/octopus-energy-offer.html
(before anyone starts wrongly suggesting again that i'm trying to recommend octopus just so i can get a referral bonus!)

Hope that helps

Blimey .... and I thought I'd read everything!!!!

I will double check that right now. 

I "think" it is included .... the model we took was one with a pack called 'Vorsprung' ..... basically the same car with all the toys on. But I do not recall this specifically.

Will be contacting them right now and will feedback result. 

For us, we have other 3-phase needs aside rom the car. But it was the primary driver for sure.

Interesting to know about the Audi partnership. I know that we get the first year of the Audi charging service included with the GT. Then probably pay insane amounts. This from Autoexpress last week ...

https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/audi/108907/audi-charging-service-now-covers-75-cent-uk-charge-points

I like the sound of the bonus and have zero problem with anyone getting a referral or suchlike. I'm learning a lot of stuff on this post from yourself and others kind enough to post so would cause zero problem at all to me.

What is somewhat annoying is that the dealership has mentioned zero about any of this. A poor do and poor for them as this is precisely the sort of thing that could cause frustration when you pick up the keys and go home. You would think it was very much in their interest to knock nails into this this sort of data to prevent that sort of frustration and keep one as an Audi customer.

Thanks again Nik, is first class stuff. Will report back on both subjects

niktheguru

Despite the vorsprung add on being about 20k in itself with all the bells and whistles, I don’t believe it actually includes the 2nd on board charger to include 22kw ac charging. Do definitively double check. I suspect you’ll have to fork out another 1300!

you’ll generally find the dealers have less of a clue than the customers about electric cars, as most electric customers have significantly read up on it beforehand and know what they want!

Gerry1

@niktheguru Your posts are a bit confusing because you're mixing up your units.

The tariff units should be pence per kWh, not per kW.  The charge rates should be plain kW, not kW/h.

niktheguru

Gerry1 said:

@niktheguru Your posts are a bit confusing because you're mixing up your units.

The tariff units should be pence per kWh, not per kW.  The charge rates should be plain kW, not kW/h.

Apologies @gerry1, you are quite right, my mistake when writing in a rush. Will correct!

jumeriah64

niktheguru said:

Despite the vorsprung add on being about 20k in itself with all the bells and whistles, I don’t believe it actually includes the 2nd on board charger to include 22kw ac charging. Do definitively double check. I suspect you’ll have to fork out another 1300!

you’ll generally find the dealers have less of a clue than the customers about electric cars, as most electric customers have significantly read up on it beforehand and know what they want!

Ouch, that hurts. But I suspect you are right. The question has gone in. 

And totally agree your comment. Both the Hyundai and Audi boys have explained zero of what I have learned in 24 hours in this thread. 

This option has never been mentioned or discussed as an option. Very frustrating. Selling cars these days seems be less about specification and content and more about PCP's and all that malarkey.

Just received this. Guess as a result of discussion within the thread ..... maybe interesting for folks ....

https://www.businessgreen.com/news/4036144/ovo-rolls-ai-enabled-flat-rate-ev-charging-tariff-nationwide

[Deleted User]

jumeriah64 said:

niktheguru said:

Despite the vorsprung add on being about 20k in itself with all the bells and whistles, I don’t believe it actually includes the 2nd on board charger to include 22kw ac charging. Do definitively double check. I suspect you’ll have to fork out another 1300!

you’ll generally find the dealers have less of a clue than the customers about electric cars, as most electric customers have significantly read up on it beforehand and know what they want!

Ouch, that hurts. But I suspect you are right. The question has gone in. 

And totally agree your comment. Both the Hyundai and Audi boys have explained zero of what I have learned in 24 hours in this thread. 

This option has never been mentioned or discussed as an option. Very frustrating. Selling cars these days seems be less about specification and content and more about PCP's and all that malarkey.

Just received this. Guess as a result of discussion within the thread ..... maybe interesting for folks ....

https://www.businessgreen.com/news/4036144/ovo-rolls-ai-enabled-flat-rate-ev-charging-tariff-nationwide

You will get a wider range of views/advice from EV owners if you sign up to the SpeakEV forum. I am afraid that you will learn very quickly that long range driving in any EV requires a measure of contingency planning; ie, the ultra rapid/rapid that you were hoping to use may be in use; blocked or, sadly, unserviceable. The latter happens all too often.

niktheguru

[Deleted User] said:

jumeriah64 said:

You will get a wider range of views/advice from EV owners if you sign up to the SpeakEV forum. I am afraid that you will learn very quickly that long range driving in any EV requires a measure of contingency planning; ie, the ultra rapid/rapid that you were hoping to use may be in use; blocked or, sadly, unserviceable. The latter happens all too often.

Speakev forum is a good forum for ev users definitely.

I'd say the issues with long range driving are becoming less of an issue, particularly as the OP is buying a very high spec'ed car with a very healthy range. There are increasing numbers of chargers now with increasing numbers in one place. Of course there will be times when your charger may be occupied or out of service, but make sure you have the zap map app on your phone. Invaluable when looking for chargers. The majority of peoples drives tend not to be long distance, unless you are driving for business.

I currently have an egolf and the range on that is pitiful (120miles per charge) so it means long distance driving requires plenty of planning and a couple of stops for charging. I didn't do a massive amount of long distance until recently so wasnt previously an issue, but if you do do long distances its best to get an EV with 250miles +, and these cars are much more common compared to 2 yrs ago when i got mine. I leased mine to see if i enjoyed EVs before investing in one, and i must say I wouldn't go back to an ICE car now.

niktheguru

jumeriah64 said:

you’ll generally find the dealers have less of a clue than the customers about electric cars, as most electric customers have significantly read up on it beforehand and know what they want!

Ouch, that hurts. But I suspect you are right. The question has gone in. 

And totally agree your comment. Both the Hyundai and Audi boys have explained zero of what I have learned in 24 hours in this thread. 

Best source for information about your car is the cars website, online configurator and online brochure. Don't rely on the dealer telling you anything. It staggers me sometimes how little they know about their cars. (or at least the important things)

Gerry1

jumeriah64 said:

Just received this. Guess as a result of discussion within the thread ..... maybe interesting for folks ....
https://www.businessgreen.com/news/4036144/ovo-rolls-ai-enabled-flat-rate-ev-charging-tariff-nationwide

Ovo Drive Anytime seems to be a 'Mirage' tariff that turns out to have massive drawbacks. It's only available as Dual Fuel, but the gas is mega-expensive (4.74p/kWh and  32.87p/day in my case) so you'll pay heavily for that EV clickbait rate.

Even worse, your battery lifetime is likely to be reduced because it's used to export energy to the grid and will therefore suffer far more charging cycles than in normal use.  You're also likely to find that the battery goes flat before you reach your destination if you start with a half charged battery because you have to make a trip earlier than planned.

[Deleted User]

Gerry1 said:

jumeriah64 said:

Just received this. Guess as a result of discussion within the thread ..... maybe interesting for folks ....
https://www.businessgreen.com/news/4036144/ovo-rolls-ai-enabled-flat-rate-ev-charging-tariff-nationwide

Ovo Drive Anytime seems to be a 'Mirage' tariff that turns out to have massive drawbacks. It's only available as Dual Fuel, but the gas is mega-expensive (4.74p/kWh and  32.87p/day in my case) so you'll pay heavily for that EV clickbait rate.

Even worse, your battery lifetime is likely to be reduced because it's used to export energy to the grid and will therefore suffer far more charging cycles than in normal use.  You're also likely to find that the battery goes flat before you reach your destination if you start with a half charged battery because you have to make a trip earlier than planned.

As yet, very few EVs can actually discharge to the Grid. EVs with a CHAdeMO plug can discharge using a very expensive V2G bi-directional EVSE (£5650). This is only part of the challenge. DNO’s treat batteries that can discharge to the Grid as generators so export approval is needed. Moreover, if a battery is capable of discharging to the Grid, the DNO will either insist on islanding or disconnection from the Grid in the event of a mains power failure.

Personally, I wouldn’t worry too much about battery cycles. For consumers on the Tesla Energy Plan, Tesla charges/discharges a PW2 once a day and there is no impact on the 10 year warranty.

I agree that Ovo’s gas prices are anything but competitive.