EV using public chargers

Keep_pedalling

Installing a charger does not mean you have to do anything to your existing wiring. Installing a dedicated mini consumer unit to serve the EV charger is standard practice for a lot of new installs. In many cases one can be fitted in external meter cupboard avoiding any new internal cabling.

ontheroad1970

Bear in mind also that you will likely need planning consent to make changes to your garden.  My home is a Grade 2 listed and the whole property is covered by the listing, not just the building, so you will need listed building planning consent to turn the garden into a drive.  

Keep_pedalling

ontheroad1970 said:

Bear in mind also that you will likely need planning consent to make changes to your garden.  My home is a Grade 2 listed and the whole property is covered by the listing, not just the building, so you will need listed building planning consent to turn the garden into a drive.  

As the vast majority of houses are unlisted I would think that unlikely.

ontheroad1970

Keep_pedalling said:

ontheroad1970 said:

Bear in mind also that you will likely need planning consent to make changes to your garden.  My home is a Grade 2 listed and the whole property is covered by the listing, not just the building, so you will need listed building planning consent to turn the garden into a drive.  

As the vast majority of houses are unlisted I would think that unlikely.

The OP's house is listed, hence my comment.

MX5huggy

Keep_pedalling said:

ontheroad1970 said:

Bear in mind also that you will likely need planning consent to make changes to your garden.  My home is a Grade 2 listed and the whole property is covered by the listing, not just the building, so you will need listed building planning consent to turn the garden into a drive.  

As the vast majority of houses are unlisted I would think that unlikely.

The OP’s house is listed, so consent would be needed. 

Nebulous2

Keep_pedalling said:

Installing a charger does not mean you have to do anything to your existing wiring. Installing a dedicated mini consumer unit to serve the EV charger is standard practice for a lot of new installs. In many cases one can be fitted in external meter cupboard avoiding any new internal cabling.

I've heard of installers refusing to fit a wallbox where the internal wiring isn't up to the task. I'm not willing to trust mine until it is rewired. The current consumer unit is at the other side of the house.

ontheroad1970

A couple of advantages for listed building owners is that VAT is recoverable for works done on the house, and listed planning consent applications are free of charge.   Small compensation for the red tape and bureaucracy around owning a listed property.  

RichardD1970

Nebulous2 said:

ElefantEd said:

A Leaf will charge overnight at 10Amps from a normal socket. If you do this make sure the extension cable is high quality and can take that current for an extended period as it would get hot. Perfectly do-able so long as you can leave the cables safely. Leafs come with a cable for charging from a standard socket so you might not even need an extension lead - this would be better really, but obviously depends on the geometry of your situation!

I can't get a plug to it without running it across a public pavement, which would be a trip hazard. I have considered putting a pole out of a first floor window with a cable attached, and then dropping it straight down to the car. Worth experimenting once I get the car. 

I believe some councils will allow something like this, no doubt at a cost.

 

BOWFER

It's perfectly feasible to run an EV using public charging only, plenty do.
Get the right app and you will find the odd charger offering free vending from time to time too.
Check if the charger near you offers rapid charging via a Chademo plug, which the Leaf uses, then it will go from 20-80% in around 30 minutes.
It's a really big single plug, I've pictured the Leaf port below,.
The big one on the left is chademo (rapid) and the little one is the normal charger.
If the charger doesn't have Chademo it just means you will have to leave it longer to charge using the small plug (never leave an EV unattended on a rapid charger for very long that is a cardinal EV sin).
CCS is a different plug from Chademo and is becoming the industry standard, the next Leaf will definitely use a CCS plug, but Chademo chargers will be around for a long time yet.
You're right that the Leaf is a bargain right now, especially in 40KW guise.
Bear in mind if the 25 miles you're doing is fast, then 50 miles per day will mean charging every other day.
If it's a slow 50 miles per day, every third day would do.
The 62KW Leaf will do more miles between charges, but it's dearer to lease/PCP and they're quite difficult to find (bloody fast though as they have the equivalent of 210bhp, the 40KW Leaf is around 150bhp and still quite fast)

TheProfessional

I sold my terraced house and one of the small reasons was that my next car will be a plug-in hybrid. The new owners moved in with an electric car and go and charge it somewhere else and then park it back outside the house. They don't do lots of miles so it must work for them.