EV Discussion thread

Martyn1981

Grumpy_chap said:

1961Nick said:

I think the Tesla algorithm is pretty good at figuring out the best stop for you & Tesla. However, there's nothing stopping you from selecting a supercharger from the list on the navigation & then navigating there instead of the stop Tesla have chosen. 

Thanks, but I don't think I've ever had a list on the navigation, only ever one option presented.
I have not found a way to force the system to allow a stop unless it thinks I need a stop.  This could be useful if, for example doing a journey and knowing I will need a charge on the return.  It may be preferable to force a charge on the way there and then do the return non-stop.

Have you got your nav screen showing the SC locations? If so, then you can just tap on one, and then if you want to, choose to navigate to it. Simple as that.

If you would rather top up on the way, and fancy stopping then rather than later, then that's fine. But typically, you'd aim to stop when your battery is at a lower SOC, so that it will charge faster (for those XkWh's you need). But as you've found, sometimes the top up on a lower SOC may be a bit too quick.

[Sorry for overexplaining now, but you may also want to consider if the charger is a V2 (125kW or 150kW) or a V3 (250kW) station - if the route, and preferred stopping location is a V2, then it won't matter as much, but if you are in a real rush and want to minimise charging times, then arriving at a low SOC at a V3, will be faster.]

MeteredOut

Grumpy_chap said:

1961Nick said:

Ken's 2 minutes to fill the Picanto is exceptional 

Then again, a little upthread there was a comment that plugging in and unplugging the Home EV charger is 15 seconds (IIRC).  That also seems optimistic.  

It's nearer 10 seconds for me. 

Plugging in: get out car, open charging port cover, pick up charger, plug in charger, reach inside car and turn charging off (this last step is only so that Octopus IO will then schedule the charge, rather than the charge starting immediately). Lock the car and walk away.

Unplugging: Unlock car, pull out charging cable, close charging port cover, place charging cable down, get in car.

It would obviously be more work for those with untethered chargers.

JKenH

MeteredOut said:

Grumpy_chap said:

1961Nick said:

Ken's 2 minutes to fill the Picanto is exceptional 

Then again, a little upthread there was a comment that plugging in and unplugging the Home EV charger is 15 seconds (IIRC).  That also seems optimistic.  

It's nearer 10 seconds for me. 

Plugging in: get out car, open charging port cover, pick up charger, plug in charger, reach inside car and turn charging off (this last step is only so that Octopus IO will then schedule the charge, rather than the charge starting immediately). Lock the car and walk away.

Unplugging: Unlock car, pull out charging cable, close charging port cover, place charging cable down, get in car.

It would obviously be more work for those with untethered chargers.

It took me 14 seconds to read that (in bold) so if you can do all that in 4 seconds less time than  it took me to read it then that’s impressive. 

Solarchaser

I've been away from the forum a few months, but its in some ways comforting to see the same drum being banged.

I see the leaf is now gone Ken, and you are back to a ff car, I think that was the right choice for you, as you often highlighted the problems with charging in middle East Englandshire when you wanted to do a longer journey.
I vaguely recall a map of EV charger density and your area was the worst in the UK&I not just England.

I've driven EVs for over 5 years now.
My wife once ran out of charge in her leaf, and I had to tow her in my then company car a merc 220 about 100 yards to the nearest charger.
Couldn't do that with a model 3 unless you have a factory fitted towbar,  as there is no rear tow hook on the 3, which I think is poor.
I asked her what the charge was at when she got in the car "no idea" she said.... so just like running out of fuel in an ff car then.
I've never done it.
I've been on turtle mode pulling off the motorway to gretna services after just buying the leaf, that was tense.
I've been on 0% for 15 miles at the top of Scotland in the Tesla (some spirited driving before, and didn't watch the guage) and that was tense also, but I've never ran out.

I've had a model 3 for 2.75 years and done over 50,000 miles all over the UK, including several trips to London in the past year and a few trips round the top of Scotland a year or two ago, and all over Ireland the last few years also now I think about it.

Do I miss the merc's 700 mile range, yeah sometimes, if I want to drive from centre of London straight home, its a 400mile plus journey, and a battery car won't do that.(yet)
However,  and I know this is a surprise to some, but generally around 1/2 to 3/4 of that way home I want to stop and get some food.
And I bet you can guess what I do while eating food?

So yeah I have a Tesla, which means I can use the supercharger network.
That is a good bonus over the other chargers, no multiple apps and no ridiculous price per kwh, I also have the long range, which is needed for my job, and so I get a longer range than someone in a 24kwh leaf, or a 40kwh leaf come to that.

If I had to go back to a Fossil burner, it would be kicking and screaming, EV life is just soo much better.
No standing in forecourts with the diesel pump clicking off as I've slightly changed the angle if the nozzle, all the time getting rained on and blown about, not to mention the diesel smell on your hands for ages.
No standing in line waiting on some poor lassie or laddie who was sure their card cannot be declined etc or hearing mavis ask how John's aunt Sharon is doing after the operation, when I just want to pay and go.
And one pedal driving... why wouldn't you?

There is no comparison to pull into drive, jump out, plug in and go into house, whichever even for me is at least 90% of my charging.

MeteredOut

JKenH said:

MeteredOut said:

Grumpy_chap said:

1961Nick said:

Ken's 2 minutes to fill the Picanto is exceptional 

Then again, a little upthread there was a comment that plugging in and unplugging the Home EV charger is 15 seconds (IIRC).  That also seems optimistic.  

It's nearer 10 seconds for me. 

Plugging in: get out car, open charging port cover, pick up charger, plug in charger, reach inside car and turn charging off (this last step is only so that Octopus IO will then schedule the charge, rather than the charge starting immediately). Lock the car and walk away.

Unplugging: Unlock car, pull out charging cable, close charging port cover, place charging cable down, get in car.

It would obviously be more work for those with untethered chargers.

It took me 14 seconds to read that (in bold) so if you can do all that in 4 seconds less time than  it took me to read it then that’s impressive. 

I suspect that says more about your reading ability than the speed at which I do those things

(ignoring your maths as one plugging in and unplugging session would actually total nearer 20 seconds, if I ever had a weird reason to do that).

JKenH

MeteredOut said:

JKenH said:

MeteredOut said:

Grumpy_chap said:

1961Nick said:

Ken's 2 minutes to fill the Picanto is exceptional 

Then again, a little upthread there was a comment that plugging in and unplugging the Home EV charger is 15 seconds (IIRC).  That also seems optimistic.  

It's nearer 10 seconds for me. 

Plugging in: get out car, open charging port cover, pick up charger, plug in charger, reach inside car and turn charging off (this last step is only so that Octopus IO will then schedule the charge, rather than the charge starting immediately). Lock the car and walk away.

Unplugging: Unlock car, pull out charging cable, close charging port cover, place charging cable down, get in car.

It would obviously be more work for those with untethered chargers.

It took me 14 seconds to read that (in bold) so if you can do all that in 4 seconds less time than  it took me to read it then that’s impressive. 

I suspect that says more about your reading ability than the speed at which I do those things

(ignoring your maths as one plugging in and unplugging session would actually total nearer 20 seconds, if I ever had a weird reason to do that).

Ah, 20 seconds, you should have said that and I should have said reading out loud. 

Solarchaser

Grumpy_chap said:

1961Nick said:

I think the Tesla algorithm is pretty good at figuring out the best stop for you & Tesla. However, there's nothing stopping you from selecting a supercharger from the list on the navigation & then navigating there instead of the stop Tesla have chosen. 

Thanks, but I don't think I've ever had a list on the navigation, only ever one option presented.
I have not found a way to force the system to allow a stop unless it thinks I need a stop.  This could be useful if, for example doing a journey and knowing I will need a charge on the return.  It may be preferable to force a charge on the way there and then do the return non-stop.

If you select your destination, then as it loads on middle right of screen hit where it says "remove all charging stops" and crack on, as you get lower in charge it will ask you if you want to charge somewhere and you can chose one nearby.

The other option is let it fill the route without the chargers, then tap left on screen and you will see the lightning symbol appear, tap it, and it will show you all the superchargers (and now fast public chargers) and then click on the one you want, and it will show you the cost at given times, as well as how many stalls there are and how many are being used, if all are being used it will project an average wait time.

I do this most often as I like the car to be down as far as possible before charging. Whereas Tesla likes you to be about 15% I think... might be 20% so will pick chargers based on that.

Be aware, sometimes its really stupid about it, like leaving Newcastle on the a69, it wanted me to go to Washington to top up, which is the opposite direction, because I'd arrive at Gretna with 3%... I actually arrived with 0%, but meh!

In regards to fun, I did the nc500 twice in the Tesla 3 cos it was more fun than my 390bhp Nissan I'd built for drifting. 

It always perplexes me when people make definite comments on things they have never done.

Ken in regards to your mate driving a golf instead of m3 for crunching miles, that's down to 2 things, cheapness (fuel and maintenance) and residual value of the m3, I guarantee you its not because the golf is fun.

I've drove hundreds of golf's, only the r32 comes close to a definition of fun imo.

Kia picanto, like a fiat 500, or a smart car, these can be fun, because they are so terrible going round corners at speed, you get a real buzz in them going even a little fast.

Nothing wrong with that, nothing at all, but comparing it to driving a long range Tesla, that's a whole different kind of fun.

Both types bring a smile to the face

Solarchaser

JKenH said:

MeteredOut said:

Grumpy_chap said:

1961Nick said:

Ken's 2 minutes to fill the Picanto is exceptional 

Then again, a little upthread there was a comment that plugging in and unplugging the Home EV charger is 15 seconds (IIRC).  That also seems optimistic.  

It's nearer 10 seconds for me. 

Plugging in: get out car, open charging port cover, pick up charger, plug in charger, reach inside car and turn charging off (this last step is only so that Octopus IO will then schedule the charge, rather than the charge starting immediately). Lock the car and walk away.

Unplugging: Unlock car, pull out charging cable, close charging port cover, place charging cable down, get in car.

It would obviously be more work for those with untethered chargers.

It took me 14 seconds to read that (in bold) so if you can do all that in 4 seconds less time than  it took me to read it then that’s impressive. 

I would say on this, if you delete the time that a person would take to walk past the car... as you have to anyway, to walk to house door mine takes 5-10 seconds.
Reverse car into drive, get out and slap charging port, grab cable as port opens and shove cable in.
Walk away.

If its the wifes leaf it's more like 30 seconds as you need to drag the lead to the front of the car for charging port and then walk back to the house

Grumpy_chap

MeteredOut said:

It's nearer 10 seconds for me. 

Plugging in: get out car, open charging port cover, pick up charger, plug in charger, reach inside car and turn charging off (this last step is only so that Octopus IO will then schedule the charge, rather than the charge starting immediately). Lock the car and walk away.

Unplugging: Unlock car, pull out charging cable, close charging port cover, place charging cable down, get in car.

It would obviously be more work for those with untethered chargers.

Solarchaser said:

I would say on this, if you delete the time that a person would take to walk past the car... as you have to anyway, to walk to house door mine takes 5-10 seconds.
Reverse car into drive, get out and slap charging port, grab cable as port opens and shove cable in.
Walk away.

If its the wifes leaf it's more like 30 seconds as you need to drag the lead to the front of the car for charging port and then walk back to the house

Am I to conclude that there are EV operators that simply drop the cable where it lands and leave it trailing in a messy and unsafe fashion?
I could never do that and always uncoil / coil the cable back to the wall socket.  Leaving it any other way is simply an accident waiting to happen plus it will bring the whole neighbourhood down.  Like having an ICE and leaving empty oil cans strewn over the front yard

Krakkkers

The point Harry was making from the Harrysgarage video is that the main cost of an EV is catastrophic depreciation and that the buyers of EVs are fleet managers.
14.7% of vehicle sales are EVs and of that 63% are fleet buyers, private buyers are only 8.2% and there are s many unsold EVs around. 
22% of car sales this year must be zero emission cars rising steadily to 80% by 2030, how will this happen.