EV general discussion

@Greebo 2.2kwh is during any major cold snap like we've just had. I'm closer to 2.8kwh and could easily eek out more but don't want to sacrifice any comfort ha. Come summer months will be more like 4kwh.

But yeah unless charging at home there's not much in it... for now anyhow. Rishi being rather coy today on the 12p fuel duty increase due April
 
AndrewNR said:
Being really pedantic - how much does the cost of a charger installation/maintenance add to the ppm of EV?
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7.5p home versus 26p /kWh at work

Based on 4m/kWh and 7500 miles a year over 3years the difference is £1350 and a charger would cost £1300. So 5p a mile based on that usage for a charger but then it’s paid for after 3yrs.

And that assumes I only charge on go. So I haven’t bothered with a charger yet and have a borrowed 3 pin for emergency and a MER 22kW is 5 min walk from my house at 30p/kWh
 
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Mine has been down as low as 3.4mpkwh on a motorway run to Stansted in -5, my 18 month average is 4.8 so it's quite the drop. Still loads cheaper to run than some grotty diesel though and it defrosts itself. Lovely stuff.
 
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Jonnycoupe said:
Something doing 2.2 miles/kWh is not giving you the same attributes as a 60mpg diesel.

PS we ain't all fleet junkies tapped into fuel cards - forecourt prices please.

PPS AC charging need efficiency also needs to be accounted for with maths
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The 2.2 was an example.
I bought an ev because i was always interested in them and no exhaust fumes out the back.
Plus i enjoy the smoothness and silence.
Above 10c i get 4+ miles per kwh so life evens itself out.
 
Last night my wife ordered her first EV car, and we're due to collect it in a few days, a Model Y performance.

I need to get a charger installed sharpish, there seems to be no obvious and trustworthy website to compare the different chargers and get simple price / lead times for installation - what are the ones to go for?

1) I assume the tesla charger works with non-teslas, is that a good option?
2) Pod point seem the easiest as they will also install?

is there any functionality i really must have? I'm not on an EV tariff right now but will switch to one next year when my fix ends (if there's any available).

Sorry if this is a really basic post, I've just been surprised by the lack of good info. i expected to google it and get 10 different sites saying "definitely buy this one and it'll be £900 all in" or something, and maybe I'm missing something but I haven't found that!
 
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rG-tom said:
Last night my wife ordered her first EV car, and we're due to collect it in a few days, a Model Y performance.

I need to get a charger installed sharpish, there seems to be no obvious and trustworthy website to compare the different chargers and get simple price / lead times for installation - what are the ones to go for?

1) I assume the tesla charger works with non-teslas, is that a good option?
2) Pod point seem the easiest as they will also install?

is there any functionality i really must have? I'm not on an EV tariff right now but will switch to one next year when my fix ends (if there's any available).

Sorry if this is a really basic post, I've just been surprised by the lack of good info. i expected to google it and get 10 different sites saying "definitely buy this one and it'll be £900 all in" or something, and maybe I'm missing something but I haven't found that!
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Do you have solar currently, or is it a consideration for the near-ish future? If so, you'll have to look at something that can trickle-feed from solar, like a Zappi.
Do you think you may look at the "intelligent" tariffs in the near-ish future? If so, you'll have to look at something that can do that kind of charging, like an Ohme.

Else, PodPoint is a solid, middle-of-the-road kind of charger. I have one, I schedule it to only be able to charge in my cheap window (0030-0430 with Octopus GO), and that's about the size of it. Cost me £1k dead to get installed, and the installers did a neat job. I can see the stats in the PodPoint app about how much I've put in with each charge, and how much it cost.

Tesla charger will work with other cars too as long as it's a Type-2 connector, or has the ability to have a Type 2 cable plugged into it - I don't know this off the top of my head, but someone else may.
 
A lot of chargers are a much of a muchness due to the regs so they all offer similar functionality.

It really comes price, features and if you have any design requirements (some of them look rather poop if you ask me).

I’d always suggest tethered (has a fixed cable attached to it), they are just less grief and hassle and it means you can keep your type 2 cable in the car for when you need it.

As above, the go to charger (and wider ecosystem) for Solar is a Zappi. Some other support Solar but the Zappi is the best. Its main downside is that it’s not a looker at all and it doesn’t pass the Mrs Sk8 test at all.

I have a hypervolt, it looks good and the app functions work, it supports solar and it collects stats on energy usage. It’s main downside is that you have to manually change from solar mode to timed mode etc. which has led to a lot of cars not being charged when their owners forgot to swap it back to charge off peak. Some people have reported issues with the plastic plug holsters fading in the sun.

I’m summary, it comes down to what you like the look of, what functions you want and what hits the price point you are willing to pay.

Just one note on the Tesla charger, it’s fine and it has the button which is handy for opening the charge flap. However, designed for the USA market and it doesn’t have all the safety features built in that are required in the U.K.

To install it you either need a PEN fault detection device or an earth rod. Earth rods are cheaper but you need somewhere near the charger to put it. PEN fault detection devices (E.g. Garro) are about £140 on top of the charger and other install costs.

All new installations now need surge protection devices.
 
Now that I've been booted off my super cheap go tariff, is it worth me charging up overnight?

Looking at my account, I'm on a set rate (octopus flexible which they tell me for my usage is the best tariff to be on) so I guess not? Seems strange, I'd have thought they would want me to charge off peak :confused:
 
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Have you got a smart meter? Octopus compare will compare between that and other tariffs based on your usage to help guide the decision on what tariff works best for you.
 
Malevolence said:
I know it's all subjective, but does anyone else think that this Kia EV6 GT is up there amongst the best looking EVs on the market?
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Yeah - they did a great job + the charging/performance is far beyond their more expensive competition.

Big win for Kia on this one.

Still not many aware of it though - they really need to improve their marketting.
 
Malevolence said:
I know it's all subjective, but does anyone else think that this Kia EV6 GT is up there amongst the best looking EVs on the market?
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I think I was of a similar view, until I saw them in real. It’s back end has the proportions of a wasp, really doesn’t work.
 
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Jonnycoupe said:
I think I was of a similar view, until
I saw them in real. It’s back end as the proportions of a wasp, really doesn’t work.
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Same something about the rear that's just not right.

In the case of the GT, it's a little disappointing, there is no real flair compared to lower spec models, a very dull almost 600bhp car, you'd barely know it from the boggo model.

I personally preferred the Stinger in the vid, shame they did not electrify that.
 
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Saw my first MG4 in the flesh today and yup, it looks as good as everyone says. My only critique is the big clear plastic light bar on the rear. It’s got a rather large ledge as it goes into the ear window and that’s just going to get scratched up over time.

It also looks like East Anglia is getting some much needed charging infrastructure. In the last few days I have spotted a new 6 bay 150kw MFG site off the A14 on the edge of Bury St Edmonds.

That’s a good location given there are no chargers off directly the A14 between Cambridge services and Ipswich. Even then the 6 bay 150kw Osprey site at J56 (A14/A12) is almost a mile off the carriageway. The A14 could really do with another site as you pass through Cambridge though or a massive expansion at the services which are constantly rammed.

Also spotted a 4 bay shell recharge going in at the Shell forecourt a few mins off the A14 (J53) in Ipswich and allegedly, a Tesla Super charger is going in at the retail park just off the A14 at the same junction which should be open to all once it’s operational.

It’s all very slow though.
 
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