Pro's and con's for buying an electric vehicle
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That might be the case in the future, even for a lot of the country the case now. However, as more folk get them using one of the 3 charging points, at say Michael Wood services on the M5, will be like getting into Chatsworth at a Bank holiday. I have no great confidence that supply of charging points will keep up with demand, at least in the short term.
The Nissan Leaf which a family might use claims 155 miles on a charge with the big battery. That's under laboratory conditions of course. If those are anything like the petrol equivalent, a family loaded up to go on holiday can expect, perhaps 120 miles. So two charges on the way to Cornwall, of approx 40 minutes each. That I agree is easily achieved if you can get on a charger. However, no mindset in the world is going to help in August when the queue is perhaps 5 vehicles long. So only a 200 minute wait.☹️
As town cars and short journey vehicles they are fine and I would certainly consider one as a second car, if I was thinking of replacing. However, for an everyday family runabout in a one car family. That's still several years in the future.
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topping up with any type of fuel is much the same. Just a different mind set required.
Quite a different mind-set!
I have the idea of taking on fuel in less than 10 minutes including payment that will take me at least 450 miles. That could be achieved with an electric vehicle with six refuel stops of at least a half hour each.
As was pointed out somewhere further up the thread, hanging about bored waiting for charge will probably end up including some coffees and cakes, which for even two people can leave little change out of a tenner - each time.
Perhaps Costa/Starbucks/etc may decide to include free electric vehicle charging points as a way to boost sales. It's just a different mind-set.
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A rapid charge is about 15 mins or less Steve, depending on how much you want to top up. I can only give you the experience we have, remembering that people queue for petrol when things are busy etc etc.
We are very happy with our purchase, what more can I say....and we're not put off by adverse comments from non EV users at all.
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Not for the Nissan Leaf or even the Smart. There may be cars out there that can do it in 15 minutes but I suspect they are the more expensive ones.
Nissan state 30 minutes for the small battery, that's for an 80% charge. So about 40 minutes as I put for the large battery. You would need two 80% charges to reach Cornwall from where we live. The Smart with its smaller battery can be charged 80% in 20 minutes according to the Smart website, but we would need to charge a minimum of 3 times on the way to Cornwall.
Even 15 minutes a charge would be excessive if you were in a queue of 5, which might of course include some slower charging models. I don't think I have ever queued more than 10 minutes for fuel.
I am pleased you are happy with your purchase and am certainly not anti EV. However I believe you said yours has a range extender, which is a totally different scenario when one starts to consider the longer journeys I have outlined.
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More expense there then!
There is only so much tea / coffee I can drink on a long journey.
All I want to do is get where I'm going in the shortest time possible.
As stated, currently, with the very few charging points available, what happens if there is a queue, more lost journey time or more drinks??
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If I was visiting relatives in Bristol using a Nissan Leaf, in optimum conditions using the maximum ranges they quote, I could get to Strensham services and still have 20% in the battery. So if a charger was available, 40 minutes to fill up, plus stop/start/parking, so closer to 50 minutes. About 3 times as long as I would normally spend at a services. Then on to Bristol with enough left in the battery for running about while there. However, would again have to find a charger as not possible where we are visiting. On the way back I could just about get to Tamworth Services with 20% left. 50 minutes for recharge, then home from there.
All the above is optimum conditions, in the rain or dark or strong winds, extra stops could well be required. Neither are my journeys generally time sensitive these days. For anyone who's journeys are, the uncertainties would make long journeys unviable until ranges increase substantially.
Great idea for town and short journeys. 👍
However, for long distances my view is currently👎
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Zapmap shows one 11 miles away and from there, heading north next one is at Ullapool 67 miles away. Do if at Kinlochewe and low on power to go north to the next station I would have to travel as far as Ullapool for the next top up. That would be 11 miles to Annat and 67 miles to Ullapool so a total of 78 miles. 1 hour 50 mins drive. + an hour for a full charge and coffee.
From Kinlochewe to Ullapool is 56 miles and 1 hour 15 mins if filling with diesel on the way.
So 20 additional miles and more than twice as long. Might be OK with your car Brue if enough capacity but not convenient and touch and go for latest Smart EV in Northwest Scotland.
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Smarts are for town dwellers, I think? Although we've both said if our driving was only local, doing the 16 mile round trip to town once a week and just short trips it would be fine.
Basically I think I'm on a thread where some are debating whether they should get rid of their horses yet.
I guess it took years for cars and fuel pumps to match up, didn't early cars have to get fuel from the chemist or similar? So it's early days all round but the technology is now there and before I become a total EV bore I must leave it at that....
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I would discount any reasonably priced EV in North West Scotland Brue until ranges improve which I am sure they will.
For me as a main car and if were fit and working then their range would not be viable until they can reach at least 300 miles and have good recharge times.
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it took years for cars and fuel pumps to match up, didn't early cars have to get fuel from the chemist
Indeed we did! Motor Spirit it was called. But I can't find anywhere, chemist or otherwise, selling cans of electrons.
The whole idea of no new diesel or petrol powered cars for everyone does seem so silly when it is only city dwellers or workers who need the restriction, and who are the only people who can actually make it work.
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Smarts are for town dwellers, I think? Although we've both said if our driving was only local, doing the 16 mile round trip to town once a week and just short trips it would be fine.
It would be fine, but only as a second car, as a second car for us if it had a true range of 100 miles in all weathers and including high speeds etc. No doubt that it soon might. But also the cost of purchase would have to drop to have a lower premium over the comparative petrol vehicle. Until then our 18 year old Yaris is fine
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I guess it took years for cars and fuel pumps to match up, didn't early cars have to get fuel from the chemist or similar? So it's early days all round but the technology is now there
Of course in those days, car ownership was restricted to the well off and was very limited. Now we are able to grid lock the West Country every school summer holidays.😉
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Unless technology changes significantly in the next 20 years I don't think long journeys, 300/ 400 miles will be an option without great difficulty. Perhaps it will be a case of doing the long haul by rail and hire a car to tour an area once there.
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Programme last night on Radio 4 In Business about electric cars if anyone is interested.
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That would not be a very popular option currently. Just had a check and for two adults and two children to Nottingham - Penzance, the cheapest return fare is £497.10. All while the expensive family car stays sat on the drive at home.
More likely to result in just driving the shorter distance to the airport and flying somewhere hot. Cornwall could well loose out.
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45 minutes will do me nicely, EasyT. I can do it and have my lunch break at the same time! Also I don't need to buy lunch, my wife always prepares a packed lunch to take in the car.
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No such expense for us, Yertiz. My wife always makes a flask of tea to bring with us in the car!
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