The joys of electric car ownership!

[Lons]

I agree - saving a couple of minutes is an unhealthy obsession that seems to be associated with road use in the UK.

We came back from holiday 3 weeks ago and got stuck on the A1(M) for the best part of 5 hours the vast majority of which was standstill. It was refreshing to see the same people previously belting down the motorway rushing at well over the speed limits, then out of their cars chatting, walking the dogs and just accepting nothing could be done.
We were handing out chocolate biscuits and bottles of water plus water for the dogs as we were stuck in temps of around 30 C. I drew the line at allowing others to use the motorhome bog though.

Why we were stuck is another story, the motorway was closed in both directions due to an accident which happened at 12.30 am, we hit the traffic 9 hours later and not proper warnings or diversions had been put in place, a shocking lack of responsibility. Most vehicles kept their engines running for the aircon and it did cross my mind at the time that there might be a few short of fuel or low on battery capacity.

 

[John Brown]

I can see that aptera being "borrowed" by people just by picking it up and carrying it away!!......

Maybe not, with 100kwh of battery weighting it down.

 

[John Brown]

We came back from holiday 3 weeks ago and got stuck on the A1(M) for the best part of 5 hours the vast majority of which was standstill. It was refreshing to see the same people previously belting down the motorway rushing at well over the speed limits, then out of their cars chatting, walking the dogs and just accepting nothing could be done.
We were handing out chocolate biscuits and bottles of water plus water for the dogs as we were stuck in temps of around 30 C. I drew the line at allowing others to use the motorhome bog though.

Why we were stuck is another story, the motorway was closed in both directions due to an accident which happened at 12.30 am, we hit the traffic 9 hours later and not proper warnings or diversions had been put in place, a shocking lack of responsibility. Most vehicles kept their engines running for the aircon and it did cross my mind at the time that there might be a few short of fuel or low on battery capacity.

Was Google maps not aware?
Round here in the sticks, there is sometimes a road closure of which Google maps is ignorant, but it's hard to believe it wouldn't know about a major traffic jam on the motorway!

 

[paulrbarnard]

It seems to me a lot of the EV angst is misplaced. For example I’m on vacation this weekend. We drove from our home to our hotel in Cornwall and could easily have done it on a charge. We stopped off on the way at the Eden project and they have a separate EV car park with chargers so we could have recharged while there. When we go to the hotel we were asked if we had an EV as they have parking with chargers for EV.
I can’t think of a single journey I have made in the last 10 years that I couldn’t have done with an EV

We will be getting an EV as our next vehicle.

 

[Keith Cocker]

You joke but there are some interesting looking prototypes including the Aptera Aptera Motors which can get up to 40miles per day from sitting out in the sun (around 20miles in the UK climate, 40 is in california). Yes you can also charge it in addition to the free solar charge - the amount of DM readers who couldn't understand this blew my mind when there was an article on it. I never understand why people hate on things like this though as if they had a car that produced 20miles of free petrol/diesel a day they wouldn't be complaining that it didn't fill the tank all the way up.

It's cars like this and some other small self charging cars that I see as being the future. Small efficient transport!

“DM readers” says all you need to know about their reactions. Vicious nasty rag!!

 

[paulrbarnard]

“DM readers” says all you need to know about their reactions. Vicious nasty rag!!

The DM are taking a stance against EV with multiple opinion articles constantly in their news.
That suggests the DM readership is anti EV. Can we poll the anti EV people here to see if they are DM readers?

 

[Lons]

Was Google maps not aware?
Round here in the sticks, there is sometimes a road closure of which Google maps is ignorant, but it's hard to believe it wouldn't know about a major traffic jam on the motorway!

We had stopped overnight at Clumber park on our way back from Henley on Thames John and there is no internet or mobile phone reception there. I usually check before leaving but couldn't in this case however neither of out 2 sat nav units in the motorhome warned me.

As we approached junction 42 on the A1(M) the matrix warned "queues after junction" and "report of obstruction in carriageway". Neither of those is unusual in the area as the M1 joins a few miles north which is a busy junction and sometimes a lorry will shed a pallet or there's an animal on the road so I wasn't concerned however the motorway was completely blocked in both directions and had been for 9 hours with no diversions in place or warnings saying road closed. Apparently there had been a police chase on the A64 York to Leeds road with the driver crashing into an HGV at the A1(M) junction, obviously very serious and the police have to carry out their investigations properly but there's no excuse for what happened. I won't tell you how I managed to get off the motorway except to say an enterprising local van driver cut the locks off a couple of gates allowing drivers to go back south
All the local roads and villages were gridlocked and the M1 was also at a standstill, much of which could have been avoided and I had to make some very long detours in a 10 hour journey that would usually be only 3 hours.

My wife said I was remarkably calm and I only swore a couple of times, one of my mates says that was probably 2 hours at a time though.

 

[Jameshow]

“DM readers” says all you need to know about their reactions. Vicious nasty rag!!

Same could be said for Guardian?!!

 

[IZZY]

Which can be avoided if you hold the hose in one hand and the nozzle in the other

WHAT!! and get both hands mucky.

 

[John Brown]

Same could be said for Guardian?!!

No, not really.

 

[jimbob01]

Agent z….. people in general seem to have become rather tunnel visioned it seems based upon the subliminal programming they are unaware they have received …
I can say as owner of 2 of the first smith Edison electric vans and now a plug in hybrid Chevrolet Volt and a fully electric kona that ANY free miles via sun charge feels good …
Let’s all try and be positive….let’s all be open minded and remember that government we’re telling us we had 6 yrs left to save the planet back in the 90s……
The real damage is done when we don’t notice that the more divided we become in any way as a society …. The easier we are to control ….

 

[XTiffy]

What the supporters will not debate is the whole story of electric cars. With current battery technology they weigh considerably more than ICE cars, the polutants from ICE cars are actually at No.6 behind, Energy creation & Supply 21%,(not sure where electric cars get their energy from!). Business 18%, Housing 16%, Agriculture 12%, Vans,Trucks (excluding cars) 12%, then Cars at 10%. These are Gov. figures. Another point is that particulate levels are highest from Brake and tyre dust, not ffrom exhausts. Large sums of money has been used to subsidise electric cars, which as all subsidies help the well off at the expense of the working poor. Have a look at the surcharges that all pay on your electric bill for green energy projects. Ther is no such thing as FREE!

Very interesting video on YouTube "The Brown Car Guy", took an emission reader around Central London and by far the highest reading (at a danger level) was on the Tube and the Tube Stations. I don't know what newspaper he reads. He also recorded a figure in his own home that went from "safe" (below 50 ) to moderate when his wife was cooking!

 

[Tris]

WHAT!! and get both hands mucky.

If you're going to catch hell from environmentalists for buying diesel you might as well throw in some single use plastic and use the gloves

 

[John Brown]

If you're going to catch hell from environmentalists for buying diesel you might as well throw in some single use plastic and use the gloves

Aren't we all environmentalists?

 

[Crazy Dave]

Cons:
As an EV owner of nearly 3 years, I feel cheated. The infrastructure just isn't available yet and what is available seems to be run by profiteering private companies who charge by the hour for parking and over charge for using a fast (slow) EV charge point to maximize their profits. Nothing is regulated or even any guide lines regarding maintenance of chargers instead it's left to the drivers to report faults or vandalism to other drivers using a third-party app, (ZapMap) for example.
Then you have vehicle manufacturers offering charge cards that can be used with some companies chargers so that they can cash in too by adding their own service charges, everyone seems to be providing an easier and hassle free way of charging your EV to make money for themselves, that is providing the charger is working in the first place because many are left with faults or damage for months and some even years.
I deeply regret being sold the concept of EV ownership and just like many other people I was suckered in by the government grants.
The range claimed by the manufacturer is a joke, I would like to know how they got those so called real world figures. A trip to the coast is a gamble because if you don't find a charger when you arrive you won't be going home until you do.

Pros:
I'm always first away from the lights, even Jonny fast car with his big bore exhaust and remapped ECU doesn't have a chance, that will never get old and I love it. You can sneak around the streets at night and know one can hear you if you so desire. Overtaking is a breeze providing someone who won't use their mirrors then pulls out in front of you.
Services are cheaper and remember no oil leaks on the driveway, no blown gaskets, no failed seals, no spark plugs, no antifreeze, no queueing at a petrol pump, no dirty hands after refueling, no blowing exhaust filling the car with fumes and NO Road Tax.

I charge my EV at home about once a month with energy provided in whole or partially by the Sun (dependent on the season) .
I can safely do a short journey around the corner to the shops and back without worrying about condensation building up in the engine and causing rust.
I can sit in the car with the AC running for as long as I want even inside a building if needs be. (Section 42 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 prohibits leaving your engine on when it is not needed.)

Additional:
I have to leave the road to plug my car in at home and park it on a grass area then drag a cable across the pavement to the car. I know that this is not permitted and I've done all I can to make it safe but all it will take is one complaint from a passerby and that will be the end of EV for me.
I will then buy a Diesel pickup truck and pollute the neighborhood with it.

 

[Spectric]

As an EV owner of nearly 3 years, I feel cheated. The infrastructure just isn't available yet and what is available seems to be run by profiteering private companies who charge by the hour for parking and over charge for using a fast (slow) EV charge point to maximize their profits.

Don't you think that the people who first brought ICE vehicles had the same issues, I think it was hardware stores that first sold petrol as more petrol stations started to appear. The problem now will be the national grid, fast chargers can be 240 Kw and 300Kw are available in Oxford. The Oxford site can use 10 mega Watts which in simple terms is 3500 kettles. Just the average 50Kw charger requires more power than the average UK home so it is obvious once you start hanging lots of these chargers onto the grid it is going to overload without some huge investment and guess who will be paying !

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Mostly the people who can't afford electric cars?

 

[XTiffy]

Thank you Crazy Dave, for a balanced look at the subject. Early adopters all ultimately pay through the nose for the privilege, though in this case the non electric car owners had to chip in. I will be interested in a follow up when it comes time to change vehicle. When it comes to false performance figures it is amazing the lengths VW were prepared to go on ICE engine tests, so nothing different there.

 

[Lons]

I deeply regret being sold the concept of EV ownership and just like many other people I was suckered in by the government grants.

Just as many hundreds of thousands of us were persuaded to buy diesel because it was cleaner and cheaper, look what happened to that "advice".

NO Road Tax.

That isn't going to last, the government has to get the £billions of lost ICE revenue from somewhere whether that be road charging or other taxes.

I have to leave the road to plug my car in at home and park it on a grass area then drag a cable across the pavement to the car. I know that this is not permitted and I've done all I can to make it safe but all it will take is one complaint from a passerby and that will be the end of EV for me.
I will then buy a Diesel pickup truck and pollute the neighborhood with it.

A real issue, you're lucky you can get to park outside your house, my son and daughter in law ( an NHS worker often on call ) have no chance at the minute as they're often fortunate to park somewhere on the street never mind outside their door. You also take the risk of some enterprising jobsworth tripping over the cable and employing a no win - no fee lawyer. Any legal cover you have on your insurance will of course be cancelled because your actions aren't allowed.
There will be large numbers of ICE vehicles on the roads for a very long time so you won't be alone.

Just to make things clear, I'm not against EVs in any way, I just treat what I'm told with a healthy dose of scepticism and look for the information that's hidden along with downright lies and misinformation for the purpose of political and marketing gain. At the minute it all smells rather like cart before horse territory.

 

[Yojevol]

Insurance costs will rise due to the high write-off rates for collision damaged EV's. This is because of the impossibility of repairing damaged batteries.
Brian