Electric car anyone?
76 watchers
Jun 2023
8:49am, 22 Jun 2023
21,374 posts
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larkim
This site compares a few, but doesn't seem to rank them based on how many chargers they report which tbh is the most important thing! lovemyev.com |
Jun 2023
9:04am, 22 Jun 2023
46,988 posts
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HappyG(rrr)
I sort of want it to get to the stage where you *don't* have to check or use any apps. You just set off on your journey and expect that when you are 40 miles from low, then you have a quick look about and dive in and top up. That they take your money, charge about the same amount, are all compatible, charge at same speed, and the main differentiator is where has the best coffee and cake for the hour that you stop. It's getting there! Exceptions would be going to more remote areas (when actually checking for petrol stations was a necessity too), and possibly paying more for faster or less for slower charging *might* be a differentiator. But even that I think should all just be really as quick as possible. I can't see many people saying they'd wait 4 hours if the price was half versus a 1 hour top up?  G
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Jun 2023
9:15am, 22 Jun 2023
14,980 posts
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jda
When I'm looking for a top-up on a long journey when I have cheap (overnight) charge at the end, I'd probably choose cost over speed (up to a point!), given that a decent lunch stop will be enough (say an extra 10-20kWh was enough for the trip, 22kWh would be fine). Might be a fairly rare case but happens to be mine, next month, possibly. Depending how much range drops with a bicycle on the roof, might almost make it in one. OTOH even 20kWh at 80p is only 16 quid so not going to break the bank on a 250 mile journey that's mostly 3-4p/mile. Just grates a bit to have to pay through the nose. |
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Jun 2023
10:01am, 22 Jun 2023
21,375 posts
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larkim
Agree you shouldn't have to check or use apps - but the most commonly used mapping apps (e.g. TomTom, Google Maps) don't yet have all EV charging locations on there in the same way that they have fuel stations, and with the added complexity that when you need fuel you don't care how fast the pump delivers the fuel to you, or whether the pump is actually working. So there's always going to be scope for needing a superior way to plan EV charging for as long as inconsistencies with speed / capability / capacity exist. When every street corner has a 350kwh charger on it, there'll be no more need - or if the tech moves on again. |
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Jun 2023
10:40am, 22 Jun 2023
46,992 posts
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HappyG(rrr)
Are you sure Google doesn't larks? I've found electric chargers on Google maps that weren't on Zapmap. I haven't done a comprehensive search, just anecdotal one offs.
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Jun 2023
10:59am, 22 Jun 2023
46,993 posts
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HappyG(rrr)
Interesting jda. I know what you mean. I will try and time it to get home almost empty so that I can charge at home as cheaply as possible. But when I'm topping up when away I think it would almost always be as fast as possible. I don't think I would scrabble around trying to find a cheaper but slower charger. It's already much cheaper than petrol/diesel overall, for me. Compatibility for me has been zero problem (CCS always available). Broken has been zero experience. Congestion has been once, with an electric van company promotion event on the site, and the guy disconnected to allow me to charge (because they were there all day and I guess as a member of public he was showing good customer relations!) G
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Jun 2023
11:07am, 22 Jun 2023
21,376 posts
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larkim
I don't think Google has them all on (though it is getting better), and it doesn't provide much functionality in terms of helping out with planning a sensible route etc. It's that added complexity of the duration of charge time / range etc that Google is really missing. You'd have thought it would be prime development opportunity / capability for them tbh.
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Jun 2023
11:18am, 22 Jun 2023
14,983 posts
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jda
I agree that if I was in a hurry or on a really long trip, speed would win out. It's just the occasional case where my desired stops would already be long enough for the modest top-up required even for a fairly slow charger. I might do 250 miles at 4p (10 quid) but spend another 15 on the last 20 miles (including a bit of safety margin, depending on the stop location). Which more than doubles the cost.
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Jun 2023
12:11pm, 23 Jun 2023
21,383 posts
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larkim
New (replacement) charger installed at home, and tantalisingly I think the new model that they have supplied is a V2G / V2H compatible one. Which, given that the MG4 does V2L, may mean that I can start charging the car overnight cheaply, and then return some of that cheap juice back into the house. It may not work for a variety of reasons (most of which I'm probably unaware of) but that sort of battery storage option via the car is definitely something for the future. Will have to get a V2L adaptor though - I'm sure I can come up with some situation where I desperately need a mains supply when I'm parked in a field of some sort! |
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Jun 2023
12:26pm, 23 Jun 2023
47,009 posts
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HappyG(rrr)
Ooh, that's exciting. I think V2H / V2L is a great option, hoping my next car will have it. Our home energy storage battery of 9.5kWh costs about £3.5K, so your car's 64kWh battery is of immense value, if you can use it for home. I can post this over on Solar and microgeneration thread or on Energy Bills thread if you want, but we saved c. £1000 over winter, not through solar generation but by using Octopus Go 5 or 7.5p per kWh overnight, charging up 9.5kWh and then during the day using that and virtually nothing from grid. Those who say they wouldn't want to deplete their car battery, it is only 1/6th of your range, so say 40 miles that you are using up. A pretty good trade off for saving all your electricity bill for winter, whatever that might be! Finally, I am using our battery to EXPORT at the moment - Octopus Flux, full 9.5kWh at 35p is nearly £3.50 a day, so £100 a month. OK that's together with Solar PV generation so you can't use the energy AND export the energy, but in summer you might be able to export some. The main limitation will be the power discharge rating. Our battery does 2.5kW. So if you are boing a 3kW kettle or running an electric over at 3kW or a shower at 10kW, you will still use grid. Anyhoo, exciting stuff! G
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