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29 May
1:27pm, 29 May 2024
24,141 posts
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3M
At that sort of level it's all silly money anyway! Probably paid for with what they found down the sofa....
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2 Jun
9:47am, 2 Jun 2024
22,902 posts
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DeeGee
Went to Kent and back for a week last week. Journey down was fine, planned a stop at Cambridge Services, plenty of space on the Ionitys, and by the time the family had finished weeing and eating and weeing again we had plenty of electrons.
Didn't want to use the granny charger at my parents' house, but there are four 50p/kwh 7kw chargers in the village which I used when I arrived.
However, Maidstone offers free parking for EVs in all the borough council run car parks, some of which have 43p PodPoints, so I made a point of using those on a day out to Maidstone to squeeze every bit of value I could put of the day.
Journey back was a bit more eventful. It was one of those days when a 4 hour journey takes 7 hours because of the traffic. Our daughter managed 3 and a half hours in the car without puking and I decided that as I needed charge as well, I'd try Peterborough services.
The wife told me not to, of course, she was right. Queues to get off the motorway, to get in the services, for all the chargers, for all the parking spaces, but also queues for all the food and no available tables.
I knew, having done my research, of a big bank of rapids at a nearby Starbucks though, so I set Waze off and got there to find an empty car park.
Coffee and a toastie later, back at 75%. While we were having our coffee, lots of the vehicles we'd seen queuing at the services turned up to use the chargers there instead.
What I've learnt is to avoid the services when it's busy, and always have a plan B.
Next challenge is a week in Normandy in August...
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2 Jun
10:10am, 2 Jun 2024
50,154 posts
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HappyG(rrr)
Very interesting DeeGee. Important that queues are for food as much as charging so just *general* business not EV caused. Though ICE drivers who don't need to pee or eat *would* be at an advantage. Safe Normandy travels.
I'm driving a petrol 108 on hols. Am I sinning?!  G
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2 Jun
10:29am, 2 Jun 2024
7,494 posts
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ThorntonRunner
Just had my insurance renewal quote through - up from £576 to £745 (esure). I've been on the comparison sites and think I can get it down to mid-£500s
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2 Jun
10:33am, 2 Jun 2024
50,156 posts
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HappyG(rrr)
I still don't think it's just EVs. All insurance seems to have taken a jump. Don't know why. Just inflation of car values and repair costs lag to insurance market? Keep searching TR, there is a lot of margin in there to shave off! I work for A insurance co! G
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2 Jun
11:01am, 2 Jun 2024
22,903 posts
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DeeGee
To be fair, I'd have beaten an ICE driver off the blocks if we'd both been needing to fill up and I'd turned right to Starbucks instead of left to the services. It must have been 10 mins queue just to get off the road and into the petrol station - which also had a queue.
An ICE driver would have been better served to also go to the place I went where there was a petrol station that was nearly 30p a liter cheaper, and no queues to get in...
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2 Jun
11:14am, 2 Jun 2024
7,495 posts
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ThorntonRunner
When we head up to Northumberland we need to recharge around Wetherby. The Wetherby services have a decent bank of chargers, but a few miles further north just off the A1M on the Thirsk road is a dog-friendly Starbucks with 4 rapid chargers. As we're approaching Wetherby I get Mrs TR to check on zapmap and as long as there are available chargers at the Starbucks that's where we head - much more pleasant than an overcrowded motorway services
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2 Jun
12:04pm, 2 Jun 2024
11,177 posts
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Fields
All car insurance has gone up though mine for some reason has gone down by 10%
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2 Jun
12:04pm, 2 Jun 2024
22,904 posts
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DeeGee
I agree.
I have a slight issue with regard to my daughter. She gets car sick, only eats a rather limited range of foods, and likes to know the plan in advance, especially with regard to eating.
Now we know she enjoys a cheese toastie from Starbucks, I know that's a viable option for the future.
Thing is, we didn't know she'd eat it until we tried.
Northern France will be an experience!
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2 Jun
1:25pm, 2 Jun 2024
6,608 posts
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quimby
I was a similarly fussy eater as a child. I lived on frites for 3 weeks when we went to Europe when I was 5. I survived. 😀
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