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Post by Dancin on May 31, 2022 13:05:09 GMT 1
Been having my first experience of driving an Electric Car, Renault Zoe, over the last couple days.
My cars in for a service so I was given the Zoe as a courtesy car. Here are my thoughts;
Driving it in Urban setting, then on the bypass in ECO mode was OK. When I picked the car up it's range was 195 miles, according to Google Maps from where I picked the car to home it says 21 miles. However by the time I got home the range had only dropped to 176, only 19 miles used.
However on my normal morning commute through the South Shropshire countryside to work (27 miles) and still in ECO mode with a starting range of 176 I ended up at work with a range of 133, a loss of 43 miles! That was without pushing on and at a steady pace. So I wasn't impressed with it's performance, or lack of, on rural hilly roads.
I'll see what I get going back to Shrewsbury this afternoon (37 miles) travelling back up the A49 but so far on first impressions I won't be rushing out to buy an EV anytime soon.
Another big concern it that the nearest Charging Point to where I work is in Clun 9 miles away although my employer is looking into installing EV Charging Points.
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Post by block12massive on May 31, 2022 14:25:16 GMT 1
I'm glad you posted this actually as I recently contemplated an electric car to undertake a commute similar to yours from North to South Shropshire.
I worked out that a 4-5 year old 'Zoe' was about the only electric car obtainable in my price range but I was put off by the limited range it offered.
We're lucky we have an EV point at work, and there's one at the Tuffins up the road but meticulously having to plan every journey ahead regretfully doesn't fit in with mine or my partner's lifestyles.
Let us know how you get on.
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Post by Deleted on May 31, 2022 14:40:07 GMT 1
It's good to hear first hand of what it's actually like to drive and potentially own an EV.
Living in a rural setting I've so far been put off by the lack of EV charging points in my area.
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Post by martinshrew on May 31, 2022 14:52:10 GMT 1
There's no point even testing one until you've trained your mind that a stop for electric is the same as a stop for petrol, albeit slightly longer (Toilet and a coffee).
Personally got a 3 year old petrol that I love, so I'll be running that into the ground and buying an electric sometime after 2030.
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Post by ssshrew on May 31, 2022 15:14:43 GMT 1
Yes we fed the same except it’s is diesel! There’s an awful lot of infrastructure needed before electric is really viable.
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Post by venceremos on May 31, 2022 19:59:22 GMT 1
Been having my first experience of driving an Electric Car, Renault Zoe, over the last couple days. My cars in for a service so I was given the Zoe as a courtesy car. Here are my thoughts; Driving it in Urban setting, then on the bypass in ECO mode was OK. When I picked the car up it's range was 195 miles, according to Google Maps from where I picked the car to home it says 21 miles. However by the time I got home the range had only dropped to 176, only 19 miles used. However on my normal morning commute through the South Shropshire countryside to work (27 miles) and still in ECO mode with a starting range of 176 I ended up at work with a range of 133, a loss of 43 miles! That was without pushing on and at a steady pace. So I wasn't impressed with it's performance, or lack of, on rural hilly roads. I'll see what I get going back to Shrewsbury this afternoon (37 miles) travelling back up the A49 but so far on first impressions I won't be rushing out to buy an EV anytime soon. Another big concern it that the nearest Charging Point to where I work is in Clun 9 miles away although my employer is looking into installing EV Charging Points. Interesting to read your experience, but is the range variance any different to a petrol or diesel vehicle? I keep my petrol engine vehicle on mpg watch now and that can go from 99.9 (ie infinite, sort of) when my foot can be off the accelerator, to below 20 going up a long hill (and single figures on big Welsh hills). As a result, my range to refill barely moves on a longer, flat journey but can drop by far more miles than I've actually driven on a hilly route, or on a stop-start run requiring a lot of accelerating and braking. I don't see how an EV is any different to any other vehicle in that respect. The range from "full" and the availability of a convenient charging point are surely the key factors. I wouldn't get an EV unless I had a charging point at home and at the moment I wouldn't buy one unless it had a standard range of at least 250 miles, preferably more. But I definitely want one and will be happy to change our 6 year old diesel (as much as it's been a great car for us) as soon as it's feasible. One thing I've never seen anyone discuss though: What's going to happen after 2030 to all those acres and hectares (imperial/metric - you decide!) of contaminated land with filling stations sitting on them? Rapid charging stations would seem obvious, or perhaps we'll just swap a low battery for a fully charged one and be on our way even more quickly than filling a petrol tank.
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Post by GrizzlyShrew on May 31, 2022 19:59:56 GMT 1
Not a hope in hell that I will be looking into an EV anytime soon. And at my age I cant see it being an issue for me in my driving lifetime.
Just sooo much infrastructure got to sorted before it's going to take off hugely. There will no doubt be another 'fad' that is fashionable comes along before EVs become the norm.
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Post by venceremos on May 31, 2022 20:00:53 GMT 1
Yes we fed the same except it’s is diesel! There’s an awful lot of infrastructure needed before electric is really viable. As I mentioned just now, a large part of the infrastructure (ie the locations) is already there. They're currently filling stations but they're rapidly going to be needed much less after 2030.
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Post by capitalsalopian on Jun 1, 2022 7:27:06 GMT 1
I'm considering an EV as a company car. The kia Niro or mg zs are 2 relatively affordable options for businesses (still expensive for any car brand new). With benefit in kind tax down to only 1/2% for the next 3 years it may well make sense for my situation. The range on these are over 280 miles. Even with working in Solihull the range easily manages to work and back to North Shropshire. The key is planning when to recharge as already mentioned in earlier posts. I'd rather not charge at home every night so if I charge at work that is enough for me to get home and back and then charge at work again. I know not everyone has the same situation with work etc. I do feel we are reaching a point where crossing to EVs is an option. My worry is for the people in cities and towns with no driveway or access to a socket. So in one way rural living is more accessible to EVs.
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Post by Dancin on Jun 1, 2022 8:41:59 GMT 1
I'll see what I get going back to Shrewsbury this afternoon (37 miles) travelling back up the A49 but so far on first impressions I won't be rushing out to buy an EV anytime soon. Update about when I drove back to hand in the Courtesy Car. As I said above the Google mileage from work to Budgen on Featherbed Lane was 37 miles. From leaving work and using mainly the A49 and the town's bypass the mileage range only dropped by 31 miles. So overall the experience of EV was OK but I have some real concerns about buying an EV due to my current commute down through the South Shropshire Hills.
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Post by davycrockett on Jun 1, 2022 9:00:02 GMT 1
Might sound a silly question but with energy prices almost tripling by the end of the year does this mean the cost of running an EV triples?
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Post by martinshrew on Jun 1, 2022 9:27:44 GMT 1
Might sound a silly question but with energy prices almost tripling by the end of the year does this mean the cost of running an EV triples? There must be serious value in solar panels, even taking a low interest loan to purchase them would surely be a good long term decision. Free electric, charge the car for free? Seems a no brainer, though it's probably not that simple.
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Post by theriverside on Jun 1, 2022 9:41:39 GMT 1
Had a Skoda Enyaq EV for almost a year now, will tick over 30000 miles by the end of June, what a great car.
Yes, it uses more juice on undulating journeys, cold weather and when you have the pedal to the metal, but driven moderately (I’m never sensible 😂) I can get over 300 miles on a charge. In winter driven hard it would be about 220-230.
Charging on the road just takes some forward thought and a good memory to recall the best places - with that range though I’m only needing to charge away from home 1-2 times a month anyway. Yes there need to be more fast chargers but it’s improving a lot. Cost per mile has obviously gone up over the past few months but I’m running at about 8p a mile so still cheaper than diesel and the company car tax is somewhat lower….
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Post by kenwood on Jun 1, 2022 12:34:47 GMT 1
I read somewhere that the problem with electric cars is that there aren’t enough mechanics to service them . Changing the battery is no easy task and the cost of anew battery pack is likely to be astronomical. I’m sure there are loads of pros and cons . No doubt things will improve but it may take some time , no reason why improvements can’t be made and quite quickly with the technology around but it’s the will and endeavour to make electric cars a viable option which will be the game changer. p s I’ve noticed how quiet electric cars are . Eerily quiet . Before I get run over I’d like a bit of warning as to what’s about to happen .👍
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Post by Dancin on Jun 1, 2022 13:00:28 GMT 1
p s I’ve noticed how quiet electric cars are . Eerily quiet . Before I get run over I’d like a bit of warning as to what’s about to happen .👍 Yes the Zoe I had was very quiet!
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