Fully Electric Cars

[IanMcL]

I would never dream of filling up my diesel at a motorway service station. Genuinely interested, are chargers at service stations not more expensive to utilise than home / elsewhere? Does this not negate some of the cost benefit?

For sure.
Mine is all free, so not a worry, as long as it lasts.

Can be very expensive. The best thing to do is download ZapMap app. This has them all with speed and cost per kW.

[1fatclaret]

Rather presumptuous to say I’ve never owned an EV, though I admit I haven’t. I have driven several, and I do like them but that doesn’t negate the issues I have with them currently

I also work with 2 people who have them, and they both concur with my observations regarding charging points and they often suffer from range anxiety for longer journeys. One drives a Renault Zoe, the other drives an MG - both (like me) work in IT at a university where we develop technology for the automotive industry - so we know our stuff and often talk to academics in the industry who likely know an awful lot more than the average joe on a message board.

Ok, so I presumed from your previous posts that you had never owned an electric car, I was right, so my point is valid. Driving one occasionally doesn’t give you any kind of insight as to what it’s like to live with one every day, for 2 years, covering almost 60,000 miles.

As for your ‘academics’ who know more than the ‘average Joe on a message board’ - don’t try and belittle my points because you’ve got no substance to your argument. Developing technology for automotive doesn’t elevate your knowledge of real world driving of electric cars. I work in an organisation that has a fleet of around 50 EV’s doing approximately 20k - 30k miles a year each - anywhere between 1m and 1.5m miles per year of true EV experience, and our collective feedback is that it’s absolutely possible to run one with little to no issues around charging, even on long journeys.

Last thing, a renault Zoe is a city car. That kind of car has never been designed to do long distances, whether diesel, petrol or electric, but with a bit of pre planning its range of 200+ miles should be fine for most occasional long trips, no doubt to Bournemouth as that seems to be the yardstick.

[1fatclaret]

I would never dream of filling up my diesel at a motorway service station. Genuinely interested, are chargers at service stations not more expensive to utilise than home / elsewhere? Does this not negate some of the cost benefit?

The Tesla chargers are cheaper than others. The Tesla chargers at service stations are only slightly more expensive than charging at home during peak hours. (About 45p per kWh) - which works out at 11 per mile. The other network chargers vary between 60p and a £1 p kWh.

Obviously it’s tesla’s strategy to offer very convenient, fast and competitive charging to attract more buyers of their cars.

[Rick_Muller]

Ok, so I presumed from your previous posts that you had never owned an electric car, I was right, so my point is valid. Driving one occasionally doesn’t give you any kind of insight as to what it’s like to live with one every day, for 2 years, covering almost 60,000 miles.

As for your ‘academics’ who know more than the ‘average Joe on a message board’ - don’t try and belittle my points because you’ve got no substance to your argument. Developing technology for automotive doesn’t elevate your knowledge of real world driving of electric cars. I work in an organisation that has a fleet of around 50 EV’s doing approximately 20k - 30k miles a year each - anywhere between 1m and 1.5m miles per year of true EV experience, and our collective feedback is that it’s absolutely possible to run one with little to no issues around charging, even on long journeys.

Last thing, a renault Zoe is a city car. That kind of car has never been designed to do long distances, whether diesel, petrol or electric, but with a bit of pre planning its range of 200+ miles should be fine for most occasional long trips, no doubt to Bournemouth as that seems to be the yardstick.

Why so aggressive? I didn’t belittle you at all. I like EVs and my observations about the charging network are as valid as yours.

I’ll leave it there, apologies for having an opinion, I won’t do it again.

[No Ney Never]

Very early on in my EV ownership, an experienced long journey EV driver told me not to rely on charging availability at service stations, he always stopped at holiday inns. They are UK wide, always available and were always working, never let me down either. These days zapmap shows availability at pubs, supermarkets and all sorts of places very close to motorway slip roads.

My Nissan Leaf is due for renewal at the end of March, that's 6 years since I took delivery of my first.
I was considering looking at other manufacturers since most now have a EV offering, while some are better looking, it's talking to owners of some of these models that has me apprehensive.
At work the Koni, Tesla and MG EV owners all remark on the huge drop in miles achievable on a 100% charge in only 2 - 3 years since new. My Leaf hasn't changed at all, I can rely on what it says.
Nissan launched the first Leaf EV in 2009, they have spent years ironing out many of the issues and amassed so much experience, a journey that all the recently new to the market manufacturers are just beginning. Indeed the technicians at the Koni dealership were unable to fix an issue that my colleague returned for, they lacked experience dealing with them, took 4 months before they fixed it.
I'm going to have a look around and test drive a few, anyone have any recommendations?

[1fatclaret]

Why so aggressive? I didn’t belittle you at all. I like EVs and my observations about the charging network are as valid as yours.

I’ll leave it there, apologies for having an opinion, I won’t do it again.

You tried to imply your line of work and discussions with ‘academics’ gave you a superior insight into the real world of EV’s over the ‘average Joe’. It was both patronising and condescending.

I’ll leave it there too

[IanMcL]

Very early on in my EV ownership, an experienced long journey EV driver told me not to rely on charging availability at service stations, he always stopped at holiday inns. They are UK wide, always available and were always working, never let me down either. These days zapmap shows availability at pubs, supermarkets and all sorts of places very close to motorway slip roads.

My Nissan Leaf is due for renewal at the end of March, that's 6 years since I took delivery of my first.
I was considering looking at other manufacturers since most now have a EV offering, while some are better looking, it's talking to owners of some of these models that has me apprehensive.
At work the Koni, Tesla and MG EV owners all remark on the huge drop in miles achievable on a 100% charge in only 2 - 3 years since new. My Leaf hasn't changed at all, I can rely on what it says.
Nissan launched the first Leaf EV in 2009, they have spent years ironing out many of the issues and amassed so much experience, a journey that all the recently new to the market manufacturers are just beginning. Indeed the technicians at the Koni dealership were unable to fix an issue that my colleague returned for, they lacked experience dealing with them, took 4 months before they fixed it.
I'm going to have a look around and test drive a few, anyone have any recommendations?

My 2016 Tesla was 257 when I got it in Dec 18. Now 245 in Jan 2024. Not bad going!

[Rick_Muller]

You tried to imply your line of work and discussions with ‘academics’ gave you a superior insight into the real world of EV’s over the ‘average Joe’. It was both patronising and condescending.

I’ll leave it there too

I'd like to apologise to you, it appears from reading back that I appeared to be patronising and condescending to you, with a reference to "average joe" on a message board. I don't think our viewpoints are that far apart, and I welcome intelligent dialog with others regarding the issues we face. For info though the "average joe" comment was intended to be for the specific user who I was first responding to and I should have made that clearer. Apologies.

[Boss Hogg]

Be careful taking motoring advice off people who drive a Nissan Leaf.

[1fatclaret]

I'd like to apologise to you, it appears from reading back that I appeared to be patronising and condescending to you, with a reference to "average joe" on a message board. I don't think our viewpoints are that far apart, and I welcome intelligent dialog with others regarding the issues we face. For info though the "average joe" comment was intended to be for the specific user who I was first responding to and I should have made that clearer. Apologies.

Thanks Rick. Appreciate that. Hate to spoil a discussion by turning it into a point scoring argument. I apologise if I came across as aggressive, I was just a bit wrangled by the term average Joe!!

[No Ney Never]

Be careful taking motoring advice off people who drive a Nissan Leaf.

I would question if an individual who'd buy a Citroen is in a position to be directing anyone where to take motoring advice.

[brexit]

I would question if an individual who'd buy a Citroen is in a position to be directing anyone where to take motoring advice.

Ami Pop best car in the world - you know nothing.

[Wokingclaret]

I would question if an individual who'd buy a Citroen is in a position to be directing anyone where to take motoring advice.

The best thing is, and I've had many, is they never get nicked