Electric Vehicles

My journey into Electric Vehicles (EV) started with my wife's Toyoto Yaris Hyrbid followed by my hybrid Honda CRV .

The Honda was very comfortable and responsive but as a 'hild hybrid' was disappointing. It could do just 1.2 miles on battery before falling back on the petrol engine which reved high and noisily when accelerating or climbing hills. I drove few miles due to COVID before switching to my first Battery EV (BEV) a Kia eNiro. The Korean built eNiro was the best car I owned in my 45 years of driving.

Subsequently I have gone for the Tesla Model 3 Long Range and my wife for the Renault Zoe - both BEVs.

We installed our own home charger and our running costs are a few pounds a week.

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Day-to-Day

Driving a BEV is a real pleasure. They are quiet, accelerate smoothly and easy to drive.

BEVs possess high torque which is almost instantly available. Even my wife's Renault Zoe can beat Audis, BMWs and Mercedes at the lights.

Range is no longer an issue. My eNiro had a range of 250 miles fully charged and the Zoe around 160 miles. Both perfectly adequate for day-to-day driving and trips to our nearest city (60 miles). The Tesla's range is 280 to 300+ miles.

We usually charge the BEVs about once a week. You just plug in on returning home and the car will be re-charged the following morning.

Long Distance

Like many I was mindful of how the BEVs would handle longer distances. Range anxiety is a thing I quickly got over.

We started cautiously taking the eNiro on a return trip to Dundee (260 miles) involving the use of a public charger on the return leg. Subsequent trips were to Yorkshire and a holiday based in Thurso, Caithness doing the NC500. All trips were carried out with a little more planning than previously.

The Tesla opens up a whole new world. The first long journey was from NE Scotland to Suffolk. This year we did a 2200 mile road trip to Berlin. The Tesla Supercharger network is a revelation and makes such trips a breeze.

Home Charging

One of the main concerns about moving to an EV is reliable charging.

We are fortunate in having our own drive so installing a home charger was the logical first step. I was already a MyEnergi customer so opted for their Zappi2 smart charger. This allows charging from the mains and from solar.

At the same time as getting the eNiro and Zappi2 I moved electricity suppliers to Octopus Energy. This innovative and progressive company offers several specific EV tariffs that utilise a Smart Meter. The Octopus Go and the more recent Intelligent Octopus Go offer cheap overnight rates to keep runnning costs down. A typical charge is less than £4 once a week.

Public Charging

The availability and reliability of public EV chargers is much talked about and a cause of concern to those thinking about getting an EV.

In Scotland we have the Charge Point Scotland (CPS) network. This is publically owned and run my the various local councils. The network was initial free to use but charges now apply to most. Charges can be initiated using a smart phone app but due to our sometimes limited or non-existent 4G network it is better to use the CPS RFID card (available for £10). Most CPS chargers are rated at 50kWh.

Other charging networks are expanding across the UK. The cost of these can be high making the costs of a long journey comparable with petrol/diesel costs. These are rated from 150-350kWh capacity with the faster chargers charging more.

A busier times and holidays demand can exceed availability and queuing can be a concern.

Tesla Charging

Tesla is the only motor company that has its own extensive charging network across the UK and the EU.

Tesla's Supercharger (SuC) network is simple to use. Once signed up you simply pull up and plug in. The car starts charging automatically with no authorisation needed and charge completion notified via the Tesla app. The costs vary according to the time of day of maximum demand but are usually half of that of other networks. The SuCs are rated between 150 and 250kW.

Tesla is increasely operating up their SuCs to other vehicle makes. This causes some frustration to Tesla owners because not all other makes have the charging point in the same position and due to short cables can take up more than their fair share of charging spaces. The newer SuCs have a longer cable to address this problem.

The Tesla navigation system helps you plan journeys and charges and warns of how many chargers will be available on arrival.

Batteries and Range

Current EV batteries use Lithium Ion (Li-Ion) technology, the same as for smart phones due to its high energy density. The power output of have increased significantly in recent years offering ever greater ranges of 250 miles or more. This makes them a practical option for many. The available charge varies depending on the ambient temperature leading to a noticeable difference in range between winter and summer.

Most manufacturers recommend charging to 80% with the occasional charge to 100% before long journeys. Charging that extra 20% takes much longer and uses relatively more power. Tesla preheats the battery when approaching the next chargeing station to allow faster charging.

Driving 250 miles with take 4-5 hours. At my age my badder will not last that long and I usually stop every 2-3 hours. With a 150kW charger it takes 30-40 minutes to charge from 10% to 80%. The time for a pee break and a coffee. On many occasions the car has completed charging before I've finished and I need to disconnect and more the EV to avoid penalty charges.

Remember, we all need a take regular breaks for safety reasons.

The best driving experience ever

I have owned many petrol and diesel cars since I started driving in the mid-1970s from Hillman, Ford, Renault, Saab, Toyota and Honda. The move to electric has been a pleasure and I would never go back to an Internal Combustion Engine (ICR). Electric is the future.

Filling my time in retirement