EV and their range...

[mike150]

Just confirmed pickup of our Mini Electric for 4th January. Something to look forward to in the new year

I drove a Mini Electric last year and they are brilliant, fun to drive and really nicely finished inside plus its a 'normal' car so no daft touch screens or odd quirks that a lot of dedicated EV's have, the i3s running gear is great but the concept of the car is odd and looks it............................alas too small for my needs. Best of luck with it.

 

[davyk31]

Also drove a Mini EV recently. Nice car as is any Mini but the most non EV like car maybe I have tried. It doesn’t have the silent drive I like in other EVs as the Minis are prone to a lot of road noise. Range also a bit low as for me I like about 200 miles range to avoid constant charging.

 

[Deezer-D]

I drove a Mini Electric last year and they are brilliant, fun to drive and really nicely finished inside plus its a 'normal' car so no daft touch screens or odd quirks that a lot of dedicated EV's have, the i3s running gear is great but the concept of the car is odd and looks it............................alas too small for my needs. Best of luck with it.

Also drove a Mini EV recently. Nice car as is any Mini but the most non EV like car maybe I have tried. It doesn’t have the silent drive I like in other EVs as the Minis are prone to a lot of road noise. Range also a bit low as for me I like about 200 miles range to avoid constant charging.

They are very like a normal Mini which is one of the reasons we went for it. It’s not big but it’s the second car so will really only do short journeys like the school run and shopping for small stuff. The wife has an F56 Cooper that this is replacing that’s done 18K miles since new in January 2015 so electric suits her perfectly. Range won’t be an issue as we’ll take the S3 for longer trips.
Plan is to keep the S3 for another 2 years and swap it and the electric Mini for a bigger EV with more range and space for the pup. I work from home but our office is in Derry so need something with over 250 miles range as we have sites all over the island.
We now have 3 cars (just bought a 107 for my daughter to learn in) but the end goal is 1 EV and maybe a cheap city car for the wean. She’s hopefully off to Uni this year so depending on which of her choices she gets it might make sense for her to take the 107 with her.

 

[Rocko]

My sister had one out on test drive and it was lovely. Range was a bit low for my liking but the 2nd iteration could be a good bit higher.

 

[Deezer-D]

My sister had one out on test drive and it was lovely. Range was a bit low for my liking but the 2nd iteration could be a good bit higher.

Realistic range is probably 100 miles but that’s probably over a week for us in normal use.
One of the reasons for us going pcp on it was the probability of a new longer range model in the next 2 years. We can get out of the pcp but lease would be a different story.
The Level 2 is quite well specced too so no need for us to go to the higher spec model.

 

[Coog]

They are very like a normal Mini which is one of the reasons we went for it. It’s not big but it’s the second car so will really only do short journeys like the school run and shopping for small stuff. The wife has an F56 Cooper that this is replacing that’s done 18K miles since new in January 2015 so electric suits her perfectly. Range won’t be an issue as we’ll take the S3 for longer trips.
Plan is to keep the S3 for another 2 years and swap it and the electric Mini for a bigger EV with more range and space for the pup. I work from home but our office is in Derry so need something with over 250 miles range as we have sites all over the island.
We now have 3 cars (just bought a 107 for my daughter to learn in) but the end goal is 1 EV and maybe a cheap city car for the wean. She’s hopefully off to Uni this year so depending on which of her choices she gets it might make sense for her to take the 107 with her.

I did Derry and back in a day there a few weeks ago despite the range of my car not allowing it. I don’t think I would recommend it as a regular exercise but it worked out OK. There was one of the fast chargers on the way out of town & I was at about 45% remaining range as I left Derry so only needed a quick 20 min squirt and I was home again with about 10% left. Unfortunately it was occupied by some numpty with a flask and iPad who had camped out for a couple of hours but there’s not much I can do about that. Had a choice of other chargers too but wanted the fast one. While not ideal I just didn’t fancy running a 12mpg Cayenne up and down the road if I didn’t need to and thought I’d try it and see.

I think the entrepreneurial types are missing a trick here too. They could stick a cafe up with a few of these chargers outside and make a killing from those of us with 20mins to kill.

I’d have no problem paying for the charge either if it meant it worked and I wasn’t waiting for some fella in his model 3 to get to 100% charge because he has time to burn and no money for electricity.

 

[Deezer-D]

I did Derry and back in a day there a few weeks ago despite the range of my car not allowing it. I don’t think I would recommend it as a regular exercise but it worked out OK. There was one of the fast chargers on the way out of town & I was at about 45% remaining range as I left Derry so only needed a quick 20 min squirt and I was home again with about 10% left. Unfortunately it was occupied by some numpty with a flask and iPad who had camped out for a couple of hours but there’s not much I can do about that. Had a choice of other chargers too but wanted the fast one. While not ideal I just didn’t fancy running a 12mpg Cayenne up and down the road if I didn’t need to and thought I’d try it and see.

I think the entrepreneurial types are missing a trick here too. They could stick a cafe up with a few of these chargers outside and make a killing from those of us with 20mins to kill.

I’d have no problem paying for the charge either if it meant it worked and I wasn’t waiting for some fella in his model 3 to get to 100% charge because he has time to burn and no money for electricity.

This is the thing, the range anxiety would be unbearable in the Mini Wabs hogging chargers make planning a journey difficult. I’d need to find a charger close to the office as I’d have used 75-80% by the time I get there (no option to charge at our office) and get back to full charge for the return trip. Hopefully the infrastructure improves but the mentality of the bellends in this place would need to change too

 

[davyk31]

The mentality of the bell ends will change only with the introduction of payment for charging. Overstay fees also are needed to stop people hogging. Once they have to pay to get a whole 20 miles range in their hybrids and it’s actually cheaper to charge at home you will find not so many use them.
Also if the charger owners are getting revenue they will firstly have income to invest but they will also have to provide a better service for paying clients.

 

[Coog]

This is the thing, the range anxiety would be unbearable in the Mini Wabs hogging chargers make planning a journey difficult. I’d need to find a charger close to the office as I’d have used 75-80% by the time I get there (no option to charge at our office) and get back to full charge for the return trip. Hopefully the infrastructure improves but the mentality of the bellends in this place would need to change too

Yeah that’s not going to work really. If there was a charger at work it would probably be grand though.

 

[stevieturbo]

I think the entrepreneurial types are missing a trick here too. They could stick a cafe up with a few of these chargers outside and make a killing from those of us with 20mins to kill.

I’d have no problem paying for the charge either if it meant it worked and I wasn’t waiting for some fella in his model 3 to get to 100% charge because he has time to burn and no money for electricity.

Are cafe's allowed anyone in them these days ?

I really doubt one or two people a day would make them big profits.

But it is kinda surprising regular petrol stations haven't thrown in a couple of paid chargers on site somewhere. Although it would assume their electrical supply could actually accommodate them, which may not be the case

The mentality of the bell ends will change only with the introduction of payment for charging. Overstay fees also are needed to stop people hogging. Once they have to pay to get a whole 20 miles range in their hybrids and it’s actually cheaper to charge at home you will find not so many use them.
Also if the charger owners are getting revenue they will firstly have income to invest but they will also have to provide a better service for paying clients.

Surely chargers are smart enough to stop and release when fully charged ? What would break if you forced a release ? the persons car, or part of the charger ?

 

[davyk31]

There is generally an emergency release but the issue normally is that the other persons car is still in the way and your cable can’t reach the charger. Down south there are overstay charges on the fast chargers for staying more than 45 mins I think it is.

 

[Crow555]

The likes of multi-story car parks or retail parking spaces are pretty much gonna become charging space. Shop here, fill your car while you do so. I'm just surprised a third party company hasn't started installing them yet in places like this.

Charging (in the monetary sense) will be inevitable however.

 

[Coog]

Are cafe's allowed anyone in them these days ?

I really doubt one or two people a day would make them big profits.

But it is kinda surprising regular petrol stations haven't thrown in a couple of paid chargers on site somewhere. Although it would assume their electrical supply could actually accommodate them, which may not be the case

Surely chargers are smart enough to stop and release when fully charged ? What would break if you forced a release ? the persons car, or part of the charger ?

Be more than two people a day looking their cars charged. I read a few days back about a big one going up in Norwich with 30 odd bays and they’re already a thing elsewhere in the world. Audi are starting to knock them out in Europe too. And it’s not just a coffee, you’ve a captive audience for 20/30 mins so there’s a lot more could be sold in that time.

Perhaps it will make more sense to stick a bank of bays in places like Forestside or Junction one, though you’d think everyone would prefer the space to be available to all road users and not just EVs.

 

[mike150]

I reall

Are cafe's allowed anyone in them these days ?

I really doubt one or two people a day would make them big profits.

But it is kinda surprising regular petrol stations haven't thrown in a couple of paid chargers on site somewhere. Although it would assume their electrical supply could actually accommodate them, which may not be the case

Surely chargers are smart enough to stop and release when fully charged ? What would break if you forced a release ? the persons car, or part of the charger ?

I spoke with Applegreens PR guy recently coincidently after discovering that only their Templepatrick station had an EV point. He admitted that they where way behind the ball on the EV thing and that plans where in place but it was 1 to 2 years away to have a row of EV stations in every Applegeen. I told him that until that was the case I wouldn't be frequenting Applegeen as there was no point.

I don't get why Supermarkets, shops etc. aren't getting EV chargers in, they want to attract customers, well that'll attract EV drivers to shop anyway. I went specifically to the station in Crossgar last week as they have a 50kw there, did some shopping and picked up some electric.

 

[Eddies]

I'd guess space, most cafes barely have a few spaces out the front. When ev kicks off you'd want what one charger per table minimum so normal cafe, for argument 20 chargers give or take be a huge investment for a small cafe owner to undertake.

 

[Cooper]

Had a similar discussion with @Graham recently on this.

A petrol stations days are possibly numbered as the whole business model is built around putting big tanks, pumps and a convenience shop in. I’m sure it’s a seven figure exercise.

The model has totally changed. Needs to be a coffee shop and a row of chargers now instead, perhaps with some of that same level of investment to pay for grid works.

I bet there’s a station franchisee on the forum who knows the economics of this beyond our armchair speculation.

Oh and worse than that I don’t think the executive have taken advantage of UK wide schemes to improve infra, likely due to the usual bickering and lack of the ability to deliver.

 

[stevieturbo]

I reall

I spoke with Applegreens PR guy recently coincidently after discovering that only their Templepatrick station had an EV point. He admitted that they where way behind the ball on the EV thing and that plans where in place but it was 1 to 2 years away to have a row of EV stations in every Applegeen. I told him that until that was the case I wouldn't be frequenting Applegeen as there was no point.

I don't get why Supermarkets, shops etc. aren't getting EV chargers in, they want to attract customers, well that'll attract EV drivers to shop anyway. I went specifically to the station in Crossgar last week as they have a 50kw there, did some shopping and picked up some electric.

I have never used the motorway Applegreens here. Service station somewhere so small, with petrol stations everywhere else....just seems so odd. I'd sooner support local stations that have always been here

Although have used them down south which seems to have far fewer smaller stations around the country.

It should be very easy for stations to add one, maybe two half decent fast chargers, but I really doubt the infrastructure exists to start installing a row of proper fast chargers. The existing NIE cabling etc just would not cope as these were never expected or planned for. And even for the culchies out west...were they not always crying there was no electric for businesses "west of the Bann" ?
So if regular business and factories were already having supply issues, arrays of fast chargers will consume a hell of a lot too, and require substantial cabling or investment. Whether some is backed by wind/solar/battery banks or something to allow it operate without major new supply cables is an option, but expensive.. Either way it's a massive expenditure if even doable.

A few of the staff where I work have recently moved to EV's, and as far as I know their employer has paid for chargers at home ( none in work though )...all good and well.
What happens when you get another personal EV at home ? Another charger ? do you try and split charging at home ? Who gets priority ? Will the home supply cope with 2 or 3 ? Especially if a lot are trying to avail of a cheaper pricing plan in the early hours for a short time window.

 

[stevieturbo]

Had a similar discussion with @Graham recently on this.

A petrol stations days are possibly numbered as the whole business model is built around putting big tanks, pumps and a convenience shop in. I’m sure it’s a seven figure exercise.

The model has totally changed. Needs to be a coffee shop and a row of chargers now instead, perhaps with some of that same level of investment to pay for grid works.

I bet there’s a station franchisee on the forum who knows the economics of this beyond our armchair speculation.

Oh and worse than that I don’t think the executive have taken advantage of UK wide schemes to improve infra, likely due to the usual bickering and lack of the ability to deliver.

It hasn't changed yet, and it's still not clear EV's will be the future. But as said, it's all very well dreaming of 20 fast charge points. There isn't a hope in hell of the existing cabling infrastructure supporting that without millions spent getting supplies from substations etc.

Any business spending huge sums down any route at the minute is taking a massive gamble and a huge outlay for probably zero return for maybe a decade or two, all losses.

In many respects, the most sensible place for chargers is shopping centres. They have the parking space already there, most of them have the financials to take that gamble, and a lot of people going there will spend 20, 30, 40 minutes inside..

But few will have the underlying electrical supply to cope with a lot of chargers running flat out. It all boils down to the same thing here...base infrastructure from NIE and what it might be able to cope with
For likes of a shopping centre, the actual physical install of the chargers would cost very little really.

 

[mk2driver]

For most users you don’t need to charge every day and as such more than one EV in a house with 1 charger is fine

I can go a week without charging most weeks - I don’t because I top up during the cheap window a couple of times a week

Without doubt we could have two EVs and one charger by essentially taking each cheap overnight charging period on alternate days

That’s without considering the fact that there is loads of opportunity to charge at the more expensive cost

We are a household that does a combined 15-20k miles a year which is fairly typical

Doesn’t work for everybody but a lot of people dismiss it before actually thinking about it properly

 

[Cooper]

a huge outlay for probably zero return for maybe a decade or two, all losses.

Think I know who will pay for it. Us. Via government sponsored schemes. Sound ludicrous- for reference material see RHI, ROCS etc…

The ship has sailed. If it’s the right vessel and even the right heading, who knows, but regardless we have to deal with it.

a lot of people dismiss it before actually thinking about it properly

There’s a lot of that going round at present!

 

[ALN]

Seems a relevant place to share this. Quite amusing and mildly interesting

 

[Coog]

Any Etron users had this??

 

[Cooper]

Another range test by Mat Watson

 

[Burt2000]

Any Etron users had this??

View attachment 344994

Standard for an etron

 

[KevM]

Bound to be a calculation anomaly. The range goes up in my car as I drive quite often