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So we are now 8 months with our Vivaro elite the largest EV available on Motability maybe even anywhere at the moment.
i thought those in need of a large vehicle may like to know a little about costs and range.
firstly it’s important that you demand a home charger this vehicle would be extremely difficult to manage without one, I say demand we were told we couldn’t have a home charger as it would cost £6000 but we got one free by demanding one. Sometime it’s the only way.
the reason I say you need home charging is the range is 145 miles but so far we have never required away from home charging even arriving home with as little as 2 miles left, I plug the car in every day with a scheduled charge on cheap rate electricity we will probably drive somewhere between 10 and 12 thousand miles by the end of the first year. This is interesting as we previously did approx 6 or 7 thousand due to costs in our previous diesel.
We are in rural location and trips are always larger than most shopping 25 miles doctors 14 miles the tip is 22 miles so we leave here onto 60 mph roads, but we’re told that electric was best for town, so we are surprised to achieve the maximum range the vehicle has to offer most of the time.The costs are obviously an issue to most and will become more so. When we did our research to go electric the Math suggested it was a no brainer, surprisingly now with the energy increases and the upcoming increases , I still feel this is the case.
We are still on an old contract currently that allows us to charge for 5.5p per KW amazingly we are getting 3 miles per KW currently since the weather has warmed thus costing around 1.8 p per mile. I am sure many of you with EV will think this terrible but remember this has 8 seats with enough boot for 8 lots of luggage. So moving on at the moment when our contract runs out we should be able to renew at 8.5 p per KW this will push the price of cold winter driving to around 4p per mile, taking me back to what I said earlier that an EV remains a no brainer with a home charger, if like us you are on a low fixed income. However if I were to do my research only using the charging network then I feel I could not have changed to an EV initially when I started the research early last year perhaps I would have risked it but since then many of the network prices have increased 3 or 4 times and I am guessing more increases will follow using the energy hikes as an excuse and don’t forget outside charging incurs 20% vat home charging just 5%.
The future? Well we will definitely stick with an EV but will hold on to this one for as long as we can to allow more development as we are looking at the possibility of an EV with Vehicle to Home capability thus allowing us to use the car to power the home when not in use. Potentially this will either be the vehicle or the development of new style chargers it’s all very exciting.Hope this info helps someone
I am the carer / driver for my wife who cannot drive due to disability
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We have a similar sized vehicle (diesel WAV) and I calculate that we are spending around 24 – 26 pence per mile. That’s £1 every 4 miles. Crikey.
Helps me Windy! I want one…..Re order time is July and I hoping they slot the bigger battery in before order goes in.
It sounds like your driving is similar to my own i.e. charge at home and daily drives within range of vehicle. I do charge away from home 3 or 4 times a month but plan it appropriately and it’s usually all fine.
Had a moment on the M6 last week though where I managed to drop to 1 mile remaining……….Squeaky bottom time……Ian my plans for away charging although like I say haven’t used yet are with the Lidl fast chargers at 26 p per kWh this means depending on which direction I go from here I can use their network and fresh sandwiches and an iced coffee for less than £3
I am the carer / driver for my wife who cannot drive due to disability
Wmcforum yep I worked out that our old Alhambra would be around 21p per mile now and that was a pretty efficient large car
I am the carer / driver for my wife who cannot drive due to disability
i should have also mentioned we have a large 150kg hoist fitted I know it’s a question some ask about EV
I am the carer / driver for my wife who cannot drive due to disability
Windy are there no free chargers where you stay. Many supermarkets have free chargers, I would do a bit of searching just in case there are any available.
Our local Tesco has free charging, only 7kwh but better than nothing. In Scotland we have many free chargers supplied through “charge place Scotland”.
The only person who got all his work done by Friday was Robinson Crusoe.
Anything i post over three lines long please assume it is an article lol.Brydo no the nearest free charger would be around 20 miles so would make little sense bar picking up a bit coming back from a trip but for us it’s the home charger that’s essential
I am the carer / driver for my wife who cannot drive due to disability
Thanks Windy have a practice before you charge away from home for the 1st time…..
Given that there are some ‘normal’ sized EVs that find 3 miles per kWh a good return, I’d say you’re doing great. My ZS gets between 3.5 and 5 in the summer, depending on how heavy my foot gets and 2.5 – 3.5 in the winter, so again, 3 is pretty decent seeing as you’re twice the size.
If you can avoid public charging, 5p per mile is expensive. At current fuel costs, I dread to think what the average dino fueled car costs per mile.
I have a BP Pulse card paid for by my employer. They currently charge 48p per KW/h but I need to use it regularly as the range on my car is 200 miles max. Roll on when EV’s can do 500 miles on a charge.
Sorry I have responded to Ian and MarkF but was logged out do different handle
I am the carer / driver for my wife who cannot drive due to disability
One thing I would point out is that if you do have a home charger and a cheap rate tariff you have an obvious period of charge ie mine is 5 hours some are 4 some 6 thing is if I had a greater range and a bigger battery it would only be used on a long trip as there would be no benefit in running it longer day to day and exceeding the cheap rate charging. It’s a point worth noting I feel
I am the carer / driver for my wife who cannot drive due to disability
Roll on when EV’s can do 500 miles on a charge.
I second that Elliot.
Ian the reason I say Lidl is they are podpoint and cheap so as I have a podpoint hopefully it will all tie in but I am going to make an effort and try one soon I’ll let you know
MarkF it’s quite interesting my range differs quite moderately between 2.4 to 3.1 winter to warm that said last winter was mild although so far on a really warm day 19 degrees I was creeping toward 3.2 of course this is the cars version of events. Who knows the calculations could be as bad as an ice vehicle giving you its optimistic mpg.
i can’t have a home charger 1 not enough room for off road parking and 2 landlord wont update the fuse box just because i want an ev,but i am still looking at getting the vivaro, because its the cheapest in the size needed although i need to find where and at what cost the ev chargers are near me. i currantly have the i800 and could not go back to a standard car because of health problems and the equipment i need to carry.
Paul we are with a housing association we have no off road parking and a grass area in front of house but managed to convince all it needed doing so keep trying as far as I am aware the cheapest fast chargers are around 26p KW this is the podpoints at Lidl they are also at tesco but not sure if they are the same price. I think you would find it a great benefit as it’s larger than the i800 at 5.4 metres long plus the i800 is rather heavy on gas if I remember correctly
I am the carer / driver for my wife who cannot drive due to disability
500 miles on a single charge would be an advantage for some, it wouldn’t be necessary for most.
However charging time and also battery size may be more of a disadvantage.
Personally I think 350 miles is the sweet spot.
Paul do you have a dedicated on street parking space? The government has changed the criteria recently focusing on on street parking for grants.
I agree Ian there is no need for a 500 mile battery, although if new tech can produce this range as cheaply as a 100 mile battery then I’ll take it.
The only person who got all his work done by Friday was Robinson Crusoe.
Anything i post over three lines long please assume it is an article lol.Maybe your next van windy.
All-new Ford E-Transit Custom electric van 236 mile range
The fully electric version of the UK’s most popular vehicle will arrive in early 2023, with more details to be released later this year
by Ellis Hyde
9 May 2022
The only person who got all his work done by Friday was Robinson Crusoe.
Anything i post over three lines long please assume it is an article lol.Brydo I saw that one it will make a good mpv. I hope
ian important is miles per KW what would be good is my size offering around 5 mpkw that would keep charging within the home cheap period and give 220 plus miles
otherwise a full charge will shift into full price which by the end of the year could easily be 45p KW at hone
I am the carer / driver for my wife who cannot drive due to disability
Agree Windy and 90% of my charging is done at home and at the moment on the same tariff as you. 220 miles would work great for me…..
Paul do you have a dedicated on street parking space? The government has changed the criteria recently focusing on on street parking for grants. I agree Ian there is no need for a 500 mile battery, although if new tech can produce this range as cheaply as a 100 mile battery then I’ll take it.
Maybe a 500 mile range is not a necessity for yourself but it certainly is for me work wise.
Elliot it’s not that the range is not a necessity obviously for yourself it’s essential but for people for whom it isn’t then there is a tendency to demand more range without considering the costs of home charging. I can for example only charge 35 KW per day on cheap rate hopefully that will increase to 42 but that’s the point if you don’t need the range then there is little benefit to it. It’s definitely more important with an EV to know your own use unlike previously I think.
I am the carer / driver for my wife who cannot drive due to disability
Windy thanks for the info yes i get 421 miles for about £120 at the moment so anything has to e cheaper
Brydo no its cat and mouse on my street but even if i did its on the opposit side of the road so no help there as it would mean wires running across it.
the milage dosen’t really bother me too much it just means you have to plan your journey a bit more than you would normally,yes i expect electric will get more expensive but at the moment i am already paying £1.79 a lt
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