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As many of us run electric cars, I wonder if we will go down the electric route again when our leases are up or revert back to Petrol/Hybrid. AP´s will be a factor of course.
From my perspective, overall I am still very happy, cheap charging, only 1 real issue when using fast chargers, and a bonus of cheap electric to use for 4 hours. Home charging at cheap rates and a good range are the key issues. The infrastructure does need to be developed, rapidly, and current electric prices do not make the switch viable for many.
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We don’t have an EV, but were really looking forward to getting one on next year. I’m beginning to have doubts, not about general everyday use, we have a drive and home charging should be straightforward. My main issue is the charging infrastructure when you are away from home.
I’ve mentioned here a few times, we go to Cornwall from the Northwest 4 times a year and the chargers are just not there in sufficient numbers. If we got an MG5, the motorway range would be 180 miles or less, a journey of 370 miles would see us stop to charge 3 times. Many of the services on the M5 and A30 only have 2 chargers, this is just not good enough.
Plus when you get into Cornwall, you’d need to go into Truro or Cambourne every couple of days to charge.
Maybe in 5 years when the infrastructure is better or range on an affordable EV is 400 miles.
We don’t have an EV, but were really looking forward to getting one on next year. I’m beginning to have doubts, not about general everyday use, we have a drive and home charging should be straightforward. My main issue is the charging infrastructure when you are away from home. I’ve mentioned here a few times, we go to Cornwall from the Northwest 4 times a year and the chargers are just not there in sufficient numbers. If we got an MG5, the motorway range would be 180 miles or less, a journey of 370 miles would see us stop to charge 3 times. Many of the services on the M5 and A30 only have 2 chargers, this is just not good enough. Plus when you get into Cornwall, you’d need to go into Truro or Cambourne every couple of days to charge. Maybe in 5 years when the infrastructure is better or range on an affordable EV is 400 miles.
Exeter M5 services has a whole row of chargers since Autumn last year. Cornwall Services have a hub being built although that seems to be on Cornish time. More McDonalds seem to be getting chargers, as do a number of shops now. Newquay has a few and more are getting added, although I’ve no idea whether they’re rapids or destination chargers. That all said, Cornwall is a special place for EVs, if you can’t charge overnight you’ve a problem pretty quickly.
Personally, EVs are much more relaxing to drive, smoother and easier once you get used to them. If you can drive 200 miles or more on a charge at 60 then you’re going to be fine, there’s enough around even down here for you to be able to get by.
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I'll try to give my honest opinion but am always open to learning.Mark
To me, I’m very much undecided. On one hand you get all the economies of charging at home, the convenience of jumping in to a full ‘tank’ every morning and not having to visit a petrol station to pay out large lumps of cash.
It’s the other hand that causes a bit of confusion for me. The EVs on scheme aren’t often the top or higher range models OR don’t have the range. If I can’t drive at 60 for 1 hour 15 minutes, I have to stop before the point where I would usually stop on a journey. That’s around 110 miles from home to Exeter Services. After that I may still need further charges depending upon distance traveled. If I need to have a car capable of a winter 120 miles that means 60kWh minimum, which is either the Ariya (£7,999), ID5 (£6,995) or Enyaq (£5,649). All of which are the base model and, as far as I can tell, have no additional packs. The only one with possible pack options is the Ariya, if they’re still on scheme but not listed. The alternative would be something like the Tucson PHEV Ultimate (£5,599) which has all the toys and more and can get me around town on electric only if I charge every night. OR there’s the QashQai E-Power Tekna (£3,199), which has a good few toys but 2 miles without petrol on a good day.
The question for me is whether I prefer to pay the AP up front and have pure electric and have to run several stops long distance OR face trips to the petrol station for a lower AP but less stops on a longer run?
I'm Autistic, if I say something you find offensive, please let me know, I can guarantee it was unintentional.
I'll try to give my honest opinion but am always open to learning.Mark
Personally, EVs are much more relaxing to drive, smoother and easier once you get used to them. If you can drive 200 miles or more on a charge at 60 then you’re going to be fine, there’s enough around even down here for you to be able to get by.
We stay around the Penzance / St Ives area, there’s a rapid charger at the new St Erth train station / interchange that’s been faulty for months. A town the size of Penzance only seems to have 7 kw supermarket chargers. Can you imagine what it’s like in August. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a green at heart, I really want to go electric. But it needs to be practical.
Putting aside the insane AP’s, availability, choice etc – In pure terms of EV v ICE, in my opinion, having driven my Kona since July 2022, there is no comparison between the 2. I would most definately choose an EV.
Yes public charging is a issue. It is nowhere near good enough. Misinformation from companies about availability is to me more of an issue than the lack of chargers. That combined with some selfish, EV users causes unnecessary problems whilst en route.
Planning your journey is essential and I find it easier and better to identify charging places near to, but off motorways.
We stay around the Penzance / St Ives area, there’s a rapid charger at the new St Erth train station / interchange that’s been faulty for months. A town the size of Penzance only seems to have 7 kw supermarket chargers. Can you imagine what it’s like in August. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a green at heart, I really want to go electric. But it needs to be practical.
If it was me, I’d charge at Cornwall service on the way in, then if charging where your staying isn’t an option, use the supermarket chargers to boost that when you can. As long as you have enough to get back to (just beyond) Indian Queens on the way out, you’re sorted. Charge again at Cornwall Services and then again on the motorway. It’s a bit of a pain but resolves a lot of the worry. Also note some attractions are having/have chargers in place so you can visit, say, the Eden Project for a good few hours and top up whilst there.
I'm Autistic, if I say something you find offensive, please let me know, I can guarantee it was unintentional.
I'll try to give my honest opinion but am always open to learning.Mark
Using motorway services to charge an EV will cost far more than running either a petrol or diesel car.
Using motorway services to charge an EV will cost far more than running either a petrol or diesel car.
Evidence?
Gridserve who operate a large number of Motorway service stations are quoted on the mapping services at 65p per kWh. My car gets AT LEAST 4 miles per kWh, so 4 miles per 65p or just over 16p per mile public charged. There are cars that will return 5 or 6 miles per kWh, which reduces that further. That’s the expensive options.
It’s been a long time since I last drove a petrol engined car so I’ve no idea what the realistic mpg looks like at £180odd per litre.
I'm Autistic, if I say something you find offensive, please let me know, I can guarantee it was unintentional.
I'll try to give my honest opinion but am always open to learning.Mark
£1.50 a litre round here. Motorway driving at least 45mpg. So 15p a mile.
Is that £1.50 at motorway prices though? (genuine question, I like comparing apples with apples, it’s easier).
However, that does, just, show EVs to be cheaper (skin of teeth here).
Honest reality is that if you were to buy an EV run it completely on public, rapid chargers you would pay much more over 3 years than an equivalent petrol car. That’s down to electricity prices being ridiculous right now and public charging still getting clobbered full VAT. Prices have jumped from 28p per litre (on crappy unreliable chargers) to 65p or even more but the network is, mainly, less unreliable for that investment. I’ve seen charges nearing £1 per kWh, which is insane. However, I’ve also seen motorway service stations in remote areas charging 10% more than others.
I'm Autistic, if I say something you find offensive, please let me know, I can guarantee it was unintentional.
I'll try to give my honest opinion but am always open to learning.Mark
£1.50 a litre round here. Motorway driving at least 45mpg. So 15p a mile.
Is that £1.50 at motorway prices though? (genuine question, I like comparing apples with apples, it’s easier). However, that does, just, show EVs to be cheaper (skin of teeth here). Honest reality is that if you were to buy an EV run it completely on public, rapid chargers you would pay much more over 3 years than an equivalent petrol car. That’s down to electricity prices being ridiculous right now and public charging still getting clobbered full VAT. Prices have jumped from 28p per litre (on crappy unreliable chargers) to 65p or even more but the network is, mainly, less unreliable for that investment. I’ve seen charges nearing £1 per kWh, which is insane. However, I’ve also seen motorway service stations in remote areas charging 10% more than others.
The thing is, with the range of a petrol / diesel car you wouldn’t need to be re-fueling at a motorway service station. When I had my EV it was costing my company around £24 to fully charge it on the motorway and I was getting a max of 180 miles for that sometimes 130 miles. Prices have increased massively since then.
The thing is, with the range of a petrol / diesel car you wouldn’t need to be re-fueling at a motorway service station. When I had my EV it was costing my company around £24 to fully charge it on the motorway and I was getting a max of 180 miles for that sometimes 130 miles. Prices have increased massively since then.
August 21 we did a 400 mile round trip plus whatever mileage we put on around our destination. This was done charging at Exeter (there and back), Wincanton Morrisons (both ways) and Lidl on the way back. The total cost for all those miles was less than £20. Late last year I had to put a boost charge into the car at the local McDonalds, it was about 20 minutes worth and cost £21 for just over 100 miles extra. If that was my only options for charging, I’d be driving a petrol right now, for sure.
I'm Autistic, if I say something you find offensive, please let me know, I can guarantee it was unintentional.
I'll try to give my honest opinion but am always open to learning.Mark
Is that £1.50 at motorway prices though? (genuine question, I like comparing apples with apples, it’s easier). However, that does, just, show EVs to be cheaper (skin of teeth here).
Petrol is £1.41 in town here. At the service station quater of a mile before the slip road leading onto the M4 petrol is £1.44. I could fill up just before I got on the motorway and drive 400 miles. In the unlikely event I need to top up I can jump off the motorway to a local fuel station with cheaper prices, just like you could in an EV.
That said my car is not economical to run at all @£1.41 litre £6.415gallon costs me 22p per mile ?
Interesting comments. At present, averaging 4.7miles since new per kWh at 7.5p equates to 1.67p per mile. On the motorway at between 55p and 75p, something like 15p. I have a friend who does lots of long journeys where electric would be a bit of a pain, but for the majority, range is rarely an issue. For me, it will depend on a number of factors in 2025, the cost of home charging, car availability and prices, but it would take something pretty spectacular to switch back to an ICE. Whereas I was seeing £150/175 a month on petrol, I can barely notice the difference in our electric bills, maybe £10/15 a month.
thats the big issue with electrics still at the moment, the infrastructure just isnt there if you cant charge at home.
i would have changed to electric by now if i could get a home charger but its impossible.
my lifestyle will suit as i mainly do short 20 mile max journies and maybe once a year do a longer journey on holiday.
if i had decent public charging near me i would jump now, but there are 2 chargers within 6 miles of me and thats it listed on zap map. i think a couple of supermarkets have chargers but no idea of the cost.
so ive gone for nissans hybrid juke this time and i reckon a lot of my journies will be cheaper and mpg higher.
£1.50 a litre round here. Motorway driving at least 45mpg. So 15p a mile.
Indeed although if you was to compare it with the price at the services mentioned, then petrol would cost more.
I’ve filled up once in many, many years at MW services and that was during the fuel shortages, as it was the only place that had petrol locally.
I guess you have to weigh it all up and the main part is getting something suitable that’s affordable and justifiable for you and your needs. If you do alot of local mileage and can charge at home an ev might workout better over the lease. Really only you know all the answers and when the time comes a list will be formed and you can go from there and compare the options and costs.
thats the big issue with electrics still at the moment, the infrastructure just isnt there if you cant charge at home. i would have changed to electric by now if i could get a home charger but its impossible. my lifestyle will suit as i mainly do short 20 mile max journies and maybe once a year do a longer journey on holiday. if i had decent public charging near me i would jump now, but there are 2 chargers within 6 miles of me and thats it listed on zap map. i think a couple of supermarkets have chargers but no idea of the cost. so ive gone for nissans hybrid juke this time and i reckon a lot of my journies will be cheaper and mpg higher.
That sums it up nicely. Cities are getting chargers in lamp posts, chargers in car parks and other destination type (slow) charging at relatively reasonable costs. However, if all you can do is rapid charging, the cost alone is prohibitive. I have know some people come to arrangements with neighbours, charging when you do those sorts of milages can be weekly, so for £10 per month, you charge on their drive overnight. That requires having a suitable person close enough (or willing to drive you home) who is willing to give up their drive for one night a week.
Otherwise, Tesco is around 28p per kW, Lidl rapids are 40p, not sure what their slower chargers are. Some retail parks still have free charging but you do need to be shopping there and it’s only limited parking.
However, yes, owning an electric car is dependent upon you being able to charge at your convenience, which may be at work… Without that opportunity, it needs a convenient charger near to or on route to/from home which is at the right price. If you can’t meet that criteria, the next best option would be petrol. I’m not convinced that mild hybrids actually bring anything to the table. You lose efficiency while charging for a couple of miles at most of pure EV, in some cases, it’s only a few hundred metres and you’re lumbered carrying around all that extra stuff to enable charging and use.
A plug in Hybrid (of which there really aren’t many on scheme) does give you some range but still gives you that charging problem.
So, without home charging I’d be in a petrol car, with it, I’d be choosing between full BEV or PHEV.
The only exception is Nissan’s E-power. That gives you all the fun of driving electric plus the efficiency of an electric motor but the convenience of carrying your own generator. The only thing is fuel consumption, until we get reliable information about real world examples, this could turn a great idea either into an expensive mistake or absolute brilliance.
I'm Autistic, if I say something you find offensive, please let me know, I can guarantee it was unintentional.
I'll try to give my honest opinion but am always open to learning.Mark
When we talk about infrastructure it seems to always be referring to charging station and no consideration for the generating infrastructure.
Can you imagine were we would be right now if all the cars on the road today were EV’s. At the moment its still a tiny percentage and there talking about blackouts if the weather gets cold.
We have governments in the west that are clueless on just about everything but hope they got some sort of plan for upping the generation game in 7 years time or they really are about to break the nuclear fusion problem soon.
I have read of many who, not being able to have a home charger, used various free chargers and were able to charge for 25p per kWh on fast chargers. A year or so later, the free chargers are few and far between, and charger prices have more than doubled. There is a balance between price and convenience and that equation will be different for everyone.
Having made a few trips to the outskirts of London, near lakeside, I am aware there are a dozen fast chargers at the services, another 8 or 10 nearby, another 2 at McDonalds, another 3 or 4 at Tesco. Travelling into East London I then passed several more. Where we live, 6 at two local supermarkets, 4 in the car park plus another 4 at the village car park a few miles away. Still some way to go. The worst time to charge is at weekends on the Motorway, either in the run up to Xmas or during the Easter or Summer holidays, I think we shall see lots of “petrol stations” with maybe 16 or 20 chargers, 150kWh or even 350kWh. Supermarkets will have 10 or 20, where currently there is one or two.
This does need joined up writing, universal charging, not reliant on an RFID card and a proper strategy.
For me, and I know for many, a home charger is essential, a red line, probably more important than range.
If in 2026 it´s possible to find a rapid charger with relative ease, charge from 10-80% in 10/15 minutes and with ranges of 400+ miles the norm, at that stage it becomes viable for almost everyone.
I have read of many who, not being able to have a home charger, used various free chargers and were able to charge for 25p per kWh on fast ones. A year or so later, the free chargers are few and far between, and fast charger prices have more than doubled. There is a balance between price and convenience and that equation will be different for everyone. Having made a few trips to the outskirts of London, near lakeside, I am aware there are a dozen fast chargers at the services, another 8 or 10 nearby, another 2 at McDonalds, another 3 or 4 at Tesco. Travelling into East London I then passed several more. Where we live, 6 at two local supermarkets, 4 in the car park plus another 4 at the village car park a few miles away. Still some way to go. The worst time to charge is at weekends on the Motorway, either in the run up to Xmas or during the Easter or Summer holidays, I think we shall see lots of “petrol stations” with maybe 16 or 20 chargers, 150kWh or even 350kWh. Supermarkets will have 10 or 20, where currently there is one or two. This does need joined up writing, universal charging, not reliant on an RFID card and a proper strategy. For me, and I know for many, a home charger is essential, a red line, probably more important than range. If in 2026 it´s possible to find a rapid charger with relative ease, charge from 10-80% in 10/15 minutes and with ranges of 400+ miles the norm, at that stage it becomes viable for almost everyone.
When we talk about infrastructure it seems to always be referring to charging station and no consideration for the generating infrastructure. Can you imagine were we would be right now if all the cars on the road today were EV’s. At the moment its still a tiny percentage and there talking about blackouts if the weather gets cold. We have governments in the west that are clueless on just about everything but hope they got some sort of plan for upping the generation game in 7 years time or they really are about to break the nuclear fusion problem soon.
Blackouts and EVs are unrelated. The black out warnings are because some idiot believed that buying power and oil from one unfriendly country was wise. Once that was stopped, some countries have found their ability to supply electricity so badly impacted they can’t cope, while others have really struggled. ALL have invested dramatically less than necessary in building their own generation network, whether that’s nuclear, coal, renewable or a combination of all or some of the above, they’ve done nothing. Now, that has come back to bite us, the public on the butt with price increases caused by supply pricing and no option to go elsewhere. Even now, the powerstations being built are on a deal that wouldn’t see us any better off. Guaranteed future electricity prices for a French company? Who thought that wise?
I'm Autistic, if I say something you find offensive, please let me know, I can guarantee it was unintentional.
I'll try to give my honest opinion but am always open to learning.Mark
After researching EV I decided that they were not good enough nor green enough eyt, the infrastructure is a complete mess and range is a huge issue!
If you only want a town car then EV is very viable bit other than that, not good enough!
Next issue will be charging costs, because there is no way in hell the government will lose all the tax revenue on ICT vehicles !I’m not convinced that mild hybrids actually bring anything to the table.
I currently have a mhev and I guess some are different to others, mein charges up when braking or coasting and then gives a boost when needed like when you start going uphill, it also powers the car via the 48v when it enters stop / start as opposed to the 12v and starts it back up instantly.
I would of went for the new FHEV but it has an ags gearbox and isn’t really an auto and is alot slower although it can do a liitle mileage in just ev mode but not much, but it wasn’t for me because of the gearbox.
So i’d say they all help a little to reduce the mpg and co2, but for me it’s the free extra power when needed that it gives the 1.4lt that really helps. I had a golf and when in eco mode it would coast but had no regen and so no boost.
I am pretty impressed after 6 months of the mild hybrid and I don’t drive really economically and use adatptive cruise alot on longer journeys and getting just over 40 mpg combined. I could get better if i actually drove it not on the acc, but it helps me so much. I wouldn’t have a car without it. Plus i guess alot of my daily driving is cold driving, so you also don’t get such great mpg as the engine isn’t at optimum temp.
How would that work also on a bev, if you have no charging at home and so the battery is cold most of the time and as you cannot charge at home. Is it worth preconditioning before you leave, what effect would that have not doing so and just jumping in and driving to school and back in the morning and afternoon.
The Nissan’s E-power is a very intresting one sounds similar to the toyota hybrids which have some amazing mpg although it powers the ev mode only.
My guess is though, Nissan always get a lower mpg than they say alot lower and was the downside to the QQ i had on the scheme, although the ev driving the car might be the answer to that issue and the rear seat belts being very short.
I currently have a mhev and I guess some are different to others, mein charges up when braking or coasting and then gives a boost when needed like when you start going uphill, it also powers the car via the 48v when it enters stop / start as opposed to the 12v and starts it back up instantly. I would of went for the new FHEV but it has an ags gearbox and isn’t really an auto and is alot slower although it can do a liitle mileage in just ev mode but not much, but it wasn’t for me because of the gearbox. So i’d say they all help a little to reduce the mpg and co2, but for me it’s the free extra power when needed that it gives the 1.4lt that really helps. I had a golf and when in eco mode it would coast but had no regen and so no boost. I am pretty impressed after 6 months of the mild hybrid and I don’t drive really economically and use adatptive cruise alot on longer journeys and getting just over 40 mpg combined. I could get better if i actually drove it not on the acc, but it helps me so much. I wouldn’t have a car without it. Plus i guess alot of my daily driving is cold driving, so you also don’t get such great mpg as the engine isn’t at optimum temp.
That’s interesting to hear. Most of what I know about these cars is manufacturer data and expereiences from theose on EV groups (who show just a little bias).
How would that work also on a bev, if you have no charging at home and so the battery is cold most of the time and as you cannot charge at home. Is it worth preconditioning before you leave, what effect would that have not doing so and just jumping in and driving to school and back in the morning and afternoon. The Nissan’s E-power is a very intresting one sounds similar to the toyota hybrids which have some amazing mpg although it powers the ev mode only. My guess is though, Nissan always get a lower mpg than they say alot lower and was the downside to the QQ i had on the scheme, although the ev driving the car might be the answer to that issue and the rear seat belts being very short.
All home charging I do is via a 3 pin plug. That means any preconditioning is from battery power and not the external power supply. I can impact range if you’re silly with it (I’ve seen people set their precon to stupidly hot over an extended period of time) but warm enough to clear the windows plus about 10 minutes worth only really cost me a few miles. The current car doesn’t have precon at all (poor decision, I know) but can go from cold to clear within 5 minutes even in the recent cold snap (only -3 down here though) that cost me 5 miles but had heat to max, blowers to max, both front seats heating – it was snug to get into.
I'm Autistic, if I say something you find offensive, please let me know, I can guarantee it was unintentional.
I'll try to give my honest opinion but am always open to learning.Mark
(who show just a little bias)
Never ???
On a serious note are you having a wall charger fitted when you eventually get you new ID3?
Reason I’m asking is if the NG need to do any minor works, its worth asking/begging for a 3phase supply as it will be free and your house will be future proofed. By that I mean you can have a 7-22Kw charger at a later date, especially given many EV’s are now starting to come with 22Kw onboard chargers:-)
I use to fit charge points before I became ill, but I never ever use to feel jealous – honest ???
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