I calculated that if I did my usual number of miles over the 3 years I’d save about £2100 using an EV instead of a fossil so took that into account when choosing a car & at the time the EV would be cheaper by about £700 over the lease. However, I wanted to increase the number of miles I do considerably and with a fossil the extra fuel cost would soon tell on my finances wheras in an EV I’d not really notice.
Years ago I stopped going into London in cars because it was very polluting & I didn’t wish harm on anyone from my emissions. Now I’m looking forward to COVID being over & being able to drive in London again without a care.
My typical journey is “down the coast” which is 32 miles each way & if I fancy a wander further along the coast then I have the range in an EV for around 150 miles in summer. I can recharge on an ultra rapid if I want more range. I only do longer journeys a couple of times a year maximum & they would involve two charge stops each way which is fine as I can have a coffee & a bite to eat whilst doing that.
So, having looked at hybrids in 2014, and then hybrids & EVs in 2017, I thought the time was probably right to try an EV in 2020 & although I have range anxiety it only lasted a couple of days before I was confident I wasn’t going to run out of charge as I motored from Surrey to Weymouth/Northampton/Devon.
Not everything has been super smooth with the EV so far, Chargemaster were a disgrace so I put my own charge solution in at home instead, and I’ve had a couple of “funnies” when charging the EV where the charger limited it to 80% SoC near Stonehenge (I calculated I wanted about 84% and made it using a Type 2) and a couple of chargers have kept cutting out (just restart the charge as long as there’s no connection charge).
So, a variety of reasons for going EV. I don’t regret it either.
As for the “Drive”, I chose the Pug e2008 because Pugs usually drive quite well (I had a 306 Turbo Diesel for many years from new & it was fun), and the e2008 does indeed drive well, it feels planted due to the extra weight of the battery but the eco tyres give up enough grip in corners to make it entertaining. My alternative EVs at the time were the Ioniq 38kW which is a little low for me and the Zoe 50 with seats not quite in the league of the e2008, any of these would have been suitable.
My advice to anyone considering an EV is to do your research, work out your journeys before you take the plunge using ABRP or ZapMap, and watch over the months how the charging network is evolving fast.
So far I’ve charged in many different places, all in the COVID era so used disinfectant wipes & gloves, these include:
Type 2 7kW –
Waitrose Horsham
Asda Ferring
Asda Burgh Heath
Tesco Guildford
Rapid 50-350kW
BP Weymouth (ultra rapids)
BP Stonehenge (Solar retail park)
BP Emsworth (ultra rapids)
BP Toby Worthing
CYC Wray Lane (M25 J8)
Ionity Cobham Services (many free charges August/September)(ultra rapids)
BP Harvester Grays (Essex)
BP Holiday Inn Farnborough
BP Cranford Hounslow (ultra rapids)
Shell Twickenham
BP Malden Rushett (the ultra rapids)
Shell Burgh Heath
BP Reading at The World Turned Upside Down
Holiday Inn Luton South
BP Milton Keynes Coachway (loads of chargers here)
BP Ashington (ultra rapids just off the A24)