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.
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I'll try to give my honest opinion but am always open to learning.
Mark