Luckypants

I have had a VW ID.4 for the past 18 months, so here's my two penn'orth. There were some issues with early MEB cars (ID.3) discharging the 12V battery. This was fixed by a change in the charging algorithm in ID software version 2.1, so all cars built since early 2021 have the fix. There was a further update to the 12V battery with the VW 2.4 software update (V3.0 on Skoda) where the 12V battery was replaced for a one with a different chemistry. VW (like many legacy manufacturers) specified their normal 12V battery that is intended to be used for high amp short duration cranking operations for an ICE, where an EV 12V needs to be able to sustain low amp long duration operations such as software updates or controlling pre-heating. This requirement is more akin to a caravan / camper leisure battery than a 'starter battery'. All cars manufactured since March / April will have the new 12V battery. So with the above said, I have had no problem leaving my car standing for a week (possibly two once or twice?) without the 12V going flat. My car came with the newer 12V charging algorithm but didn't get the new 12V battery until August 2022. I have never found it necessary to top up the traction battery while the car has been standing, the drain from charging the 12V battery is miniscule compared to the energy stored in the traction battery. 'Vampire Drain' that affected earlier Teslas is not a thing with the MEB cars. HTH

All smart chargers offer charge scheduling, so finding one should be easy. All EVs I have heard of offer charge scheduling within their infotainment systems and often also through the companion phone app. Research your specific car to see if the scheduling works in practice as not all do. E.G. VW ID cars offer this but it does not work properly unless on the latest versions of the software (V3.1 or higher). Weirdly the scheduled charging on the E-Golf and e-UP is flawless.

Most of the owners of older ID are still waiting for the promised over the air update to version 3.0 of the car's software. Seems VW are pretty poor at software and the update process is failing on too many cars, effectively bricking the vehicle. We await the promised improvements, hoping they arrive before our cars are sold, returned to lease companies or possibly die from old age!

I have to admit, its the regen that would worry me in the ID.4. Driving in 'B' mode will most likely be a no-no in icey or snowy conditions.

Yes and if you have a subscription then the price is the same as for Tesla owners. My closest SC happens to be one of the ones open to other vehicles and is 49p off peak and 62p peak, (36p and 46p with subs), making it the cheapest and fastest HPC in the area. The peak hours are quite reasonable times too.

Off peak, no subscription.

Tesla have lowered their prices and is now around 50p / kWh for non-Tesla cars. Handy if one is on route for you as cheaper than most mainstream networks.

I think I was around 3.4 miles/kWh. Friday was very windy which cost a bit, but then the weather turned warm and still to compensate. I've no doubt moaned about the smart meter situation in rural Wales on this thread elsewhere but I cannot get one so an EV tariff is not available to me. I do have a good (compared to current rates) fixed price until September though.

I've just done a weekend away on almost a single charge. A trip to Anglesey (80 miles), motoring about the island for three days and the trip home through Snowdonia this time. Total was 320-ish miles. Left home at 100% with 265 miles showing on the GOM, predicted range increased slightly on the way over. I got a 15 minute top up at a 50kW Podpoint rapid on Saturday afternoon when it was clear I didn't have the range to get home. Arrived home with 13% which included running the air-con for the dogs while parked (Sunday was 20C!) so was able to go get a takeaway with no drama. Cost of home charging for this was £16.33 and the rapid charge was £6.34 (15.86 kWh) for a total of £22.67 for 320 miles, so 7.08p per mile on a little trip out. My Karoq would have cost about £59.20 for the same trip using the cheapest diesel I saw as a guide (£1.85/litre). An example of my real world range in a loaded car and the cost to charge at today's prices.

Out of interest, if this is not commissioned how do you start a charge? (I understand it is powered up)

Swarco issued a response to the Disclosure program, where they call them out for not taking their input. https://twitter.com/SWARCO_Charging/status/1588267449362923524?s=20&t=dnKauwzUT0ecEjGFv7psCw

Just watched that while having lunch. It seems a great package.

Everyone will be charging wherever is cheapest. Free is obviously cheapest hence why the Tesco chargers used to be busy. Now it will likely be home charging or maybe subsidised council chargers. I always looked for the cheapest place for my ICE cars and now do the same for my EV. Tesco were free and convenient, so got a fair few electrons there but now its more expensive than home, so almost all charging will be done at home.

Mr. EV frustrates me, he seems so dis-organised and faffy. He also charges up at 20% SoC on a trip which on a 300 mile range car means he's not using 60 miles of range! As he generally charges to 80% for optimum charge speed, he only makes use of 60% of his potential range. I'd never be able to do a trip with him, but he is quite entertaining in a weird way.

Four posts earlier

I have deleted it too. I didn't use it much and was keeping it just for the old 50p PAYG rate as was a bargain if I needed public charging. Now I'll do the same as you, probably using my Electroverse card (Octopus energy). On a brighter note, Osprey have announced a price REDUCTION from 1st November to 79p/kWh.

I have now found something on the Pod Point website, confirming Tesco chargers will no longer be free after 1st November. https://pod-point.com/electric-car-news/price-update-tesco-faqs-22

Looks like Tesco free charging is going. Charges to be levied at the start of November? (I've yet to find an official announcement from Tesco or PodPoint) https://twitter.com/modernheroestv/status/1583190747825983488?s=20&t=X9x9DcY1ZyJoxoILDETqTA

I agree @classic, folks seem to claim way better mpg / mkH than I get. I put it down to living in a hilly area where you never get back any near as much regen as used climbing hills. My average in the ID.4 for April-September 3.8 mile/kWh and previous winter 3.4 mile/kWh. My previous diesel car (similar to ID.4 in size) averaged 45.4mpg over the time I had it. I suspect the very good efficiency folks live in flat cities that play to EVs strengths. (I once had 4.8 mi/kWh on a 45 mile run but also had a 2.4 mile / kWh average on a run down from Hawick in a storm)

Not had any new hubs mentioned for a while, so here are three I've heard of recently:- MFG 6x150kW chargers at Stanton St Quintin near the M4 MFG 5x150kW chargers in Lewisham Denbighshire Council hub 3x50kW and 33 fast chargers at West Kinmel Street Car Park, Rhyl.

My bad.

Not had any new hubs mentioned for a while, so here are three I've heard of recently:- MFG 6x150kW chargers at Stanton St Quintin near the M4 MFG 5x150kW chargers in Lewisham Denbighshire Council hub 3x50kW and 33 rapid chargers at West Kinmel Street Car Park, Rhyl.

Light weight for the win. We get 54mpg average out of our petrol Citigo without trying and that's in a hilly area. I think the word is out that the EV versions are super cheap to run judging by second hand prices - currently a lot more than they were RRP when bought.

The thing I took from the video is how massively inefficient it is to produce hydrogen. To produce enough hydrogen to give a car 300 miles range (for example) you need three times the amount of electricity an equivalent BEV would need. Scale that up national size and instead of needing (figures plucked from the air) 30 gigawatts of new generation to power the decarbonisation of cars, you need 90 gigawatts. That's a huge amount of extra generation needed in pursuit of an unproven technology. Its the electrical power needed to create hydrogen that makes it unviable IMO, not necessarily the technology to make it work.