Chris_42

I've just received an e-mail out of the blue from Skoda UK, offering me a free 32-amp charging cable and software update. Presumably this is to address the problem of the car's onboard charger limiting a 7kW charge to 3.6kW if received through a single-phase supply. If that's the case, it must be a group-wide rollout to include the e-Up and Mii Electric? I was a bit annoyed that this wasn't mentioned anywhere when I bought the car but to give them credit, it looks as though they're trying to do the right thing.

News story here .

IMO, this is simply an instruction from Skoda's Volkswagen paymasters. The CITIGO e iV is sold for a price that makes barely a profit, while the e-Up and Mii Electric carry a premium that just about makes them viable. There's never much money to be made from small cars. Manufacturers use them as a 'gateway drug' into the brand, in the hope that drivers will eventually replace them with something bigger, better and more profitable. I count myself very fortunate to have been able to buy mine when I did, as it's easily the best purchasing decision I ever made. There's no way I'd ever go back to owning a petrol car now. Hopefully, in ten years (which is when I'd be looking to replace this one) the EV market will have matured to allow a lot more choice and (dare I say it) affordability.

I agree and am now glad I didn't go to the expense. Besides, I'm getting along just fine with a weekly 2.3Kw overnight charge and occasional free top-up at the supermarket.

I don't have a home wall box but can confirm that when ever I use a 7Kw public charger, the rate never exceeds 3.6Kw. Here's a screenshot from the AC charging section from EV Database.

If it is a washing machine motor then it has one heck of a rinse speed! 😀

A (pleasantly) surprising range update... Yesterday I took the car on its first extended trip on the open road. This was with a little trepidation as it was a 90-mile round trip with a fair few hills. Naturally, I gave it a full charge overnight beforehand to be as prepared as possible. With an official average range of 160, I accepted that this figure would take a slight hit when driving out-of-town. There was a bit of traffic and I stuck to A-roads, never more than 50–55 mph, level 3 regen when needed, no air-con. However, having started with a maximum of 177 miles available, it took ages to decrease and I finished the trip (having travelled 91 miles, 12 of them super-urban) with 130 left on the indicator. This left the charge meter needle at slightly over half-way. As I routinely charge it when it reaches that level, I plugged it in last night and awoke to a record 228 miles of range! This is approaching Renault Zoe territory and I'd never have thought I'd see it that high (the previous best was 189). I'd always thought that the continual stop-start in an urban environment makes for better economy (what with the regen and all) but this has been a revelation. I'll be really interested to make the same trip in winter conditions and compare the figures.

All I know is that I can ease off the accelerator and the car will glide more or less to a complete stop — pretty much instantly if using ‘B’ mode: the most aggressive of the four settings and the only one that makes the brake lights come on. When using modes 1–3 carefully, I find it an excellent way of deterring tailgaters, as they soon back off when they’re suddenly closer than they thought. 😊