Superb IV - L&K 1 year on

[Ootohere]

& the downside of being liable to rises in the cost of charging as gas, oil and electric prices rise.

Then there is the requirement of  the Mobile / Sim network that has chargers able to communicate and authorise users cards, or take payments where required.

 

So just as Filling Stations need their own back up generators if power supplies go down or there are outages that is no use if they can not take card payments and customers have no cash. 

EV Drivers are going to maybe need to get to a charger at a home or business with a charger or a 3 pin plug and electricity unless they have battery storage.

Maybe a generator running fossil fuels if the power all goes down for days as it has near the A9 or on Arran in the not too distant past.

[ERIK99]

53 minutes ago, MarkyG82 said:

 

You also get to experience a lot of the benefits. Cheap running, EV torque, not running out of fuel in a shortage.

The benefits that you have noted are not that clear cut.

 

1. Cheap running only applies to the cost per mile for FUEL, and that is only if you ONLY charge from home.

 

[ERIK99]

56 minutes ago, MarkyG82 said:

 

You also get to experience a lot of the benefits. Cheap running, EV torque, not running out of fuel in a shortage.

The benefits that you quote are not that clear cut.

1. Cheap running only applies to the FUEL ONLY costs, and even then only if you ONLY charge at home

- the total cost of ownership for a similar size EV and non-EV car are almost always more over 3 years for an EV, but EV prices are failing but only slowly.

- if you have to buy electricity away from home and use a super fast charger for an EV, then is can cost you up to 25 per mile compared to about 10p a mile for petrol

2. EV torque is feature of most electric cars, but not all. The cheaper EVs are no better than a turbo petrol or diesel.

- some expensive EVs (over £45,000) do give amazing amounts of power at all speeds, and can be quicker than super expensive non-EV sportscars

- for most people the way a car can accelerate is not an essential factor. As long as the non-EV car provides a safe way to overtake it will be OK.

3. Not running of fuel is one off. Next week it could be that we have power cuts and then there of no use at all, this is real problem in years to come if we start relying on Russia for our gas (which we use to create a lot of our electricity).

[ERIK99]

50 minutes ago, e-Roottoot said:

& the downside of being liable to rises in the cost of charging as gas, oil and electric prices rise.

Then there is the requirement of  the Mobile / Sim network that has chargers able to communicate and authorise users cards, or take payments where required.

 

So just as Filling Stations need their own back up generators if power supplies go down or there are outages that is no use if they can not take card payments and customers have no cash. 

EV Drivers are going to maybe need to get to a charger at a home or business with a charger or a 3 pin plug and electricity unless they have battery storage.

Maybe a generator running fossil fuels if the power all goes down for days as it has near the A9 or on Arran in the not too distant past.

The total package for a safe and reliable EV (electric only) is going to be very expensive, especially for serious drivers who must have their car available every day for long distances (200 plus miles a day, which does not include me) must make some serious decisions about backup facilities, which will be a big initial expense.

 

You can of course have 2 cars - 1 EV and the other non-EV.

Here is a potential use for the old EV batteries, since these can be installed at home (needs quite a big space) to provide a permanently charged up electric supply to be used when the mains electric is off (usually the idea is to charge this very large home battery system overnight using very cheap electricity - but not this week). And / or you will need your own power generation capability - solar or wind or both. 

None of this is really viable yet but it's coming, and will become common place for new housing in 5 to 10 years time.

 

[MarkyG82]

I bought my car used. Yes it was probably 10-15% more expensive than the ice equivalent but is more likely to hold value given the current appetite for plug in cars and I intend on keeping it for quite some time.

The majority of people who are currently using EVs or PHEVs charge at home. Not putting fuel in is not a one off. That's one of the other benefits. 90% of the time you don't have to worry about running out. You go to your car, unplug it and do some driving. None of this going to a specially designed location to stick a hose in the side of the car to squirt flammable smelly liquid in.

 

 

The issues you quote are not that clear cut.

[CageyH]

On 06/10/2021 at 13:21, J.R. said:

So the 200mpg includes charging with paid electricity from the mains?

 

Why can't you or they not simply state how many mpg the vehicle is doing whilst it is actually running on the internal combustion engine?

 

If it was recharging free overnight from solar power (I know, I know!) or from the battery fairy then I could accept the 200mpg as a valid measure.

For some reason, my car did not charge overnight. Not worked out why yet, but I keft the house this morning with the battery light in the red.

 

The car is telling me it averaged 5.9l/100km and this is running in hybrid mode for my 20km comnute.

 

If this was a pure EV, I would still be stuck at home waiting for the car to charge. As it is a PHEV, I can type this message from my desk at work.

[techsearchuk]

2 minutes ago, CageyH said:

For some reason, my car did not charge overnight. Not worked out why yet, but I keft the house this morning with the battery light in the red.

 

The car is telling me it averaged 5.9l/100km and this is running in hybrid mode for my 20km comnute.

 

If this was a pure EV, I would still be stuck at home waiting for the car to charge. As it is a PHEV, I can type this message from my desk at work.

 

Don't get me wrong I love my iV but... over the past 8 years my pure EV has never failed to charge  yet the iV on the otherhand has failed to charge several times and I've only had it sinse January! 

 

Normally the issue only occurs when the battery is flat and for some reason the car gets fussy about starting the charge cycle... I find I have to connect the charger, listen out for the car to make a couple of noises to engage the charging cycle and then lock the car. I find if I forget to lock the car and the battery is in the red it won't charge. If I lock the car too early that doesn't help either. 

[CageyH]

I think mine is Skoda connect related, as I changed the settings yesterday, as I leave home later one day of the week. It seemed to have upset it for some reason.

[ERIK99]

Have you reported your failed charge events to a dealer.  

 

I have a number of issues logged with my dealer and I was told yesterday that there are 3 different software "fixes" to do with charging and sat nav.

The dealer does not know exactly what is supposed to be fixed but it proves that it's worth asking to get EVERY fix that has been made available so that you can avoid known problems, or get fixes for issues that you already have.

 

It's a pity the SKODA cannot get the online software updates working since it is clear that this is how these fixes should be getting done WITHOUT a dealer being involved.

 

"Should have bought a Tesla" !!!!

[J.R.]

On 06/10/2021 at 13:47, CageyH said:

So calculating the overall fuel cost for my 2141 km driven, I have spent €43.14 on SP95 and €49.85 on electrons. So about €93 for 2141 km driven in my ownership, so about €4.30 per 100km, compared to €7.75 on SP95 at an estimated 5l/100km.

 

This is based on the actual consumption of my car, and the prices of today.

I presume that you are on HP/HC electricity tariff? (supposed cheaper off peak)

 

Setting aside the extra monthly cost for that tariff and that the cheap (not) rate units are nowhere near as cheap as they once were are you aware that you are actually  paying a surcharge for every single one of your peak time units for the priveledge of slightly cheaper off peak units? This should really be factured into your calculations together with the extra monthly fee, I also hope that you are not doing your calculations on the KWH price of the cheap rate electric which is doubled with all the taxes, taxes on taxes and TVA on taxes on taxes.

 

Apologies if I am teaching you to suck eggs but many people on HP/HC tariff have no idea that it is costing them more unless they have very significant off peak consumption throughout the whole year, not just the winter months.

[CageyH]

No, I have a single tarif. Makes more sense when the home is heated with an air source heat pump.

 

I used to have a Tempo contract, as the wife insisted it was cheaper, until I pointed out to her the mistake. We now have a supplier who is 10% cheaper than EDF.

Edited 8 October, 2021 by CageyH

[Patent]

New IV owner here, coming from a Passat GTE. One difference I've found is the superb seems to have way more punch in e mode than the Passat.

 

The superb however is delivering fewer mi/kWh on electric only, which I'm hoping improves somehow?

 

Have also noticed the superb limits minimum charge to 50%, whereas the Passat allowed up to around 80/90. I'm guessing they learned 50% was optimum for battery health?

 

 

[ERIK99]

2 hours ago, Patent said:

New IV owner here, coming from a Passat GTE. One difference I've found is the superb seems to have way more punch in e mode than the Passat.

 

The superb however is delivering fewer mi/kWh on electric only, which I'm hoping improves somehow?

 

Have also noticed the superb limits minimum charge to 50%, whereas the Passat allowed up to around 80/90. I'm guessing they learned 50% was optimum for battery health?

 

 

Which electric miles on a full charge are you getting - I average about 25 miles on day to day driving around town, about 32 on a run without much gear changing, and best I've done in perfect conditions has been 42 miles with regen on (drive Mode "B").

 

On my L&K 2020 model there is a selection option for retaining battery level when driving that varies from nothing to about 90%, or are you asking about something else. This is supposed to allow use of battery somehow until the end of your drive so that you can, for example, hold it back for a congestion zone.  Never used it to check how it works though, since I like to use up all the battery first on every run, then just rely a bit more electric from regen mode.5

[j caff]

In one of the threads, not this one obviously, somebody said they'd gotten an update recently from the dealer that allowed the car to charge at 7Kw/h, that would be a major improvement as the painfully slow charge rate is really letting the car down.

[ERIK99]

8 hours ago, j caff said:

In one of the threads, not this one obviously, somebody said they'd gotten an update recently from the dealer that allowed the car to charge at 7Kw/h, that would be a major improvement as the painfully slow charge rate is really letting the car down.

Can you please pin point this post - I'm sure we would all like to know and put pressure on SKODA to get this level of charge

[CageyH]

What will this level of charge do to the expected battery life?

[j caff]

1 hour ago, ERIK99 said:

Can you please pin point this post - I'm sure we would all like to know and put pressure on SKODA to get this level of charge

I can't find it, I've visited so many threads regarding the IV, I asked the poster for more info but didn't get an answer. 

[ERIK99]

My belief on battery life is simple.  Whilst I have the car if the battery goes below the level in the warranty I will expect a full replace for free, therefore I'm not that bothered about the slow reduction in performance.

In addition I also believe that all of the newish batteries in cars (post 2020) are built with spare capacity which will be used by the battery management system on the car so that within the 8 years warranty time the manufacturer will not have to do anything.

[ERIK99]

1 minute ago, j caff said:

I can't find it, I've visited so many threads regarding the IV, I asked the poster for more info but didn't get an answer. 

Thks for trying.

 

I'm having the same problem looking through lots of post because the search function is not too good on here, and people don't use the "tagging" function on the new posts, which would make searching easier.

 

The only way that we get the links is if there is a moderator or some other expert on the forum who picks up these sort of requests.

[noiseyv]

I have had a Superb IV Estate since March 2020 and have a few things to add and one QUESTION to ask.

 

• I live in Central London and even without parking in my back garden, which is possible but not easy, I have charged the car FAIRLY easily through the slow units installed by Ubitricity in lampposts
• The Connect App has a bug which means when you drive it on electric only it shows mpg as 57.6 (basically anything high over 100 ish comes out as this) in the driving stats - hopeless after all this time that it has not been corrected
• As per another thread the range predicts on the basis of your last run, so if you are heavy footed or drive at high speed the range is reduced, if you drive at constant low speeds - like a long average speed check set of motorway road works - then it is increased.
• The only way to maximise this overnight is to complete the charge just before you drive off - the charging process warms the battery and so extends the range. The Inbuilt Charging App allows you to do this by setting Plans - BUT it has bugs and sometimes will not charge at all, getting its days mixed up - painful
• Large Employers should be fined if they do not have charging points. Mine has 1000 cars onsite and not one point. They have been talking about/planning it for 2 years!
• TFL should ONLY charge PHEV if they use fuel in the zone. Since the Superb can report its state to a web service that would be good enough. No need to GPS "track". Just when it went on electric, when it went off. Then the congestion charging could query this Database and charge if the vehicle was not on electric all the time. The DB would be maintained by the manufacturers and would encourage EV use inside "pollution" zones which could be elsewhere than London. Win, win
• This would also encourage being able to preserve use of electricity ... which brings me to my question (or is it two now)

 

1. I noticed on picking up my car recently from the garage that it went into "EcoBoost" mode on the A1 - seeming to charge up the battery from the ICE. Is there a way to provoke/control this mode? I have only seen it once!
2. Is there any way to preserve electric? Currently when I switch to Hybrid on a motorway at the beginning of a journey the EV range reduces during the journey as it gets used up during some phases - so when I arrive at my City destination I have very little left

 

Overall I can see the benefit for many city drivers of a PHEV but ONLY if the charging is easily available. I am persistent but not everyone is. 4 of my nearest 6 chargers are out of operation. 18 have been removed to put in a cycle lane. 4 others are now the other side of a Low Traffic Neighbourhood roadblock. At least they are planning to put 5 in nearby. But since Shell own Ubitricity you would hope maintenance would be better.

[Patent]

@noiseyv

 

E-Boost is sports mode. You'll have enabled this either by pushing the sport button by the gear lever or by using the mode button and selecting sport. This mode will use the petrol engine to charge and maintain battery level at 50%

 

To preserve electric, when you switch to hybrid, untick the "auto" box and then you can set the desired battery level to be held by using the up and down arrows on the battery graphic. This was previously known as "battery hold mode"

[j caff]

2 hours ago, Patent said:

@noiseyv

 

E-Boost is sports mode. You'll have enabled this either by pushing the sport button by the gear lever or by using the mode button and selecting sport. This mode will use the petrol engine to charge and maintain battery level at 50%

 

To preserve electric, when you switch to hybrid, untick the "auto" box and then you can set the desired battery level to be held by using the up and down arrows on the battery graphic. This was previously known as "battery hold mode"

Another way to preserve battery is to program your route into the satnav that way the car knows where you're going and will keep battery available for congested parts of the journey. 

[j caff]

3 hours ago, noiseyv said:

I have had a Superb IV Estate since March 2020 and have a few things to add and one QUESTION to ask.

 

• I live in Central London and even without parking in my back garden, which is possible but not easy, I have charged the car FAIRLY easily through the slow units installed by Ubitricity in lampposts
• The Connect App has a bug which means when you drive it on electric only it shows mpg as 57.6 (basically anything high over 100 ish comes out as this) in the driving stats - hopeless after all this time that it has not been corrected
• As per another thread the range predicts on the basis of your last run, so if you are heavy footed or drive at high speed the range is reduced, if you drive at constant low speeds - like a long average speed check set of motorway road works - then it is increased.
• The only way to maximise this overnight is to complete the charge just before you drive off - the charging process warms the battery and so extends the range. The Inbuilt Charging App allows you to do this by setting Plans - BUT it has bugs and sometimes will not charge at all, getting its days mixed up - painful
• Large Employers should be fined if they do not have charging points. Mine has 1000 cars onsite and not one point. They have been talking about/planning it for 2 years!
• TFL should ONLY charge PHEV if they use fuel in the zone. Since the Superb can report its state to a web service that would be good enough. No need to GPS "track". Just when it went on electric, when it went off. Then the congestion charging could query this Database and charge if the vehicle was not on electric all the time. The DB would be maintained by the manufacturers and would encourage EV use inside "pollution" zones which could be elsewhere than London. Win, win
• This would also encourage being able to preserve use of electricity ... which brings me to my question (or is it two now)

 

1. I noticed on picking up my car recently from the garage that it went into "EcoBoost" mode on the A1 - seeming to charge up the battery from the ICE. Is there a way to provoke/control this mode? I have only seen it once!
2. Is there any way to preserve electric? Currently when I switch to Hybrid on a motorway at the beginning of a journey the EV range reduces during the journey as it gets used up during some phases - so when I arrive at my City destination I have very little left

 

Overall I can see the benefit for many city drivers of a PHEV but ONLY if the charging is easily available. I am persistent but not everyone is. 4 of my nearest 6 chargers are out of operation. 18 have been removed to put in a cycle lane. 4 others are now the other side of a Low Traffic Neighbourhood roadblock. At least they are planning to put 5 in nearby. But since Shell own Ubitricity you would hope maintenance would be better.

I haven't encountered any of the app problems you seem to be experiencing, petrol consumption always shows as zero for every EV journey I do, mine is set for l/100km. Without home charging it's a very frustrating and expensive way to drive any type of EV I wouldn't recommend depending on the public charging system and the Irish system seems to be a lot better than the UK. I just have one schedule in the app, start at 11pm and have the car ready for 8am 7 nights a week, the nights it isn't plugged in it just skips and the next time it works perfectly. I never look at range tbh I've never seen one in any car that's even close to being accurate. 

[ERIK99]

I've had my PHEV for almost 18 months now and I'm looking to go back a diesel because of a host of major issues with going all electric.

For me the very high loading height at the rear has recently become a big issue since I now have to load / unload a wheelchair in the back, and every EV is much higher off the ground that older style estate cars that are NON-EV.  I don't see that changing because it is the basic design for all EVs that I've seen.

 

Skoda still have no idea about to be "digital" in electric cars. The Sat Nav software and database updating is still a complete mystery to Skoda (who obviously outsource it all), and there is too little genuine EV stuff to help the driver - SKODA need to fully utilise software such as ZAPMAP, and WAZE.  The Connect app is still only a test version as far as functionality and reliability is concerned. The Voice control (Laura) is hopeless at understanding almost anything.   The distance that you travel on electric only is a bit of a joke in my PHEV. I've manged to get as much 42 miles in  absolute eco driving mode, being perfect weather (warm and no wind, not use /ac or lights or any other electric draining stuff), constant speed of 40 mph, no roundabouts etc.  But at the other extreme, only managed 16 miles on full charge, with normal town driving in cold weather with heating on etc.  This is no way to encourage the use of any sort of electric car.  Until the supposed range is over 450 miles, all electric cars are not viable for "normal motoring", since the real range will then maybe be around 300 miles, which is minimum that I would be happy with. 

The provision of low cost charging with fast or superfast charges will not happen for 20 years.  This means that the cost of a mile travelled will be MORE than the equivalent ICE car since commercial suppliers charge an extortionate amount at public charge points, especially on motorways. If you cannot do ALL of your charging at home then EVs are not going to be viable, and there will be revolution come 2028 just before the UK tries to stop NON-EV new car sales.

[Ootohere]

@ERIK99  What sort of miles do you do daily or weekly that has you considering getting a diesel and puts you off having an EV?

 

300 miles in an EV getting 3 miles to a kWh even if paying 50 pence a kWh on a 100 kWh public charger is £50.

3.5 miles to a kWh then £42.85

 

300 miles with 3 miles to a kWh getting the electric @ 28 pence a kWh is £28.00  (Home standard tariff)

getting 3.5 miles per kWh then £24.

 

300 miles getting 45 mpg and fuel at £7.70 a gallon is £51.33.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited 27 March, 2022 by roottoot