It is a perfect time for socialising and networking. 

 

 

 

http://thisismoney.co.uk/money/markets/article-11420209/Czech-Sphinx-Daniel-Kretinsky-rubbing-hands-Royal-Mail.html

 

Simple Man Maths.  Over simplified.

Royal Mail do deliver to more than just England & they do not deliver 'all the post'.  

No idea where the Battery replacement stuff comes from.  

 

 

 

Alec Shelbrooke MP is on BBC 2 Politics Live just now.

 

I think he will be challenged later on Twitter on statements he came away with.

 

There is no Recycling of Electric Car Batteries. According to Him.

The  2nd hand price of Electric Cars is collapsing,   According to him.

 

http://bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001h9dq/politics-live-18012023

11 minutes.

 

He is not an Electric Car fan it would appear, and he sensibly IMO thinks a discussion is required, and hydrogen needs looked at.

 

Good stuff,

hopefully someone will fact check his statements, and maybe even look again at who his & others donors are. 

 

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/oct/11/mps-and-the-oil-industry-who-gave-what-to-whom

 

 

 

 

Edited 18 January, 20233 yr by toot

This is an interesting experiment. Nothing new in what they are doing, but they are taking the 4 'longest range' cars and driving them until they expire. Typically, the first stop they make, they couldn't charge at, even if they wanted to.

 

 

^^^ 

Then you have the likes of this in Central Scotland at the Largest Charging Hub.

3 50 kW rapids there and a 40 minutes max charge time. 

This is the Electric A9.               What is needed now is many more Commercial Chargers between the Border in the South & Perth.

 

Perth has a choice now but then at tariffs that mean for private users that need public charging a petrol or diesel car can be more practical and economical. 

 

Perth & Kinross Council 50 kW chargers are also 35 pence a kW hour, but there is a 60 minutes max charge time and a £10 overstay charge. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

***At least there are Tesla Superchargers around, not used by many Tesla owners a Free or 35 pence a kWh appeals more.

Issue is where they do just plug in and leave them for hours so a time penalty was necessary around Scotland and CPS chargers.***

 

 

 

Edited 1 February, 20233 yr by toot

As is shown in the video, (it is a very long one for those wishing to embark on watching it), with the typical slower charging rates, I wonder if you would fall foul of the usual mandatory 2 hours maximum parking stay allowed at most service stations. 

Stumbled upon this the other day. Not sure if it's already been posted. 
 

 

I think Google gives me a similar algorithm  I was offered this too recently. Weird looking car, but then again, I think the Tesla is weird looking. 

That overstay issues has been happening at some charger locations. 

It is all a bit of a balls up... 

  Even with a EV that only costs me £63 a week (that is going to £71) and with all the miles i have done at no cost i have now decided that it will be a PHEV that i am ordering in March as the EV will go back.

I will get cheap local miles on electric and pay fuel on longer trip.

 

Just now if i pay 35 pence a kWh for 40 kWh that is £14.00.     3 x 40 kWh is 120 Miles. 

so a bit less than  the cost of a 60 mpg ICE.

Electric and fuel prices will rise, but the electric charging network of public charging is going to be much higher. 

Even an efficient 4 mile per kWh is not worth it for me. 

 

Glad i tried it while it was still fun and much Cheapness. 

 

PS.

I will research the most efficient ICE vehicles that might suit me comfort wise.

The 2.0 TDI SCR DSG 115ps Golf i had on loan was comfortable and amazingly cheap on fuel, but the lack of buttons and the terrible touch screen was terrible.

 

........

Must try one of these Renault kidologys.

Full Hybrid without a plug.   Self Charge.  ????

Years ago i rolled my new 1996 3 door Corsa 1.4 Auto when the gearbox oil was spraying all under the car,

and the AA took me 80 miles to Edinburgh to get an auto courtesy car and i loved that Clio 1.6 Auto. 

Pity after i got home i was ill with concussion for days.   Lucky it never happened while i was driving.

 

 

 

 

Edited 1 February, 20233 yr by toot

There will be a period of bad rapid charging until installation ramps up and any bottleneck with approval is worked through. Until then, you really need home charging to stay sane, switch to EV tariff for super cheap motoring.

 

If GM hasn't killed their EV1 and fossil fuel + auto manufacturers hasn't lobbied against CARB, we would have been a LOT further along in our EV transition.

 

Regarding motorway service overstay, I think if you speak with service station manager, have a valid reason (eg. waiting for EV charger), they will be able to prevent any parking tickets. But even at 30 kW, it'll still be able to fill most EV's with enough juice to get to next charger. The slow charging problem shown in the video is due to poorly designed cars without battery pre-conditioning.

Edited 1 February, 20233 yr by wyx087

I hope you get the fastest possible charging PHEV. Mine is a slow one even by PHEV standards and it's a pain in the bum to charge. Plus the range is dire in the winter, gets you to the shops and back, but no more and nothing like the range it purported to have when new (it claimed 39 miles  )and also nothing like the range is seemed to have at first, either 😞

 

It now claims 12 miles on a full charge (which is typical according to the interweb) and this is probably roughly correct at the moment. I guess it will improve again -slightly - once the weather warms up and I'm using less auxiliary systems (wipers, extra heating, lights etc). Having said that, I believe only the heating comes form the traction battery, which is very convenient as long as there is charge in the batteries, I can warm the car up on a timer or remote facility and defrost the windscreen ready for driving off. But to use, with my job, the car is fully charged when I leave for work and completely flat once I arrive at work, which is also a pain if I am working away for several days. Hotels never seem to have charge ports and the slow charge rate is a massive inconvenience even if I can find somewhere to plug it in. If I was retired I can see the PHEV would work out much better for my needs, but then I probably wouldn't need the great range and refill potential of the petrol engine  

 

As a matter of interest, once the battery is flat, I get around 38-40 mpg on the motorway at a very decent cruising speed. If you try and recharge as you go on the motorway (using its internal generating facility), it charges in around half the time it takes with a static charger, but consumption plummets to around 25-28mpg whilst it does charge. 

13 minutes ago, toot said:

That overstay issues has been happening at some charger locations. 

It is all a bit of a balls up... 

  Even with a EV that only costs me £63 a week (that is going to £71) and with all the miles i have done at no cost i have now decided that it will be a PHEV that i am ordering in March as the EV will go back.

I will get cheap local miles on electric and pay fuel on longer trip.

 

Just now if i pay 35 pence a kWh for 40 kWh that is £14.00.     3 x 40 kWh is 120 Miles. 

so a bit less than  the cost of a 60 mpg ICE.

Electric and fuel prices will rise, but the electric charging network of public charging is going to be much higher. 

Even an efficient 4 mile per kWh is not worth it for me. 

 

Glad i tried it while it was still fun and much Cheapness. 

 

PS.

I will research the most efficient ICE vehicles that might suit me comfort wise.

The 2.0 TDI SCR DSG 115ps Golf i had on loan was comfortable and amazingly cheap on fuel, but the lack of buttons and the terrible touch screen was terrible.

 

 

I went with the 3008 PHEV as I not only got to drive a friends one, for a while (super comfy), it's 4x4 - sort of -  and I got around £17k off a new one if I took out the PCP. As such it's a very reasonably priced car and I don't have the total pain in the ar$e issues of a full EV. if you have the facility to easily recharge on your drive then it's a great solution for mixed driving (trips to shops and occasional long distances). It was also interesting to see in the earlier video, that the Tesla possibly locked the driver out (they left the door window open just in case) and wouldn't let the charge port door open once the battery was totally flat! 

19 minutes ago, Lady Elanore said:

Hotels never seem to have charge ports

This really needs to be improved. Great destination charging will take a lot of pressure off motorway rapid charging network.

And enables more EV miles or efficient miles for PHEV. 

 

11 minutes ago, Lady Elanore said:

It was also interesting to see in the earlier video, that the Tesla possibly locked the driver out (they left the door window open just in case) and wouldn't let the charge port door open once the battery was totally flat! 

This is due to newer low voltage 12v battery. All newer Teslas have a tiny Li-on battery under the hood. During normal operating, its only job is to close the contactors for the big battery. When the big battery is out of juice, the little battery drains in no time.

 

For this reason, I've got a jump-start booster battery in the frunk. I believe it's a simple matter of connecting that up when you need power to the car to do stuff. I think the carwow crew are not as well prepared as they should be (at very least read the Tesla manual on out of juice procedures)

 

On the other side of the coin, Tesla will be the car with most useful warnings. It will warn before you drive beyond range to get to a supercharger, it will warn if temperature affects performance (as shown in the video), and it will do other usual dumb percentage based warnings like other legacy maker EV and ICE cars.

Edited 1 February, 20233 yr by wyx087

7 hours ago, wyx087 said:

This really needs to be improved. Great destination charging will take a lot of pressure off motorway rapid charging network.

And enables more EV miles or efficient miles for PHEV. 

 

This is due to newer low voltage 12v battery. All newer Teslas have a tiny Li-on battery under the hood. During normal operating, its only job is to close the contactors for the big battery. When the big battery is out of juice, the little battery drains in no time.

 

For this reason, I've got a jump-start booster battery in the frunk. I believe it's a simple matter of connecting that up when you need power to the car to do stuff. I think the carwow crew are not as well prepared as they should be (at very least read the Tesla manual on out of juice procedures)

 

On the other side of the coin, Tesla will be the car with most useful warnings. It will warn before you drive beyond range to get to a supercharger, it will warn if temperature affects performance (as shown in the video), and it will do other usual dumb percentage based warnings like other legacy maker EV and ICE cars.

 

 

having owned a Tesla for14 months I will stick with my Enyaq for now 😉. Our local council introduced charges of 40p per kWh on our local rapids - same as my peak rate at home. Allof a sudden the rapid chargers which were in use constantly, are now available for use. Much better for those with nohome charger, they can now use the chargers provided byu the council

www.youtube.com/@enyaq_gorm

 

 

Who would have guessed! Free breeds greedy. 

 

 

Perth & Kinross Council introduce 35 pence a kWh on 50 kW chargers and in the likes of Auchterarder those locals / business owners are no longer parked for hours on the chargers even overnight no longer charging.   

The £10 overstay for going over seems to not bother some though. 

 

They are charging at home again where it might be a few pence or many pence cheaper.

 

I was speaking to a Taycan Owner that had been staying at Gleneagles & was now trying to start a Tesco Charger, they had just had their car taken away the night before and charged for them and they knew not where or using what chargers.

Nice, Concierge Service.

http://zap-map.com/location/6yp2xr7/  Not much use if there are quite a few of  the hotel of resort guests needing charged up quick.

Then there is the Railway Station 7 kW or Auchterarder chargers.  Just as well there is Superchargers and High speed charging in Perth.

 

Less are using Tesco chargers around here logged in where 28 pence might be more than their home tariff, maybe off peak and more than the Angus Council Chargers, 7,22 or 50 kW at only 23 pence presently. 

 

PS

Road Testing a used Renault Clio Self charge Hybrid tomorrow as there happens to be one available 200 yards from where i was going to be anyway.

Really just to see if i fit in it.  No heated steering wheel or seats with them and the Capture version is supposedly less efficient but maybe more suitable interior size wise.

 

Not looking to buy this 195 mile car, or ever have a black car again, but interested to see just how it feels and if it can be on a short list for a car to get from Motability.

 

Edited 2 February, 20233 yr by toot

This is an example.  Local chargers for local people, or visitors, people just wanting a charge, wanting to get moving on.

You find one working and think good it is working, there is someone charging so fair enough.   They need to.  Take what they need. Plenty for all, no time limits.

 

Then you check to see how full they might be.   So how long they might be away.   

 

People like me get peed off, same cars that block a rapid or fast charger for hours when charging has stopped and they have the charger locked in.

You have no idea if they will be back in minutes or hours.   

They like to have 100% in their cars just incase,,,,

 Personalised plates and sign written vehicles are good for publicity for businesses. 

Some business owners must be daft when it comes to their behaviour and thinking others do not discuss things in the local area.

 

 

Edited 2 February, 20233 yr by toot

On 02/02/2023 at 13:20, toot said:

This is an example.  Local chargers for local people, or visitors, people just wanting a charge, wanting to get moving on.

You find one working and think good it is working, there is someone charging so fair enough.   They need to.  Take what they need. Plenty for all, no time limits.

 

Then you check to see how full they might be.   So how long they might be away.   

 

People like me get peed off, same cars that block a rapid or fast charger for hours when charging has stopped and they have the charger locked in.

You have no idea if they will be back in minutes or hours.   

They like to have 100% in their cars just incase,,,,

 Personalised plates and sign written vehicles are good for publicity for businesses. 

Some business owners must be daft when it comes to their behaviour and thinking others do not discuss things in the local area.

 

 

 

 

I've often seen cars like that with flat tyres when left abandoined on the chargers. People obviosuly get annoyed and take matters into their own hands

 

Sometimes a Black Merc, today the Silver SUV.  Locked in for hours, no longer charging and the guy in an Ioniq 5 needs to sit on the AC getting 11 kW only as that is all that is available unless going trying the other charging hubs.  Which happen to have the same sort of muppets locked in. 

That is what happens with no Max Charging times. 

Edited 14 February, 20233 yr by toot

I have never seen this Merc actually getting charged.  It is there lots plugged & locked in and not charging.

Never seen it arrive and getting plugged in or been there when the driver returns, i see it blocking the bay for hours.

 

I might be sitting on the Tethered AC on the charger and see them return, but that has been out of order since the Hyundai that had to use it last week came off the charger.

Fault reported by me 3 times now to CPS since last week, silence since the first report.  

 

 

Is it a local Merc dealer using that as a dumping ground for staff cars / domos? Passive/aggressive note on the windscreen? 🙂

 

3 minutes ago, Luckypants said:

Is it a local Merc dealer using that as a dumping ground for staff cars / domos? Passive/aggressive note on the windscreen? 🙂

 

Spoof "Police Aware" maybe?

Local driver with their local car. Personal Plate. 

Notes on windows means nothing when dealing with the Ignorant.

There are Council Employees like the one with the Van parked behind the chargers that has had the van plugged in for weeks at this charger and the charging hub out of town beside the Council HQ where they have chargers only 100 meters from the Public Chargers.

I sent emails to the council when they do. 

 

The parking wardens were putting tickets on Ev's that were in a bay even when the Chargers went faulty and went to a red light, but they stopped doing that.

A local business person with their Merc Hybrid SUV had tickets from that time.   Maybe they have gone full EV now. 

 

'Police Aware' would be a joke as they are hogging public chargers in some areas of Scotland since Police Scotland got EV's but not the chargers.

Not in Angus..

http://dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/police-stations-across-scotland-given-27745262

 

.................

The White Renault Van has sat dumped plugged into 7kW Chargers for days & weeks at a time, that was during covid and since.

In the car park the Red Leaf was there that long it had to be recovered and was a high risk due to the damp interior / mould. 

 

Bottom pic is where the Council has charging for their vehicles without needing to occupy ones that are all the public have to use.

 

Edited 21 February, 20233 yr by toot

 

 

21 minutes ago, toot said:

 

Re EVM's video on the A1 reinforces the issue of insufficient operational chargers and he raises the charge rate, fair enough, would not bother me with the Zoe as I can only get 45 kWh at best but the % of out of order chargers is a big issues without us knowing exactly why is happening, is it:-

1.  Lack of staff to fix them of these ?
2. Lack of parts ?
3. Economic woes of these mainly smallish companies (perhaps with their banking with Silicon Valley Bank UK) 

 

One hears of chargers down for months.  If it is not working and earning money for operators one must be suspicious of the business model maybe ?

 

Instavolt generally look good, I want to see more Gridserve.   Happening very slowly and bang up to date information can be hard to get. 

Today i was pleased to get a good speed of charge from a 50kW charger as it was a good bit warmer when i got to it than when i started off today and than the past few days.

Over 500 miles has cost me £17.07 having only had to pay 3 times @ 35 pence a kWh, the other charging was free.

 

I did almost have to go and charge @ 55 pence a kWh for 10 kWh of electric / range (only 30 miles for £5.55) as the charger i was going to used was blocked by someone that was locked in and i had no idea how long they would be but another driver stopped to get a charge and told me of a 7kW charger nearby and after 90 mins on that i had enough to get where i was going.

 

...........

Porsche Taycan are a bit big for Tesco Bays and personally i would not leave one parked there on a 7kW charger.

Or a BMW i3 on Trade Plates plugged into a Rapid with a 40 minute max charge time and sitting not charging when there are only 2 rapids.

I unplugged it to let another person on it. 

Too many are scared to touch them when others are being ignorant. 

 

Edited 12 March, 20233 yr by toot