^^^ There is a thread on towing and that and other vids are in there.

There are people towing with caravans and getting half the range. I meet a couple of Tesla Drivers that tow their vans and it is at their 2nd public charging i meet them.

The have the 2 charging sessions with one at 35 pence a kWh then the next free and the 3rd one is 55 pence kWh.

They have no issues doing it other than where i meet them they sometimes have to unhook the caravan to charge.

 

Truth of the matter and you are in a hurry, someone is ill, on their death bed and you need to get their quick and it is twice the distance of the range of the car or maybe more or less the range of the car on a gentle run,  then you are going to go with an ICE vehicle and forget the drinks and snacks and sitting / standing waiting, worrying at EV chargers. 

 

 

Osprey really is quite expensive. 

Bl00dy expensive really when you look at the cost per mile you get from the energy bought.

 

 

Edited 1 January, 20242 yr by Rooted

Are there any chargers where you could rock up with a caravan on tow without having to unhitch it first? 

Yes!

As we discussed previously in this and other threads. 

Several locations in Scotland.   

eg, Wallyford. Stirling Park & Ride if the get the furthest out charger. 

 

Not sure if there will be suitable chargers / bays at the Improved Broxden Park & Ride Perth. 

 

Could still be quicker to unhitch if some big battery car towing is on the suitable charger / chargers.

Or just a solo vehicle.  Even using an Ultra Fast charger when a 50 kW Rapid would have been sufficient. 

 

 

 

 

Edited 1 January, 20242 yr by Rooted

I honestly can't say that I have ever seen any myself. All I have seen are those where you have to park at right angles to the chargers, which would mean you have to drive into the bay. You also need to have a charge socket at the front, caravan would then block up the driving lanes, especially in motorway service areas. 

I am not talking about Motorway Service Stations when discussing Charging Hubs in Scotland, 

but there will be more long charging bays provided as there are EV Commercials Towing now. 

 

Tesla charging is the nearside rear light and the cable goes across the space between the car and caravan if they are parked along side, Audi,s at the front wing.

People are towing and charging. 

 

I know nothing about GridServe and others now and what they are providing in the way of charging for Commercials and Cars towing. 

 

@Graham ButcherHave you been to many chargers?

Have you started doing drive-bys to check them out?

 

There are some i know that are suitable and i would not tell others because of particularly greedy caravaners that would go their to charge free and then use the energy to power the caravan from the car. 

 

The Stirling charger at the other side of the Grey MG Estate is the one you pull up to with the van on at the other side of the pillar and the cable reaches his charger hatch. Or hatches on a Tesla facing the other way. You block nobody.

At the old one outside you block the AC if you keep the caravan hitched.

*The bus chargers is as it arrived and has never been hooked up.*

AMAZING HOW MANY IGNORE THE 40 MINS MAX CHARGING, and pay the £1 a minute and keep charging.

Or have 2 different cards and stop charging and if nobody is waiting starts on another card. Or like me now carries on charging to full on the 11 (43) kW AC on the side.

 

2 Rapid Chargers at Strathclyde country park and others nearby and even more locally since the vid was filmed.

Lidl, & several about Hamilton, GridServe.

£1 connection feem 70 pence a kWh at Strathclyde Country Park on the Rapid, twice the price of Stirling.

 

 

 

 

Edited 1 January, 20242 yr by Rooted

@Rootedyes I have been investigating charger points, hence why I said I have not yet seen any that a commercial truck or van towing could use. All have been of the type I described. 

2 hours ago, Rooted said:

I am not talking about Motorway Service Stations when discussing Charging Hubs in Scotland, 

but there will be more long charging bays provided as there are EV Commercials Towing now. 

 

Tesla charging is the nearside rear light and the cable goes across the space between the car and caravan if they are parked along side, Audi,s at the front wing.

People are towing and charging. 

 

I know nothing about GridServe and others now and what they are providing in the way of charging for Commercials and Cars towing. 

 

@Graham ButcherHave you been to many chargers?

Have you started doing drive-bys to check them out?

 

There are some i know that are suitable and i would not tell others because of particularly greedy caravaners that would go their to charge free and then use the energy to power the caravan from the car. 

 

The Stirling charger at the other side of the Grey MG Estate is the one you pull up to with the van on at the other side of the pillar and the cable reaches his charger hatch. Or hatches on a Tesla facing the other way. You block nobody.

At the old one outside you block the AC if you keep the caravan hitched.

*The bus chargers is as it arrived and has never been hooked up.*

AMAZING HOW MANY IGNORE THE 40 MINS MAX CHARGING, and pay the £1 a minute and keep charging.

Or have 2 different cards and stop charging and if nobody is waiting starts on another card. Or like me now carries on charging to full on the 11 (43) kW AC on the side.

 

2 Rapid Chargers at Strathclyde country park and others nearby and even more locally since the vid was filmed.

Lidl, & several about Hamilton, GridServe.

£1 connection feem 70 pence a kWh at Strathclyde Country Park on the Rapid, twice the price of Stirling.

 

 

 

 

What a faff, all of that uncoupling and recoupling again and again each time. When I used to have a caravan, I used to hitch upto my Rover 2000 TC and only uncouple when I arrived at the caravan park, even when filling the tanks. It was a just a couple of minutes to pull up at a pump, refuel, and be on my way in just minutes with minimal inconvenience to others by blocking 1 pump only. I couldn't image what chore that would be uncoupling etc each time if the weather was bad or even at night.

A total faff and you have to be keen if you are going to spend more towing with an EV or just running an EV than running an ICE.

 

But then people have them for what ever reason, usually because of the savings to them in tax and it being a vehicle for work, or the charging can be cheap lots of the times and then subsidised at others. 

 

Those doing it will know why they do it.

As it is there are many that can not reverse a caravan , trailer / transporter and end up uncoupling anyway.

With a small caravan it really is no hassle, but then the locking and securing the van is a faff.

2 hours ago, Graham Butcher said:

What a faff, all of that uncoupling and recoupling again and again each time. When I used to have a caravan, I used to hitch upto my Rover 2000 TC and only uncouple when I arrived at the caravan park, even when filling the tanks. It was a just a couple of minutes to pull up at a pump, refuel, and be on my way in just minutes with minimal inconvenience to others by blocking 1 pump only. I couldn't image what chore that would be uncoupling etc each time if the weather was bad or even at night.

Likewise, well except that the Rover P6 was an Opel Ascona 1.9 SR Berlina.

 

What has what others do got to do with what you used to do and others here including me did.

 

I was sorting out stuff today and i have my mum and dads Caravan Club rally plaques from the 40 years they went to rallies.

Hundreds of them all in folders.

I looked online to see if anyone collects and would want them and i see collections selling, or people asking for money for them.

 

I will give these away free and keep the memories of caravaning as a kid and then with my own caravan, and years of towing all sorts.

 

As it is if i ever do tow with an EV then i could not care less about what used to happen and who did it, especially people who never intend having an EV or needs to have an EV.

 

5 hours ago, Graham Butcher said:

@Rootedyes I have been investigating charger points, hence why I said I have not yet seen any that a commercial truck or van towing could use. All have been of the type I described. 

 

Two very long bays for charging vehicle and trailer combos at Salmon's leap South Devon, just off the A38 trunk road.........

Got to be best part of 15m long ie 50ft in old money.

 

Edited 1 January, 20242 yr by lol-lol

The problem being is that there needs to a few of those longer bays at almost every charging locations as towing will consume power at an alarming rate so regular charging stops will need to be taken and if there are only a few of them in the country then the roads will clog up with EV's towing which have depleted all there charge looking for a suitable charger, as at holidays times, all spaces are taken at most services so will be unable to ditch the caravan or trailers of commercial vehicles.

The Radio & TV news is covering the rule change and Manufacturers having to have 22% of cars sales being Zero Emissions this year, so basically BEV first registrations.  (Some said 1/5th, nut clearly 22% is more than 1/5th, But one person on Wake Up to Money on 5 Live this morning was all over the place with numbers and just after a Motor Trade insider had said 80% said 70%. Then one person on the programmes worry was the Insurance cost of EV,s and the lack of Motorway Chargers for her 90 miles a day drive. Put of a BEV but looking maybe at a Hybrid. You need to wonder sometimes if they really understand Hybrid and PHEV and the charging or no charging and how efficient they are on a 90 mile motorway trip each way.)

 

Also on the story from earlier this week and the Government target for Motorway EV chargers being missed.

Probably a UK Government target that was really about Motorway chargers in England.   Scotland has not much of a Motorway system if you consider how much area there is north of Perth and zero motorway. 

 

From September.

http://bbc.co.uk/news/business-66875554

Yesterday.

http://bbc.co.uk/news/business-67858961   EDIT, yes England.  Just somehow the presenters on the Media miss using the word England most of the time.

 

Good that they will collect Data in the New Year, so this new year, then spin it as they want. 

*The Country they speak of is England not the Country the Prime Minister or the King often speak of which is 4 countries.*

 

 

 

Edited 3 January, 20242 yr by Rooted

Interesting that the DfT spokesperson seems to think that charging points at motorway service areas is the key.

 

In the last year I have driven 18,000 miles and only been on one short stretch of motorway, the M5 between the A30 junction and the southern end.

 

So a motorway charging point would have been little or no use to me, and I suspect many other drivers - for example there are no motorways in Dorset, and as @Rooted points out there are no motorways north of Perth.

Yep, I've not heard or seen that yet, but it doesn't surprise me, it really is getting harder to actually the truth these days. Depending on which day it is and which source, the story can change, one says BEV sales are down and nobody wants to buy them as a private sale, then another will tell you that BEV sales booming 😵 Clearly some of them are towing the governments lines, other not?

Just now, PetrolDave said:

Interesting that the DfT spokesperson seems to think that charging points at motorway service areas is the key.

 

In the last year I have driven 18,000 miles and only been on one short stretch of motorway, the M5 between the A30 junction and the southern end.

 

So a motorway charging point would have been little or no use to me, and I suspect many other drivers - for example there are no motorways in Dorset, and as @Rooted points out there are no motorways north of Perth.

Same for me, I have 2 motorways, M11 and M25 and neither of them are any good for me normally apart from about 6 days a year. If they really want to make the transition to electric happen, then they still have much to do yet.

The Money & Investment experts and someone else said that the UK has the lowest incentives of European countries to go to BEV,s.

 

The say something needs to be in the budget.  Hopefully it is not the con of giving grants so that overpriced cars appear to be cheaper.

 

The BYD sales and prices if they can supply enough cars in Europe and the UK, maybe from the new factory in Hungary will have the cost of BEV,s coming down more and smaller cars with a good range.

 

The figure given for Rapid chargers and in 35 minutes you can add around 100 miles range.   (A damn expensive 100 miles.)

Well the 50 kW chargers give maybe 50 kW in 60 minutes.  Some might do 52 kW.

If you get 25 kW in and get 4 miles a kWh then 100 miles.

or 30 kW in and 3.3 miles a kWh.

 

Bigger batteries empty.

But take  car with a small battery like 30 kW, and it maybe only does 110 miles on a fully battery, it might be only 25 kW you get in 35 minutes.

These are the things that RAC Spokespeople or DfT are not really that up on.   It misleads people if you are a bit mislead yourself and repeat the spin.

 

'They can add',  then again they might not in around 35 minutes.

More Ultra Rapid are required and Rapids that perform and give what people think they might or a sales person tell them they "might".. 

Edited 3 January, 20242 yr by Rooted

100 miles in 35min is probably an average figure. More like 200 mines in 30-40min for my car and many large battery fast charging EV's.

 

Hopefully they mean trunk roads. Motorway and dual carriage A roads are not much different as far as UK's backbone network is concerned. The idea is that local use is supported by slower destination charging so that rapid charging is only when driving long distance and need a top up to get to destination. This would, at very least, make EV a viable default option for everyone with driveways, the "low hanging fruit" for EV adoption.

4 minutes ago, wyx087 said:

This would, at very least, make EV a viable default option for everyone with driveways, the "low hanging fruit" for EV adoption.

Agreed, but a viable solution for the larger number of people that live in towns and don't have a driveway (or a garage/space with power) is still needed as well.

 

As always the solution gets much harder after the "low hanging fruit" has been picked.

Edited 3 January, 20242 yr by PetrolDave

@wyx087It is them that referred to a Rapid charger, so your 200 miles added with an Ultra Rapid really is a diversion.

Tesla Super Charger or 75/80 kw. 100, 100 + 350 kW chargers are not Rapid Chargers.   This is what those looking at BEV,s need explained to them 

and 50 or 100 kW max charging DC cars or maybe the likes of the new MINI and 80 kW if that is what it is, because journalists seem not to know.

 

EDIT.

I see now a figure of 95 kW charging for the big battery new car, the 41 kW one might be the same. 

 

Edited 3 January, 20242 yr by Rooted

^^^ 

Now i see.

"Average charging speed" for the big battery given as 75kW.

 

But smaller battery car showing as 75 kW max charging.

 

That is how buyers or potential buyers get confused. & Motoring Journalists with a Media Pack and a top of the range test car. 

 

This battery capacity and then Usable Battery, and the terms, Fast or Rapid, Ultra Rapid adds more to any confusion.

Then stories that in the USA the standard charging is to be something other than CCS. 

 

Edited 3 January, 20242 yr by Rooted

First car, ICE or EV, to do this North Pole, magnetic north, toa actual south pole....

Change to the 39 inch, tyre radius not rim, no Ev power train mods.......

 

 

 

 

There is a Fleet News article i read today that there are Business / Fleets getting BEV SUV,s instead of Light Commercial Vans.

Makes sense if they can do the job, safety features, comfort, range, availability.

Also there are companies catering for this or gearing up to do more racking, fitting them out. 

 

Re the Pole to Pole.

There is a thread and posts with vids on it included vids on their previous trips.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited 3 January, 20242 yr by Rooted

8 minutes ago, lol-lol said:

no Ev power train mods.......

Speaks volume about the EV powertrain. It is able to operate across the globe, including up in thin atmosphere and in extreme cold.

 

https://www.topgear.com/car-news/electric/a-nissan-ariya-has-become-first-car-drive-pole-pole

No other car has completed pole to pole.

10 months to cover 18,600 miles.