Massive shortage of Hi-Voltage dealerships.

[wantaskoda]

Hi,

 

I wish I would have known this before I bought my car.....

 

On Friday I had the issue of not being able to charge the car.  Called Skoda Assist, and they guy came out, ran the diagnostics and said it needed to go to the dealership for repair.

I have Citygate Watford 6 miles from me, but they are not an HV garage.

Nearest one is actually Alan Day in Finchley North London - They are on stop with Skoda Assist as they have too many vehicles.

 

Here is where it gets interesting. I was told I could take it 8 miles away to a battery centre (willis in Ruislip) even though they could not do the work.

They were not happy about accepting the car, and I did not get a chance to take it to them over the weekend.

 

This morning the car was completely flat, called Skoda Assist, same guy came out and said that I needed to take it to Citygate Brentford.

When I contacted them, they said that they were now also on stop and the earliest I could take the car to them was August....

 

So, after a bit of calm conversation (!!) Skoda Assist have now towed the car 33 miles away to Slough.

 

The reason I needed it to be towed was to ensure that the car is looked at within 72 hours. If you can drive it there, then there is no timeframe given. Also, if you get it towed, Skoda assist will provide a hire car, but if you drive it, it is the dealers responsibility to provide a car.

 

The key for me is that however much people want to support electric cars, Skoda are not geared up to maintain them,

 

I dont know how long the repair actually takes, but I dont expect to see my car anytime before middle of next week (especially with Easter at the weekend)

 

[Breezy_Pete]

I wonder if they're struggling to find folk who want to be trained up?

Hope the repair is accomplished quickly for you, and well done for sidestepping the various obstacles to getting it seen promptly.

 

[TheWanderer]

I wouldn't have an EV or Hybrid (Inbred as someone I know calls them) for the simple reason they're a pain in the backside when things go wrong with them and they need specialist attention compared to ICE powered vehicles. 

 

You have my sympathy for your predicament and I would consider taking it to another EV capable independent retailer, biting the financial burden and then sell it. 

[Ootohere]

Just imagine what it is like for those not near London with a choice of places within 33 miles, like on a Northern or Western island or just rural areas where they think electrified cars are an economic means of transport. 

[Novascape]

Chances are it worked fine after they jump start it and won't be able to find an issue.

 

They exchanged my battery as being flat was the only error they could find

[SouthernComfort]

I realise this won't help the OP any, but I do empathise and I don't think the lack of support is limited to Skoda. I wouldn't touch an EV of any flavour with a proverbial barge pole. At the very least, not until there's substantially improved Evehicle technology, reliability and support infrastructure and that's many years away in this country. Here we have our Federal and State Govt's all hell bent on flogging the attributes (?) of EV's as part of their climate change/emissions reduction agenda, yet in practice the things are all but useless outside of the major cities. In fact the EV infrastructure in our cities is still sadly lacking. As for venturing into the real wilderness, or even just on very long interstate drives, forget it. Tesla's with flat batteries abandoned on rural highways are not unheard of, you have to wonder what the owners were thinking or expecting....

[TheWanderer]

EVs don't have enough range as yet. For me to consider one it would need to have a range of at least 350 miles per charge, so I can get to the West Country, NW & East Midlands and back with no worries and no having to sit around like a lemon waiting for the stupid thing to charge back up again. 

 

I can get at least 330 miles out of a tank of petrol and often nearer 350 when doing long distances on major A roads and motorways. 

[PetrolDave]

1 hour ago, TheWanderer said:

EVs don't have enough range as yet. For me to consider one it would need to have a range of at least 350 miles per charge, so I can get to the West Country, NW & East Midlands and back with no worries and no having to sit around like a lemon waiting for the stupid thing to charge back up again. 

 

I can get at least 330 miles out of a tank of petrol and often nearer 350 when doing long distances on major A roads and motorways. 

This highlights the problems of charging infrastructure capacity not keeping up with demand, and high costs per kWh of public rapid (whatever the correct term is) charging points.

 

For most ICE drivers to consider the change to EV the speed and ease of "refilling" needs to be (near) identical.

[TheWanderer]

I did a trip last Friday and on the trip to Central Nottingham and back I managed a very reasonable 44.7mpg and that was with a diversion that the sat nav sent on via Maidenhead, Sunningdale and Chobham due to problems on the M25.

[SouthernComfort]

53 minutes ago, TheWanderer said:

EVs don't have enough range as yet. For me to consider one it would need to have a range of at least 350 miles per charge, so I can get to the West Country, NW & East Midlands and back with no worries and no having to sit around like a lemon waiting for the stupid thing to charge back up again. 

 

I can get at least 330 miles out of a tank of petrol and often nearer 350 when doing long distances on major A roads and motorways. 

Indeed. It's a big issue when it's a gamble on finding a charging point even if you were prepared to break your journey to use one. My ICE will get me from Melbourne to Sydney (700km) on less than a tank. An EV would barely get me half way with the prospect of no charge point wherever it runs flat, and that's on an interstate highway not a country lane.

[J.R.]

18 hours ago, TheWanderer said:

I wouldn't have an EV or Hybrid (Inbred as someone I know calls them) for the simple reason they're a pain in the backside when things go wrong with them and they need specialist attention compared to ICE powered vehicles. 

 

Hybrids are the worst of both worlds, ICE and EV's have too much complication as it stands without combining them whih adds a 3rd level.

 

The attraction of EV to me, someone who maintains their own vehicle is the simplicity compared to a reciprocation ICE smothered in emissions control electronics. I appreciate that the mains charging transformers needs a different qualification to what a mechanic would have but its not as if they have to be trained to rewire your house or work doing live connections to overhead catenary wires, they simply need to have been trained on safe working practices and safety testing.

 

I would like to think that by the time EV becomes mainstream mechanics will not need anywhere near the competence and experience most currently lack 😁

 

I am preparing to dip my toe in the water with a small local runabout which can lug materials, it will probably be an ex La Poste van, I am confident that being removed from the frustration of dealing with the incompetence and insouciance of garages that it will demand far less of my time and present far fewer problems than the CR diesel.

 

I might be proved wrong and if so that will be the end of it for me.

[Edela]

3 hours ago, J.R. said:

Hybrids are the worst of both worlds

You can look at it this way. You could also see the opposite - in hybrids you use motor and engine where they are the most efficient.

[SkOmk4]

I'm still trying to understand what's the car the OP has problems with...
(probably I'm missing something)

[Winston_Woof]

at a Guess I would say a Skoda Octavia Mk 4 iV (rather than the one in his profile details) ;o)

[wantaskoda]

6 hours ago, Winston_Woof said:

at a Guess I would say a Skoda Octavia Mk 4 iV (rather than the one in his profile details) ;o)

Correct 

[wantaskoda]

Just on my way to collect the car.

all error messages cleared and then the car started charging.

hope it was just a glitch and not parts needed 

[Breezy_Pete]

Fingers crossed.