Talk Morgan Forums Community Vehicle Talk (non-Morgan) Real world eV usage

Hi Howard
I paid 8600 for 11 panels which can generate 3.1 kw/h. That cost also included a 2kw/h storage battery, Nissan supplied and installed a Pod-Point charger foc with the Nissan Leaf. I sold the podpoint charger on e bay for 150 quid and had a zappi charger installed for £812 and got the OLEV grant off that of £500 so net £312 less the £150 I got off e bay so £162 total cost.
The zappi has three settings, a) charge from the grid, b) charge from solar backed up by grid and c) charge totally from the solar when it’s generating sufficient power, which is the setting I use all the time. Ie no cost to my electricity for my motoring.
I also had two other bits of kit a harvi and an eddi which divert any excess solar power generated to my hot water tank, thus no cost to heat my water.
Although to be fair this worked well during the heatwave but since the autumn came I’ve had to use the gas boiler to supplement.
Before I had the panels or leaf I had a Merc CLK320 which cost me around £40 a month in petrol £285 a year road fund licence and £300/400 a year average in service/repair costs over the three years I owned it.
Since having the panels and the leaf I’ve halved my electric bill, reduced my car fuel costs to nil and just been told that I’ve generated around £90 back to the grid, which equates to around 1400 KWh during the quarter July -September. This is actually a lot less than I expected but on balance I’m happy. It’s early days but think it’s been worth it so far. I like the leaf and as I may have mentioned when swmbos toyota Auris hybrid gets changed next autumn I’m sure we’ll go for another electric car, probably the Hyundai kona.

Btw the storage battery discharges (and is supplemented by the grid when required) during the course of the day/evening/night powering the house, lights, tv, fridge, freezer, dishwasher and all the other appliances until it’s depleted.

I charged a couple of times on the way up whilst stopping for refreshments at service stations. In Edinburgh, charged at the Aiport. On the way home charged at Gretna services and had dinner, then a quick top up at Tebay and a cup of tea. As I had an early start this morning I also topped up at Telford before getting home.


To my actual destination it was 324 miles. Took 6 1/2 hours on way up and 7h 40 minutes on way back, both including charge/refreshment stops. [/quote]

I find this very interesting. Without picking holes, how long were the breaks for refueling. [/quote]

I know Tesla charging is faster than the leaf can handle but the best I’ve achieved on a fast public charger when needed (and was on free vend, so cost me nothing) was 35 minutes from 15 % to 80% capacity which in my leaf gives me around 100 miles range. Enough time to get a coffee and have a pee.

It's nice to read some good news about this technology in the above couple of posts. Sounds promising dunnit.
Nick

Well regardless of my opinion of the development of the electric cars (for my purpose) you have to give it to Tesla. A clip from Business Insider today highlights what they have achieved.

http://uk.businessinsider.com/tesla-just...0?r=US&IR=T

"In the third quarter this year, Tesla sold 69,925 vehicles in the US, while Mercedes-Benz sold 66,542.

It's taken just eight years for Elon Musk's electric-vehicle startup to overtake the company that invented the concept of the car 132 years ago.
Tesla was also a mere 1,754 vehicles from toppling another rival, BMW.
In the third quarter this year, Tesla sold 69,925 vehicles in the US. Mercedes-Benz sold 66,542.

It's taken just eight years for Elon Musk's upstart electric-vehicle startup to topple the company that invented the car 132 years ago.

And according to Atherton Research, Tesla was just 1,754 vehicles shy of knocking over the other German giant, BMW.

In a note to its clients, Atherton said it expected Tesla to surpass BMW in US sales in the last quarter of 2018.

Earlier this month, Tesla said it delivered 83,500 vehicles worldwide during the September quarter, "more than 80% of the vehicles that we delivered in all of 2017."

Which makes the current cash position problems all the more difficult.
http://uk.businessinsider.com/wall-stree...0?r=US&IR=T

Put like that, it is one hell of an achievement.

I would want a genuine 400 mile range, but that will come in time.

That is an important goal. It should be realized without the need of a 800Kg battery in a SUV but a 100Kg battery in a Polo or Golf like car.

If the manufacturers stopped playing the power game and concentrated on the real issue.....range.....they’d get there sooner than later.

They need to switch to higher voltage battery packs to reduce charge times, as lower current used the packs are heated up less.

I was seriously interested in the iPace, but it looks as it has some inefficiencies in its drive train wasting energy, yes it has really great off road abilities but seriously how much of that is a real use issue. Now user data is in I reckon there will be a lot of Head scratching at Jaguar!

So far the car that has range does appear to be the kona, both electric versions, the higher capacity version is half the price of the Jag, yes trim levels aren't the same etc but for the money it's a no brainer, quite interesting times ahead I think in the electric market place.

It looks like Hyundai have a very usable power density on their hands.

I am not desperate to switch cars at the moment far from it, but eV is something I have been considering for a while, I was considering an i3 before getting the mog 5 years ago.

In another 2-3 years I will more than likely get an eV. We may as well get some renewable generation as well to off set the no doubt in my mind the distance travelled tax they will put on electric vehicles. (as well as to offset the increasing electric supply costs)

Unfortunately there still is a lot of misinformation from the totally electric camp.

Watched on a news article on fully charged the other day that apparently lithium was the 4th most abundant element on earth and that we just haven't been looking for it properly!

Someone telling us how cheap it was to travel thousands of miles on electric (using a lot of free rapid chargers in the USA) hardly relevant to the situation here. These very same people using the argument against the public that you don't need a car with a big range because mostly they are only doing short trips (in a very condescending attitude) what then get the old oil burner out for those trips to your folks run on chip fat?


This is why I like to find independent users who are putting this very information up on the Web in a factual manner warts and all.

In my town at the moment we have one single 3kw charger and that isn't free, the nearest next one is in the Nissan dealership in Wincanton, by comparison the big cities are spoilt for choice there again the traffic density is huge if everyone switched they wouldn't cope.

The infrastructure needs a lot more investment, very soon the UK is getting its first 150kw chargers.

Hopefully by the time I get around to it there will be an affordable range of choice and most of the perceived obstacles will no longer be a factor.

I will also stick my head over the parapet and admit to having a Leaf.
On a winter morning you can defrost the windows, heat the cabin, put on the heated seats and steering wheel from an app on your phone.

I use mine for commuting locally and only had the public humiliation of public charging 3 times.

It has cost less than £300 to do 10,000mile.

Its nippy - have managed 120 miles on one charge [summer time] but normally my daily mileage is 60-70 mile so no bother.
I have other vehicles for long distance trips.