Talk Morgan Forums Community Vehicle Talk (non-Morgan) Electric vehicles the answer ?

I mentioned earlier in the thread that VW were offering 48 hour demos of their E Golf. I had my 2 days worth earlier in the week, and it is my first experience of electric cars, so my impressions may be of interest.

The first few miles are quite impressive, even coming from a quiet and powerful auto X5, it was the seemingly magic way the car gathered speed and just kept going, apart from a small amount of road noise, there was nothing else to indicate power. The range on the current E Golf is about 150 miles, but in real life driving is probably no more than 100 miles, so it isn't long before range anxiety creeps in, particularly on a longer journey, when you don't know where any charging stations are situated. It can take up to 4 hours on fast charge and 9 on a standard 13a socket,

However, there is a regenerative facility, which effectively is like driving around in 2nd or 3rd gear whenever the car is on the overrun, so with careful driving the range can be extended quite appreciably, which is quite fun and requires economy driving techniques. Sadly however, that is the only fun to be had. Driving just becomes a necessity and a slowish one at that.

I have no doubt that once electric cars can do over 300 miles to a charge, and this can be done in under half an hour, everyone will have one, but oh, they seem to be so boring................

Interesting observations confirming really that they are still a long way off the Joe Public market.

I left from my Berkshire address, charged in Calais whilst having breakfast. Stopped at Senlis just outside Paris for lunch and charged, stopped for afternoon tea in Auxerre and charged and then a quick cup of teas and extra charge at Macon before arriving at the Best Western just outside Geneva where I stayed as they have a bank of Tesla chargers there. That was the first time and overall journey was 1.5 hours longer than the previous year, purely down to slightly longer breakfast lunch and tea stops whilst charging. Made similar stops to get petrol and have breakfast lunch and tea but not quite as long.

Second time took a different route from Calais as there were more chargers available on a more direct route to Geneva so didn't have to go towards Senlis/Paris, went through Reims instead. Oh, the car works it all out for you as well, just put in the destination and it plans the routes and the Tesla charge stops.

The electric car for me, a high mileage driver...is still not an option yet.

There are just too many allowances to be made for electric vehicles, whereas the modern petrol (or diesel in case) is still jump in and go in a total unrestricted way.

Maybe 5 years down the line - it will be different..I will however have retired by then!

A decent Diesel Electric hybrid would make sense for the high mileage.

Certainly has for a long time on the railways

Wow - the obvious is staring us in the face...brill idea!

Yet how many do you see them releasing ?

The original (2012-17) Peugeot 508 RXH was just such a thing.

I run an Audi etron Q7 diesel electric hybrid now 2 years old , average hybrid /diesel consumption is around 50
The biggest downside is only averaging 28 per charge when electric only, my office is 17 miles from home , I have a charging point at the office which helps & on occasion have used charger at home but it takes 5 hours for just 30 miles!
Running in hybrid mode they state 140 plus is achievable but even on continental long runs not had anything near this