Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms Electric Cars

I'm sure.

My observed experience is that on a 140 mile each way commute, when I make a service station stop for a mid journey comfort break, I've seen all the fast chargers occupied... tales of woe on the work car park chat as colleagues try and fail to find a charger that works (20-30% don't, and there's no effective plan in place to fix it), colleagues having charging cables locked into chargers, and a colleague who drives an Audi EV finding that his chosen charging stop on the route home was shut... I don't have time for that malarkey.

So on a weekly near 300-mile round trip, that would require EV charging at some point, over the past six months I've become less convinced that I could reliably leave home with a full charge, splash & dash top up en route while on a comfort break, fill up in the company car park, and get home without having to make a forced stop to charge. Some of my overnight stops have chargers, some don't. If I were in an EV I'd likely restrict myself to places I can charge, which isn't always where I want to stay.

Why does this matter? It's at best a 2 1/2 hour journey, which I try to get through as quickly as reasonably possible (within speed limits :-) ). Life's too short to also have to work to manage the charge in a car.

Yes, it's an unusually long commute I'm doing, and for my particular needs right now, 50mpg in a hybrid that's fully charged when I leave home is a reliable way to travel. Fully charged with carbons & electrons I have 440 mile range - a third more than I'd need to do a round trip without refuelling. Only a Merc EQS at over £100,000 can give the same range today: I suspect that in 2024 or 2025 there would be more choice, and perhaps at more affordable prices.

Curiously, today I make money on my client's expensed ICE travel: I'd lose money claiming their EV allowance.

Whilst I've shed my working burden, so no longer drive anywhere because I have to do so: all my driving is for the fun of it, or to see friends and family.
The Tesla was good at its job, exactly what Neilda uses his for, it isn't good at serving spontaneous frivolity. If I was still working I'd have kept it.

The Porsche and the Morgan are both fun to drive and easy to refuel. But cheap it they are not, at best they deliver sub 30 mpg and drink premium unleaded: but they both attract attention in a way the Tesla never did.
The Porsche wins on practicality and dealer support, the Morgan on style and exclusivity.

I've given up caring about net zero and all the other stuff, together the two cars do less than 5,000 miles a year. I'm 70, I expect that by 2035 I'll be passed driving, so WTF.
As one of our friends here has in his signature line, "here for a good time, not a long time".

A taste of things to come?

Three hour queue for Tesla Chargers

Lack of infrastructure in the UK meant that this was an inevitable situation waiting to happen.

Agreed. When you work out the kVA needed to charge say 300 cars an hour it is the same as a large factory.

As fuel prices are now dropping, our little 1.6 diesel is now costing us 14p per mile. Road Fund is only £100 a year,and 50% of the money we pay for fuel goes straight into the exchequer so is helping with the economy

EV plans by the Gov are poor. It looks more and more like PR posturing with lack of credible action.
Infrastructure is not up to coping with the expansion in demand both from location, numbers and power supply. Linked to general close to the limit capacity has meant speculation about power curs, banning EV charging.
I would be prepared to go EV IF up front cost of getting one was lower, infrastructure suitable. Neither applies and I doubt any change sometime soon. The days of tax benefits are looking numbered too. Fuel tax is a huge source of public funds. Public transport is a joke, maybe better in population centres but elsewhere? Massive HS2 costs for minimal time saving backed up by the usual list of economic benefits to the “North”. We can’t fund an integrated NHS /social care improvement to solve the decades of degenerating NHS system ( whichever government was in power), similar for power generation and other strategic beneficial areas.
Anyway, enough doom and gloom. Off out walking Monty. Waterproofs on, bit of bread for the swans/geese on the lake.

Sospan is spot on. A report published in the Telegraph today suggests that the Energy Crisis is going to derail the EV Car "revolution"

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2022/12/29/energy-crisis-risks-dooming-electric-car/

I agree with the author's conclusions and it is why I exited EV ownership in July 2022.

Take grain / bird food Phil - bread isn't so good for the avian "customers"

Back on topic - we visited Slimbridge WWT centre yesterday. At one end of the car park 6 charging points, all occupied. A number of other EV scattered around the car park - whether they were hoping for a top up I have no idea. As we left shortly before closing time, a staff member was covering over the charging points with plastic dustbin liners, presumably to keep the forecast rain out.

We've just taken delivery at work of our third electric car (all Tesla) we will not be replacing any commercial vehicles with electric as the current limited range of the current vehicles available are not suitable for our business type. Although it's nice to have a warm fuzzy feeling that we are helping the planet, in truth it is purely financial even with the recent price hike in electric and if something more economical arrives on the market then that will chosen next time. Why Tesla, infrastructure is the only reason plus chargers at work and two at home locations for the people that do over 30k per year. We have noticed in the last few weeks a few queues at charging stations however these have nearly all been on train strike days. Personally I don't think electric will take over but it will be a mix of "fuel" types that will be available in the future. All I really know is I miss my old daily car..502bhp V6 twin turbo Alfa 😢 That's progress apparently 😕