Any Electric Car Owners?

[brainiac]

I see that The Mail are giving an electric Hyundai away today, and it got me wondering how practical electric cars are. You can't recharge them from a domestic socket (impractical, takes way too long) and you need a special wallbox fitted - one I looked at was about £600. Also the constant problem of range anxiety if making anything other than shortish trips.

Any ABers own an electric car, and would you recommend one if you do?

[barry1010]

The government will pay up to 75% of the charger cost, capped at £350

[JimF]

Despite the fact that electric cars seem to have been around for ages, the peripheral market is only just now starting to catch up. I'm sure that most people keep a portable battery charger in their petrol car in case of a flat battery, but that's no use for a completely electric vehicle.

What's needed is one of these:
https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a32069151/blink-roadside-mobile-charger/

Does exactly what it says on the tin but is very expensive. I'm sure that it won't be too long till electric cars have a backup battery which you can charge anywhere and which can be used when the main battery runs out.

[jno]

the range really isn't very far but it might be useful getting you to Mosrrisons and back.

I've got a hybrid and the licence is only £10; I suppose full electric is the same if not better.

[BAKERS DOZEN]

If the car industry got its act together and came up with a standard battery then it would make it a lot easier to drive into a garage/services and take out your battery, leave it on charge and pick up a ready charged one and be on your way in a matter of minutes.

[teacake44]

I nearly got run over by one this week, didn't hear it creep up on me, was walking down a county road with no foot path, a toot of the horn would have been a good idea, but I suppose some folk would go into a rage when tooted at. Sorry to upset some that I didn't get mowed down. :0)))

[richtee]

Swopping them would be not easy- they weigh around 500kgs!

[Hopkirk]

Bakers Dozen, I think you will find the batteries are pretty big. Far too big for a simple swapover for a fully charged one.

[bednobs]

when i got my last car last year, i looked at electric. Sadly i could no afford a new one, and second hand ones did not have the range i needed. I don't go for huge journeys, but my parents live about 65 miles away. driving there and back would be pushing at the edge of a total available charge for a second hand model. They live in portsmouth, on a terraced road, so no-where to charge nearby

[BAKERS DOZEN]

Did not realise how big they are. What about two smaller batteries in the car with one being used while the other is charging and then swapping them over and using the fully charged one and recharging the used one. I don't mean moving the batteries just changing over connections. Won't make any difference to me as I probably be long gone before they get it sorted out.

[Hopkirk]

They'll never sort it out. How can people who can't park outside their own house charge up? How will the visually impaired cope when cables are laid across pavements?

They need to develop some new technology, and fast.

[Hopkirk]

(oh, and Toyota are working on it. Hydrogen fuel cell.)

[gingejbee]

"just changing over the connections"...the electrics of an electric car are way more complicated than some think.

[gingejbee]

Hopkirk....never heard of inductive charging for cars?
Look...no cables!

[Tilly2]

I have an electric Corsa Elite. I love it. As part of the deal we had a charger fitted in the garage and also got a special rate from EDF for people who have electric vehicles.

I've had mine since the beginning of this month and have charged it once, so far.

It is so easy to drive now that I've got used to it. I was a bit scared to begin with but an now very happy. I did /do try looking for the gear stick though and my left hand hovers about especially when pulling out of a junction. Old habits die hard. :-)

[Old_Geezer]

Surely you'd still need to get the power to the pad doing the inductive charging ginge ?

[Ryzen]

The Kia Niro is a very good EV...280 mpc around town and around 250mpc on a motorway. You can charge from the 3pin 'granny' charger but a full charge will take 24 hrs.....that said you dont need a full charge for all journeys.If you have a good overnight tariff you could get a 2p per mile cost compared to 12/14p for an ICE. The Niro starts at around £32k.

[gingejbee]

OG...the idea is that the power cables are embedded (as is the charging-pad) into your garage floor, outside parking space and charging spaces on forecourts etc.
If they can agree on standards etc, they may be incorporated into new-builds as the take-up of EV's accelerates (no pun intended).

[bednobs]

when i was looking last year you couldn't get the niro ev - is availability better now?

[retrocop]

I believe the disposal of redundant batteries is quite expensive at the moment and the materials are not conducive to preventing pollution.No thanks not for me. I don't want stop/starting on long journeys. I hate stopping at all unless it's a toilet break.If I had wanted to drive an electric vehicle I would of joined Express or United Dairy.

[Zacs-Master]

Just awaiting delivery of an electric mini. Charging point has been fitted. Swapping our electricity provider to Octopus who only get electricity from renewable sources.