Electric Car Diary

tallpaul said:
A very interesting thread. However what strikes me most clearly is the whole issue of 'range anxiety' or should it be 'charge anxiety' in this case is evident from the moment the owner leaves the garage. Call me a luddite, but when I fill my diesel car, I know going to bed at night exactly how much fuel is in the car in the morning and how far it will take me!

Where is the enjoyment in the car if there is a constant nagging feeling of always worrying how much charge is left in the battery and how far away the next charger is and indeed if it is actually working!
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when i charge my ev i know exactly how much 'fuel' is in the car and how far it will take me also. It will be a shorter distance than your diesel and like your diesel the remaining range will fluctuate depending on weather and driving patterns.

But i rarely if ever exceed that range in a day so there isnt anything to be anxious about, range anxiety is something non ev owners fixate with and new owners have for a week or two.
 
tallpaul said:
A very interesting thread. However what strikes me most clearly is the whole issue of 'range anxiety' or should it be 'charge anxiety' in this case is evident from the moment the owner leaves the garage. Call me a luddite, but when I fill my diesel car, I know going to bed at night exactly how much fuel is in the car in the morning and how far it will take me!

Where is the enjoyment in the car if there is a constant nagging feeling of always worrying how much charge is left in the battery and how far away the next charger is and indeed if it is actually working!
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They've only had the car a couple of days. Once they've used the fast charging network a few times and got used to the home charging setup etc, that anxiety will dissapear. People might have the same sort of worries with their first diesel car, being worried they'd put petrol in by accident etc.
 
Day 5: After charging overnight Saturday/Sunday, the charge stood at 89% or 337/304km depending on when you looked at the app/dash. Anyway, today was the first medium range test. 3 adults onboard for a round trip of 180km. Main roads, some 50/60/80kmph zones but mainly 100km. The adaptive cruise control, ACC, is amazing, slows you down at speed limits etc. All you really have to do is steer. Not sure how I feel about that but the novelty hasn't worn off yet.
Arrived at destination, range had dropped by the appropriate 90km or so. I was more relaxed after that as my ESB charging card has not arrived yet. Return drive was similar. Sometimes, I had to override the ACC so I could overtake slower traffic but the acceleration is phenomenal. Range now sitting at 124km which is plenty for upcoming local trips. Range anxiety is easing.
@tallpaul: Yes, there is range anxiety until you get used to the capacity of your own car. Much depends on your pattern of travel. Spontaneous driving down the country for work is no longer a feature of my life as I'm semi retired and can plan and charge up for longer trips. So far so good. I love the car!
 
EV’s are not for me at this time, but definitely in the future.

This thread is informative and very interesting to hear experiences going down the EV road.

Hope you have hundreds of thousands of good, economical and trouble free kilometres in your new car Slim.
 
tallpaul said:
A very interesting thread. However what strikes me most clearly is the whole issue of 'range anxiety' or should it be 'charge anxiety' in this case is evident from the moment the owner leaves the garage. Call me a luddite, but when I fill my diesel car, I know going to bed at night exactly how much fuel is in the car in the morning and how far it will take me!

Where is the enjoyment in the car if there is a constant nagging feeling of always worrying how much charge is left in the battery and how far away the next charger is and indeed if it is actually working!
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I imagine I would have that anxiety when I first get an electric car, I'd be fairly confident it would dissipate over the first few weeks. A bit like a phone and lots of other devices, we plug them in for the night (or not using them) and they'll always be there when you need them.
 
This is a great thread! I have a PHEV, with a rated*** range of 50km, I have been a little disappointed in the drop in range with the colder weather. The electric part of the car is great, the petrol engine not so great.

Driving electric is such a pleasant experience and it is great to be able to nip around Dublin doing the school run etc whilst fully electric. I am looking forward already to switching to a full electric, I love the look of the ID3/4
 
fayf said:
Same cost, but nearly 3 times faster, as the 3 pin domestic plug, can only deliver roughly 2.5kw per hour,(versus 7 kwper hour) hence the now common name “granny” charger. The 3 pin plug charging option, is really only for emergencies, or, for people who are waiting for their home charger installation.
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This made me chuckle. I'm closing in on 4 years four years with my Leaf and still plug it in to an external socket outside! Although I've applied for charger grant now.
 
PGF2016 said:
@Slim - what other cars did you consider and why did you go with the ID4?
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Hmmm. I don't like the look of many of the Hyundai or Kia electric offerings. However, I do like the Kia EV6 and, to a lesser extent, the Hyundai Ionic5. However, Mrs. Slim is a car snob so no chance of a Skoda Enyaq. I was attracted to the 7 year warranty of the EV6 but no test drive available due to shortage of models. The Ford Mustang Mach e would appeal but I think the user screen is awful looking and it's very pricey. So, badge preference plus availability plus familiarity with VW and desire for an SUV style car won the day. ID.3 was good but not large enough to move from 2 cars to one. Delivery dates on new EVs are ridiculous so a year old EV presented an opportunity. I think that's why!
 
I test drove a good few, i didn’t like the VW touchscreen, in ID3 & ID4, but thats just me, prefer a non touch screen setup, or even a mixture. I suppose one gets used to it over time. I came very close to buying a new ID3 last year, but went for a 1 year old i3 in the end. Herself, has the bigger car & range- Kia E-Niro.

Youre spot on with the waiting list for new EV’s, it seems to be getting progressively worse, and there is a very limited selection of used EV’s, of the newer models like ID3,/4, Kia E-Niro, bar the entry level EV’s like Zoe, & Leaf etc.

3 year PCP deals, also has a big impact on used availability, so as EV volumes only really shot up, in 2021, most of these, won’t be back on the market until 2024.
 
Update: Bord Gais will fit the charger on Thursday. New Vehicle Registration Cert arrived 6 days after I picked up the car. Tax renewal notice shortly thereafter. Range still in the 300km on 80% charge. Pleasure to drive. Switching to night rate/day rate with Electric Ireland. Hoping range will improve with the weather!
 
Extremely interesting tread, I’m going through identical process this week. ID4 purchased and charging with granny until home charger is installed later in the week. I bought new and dealer just happened to have what spec I was looking for in stock. Must try and get that WeConnect ID widget working. As a matter of interest how are you Finnish parking sensors? I find the alerts you to objects so much later than my Tiguan that it’s almost dangerous as we’ve come to reply on. Like you ev6 and ioniq 5 were options and probably better ev’s based on all reviews however didn’t like the looks and think vw will hold value better
 
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