First electric car experience

[figbat]

Once the range is there i'll be switching over, that should be at the next car change so in 3yrs approx.

An interesting point on range. Some people (maybe you, maybe not) appear to be waiting for range to match or exceed an ICE car. I have a different view - the MINI I have ordered has a range around 1/3 of the ICE one it replaces. However I can't think of a single time I have driven my current MINI through a full tank in one go, or even close to that. I believe that most, if not all of the journeys I have done in it have been within the range of the EV version. What I don't know is whether a recharge option was available at or near the destination if the return journey was further than the range because I wasn't looking for them.

I always fill my car up when I refuel, but this just sits on the drive as stranded capital until it gets used. If I could have a smaller tank and refill at home whenever I wanted then I'd take that if it brought packaging or performance benefits.

 

[figbat]

What is available in terms of 'hot-swappable' battery packs? I think if this doesn't exist, it needs to be invented.
Not saying they can't have conventional charging and batter packs in there but a supplementary hot swap battery that can be plugged in and would be organised like BBQ gas bottles with instant swap of empty for a full one (offered at all garages) seems to be a good idea, at least to me. The hot swap pack would offer perhaps 100 miles for extended range and remove the time to charge mid trip. Anybody know if this exists yet or if not when?!

This has come up a few times. The batteries are deeply integrated into the car's design making a swappable option near-impossible. Capacities, charging profiles etc will be optimised per vehicle so a hot-swap version will always be a compromise for the car it is in. Plus there is the problem of infrastructure - what battery:car ratio is needed and where? And the connectors will need to be pretty hefty and absolutely solid - swapping in and out presents opportunities for wear and damage. Batteries are generally held low-down in the chassis too - a hot-swap version would have to be accessible so probably higher up, impacting CofG. And a battery with any meaningful capacity will be a pretty hefty lump too.

I have seen some development of this type in electric motorbikes but nothing commercialised yet that I am aware of.

Perhaps better to carry a small suitcase generator with you...

 

[figbat]

Our caravan trips if you have the kettle and microwave on. 3kw is about max.

So 12.5A then?
I believe that the use of extension cables to plug in EV chargers is largely frowned upon, although this is probably to prevent people using low quality, reeled-up cables and causing "unplanned thermal events". I consider the caravan to essentially be a multi-gang extension, albeit with built-in RCD and fusing. I'm not sure what cabling is used throughout but given the focus on weight I'd imagine it's nothing too chunky.

I am now fussing over how to charge the MINI at home. It comes with a 'granny' charging cable (3-pin plug type) but this is too short to reach the most available plug. I'll probably have a charging pod installed, but this is a minefield too. I am mulling having an external power point fitted on the front of the house, with an internal isolator to prevent anybody simply helping themselves - this will also provide power for garden/DIY machinery which is currently powered, when needed, from an extension reel. In the future Mrs figbat is likely to trade up to a PHEV which will also need access to a plug/charger.

 

[mustang1]

For a daily driver, I will never have an ICE car again.

 

[fossyant]

So 12.5A then?
I believe that the use of extension cables to plug in EV chargers is largely frowned upon, although this is probably to prevent people using low quality, reeled-up cables and causing "unplanned thermal events". I consider the caravan to essentially be a multi-gang extension, albeit with built-in RCD and fusing. I'm not sure what cabling is used throughout but given the focus on weight I'd imagine it's nothing too chunky.

I am now fussing over how to charge the MINI at home. It comes with a 'granny' charging cable (3-pin plug type) but this is too short to reach the most available plug. I'll probably have a charging pod installed, but this is a minefield too. I am mulling having an external power point fitted on the front of the house, with an internal isolator to prevent anybody simply helping themselves - this will also provide power for garden/DIY machinery which is currently powered, when needed, from an extension reel. In the future Mrs figbat is likely to trade up to a PHEV which will also need access to a plug/charger.

Outside sockets are pretty useful anyway. Do you have to pay extra for a charging pod ?

We've got loads of charging points at work, and I've looked at an older Zoe as a solution (but still retaining my old petrol car). Only issue now is the 'leased' battery option would be more expensive than my current car as I'll be WFH for 2-3 days a week, and probably cycling the others. Had I been in work then it's about half the cost of petrol to lease a battery - I quite like the look of the Zoe.

 

[figbat]

A charging station will cost money, yes, at the benefit of charging faster than a 3-pin plug and having various abilities to control if and when charging happens, for example during low-cost tariff periods or whatever.

For me the choice was not about running costs, it was about just getting the latest type of car. In the past I have moved from carbs to injection, manual to DCT and now from ICE to EV. The fact that it will reduce costs whilst retaining most of the useful performance is a bonus.

 

[Sittingduck]

This has come up a few times. The batteries are deeply integrated into the car's design making a swappable option near-impossible. Capacities, charging profiles etc will be optimised per vehicle so a hot-swap version will always be a compromise for the car it is in. Plus there is the problem of infrastructure - what battery:car ratio is needed and where? And the connectors will need to be pretty hefty and absolutely solid - swapping in and out presents opportunities for wear and damage. Batteries are generally held low-down in the chassis too - a hot-swap version would have to be accessible so probably higher up, impacting CofG. And a battery with any meaningful capacity will be a pretty hefty lump too.

I have seen some development of this type in electric motorbikes but nothing commercialised yet that I am aware of.

Perhaps better to carry a small suitcase generator with you...

Well it sounds like the clever engineers need to keep working on my solution in this case. I am sure that something offering a faster way (like almost instant) of getting a charge into an EV will become available one day - can only hope

 

[cougie uk]

Well it sounds like the clever engineers need to keep working on my solution in this case. I am sure that something offering a faster way (like almost instant) of getting a charge into an EV will become available one day - can only hope

No need. There are super fast chargers out there already. You need to get away from the mentality of filling a petrol tank.

The vast majority of people hardly ever charge away from home. I do on holiday but that's about it.

The only thing that's stopping most people now is that they don't understand EVs and they're more expensive than ICE.

Both of these will improve with time. We've had our Leaf for a year now and love it. Wouldn't go back to ICE.

 

[figbat]

You need to get away from the mentality of filling a petrol tank.

This.

EVs are being compared to ICEs (understandably) and in terms of range and refilling are coming up short. What is missed though is that the range and filling benefits of an ICE are largely more than people need, so the expectations of matching them are unjustified. You have a huge range on your ICE but never use it, so why moan when it's gone?

Another performance difference is top speed. This used to be hailed as a mark of performance and EVs are typically slower at top speed. But again, nobody ever uses the top speed of their car, so it is irrelevant. The MINI Cooper SE will do about 100 mph, so is 30+ mph down on the ICE alternative, however it covers the same usable speed range and over the normal speed range is arguably quicker accelerating.

Just a couple of years ago the thought of having a car that could barely crack 100 mph was unthinkable, but that's because a car that couldn't do 100 mph was also low-powered and slower accelerating. But I can't recall the last time I drove my own car at 100 mph, or even close to it. I can't imagine I'll be doing any track days in the MINI, nor any autobahns, and the Nürburgring is right out.

 

[Sittingduck]

Noting to do with filling a tank mentality. Everything to do with needed to sometimes do trips that would be in excess of the range. In an ideal world I would never need to venture further than 100 miles from home by car but sadly this is not always the case.

 

[neil_merseyside]

Noting to do with filling a tank mentality. Everything to do with needed to sometimes do trips that would be in excess of the range. In an ideal world I would never need to venture further than 100 miles from home by car but sadly this is not always the case.

Exactly this.
We never use our car around 'town' as we walk or cycle, big shopping is delivered.
BUT we have to travel 150 miles often (6-10x a year) to a place with no charging available, so would need 300 mile range or have to break the journey, slightly less often we travel 300 miles (2x year) and could maybe use a granny charger to get back, but then we have a caravan to tow occasionally (6xyear). Our car will do 900 on a tank, no need to granny recharge in the middle of a 600 round trip. I may be an edge case but I'm not sure it's a great idea to scrap a working car for a newly created car that can't replace the previous one.

 

[cougie uk]

Where do you go to that doesn't have electricity ?

My wife's bladder is the limiting factor on how long we drive for without a stop - not the EV.

Quick loo stop and we are almost back to full again.

 

[mistyoptic]

Where do you go to that doesn't have electricity ?

My wife's bladder is the limiting factor on how long we drive for without a stop - not the EV.

Quick loo stop and we are almost back to full again.

Which is fine as long as the charging points are not already in use. We have the same issue that our car is mainly used for long trips, from Staffordshire, to family in Devon or Hampshire. For the last ten years we’ve done a biannual trip across Europe to the algarve. Service areas with only a few points each don’t cut it.
I recognise that the infrastructure is improving all the time. We just had four points fitted round the corner at our local co-op.

 

[gzoom]

What is available in terms of 'hot-swappable' battery packs? I think if this doesn't exist, it needs to be invented.

Tesla had an operating 'battery swap' station in 2013/14!! It got shut down because no one used it, Supercharging was easier to access and cheaper. Consumers showed what they wanted, technically is been possible to do for nearly a decade.

View: https://youtu.be/H5V0vL3nnHY

 

[gzoom]

BUT we have to travel 150 miles often (6-10x a year) to a place with no charging available.

As already mentioned do you visit places without electricity?

Our EV has been our main family car since 2015, and we go on plenty of long trips/holidays. Next week we are going on a 900 mile road trip to the Highlands, cannot wait .