The economics are the undeniable thing for me that says this is just better for the average persons budget. Yes, you do have to learn something new, but as you stated, you learn quickly where you can plug in and get on with your day. The fact that you ended up in profit while doing your errands is also very nice. Though this will probably be a benefit for early adoptors and end as more people buy EV's. In the future though, how much truly will people be charged for plugging in while shopping? The retailers probably know you will spend more during your trip on average than it will cost them to provide this convenience to you. Add the fact that the grid in the UK is steadily getting greener and cheaper, and in a few years times, people will wonder why we didn't do this a lot sooner. Thanks for sharing.
Economics, what hurts is the capital cost hard for the average person to buy one. A good even second hand EV is 2 to 3 times the cost of a small ICE and if you have to do it via debt then the economics are way poorer.
One of the first EV channels that has a balanced view. I sometimes post what you may consider negative views on EV videos, not because I am particularly anti EV, it's just they're not for me at the moment. I don't mind EV owners being enthusiastic but I feel it's better whether talking of EV or ICE vehicles that opinions focus on advantages and disadvantages of each. One final minor criticism is that your point about your Leaf EV being defrosted when you went to it overlooks they point that that feature isn't unique to EV. Remote start for heating/ defrosting is possible and even available on ICE vehicles, certainly it us on mine.
Paul Almond thank you Paul. I think the reason why you always hear people talk about the remote hearing is because it was introduced to EVs when it was only available on very expensive prestige cars. I know it is available on similar priced vehicles now but it’s a lovely feature and I guess just having it in the winter makes us smug😁. I try to maintain a balanced opinion as I am well aware EVs have their faults. They certainly aren’t for everyone. My commute is 80 miles. Whilst I can just about do it in my Leaf the though of holding traffic up on A roads just so I can get home every day isn’t my idea of fun. I can’t afford a bigger battery yet so I use my petrol car. I honestly believe the future is electric but it will take a few year until it’s the right option for everyone 😁👍
mindset change : wife had car all day yesterday. 2ºC all day. Heating on all day, Heated seats, and she doesn't drive 'sympathetically' to the battery. Arrived home with 9 miles range. So here's the first mindset change : in a combustion car you'd never let it go that low. However, we then went out for a local curry, heating on and preheat activated before we returned. 2nd mindset change, for people who've had an EV for a while : stop looking at the range. Look at the battery level instead, just like you'd look at a fuel gauge. You'll soon feel more confident for those occasions where your range is 16 miles, but you have 25% battery left.
42,000 miles in a 24 KWh Leaf and never been stranded. Let’s review how many fossil fuel drivers run out of fuel a year: millions. I’ll stick with an EV. Thanks
@@Rhaman68 28,000 miles and almost saved the cost of the car in tax rebate and fuel savings across two and a half years. About to spend £300 on changing all the belts on my combustion car ( Timing, alternator, water pump and another I can't remember ), something I won't have to do on the EV and , although I don't wish it on them, I have two friends in the last month who's batteries have gone dead. One Honda Jazz and one big Renault Diesel Van. A lot of talk about 0ºC effect on EVs , but 0ºC affects all cars efficiency and viability.
Where are you from? I’m thinking of getting one of the same year in Los Angeles, but have the same feeling. I got about a 50 mile daily commute myself.
@@PrizeDog the UK. You would have to look at maps of the charge network around LA to know. I get about 70 miles to 90 miles on a full battery (12 bars) so yours will vary.
Bought A used 24kw Leaf as a commuter car three years ago to replace our Peugeot 307 petrol. The Leaf has now got 60k miles and offset the petrol cost of the daily commute. In another 9-12 months the car will have paid for itself in fuel savings. If you can make a 24kw work with your lifestyle you can motor for very little.
Most of the time there is ways to incorporate charging in to things your doing like shopping or going certain places with the kids that have chargers that I quite enjoy.
depends where you live and idiots using the charging bays as a normal parking spot for their petrol cars, I live in the Doncaster area..which is bigger than what people think the place I live there are 4 chargers which happen to be at supermarkets and nearly always are taking up by people parking
marklola12 I think there just needs to be a lot more chargers. I have told plenty of people not to park in charging places but it is probably a waste of time. I don’t have a home charge point so I only use public charging points and I have only once not been able to charge at the place I normally use.
Good real life stuff Ryan and nice to see a no compromise approach (no arctic clothes or pootling along at 50). I think it shows that in most towns and cities you can do this. Yesterday I was at the Gemini shopping centre in Warrington and there are 4 charge points at IKEA and 2 at M & S next door.
Nice to see that all the chargers you visited were operational, available and not ICE'd. It all looked quite slick on the film, wafting in, wafting out, good stuff :-). I also find that many of my local chargers (3kW and 7kW) are available and working and are like ghost towns. Perhaps destination charging at the local shops will become more irrelevant with the advent of 60+ kWh capacity BEVs? I wonder if the imminent Tesco EV charger project is a bit of a white elephant in terms of the 7kW offering? I reckon that I probably wouldn't faff around plugging my 40kWh LEAF into a free 7kW charger knowing that i'll only be in the shop for 30 minutes, just to gain 10-15 miles of range. That being said, I have my concerns that the rapid charging infrastructure is not being expanded in line with the growth in numbers of BEV's and PHEV's, in particular the monopolisation of the motorway service stations by Ecotricity and their lack of expansion of charging facilities (i peer over in envy at the plethora of tesla stalls.) We're finding more and more now that we're faced with a wait when doing the longer journeys (which for us is the crucial time that a rapid charger is needed), as Zoe's, I3's, LEAF's and Outlanders are bottle-necking at the mediocre offering of Ecotricity chargers. Congrats on your very informative and entertaining vids :-)
I am in Canada. And it's cold. Now to be fair I have a model 3 tesla so range really not a huge concern. I recently drove to Myrtle beach to golf. Approximately a 16 hour trip each way. I was fully charged when I left. Stopped for breakfast and charged . I used tesla Superchargers each way . Stopped for lunch and charged again. Stopped for the night, had dinner and charged. Charged the next day while stopped for lunch and when I arrived at Myrtle Beach, I unpacked and charged at destination. It was reversed going home. No real inconvenience as I had to stop to eat anyway. Total cost (Canadian $). 95.84. Typically it would have been around $400.00 for fuel. Again with the range of approximately 300 miles, not an issue. Loved the saving in cost though
Excellent again Ryan. If I wasn’t living in Cornwall (and if I could have found one in budget) I would probably be electric now. As it is I’m half way there with a hybrid, and in a fe2 years will hopefully complete the change when the local infrastructure improves.
Andy I live in East Devon and in December we started using EVesy (electric car subscripion service) which enabled up to use an electric car for the first time. We have a decent public charger 7 miles away whilst we wait for our home charger to be finished. We pay £289 per month 1 month rolling contract. Included in that price is access to a Renault Zoe R110, free breakdown cover, free tax (exempt before 40k anyway), free servicing, free electricity on the polar network
the one in out lidl is the slowest charger you can get, so most often there is little point in even plugging it in because its a small stall so your in maybe 20 mins max
I'm glad I got a LEAF 2017 (30kWh) and it's been fun driving... easy to get to chargers in public, though it's a pain to have to wait to charge up.. usually 30 minutes to 1 or even 2 hours sometimes... Can't wait to get an upgrade to Kona Electric or Niro EV...
Great point you make, i have the 2018 Leaf and charge at home 99% of the time. i am able in winter to do my daily drive 36miles to work one way, with heat on, heated seats the works. I am not able to plug in at work so it sits out in parking lot in the cold, i set timer to warm it up before i go home and i make it with enough range left to do extra trips if i need to. Plug in and in the morning i am full and ready to do it all over again. I will say that it would be alot harder if i didnt have my home charger and in fact for first 2 months of owning my Leaf i was only trickel charging it and i would go to quick charger to top it up as needed. oh and this is my only car so electric or bust but have only once had issue with range, power was out when i got home :( but i had enough charge when i got up next day go to charger that did have power and i was all set :) 14,500 miles and still loving this car :)
Good video! But i think most people will want 60kw battery guaranteed real world 200 miles any conditions etc. that will banish range anxiety, so charge 99%at home no messing topping here & there..they just dont want to have to think about it 😒
Christopher Wain I agree. I think the point I’m trying to make is that if I can easily do they’d trips in a tiny 24kwh Leaf then anything bigger is a bonus😁👍
I'm considering buying a Nissan Leaf but was wondering if I need to be on a different home electricity tariff? Or are there specific energy providers with insensitives for EV drivers? Also can you still use a charger without using an app say if you lost your phone?
Note that *some* Polar Ultrachargers are free if you have a subscription, but there is still a cost to use others. Also note that newer Ultrachargers can accept contactless credit cards - one of these has been installed just around the corner from my mum & dads house - win!
@@ShaneQ17 the point is that in a fossil fuel car when you refuel you have to devote some time to doing that. In an EV you have to adjust to not doing that. My car refuels while I'm in the gym. That's the point, you stop thinking about refuelling as something you do and you adjust to letting the car do it itself. If you prefer wasting time standing holding a pump and then paying through the nose for it, fill your boots, no one is trying to force you to stop. But arguing that it's better than letting the car fuel itself is just silly.
Tip at least in the USA honda clarity, chevy bolt whatever charge at the dealership for free. Might be mildly inconvenient but I haven't paid for gas or electricity to drive for months.
128 miles, 0 degrees. Could have done that without having to charge my 2018 Leaf, although it would have required having the heater on low. But the 2019 Leaf will be able to manage that easy.
I travelled from 9 miles east of Manchester up to Durham and back in our 22kWh Zoe on Monday, 250 miles round trip. Three Ecotricity motorway service area stops on the way up, Hartshead Moor, Wetherby, and Scotch Corner. All were on free vend. Two Ecotricity motorway service area stops on the way back, Durham and Wetherby. Durham was free vend but I had to pay at Wetherby this time, £4.53, I was lucky I guess, that was my total cost for 250 miles. We have an Ikea in our town with an Ecotricity charger, I was under the impression that I had to spend £6 with Ecotricity to get £6 discount in Ikea, what do you have to show to get the £6 discount no matter what the Ecotricity charge has cost?
Great video as always. I have the i3 as my main car and have just got a 24kW eNV200 Acenta Rapid Plus as a work van to replace my diesel van. It is a nice driver. I have Ovo energy at home which includes a Polar subscription. Do you have any tips for getting the most out of the smaller battery?
Hudnott Electric Ltd I have always charged to 100% and never do anything special to look after it. My battery still shows over 90% capacity 👍. I did notice recently how much more mileage you can get by dropping just 5mph at motorway speeds. That said I only did this to save an extra charge on a long journey and don’t normally worry.
Great and very informative. Just wish I had a home that i could charge at home. Then I would switch to electric car. But wonder if I could get by just using other charges?
Hi Rob it is definitely possible but you need to know what the charging availability is like where you live and what the charging costs might be For example where I live there are lots of Rapid chargers within a 10 mile radius and they are free The local supermarket (Asda) has two Polar posts (7Kw )and polar subscription is £7.85/month so you can pick up some charge while shopping On the other hand some areas have little or no charging available and/or have high price charging at 35p/Kw or connection fees In some areas you might find chargers are in car parks where you not only have the cost of charging but also have to pay for parking on top It's a postcode lottery I'm afraid so in Angus and Aberdeenshire you can park free and charge free, Perthshire you might pay parking but charge free , Moray you will have a £3.70 connection charge , Edinburgh you will pay parking and charge costs This is a quote from Edinburgh planning "The council hopes to generate an estimated £1.3m a year from motorists paying to charge their vehicles." Read more at: www.scotsman.com/news/more-than-200-charge-points-planned-for-edinburgh-s-electric-car-revolution-1-4808254 Anyway you get the point that you might be in a progressive area with existing charging infrastructure, or in a regressive area that sees you, in a predatory way, as a cash cow John
love your videos, thankyou as thinking of buying my first electric car and seems leaf is a good first one, what you think? thinking of a 2011 at about £5500, maybe a good choice? speak soon
Thinking about getting an EV, maybe you can help me with a couple questions I have... how much does it cost to get the charger installed in your home? Can you just use a regular 3pin plug if you don’t have access to the charging stations? Do you ever find that the charging station you had in mind is busy and you can’t use it? Is it possible for kids/chavs/climate change deniers to unplug your EV when you’re at the shops and you come out to find you’ve got no charge at all? Appreciate your help!
I've got my test booked at the end of the month, if I pass I'm not into cars but I'm into ev's but as a new driven who can only street park is it worth it? I've got a Renault Clio I'm thinking of driving that for a year just to get a manual petrol experience for ease and for old times sake and then maybe with the introduction of new 2020 EVs nissan leaf's will be cheaper. My main and only concern is if I wanted to go camping in Scotland or the lake district, once you're in the deep countryside I can't imagine any outlets being around
Seems like you’ve made this work for you. It would even be easier if you had one of the new Nissan Leafs with the 62kwh batteries. And the technology is only going to keep improving with million mile batteries & the ability to quick charge in 5 minutes.
Good grief! You managed to get in and out of IKEA quickly! That in itself is worthy of a thumbs up. I go to Warrington and get hopelessly lost and swear there’s nomadic tribes wandering the store 😂😂. HOPEFULLY I’m getting a Zoe in March and looking forward to the new experience. I say hopefully because my house is on a linked supply with the meter cupboard the wrong side of the porch. SP Energy are desperately looking at ways to get the supply cable split so my neighbour and I have independent power. It’s looking like I’m going to have to settle for a 3 Kw charger rather than a 7 and only IF SP give the go ahead. Even then, should my neighbour want an EV at some time in the future there will be problems because of the looped supply. My semi is one of x thousands built in the ‘60s when looped supplies were the done thing. At the time the meter cupboard was on the outside door. Since then I can’t believe my house is the only one with a porch and a tiled concrete floor. As more EVs are bought, I can see problems 🤔.
peter hughes this is one of a number of issues that will need to be resolved. I hope they manage to sort it for you. The only reason I got in and out of Ikea so quickly is because I didn’t ha e my wife with me!!
Thanks. As a side issue, I also had to have an isolation switch fitted by my energy supplier. Granted it was free but it seems as though the engineer upgraded the main fuse from 60 to 80 amps. This has upset SP who are now coming back this afternoon to change it back! It looks as though I am going to get the 3.2 but I do feel it’s being allowed very begrudgingly. This process has been far from smooth and very stressful....not quite the easy, straightforward process I thought it would be. Just hope it’s worth it! Looking forward to seeing your next video, take care and catch you later.
peter hughes I believe the the power supply company to your property are under obligation,in law, to provide you with a 7KW supply. In my case Western Power were the provider. Podpoint fitted a 7KW charge unit and Western Power had to dig up driveway, install new cables, & reinstate everything as it was. All costs absorbed by Western Power. If you want more power than that you will require a 3 phase supply and you will have to pay.
Hi John, no, 7 Kw would be perfect. The problem is that I live in a semi built in the ‘60 s. When it was built the, then electricity board, MANWEB, put the two meter cupboards back to back by the outside wall. They gave my house the supply and my neighbour a loop off that. Since then, and before my neighbour and I moved in to our respective houses, two porches were built, both with concrete floors. SP Energy, the network “owners” are saying that they need to split the supply and give my neighbour and I independent feeds. This would be done free. The problem is that my neighbour loops off me so needs the new cable. They can’t get it to the meter cupboard without digging my neighbours porch floor up. They can move the feed to a new cupboard outside but then the consumer side needs to be linked to it and this would have to be at my neighbours expense and would still need the porch floor digging up. The only solution is to let me have a 3.2 Kw charger on the looped supply. Having said that SP have said my neighbour in the future will not be able to have a charger. This “solution “ is just “kicking the can down the road “. There are how many older properties with looped supplies and meter cupboards no longer on an outside wall in the U.K.? There is a big problem that I don’t think has been addressed and given most people would prefer to charge at home. I would say it’s possibly more of a headache than the National public charging infrastructure. Thanks for getting back to me, take care. Peter
peter hughes Ironically the one property built in the early 70’s was fine , the one built in 1991 was a problem. Seems you are in awkward predicament. I am not sure 3KW will be entirely satisfactory.
EV Opinion The car is primarily based at Great Malvern Worcestershire. - I choose to go where I wish to go , not where the car tells me to go. I am not prepared to spend time at Hell on Earth motorway services for 45 minutes, especially when I have PHEV. There are 7KW charge points at destination places which are suitable for top ups.
It’s less about charging than it is when to PCP an EV. Those we can afford are all around the 200 miles per charge range. The current and 2019 Leaf seems to be the best first EV for us but there’s always some reason to wait for the next one so the maker will have addressed current issues. Rapidgate with the current Leaf is an alarming oversight and has changed my opinion of Nissan. However, the forthcoming Leaf might have had such nonsense sorted. If it was your first EV, would you consider the 62kWh Leaf, regardless of current Leaf issues?
Dear EV Opinion, I enjoy watching your videos. The major issue with electric cars at the moment is their purchase price. About a year ago I constructed a spreadsheet and came to the conclusion that when you bought an electric car you are essentially prepaying for 50,000 to 70000 miles of petrol compared to the purchase price of an ICE car that I would be happy to own. So not like for like. There are subsidiary issues of availability and having to buy a car brand I would not usually consider. If you can justify installing solar cells on your roof I would believe the economics change. However I use very little electricity in my house and the payback time for solar cells in my case must be 15 to 20 years, unless I wish to produce 2 to 3 times more power than I actually use, without factoring in an electric car. I thought very hard about having solar cells installed at the end of last year but came to the conclusion that it was a £10000 vanity project and not one that would payback or in my case be very "green". Without a reasonably sized solar cell array, an electric car became overall unattractive . My cost of ownership of an electric car assumed I only ever used my "free" solar produced electricity. I did not consider the range issue or how long the electric car's batteries or the car itself would last, I assumed that these would be acceptable. As others have commented, 2018 was a "lost"year for EV cars. Perhaps 2019 will see more progress. Unless the economics of buying and owning an electric car change, I think ordinary people will only be persuaded to buy them under political governmental pressure. I do not see this as a positive move and believe it could add to the tension between the "have everythings" and the "have very littles". I would doubt whether many or any "Gilets Jaunes" own EV cars.
Colin Overton I bought my 2 and a bit year old leaf for £9000. I part exchanged my 10 year old civic and got a 0% finance deal over 3 years. My monthly payments are now less than the cost of petrol I was using per month. Plus £28 a month less as no car tax. After 3 years my leaf will be paid for and it if keep it for as long as the civic I’ve got 4 years with next to no costs. That’s also not taking into consideration the 3 years I was paying for the civic on finance and paying for petrol.
I agree that 2018 wasn’t great for choice but at least cars like the Kona and Model 3 sparked more interest in the field. Let’s hope we start to see 2nd hand prices fall and then EVs will be affordable to the masses 👍
@@EVOpinion It seems to me that in the UK the only EV car with sufficient availability and on-road numbers to be considered "mainstream" is the Nissan Leaf. As you have shown it is practical and very pleasant to drive. We would probably disagree about the relative cost of ownership of this car. Hyundai is pushing the Kona over the Ioniq, but does everybody want an SUV over an ordinary car? I would not buy a Renault or a Chevrolet. I have moral objections to buying a Volkswagen. This is a company that deliberately lied to its customers over emissions and hasn't been punished. What is the EU thinking? I am sure you can get good, second-hand EV bargains, however I doubt whether this is a general route to more EV cars on our roads. Everyone I know who has, or is considering an EV car or hybrid also has access to a petrol car. That is not an option for me. EV cars should be cheap to manufacture and purchase. The only issue they have is the cost and lifetime of the battery. Unlike the US, there there seems to be no third-party battery replacement possibilities in the UK. This is a major stumbling block to EV proliferation and means that older EV cars have no value. I do not believe that global warming is a serious issue, although pollution is. Being trained as a scientist I do not have to accept this media/governmental "story". I therefore feel no overwhelming moral compunction to buy an EV car. Neither you or I, nor the world could survive without some CO2 in the atmosphere. I have a pleasant ICE car and from what I have seen and found out over the last 12 months, my next car will also be petrol based. Please continue to make your interesting and informative videos, I really do enjoy watching them. I hope in these troubled times that we can hold different points of view and still respect the other person's point of view. I wish you a happy and successful 2019.
Colin Overton some interesting points you make. Our ideas aren’t so far apart. For my family situation it saves me money owning an EV but I appreciate my circumstances are unique. The eco issue isn’t a reason for me to own an EV. I have found it interesting since owning one as they often go hand in hand. That said if fuel prices were to be slashed then I would choose the cheapest option. I encourage any sensible argument or opinions and enjoyed your comments 😁👍
Hi there i am quite interested in a Nissan leaf, but i just looked at some prices, a new one from Glyn Hopkins in about £27k, i thought they were around 20k new, but a s/h one now is about 20k, that kind of takes the fun out of it....i thought a hybrid was about 30k, not an electric car...from Fred in Essex Uk.
g4vvq1983 shop around and you’ll find better prices but I’m afraid there aren’t enough cars to meet demand at the moment so the prices have increased! Be patient and they will start to fall or look at a 30kwh Leaf or the Renault Zoe.
Only if it was that easy...just to pull up to ANY charging station and have a spot to charge open. Where I live in Canada, most public charging stations (even quick charge) are free. And "free" has many EV plug hogs. So until a charging fee is applied here, this will always tack on 30 mins to an hour per top up sadly. Or it's a case of too many EV's to charging stations that are made available. Gas rules here still!! :(
Just feel sorry for us lot up here in North Wales. If you haven't got off-street parking, you're stuffed. Rapids are few and far between and most of the time, not near fantastic things to do. I always wonder though, if EV drivers (as part of their mind set change) always have to visit places or shop in shops that have chargers? There are cheaper alternatives to IKEA! And what if you turn up to your charger and it's not working? Plenty to choose between down there but up here? I also wonder why so many EV TH-camrs and owners also own ICE cars! The 24kwh Leaf is all I can afford, but it doesn't fit with my lifestyle. My future is with the E-Niro, Kona and ID range. But how long they take to come down to my range is the wonder? The future for the country is probably in solid state batteries, 350kw chargers and 100kwh+ on board chargers! We've got a way to go but the future is bright!
computerbob06 it certainly. The reason I also have an ice car is because I cannot afford to pay off my Leaf and have another loan / finance on another EV. As soon as my Leaf is paid off I will change my Ice car 😁👍
Good real life example but that car is a bit out of date now, you may end up putting people off. You can get cars (and soon it will be the norm) that could easily do a normal days work without needing to charge once you left home.
chriswortley5 obviously the last thing I want to do is put anyone off but it’s also important to be truthful. Yes newer EVs can cover the distances I talk about in one go but they are out of reach financially for a lot of people. What I hope is my experiences in a tiny 24kwh car show that if it’s easy to do it in that then you have nothing to fear😁👍
The 40KW Leaf will comfortably achieve 120miles range on single charge in winter. The rapidgate fiasco is a fuss about nothing, most users will rarely repeat charge on the same day. It’s quite rare that I even exceed 200 miles a day in my PHEV. The Leaf does have other short comings, especially within the purchase price range that it sits. The ride quality is poor, harsh & choppy on poor surfaces. The cabin layout dated and short of space, the controls & instrumentation are abismal. The rear seats folded is something of a joke. I have not acclimatised to the car, in fact the more I drive it the more I dislike it !!!
cars never pay for themselves, they are a cost but in return, you have the transport facility they provide. The EVs are a lot cheaper than paying for petrol or diesel.
The cheapest Nissan Leaf on autotrader I would consider buying is £10k the car I own now is paid for I spend £40 month on fuel I might as well just keep the £40month petrol car if I spend £500 a year on fuel that’s 20years for me to break even on a car that does 80miles to a charge I’ll stick to petrol
@@ShaneQ17 Have you never heard of servicing costs? EV's don't ever get snapped cambelts, clogged injectors, holed exhausts, bent valves, duff clutches, need oil changes, etc., etc., etc. You keep on buying and running old heaps as is your choice but don't complain when your neighbour's EV costs a quarter to run than your fossilsaur does. Your choice and you are free to make it. When your current car needs replacing just do the sums.
@@michaelgoode9555 hmm my ice car cost £129 to service every 2 years. My leaf costs £149 every other year and £199 in the years in between. But yeah I've spent zero on fuel in the last 6000 miles. Oh and zero tax too
Looking at the Polar Plus App, I believe that you will be billed for both of the Polar charges. Still cheaper than an ICE though. Also the #30 LEAF doesn't really taper until 90% on a Rapid. Great video though.
MondoTV yep! The future of batteries makes life so much easier. My intention was to show how easy it can be with the smallest battery and subsequently the bigger the battery the less inconvenient. I would suggest 24kwh would be fine for the vast majority of people day to day. Most people don’t need 70+kWh batteries due to the way we charge them. This is the change in mindset that will eventually happen 😁👍
If you’re using Polar charging watch out for a fine from parking eye, the bastards got me for £60 charging at holiday inn. This was my second one in six months! Got to the charger late at night with a baby asleep in the car and didn’t notice any signs. Polar don’t give a toss and just blame parkingeye😡😡😡 goes without saying I cancelled my Polar subscription. If you look on the forums they’re full of people cancelling Polar charging for the same reason!
Glideman I had heard about that. I asked in one of the holiday inns and they told me that you need to give them your registration number when you arrive at reception (most have a tablet on the desk) and then you avoid any fines and can stay as long as you like. I know it’s no good for you now but might help someone in the future.
In Summer I like to find charge points in little towns I haven't visited before It's a nice way to explore We had a 24Kw Acenta and traded it for a 40Kw Tekna The reason for changing was comfort not range If I had the 24Kw Tekna in the first instance I would have kept it (like yourself) www.wattsup.app/ is a handy app that plans your route and will show if the charger is in use or not Thanks to Elle th-cam.com/video/XkMlaI_oT6o/w-d-xo.html for that tip Maybe a review of it for a future video Ryan ? John
I got a 30kwh Leaf and picked it up yesterday. The drive home was 70 miles and the sat nav said I may not make it home. Left on 76% for home on 9%. I must admit I experienced range anxiety as had my 3 year old with me.
ev opinion great video as always. just read this article from Autocar mag smart home electric vehicle fuel tax. will this slow electric car sales , if it happens www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/smart-charging-could-lead-electric-vehicle-fuel-tax
It’s all very well knowing where the chargers are, it’s different thing to know if they are working. I have a 30kwh Leaf on PCP with another 18 months to go, and I cannot what to get shut of it, as I have had more than enough troubles with charges. You simply cannot plan well in advance if these charges don’t work and there is no alternatives about. Even today the local charger (Pod Point) was only working on one side, which was already taken up, so I couldn’t charge. It really frustrates me and I think I will be looking either going back to an ICE car or a hybrid, as the time you have to wait to charge is so unacceptable at the moment. The charging infrastructure seems so haphazard and should be uniformed. Story for the rant, but I’m so fed up of it all
Chris B sounds like you’ve had a tough time. I’m sure oh know about ZapMap and PlugShare for up to date info on which chargers are working. Hopefully you’ll find a solution and can stick with a full EV?
EV Opinion Don’t get me wrong, I really like the car as it’s so quiet and comfortable, as pleasure to drive, but it’s the range anxiety I still get. I am very impatient, and to wait an hour or so for it to charge up does my head in 😆 I’m certain things will change for the better, in the time I’ve got to decide about another EV, but at the moment I’m thinking of an ICE or hybrid. Appreciate your reply Ryan, thanks 😊
It's a shame that your Leaf is on PCP, Chris, because it sound as though someone would be able to snap your hand off for the bargain purchase! You're right about the hopeless infrastructure, which applies to a number of areas of the U.K. Our city decided that they ought to install some better chargers when they built a new multi-storey car park last year. They turned out to be a handful of 7kW ones; just one step better than the two stands which they installed in two other council car parks. We've a population of over 90,000 people, and about 12 publicly accessible low speed chargers, plus one 22kW charger. Regarding Superchargers, and a ChadeMo unit, we've only one place with them in the county, about an hour's drive away. As a consequence, EV's are a rare species in this neck of the woods. In one word, the situation here is: Abysmal.
RWBHere cheers mate, we are very short on charger here (East Riding of Yorkshire)...there’s a PodPoint in Bridlington and two in Scarborough’s multi-car park. None that I know of in Whitby...so you can see if one or two are out of action it gets a little awkward
Nissan have warned against rapid charging. It damages the batteries. Batteris of all types do not like rapid charging, they get too hot. They won't last long. After 60,000 miles you won't even get 50 miles. The majority of people cannot charge at home. Impossible, so they will be stuffed. Do another video when your car has done 60,000 miles, in the Winter. It will be a different story.
Rapid charging is not bad for the batteries. There was some concern over this when EVs first came out but time has shown it's not an issue. There are Leaf taxi firms in the UK with cars rapid charged every day that reached 100k miles before losing a battery bar and continued working flawlessly before being retired at 174k and sold on (still in use with 70 mile range). Over 65% of UK homes have off street parking so the majority can charge at home here. Without home charging just now though EV ownership would be less convienent untill the public charging situation improves.
A taxi firm in Torquay retired one of their Nissan Leafs recently. It has done over 150,000 miles, and has usually been recharged quickly. The new owner is happy with it. According to the dash gauge, the battery has lost only 2 bars. I could live with that.
Not worth it at all. Wasting so much time charging the bloody thing. 2-3 times a day, nah, i have better things to do. The ev cars basically rule your life. Not worth the hassle and fear of losing your freedom and when you will ran out of charge willy nilly.
The economics are the undeniable thing for me that says this is just better for the average persons budget.
Yes, you do have to learn something new, but as you stated, you learn quickly where you can plug in and get on with your day. The fact that you ended up in profit while doing your errands is also very nice. Though this will probably be a benefit for early adoptors and end as more people buy EV's.
In the future though, how much truly will people be charged for plugging in while shopping? The retailers probably know you will spend more during your trip on average than it will cost them to provide this convenience to you.
Add the fact that the grid in the UK is steadily getting greener and cheaper, and in a few years times, people will wonder why we didn't do this a lot sooner.
Thanks for sharing.
D R-K I hope you’re right 😁👍
Economics, what hurts is the capital cost hard for the average person to buy one. A good even second hand EV is 2 to 3 times the cost of a small ICE and if you have to do it via debt then the economics are way poorer.
One of the first EV channels that has a balanced view. I sometimes post what you may consider negative views on EV videos, not because I am particularly anti EV, it's just they're not for me at the moment. I don't mind EV owners being enthusiastic but I feel it's better whether talking of EV or ICE vehicles that opinions focus on advantages and disadvantages of each.
One final minor criticism is that your point about your Leaf EV being defrosted when you went to it overlooks they point that that feature isn't unique to EV.
Remote start for heating/ defrosting is possible and even available on ICE vehicles, certainly it us on mine.
Paul Almond thank you Paul. I think the reason why you always hear people talk about the remote hearing is because it was introduced to EVs when it was only available on very expensive prestige cars. I know it is available on similar priced vehicles now but it’s a lovely feature and I guess just having it in the winter makes us smug😁. I try to maintain a balanced opinion as I am well aware EVs have their faults. They certainly aren’t for everyone. My commute is 80 miles. Whilst I can just about do it in my Leaf the though of holding traffic up on A roads just so I can get home every day isn’t my idea of fun. I can’t afford a bigger battery yet so I use my petrol car. I honestly believe the future is electric but it will take a few year until it’s the right option for everyone 😁👍
mindset change : wife had car all day yesterday. 2ºC all day. Heating on all day, Heated seats, and she doesn't drive 'sympathetically' to the battery. Arrived home with 9 miles range. So here's the first mindset change : in a combustion car you'd never let it go that low. However, we then went out for a local curry, heating on and preheat activated before we returned. 2nd mindset change, for people who've had an EV for a while : stop looking at the range. Look at the battery level instead, just like you'd look at a fuel gauge. You'll soon feel more confident for those occasions where your range is 16 miles, but you have 25% battery left.
Andy Seal easy when you know how 😁👍
42,000 miles in a 24 KWh Leaf and never been stranded. Let’s review how many fossil fuel drivers run out of fuel a year: millions. I’ll stick with an EV. Thanks
@@Rhaman68 28,000 miles and almost saved the cost of the car in tax rebate and fuel savings across two and a half years. About to spend £300 on changing all the belts on my combustion car ( Timing, alternator, water pump and another I can't remember ), something I won't have to do on the EV and , although I don't wish it on them, I have two friends in the last month who's batteries have gone dead. One Honda Jazz and one big Renault Diesel Van. A lot of talk about 0ºC effect on EVs , but 0ºC affects all cars efficiency and viability.
Thank you for doing these videos. I’ve just bought a 2015 leaf and was having slight anxiety about where to charge.
Where are you from? I’m thinking of getting one of the same year in Los Angeles, but have the same feeling. I got about a 50 mile daily commute myself.
@@PrizeDog the UK. You would have to look at maps of the charge network around LA to know. I get about 70 miles to 90 miles on a full battery (12 bars) so yours will vary.
Bought A used 24kw Leaf as a commuter car three years ago to replace our Peugeot 307 petrol.
The Leaf has now got 60k miles and offset the petrol cost of the daily commute.
In another 9-12 months the car will have paid for itself in fuel savings.
If you can make a 24kw work with your lifestyle you can motor for very little.
Most of the time there is ways to incorporate charging in to things your doing like shopping or going certain places with the kids that have chargers that I quite enjoy.
depends where you live and idiots using the charging bays as a normal parking spot for their petrol cars, I live in the Doncaster area..which is bigger than what people think the place I live there are 4 chargers which happen to be at supermarkets and nearly always are taking up by people parking
marklola12
I think there just needs to be a lot more chargers. I have told plenty of people not to park in charging places but it is probably a waste of time. I don’t have a home charge point so I only use public charging points and I have only once not been able to charge at the place I normally use.
Love your informative, balanced and unbiased video's.
Thanks 👍I’m in a 2014 Leaf and love it too👍
Good real life stuff Ryan and nice to see a no compromise approach (no arctic clothes or pootling along at 50). I think it shows that in most towns and cities you can do this. Yesterday I was at the Gemini shopping centre in Warrington and there are 4 charge points at IKEA and 2 at M & S next door.
Peter Owen I know it’s not perfect but things are improving all the time. If I can do these journeys in my 24kwh Leaf then the future looks good!
Nice to see that all the chargers you visited were operational, available and not ICE'd. It all looked quite slick on the film, wafting in, wafting out, good stuff :-). I also find that many of my local chargers (3kW and 7kW) are available and working and are like ghost towns. Perhaps destination charging at the local shops will become more irrelevant with the advent of 60+ kWh capacity BEVs? I wonder if the imminent Tesco EV charger project is a bit of a white elephant in terms of the 7kW offering? I reckon that I probably wouldn't faff around plugging my 40kWh LEAF into a free 7kW charger knowing that i'll only be in the shop for 30 minutes, just to gain 10-15 miles of range. That being said, I have my concerns that the rapid charging infrastructure is not being expanded in line with the growth in numbers of BEV's and PHEV's, in particular the monopolisation of the motorway service stations by Ecotricity and their lack of expansion of charging facilities (i peer over in envy at the plethora of tesla stalls.) We're finding more and more now that we're faced with a wait when doing the longer journeys (which for us is the crucial time that a rapid charger is needed), as Zoe's, I3's, LEAF's and Outlanders are bottle-necking at the mediocre offering of Ecotricity chargers. Congrats on your very informative and entertaining vids :-)
Thanks for a realistic view again!
I am in Canada. And it's cold. Now to be fair I have a model 3 tesla so range really not a huge concern. I recently drove to Myrtle beach to golf. Approximately a 16 hour trip each way. I was fully charged when I left. Stopped for breakfast and charged . I used tesla Superchargers each way . Stopped for lunch and charged again. Stopped for the night, had dinner and charged. Charged the next day while stopped for lunch and when I arrived at Myrtle Beach, I unpacked and charged at destination. It was reversed going home. No real inconvenience as I had to stop to eat anyway. Total cost (Canadian $). 95.84. Typically it would have been around $400.00 for fuel. Again with the range of approximately 300 miles, not an issue. Loved the saving in cost though
Logical, well reasoned and informative as always. Thank you yet again.
Another good option for Portsmouth, especially on busy days, is the Park and Ride - £4 for parking and the bus, plus four free Pod Point chargers
Paul Harris yes. I ha e used that a few times. It’s very good and I keep promising the kids we’ll use the boat.
Excellent again Ryan. If I wasn’t living in Cornwall (and if I could have found one in budget) I would probably be electric now. As it is I’m half way there with a hybrid, and in a fe2 years will hopefully complete the change when the local infrastructure improves.
Andy I live in East Devon and in December we started using EVesy (electric car subscripion service) which enabled up to use an electric car for the first time. We have a decent public charger 7 miles away whilst we wait for our home charger to be finished. We pay £289 per month 1 month rolling contract. Included in that price is access to a Renault Zoe R110, free breakdown cover, free tax (exempt before 40k anyway), free servicing, free electricity on the polar network
the one in out lidl is the slowest charger you can get, so most often there is little point in even plugging it in because its a small stall so your in maybe 20 mins max
I'm glad I got a LEAF 2017 (30kWh) and it's been fun driving... easy to get to chargers in public, though it's a pain to have to wait to charge up.. usually 30 minutes to 1 or even 2 hours sometimes... Can't wait to get an upgrade to Kona Electric or Niro EV...
Great point you make, i have the 2018 Leaf and charge at home 99% of the time. i am able in winter to do my daily drive 36miles to work one way, with heat on, heated seats the works. I am not able to plug in at work so it sits out in parking lot in the cold, i set timer to warm it up before i go home and i make it with enough range left to do extra trips if i need to. Plug in and in the morning i am full and ready to do it all over again. I will say that it would be alot harder if i didnt have my home charger and in fact for first 2 months of owning my Leaf i was only trickel charging it and i would go to quick charger to top it up as needed. oh and this is my only car so electric or bust but have only once had issue with range, power was out when i got home :( but i had enough charge when i got up next day go to charger that did have power and i was all set :) 14,500 miles and still loving this car :)
Steven Douglas easy when you know how 😁👍
Good video! But i think most people will want 60kw battery guaranteed real world 200 miles any conditions etc. that will banish range anxiety, so charge 99%at home no messing topping here & there..they just dont want to have to think about it 😒
Christopher Wain I agree. I think the point I’m trying to make is that if I can easily do they’d trips in a tiny 24kwh Leaf then anything bigger is a bonus😁👍
Yes, a bigger battery is a convenience bonus. A smaller battery needs more thoughts 😀
yep specially when you get idiots parking their petrol or diesel cars in the public charging bays
A bigger battery is wanted, but most can easily afford a used leaf and few can afford a new car with your suggested range.
I'm considering buying a Nissan Leaf but was wondering if I need to be on a different home electricity tariff? Or are there specific energy providers with insensitives for EV drivers? Also can you still use a charger without using an app say if you lost your phone?
Great video and sums up a typical electric car day :)
Simon Roe thanks 😁👍
Great video. Good explanation. I'm very pro EV, and I'm sure this video will help those who are still in doubt!!! Great!
Dominic Miqueleiz I hope so. Thank you 👍
Note that *some* Polar Ultrachargers are free if you have a subscription, but there is still a cost to use others. Also note that newer Ultrachargers can accept contactless credit cards - one of these has been installed just around the corner from my mum & dads house - win!
Andrew E finally they are listening to customers 😁👍
Great video for ev curious.
I love how 44min is a splash and dash
Except of course he was off doing something else whilst it was happily refuelling. Try doing that in a fossil burner.
I wouldn’t have to refuel I would have fuel in the tank already
@@ShaneQ17 Perhaps so but how much per mile does your petrol car really cost to run as oppose to an EV?
@@ShaneQ17 the point is that in a fossil fuel car when you refuel you have to devote some time to doing that. In an EV you have to adjust to not doing that. My car refuels while I'm in the gym. That's the point, you stop thinking about refuelling as something you do and you adjust to letting the car do it itself. If you prefer wasting time standing holding a pump and then paying through the nose for it, fill your boots, no one is trying to force you to stop. But arguing that it's better than letting the car fuel itself is just silly.
Tip at least in the USA honda clarity, chevy bolt whatever charge at the dealership for free. Might be mildly inconvenient but I haven't paid for gas or electricity to drive for months.
It would be interesting to see what this would cost at today's rates.
When you buy a EV be prepared for extra stress when the few pubic charger parking spots are taken up by normal fuel cars!
128 miles, 0 degrees. Could have done that without having to charge my 2018 Leaf, although it would have required having the heater on low. But the 2019 Leaf will be able to manage that easy.
I travelled from 9 miles east of Manchester up to Durham and back in our 22kWh Zoe on Monday, 250 miles round trip. Three Ecotricity motorway service area stops on the way up, Hartshead Moor, Wetherby, and Scotch Corner. All were on free vend. Two Ecotricity motorway service area stops on the way back, Durham and Wetherby. Durham was free vend but I had to pay at Wetherby this time, £4.53, I was lucky I guess, that was my total cost for 250 miles.
We have an Ikea in our town with an Ecotricity charger, I was under the impression that I had to spend £6 with Ecotricity to get £6 discount in Ikea, what do you have to show to get the £6 discount no matter what the Ecotricity charge has cost?
Great video as always. I have the i3 as my main car and have just got a 24kW eNV200 Acenta Rapid Plus as a work van to replace my diesel van. It is a nice driver. I have Ovo energy at home which includes a Polar subscription. Do you have any tips for getting the most out of the smaller battery?
Hudnott Electric Ltd I have always charged to 100% and never do anything special to look after it. My battery still shows over 90% capacity 👍. I did notice recently how much more mileage you can get by dropping just 5mph at motorway speeds. That said I only did this to save an extra charge on a long journey and don’t normally worry.
your lucky, take a look at how many public chargers there is for the whole of Doncaster area..its stupidly low
Great and very informative.
Just wish I had a home that i could charge at home.
Then I would switch to electric car.
But wonder if I could get by just using other charges?
Hi Rob it is definitely possible but you need to know what the charging availability is like where you live and what the charging costs might be
For example where I live there are lots of Rapid chargers within a 10 mile radius and they are free
The local supermarket (Asda) has two Polar posts (7Kw )and polar subscription is £7.85/month so you can pick up some charge while shopping
On the other hand some areas have little or no charging available and/or have high price charging at 35p/Kw or connection fees
In some areas you might find chargers are in car parks where you not only have the cost of charging but also have to pay for parking on top
It's a postcode lottery I'm afraid so in Angus and Aberdeenshire you can park free and charge free, Perthshire you might pay parking but charge free , Moray you will have a £3.70 connection charge , Edinburgh you will pay parking and charge costs
This is a quote from Edinburgh planning "The council hopes to generate an estimated £1.3m a year from motorists paying to charge their vehicles."
Read more at: www.scotsman.com/news/more-than-200-charge-points-planned-for-edinburgh-s-electric-car-revolution-1-4808254
Anyway you get the point that you might be in a progressive area with existing charging infrastructure, or in a regressive area that sees you, in a predatory way, as a cash cow
John
love your videos, thankyou as thinking of buying my first electric car and seems leaf is a good first one, what you think? thinking of a 2011 at about £5500, maybe a good choice? speak soon
Thinking about getting an EV, maybe you can help me with a couple questions I have... how much does it cost to get the charger installed in your home? Can you just use a regular 3pin plug if you don’t have access to the charging stations? Do you ever find that the charging station you had in mind is busy and you can’t use it? Is it possible for kids/chavs/climate change deniers to unplug your EV when you’re at the shops and you come out to find you’ve got no charge at all? Appreciate your help!
I've got my test booked at the end of the month, if I pass I'm not into cars but I'm into ev's but as a new driven who can only street park is it worth it? I've got a Renault Clio I'm thinking of driving that for a year just to get a manual petrol experience for ease and for old times sake and then maybe with the introduction of new 2020 EVs nissan leaf's will be cheaper. My main and only concern is if I wanted to go camping in Scotland or the lake district, once you're in the deep countryside I can't imagine any outlets being around
Excellent report!! Go electric!!!
I love my Nissan Leaf
Is it really worth it when you can fill up petrol that last two weeks in our Nisan I don't think so I will stay with petrol
I was at Gunwharf a couple of days ago too....Polar chargers 🔌 down!!
Well, I say not working - but maybe I should have just moved the cones....I’m guessing that’s to stop them getting ICE’d
Andy Faulkner exactly. The cones are always there. Just push them aside. I have never had an issue there 👍
Seems like you’ve made this work for you. It would even be easier if you had one of the new Nissan Leafs with the 62kwh batteries. And the technology is only going to keep improving with million mile batteries & the ability to quick charge in 5 minutes.
Great video
Sorry to bother you but I am not see any new Vedio since you bought the MG. Please update on this.
Good grief! You managed to get in and out of IKEA quickly! That in itself is worthy of a thumbs up. I go to Warrington and get hopelessly lost and swear there’s nomadic tribes wandering the store 😂😂.
HOPEFULLY I’m getting a Zoe in March and looking forward to the new experience. I say hopefully because my house is on a linked supply with the meter cupboard the wrong side of the porch. SP Energy are desperately looking at ways to get the supply cable split so my neighbour and I have independent power. It’s looking like I’m going to have to settle for a 3 Kw charger rather than a 7 and only IF SP give the go ahead.
Even then, should my neighbour want an EV at some time in the future there will be problems because of the looped supply.
My semi is one of x thousands built in the ‘60s when looped supplies were the done thing. At the time the meter cupboard was on the outside door. Since then I can’t believe my house is the only one with a porch and a tiled concrete floor. As more EVs are bought, I can see problems 🤔.
peter hughes this is one of a number of issues that will need to be resolved. I hope they manage to sort it for you.
The only reason I got in and out of Ikea so quickly is because I didn’t ha e my wife with me!!
Thanks. As a side issue, I also had to have an isolation switch fitted by my energy supplier. Granted it was free but it seems as though the engineer upgraded the main fuse from 60 to 80 amps. This has upset SP who are now coming back this afternoon to change it back!
It looks as though I am going to get the 3.2 but I do feel it’s being allowed very begrudgingly.
This process has been far from smooth and very stressful....not quite the easy, straightforward process I thought it would be. Just hope it’s worth it!
Looking forward to seeing your next video, take care and catch you later.
peter hughes I believe the the power supply company to your property are under obligation,in law, to provide you with a 7KW supply.
In my case Western Power were the provider. Podpoint fitted a 7KW charge unit and Western Power had to dig up driveway, install new cables, & reinstate everything as it was. All costs absorbed by Western Power.
If you want more power than that you will require a 3 phase supply and you will have to pay.
Hi John, no, 7 Kw would be perfect. The problem is that I live in a semi built in the ‘60 s. When it was built the, then electricity board, MANWEB, put the two meter cupboards back to back by the outside wall. They gave my house the supply and my neighbour a loop off that.
Since then, and before my neighbour and I moved in to our respective houses, two porches were built, both with concrete floors.
SP Energy, the network “owners” are saying that they need to split the supply and give my neighbour and I independent feeds. This would be done free. The problem is that my neighbour loops off me so needs the new cable. They can’t get it to the meter cupboard without digging my neighbours porch floor up.
They can move the feed to a new cupboard outside but then the consumer side needs to be linked to it and this would have to be at my neighbours expense and would still need the porch floor digging up.
The only solution is to let me have a 3.2 Kw charger on the looped supply. Having said that SP have said my neighbour in the future will not be able to have a charger.
This “solution “ is just “kicking the can down the road “. There are how many older properties with looped supplies and meter cupboards no longer on an outside wall in the U.K.?
There is a big problem that I don’t think has been addressed and given most people would prefer to charge at home. I would say it’s possibly more of a headache than the National public charging infrastructure.
Thanks for getting back to me, take care. Peter
peter hughes Ironically the one property built in the early 70’s was fine , the one built in 1991 was a problem.
Seems you are in awkward predicament. I am not sure 3KW will be entirely satisfactory.
Was that an Ampera E at 5:22!?
Rapid chargers are few and far between. - Expecting to do higher distances with my 40Kw Leaf is a dumb idea.
John Pollard where do you live? I’m. Sry rural but driving 150 - 200 miles I find acceptable in my 24kwh Leaf.
EV Opinion The car is primarily based at Great Malvern Worcestershire. - I choose to go where I wish to go , not where the car tells me to go.
I am not prepared to spend time at Hell on Earth motorway services for 45 minutes, especially when I have PHEV. There are 7KW charge points at destination places which are suitable for top ups.
l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.worcesternews.co.uk%2Fnews%2F17355355.half-of-worcestershires-rapid-electric-car-chargers-broken%2F&h=AT305v4NYbVKijkqHiBcVigfLfXYr12aqI32zjZb7bBS50hJ41rmIE2RVDrz7Y0taKIf-dASw0xaXS1cpI5-e0muLWY8dM9eR8fl0oJpXt1aLIbpLdx4WC0pDG4yUZ5MswElCNjW3Q&s=1
Nice video again....
Tim Kirk thank you 😁👍
It’s less about charging than it is when to PCP an EV. Those we can afford are all around the 200 miles per charge range. The current and 2019 Leaf seems to be the best first EV for us but there’s always some reason to wait for the next one so the maker will have addressed current issues. Rapidgate with the current Leaf is an alarming oversight and has changed my opinion of Nissan. However, the forthcoming Leaf might have had such nonsense sorted.
If it was your first EV, would you consider the 62kWh Leaf, regardless of current Leaf issues?
Dear EV Opinion, I enjoy watching your videos.
The major issue with electric cars at the moment is their purchase price. About a year ago I constructed a spreadsheet and came to the conclusion that when you bought an electric car you are essentially prepaying for 50,000 to 70000 miles of petrol compared to the purchase price of an ICE car that I would be happy to own. So not like for like.
There are subsidiary issues of availability and having to buy a car brand I would not usually consider. If you can justify installing solar cells on your roof I would believe the economics change. However I use very little electricity in my house and the payback time for solar cells in my case must be 15 to 20 years, unless I wish to produce 2 to 3 times more power than I actually use, without factoring in an electric car.
I thought very hard about having solar cells installed at the end of last year but came to the conclusion that it was a £10000 vanity project and not one that would payback or in my case be very "green". Without a reasonably sized solar cell array, an electric car became overall unattractive . My cost of ownership of an electric car assumed I only ever used my "free" solar produced electricity.
I did not consider the range issue or how long the electric car's batteries or the car itself would last, I assumed that these would be acceptable.
As others have commented, 2018 was a "lost"year for EV cars. Perhaps 2019 will see more progress.
Unless the economics of buying and owning an electric car change, I think ordinary people will only be persuaded to buy them under political governmental pressure. I do not see this as a positive move and believe it could add to the tension between the "have everythings" and the "have very littles". I would doubt whether many or any "Gilets Jaunes" own EV cars.
Colin Overton I bought my 2 and a bit year old leaf for £9000. I part exchanged my 10 year old civic and got a 0% finance deal over 3 years. My monthly payments are now less than the cost of petrol I was using per month. Plus £28 a month less as no car tax. After 3 years my leaf will be paid for and it if keep it for as long as the civic I’ve got 4 years with next to no costs. That’s also not taking into consideration the 3 years I was paying for the civic on finance and paying for petrol.
I agree that 2018 wasn’t great for choice but at least cars like the Kona and Model 3 sparked more interest in the field. Let’s hope we start to see 2nd hand prices fall and then EVs will be affordable to the masses 👍
The math does not work out in the US either. There is not economical reason to buy an EV or install solar panels. Just an environmental reason.
@@EVOpinion It seems to me that in the UK the only EV car with sufficient availability and on-road numbers to be considered "mainstream" is the Nissan Leaf. As you have shown it is practical and very pleasant to drive. We would probably disagree about the relative cost of ownership of this car.
Hyundai is pushing the Kona over the Ioniq, but does everybody want an SUV over an ordinary car?
I would not buy a Renault or a Chevrolet.
I have moral objections to buying a Volkswagen. This is a company that deliberately lied to its customers over emissions and hasn't been punished. What is the EU thinking?
I am sure you can get good, second-hand EV bargains, however I doubt whether this is a general route to more EV cars on our roads.
Everyone I know who has, or is considering an EV car or hybrid also has access to a petrol car. That is not an option for me.
EV cars should be cheap to manufacture and purchase. The only issue they have is the cost and lifetime of the battery. Unlike the US, there there seems to be no third-party battery replacement possibilities in the UK. This is a major stumbling block to EV proliferation and means that older EV cars have no value.
I do not believe that global warming is a serious issue, although pollution is. Being trained as a scientist I do not have to accept this media/governmental "story". I therefore feel no overwhelming moral compunction to buy an EV car. Neither you or I, nor the world could survive without some CO2 in the atmosphere.
I have a pleasant ICE car and from what I have seen and found out over the last 12 months, my next car will also be petrol based.
Please continue to make your interesting and informative videos, I really do enjoy watching them. I hope in these troubled
times that we can hold different points of view and still respect the other person's point of view. I wish you a happy and successful 2019.
Colin Overton some interesting points you make. Our ideas aren’t so far apart. For my family situation it saves me money owning an EV but I appreciate my circumstances are unique. The eco issue isn’t a reason for me to own an EV. I have found it interesting since owning one as they often go hand in hand. That said if fuel prices were to be slashed then I would choose the cheapest option. I encourage any sensible argument or opinions and enjoyed your comments 😁👍
I love my Leaf. Best car I ever owned. Government needs to double the tax credit to $15,000 so everyone can get an EV.
Hi there i am quite interested in a Nissan leaf, but i just looked at some prices, a new one from Glyn Hopkins in about £27k, i thought they were around 20k new, but a s/h one now is about 20k, that kind of takes the fun out of it....i thought a hybrid was about 30k, not an electric car...from Fred in Essex Uk.
g4vvq1983 shop around and you’ll find better prices but I’m afraid there aren’t enough cars to meet demand at the moment so the prices have increased! Be patient and they will start to fall or look at a 30kwh Leaf or the Renault Zoe.
It’s six months ago now but I paid £21250 for a new 2018 40KW Acenta delivered to drive.
Wait was about 3 months.
Thanks John.......
Only if it was that easy...just to pull up to ANY charging station and have a spot to charge open. Where I live in Canada, most public charging stations (even quick charge) are free. And "free" has many EV plug hogs. So until a charging fee is applied here, this will always tack on 30 mins to an hour per top up sadly. Or it's a case of too many EV's to charging stations that are made available. Gas rules here still!! :(
Same in Scotland though charging for charges is slowly starting to roll out here this year
Just feel sorry for us lot up here in North Wales. If you haven't got off-street parking, you're stuffed.
Rapids are few and far between and most of the time, not near fantastic things to do.
I always wonder though, if EV drivers (as part of their mind set change) always have to visit places or shop in shops that have chargers? There are cheaper alternatives to IKEA! And what if you turn up to your charger and it's not working? Plenty to choose between down there but up here?
I also wonder why so many EV TH-camrs and owners also own ICE cars!
The 24kwh Leaf is all I can afford, but it doesn't fit with my lifestyle. My future is with the E-Niro, Kona and ID range. But how long they take to come down to my range is the wonder?
The future for the country is probably in solid state batteries, 350kw chargers and 100kwh+ on board chargers! We've got a way to go but the future is bright!
computerbob06 it certainly. The reason I also have an ice car is because I cannot afford to pay off my Leaf and have another loan / finance on another EV. As soon as my Leaf is paid off I will change my Ice car 😁👍
Good real life example but that car is a bit out of date now, you may end up putting people off. You can get cars (and soon it will be the norm) that could easily do a normal days work without needing to charge once you left home.
chriswortley5 obviously the last thing I want to do is put anyone off but it’s also important to be truthful. Yes newer EVs can cover the distances I talk about in one go but they are out of reach financially for a lot of people. What I hope is my experiences in a tiny 24kwh car show that if it’s easy to do it in that then you have nothing to fear😁👍
chriswortley5 thank you for such a kind offer. I would 100% be interested. Whereabouts are you?
The 40KW Leaf will comfortably achieve 120miles range on single charge in winter. The rapidgate fiasco is a fuss about nothing, most users will rarely repeat charge on the same day. It’s quite rare that I even exceed 200 miles a day in my PHEV.
The Leaf does have other short comings, especially within the purchase price range that it sits.
The ride quality is poor, harsh & choppy on poor surfaces. The cabin layout dated and short of space, the controls & instrumentation are abismal. The rear seats folded is something of a joke.
I have not acclimatised to the car, in fact the more I drive it the more I dislike it !!!
If the chargers are in use when you arrive you're screwed.
How many years for it to pay for itself?
cars never pay for themselves, they are a cost but in return, you have the transport facility they provide. The EVs are a lot cheaper than paying for petrol or diesel.
How many years for an ICE to pay for itself?
The cheapest Nissan Leaf on autotrader I would consider buying is £10k the car I own now is paid for I spend £40 month on fuel I might as well just keep the £40month petrol car if I spend £500 a year on fuel that’s 20years for me to break even on a car that does 80miles to a charge I’ll stick to petrol
@@ShaneQ17 Have you never heard of servicing costs? EV's don't ever get snapped cambelts, clogged injectors, holed exhausts, bent valves, duff clutches, need oil changes, etc., etc., etc. You keep on buying and running old heaps as is your choice but don't complain when your neighbour's EV costs a quarter to run than your fossilsaur does.
Your choice and you are free to make it. When your current car needs replacing just do the sums.
@@michaelgoode9555 hmm my ice car cost £129 to service every 2 years. My leaf costs £149 every other year and £199 in the years in between. But yeah I've spent zero on fuel in the last 6000 miles. Oh and zero tax too
Looking at the Polar Plus App, I believe that you will be billed for both of the Polar charges. Still cheaper than an ICE though. Also the #30 LEAF doesn't really taper until 90% on a Rapid. Great video though.
David G I’m pleased to say I’ve checked my account and no charge😁👍
@@EVOpinion Another fail for the Polar Plus App then.
Or if you had a Kona EV you could have done the whole trip twice without charging. The 24kWh LEAF is OK but not ideal for a lot of people.
MondoTV yep! The future of batteries makes life so much easier. My intention was to show how easy it can be with the smallest battery and subsequently the bigger the battery the less inconvenient. I would suggest 24kwh would be fine for the vast majority of people day to day. Most people don’t need 70+kWh batteries due to the way we charge them. This is the change in mindset that will eventually happen 😁👍
If you’re using Polar charging watch out for a fine from parking eye, the bastards got me for £60 charging at holiday inn. This was my second one in six months! Got to the charger late at night with a baby asleep in the car and didn’t notice any signs. Polar don’t give a toss and just blame parkingeye😡😡😡 goes without saying I cancelled my Polar subscription. If you look on the forums they’re full of people cancelling Polar charging for the same reason!
Glideman I had heard about that. I asked in one of the holiday inns and they told me that you need to give them your registration number when you arrive at reception (most have a tablet on the desk) and then you avoid any fines and can stay as long as you like. I know it’s no good for you now but might help someone in the future.
Jeesh, there’s no way I’d do that
In Summer I like to find charge points in little towns I haven't visited before
It's a nice way to explore
We had a 24Kw Acenta and traded it for a 40Kw Tekna
The reason for changing was comfort not range
If I had the 24Kw Tekna in the first instance I would have kept it (like yourself)
www.wattsup.app/ is a handy app that plans your route and will show if the charger is in use or not
Thanks to Elle th-cam.com/video/XkMlaI_oT6o/w-d-xo.html for that tip
Maybe a review of it for a future video Ryan ?
John
J Tait thanks John. I e been playing with the app this week. It looks good so far. Once I fully understand it then perhaps a video will follow 😁👍
I got a 30kwh Leaf and picked it up yesterday. The drive home was 70 miles and the sat nav said I may not make it home. Left on 76% for home on 9%. I must admit I experienced range anxiety as had my 3 year old with me.
why not just touch
ev opinion great video as always. just read this article from Autocar mag smart home electric vehicle fuel tax. will this slow electric car sales , if it happens
www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/smart-charging-could-lead-electric-vehicle-fuel-tax
It’s all very well knowing where the chargers are, it’s different thing to know if they are working.
I have a 30kwh Leaf on PCP with another 18 months to go, and I cannot what to get shut of it, as I have had more than enough troubles with charges.
You simply cannot plan well in advance if these charges don’t work and there is no alternatives about.
Even today the local charger (Pod Point) was only working on one side, which was already taken up, so I couldn’t charge.
It really frustrates me and I think I will be looking either going back to an ICE car or a hybrid, as the time you have to wait to charge is so unacceptable at the moment.
The charging infrastructure seems so haphazard and should be uniformed.
Story for the rant, but I’m so fed up of it all
Chris B sounds like you’ve had a tough time. I’m sure oh know about ZapMap and PlugShare for up to date info on which chargers are working. Hopefully you’ll find a solution and can stick with a full EV?
EV Opinion Don’t get me wrong, I really like the car as it’s so quiet and comfortable, as pleasure to drive, but it’s the range anxiety I still get.
I am very impatient, and to wait an hour or so for it to charge up does my head in 😆
I’m certain things will change for the better, in the time I’ve got to decide about another EV, but at the moment I’m thinking of an ICE or hybrid.
Appreciate your reply Ryan, thanks 😊
It's a shame that your Leaf is on PCP, Chris, because it sound as though someone would be able to snap your hand off for the bargain purchase! You're right about the hopeless infrastructure, which applies to a number of areas of the U.K. Our city decided that they ought to install some better chargers when they built a new multi-storey car park last year. They turned out to be a handful of 7kW ones; just one step better than the two stands which they installed in two other council car parks. We've a population of over 90,000 people, and about 12 publicly accessible low speed chargers, plus one 22kW charger. Regarding Superchargers, and a ChadeMo unit, we've only one place with them in the county, about an hour's drive away. As a consequence, EV's are a rare species in this neck of the woods. In one word, the situation here is: Abysmal.
RWBHere cheers mate, we are very short on charger here (East Riding of Yorkshire)...there’s a PodPoint in Bridlington and two in Scarborough’s multi-car park. None that I know of in Whitby...so you can see if one or two are out of action it gets a little awkward
Nissan have warned against rapid charging. It damages the batteries. Batteris of all types do not like rapid charging, they get too hot. They won't last long. After 60,000 miles you won't even get 50 miles. The majority of people cannot charge at home. Impossible, so they will be stuffed. Do another video when your car has done 60,000 miles, in the Winter. It will be a different story.
Rapid charging is not bad for the batteries. There was some concern over this when EVs first came out but time has shown it's not an issue. There are Leaf taxi firms in the UK with cars rapid charged every day that reached 100k miles before losing a battery bar and continued working flawlessly before being retired at 174k and sold on (still in use with 70 mile range).
Over 65% of UK homes have off street parking so the majority can charge at home here. Without home charging just now though EV ownership would be less convienent untill the public charging situation improves.
A taxi firm in Torquay retired one of their Nissan Leafs recently. It has done over 150,000 miles, and has usually been recharged quickly. The new owner is happy with it. According to the dash gauge, the battery has lost only 2 bars. I could live with that.
Not worth it at all. Wasting so much time charging the bloody thing. 2-3 times a day, nah, i have better things to do. The ev cars basically rule your life. Not worth the hassle and fear of losing your freedom and when you will ran out of charge willy nilly.