Can't Charge At Home? How It Should Work When You Have Little Choice!

It's a significant hurdle that can only be overcome with infrastructure, but even when that's in place I'm not sure everyone 'gets' how it's going to work.
It's all to do with cows! Sort of!
Website: www.ev-man.co.uk
Twitter: / evmanuk
Tesla Referral: ts.la/andrew31112
Octopus Referral: share.octopus.energy/ore-cobr...

[@williamarmstrong7199]

I know an elderly lady who has a MG ZSEV as a motability car. She loves it. She has no off street parking. She only dose a few miles each week so only needs to recharge every 3 weeks. We have a local pub (a Marstons pub). So every 3 weeks she recharges while having a Sunday Lunch.. nice and civilised! Lol.

[@MrZoomZone]

I just visited a new retirement home. Virtually no parking space, what there was had no charging facility of ANY kind. Disappointing.

[@Muppetkeeper]

I have solar panels, and I'm getting more and a battery. My plan is to have a "petrol station" for my neighbours. I'm going to buy a wall box that just exports the excess from the panels, and charge my neighbours half the going rate for electricity. Win/win/win.

[@UnipornFrumm]

Stonks

[@garyrowe58]

There needs to be pv panels on the roof/bodywork, that are constantly charging.

[@Muppetkeeper]

@@garyrowe58 The weight of such panels reduces the efficiency more than the panels can generate.

[@Cloudrak]

Maybe get those Shell Recharge chargers with the RFID cards to use and set it up like a public charger.

[@jimblack8104]

Where you live I’m moving there now 🤣

[@willlambert3398]

As someone who doesn’t have a home charger and grazes my EV at a park and ride (whilst at work) once or twice a week, I thoroughly agree with everything in this video!

[@MordenTV]

I noticed my id3 in the background at Chester zoo. At the time I thought I recognised you but didn’t say hello, however I wanted to thank you as your videos did help me make the change to electric.

[@TheCvcaelen]

It's only a Twizy I drive, but the most important thing I learned was: ABC : Always Be Charging :-)

[@markyates5744]

Bjorn :)

[@scottwills4698]

My mrs went shopping earlier and I suggested she try and charge while she was there. She said “why? It has 50% in it!” She did charge though and I heard her on the phone to her mom later saying “£3 parking and I got 120miles range added!” She also mentioned that she didn’t have to look for a car parking space because the charging bays were free and by the entrance.

[@peterowen4456]

Friend of mine, an engineer, was telling me he does exactly as you describe. He has off road parking but there were some logistical difficulties in getting a charge point so he does a mixture of destination charging and granny cable. Works for him.

[@terrybranaghan8251]

Hi Tesla obviously charge around £1/minute over 5 minutes (auto debit) past charging completed and will be required to other charging station providers to allow other vehicle use. Agree with content but doubt if Government will grasp in time!

[@benholroyd5221]

@@terrybranaghan8251 do Tesla do destination chargers? The idea is that virtually every parking space would have a charger. If you're parked your charging. Rapid chargers would be more akin to going to a petrol station.

[@popatk]

I live in a flat and unable to charge at home. I have an EV and have no issues charging my car whatsoever!

[@williamforwell8834]

If government are serious, why not electrifying the roads, like scalectrix. With pickups under cars.

[@bigdougscommentary5719]

I live in California. I had a 2013 Leaf in 2018. When I took delivery of my Model 3 LMR in December of 2018, I sold my Leaf to my sister who lives in Columbia , MO. At the time, Columbia only had a handful of EVs. Fortunately, he place of employment had a Level 2 charger with two connectors out front. She lived in an apartment so no home charging available. However, she just drove to work each day and left with a full at the end of the day. Perfect.

[@charlesholder8009]

Well done. I could never imagine owning an EV unless I could "graze " 👍

[@stevecraft00]

I haven't watched the whole video yet but one of the major sticking points in my opinion is the myriad of different public charging points available and the different payment / subscription methods they adopt. Do I subscribe to a petrol station? No. Do I have a card or app to access fuel at a particular station? No. So why must I for an EV charge point? Why can't I simply drive up to a charge point, tap my visa card and charge? I don't want an app for every charge point. I don't want a card for every charge point. I don't want to have to identify each point and work out what I need to do at each one. It's utterly stupid that we've got to this point and there's no uniformity. This needs to change. I would also like a simple "this is how much each kwh will cost at this charge point" pricing sign. Like petrol stations have to do. Again, it's completely bonkers that pricing remains a mystery.

[@ericapelz260]

Spot on! Installing more level 2 destination chargers will be far more useful to the average person, cheaper to install, and less stress on aging infrastructure. Done this way you spend less time than filling with gas...

[@originalwoodster789]

Picked up my MG5 a few weeks ago. I live in a Terraced property with no way of installing a wall charger or using a granny charger. Destination charging is my only option. So, Tesco have introduced free chargers with PodPoint chargers as well as Rapid Chargers that you need to pay for, for me this is less than 5 miles away, so while doing a weekly shop, I can charge for up to 3 hours and put more kWh in than what I've taken out.

[@antoniopalmero4063]

I asked my local Asda in Taunton, Somerset when are you going to install electric vehicle chargers ?. They told me there were no plans to install any soon. So I go to Tesco who have 4 bays (pod point) ✅

[@Brian-om2hh]

Make a point of writing to Asda's CEO, telling him/her you will be shopping at Tesco in future, as they offer free charging for EV drivers. You may also like to point out that if Asda got off their arses and bothered to find out, they'd discover they could get a Government grant to install chargers on their car parks... Tesco obviously have! A supermarket *not* having EV chargers on it's premises in the near future, will put them at an ever increasing disadvantage.......as the number of EV's grows.

[@jonathansmith5850]

Must be their manager. One of our local Asda’s has 3-7 ke chargers

[@RandomNoob]

I generally shop at tesco's now because of free charging but sometimes especially now all 4 bays can be in use but when I first got a EV I was lucky to find 1 in use.

[@Brian-om2hh]

@@jonathansmith5850 Or maybe, just maybe, the Local Authority in that particular location has a green(ish) policy, and has helped that branch of Asda to facilitate the installation. Good PR for the Local Authority, and good for Asda's customers......everyone's happy.

[@ecok]

@@Brian-om2hh We got some help from local council [or maybe government] (50% subsidy IIRC) to put EV chargers in the car park at work. Very few EVs using them as yet, but we wanted to encourage that. I think I'll put up some "Reserved for EV" signs so that the ICE will have to park down the road and walk to work ...

[@antoniopalmero4063]

Mandatory charging posts in every carpark with over 50 spaces. 👍

[@JohnR31415]

Why 50? I’d also rather that there was a requirement for accessible ev spaces.

[@MrZoomZone]

@@JohnR31415 well YOU would wouldn't you. But you still want to park in non ev spaces. That suggests a sense of entitlement.

[@JohnR31415]

@@MrZoomZone erm? I’ll park in a non charging spot when I’m not charging - that doesn’t seem in any way contentious. The fact that people with disabilities may also need access to a public charger really shouldn’t come as a surprise. As to the “why 50” question… it seems like quite a large car park for such a minimum. Just finishing up a fairly large building with a little shy of 50 spaces, but provision for three charge points (6 cars), including an accessible space.

[@AdrianNelson1507]

@@JohnR31415 I'm one of those disableds with an EV and can confirm this would be a huge benefit :)

[@williamclark6466]

EVM, Thank you for a very good explanation of how most people will likely be able to improve their lives because of the better use of their time in powering 🔋 their vehicles by grazing-charging instead of making dedicated fueling stops. I think you explained it in a way that should help folks understand how the new era in transportation energy will fit into their lives.

[@Smartsparky]

Here in Scotland the charging is shite. I’ve had my electric car for a year and you actually can’t rely on a charger here. I have the Charge car Scotland customer service on speed dial. And as for ice cars parking in an electric bay is getting on my tits! Every time I’m tempted to let there tyres down, 1 time I will.

[@Soordhin]

The law needs to keep up with stuff like that. Over here in Berlin/Germany i call the police if someone has an ICE in a charging spot (or an EV that is not charging or is doing so for more than 4 hours during the day) and they call a towing truck, tow that vehicle to a free parking space elsewhere (can be quite far away). Which costs the owner €280 for the towing truck and a further €55 fine for parking on an EV charging place.

[@steveearley8352]

@@Soordhin how sensible!

[@chrischild3667]

Recent holiday in Scotland and I was surprised by how easy it was. I was grazing on the 22kW chargers dotted throughout Argyll & Bute. My car pulls 11kW so a healthy refill was had whilst the family and I did a tourist thing. Had 2 issues the entire week, with one rapid charger playing up the first time and then it being offline totally the 2nd. CPS card worked a treat everywhere. Was only there a week though and the rapid chargers are few and far between and probably fecked like you say.

[@Smartsparky]

@@chrischild3667 I wish it was as you say but unfortunately you've been very lucky.

[@jeffb7241]

We traveled the North Coast 500 (picked up the i3 from Edinburgh) and only once did I have a minor inconvenience where the phone signal was poor so had trouble starting the charge. Had we the charge Scotland RFID card, I'm sure would have been even easier. All the charging was free as a bonus.

[@michaelheadley2041]

When I get a EV eventually, that is the plan I had in mind, thanks for the advice 👍🏿

[@markwhiting7365]

Thanks for the channel. I can honestly say that yours was the first channel I subscribed to when contemplating ev ownership. Just taken delivery of m3 lr with your referral. Keep up with the honest down to earth reviews.

[@antoniopalmero4063]

Grazing is the key to EV’s 100% bang on Andy.👍

[@jonathansmith5850]

Generally keeping between 20-80% is best for battery life so I’m presuming 2 maybe 3 grazing charges per week should be ok

[@lemongavine]

Only if you don’t have home charging, right?

[@wttdegs]

So much sense in this one, nicely done 👍👏👏👏

[@petercrisford2867]

Totally agree with this Andy. I'm fortunate that I have home charging and solar, but I also graze when the facility is there. Just like my smart phone, I never sit waiting for it to charge. I have no idea how long my smart phone takes to charge, I just plug it in as I drive, at work or whenever .. it's a perfect analogy to my mind

[@iainshepherd8500]

And who pays for these chargers? If the average cost for a home charger is £750 then a business will need to find thousands of pounds to install them. That cost will be passed onto the customer at retail outlets and the place you work will charge whatever it wants. I agree that mass access to charging is necessary to expand the adoption of ev, but there is a huge cost involved to business and councils.

[@alanlaidler1566]

I’m a driving instructor and I teach in a corsa e elite nav premium,I just make sure I’m charged at the beginning of the day and take an hr out midday to recharge fast charging,it cost me 6-7 quid on a rapid charge, but it’s better than £100 a week on diesel.on my days off i fast charge it just round the corner from my apartment,it’s not a problem,just a different way of thinking 🤔👍🏻😁

[@lordbaron104]

Fantastic explanation mate ! Thanks a ton 😊

[@reallyoldfatgit]

The presence of chargers has already made me change my plans to visit one venue in preference to another, however, no amount of chargers will ever make me go inside IKEA ever again.

[@t3hpwninat0r]

i totally agree with this sentiment. i don't have an EV but I would do the same... except I have no problem going to IKEA 😂

[@G_C340]

I still have a blackberry.😊 Once the supermarkets (and others) realise that chargers are a magnet for customers they will be putting them in. Especially if you get a discount on your charge when you buy something at the store.

[@sooty8992]

Tesco already do free charging points. You don't even have to do shopping. I have tested this with my local tesco and asked the manager. He told me the charger is open to all shoppers and none shoppers.

[@markyates5744]

Important to keep your EV battery between 10-90% most of the time, and if you need to dip into 0-10 and 90-100 - do it for very short periods - unhealthy for the battery to be kept near empty, or near full charge. Ideally keep it between 30 and 70% unless you're somebody who might suddenly need to drive a long distance - and then there is the supercharger / charging network. This is less of a problem for the newer Model 3 SR+ which uses Lithium Iron Phosphtate battery chemistry (less energy dense, heavier, more tolerant of deep cycling).

[@jimrandall1739]

I’ve had my Ioniq for 18 months and never had to charge away from home. Due to a fault with my home charger this has changed. So, I am doing exactly as you describe. My plan for my shopping trip today (this is my usual trip without charging). Drive 8 miles to Aldi, 1 mile to Waitrose, 9 miles Lidl, 500 yds ty Morrison’s, and the 6 miles home. At Morrison I will charge the car while I do a bit of shopping, then read the papers over a cup of coffee, this takes maybe 30 mins. I get back to the car and it’s added about 45 miles to the range, almost twice as much as I’ve used for the whole trip. As for phone charging, I was charging the car at McDonald’s the other day and having another cup of coffee, and the table had a free induction phone charger built in. Billy Bonus I think.

[@jonathanmeazza427]

Probably your best informative video yet.

[@Jaw0lf]

I think about charging my EV little and often, that serves most of my use. Longer journeys I tend to top up just enough to get me home. I love visiting certain supermarkets that offer free 7 or 11 kWh charges. Also trying a paid BP Pulse that also offers more free chargers. We live 12 miles away from our local petrol station and if you visit at the wrong time of day, petrol takes over an hour to top up and I have then used a couple of pounds worth to get home. So EV is far better fully charged overnight whilst I sleep! Another great video and always saying things that make sense

[@matthewcooper7672]

Just ordered a skoda enyaq and can't charge at home as house is 50 meters from road, but have chargers at work so can fully charge ( for free 🙂 ) there for a day so guessed I will be fine. So glad this video reinforces this

[@qwerty1weir]

good choice! had mine a week, you wont be disappointed

[@matthewcooper7672]

@@qwerty1weir thanks looking forward to it ( currently quoted Feb for delivery) first step into ev world

[@jonathansmith5850]

Our local Tesco’s have free chargers. 22kw. Also few fairly cheap 50kw rapids locally. It’s much easier than people realise. Park up. Go shopping and have a coffee.

[@matthewcooper7672]

@@jonathansmith5850 thanks got a asda with chargers at bottom of road and a few rapid chargers about, also am getting older so am not planning on rushing about so happy to stop for 20 mins and have a coffee while it charges

[@johnmckay1423]

You're arguably better off than the people who charge at home! I have to pay for my electricity.

[@phlegam42]

Absolutely spot on advice, this needs to be on mainstream to educate the doubters. Like this vid folks, it needs to be up there on the algorithm. I have a 22kw leaf and grazing is a way of life!

[@stewardjames]

I completely agree re the need for destination chargers. We went on our first family holiday with our EV (a Kia Soul 64khw so plenty of range but we did 200 miles getting there) over the summer. Having no option to charge where we were staying we had to rely on grazing and actually once we got used to it, it worked really well. The biggest win was going to Yorkshire Wildlife Park and being able to plug in for the day and get back to 100%.

[@antburrows6710]

I plugged in at home,for the 4 hours tonight @ 28% left. I said to the wife, I couldn’t believe how much,I don’t miss fuel stations. People can’t understand it takes seconds to refuel an ev.

[@Brian-om2hh]

Yep, and I certainly don't miss standing in a puddle of spilt diesel, having to hold a usually filthy nozzle in place until the car was full.

[@delboy7039]

Very well explained....!!

[@michaeldawson6309]

Your correct Petrol stations are smelly. I filled up with unleaded and got diesel on my soles so had a smelly diesel smell for hours. I'd rather charge from home or like you advise. My next car will be an EV 100%

[@SteveJones-om6ks]

Got an EV on the strength of work putting charging in to the office car park. Covid scrapped that. Can’t charge at home so live on grazing. What you’ve missed is that grazing needs available chargers. Visited 6 different sites on Sunday and all jammed solid with other grazers. Need to get the message out louder that if you can’t charge at home don’t look at full EV just yet. Until someone sorts out the destination charging it’s just going to make a bad situation worse and set people against EVs.

[@juliandavies7890]

Great video and exactly what I have been doing since I owned an EV.

[@jolyonfelton2574]

I agree with everything you’ve said. It would be nonsense to fill up your ICE car with petrol in tiny amounts every day but I plug my car in whenever it gets to about 50% but, as you say, only whenever I’m doing something else so its not a waste of time. If I plug in at Sainsbury’s when I’m shopping there I arrive at home with 3 or 4 more miles than I set out with but have done something extra with the time I was in the shop.

[@Brian-om2hh]

That's basically the adjustment people will need to make. It's not difficult, just different. But some still have a problem with it. My 80 year old father in law buys a new car every 4 years or so, and is aware of the growth in electric car sales, but says he couldn't live with one. He lives quite rurally, and drives around 100 miles per week to get shopping and visit the doctor etc, but steadfastly maintains that he "couldn't be bothered" plugging it in. Yet he travels several miles to the nearest petrol station when he needs petrol! I explained that plugging the car in might take all of 5 seconds once a week, but no, he still remains unconvinced. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink. The best of it is, he's already using cheaper rate electricity because his place has storage heaters. There is no gas available in his area.

[@ecok]

@@Brian-om2hh My elderly father in law would like one, also very rural location, but he's hesitant because of the cost at his age - he does a lot less than 100 miles a week. He'd definitely love NOT having to drive to a smelly forecourt and I think he'd get on better with automatic than his current manual. Hadn't thought to get him to drive mine and see what he thinks ... I'll do that.

[@chrisredfield3240]

@@ecok if doing low mileage an EV won't really pay off. Probably just cost way more, no matter how nice it is to drive.

[@chrisredfield3240]

@@Brian-om2hh if buying new every 4 years a EV sounds like a great idea. I never change cars ever and have a 10 year old car. I probably do 2000miles a year. Getting a EV definitely wouldn't work for me.

[@delly4life]

Your first 12sec, summed up my biggest obstacle. Its no longer are the cars good enough, its now about the accessibility especially from home for people who live in flats, or dont have dedicated parking spaces.

[@pokerman111111111111]

i just top up at lidl while i shop every week - just do something while you charge so the time isnt wasted.

[@superduperawesome6858]

I know you’ve done plenty of quality blogs but I personally think this has to be the best in terms information and common sense!👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 Let’s hope someone involved in the role out of public chargers is watching and, at least, you should us social media and send to the relevant Government office. 👍🏻

[@chrisbeard1750]

I don't think this concept is realistic at all. It certainly isn't in terms in terms of the real we are currently living in. Not every car park has a charge point, or if it has, it will probably be in use, or not working. No sorry, totally unrealistic.

[@JohnDunkley]

I do this too. Works great!

[@olitonottero7620]

Great review

[@patrickjr11]

This is completely correct.

[@robsmith1a]

When I had my Zoe there was a day when I picked up friends from Heathrow (plugged in to a 7kw charger for 90 mins while I waited for them) and then drove to Farnham where I picked up a friend to go for a coffee at a garden centre near Fleet (plugged in another 2 hours at a 7 kw charger). When I got home later that day I had more juice than when I left in the morning (and the chargers were all free).

[@chrisredfield3240]

3 1/2 hours of charging at 7kw for free. That won't be a thing when we're all driving electric cars!

[@Kopchronicles]

Thanks so much I had not thought of it that way. I am getting my first EV in April and have no home charger.

[@haznick]

I have no off-road parking and a Tesla Model 3. I just use the rapid chargers in my local town. I have a 50kw rapid in Morrisons where I can leave the car and do other things for an hour while it charges up. It's not ideal but it works. The main issue is parking on the road and not being able to use sentry mode during the day because it uses up 1% per hour.

[@GeoffKirby]

That's great you can use Morrisons I live in Nottingham and I"m struggling to find decent chargers around me. I live NG5 4GT. could you just drape a cable over your pavement to charge or is that illegal ?

[@haznick]

@@GeoffKirby Looks like there's a couple of Rapid 50kw chargers near you. One on Haywood Road past Sainsbury's local, and another at Arnold Leisure Centre just past Asda. Try and choose one near somewhere you can walk and get a coffee or do something else like shopping. Asda seems perfect for that. Also, download the apps for the provider of that charger so you're prepared in advance.

[@benpaynter]

Ultimately the point you make is correct, there just needs to be chargers everywhere. I rely 100% on public charging and at the moment it consistently causes me headaches. In future cars with bigger ranges and ability to accept 11- 22kw from fast chargers will make a big difference. Also as a side note - It should be mandatory for all cars to release a rapid charging connector once the car has finished charging. My 2016 Leaf does this with CHAdeMO connectors but I've come across a few different vehicles with CCS where the car has finished charging but the cable is locked in place until they unlock the car. Whilst it doesn't impact me as I'm not needing the CCS connection those who need CCS are unable to use the charger until the owner returns.

[@positivelycharged1296]

Well said, swapped my supermarket so I can shop and graze!

[@stephenholland5930]

Unfortunately, none of the supermarkets in my fairly large town have any chargers. Hopefully the new Lidl being built, will have some.

[@davidsommen1324]

Spot on.

[@fulmarmedia]

The government just needs to push the installation of chargers at the work place. As someone who lives in a flat I do 95% of my charging at work and rest at my local rapid chargers.

[@edwardpickering9006]

Best video yet I would say. Straightforward and to the point. Not so sure about the phone/keyboard annalygy mind, surely most interacts via Siri/Hey Google with their phone now?!

[@ElectricVehicleMan]

Did you type this or dictate to Siri?

[@bernardcharlesworth9860]

I stayed in a b&b last week and the lady unplugged the washing mc in the outhouse and I plugged in overnight. I have a charger at home and when someone visits happy for a friend plug in while they are having a cup of tea . As an electrician I am being asked to add a charger as part of PV installation.Your right they will be everywhere. The dno are very much on track for this to happen. Just give Western power a call.

[@rogertaboyle1]

The charging system has to work. I used a Zoe for 2 years and the car FREQUENTLY wouldn't charge. This meant I was always reluctant to travel more than my range( even when I knew chargers were at my destination). The points made about chargers at destinations is fair, but it only takes 5 minutes to fill a car and provide you with 500 miles range at a petrol station.

[@AleksandarStefanovic]

This is a legitimate concern, it is equally important to keep the chargers operational and compatible, as well as to install them. Especially with grazing when going to work, you have no time to spend troubleshooting charging issues. However, I believe that these are growing pains, and that it will improve in the future.

[@rogertaboyle1]

@@AleksandarStefanovic perhaps I was too early an adopter, but it was 2 WASTED years!!!

[@grumpyto5]

A well presented case for EV charging. I only have to Rapid charge on longer trips with my Leaf grazing fulfils most power capacity requirements.

[@Telcontarnz]

Brilliant video and well ahead of what others are saying. Takes a Yorkshireman! I really believe we are over focussing on fast chargers. Sure we needs them on longer journeys so they are awesome at service stations and when well positioned on long runs. Grazing is the perfect way. Go to work, get a charge. Go shopping, get a charge. Stay in a hotel, get a charge. At a train hub, get a charge. Depending on where it is the charger can really be quite slow..if you park at the train station for example, or at work, it could be granny charger speeds and still be awesome.

[@Gillibrand65]

You are making a lot of sense.

[@SyKik8]

Very good point, there is a Costco in London that has tons of electric chargers. Only bleeding issue, is that they force you to stick your head in the Costco garage and ask someone in there to enable charging. I do only have a PHEV at this point, so nowadays I don't even bother. Typically because they have more than enough work on their hands, without having to run into the car park to enable and disable the chargers. Costco have got it very wrong there.

[@RWBHere]

Grazing. That's exactly what we do. And the cost benefits are a bonus.

[@seanbranagh]

100% agree that grazing is the way to go. Personally we can charge at home but when travelling on family breaks we use the grazing method while eating or visiting attractions. One point I would note though. Right now almost all destination charge points are Type 2 sockets which makes sense as there are still quite a few cars with Type 1 connections. We personally have one Type 1 car (Leaf 30) and one Type 2 (Model 3). In the not too distant future there will only be Type 2 connections on cars in Europe so I think then destination AC charge points should be tethered as Tesla destination charge points currently are, because getting your own cable out of the car and then coiling it up every time is a pain.

[@dizzyikea]

I did this just this week, we needed to get a few things not available locally in our high street shops, as we have a smaller shopping area in our town. I left home with 50ish % charge and headed off to the city near by (40 miles) were we thought we would find the stuff we wanted. Plugged in at a Tesco on a 22kw charger (my car only does 11) FOR FREE! Went off to find the stuff we wanted only to figure out not available here also. So onto the next bigger city, with by this time on the 11kw charger a full battery. Then at the next place no items we wanted and a 7kw charger full again before we left and then on to Meadowhall. A year ago they had 5 or 6 chargers always blocked by i assume staff? now 30+. I did not charge at Meadowhall as it is 30p/kwh but i still got home thanks to tesco at my first stop with about the same i left with after ~160 miles of travel.

[@sandy7108]

As most of us weren’t around when ICE car started we don’t know how readily available and convenient petrol stations were I bet they had the same complaints as there is for electric cars now.

[@barryhaeger4284]

I absolutely agree. But ATM Fast chargers so often ICE'd or as my local Sainsburys with four EV Charging bays only one side of one of the PodPoint posts is working and it has been that way for months! An yesterday there was a Telsa Model 3 parked yes PARKED in the only working bay not even hooked up! Rant Rant Rant!

[@edc1569]

Until people start to take action it won't change.

[@nicdensley4104]

Spot on

[@pompeyexileuk205]

You are spot on. It just means drivers have to change the way they top up (charge). The only issue is that wherever you are going there will be enough chargers for you to plug in to when you get there. One two or three at a destination will just not be enough. Government but also retailers have to really get on board wih this. My local Morrisons and Lidl have chargers but Morrisons have 3 and Lidl just the one. Nowhere near enough not even now, as the times I've been there and they are all being used. As they say, only time will tell and in 3 years when my current EV lease runs out, when I'm sure there will be many more to choose from and at cheaper prices, it will be interesting to see what progress has been made.

[@ksmith660]

I completely agree with you EVM! Except the chargers should come with cables attached (tethered like in the USA) so you don't have to get your "spare cable" out of the car every time! You don't have to carry a spare petrol hose in your ICE car do you...

[@ElectricVehicleMan]

That assumes all EVs on the road have the same plug. Rapids are always tethered.

[@ksmith660]

@@ElectricVehicleMan cars that don't use CCS could carry adapters... It's got to be easy to "graze" otherwise it's going to be a PITA.

[@ElectricVehicleMan]

@@ksmith660 All rapid chargers are tethered now, assuming that’s what you mean. I was talking about AC charging.

[@toxicslix]

I totally agree with you. I bought a 21 KIA E-Niro. The decision that made it easy for us was the fact that I work for local Gov't and have access to a L2 charger Monday to Friday, plus a L1 in the apartment that I live in for top ups if need be, but mostly I just do it because they charge me extra for the EV space vs a regular space - which doesn't have a plug. All in all since the E-Niro has a great range 400 KM+ (100%) and I have access at work, I could get away with never charging at home.

[@Superphillipo]

Totally get what you're trying to convey. I already "graze" with my phone. I try to get through the day without charging it so that I can plug in at night when I'm asleep. If I know I'm at work the next day I will more often than not skip the night charge & charge it at work instead.

[@rp9674]

If it goes into production Aptera lightweight EV with solar is 1 solution. Attitude makes a difference, finding charging opportunities VS finding reasons to keep driving gas. I got by on 110 v charging at home for a year. I also partial charge at work, the best is when I had access to 110 f t outlet, 8 hours of charging at work was more than enough. Now I have a 220v home charger, makes life easier, especially w/ 2 EVs.

[@scrumfisher]

Excellent video, you talk a lot of sense. Couple of points re rapid chargers and "hogging" 1. Is there a case for limiting a charge to say 15mins and requiring the driver to be in attendance? 2.Could a text be sent when car reaches say 85% and a small fine if the car isn't moved within say ten mins? Just a couple of thoughts

[@stewartthompson4325]

We live in Glasgow and don’t have off street parking. We have a Corsa e and we absolutely love it. Easy and fun to drive, cheap as chips (charge place Scotland are still free in Glasgow for now) it is a bit more inconvenient because the destination chargers are not great in Glasgow there are some but not around where we shop. Once there is is chargers at all the super markets it will be perfect. Even 3kw chargers are great there’s a few 3 kw podpoint units at Glasgow fort. When we go we’re there for so long that we always leave with more than we went with. If it makes it cheaper I’d rather see loads of 3 kw point than a few 50 or 100kw points

[@Sp_75-76]

Continual grazing makes a lot of sense, but car designers need to include a retractable charging cable (like a hover) so you are not forever having to take out the lead and then roll it up again

[@tedbaxter5234]

The larger electric system is not prepared for an all EV world. More destination chargers are good but the distribution grid is not close to capable of the transition. Thank you for the video, stay safe and healthy!

[@ElectricVehicleMan]

Got lots of years yet.

[@Brian-om2hh]

The National Grid say they aren't worried. They anticipate 9 million EV's on Britain's roads by 2030... Ted, the UK's oil refineries produce 14 million gallons of petrol and 11 million gallons of diesel each day. Each gallon requires approximately 8kw of electricity to produce it. That equates to roughly to enough electricity to charge 3.29 million electric cars every day..... If it becomes an "all EV world", then we won't be needing all that petrol and diesel, will we? And of course not every EV will need charging every day. I charge mine around every 8 to 9 days.

[@ashtaroth1975]

Grazing = ABC always be charging as Bjorn Nyland says

[@robinbettridge670]

I'm one of those people who doesn't have off-road parking, either at home in London or visiting family in Sidmouth, Devon. Something which would make grazing a bit less of a faff would be tethered cables on more AC charge points. Sometimes they are there, but rarely. I find that the weather alters my likelihood to get out the cable. Who wants to have to coil and stow their wet and dirty snake!

[@jammymark]

Just a question for anyone on here. Has anyone ever seen a charger installed by taking power from an overhead car park light? You know the ones i mean. Huge supermarket car parks with big stadium style light posts that normally mean the corner of 4 adjoining car park spaces have been lopped off. What if you could attach 4 chargers to the bottom of the post making those 4 spaces EV charging? Not sure if the cabling in place could handle the power draw but they would certainly be easier to spot than tucked away in some corner with poor signage!

[@Brian-om2hh]

Ubitricity have been doing that sort of thing for a few years already Mark. Street light chargers, plus stand alone bollard type chargers, ideal for street installation as the wiring for lighting is already under the pavement. They don't normally deliver a great current though, usually just a few kw. But still fine for a top up.

[@robinbettridge670]

I second that @@Brian-om2hh I don't have off-street parking, so I use a mix of Ubitricity street-lamp charging and a Lidl not to far away. The Ubitricity power is 5.5kW on most of the lampposts, so not that much different to typical domestic and destination 7kW sockets. The Lidl is handy for when I want a charge in a bit of a hurry or when the kerb-side lampposts are ICE-ed (because they aren't reserved for EVs). I think it is a great idea utilising the lamppost infrastructure. The power is often there because of the legacy of power needed for non-LED bulbs. I often visit towns in East Devon, where the local authorities have really dragged their feet in installing any public charging. There are great solutions like Ubitricity's (now part of Shell) or the rapid charging from Instavolt. One of the great advantages of the Ubitricity system is that all there is which is visible is the type-2 socket set into the inspection panel of the lamppost and a small instruction label with a QR code on it. You scan the QR code with your phone and it opens a webpage, the webpage is the right one for that charge point, it shows the address, you confirm the payment. There's no over-sized street furniture to add, no RFID or contactless technology to fail, which is a good idea in salt-spray lashed coastal towns! Who wants fancy posts with lights, LCD displays, card scanners, air intakes and fans to rust and fail. When I unplug I get an emailed invoice a few seconds later and the provided credit card is charged. We already know some of the technology winners, but it seems the council is poised to install some no-name minority player which has no doubt ticked the right boxes on some sort of box-ticking appraisal. There will be *another* app to install on my phone :-(

[@jimmcdonald6465]

You make excellent points as ever but it'll turn on whatever markup these public chargepoints demand.

[@kronos2611]

destination charging is key, and is why I can't yet switch to an EV no matter how much I want to. None of the supermarkets nearby have charge points although I think there's a McDonalds nearby that has charge points. I've had a look at the charge maps from various sources and sadly the most common notice is "out of service". We've tried to get communal chargers installed where I live (mostly flats) but because the parking bays are officially owned by the council the answer is a hard no, which is a shame because that would significantly increase the number of EVs here.

[@philipbrown4602]

Well said. Happily I am lucky enough to have a charge point at home. As yet I never use charge points elsewhere, but If supermarkets has rows of fast charge points, then I would definatly use them whilst shopping. Bring on the fast charge network. We should not need that many rapid chargers if we have lots of fast chargers.

[@ravitoday]

This is exactly what I think about charging. I just am not anywhere as good as you in articulation. I have experienced the convenience of home /destination charging and how superior it is to petrol filling. But did not know how to explain to people. I wish @MKBHD had seen this video before his 100 mile road trip video and done overnight charging at hotels.

[@micheltebraake7915]

Attempt 2. I completely agree with what you say. The municipalities and provinces have to adapt large parking areas so that it does not matter where you park your car, petrol, diesel or EV, there is a charging point for the EV.

[@MrZoomZone]

A very brave face on an ugly problem. I considered moving nearer work area to a place with driveway just so my job collecting and returing 'items' in a rural area next to a city would work well. Currently I drive petrol and (sort of) GRAZE with that fuel. In other words fuel in my home area is far more expensive at home so I already have to fill up while on active service when time is precious. I really wanted this video to give me some hope by showing me something I had not considered that would work but it just magnified my concerns because it failed to mention the likely relative cost of charging for drivers without a driveway and the likelyhood of the charging station being non-operational. Believe me I think ahead about this no driveway probelm EVERY day I arrive home and it annoys the heck out of me that it could end up being a big liability. Thanks for trying but I am still irritated by this big "if". Furthermore 'if' I had moved and had home charging installed it might not help from a social perspective because the next occupant of my old home could have the same problem.

[@nyftn]

i have a fast charging station where i live . and already did a few test weekends with EV. i fully understand it's very different in every region but when you have a fast charger (low prices) it's very easy to make the switch. i can't charge at home. i also believe charging at work is the solution for many (including myself) . to keep as many chargers as possible out of the city

[@alanrobinson2229]

But at the speed EVs are picking up,the chargers will all be taken. Eg,my local supermarket had a Tesla and VW on charge(2 points), when I got there and an E Tron circling like a shark🙀

[@ElectricVehicleMan]

It’s a big challenge ahead, but it has to happen.

[@JustfishNascar]

Currently if we can get the establishments to see the advantage of having more charge points in their parking lot they’ll have customers. The cinema is the genius location. I charge at home once a week, I could do that in 3 hrs at the movies.

[@johnwinters4201]

That's why all the destinations need to become more like Chester Zoo. Rather than having 2 chargers tucked away in a corner of the car park, your supermarket will need chargers in perhaps a quarter of the parking spaces - more as the numbers go up. There's less scope for a supermarket, but at a hotel for instance, they would then want an intelligent control system. Clearly you can't charge everyone at the same time, but if you plug in on arrival and state your requirements - I need a little trip out on Saturday afternoon and then a full charge when I leave on Monday morning - the control system can decide when to charge each car at the lowest possible cost. The control system should also cope with the car being parked in a different bay when it returns from the Saturday afternoon outing. Make computers do the work.

[@stuartevans6807]

That may be because its free and better to charge there instead of home. When its not free you notice alot of ev's not using them

[@ElectricVehicleMan]

@@stuartevans6807 it’s not free at Chester zoo.

[@gavjlewis]

Roll on 2035! Park on the street at home (or a surrounding street if I'm not that lucky). Have to arrive early for work to find a parking space on the road (or join the queue of people aimlessly driving round looking for a space). Since home delivery has been a thing I hardly ever go to the supermarket. I have not been to the cinema since Dec 2019 (Starwars IX), as Netflix is a thing. There are some 7kw chargers in a car park that I could use but at 40p/kWh plus £1 per 30min stay (maximum 3hrs). So that's £8.40 to charge, £6 to park, so £14.40 for what 80 miles? So more than ICE. So I think the answer is apply for a job at Chester Zoo! 😂

[@jonathantaylor1998]

Oh my goodness...! 40p per kW on a 'fast charger' is extortion...! That's the same as the 'top end' pricing for 50kWh rapid chargers, where you would only need to stop for 30-60 minutes. I've just searched for the local Pod-Point fast chargers in my home town in South Yorkshire and they are free. If that pricing is what you're up against in your local area, then how on Earth does your Council expect there to be an uptake in EVs for the benefit of the local environment...??? That's nuts... 😡

[@Wheelchairuser90]

I enjoy watching your videos and they’ve been invaluable for me. As a wheelchair user, finding the most suitable EV that’ll accommodate my wheelchair & hand control adaptions has been a challenge. Grazing will be my chosen EV charging option too. My only criticism would be that you need to spend a bit of cash on a new wardrobe! No more faded grey washed out ill fitting jeans! Lol

[@nigelweir3852]

If cars had on board chargers that where like the zoe and etron option and had 22 kw ac charger it would be even better but ac 7 kw ac is perfectly acceptable for most grazing events

[@paulmellish9785]

I can’t charge at home and it works really well for me you are quite right I top up a couple of times a week and I have had no problems at all if I am going on a long journey I top up more often in the proceeding week in preparation for my long journey it’s a piece of cake but I am quite Lucky as we do have quite a few chargers in our town I have had my ev for 2 years now and have never had any problems what so ever and as more chargers come on line it will be even better.

[@simondavies1138]

Completely agree, I plug mine in wherever I can - but sadly that’s not enough at the moment and on longer journeys it just isn’t convenient at all - especially as a lot of the trunk road charging equipment is either expensive or faulty. Let’s hope that this utopia that we hope for comes to fruition, and the people driving around gas guzzlers relinquish they’re obsession with fossil fuels being king. Large swathes of the country are without even basic charging currently and it’s just not good enough

[@burtonyan8467]

Lots of smart talking points. As someone who doesn't have a driveway and itching to get an electric car, I can't wait for this to become a reality!

[@Richpaisley]

Destination charging is what I attempt most of the time. It's frustrating when the chargers at the destination don't hold up their end of the bargain and are out of service or just turned off. Sometimes the destination changes based on the availability of a working charger!

[@markparker5585]

Intelligent wireless charging takes this a step further. If we get to the stage of a high surplus of renewables, and various large scale storage options for that surplus generated energy, the small loss of an efficient wireless charging system over a cable, really won't be an issue. For general commuting at least, having to plug in may well become a rare occurrence.

[@graememudie7921]

It’s an inconvenience every time you need to fill up with petrol.

[@chrisredfield3240]

I only go every 800miles I have to get 10 litres of add blue every 4000miles that does actually annoy me.

[@jammymark]

Absolutely. I recently bought an MG ZS EV. Not a massive range. (140 miles in normal mode) And visited my daughter at university 120 miles away. Managed to charge back up to 80% in an hour but being as the last 20% is always slow to top up i knew i would also have to stop on the way home. I popped in to Wetherby services on the way home (i think they're 100kw chargers) and in the time it took me to plug in, go for a toilet break and pick up a drink i had put in 30 miles extra in literally 10/15 minutes. More than enough to get back home. Its all about changing your mindset. I imagine its like my old diesel car having a 1/3rd of a tank of fuel all the time because everywhere i stop i just top it back up.

[@Brian-om2hh]

You said it Mark. Just a few slight changes to the way we've usually done it before, and it'll all work just fine. More infrastructure will simply make things easier still, and that's coming all the time. There are around 600 new chargers per month being installed now....

[@Grinding_Gears]

We stopped at Wetherby last Sunday evening. All chargers charging and two cars waiting. Always have enough charge to get to the next charger on your route. Booths at Ripon had three chargers available.

[@LISA75_]

YOU are correct that the car charging infrastructure needs to GET A MOVE ON IN THE UK because I am one of those people who can not have a home charger , also I think that there should be legislation on the manufacturers about standardizing charging ports in cars then we all won't be running around with Our own cables the chargers would have a standard cable that fits all CARS , LIKE A USB TYPE C. And 300miles should be the minimum for car battery size, and Also I think there needs to be more hybrid car options IMO that is the more feasible idea for me . BUT THIS IS GOING NOWHERE UNLESS WE BUILD MORE POWER STATIONS .

[@noisesoff3985]

One problem I see, and I think you touched on this, is the availability of public charging points keeping up with the demand. An EV owner used to be fairly confident that at least one charging point would be available at their destination, but the sales of EVs are increasing and these days, I often see destination chargers all occupied. What isn't recorded, is how many EVs are parked on standard bays not charging. A forward thinking charging provider should see that when utilisation figures are above 50%, then they should be planning to install more charging points.

[@Petelmrg]

Well thought through and explained, it’s the way we use ours with no home charger; as take-up increases (and it will, rapidly) things will only get better - and that’s coming from a paid-up member of the pessimist club.

[@ravenfeeder1892]

Spot on. Supermarkets and retail parks need to be installing rapid chargers across their parking areas. For an added bonus they can cover the parking with elevated solar panels which has the bonus of providing the cars with shade and the shoppers with protection from the rain. The supermarkets make more money and the shoppers want to go there. Win, win.