Charging An Electric Car - Media Just Haven't A Clue!

Even now as electric cars and vehicles are becoming 'normal', mainstream media are still utterly clueless as to what they're actually like to live with!
So in what was admittedly a 'ah crap I forgot to do one' video, I tried to vent a little.
Merch: www.lovelymerch.com/evm/
Tesla Referral: ts.la/andrew31112
Octopus Referral: share.octopus.energy/ore-cobr...

[@norfolkmustard]

I rented an EV for a week to see if I could live with one comfortably. No problem, and bought one a few months later. That was a year ago and I wouldn’t go back to petrol now.

[@Soepsliert]

@Janna Yup, some of us have to wait until today's new EVs trickle down as second hand cars (personally I bought a used PHEV last year (and replaced 80% of expensive gas with cheap ass own solar electricity), next time it will be a BEV). However, it has always been like this, so no news there. For anyone who already spends money on a new car, I would highly recommend to switch to an EV though.

[@steve00alt70]

@Stanislav Jaracz well in the long run you will save tones compared to your gasoline car and the fact is people in apartment buildings will at some point be required to have an installed charging station in place once the switch over is normalized. Im hoping to get one in 2021 im a youngster.

[@stuartburns8657]

My most expensive car purchase to date is 12k for a well spec'd Nissan Qashqai 1.5 diesel. With remaining loan and fuel costs, it cost approx £275pm. Like you say, it'll take until 2025-6 until I look at an EV. In the meanwhile, the 55mpg and £20 road tax is fine. Sadly the lease option and added battery lease costs eat into (destroy) the viability for me. Come 2025+ any Government incentives will have evaporated as well id imagine lol

[@Tron-Jockey]

I've owned my EV since Jan 2017 and drive just under 100 miles each day which, I think it's fair to say, is much further than the average commuter drives. I HAVE NEVER NEEDED TO STOP AT A PUBLIC CHARGING FACILITY. Even when its zero degrees outside and I have the heat on high I always have FAR more range than I can possibly use in a day. It's nice to know public charging stations are now everywhere in case you need to charge up quickly but most EV owners that use their cars for commuting charge at home and WILL NEVER NEED to use them. Charging at home is a MAJOR advantage. No need to take time out of your busy day to schedule stops at a public refueling place (especially uncomfortable on those nasty Winter mornings). Only two seconds of your day needed for refueling, one second to plug it in before going to bed and one second to unplug it in the morning. Full tank every morning warmed and defrosted before opening the garage door (try that with a gasoline or diesel engine). The convenience advantage is now MASSIVE. It's ridiculous even to suggest that an ICE is more convenient to own. I never have to schedule visits and waist hours sitting in a customer lounge several times each year waiting for oil changes or other routine maintenance that petrol vehicles require. On these comment forums you can expect to hear a lot of misinformation from people representing those industries that stand to lose significant profits from mass adoption of electric vehicles. Industries like the automotive parts & services industry and new car dealerships who's entire business model depends heavily (if not entirely) on petrol cars. They literally face extinction from mass adoption of electric cars. For commuting purposes of 300 miles or less each day (like nearly everyone on this planet), Electric Cars are WAY MORE CONVENIENT.

[@garypunter412]

Chuck O well said my friend. Need to run for MP or Prime minister lol 👍

[@Muppetkeeper]

@@garypunter412 He sounds way too intelligent.

[@garypunter412]

Muppet Keeper you are right of course. God forbid we get an intelligent PM for a change. Pmsl

[@Tron-Jockey]

@@garypunter412 Sadly I'm on the wrong side of the pond but have to admit to admiring how the Brits, and Europeans in general, have embraced science, technology and EVs. The plutocrats that exert control over policy here (via lobbyists for the oil companies and new car dealerships), see EVs as an existential threat and are determined to undermine the EV Juggernaut. I prefer to peruse the videos from unbiased KZbinrs across the pond. You guys Rock!

[@garypunter412]

Chuck O that is so sad that it is like that over there. Sorry to hear that. Fingers crossed that it changes in the near future right? Thanks for the positive feedback about UK & EU. Always kind a forget when you live hear. Enjoy the non bias UK tubers my friend. Stay safe

[@dalroth10]

The fact you were prepared to stand in the pouring rain for nearly 20 minutes to make this video stands testament to your passion for the subject. Well done and well said 👍👏👏👏

[@deaconstjohn8643]

I wish some electric car company would hire you as their spokesperson. !!! I think you are a great advocate for EV's.

[@stevehayward1854]

Once you have driven an EV the fear disappears. Many people dont even realise how many chargers there are on their very doorstep, because they are not grouped together in a brightly lit charging station that says charge here like petrol stations. My neighbours where shocked when I told them how many chargers there where in my town of Plymouth. There is the problem, because they are out the back of shops, hotels, carparks etc

[@David-bl1bt]

Yes, the location of the majority of EV chargers leaves a lot to be desired, tucked away out of sight, it's as though EV owners are 2nd class citizens when actually they are pioneers of future transportation.

[@SamuraiTacos1]

yep i drive a nissan leaf 2019 sl

[@DougB747]

Yes, it's not until I started researching buying an EV that I realised how many charging points I'd been driving past! I used to live in Plymouth and it's good to see it installing a number of chargers, although of course it could do better, and will in time.

[@SamuraiTacos1]

new york state very lacking on the charging stations

[@MichaelWilliams-mo1vv]

2 years ago l was thinking of buying an ev. I downloaded the excellent zap-map app. It showed that there were only 2 charging points within a 2 mile radius of where l live. I ended up getting a hybrid. 2 years later and the no of charging points in my area as only grown by 2. I live in London by the way.

[@robtwoeyehead1027]

The massively lower maintenance costs are always overlooked

[@algrayson8965]

How many are going to spend thousands for a new battery for a ten yo car?

[@robtwoeyehead1027]

@@algrayson8965 current batteries will last 20 years with not too much degradation. Probably need a new car by then.

[@Simple_Slmon]

Hi @@algrayson8965 you need to factor in 10 years of not buying engine oil, oil filters, air filters, gearbox oil, brake pads, brake disks (regen saves them), engine coolant, spark plugs, water pumps possible new clutch. Add on the savings in fuel economy its well worth it. Also used batteries can be sold to off grid home owners.

[@mpwaterhouse]

@@robtwoeyehead1027 FWIW - my 2013 Fiat 500e with 75K miles (bought used with 70K) on it still has 90-95% of its original full range making it still perfect as a local runabout with a current usable max range of 72 miles. When we bought it as a used vehicle the value had depreciated by 85% just 18 months ago! Comparing the 5K we spent on the used Fiat with our previous BMW i3 EV lease we would have had a free car in the same 18 months!

[@steve00alt70]

yep less mechanics to be employed

[@steveharvey2001]

I am getting my first EV next month. My only concerns with charging stops is how much eating that I will end up doing..

[@barryhaeger4284]

just make toilet stops and never attempt to charge to full at a rapid charger - frequent shorter stops and any EV will charger faster and so you'll spend less time hooked up.

[@petermcinnes6987]

hehe... lots of things to do while you're getting juiced. Read a book, catch up on emails, go for a run, ev-charging is super-productive for me.

[@briansalay-smith8604]

Good video mate I COULD charge at home but I don't bc many shops near me have free charging. True its slower ones but I get around 37 miles range per hour which is usually plenty (I use about 4 miles for the return trip) even my medical centre has 22 free charge points.

[@paulcarnall791]

Yep McDonald's is my failure 🤔

[@ptodd1306]

😂 I find it charges too quick to stop for something to eat. It’s just enough for a toilet stop, to grab a coffee and a couple of snacks, quick check of phone messages and then you’re at 80% again and ready to go!

[@jamesguy7396]

The media always emphasise the charging time from zero to whatever. I would think that many drivers wouldn’t allow their battery to get very low before topping up a bit. Is it just me but does anyone else find driving an ev so relaxing and stress free, the rest of the world can go berserk and I wouldn’t notice.

[@temporarynoble]

Yes, and I’m finding if I need a top up out, it’s not a full cabaret, it’s an extra 20-40 miles, which is pretty quick to add even on 50kwh chargers.

[@davidsommen1324]

On lots of popular (and often very good) car channels, I often hear stuff like "it will take 28 hours if you charge from a wall socket, you don't want to be doing that! You'll want to charge it at a rapid charger..." etc. If you understand home charging, you will know that the time it takes from 0-100% is almost irrelevant, as you don't need to take it up to 100%, and the bigger the battery is, the less empty it will be if you only drive like 60 kms per day. This framing does make it seem like a huge inconvenience, while in reality the opposite is true. Great video, and much needed, it seems.

[@cannygrowabeard]

David Sommen also, people who have the facilities to charge their car at home, will probably get a wall box, so the 28 hours they quote is rather disingenuous, probably hours in single figures to charge at 3/7 kW. But yes home charging time and 100% times totally pointless

[@Muppetkeeper]

My diesel car has sat on my driveway for approximately all but 12 hours of the last 6 months. The previous six months it drove down to Spain and back to Yorkshire, but inbetween those drives it also probably sat on a driveway for all but 23.75 hours a day. Not once did I feel the need to go and stare at it whilst it wasn't charging, so I imagine when I do get an electric car, I won't stare at it whilst it is charging!

[@algrayson8965]

@@Muppetkeeper- “Whilst?” Is the “st” instead of “e”? Is that a British affectation like “œ” instead of “e”?

[@Muppetkeeper]

@@algrayson8965 Both are acceptable, according to my dictionary. dictionary.cambridge.org/grammar/british-grammar/while-and-whilst

[@kateevans4892]

I bought a 2014 Kia Soul a month ago, which has a maximum of 100 miles range. I am currently charging it with an extension line as I am still waiting for someone to respond to my requests for estimates for a charge point in my drive, which is 20 metres from my house. I am lobbying my town council for a charge point in my small rural town. My nearest charge point is 5 miles away in a supermarket that I hate. With all that, I still have no regrets, I love the car and wouldn't change back for any thing or anyone. So There! I followed your channel for 2 years before buying my car and you have given me good, honest and unbiased advice every step of the way, I recommend you to anyone who shows the slightest interest in EVs, you make it understandable and accessible. THANK YOU!!!

[@richardhobbs9038]

kate evans - I like to first recommend Angelina Jordan to most folks as a source of stress and tension relief ( the ' little gal ' from Norway can SING ! ! ) THEN , if I find they may be interested in EV's I would recommend EVM for good , solid information on the topic ! ! !

[@seamusandpat]

The Daily Mail!! you have to be kidding, don't even believe the date on the front page! lol

[@AA-lc6yi]

The daily mail could tell me my name and I'd check my birth certificate...

[@alittlebitmoore]

Daily Mail, so good even Wikipedia stopped allowing it as a source. :-)

[@Ifyoudonttakeitucantfakeit]

But why can it be for sale? Why does it want to be seen as a liar?

[@alittlebitmoore]

@@Ifyoudonttakeitucantfakeit They make money from their lies. And no one can do anything about it.

[@bbbf09]

But the point is, it's probably the most widely read newspaper, still. So what it says - lies or not - matters.

[@paulhorton5612]

On thing that's not often mentioned is that if you have a reasonable EV range and don't commute big mileages you only need to charge every week or even two - just as with an ICE vehicle. I have a 200 mile range which easily does a week's normal mileage and just do a Friday charge as I would previously have done a Friday fill. Simples.

[@richardhobbs9038]

Paul Horton - & if your retired ( like me ) you don't commute ! I was tired of my 1963 Ford F-100 pick-up truck : only 10 MPG , + all the maintenance required for an ICE drive-train , AND it was basic with no power steering or brakes or A/C or GPS or cruise control . Now I have all that in my 2015 Nissan Leaf which in comparison is like a little ' space ship ' ! ! Have had it now 3.5 years and it is down to 10 bars battery condition / 75 ish mile range . . . . my longest ' trip ' so far has been about 35 miles . I still have my Honda PC 800 motorcycle for longer ventures if needed , but it is only half as efficient as the Leaf ! ! RH

[@robsengahay5614]

Richard Hobbs An added bonus for me (semi-retired) - but working from home would be the same - is that I installed solar and home battery so now 90% of all my driving is powered from my rooftop solar when the car is sitting in the garage. I am well aware that very few can do this but there are many who could and may have never given it a thought.

[@richardhobbs9038]

@@robsengahay5614 - My backyard off-grid solar system allows me to do the same but in 'steps' as my battery is not that large (yet) . For convenience I usually plug the car into the grid power & use my solar for cooking , running the frige , some lighting & entertainment stuff . Have about 800 watts of real power on a sunny day , but it's divided between three sub-systems . . . .

[@robsengahay5614]

Richard Hobbs I have to confess to being on a whole other level. We covered our roof in solar panels (34 of them) last year and have a 10kw/h inverter. We live in a sunny place (Queensland). I only have reliable data on generation since we got out Powerwall back on 8 May but in 5 months we have averaged 1000kw/h per month- and those are mainly winter months. Even charging a car and home battery and running the house we rarely use more than we generate. So far in 5 months we have imported 450kw/h but exported more than 5 times that. Not many people could do this but more certainly could - around here anyway.

[@richardhobbs9038]

@@robsengahay5614 - My home may use up to 200 kw/h per month in summer using some A/C , so am nowhere near your league ! ! ( am near San Diego, California ) But I live alone so am able to conserve . . . . (teenagers in the home destroy that possibility) ! My solar system is a hobby at the moment with the intent to run the refrigerator & essentials in case of a power outage . Buying the Nissan Leaf has netted a rebate on my electric bill of $1550.00 over three years . . . . I still have -$845.00 credit , so am not in a rush to expand my solar capability yet . My inverter is 1500 watt off the batteries and I have a Yeti 1000 as well which gives me more capability than I need in the house . If I want to charge the Leaf from solar I run an extension cord ! ! Take care ! RH

[@mikus4242]

How much time to I spend charging? 15 seconds. Once a week a spend 7 seconds plugging the car in when I get home and 7 seconds putting the charging handle away in the morning.

[@Muppetkeeper]

No no no no, according to the Daily Fail that takes 12 hours, not 15 seconds... Cos in their world you stand there watching it, like you have to do with Petrol...

[@mikus4242]

Muppet Keeper Yes, I did that for the first 2 years I owned the car until my 5 year old grand child suggested a better way.

[@David-bl1bt]

@@Muppetkeeper ... and yer phone!

[@malccartledge9771]

Muppet Keeper 😂😂😂 you mean I’ve been wasting my time watching my car charge each night ? Next you’ll be telling me it doesn’t burst into flames if it’s not watched either 😲

[@algrayson8965]

@@mikus4242- Wellyer five yo grandchild was only 3 2 years ago. Or did yer 5 yo grandchild tellyer 2 years ago and it took 2 years to sink in?

[@UsmanX]

I can't charge at home because I live in a flat. However, I just charge my car when I'm out and about, park at a public charger while shopping in town. If the car is going to be parked, it might as well charge when I'm not using. Luckily I have a public charger down the street as well, so I can just leave it there overnight and they don't charge for overnight usage.

[@PaulMansfield]

Ask your local authority to install those lampposts in your area that can charge a car.

[@UsmanX]

@@PaulMansfield they were at full capacity for lamp post charging at the time, so they installed street car park chargers just he road over. Plus when I requested it, I think the lamp post charging was different compared to now. Before you needed big dongle charger, and now it's available for anyone to use. I could ask them to check again for lamp post charging, since I think the big charging dongle allocation was already at capacity.

[@CaroAbebe]

How brave of you, UsmanX, to get yourself an EV in the first place if you can’t charge at home. Glad it has proved quite feasible for you :)

[@algrayson8965]

@@UsmanX- Are there problems with druggies stealing the cables for the copper?

[@wiltaylor]

My wife and I work opposite shifts I drive the EV in the morning and she takes it in the afternoon. Work is half an hour for me and an hour drive for her, that's an hour to two hour round trip. We have saved thousands by not using petrol in our car and there are fast FREE chargers everywhere. Vancouver Island Canada.

[@Frank_W.]

The phone apology is spot on! Thanks for putting out the info and for standing in the rain in front of such a beautiful countryside!

[@jedisith19]

Another straight forward, to the point video. My wife and I are convinced that our next car will be a full EV (it's 2020 not 1920) and are in the process of researching the various models available (or soon to be) in Canada. Your videos have been a great source of information and real life experience, keep them coming mate.

[@DougB747]

Yep. Completely happy with our 30kWh Leaf. We will never go back to the inconvenience and expense of petrol!

[@lgrantnelson2863]

In 2016 I purchased a 2014 Nissan Leaf. I was told you can't take long trips with it. I drove approximately 1600 miles round trip south and back. There were some close calls. I took my plug in home charging station with me and charged at RV parks in between charging stations. In the 5 years since I purchased the Leaf fast charging stations have sprung up in malls, gas stations, restaurants and other businesses. My battery has gone from 24 kw to about 17 kw. I can drive about 60 Miles on a charge, at most. It's been an adventure and there are plenty of stories. Owning an EV is much more convenient now. When I first got the Leaf I took a neighbor for a ride. He was impressed with the torque. 5 years later he has a Ford Mustang Mach E4 and loves it. Refueling it is a lot less than the Jeep they had. Great video. Excellent analogy.

[@buddy1155]

In the entire Netherlands everyone can charge at home, people who park roadside can just need to call their city and get a charging station near their house.

[@aly-b884]

EV's are brilliant.

[@philw4625]

I got stuck at a petrol station the other day - the tills went down. luckily i had cash so they let me off the forecourt, but others got stuck there as they couldn't pay!

[@williamfence566]

Enjoy your channel and the informed views ( including the backdrop LOL ) I run a Hybrid and will continue until the infrastructure matches the ability to pass a petrol station and fill up in 5 mins as I can't charge at home

[@marks-0-0]

5 minutes.... you don't want much do ya 😅

[@timypp2894]

I think I also would put it - Think for most people a EV car is to goto work and back... And supermarket etc. So that's what most people do. So most of the time 98% all charging are done at home. Never see a "petrol station". The rest of the year, one week or the few weekend that you do go on a long trip then you spend an "extra hour" ontop of your journey. So that compared to the rest of 98% time you never see a "filling station"

[@ianpies2498]

Good presentation EVM - I can charge at home so it’s easy. On a longer journey, I will need to charge somewhere but I’ll be stopping for food/the kids etc. etc. It’s not as terrifying as mainstream press would have you believe. Oh and it costs me just over 1p per mile in electric compared to 11.5p per mile in diesel. They are day and night to drive compared to a non EV.

[@conradfuller6697]

Excellent arguments and examples, thank you.

[@godsenseUK]

Love your honesty. EVs are the future I feel now but we are still in the early stages and yes right now, not for everyone

[@PaulSouthport]

I got an EV because of the insane power and torque, the cool gadgets, the incredible smoothness, the huge fuel cost savings and the lower environmental impact is a bonus. Over the last year I've driven around 11,500 miles. A mix of fairly short commute (10 miles/day) and weekends out and about. Driven all over the UK, and soon to do a lap of Ireland. In that tim I've public charged maybe 20 times. The rest has been at home or at friends homes. Quite simply, it's the best car I've ever owned. Now, if I wanted to drive to, say, the South of France, I'd probably leave the EV at home and hire a car. If I absolutely needed to drive 700 miles in a day (I never have needed to, by the way), I'd hire a car. Put those miles on someones else car, the cost is already covered by the fuel savings, anyway.

[@theophiluslamptey47]

Good one and you can drive to the south of France and back on ev with no issue.

[@unplugged9459]

I've always enjoyed your videos, very well structured and presented. Completely agree with all of your points. I love being able to refuel at home and almost find it a bit backwards that on a fortnightly basis I was driving out of my way to refuel with diesel. I certainly don't miss those days!

[@TheBeggFamily]

Our holidays are usually based in a hotel / B&B, so we have a check-in time. We simply start in time to make our journey, including charges to arrive at 3PM. Most of our holiday locations don’t need a charge until we get to the end, where there may be a destination charger to use overnight. Our next one needs one major charge and we’ll be stopping at Gretna Green, a very scenic place! I got a EV to save money in retirement, not because I’m ridiculously green.

[@robsengahay5614]

The mobile phone analogy is an excellent one. I Uber drive my EV here in Australia and everyone asks me, without fail, how long it takes to charge. Before giving them the options I now always say that it actually takes me the same amount of time as it takes to charge my mobile phone. I think I will steal your analogy and add it on. Everyone can relate to that because every single Uber passenger has a mobile phone.

[@mpwaterhouse]

No kidding on the cluelessness of mainstream media over EVs highlighting all of the issues and challenges and few of the virtues! Admittedly, the hodge-podge of non-Tesla charging infrastructure here in California is just as seriously messed up as in the UK but that should eventually get shaken out. First drove a BMW i3 at the Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas - I was so impressed I sold my 2008 BMW 535 xi wagon and leased (hedging my bets) a 2014 i3 for 3 years - installing a 220V 60A circuit attached to a level 2 charger in the garage. My wife still had an ICE car for the long trips and when the i3 lease was up we bought a 2018 Chevy Bolt. My wife sold her ICE and took over the Bolt and we have successfully made several long-range trips (the longest being 900 miles round trip). I use a bike for most of my local trips but picked up a used 2013 Fiat 500e for just $5K to use as a local runabout. You are 100% right on the convenience of home charging - we top up the Bolt once a week and the Fiat most often just gets its charge topped up for free at the local shops! I can even throw my bike in the back at a pinch if I take the front wheel off - a folding e-Bike would make for an ideal short hop while car charges option - happy days - keep up the great posts!

[@livingladolcevita7318]

I've been sold on the idea for a long time now, it's just I need to run my smelly diesel into the ground before going electric. The price is a major hurdle for me at present as well. Just looking on zap map? shows there are loads of charging units around and in any case there are more coming on line all the time

[@geoffmansfield2668]

mark williams Sorry to say there are still parts of the country where it has not happened yet I.e. Scarborough and the North Yorkshire coast. No improvements in the two years I have been challenging the Councils!

[@alittlebitmoore]

Price is indeed a hurdle, but remember that the diesel you have also gets less valuable as a trade in the more you use it. Glad you can see the future :-)

[@livingladolcevita7318]

Hi Andrew, I agree, however my Yaris has over 95,000 on the clock so probably wouldn't be worth much now any way and of course trying to sell a diesel now would probably be difficult. As I am retired and hardly use my car it is more economical, doing 600 miles per tank, low on tax and servicing is once a year and intermediate servicing due to low mileage. Hopefully by the time my car goes to the scrappy the electric cars will be a lot cheaper or at least the second hand market will be bigger.

[@slhslh9038]

For mid-range cars (£30K - £50K), the total cost of ownership is now proven to be lower over 3 years than ICE. If you happen to be able to get via a company then in the UK you pay 0% BIK, so for a higher-rate tax payer, that means it's effectively half the price of a similar priced ICE car (and that's before any benefits coming from lower fuel costs, lower road tax etc).

[@kaziczek]

I've been an e-nv 200 with about 120miles range owner for about 4 months time and clocked already 13000miles It's a small business vehicle (greengrocer) and I knew for years that I wanted it! 7kw charger makes up probably about +95% of my charging needs. Within last 4 weeks I've gone from Chester down to Land's End and just last weekend as far as Portree on Isle of Skye... Absolutely as you say... You find a charger and it's your opportunity to experience and explore the area. Mostly places you would never stop at. Of course it's not all just positive but it will get better and better. But even when it's not perfect I'm still absolutely convinced that it was the only right choice for the businesses. It was a bit of a stretch financially however I believe that firstly it is all for good of the environment , secondly it will quickly repay itself to own an electric car! Thanks a million for all your videos, you were with some other KZbin people the assurance for me that this will be a good choice. All the best from Kriss 👋👋👋

[@frankmaxwell5193]

Hi kris's, do u recommend the env200

[@kaziczek]

@@frankmaxwell5193 hi Frank. I actually recommend it to one local to me lady and she got one for herself, she is really happy with it same as I am. It must be at the moment the best van on the market. If the size is enough for you everything else is really good. If you want any more info just ask.

[@frankmaxwell5193]

@@kaziczek thanks for that Kriss, regards.

[@JohnVanderbeck]

This is so very spot on. It was something that worried me at first until I made the mental shift. Owning and EV is MORE convenient than a traditional gas vehicle. Even on longer trips, I prefer to stop for rest/food anyway. You also don't need to fully charge which is something people seem to not realize. They see something like it takes 45 minutes for a full charge. Yeah but you don't need a full charge, you just need enough to get you to either your destination or the next charge stop. Charge while eating lunch and you got plenty to go to the next stop when you are done eating.

[@GeorgeMMaguire]

Thank you for this and love the refreshing and frank "venting". I've ordered my EV (Tesla M3LR) early last month and still waiting on a delivery date. However this was a very considered decision and living in Central Scotland I initially did have some concerns over charging and in particular the charging infrastructure. I did some research, and spoke with EV owners. My brother-in-law and sister-in-law) now both have EVs - he for about 5 years and she for around 18 months. They have been up and down the UK, including several trips to Tiree (Western Isles) and so far have managed to do most of this without having to pay for any charging - they just plan the trips. We have a fairly good network and through ChargePlace Scotland have access to a number of different networks using the same card/account. We are getting a home charging point installed and I have already looked at the network and know where I can charge for free, or minimal cost, while doing my shopping, at the train station while going in to Glasgow or visiting my Mum. Friends have challenged me on the inconvenience of an EV which I counter with their costs for fuel, servicing, MOTs (emissions) and ability to charge while doing my shopping. I 100% agree on the media, however that is their pursuit of a headline that overtime will only appear more and more ridiculous.

[@keithwells7892]

You are spot on! I took the plunge two weeks ago and bought my first EV (Mini E) I drive about 15,000 miles a year and had the usual "range anxiety" concerns, but when you really analyse it, I can't remember a single day this year when I have driven more than 100 miles.... It's not for everyone (yet...) but it works great for me. The car is really quick, near silent running and I'm spending a fiver a week charging it up rather than £60 on fuel......! What's not to like...? You are correct..... it's a change of mind set that is required....... For anyone pondering one, I would say drive normally over a couple of months and make a note of what mileage you actually do (not what you THINK you do!) you may be surprised.....

[@mmatthews5707]

Just wait for the next fuel crisis, then I’m going to be laughing myself sick in my little Zoe! What they don’t show you in the Mad Max films are all the EV owners living normal lives the other side of the hill, not having to go rogue to find any fossil fuels.😉

[@garypunter412]

Brilliant, bring on the fuel shortage so we can all gloat in our EV’s that are obviously so rubbish and inconvenient to live with.

[@blundergaming7060]

😂 what happens when your electric is turned off

[@jeffreyfearn5662]

@@blundergaming7060 well have solar PV with battery, so I'm ok.

[@mmatthews5707]

@@blundergaming7060 Unfortunately I don’t have solar PV 😭 but there are plenty of public chargers where I live and even some at work now. If all power is down I’d probably be more worried about the imminent zombie attacks😱

[@robsengahay5614]

M Matthews Quite. If all power is down petrol stations will be out of action also.

[@Robert-yb3gm]

Hi EVM, your vids get better and better keep up with the content and enjoy your break.

[@MCSMIK]

My average charging time at rapid chargers seems to be 20-25 minutes. This hasn’t changed since moving from Leaf 30kWh to Model 3 SR+. And mostly I notice there’s people in petrol cars that are there in services when I come and when I leave. And they are not charging

[@rogerstarkey5390]

Also, a fair proportion of those petrol drivers have to add fuel *after* their visit to the services, which adds time to their stop.

[@paulinchris]

I like your comparisons! Very easy to understand.

[@stamfordly6463]

Beautifully framed.

[@EV-olution]

Nicely said. Last year I made a video with the same points as you because I also find it frustrating that media portray EVs as inconvenient with regards to charging. One of my main points was exactly what you stated about filling up with gas (petrol) vs an EV never having to do anything more than plugging it in when you arrive at home. Nice view you have at the house there 🙂, have a nice vacation.

[@francesconicoletti2547]

I wonder when tourist sites will realise that installing chargers will be an earner. In my trip around Britain for instance I drove from Wales to London in a day, but the break was at Blenheim Palace. If we had done the trip by EV and if the palace had charging that would be one less motorway stop. Likewise London to Bath with the break at Stonehenge.

[@Bobbleoff]

I'm considering getting a EV and using public charging untill I move to a house with a drive. Lucky I live close to meadowhall shopping centre which has 40+ chargers and I visit 2-3 times a week for a coffee and the council have also just installed 2 rapid chargers just down the road from me

[@1963TOMB]

This is good to know: my son sometimes uses my e-golf for his 95 mile round trip to work on Shepcote Lane: it's good to know that we have an emergency back up plan in the depths of winter.

[@Bobbleoff]

@@1963TOMB yeh the main bulk of them are located outside the downstairs entrance to Debenhams. The others are to the side of Next.

[@slhslh9038]

Totally agree. Been driving me bonkers for nearly 10 years. When people say "I couldn't live with anything less than 500 miles of charge", I always ask how often they think they would fill up their car, if their petrol tank was full each morning? The answer (other than for daily road warriors like sales people) - "errr - never"!!!

[@terryrigden4860]

Good points , well put.

[@philmann7733]

I've been driving a plug-in hybrid for 4 years now and have no concerns about moving to a full EV (except the cost of buying one in the first place) but I do have a home charging point. The points you make are valid and even more so if those long journeys are not something you are doing regularly. However, one problem that does exist is the variety of charging networks out there. Simply having a public charging point nearby isn't enough - you often need an app (I have several on my phone) or an RFID card and subscription. You never get to an ESSO petrol station only to find out you can't use it because you only have the app for Shell. It can be a faff even if the charging point is working (which they usually are in my experience but by no means always). There really does need to be more standardization across the networks if we are going to see better adoption of the technology.

[@MikeDWinter]

All good points, Andy, and yes, home charging makes all the difference. When we got our first EV in early 2016, it would have been difficult to do without the charger at home. However, over the past year or two many workplaces have begun installing charge points too - this opens up EV ownership opportunities for employees who don’t have the option of home charging. Then there’s on-street charging using converted lamp posts etc - again makes all the difference for those who have to park on the street in the London Boroughs which have done it. Think Coventry is going that way too.

[@peterrockell1527]

I don't have off-road parking but, my office installed charging points early this year, which made me start looking for an EV as my next car, then the lock-down happened and I've only been in the office for an hour since, so I'm sticking with and ICE car for the foreseeable future, as there are only 3 other, inconveniently placed chargers available in and around my town.

[@CheBKnights]

I'm fine living in a flat and driving a Smart EQ ForTwo (apart from wishing I'd waited a couple of years and bought something with somewhat more range) ... but I've got a garage out the back with electricity.

[@cannygrowabeard]

Che Knights how do you find the 22kW ac charging? It perplexed me that Smart, when they did the facelift in 19/20 didn’t just add even 50kW DC charging.

[@CheBKnights]

Nonchalant whistling moment - I'm just using the 3 pin plug and charging at up to 13 amps - I've got economy 7 electricity so have the 7 hours from 12:30 to 07:30 to charge, so haven't bothered paying for a wall box. Admittedly I ran electricity to the garage I got a 32 amp supply, so could crank it up a bit at home, and haven't charged elsewhere yet. As for fast charging - yes, it would have made sense to crank that up to a full fat DC job - but that would have made sense!

[@BootsontheTable]

I’ve had my e-Niro for 2 weeks now and I absolutely love it. Like you say I have a home charger and that’s what I have mostly used to charge and not very often at that. I check the app when I go somewhere and change my parking location if there’s a charger and top up while I am there. I just love it when these chargers are free to use..... I am parking anyway and I get ‘free fuel’ laid on. Bonus

[@nakfan]

Great speech 👍😊 (applause) Keep it going ...

[@SigurdurKristofersson]

Great video. Thank you.

[@lowcarbev4935]

Well said.... Have a great expenced journey home!

[@cbromley562]

If you can’t charge at home, see about running an extension cable at work, and charge there. 3kw is fine. We can charge at home, bought a Tesla charger, and charge to 55% at 10 amps and 10 mph, at 2.7 kw (by design). 85% the night before a long trip. The scenery backdrop was beautiful. We’ve just come back from the Lakes, with very similar skies.

[@stephenwingrove8144]

Another great video. Keep going, anyone who is interested in an EV will do some research and your channel always comes up. Mine is on order and can’t wait. The only thing I would say with the phone analogy is overtime the phones got better, but so did the suppliers coverage. EV national charging network that’s reliable and not overpriced is the key.

[@nickieredshaw7835]

Thanks for another great video. We looked at evs for 8 years not quite right for us at the right price etc then moved to own drive and ze50 was launched and got a great deal on one so took the plunge after some KZbinr like you said how good it was over the years .got the car in June now done 6700 miles in 4 months and love it and saved about £800 in fuel ! so eco and good for the wallet too so win win . When research it’s been easy for family of 4 to go ev.

[@michaeldowns6045]

Got an ev in February after having diesels since the 70’s. Much more convenient no more 20 mile round trips just to get fuel.

[@davidbutt406]

Michael, you must be a rural resident whom the naysayers claim would not be a suitable candidate to own an EV. EV are only suitable for use in cities! 😇

[@algrayson8965]

@@davidbutt406- It will soon become standard for new apartment blocks and condominiums to be equipped with L2 destination charging stations at each parking space. At first this will be a selling point in competition for tenants and buyers but gradually older complexes will have to retrofit in order to compete. New EVs are coming with L2 bricks so all that is required for shore power is a suitable outlet. In the USA this is a NEMA 14-50 receptacle.

[@davidbutt406]

@Al Grayson - it is already included in the building code in the province in which I live, and financial incentives are currently available to speed the change to add L2 EVSE in multi family dwellings. I just hope the landlords and condo boards have the foresight to add the infrastructure early rather than late.

[@michaeldowns6045]

@@davidbutt406 location where you live is not an issue. If you have access to electric and a place to park they are suitable for everyone

[@davidbutt406]

@@michaeldowns6045 you may have missed the tongue in cheek tone of my reply. While I believe EV are suitable for a large portion of the population, there are areas where their utility is less than ideal, in particular locations beyond fast charging networks, folks who need a specialized vehicle, and folks whose commute exceeds the winter range of EV. I live in a small rural town, quite distant from services of larger communities. Regular travel to those locations has not been an issue in our EV, which is our sole vehicle, but I can see situations where it would not work.

[@wolfman9999999]

My Partner and I have been EV drivers for a little over a year. We've been on a few longer trips. We've had our trials, and our successes. Trials came in the form of utilizing fast chargers for the first time, and not having things set up correctly, dealing with the infamous Electrify America network here in the U.S., and learning that air cooled batteries and 90 degree Fahrenheit summer travel don't get on very well. Our first 11 months with a 2019 Nissan LEAF SL Plus proved to be the biggest test of one's patience. Still, we loved the convenience of at home charging, and even went to the trouble to completely rework our garage to handle two EV's charging at 6.6kw simultaneously. Once we traded from the LEAF to a Chevy Bolt (the now discontinued Ampera E in Europe), we've fully enjoyed a travel capable EV for one long trip, and are planning on going on a nearly fully cross country one next spring. Once our teething pains were done, we've been enjoying the benefits of EV life, which exponentially outweigh having to contend with petrol stations. We aren't environmental zealots either. Our fleet consists of 10 vehicles, 5 ICE cars, 2 EV's and 3 motorcycles. We love cars. I have also found that travel time has barely been impacted in our travels as well.

[@shedworks3196]

Really like this guys reviewing, tell it like it is. Keep it up

[@PaulMansfield]

Rapid chargers are springing up like weeds. I bought a new EV in March 2020, done 3500 miles over seven months, and only charged on a public charger maybe five times ever.

[@andrewjditton]

I love your good sense! The killer for me is that the cheapest one that will tow anything - even a small trailer tent - is the Tesla 3. I do wish others were homolgated to tow...

[@pcr8918]

It’s better to travel than arrive. ... but costing me all the EV charging savings on coffee and cake? Best KZbin. You have done. Brilliant and shows a Yorkshire man is more rainproof than Gortex.

[@JJ-zg1hh]

Love that phone analogy - so true.

[@bmurdoch85]

Great video EVM

[@TassieEV]

Thank you for this. I've shared it with a Facebook EV group I'm a member of that has locals for those thinking of an EV or even those that already have them be they new EV or long term EV owners.

[@Jaw0lf]

I have now owned my Kia E Niro 4+ for 3 weeks and loving being able to charge at home including by use of spare solar energy. I have taken to the little and often theory and keep my car around the 80% charge level. My diesel car required me to make a trip to the petrol station, approx 20 mile round trip, losing 40 minutes or more just in travel if I realised we did not have enough fuel for an upcoming journey. So an hour spent to refuel the car....Now super simpleplug in and charge overnight whilst sleeping and the car is pre heated/cooled for me. Absolute luxury! I watched and read as much about owning an EV as possible and totally agree that it is a change of mindset. The fact that making a trip nicer, building in stops for a coffee/cake and toilet and taking advantage of a quick charge whilst doing so, is the way forward. I have also decided that by 20% I will charge and this at least gives me a 50 mile range in case of chargers not working or being blocked up. I haver done a long tripof over 300 miles and stopped at a services on the M40 but seeing the other EV owners fighting for spaces, I left them and went for a nice cold drink! That was when I saw the Tesla superchargers and saw how many they had. Now for me, most times I don't travel along the motorways and I am well away from Tesla chargers, hence didn't opt for a Tesla. Thanks for your channel and I have found the information very helpful to get my mind in place for EV life!

[@theophiluslamptey47]

Well done . I have driven all around the UK and Europe and it’s brilliant. Charging is mostly a breeze🙏🏽🙏🏽🕺🏽 and running cost is astonishingly low

[@1963TOMB]

One day I hope to drive from Lincoln to Annecy and then on to Switzerland in my e-golf: will planning this this journey be a challenge?

[@theophiluslamptey47]

@@1963TOMB should not be a challenge. Just plan your journey with abetterouteplanner and make sure you have the shell recharge card- comes in handy

[@jezlawrence720]

Beautiful scenery! Beautiful scenery! :D

[@djhvideo]

When a reporter quotes the battery capacity in kilowatts I immediately turn them off

[@CaroAbebe]

😅 Yes, they should know by now ...

[@williamlawrenson8345]

I live in a terraced house so charging would be difficult for me. However, there are several mini supermarkets, churches a vet and park nearby with carparks that could be fitted with a couple of chargers each for the community. That could be a game changer and a lot easier to set up than street chargers. Each of these is no more than 5 minutes walk.

[@pandemik0]

YES finally someone is calling it out. An EV charges while it's parked, while you are doing something else, probably sleeping. In the worst case scenario of a road trip you will charge while you are getting lunch. Not any issue. In what scenario could an EV possibly be inconvenient except for the rare few people who drive insane lengths of time in one hit without any meaningful length stops. Frankly ICE cars probably encourage unsafe lengths of time behind the wheel! 3-5 years there will be a larger batteries in cars to the point an EV will not have any downsides.

[@rustyjoints4857]

Great video EVM, even if I was a little distracted by the beautiful scenery behind you. 😂 Not sure what service stations you go to m8, but I’ve never seen food like that at one before! Charging at home is super easy. We got the free charge unit with our ZE50 Zoe and it works a treat 👍🏼 I always smile when I drive past our local petrol station, thinking I don’t need to stop there again to fill up.

[@evbobdemon6994]

Thanks 👍 I've turned people from not liking ev's to liking them by taking my ev to classic car meets.

[@richardwaller7721]

Another positive to mention is that when you stop for your pancake stack or whatever when you’re charging, you can reflect on how it’s essentially free with the ‘fuel cost’ of an EV being so much cheaper. My wife and I refer to it as the EV bonus. Particularly in Scotland when so many chargers are still free to use bar the £20 annual fee.

[@MrFurriephillips]

I've had a Renault Zoe 22kWh, since 2014-10-12 and have only ever charged in my driveway, except that one time at 01:00 in the morning, driving home from a call-out & my motorway junction exit slip was closed. I charged up at the services - for free, then turned back at the next junction & drove home via the other slip road, which wasn't under repair.

[@stephenclay6852]

I can’t agree with you more. The motoring press haven’t a clue and honestly don’t won’t to. I believe one they are totally bias and some of them are either sponsored or paid buy car manufacturers / fuel companies. Take Chris Harris he calls Ev’s on top gear but off camera having tested a bmw m3 Mercedes c63 amg and a Tesla modal3 performance. On screen chose the m3 but away from the camera he bought the Tesla. We have the Kia e Niro 4 love it. We charge up at home over night costs us about £6 a time. We have just come back from up your way ( Pickering) staid in a lodge for a week very nice they had no chargers but they said if you can plug it in to the plug socket help yourself so guess what we did so the holiday cost us their and back with trips out £6 in fuel.

[@marting1146]

EVM must be doing something right - my wife actually asked to watch this video when it came up on KZbin. Our first EV arrives in about two weeks and I think we're both a bit excited about that, but in all my many months of research on the subject she's learned to tolerate Kryten and leaves the room when Bjorn is on, so asking to watch EVM means he's putting out info that she's interested in. I think it will be the first EV in our little country town so perhaps she's arming herself for the inevitable questions. Or maybe she just fancies him....

[@Legacymjr]

I have owned a Niro ev for just over a year. I have charged it at public chargers 3 times in 15 months. Twice at channel tunnel (once in each direction) for free and once in Chester while I had lunch for about £3. Rest of time at home for 5p per kWh. The best bit is never having to go into a petrol station again! My longest regular journey is 205 miles round trip which the car handles easily on a single charge at home.

[@ryanbaxter1585]

I have a 2014 Nissan Leaf with Charging brick. I don’t have a home charging point yet. Can I plug the brick into an outside socket? Is the brick waterproof if it rains?

[@ElectricVehicleMan]

Yes

[@Minall63]

Excellent! Worth the rant and getting wet! Thanks for trying to straighten this out. The infrastructure does need improvement so, how about the Govt scraps the incentive scheme on the price of new cars (£3k straight into the cars makers pocket) and invests that in a Govt run national network? That would also be a revenue generator too. Just a thought …

[@MrShingart]

I live in Scotland and yes! you are truly unlucky with the weather man! On another point, you are more than correct! Car dealerships are also struggling to grasp new technology and dont bother to learn anything really - resulting in more wrong info.

[@tvwalton111]

I have just purchased a EV vehicle - Hyundai Kona - One thing I have noticed, is the lack of brake dust on the wheels, which no one seems to say. I presume this must be because of the regeneration of the batteries, or perhaps I haven’t had a vehicle long enough yet. Your channel is fantastic, well done.

[@peterwright837]

Last Fall I did a 7700 mile trip around the US with over 50 charging stops, plus overnight charging at hotels. We averaged about 500 miles a day with 3 or 4 charging stops. Overall, I found it to be a more relaxing way of travel, because I had to stop and get out of the car every few hours. I was driving a 2020 Chevy Bolt, by the way, with a nominal 259 mile range. It’s a common EV myth here that only Tesla’s can do long road trips because of the supercharger network. I had fun disproving that myth

[@evaddicted3224]

Hi, I have been watching your videos for a long time now and I find them very useful. I bought a used Leaf 65 plate two weeks ago and I would like to ask something about its charging. There is an option inbuilt in the car called long life battery and when it is on limits the battery to be charged up to 80%. From your experience have you noticed if this option makes any difference in terms of battery life. Thank you in advance for your reply.

[@jdear97]

I don't know how to get the idea across to folks about how little work is required. With the Model 3 Standard Range, I charge twice a week at home. I use the Superchargers on occasion. I would charge the i3 on public charging much more often just so that I could avoid using the range extender. That vehicle had 60 miles of range.

[@martinjoyce9274]

I have been driving ev roewe ei5 (mg in the Uk) for 2 years in Shanghai , range about 300km. Only issue I ever have was with some old charger station that had not been updated so I could not charge.

[@davidbutt406]

17:10 I waited until sufficient highway charging became available in my region before purchasing an EV. By the time enough DCFC were available, there was sufficient variety of EV to choose from.

[@johnbatten6711]

Well, the problem is with motorway driving. Ecotricity appear to have a monopoly, and on most service stations only have two charging points, whereas Tesla have 8 or 10 or even more near London. I drove to north Manchester last week to find there were no fast chargers on the two services I stopped at, as they were being used, or not working. I then stopped at Birch services, which is near the intersection of two major motorways, near the third largest conurbation in the UK. This only had three charging points, and when the charger got stuck in the car Ecotricity said there was nothing they could do. I had to wait 90 minutes before the charger released (Ecotricity charger problem not my EV). The whole infrastructure needs some immediate attention, or we are all going to be spending our lives queuing for charge points.

[@timaustin2000]

Agree. Ecotricity need to be stripped of their license and have it handed to Instavolt - easily the best and most reliable network.

[@bitman666]

The only panic I have is when I miss the charger and have to travel 10 miles to get back to it (motorway), also tricky to locate another charger when on motorway, or if the charger is broke. Missing the charger has happened to me a couple of times when relying on postcode navigation (reminder to self: DON'T)

[@Trevorfoggia]

I’m seriously considering the long range Kia Soul as my next lease car. It’s true I don’t use the mileage I used to when I was working but I like the idea of being able to charge once a week and be done with it but have the added range of bigger batteries for the odd longer journey. I’m not too bothered about having to pull over to charge up on the longer runs either, in fact it can be considered a safety feature. Regular stops and walks keep you fresh and aware plus you see places you’d normally sail straight past. Great review. I’ve just subscribed. Greetings from Cumbria in the U.K. Stay safe and well.

[@paulthorpe766]

Good points - we have 3 electric cars i8 Roadster, Golf GTE and Smart 4/2 - never used a external charger. Your parents could buy an EV if they have a remote garage and fitted solar panels on roof btw that charged the powerwall in garage !

[@christophert.wilton4562]

I have owned a nissan leaf 30kwh since new we have covered 45000+ miles we can still drive at motorway speeds for nearly 2 hours by which time we need to make a stop for a drink and tiddle break {we are in our mid seventies} so charge our car during this break perhaps 30 minutes which gives us enough time to do what we have to do we like whitby and normally go 2 or 3 times a year this is a 300 mile trip and requires 2 stops on the way to charge but we would have made these stops anyway as I say for our physical needs whats the problem

[@marklewis7732]

I just bought a Volvo PHEV and I am never going back to normal fuel again. The range on the battery is enough to do my daily commute, work has installed chargers for employees and when I do my weekly shop at Tesco I can charge there for free. I have used 1/8th of a tank of petrol in 4 weeks and not paid a penny for the electricity used . When I change the car in 4 years I will go full EV assuming Volvo do the XC60 in full EV by then. As a side, work are planning on adding a further 8 chargers as loads of my co-workers are now looking to make the switch.

[@1963TOMB]

Careful: petrol starts to separate after a few months due to its ethanol content. It's a problem for classic car owners: if I were you I wouldn't put much petrol in the tank in one go to ensure that it is used up in say, three months.

[@marklewis7732]

@@1963TOMB thanks for the tip! Will use up the petrol a bit quicker now and then only 1/4 fill

[@MartinThorne]

I'm debating getting an electric car but I don't have off-road parking at the moment, I could possibly convert my front garden to a driveway, but I wouldn't be able to get a wall box charger installed (due to the location of our fusebox) However, I could get an outdoor 3-pin socket installed next to where the drive would be. But here's the question, other than charging speeds, would my car happily charge from a 3-pin? Also, would the standard 3-pin cable that comes with the car be happy in the rain? I've seen the cables have a box near the plug end, but would that box be happy in the rain?

[@showme360]

It's the ones who do shopping whilst getting fuel that use to bug me!

[@David-bl1bt]

yeah 5 minutes to fill-up. NO WAY where I live, i used to spend many a 20 minutes waiting for a pump thats ice'd while the owner colects their weeks shopping and browsing for christmas presents.... infuriating!

[@timpin6317]

That's why I always refuel at a supermarket. They tend to have only papers and confectionery for sale at the filling station. But considering other people is completely out of fashion now.

[@HandyC]

What your parents could do is have a charge point installed at the parking spot if they really wanted an ev. Doubt the council would refuse planning on that, even if it is a short distance away from the residence.

[@sandyritchie287]

Maybe they are talking about a Zoe to charge to 100% when out on a long trip?

[@francesconicoletti2547]

The one I watched was Harry’s Garage drive a Jaguar I-pace from north of Oxford to London and back. Harry had range anxiety the entire way. Totally unjustified as he did the entire trip on one charge and had enough power left to do a “let’s run the battery to zero “ demo when he got back.

[@martijnvangammeren1868]

Completely agree here with you! That is also why i don't realy care how far any EV can go on a full charge. Just tell me the range from 80 down tot 20 or 10% charge. That is what you use on a longer trip, you don't fully charge you're car along the way and you don't drive it completely empty. So 80-10% distance would be very nice to know.

[@ALMX5DP]

Great points. I've tried to use the time displacement aspect when talking to others, but they still dont get that you inevitably save more time in total for a given year with an EV than you do with an ICE. Sure you have to change a bit, but I think it works out like you said. Eventually EVs will become more advanced and those inconveniences it does have will disappear (hopefully).