Fiat 500e & Cupra Born EV road trip Scotland to South Coast. Can electric city car do a long trip?

What’s one of the least likely electric cars for undertaking a road trip from Edinburgh, Scotland to Bournemouth, South Coast? Apart from Renault Twizy… the Fiat 500e is mainly pinned as a city car, so what’s it like for doing a long road trip?
How much charging time and how many stops will it need? Will it be a complete nightmare?
ABRP says 9 charging stops will be needed! Yes 9!!!
Alongside me is a Cupra Born level 2 with 58kwh useable battery. (The Fiat has 37kwh useable). How much quicker will the bigger battery car be? How many hours behind will I be?
In this video you are about to find out!
On the opposite end of the scale, I’ve also covered edinburgh to London non-stop in an electric car, the amazing Tesla Model S long range. The only car to ever do it non-stop I believe. For that video click here: • Edinburgh to London NO...
I even remember when Robert Llewelyn did the journey for the first time man at years ago in a Nissan Leaf….
I hope you enjoy the video.
Richard Symons
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[@tricky98]

In 2019 I took my family of 4 to Italy in my BMW i3 - We took our time - 3 days there and 3 days back, and spent many hours at Lidl’s along the way - but the whole trip cost around £20 in charging fees (Lidl chargers were free at the time) I loved it, but the rest of the family said they would prefer to fly next time 😂

[@ravey_boii]

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[@vandit83]

Sounds fun! My family felt the same about EV driving around France this summer 😆

[@jordanjames6273]

Renting a 500e at the moment and have to say I’ve fallen for it. Peppy around town and was fine cruising on motorways. It’s done some big journeys and has coped well.

[@jordanjames6273]

I also wonder what the difference would be between the hardtop 500e and this convertible

[@gravemind6536]

@@jordanjames6273 The hardtop would do everything better.

[@astra-rb6sz]

I’ve got one I love it . I’ve owned many many cars including Mercedes Vauxhall VW

[@theelectriccarguy910]

Good to see smaller battery capacity vehicles been long range tested, anyone who travels that far in an ICE vehicle should regularly stop anyway but as we know they all use the charging stops as an excuse not to buy. I deliberately went for the 58kWh IONIQ 5 (delayed delivery until Apr 23) as my regular trip from Wiltshire to North Yorks is 300 miles, even my current Kona EV has to stop as do I - I think us men of a certain age require more breaks anyway :-p

[@ravey_boii]

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[@colinrenfrew48]

Enjoyed this real world video. Driving on U.K. motorways is always unpredictable, so to have to factor in multiple charge stops…not for me. With this kind of journey, I’d be looking at alternative ways to get there.

[@rogerjeck9281]

Glad to see you are getting some press cars (?) to review. Really enjoy your sorta real world meets a guy who knows a bit about ele vehicles. really nice combo and nice to see your youtoobs taking off a bit! cheers...

[@SS-yw7vo]

Thanks for the metric conversions. I appreciate it

[@ravey_boii]

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[@barryo8694]

There’s half a dozen go to sites to get an easy and accurate review. This is one of them. Great stuff

[@hareshkaria8377]

Great review again but I must say what a beautiful country we live in - all those fabulous scenes as u drove down - amazing - thanks Rich

[@ravey_boii]

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[@gileshalliwell3591]

I’m glad to see that you calculate your journeys that way, I find it the best way... I have a 500e and for what we need it’s perfect though I agree it’s occasionally pessimistic re range, I’m not sure I’d go to Scotland in it, no matter how much I love it! I’d take the Tesla!

[@ravey_boii]

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[@bernardhilton3527]

I agree with your comments about Gridserve. Sometimes their chargers can be slow. I use MFG stations when I can. Shevington Moor ( Wigan ) is just down the road to me so I don’t use that one. I normally head for Wednesbury. I discovered Banbury a couple of weeks ago. All I can say is WOW! Keep up the good work.

[@royd63uk]

Just loving these trips/reviews keep up the good work

[@ravey_boii]

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[@tesla-spectre]

Great video as always! ❤ When I saw 9 stops for just 500miles (800km, right?) in the beginning, I thought "goodness me" 😂 4 is then a lot better, with such a small battery. I just doubt that most family members would enjoy so many and long stops. The 500e for me is a brilliant city car and might manage an occasional long trip if absolutely needed. One just better goes alone and sends the family by plane 😂 Still having done 32000km in 11 months on my Model 3 LR now, in summer at 120kmh, I would to it with one stop (480km first leg, 40min stop for a break, rest then). In winter might need a second charge, esp with strong winds or rain. But never more than 2. for me still the ultimate EV for long distance business trips, esp if one does not want to invest 3-4x the money for an EQS

[@richardh6756]

Really love your channel on EVS I have just brought my first ev it's a kia Niro 64khw base model. love it.

[@ravey_boii]

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[@trevorsbarkingmadchannel4501]

Great comparison ! That last leg u did well. Banbury to home. My leaf struggled Abingdon four acres to gosport when I bought it in Scunthorpe last yr. love the Cupras look. Best wishes.

[@ravey_boii]

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[@ouethojlkjn]

Full disclosure - we were completely smitten by the little 500e. A gorgeous Italian chic go-kart! We could not shoehorn two labradors in the back and therefore we had to pass. But I urge anyone thinking about an EV to go and have a close look at this very pretty little machine. And Its charms are more than skin deep!

[@MagicRat]

Great vid👍 Pushing the little Fiat out of its comfort zone and it still did pretty well, especially bearing in mind prolonged motorways speeds are the worst case for EV’s. I could live with that for the occasional long journey. A head to head with ICE & EV versions of the same car on a similar trip would be interesting

[@nigelhudson1948]

Last Friday I drove my current loan car, a Hyundai Ioniq EV, 400 miles from mid-Northumberland near the Scottish border to the South Coast near Brighton. The Ioniq EV has a 38 kWh battery similar in size to the Fiat. I managed to do it in 3 recharging stops - Gateshead, Doncaster and Milton Keynes and I had 50-60 miles range left when I got home. I wasn't hypermiling, it cruising at 70ish on the motorways. 9 recharge stops from Edinburgh sounds ridiculous.

[@RSEV]

Ioniq is more efficient so that’s brilliant. Probably more like 5mi/kwh

[@pauljames2407]

Rsymonds I think did a group test with a car like yours & it was one of the most efficient cars. I must point out it wasn’t Rsymonds saying 9 stops it was better route planner saying that I think lol 😂

[@JohnScarrott]

Only 4 stops in the end, not 9.

[@paulmcgee1867]

9 was the prediction

[@gavjlewis]

@@pauljames2407 Yes I think he needs a better better route planner! 😂

[@karmanline2005]

Excellent video thanks. We happily accept occasional Mway charges, the upside being never stopping for fuel. It depends how you use your car but for most people the time saved not visiting petrol stations is huge, compared to a few minutes a year on a public charger. This is assuming that the network can cope!

[@palmbridge]

Another entertaining and educational video. Thank you.

[@ravey_boii]

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[@therutlandflyer3184]

As ever, enjoyed this very much. Your videos are always fair, impartial and relevant. I did laugh when you left Ginz’s door open to delay him - a tactic worthy of Terry Thomas in the old film Monte Carlo or Bust (ask your Dad)

[@ravey_boii]

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[@scottwills4698]

Great video! I see you have the slightly lifted dash (the HUD surround) on your car too! Common fault, Cupra will replace it if you ask.

[@ravey_boii]

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[@avidviewer1]

Really useful video. I wanted one of these cars but decided after my second test drive that the absence of left foot space in the driver's footwell not only caused distracting and dangerous discomfort but would also contribute to lumbar injury in the longer term. I'd say the lack of thought Fiat has put into the RHD models is astonishing. I'm not surprised so few of these cars are being sold and my heart goes out to folk who rent or lease them, only to find they're lumbered with a driving nightmare.

[@Todunsoetan]

The 500e is my favourite ev. Can't wait to purchase one in the new year

[@ravey_boii]

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[@svetoslavkirchev8222]

Very interesting compensation, great job

[@ravey_boii]

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[@simonhobbs9097]

Great video Richard.

[@ravey_boii]

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[@sevensixtysteve8662]

Really interesting review and good to see how EVs actually perform on a route like this. What surprised me most was the charging cost. This has obviously taken a big hit from the increased cost of electricity but still quite a shock. Just for comparison, the same journey would cost me around £78 in diesel, so it seems one of the big incentives to switch to to EVs has vanished. I also wouldn’t have to stop for fuel, only for comfort breaks and in fact could almost complete a return journey without refuelling. I guess the various membership schemes bring down the cost of charging so hopefully people will still convert to EVs and I certainly plan to one day when I can afford one. The new Abarth 500 looks good !

[@RSEV]

And usually such a journey is cheaper and the rest of the time the “fuel” cost is at least half, if not free… Thanks for watching!

[@cmdsecure]

Interesting especially the cost of charging. Would you be able to share what the cost would have been including any discounts/schemes? A comparable journey I recently took from Dundee to Harlow was £90 in diesel getting nearly 700 miles from that. I'd have hoped that switching to electric would be much cheaper but I think that I might reconsider.

[@martinhammett8121]

I'm assuming you don't fill up with Fuel on the motor way, like fuel charging is much more expensive ,( Strencham services 79p per KWH my local car park 30p Lidl 41p) so under normal circumstances its cheaper to run an ev

[@Ben-gm9lo]

Lovely video, lots of fun. I MUST go visit Sttaford and Bambury.... never been to those before. Maybe it is really St Taford? Bambury must really be in Flintstone county! Are they twinned with Stafford and Banbury by any chance? Can I claim the Obnoxious Pendantic Viewer award for today? Sorry to tease, but your videos are such fun it brings out my playful side.

[@RSEV]

🏆

[@Thecarman1994]

Thanks, I enjoyed that. I'm still concerned about the purchase cost though.

[@ravey_boii]

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[@idfisher]

Ouch. £91. I did the same journey in a 1.5 Skoda Scala with two small kids and we only needed one short 5 min bathroom break and one stop for lunch - it cost £61 in fuel. So I'd save 2hrs of my life AND £30 per 500 miles on that basis. Plus the Skoda only costs me £161 a month in lease until my Macan S arrives in August.

[@haroldsimpson7260]

I keep watching these rewiews and its putting me off ever owning an E car.

[@fuhqsideways]

There was only one electric vehicle that made sense to me and its the one that didn't start from a car...dammit I forget what they're calling it but it can do 1000 miles and charge from the sun (in the right countries!) That's the problem ...they keep trying to make cars work and they don't...you need to start from scratch if electric is going to work

[@john3Lee]

Great content - thanks

[@mrmawson2438]

Great video mate

[@ravey_boii]

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[@SigmaJAD]

Hi Richard. Have you done a summer/winter comparison? Same route, typical seasonal weather. Interesting to see the difference

[@spacecadetrik21]

I run a 500e and drive a 90 mile round trip twice a week for work on motorway/dual carriageway and the rest of week is shorter journeys around town with the odd 50 mile round trip at a weekend. I drive in range mode for the one pedal driving and average 4.6 per kWh with the way I drive. I usually sit below 70 on motorways as the traffic on the 2 work days is pretty heavy.

[@uktechie8013]

Recently done a 590 mile round trip that cost £83.15 in my Mini, 3hrs 7 mins spent charging so maybe added 1hr to say a trip in ICE car, but with recent price increases an equivilent petrol Mini would cost the same. So current fuel running cost saving on long trips has been eroded. But for local trips still only 7p/mile so swings and roundabouts and prefer auto EV over any auto ICE car anyday,

[@ravey_boii]

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[@danielrichards8472]

Omg I’m watching this at 10:25am and you said at the start of the video it’s 10:25am 😯

[@ravey_boii]

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[@randombloke10]

We did a trek to fully charged live in Farnborough from West Yorkshire in our 500e and made 180 miles on the first full charge and then ran 10-85% charges, did 4 over the 450 mile trip including a naff slow running one for 25 minutes for the last 30% we needed 🙃 it’s a cracking little car and despite the online figures being an 87kW motor it’s actually 100kW(film the EV pages in the car settings under full load 😄) nice nippy, light and fun car hope you enjoy your review and it definitely takes a bigger dip in the winter, I go from 160-180 in summer to 140-160 in winter over fast moorland commutes. It’s great fun though on twisty roads 😊 also the self driving tech is great on the motorways and in traffic 😀

[@ravey_boii]

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[@ravey_boii]

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[@Bessunger]

Ultra practical Vid. TOP

[@ravey_boii]

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[@gatulis]

Random question, but have you resprayed your front bumper? There is a noticeable difference with the wind. Great video, thanks

[@blacklablover2982]

I suspect the change in mileage can be accounted for by the terrain around Cumbria/Teebay services. It’s horrendous even on diesel engines. I often drive from NI via Cairnryan and account for required fuel to get me Costco in St Helens where I refill to continue on my journey to London. On this occasion I nearly screwed up as I watched my ‘remaining miles’ gobbled up by that section. After I had finally passed through and thanks to some 5omph roadworks I arrived at Costco with 10 mile’s remaining in the tank. Lesson learnt. I’m picking up a Nissan Ariya in December so won’t have to worry about doing that again😂😂 would be nice to see you do a review of one preferably the smaller battery which I’m getting😂😂

[@andrewgratrix8863]

Hi Richard. Love the videos. I have a BMW i3 and find the sat nav/ route planning a bit clunky. Haven’t done much long distance but getting an i4 next week and will do more distance in this. You always seem to know where all the best charging stations are in your road trips. How do you do this? What’s the best way/app etc. Thanks. Keep up the good work.

[@RSEV]

Ignore car nav…. I travel a lot so know most but zap map I usually use. Filter down by chargers 100kw or more and with more than 2 stalls. Ionity usually busy because those with a Porsche, audi, bmw, merc, Vw, Skoda etc will have cards that give 30p/kWh so actually best avoided now if travelling peak times. Mfg have been good at installing nice big sites recently. You just kind of get to know the good hubs along any given route in the uk

[@andrewgratrix8863]

Thanks

[@chrischild3667]

@@RSEV Worth a video I'd say!

[@maxgreece1]

Finally the Fiat! So happy! Dying to know what it’s like to live with. Is it comfortable? Quiet? Properly equipped? Does it drive well? Handle traffic? One pedal driving? So many questions. Also be interesting to see the consumption and range in more mixed driving.

[@clementmussotte6384]

I test drove it a few months ago as part of the Fully Charged Show and loved it. Handled really well on small roads and the noise level was acceptable (tried the Cabrio one). Depending on what driving mode you choose, you get one-pedal driving that'll stop the car fully (at least the Sherpa mode did). Only thing that bugged me was that I couldn't rest my left leg/knee comfortably against the fairly hard piece of trim next to the central console. Hope that helps.

[@GF-ep1pf]

Full one pedal driving in Range mode too. We wouldn’t want a car without one pedal driving now, it is brilliant particularly in stop-start driving. I love my 500, have had it 14 months. Space (including the small rest for left foot) is perfect for me but my tall husband finds our larger car more comfortable.

[@R1ch1eBTV]

Yes to all. Awesome little car in La Prima spec with the L2 driver assist pack.. One pedal driving (Range) works brilliantly.

[@briangriffiths114]

Despite having reservations about EVs, I took an extended test drive in a 500e last December and found it great to drive, particularly in range mode, with plenty of power, good handling and a deceptively spacious cabin. I collected mine two weeks later and it's made a good replacement for the trade-in, an identically sized Renault Twingo GT. Driving in mixed conditions with a fairly light foot has resulted in consumption of 4 miles per KW/h and there is plenty of room in the footwell for my size 10 feet!

[@pauljames2407]

Hi Rsymonds A great video with excellent information. It’s nice to see true figures on the cost of Ev’s now. All us Ev owners just need to petition the government on electric prices , Because if electric prices keep rising it will kill the electric car market. I’ve been told today by a friend he had an email off his caravan park & they have raised his electric cost from £0.24p to £0.34p & have pre warned him that in April it’s going up to £0.60 per kw starting the 1st April 2023. This is crazy , I love the way electric cars drive , love the regeneration braking. The only thing I miss about ice cars is the sound of a nice engine. But advantages of Ev’s smoothness & other bits made me fall in love with Ev’s. I hope the government do something , otherwise I’m going back to an ice car come April 2023.

[@JohnScarrott]

It makes no sense to go back to ICE if you already have an EV. For one you would lose money on selling the EV, and then you would end up with an ICE car that is going out of fashion fast, meaning if you wanted to sell it at some point, you would lose even more money. My guess is that you are not paying anywhere near 60p/kW for the majority of the electric you charge the EV with. A 50mpg car cost per mile is 15.1p (unleaded), 16.2p (Super Unleaded) or 16.9p (Diesel). For that money you could pay 60p/kW in a car that averages 4 miles per kW and still be paying less than you would for petrol or diesel, plus much lower servicing costs. And you wouldn't be ruining the planet.

[@theelectriccarguy910]

@@JohnScarrott Exactly this, I recently did a huge comparison on paper to see what the options are for my company car. Takin into account BIK rates, fuel/elec prices inc public and home charging. Even charging 50:50 home @34p and public @69p I am still £750 a year better off than a petrol car and £1600 diesel due to the ridiculous BIK rates @40%

[@martinstaveley6525]

New to your channel and finding it very informative. However when doing motorway journeys I'd expect a cruising speed close to 70mph as I would do in petrol/diesel.

[@RSEV]

I always drive at speed limits to show real-world range etc, but this one was an exception as I figured the couple of minutes longer journey time on 2 sections because I slowed a bit to 60 for some of it, was quicker than making an additional stop.

[@FFVoyager]

@@RSEV it's interesting how little 'real world' difference there is between the 'I must drive at 70' mentality and taking it a bit easier. You can't average 70 on a journey - so giving up a few mph on 'fast' roads makes precious little difference to most journeys.

[@rikm12]

Proves the bigger battery size isn't really needed. I also note on my road trips that zap map premium subscription was brilliant in allow me to see in real time what chargers were available as and when I needed to stop. My MG5 SR beats my bladder need's

[@ravey_boii]

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[@FFVoyager]

Time for a Fiat 500 v Ioniq 28 test? In my 'classic' 28 I did 214 miles last Thursday (it was chilly and occasionally a bit wet) and averaged 5.3mi/kWh.

[@simongibbs3936]

Great review, thanks. I don’t mind stopping a bit more regularly than most, drives my wife mad but I would take charging speed over ultimate range. Can I ask if you include waiting time to get on the charger in your charging time calculations? I feel I am waiting more recently, good in terms of EV adoption and maybe I have just been unlucky recently.

[@gap9992]

I had the same question because I don't think waiting time was included and it's still part of the overall journey time!

[@RSEV]

The charging time is the actual charging time I’ve taken from the invoices. Waiting time is extra. That’s not the cars fault. I was a bit unlucky as 2 cars in front at Gretna. But once I was on no other cars turned up. If I’d arrived half hour later I’d be straight on. If I’d arrived 10 mins earlier at Stafford I’d have been straight on. Ionity bit of a busy one at times recently because many owners have member cards that give what is now a cheap 30 pence per kWh. Add to that delays when people turn up and don’t realise you can’t jsut contectless pay and charge so they faff around at the stand registering on the app.

[@davelocktalk]

Hyundai kona 64kw ,no range anxiety at all, in the summer I was averaging 6 miles per klw, this winter it went down to 3.5miles per klw minus conditions up here in Scotland.

[@bristolview56]

We have a Seat Mii electric (34Kw, 162 mile range) and the displayed available range is as unreliable as the Fiat's. However after driving for a while we can consistently know the miles left by just looking at the fuel gauge (the Seat has a traditional analog display), we know we get 10 miles per mark in the summer and 8 in the winter - this has been calculated by setting the trip meter each time we charge and recharging after 8 marks used (half a tank), this gives a very accurate range estimate.

[@ravey_boii]

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[@PCRoss2469]

Must be a FIAT thing, My partners ICE 500 Range prediction is exactly the same.

[@ravey_boii]

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[@wilyjetset]

Another great video. One comment - the music is always far too loud! I always have to crank the volume down and then back up for the speaking. You could probably add some compression to the voiceover or else just attenuate the music a bit. The music is awful anyway, but maybe that’s just me 😁

[@rogerfinch7651]

How much for an equivalent fiat 500 petrol or golf to do the same trip? Would be a useful comparison even at best guess figures for mpg

[@everusualsuspect]

RAC says £75 based on £1.80/l at 50mpg. Seems a bit of a rubbish mpg for a small car?

[@davidr7033]

I wonder if your heavier energy consumption on leaving Gretna was due to the climb up to Shap summit. This climb is so gradual that you don't notice it in a modern car. Gretna is at sea level, Shap summit is about 320m. The corollary of this is reduced kWh/mile once over the top. Have I read somewhere that Tesla's GOM allows for altitude gain and loss?

[@colinnich]

Yes, the Tesla route planner is aware of elevation gain/loss and is very accurate.

[@Vivra_Verra____]

The Fiat 500e is a fun car definitely, I have a 2014.

[@martinblackmore4515]

The issue as always on a road trip is the lack of multi-bay chargers, capacity is the issue coupled with the risk of being available. 2 chargers = high risk. I am not sure what needs to happen to correct this issue. There appears to be a lack of will by the networks to invest. Case in point BP near me just put in a new charger. Two - yes two, why? If this is not solved the problem will worsen as more electric cars come online.

[@RSEV]

Yes and another is that Ionity is now the cheapest for many. Porsche, bmw, audi, merc, and other manufacturer charge cards give 30ppkwh so people got here and won’t use the others at 69ppkwh

[@ohyesitsme]

I think the conversion to right hand drive means that there is nowhere to stretch out your left leg which would be a no no for me on a long journey.

[@stevencash5783]

Wish you could do this trip in a Mazda MX30 Would be good because everyone goes on about the range and the charging times

[@ravey_boii]

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[@Qosmio1955]

I have seen some of the comments about the cost of this trip. On the face of it, with electricity prices the way they are in the UK, it would seem that running an EV is of very little benefit compared to an ICE vehicle (putting aside the environmental benefits.) Just to paint a rosier picture, here is the breakdown of the 300 mile drive home from the dealer garage to my home in my new Cupra Born here in Western Australia: The dealer made sure that the car was 100% charged (the only time it ever has been) and I drove the first 82 miles at moderate speeds while I got used to the car. It cost the equivalent of eight British Pounds to top up to 95% at a fast charger and 20 minutes later I was on my way. The remaining 220 miles were completed at the posted speed limits along the way and I arrived home with 62 miles of range left. So, without the stop I would not have made it home, but not by much. At home I have solar and charged the car for free. Total cost of the 300 mile trip, eight pounds. Yes, I know that I started off with a "full tank" and I was able to charge at home for free, and not everyone can do that, but I just wanted to show that EV motoring can still be cheap.

[@davedyer3654]

Watching you in the Fiat makes me realise just how lucky Tesla drivers are with the energy graph and it's accuracy

[@ravey_boii]

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[@justinholding02]

Nice. Could you do a comparaison between the fiat and an E-Up?

[@RSEV]

E-up won our efficiency battle recently. I think it would beat the 500 comfortably for miles per kWh but I’ll see if I can get chance to do a side-by-side

[@justinholding02]

@@RSEV it's efficiency queen. But doesn't charge very fast unfortunately

[@charlesclement383]

I'd take the Fiat any day. Just for the looks and the Italian styling.

[@michaelgoode9555]

I would have thought that just 3 stops in the Born leaving Edinburgh with a close to full battery and topping up to 80% max en route would be easily achievable.

[@superduperawesome6858]

There’s plenty of information given around charging capacity and how long to charge from 10-80% but I don’t think I’ve seen a vehicle accept the max charge, certainly for any length of time. What would be a decent average charging rate for a given vehicle and do you still get the 10-80% stats they use? 👍🏻

[@ravey_boii]

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[@mrmawson2438]

Will you be trying one of the Ora funky cat things

[@BLCBob]

Would be interesting to see the difference in time, cost, etc between a long range ev and diesel/petrol.

[@martinblackmore4515]

I did a 500 ml trip to Cornwall and back. Same price as petrol on the chargers.

[@BLCBob]

@@martinblackmore4515 how much longer does it take?

[@Telcontarnz]

I’m confused with relative costs. I would have thought it would fiat x 3.8/3.4 ut it’s not. How come? Mixture of time and kWh based pricing?

[@dna100]

Do we get to know the total time at Gretna for fairness. 34min charge time + waiting time of ?? for a total refuel time of....

[@ravey_boii]

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[@colinpalmer9070]

btw the Fiat 500e stated range is 199 miles at 5miles per kw. I struggle to get over 4 miles per kw from it even around town. Might do 5 miles/kw at 60mph on a long A road journey.

[@RSEV]

Yeah I even checked this was the larger battery, and it deffo is because that’s the only one available in the convertible. 5mi/kWh would need a constant 40mph I think. Shame because that battery size should give 160+ real world range

[@TassieEV]

I like the Fiat, definitely a good city car, but as you've proven can be used for long trips when there is ubiquitous charging as you had that works. Interesting about the efficiency now to watch your likes/dislikes/efficiency video on it.

[@graham1155]

I’m driving a 58kw born, I rarely get less than 4m/kw

[@mrmawson2438]

Evening mate

[@richardeskins]

Would love to see you try that in our little Mii! 😬

[@RSEV]

Well the Mii has better real world range… so easier!

[@justinholding02]

The Mii is unbeatable when it comes to efficiency, but it's slow to charge, topping out at 40kw only. But I agree, I'd love to see a comparaison with the Fiat, but not on a motorway trip.

[@ravey_boii]

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[@MrFatknacker]

EV home charging is cheaper than paying for fuel, but are in-journey Rapid chargers actually cheaper than filling up with fuel? If I was comparing my Mercedes EQC400 with a GLC250d, then I doubt there would be much in it at best. Gretna EV charging is a pain with seemingly frequent queuing for an IONITY charger … while the BP Garage (with no BP Pulse chargers) next to them appears to be barely used…

[@ravey_boii]

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[@peterkirton4580]

The very first statement 12 charging stops says all that is wrong with electric. On that journey in my petrol car I would reckon to fill up once in hours less time than is necessary for an electric car

[@RideOnTime1]

Great interesting video but im glad my new car is petrol.

[@maxflight777]

All of these “city “ cars could have tackled long journeys…. *but* Their manufacturers couldn’t be bothered to invest in a supercharger network! (Don’t reward them by purchasing their cars) *just buy a Tesla and relax* (Even if it’s a high-mileage used Tesla ) Super content Richard … trusted judgement

[@Twidile1]

Over 15p a mile for the Fiat and over 19p a mile in the Cupra . Compare to good efficient diesel say 55 mpg is 6 gallon = 27 liter @£1.90 = £53 = 11p per mile . have i got my sums wrong , if so please correct me .

[@RSEV]

Yes from public charges with NO discounts running cost is similar. However most of the time you charge at home or work on cheaper tariffs (or ideally your own solar!). Also Ionity actually costs me (and many others) less than half the standard tariff I used.

[@stevengarrett7031]

We run our ioniq for less than 1p per mile. Try doing that with a diesel!!

[@rickeaston8963]

By (very) rough calculation, the Fiat cost about the same as a petrol engined car; and the Cupra about the same as a diesel engined one. Over that sort of distance I'd be stopping twice - no matter what sort of car I was driving, but maybe not for as long. So given the opportunity for lower cost 'leccy from solar, off-peak or discount memberships, I'd put that down as a marginal win for EVs.

[@KentBuchla]

And that’s in the UK. Pricing is much more in favor of EVs on the continent.

[@JohnScarrott]

The vast majority of EV owners pay far less than the prices of chargers on this trip and charge at home or locally at lower prices (Supermarket for example). What you pay on a once or twice a year trip is not something anyone should decide between EV and ICE on.

[@ravey_boii]

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[@Peoplestariff]

3.8miles/kw is poor I regularly get close to 5 in my yorkshire but it does mean keeping below 60 mph and only using heated seats

[@nanli6533]

it seems like the costs for EV is not lower than petrol or diesel car. for a 800 km motorway journey, assume the consumption is 7L petrol per 100 km or 5L per 100 km and the price for petrol is 1.6 per liter and for diesel is 1.8 per liter. The total cost for a petrol car is 89.6 and for a diesel car is 72.

[@chrishyde1216]

I'm surprised at the charging cost. Our petrol Toyota Avensis, assuming 40mpg and £7.45 per gallon, would have cost about £85. I'm a fan of EVs and there are significant other benefits (reduced emissions, simplicity, refinement, fun to drive), but that suggests that for long trips they are no cheaper than ICEs when using public chargers. We also have a short range EV for local trips and always charge at home, using our solar panels when the weather allows. EVs are great for shorter range non-high speed travel, but might not be a cost efficient for longer distance trips. I choose rail for longer-distance travel. The lifetime depreciation of a long-range EV (typically £40k plus other costs) can buy a lot of rail travel.

[@JohnScarrott]

You can't decide the choice of car based on a once or twice a year long trip. The vast majority of EV owners pay far less than the prices of chargers on this trip and charge at home or locally at lower prices (Supermarket for example). Most EV's went up in value or lost nothing over the past 4-5 years, my 30kW Leaf I could sell it today for what I paid for it in 2018. Demand for EV's is growing fast, just as much for new as it is for used, so depreciation is not something I'd even think about right now. And when you say 'lifetime' you have to note that EV's are now (with the battery technology of recent times) hitting 200,000 miles plus before the battery has dropped enough to think about replacing it. How many ICE can do 200,000 miles? Not that many, a lot of them would need an expensive overhaul before they get to 150,000. How many years would it take you to do 200,000 miles? 20 years? £40k for 20 years silent pollution free driving sounds like a winner to me, and at the end of that the batter can still be used in a power storage project or fully recycled. A new battery in 10 years time is going to be soooooo cheap due to economy of scale, ICE fuel will be over £10 per gallon.

[@AdrianMcDaid]

Every one thinks about that 5% trip they do few times year. Majority of the time you be (if possible) charge at home off peak

[@stepheng8779]

@@JohnScarrott I drive both electric & petrol but please don't tell try and sell EV's as guilt free, pollution free driving, we all know that isn't true.

[@chrishyde1216]

@@stepheng8779 I agree and therefore said "reduced emissions" not zero emissions.

[@martinblackmore4515]

@@AdrianMcDaid off peak charging at home is not available since the fuel crisis

[@eprohoda]

how you doinng?,total professional picture. talk you later.✨

[@grahamleiper1538]

You'll presumably be pleased to hear more chargers (12 175kW I believe) are being installed at Gretna (and more at Abington) so the cross border route is finally getting what might be almost enough chargers for the immediate future rather than queuing at Ionity.

[@RSEV]

That’s great. Problem with Ionity is that anyone with a new Porsche, audi, bmw, Mercedes’, Hyundai and more get cheapest rates there with manufacturer charge cards! I get 30ppkwh - cheaper than at home. So they’re all super busy!

[@cnocspeireag]

Might be enough chargers for quite some time after the budget statement. I've thought for some time that the honeymoon period of cheap/free charging and zero road tax would end. Soon make more sense to get a good, simple ICE car while they are available.

[@colinnich]

@@cnocspeireag Yip, that £160/year VED is a real deal-breaker 🤣. Good thing it's free for your ICE, eh?

[@legatus9081]

as somebody who enjoys cruising at 140-150 km/h for long jurneys a little car like this won't do 😂

[@brushlessmotoring]

I found the Mercedes EQC 400 did the same 'you need to plug in' when I still had plenty of range to destination. For a new EV user, that would be concerning.

[@everusualsuspect]

Tesla, the same. I regularly do longer journeys and have to double check their charging decision. For some reason they are keen for me to use the Supercharger. It's amazing to be able to just get in one and tell it where I want to go but it's a shame that I have to check the route nowadays.

[@brushlessmotoring]

@@everusualsuspect but a Tesla (generally) won’t claim you are not going to make it when you clearly can - that’s what happened occasionally in the EQC’s nav, and apparently the Fiats too.

[@everusualsuspect]

@@brushlessmotoring yes, I've gone off on a slightly different grudge, sorry! Tesla are simply suggesting to use the fastest route which often involves more battery.

[@brushlessmotoring]

@@everusualsuspect yeah - I find myself overriding Tesla's chosen plan too, I prefer shorter breaks more frequently, whereas Tesla's routing seems to go for minimum stops, but longer charges. Check out my Vancouver, Canada to Austin, Texas videos - all to go see Fully Charged back in early 2020.

[@everusualsuspect]

@@brushlessmotoring will do! Happy actual motoring!

[@sparkmeister4706]

Wow what an absolute faff that was. Couldnt think of anything worse when doing a long distance journey when its bad enough as it is with traffic then further delays with charging every couple of hours. Imagine being stuck in an hours delay then have to stop for another hour to charge the thing. As a regular long distance driver this as confirmed to me that electric is not the way forward yet for me or many. Imagine doing this same journey by train But you'd have to change trains at 5 stations and have to wait at each one. You'd never do it.

[@originalshadowfax]

Should have tried to go to John O Groats and get real test of where you can charge them north of Edinburgh. Easy if its all on motorways and main A roads. Cost of the car and time taken to get anywhere ££££££

[@ukvette]

How many miles Richard? 460 ?

[@RSEV]

487 I think it was in the end. I thought I’d put a pic of the trip on but maybe forgot 🤦‍♂️

[@jm123blue]

And how long in total?

[@contraplano3157]

The born with 77kw may do the long Journey

[@mikadavies660]

Great test. A long journey in small city EV's. Clearly "it can be done". Exactly as expected people have written to say their petrol blah blah blah would do it on three Shillings & six pence! Clearly not getting the point of your video. 👍

[@RSEV]

Thank you Mike

[@mikadavies660]

@@RSEV Welcome... It was honest & informative videos like yours, Fully Charged & Electric Viking.... That have helped me filter & select my new car (an EV not a Hybrid). Knowing that I will be able to drive without needing 5 million miles range. THANKS... 👍

[@johns4651]

Something not right. I have the 500e and I get easily at least 170 miles range on my motorway trips from Surrey to Suffolk (at about 60mph on motorway/ dual carriageways). We get just over 200 miles range in the city. Is this Fiat the small battery version or the proper one? I know Fiat also offers the small battery alternative but I do not think these are very popular. Ours is the LaPrima. If this is the proper battery version, then the car/battery is faulty to get such short range (or perhaps it is already a heavily used one?

[@RSEV]

It’s La prima and only the larger battery available in the convertible. Is the convertible terribly less aerodynamic? Seriously I was heating off and drafting trucks. I was disappointed for the battery size.

[@johns4651]

@@RSEV Strange, you seem to be getting about 30-40 miles less range in similar driving conditions. Perhaps it is because mine is brand new and the one in your video is 21 reg? Maybe the battery has had quite a bit of use already? Or the battery has been "mistreated" by frequent rapid charging? I normally limit the charging to 22kv or 7kv even, rapid charging only in emergency. I also normally only charge to 80%, unless long trip. Perhaps this explains better battery performance and apparent battery degradation in your 21 reg?

[@ravey_boii]

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[@liviurosca]

At this point i’m more concerned about coffee costs and other expensive shopping from the services. 😂 Seriously speaking if you do this trip more than twice per month, an EV it’s not for you. I will rather get an small EV for city driving and a diesel for long trips. Or if you only want one car to be good for all i will choose an plug-in hybrid, one with long electric range like MB C300e with 68 miles electric only claimed by them so 50 miles in real life hopefully. 50 miles for me it’s enough to go 4-5 times at work.

[@Lemming1970]

Would love to see a comparison like this but with a 500e V's a standard 500.

[@ravey_boii]

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[@quantumrobingaming6667]

Would have been nicer to see the larger battery of the fiat as the price between the small and big is close enough that I believe 'no one' is buying the small battery.

[@KokowaSarunoKuniDesu]

So all the extra charging stops are for the *phone* then? The Fiat should manage no more than 5, safely. Update: made it to the end of the video. I stand corrected - 4 stops is more like it!

[@SuperBartet]

Your last very quick get it out of the way comment, "still far cheaper than any diesel or petrol car out there anyway" Well I do know how to use a calculator, so I know I can do it cheaper in a fuel car. I was surprised at how much it did cost you. So EV's are more expensive to buy, run, and insurer, plus the hassle of having to keep charging them So that's why the sales of them have slowed down.

[@stevekenilworth]

be done in petrol cheaper, most public do not have drive so public charging the only way, some places a staggering 85p a kw and that only going to go up. i be sticking with my next car a petrol city manual for the next 20 plus years.

[@godzuks]

My Mondeo 1.5 tcdi diesel would have cost £83 ish on that journey, and its range is 700 miles....

[@RB-lt8kt]

Interesting and informative but surely the Cupra could do about 200 miles so 80 mils more than the Fiat. I assume both cars had heating turned off as I have noticed unless you pre-heat the car you loose 2% of battery very quickly heating EV cars and speed was 60 miles per hour or less ? If the trip was 460 miles then the Cupra would only need 3 stops maximum and the 3.4 to 3.6 miles per kwh is about right for most EV cars in Autumn and Winter. The Cuora takes longer to charge but goes further where as the Fiat does less miles but charges faster. The Cupra cost is higher as it has a larger battery so recharging at the end of the trip would have cost more. The Fiat seems a good city car that can do longer trips but the Original Hyundai Ioniq has more room inside (better driver seat and leg room for taller drivers) so a better family size car. People are buying bigger battery cars but never using the range that often. I know one owner who sold their Etron for a Mini and is far happier as he doesn't get as anxious about range as he knows the Mini will do 100 miles easily.

[@MagnusPaul1976]

For the moment and until further notice, I really don't think that electric motor vehicles will be a viable solution for greener energy here in South Africa, as the energy supplier is on the verge of collapse and total grid blackout. For those that aren't familiar with Load Shedding, South Africa has been Load Shedding regularly since 2008 with a couple of power cuts throughout the day. It will take many years to restore reliable energy throughout South Africa. Imagine the issue at charging points when the power goes off and you cannot further your journey and are forced to wait a few hours before you can actually charge your car ? It won't work here for many many years to come thanks to obvious reasons.