Top 14 FAQs for New EV Drivers: Everything You Need to Know to Get Started

[@stricardo1]

What a great piece of work. Great questions and equally good answers. All the better for not being rushed or scripted.

[@JonathanPorterfield]

Thank you for your comments and support, i really appreciate it 👍😊

[@williammykura2342]

Sarah is surprisingly well informed for a first time buyer - knows more about EV’s than most blokes that I know…

[@RWBHere]

22:25 We're both at home during daytime. What we did was to install a home battery (19kWh) and switch to Octopus Go. The car, and the home battery are recharged, usually to 100% in 5 hours at night, and our daytime use of mains electricity is practically zero, except for during the coldest few weeks in Winter. We do not have Solar, but the battery has more than paid for itself in electricity cost savings over the past 5 years.

[@albertoporras04]

Given that Sarah has only just passed her test, it is very likely that insuring any Tesla is going to be eye-wateringly expensive, not because it's an EV as such, but because it is a high performance car, it would be a bit like a new driver trying to ensure a Porsche 911. Quite a few EVs are quick (it's much cheaper to add performance to an EV than to a ICE car) so she really does need to check insurance costs before committing to a car.

[@sarahphillips1102]

It's approx £1600 for a model 3, £1100 for a niro, and £1000 for the ice Renault captur. All 3 cheapest quotes were with admiral.

[@albertoporras04]

Well, much better than I expected, but still expensive (I'm 62 with a good driving record and for me a new Y LR is just over £600 fully comp.)

[@michaelgoode9555]

​@@sarahphillips1102 My partner resumed driving for personal reasons after over 20 years of not owning a car. She had driven for 20 years before this and we hired a car a couple of times a year as well as her using a company-supplied vehicle on occasional work trips. Her insurance for a 2 year old ID.3 in March 2023 was close to the eNiro quote. It went down in 2024. She have two friends as named drivers on her policy too. I do not drive as I am registered blind. She insures the car for 8,000 miles a year but to date we have only covered 6,000 miles in 20 months. The best price actually came from visiting a local insurance brokers office literally just round the corner from where we live. Same at renewal.

[@ObiePaddles]

The more I drive an EV the less range I think it needs. We have so few journeys genuinely > 3.5 hours, so (an easy) 180 miles easily suits us, and probably most people.

[@StephenButlerOne]

Most people do less than 30 a day. On that basis a granny charger will give you 30 miles over night. You could easily keep your car between 35-70% with a granny charger. This percentage to keep your car in really protects the battery. Then just use tesla super chargers when out on a run. Take the £9 pm membership and you're getting really cheap charges. 180mils/3hours is a good run, I like to do about 2.5h runs and stop at the closest Tesla supercharger charger to that time/range. Then you only have to charge for 15-20mins. Just enough time to have a pee and grab a drink, which gives me at least in my born, enough range to do the 2.5h again. You can get across the UK and Europe easily doing this

[@ODD_JOB]

Great video. i have just taken the plunge and ordered my first ev. a peugeot e3008 73kwh. also had a ohme e-opd home charger fitted.

[@JonathanPorterfield]

Thanks for watching and great to hear you've taken the EV plunge ! 👍👍

[@Tyreman22]

I’ve just taken delivery of my first EV and love it.

[@JonathanPorterfield]

@@Tyreman22 welcome to the EV club 😉👍👍

[@johnbrown3471]

Kia and MG have 7 years manufacturer warranties, Hyundai and Zoe 5 years. All have 8 year on traction batteries.

[@dougowt]

Great video to post and it helped a lot that Sarah had already done research and tried a few cars. I've driven EVs for about 6 years now (thank you Jonathan for helping me buy a Kangoo ZE many moons ago). I cut my teeth on Zoes, had the Kangoo running alongside the first Zoe. Tried electric motorcycling and now have March 2016 Model S with 267,000 miles. I would recommend EV tyres, I'm now using the Hankooks and they are A rated for grip, A rated for efficiency (noticeably so), very quiet and wear well. Worth mentioning that like any car, look for signs that it has been looked after. Recently with the price of Model 3s becoming so attractive, I've tended to point new EV drivers to the Model 3, mainly because they make the switch as easy as it is going to get. The navigation is excellent, I travel a lot in Europe and it's very easy with the Tesla. Plus when you use public chargers, plugging a Tesla into Tesla chargers is as easy as it gets. Press the button on the charger handle to open the cars charge flap, plug in, wait 10 seconds to make sure it starts to charge, then walk away. The other thing worth mentioning on the 3 and Y is SEXY buttons, make a controller that you fit to the centre console and you can customise it to do whatever functions you prefer, including adjusting the regen. But whatever Sarah chooses, it looks like she can make an informed choice. Enjoy, after a few weeks of switching routines from filling stations to fitting charging into your normal routine, you'll never look back. And no carcinogenic fumes to worry about.

[@JonathanPorterfield]

Thanks doug for the great comments, and it's great to hear i helped in a small way in you switch to EVs 👍🙂

[@thelaserhive3368]

One thing I think worth mentioning is that some cars with the Google system built in can make a decent job of route planning and suggesting charge stops in a way similar to Tesla. Ones that spring to mind are the Megane and the new Scenic. Both solid EVs. Good luck Sarah.

[@JonathanPorterfield]

Good point about google based sat nav , i used it in the polestar 2 i rented in Spain !

[@antoniopalmero4063]

I’ve just changed to Octopus Go , mine is 8.5p and 28.2p down south (Taunton ) . We pay more for everything down south , cod and chips £10 , pint of beer £4.85 .

[@JonathanPorterfield]

Cod and chips up here is £9 so not to differant , thanks for watching 🙂

[@cliffordguest4824]

What a sensible young lady. Why don't you get Sarah back in a few months to tell us how she is getting on , if she wants to of course.

[@JonathanPorterfield]

Thats the plan 👌 😊

[@Jaw0lf]

Good questions and very good responses, all fair and objective. For the tyres, it very much depends on how much you enjoy the acceleration that the EV provides. I had a Kia E Niro and first set of tyres lasted about 18,000 miles, but when I sold it, the tyres were lasting far better, as I had also used the chill mode. I agree with the range of 250 miles being a great mix, especially in a Tesla. Doing a recent 330 mile trip to Cornwall took over 6 hours and a stop after 3 to 3 and a half hours was perfect. The Tesla charged in around 15 minutes for me to get home and we didn't have enough time to finish our coffee! A lot of other charging is based on availability of destination charging. The Tesla is definately a great choice. But don't be afraid of any Chinese ones, they are often better for software and gadgets, that the legacy ones liked to charge as extras.

[@michaelgoode9555]

My two pennoth: Blackcircles is a good place to look for tyres for your EV. Our VW ID.3 came with Continental ev specific tyres but I wanted to change to a cross climate tyre so chose Michelin Cross Climate 2's. These are not ev specific and yet there has been no increase in cabin noise or drop in miles/kWh. Range depends upon use profile: I needed 180 miles in the winter and our car can do this. In the summer we can easily get 260 miles out of a full charge. Range does drop off in colder and wetter weather which is why I researched to find a car with my desired real world winter range. I am one of the EV nerds that Jonathan talks about and one thing for me is to check tyre pressures regularly. I inflate to when the pump jeedle is just above the recommended pressure. It's also worth checking tyre pressures when the temperature suddenly falls or rises.

[@JonathanPorterfield]

Thanks Michael for your comments 👍, best regards Jp 😀

[@foppo100]

If you are that worry about tyre pressures have nitrogen put in.That is what I did.And just drive normal.Don't get to overcomplicated this is getting silly michael.

[@michaelgoode9555]

​​@@foppo100 yes, I agree. Having nitrogen put in is getting silly. Tyre pressures will vary in a climate like the UK simply due to a temperature difference of 10 degrees C. This is not uncommon given our Western Maritime climate. And, how am I going to top up nitrogen? Ah yes, with nitrogen. People should be checking their tyres at least once a week for damage anyway but people have become lazy and negligent. I check tyres because my father was a tyre specialist and I learned from him. Watch any Motorsport event and the crew will check the tyres at every opportunity. Poorly maintained tyres will cost you in economy and in future replacement costs.

[@malcolmfowler8972]

Great Video! There needs to be more advice for new EV owners, particularly around charging. I walk past the EV chargers at Tesco during my weekly shop and frequently find new EV owners struggling to work out how to start a charge, or plugging into the slow Type 2 socket, because they didn't realise the CCS cable would fit their EV.

[@JonathanPorterfield]

Yes , dealers still not training new ev buyers !

[@_Dougaldog]

There's also the possibility the Type 2 A.C charger would have been cheaper/kWh than the faster D.C option.

[@redvalley9]

Great informative video. Looking to get my first ev a Niro.

[@JonathanPorterfield]

Thanks for watching and enjoy your e niro 👍

[@ianemery2925]

Re Kia Soul, the 30 KWh battery degrades a LOT worse than the 27KWh. I have owned a 27KWh 2016 car for over 2 years, battery SOH is still ~96.7% with 42,000 miles on the clock; during the summer it was showing 96.9%, and last winter it was showing 96.8%. The worse cell has 11% degradation and over all I have lost 0.9KWh. I think a lot of the early degradation was down to people not understanding how to look after the battery packs. Looks are subjective, I got it because I have broken my back a few times, and needed something where the seat wasnt too low to the ground.

[@michaelwilson3844]

Hi Sarah I have the MG ZS EV which I have owned coming up for 2 years , I had to wait almost a year for delivery due to the shortage of the computer chips , I absolutely love the car , it’s the one with the electric sunroof that they now don’t supply , I have been driving for just short of 50 years and have 100% been converted to the EV world of driving and no intention of going back , I have a home charger it’s the OHME so simple to use , downloaded the App , I’m also on the Octopus 7p KWH between 11.30 pm & 5.30 AM , in my nearly 2 years I have never needed to charge away from home , I have the long range MG ZS EV battery so it costs me £3 to £4 to fully charge no brainer for me plus all my electric usage between 11.30pm & 5.30pm is also at 7p kWh , wife does washing & drying during the night on timers , as far as the car is concerned I haven’t had one single problem with the car , if you want to ask any questions about the MG Zs EV feel free to ask , will do my best to answer any questions you may have , Congratulations on passing your test enjoy the driving experience.

[@ObiePaddles]

We had the same car (1st gen) for a couple of years. Loved it. Moved onto a Model Y. Not the same category so not comparable and love it too.

[@David-bl1bt]

A great video Jonathan! Very helpful with sound advice for new EV drivers. A follow-up video once Sarah had made her purchase would be really good, she could gi e her reasoning for her choice, what the buying experience was like and maybe a part 3 where she gives her opinion after a month of ownership perhaps?

[@JonathanPorterfield]

Good idea 💡 ill run it past Sarah , thanks for watching and your comments 👍

[@antoniopalmero4063]

Sarah has a lot of questions 😀

[@philbushell6024]

Octopus Agile is great for us, we have no solar, no batteries, but we work from home and so have low EV mileage, my average cost for the past few months is around 10-14p kWh.

[@mickrhodes4567]

Great questions and good resource for others to use. At 31:45 you mention MGs not been able to charge at Tesla superchargers. Our old MG5 2021 could without issue, but that was only after I took it back to the MG dealer for a software update which fixed it. I suspect that's why James's older MGs can't as they are not taking them back to the dealer for service and just running them into the ground. My Dad's old MG4 could charge just fine on Tesla superchargers too, as can his new MG5 facelift. No experience with MG ZS but I guess others could confirm.

[@JonathanPorterfield]

Thats good to know . Thanks for the info 👍

[@FancyaBevMate]

Passing a test and getting a vehicle over 3k is utter madness 😢

[@bdeithrick]

Yup C1 Aygo is the job

[@sarahphillips1102]

@@FancyaBevMate I understand the logic of buying something throwaway as a first car, and I did look at some prices. My concern was that anything that old/used didn't come with modern safety features that make me feel more comfortable. I'd also be worried about breakdowns with anything with high milage. A 3-5 year old car felt like the sweet spot to me in terms of my confidence level Vs upfront cost.

[@FancyaBevMate]

@@sarahphillips1102 you’re insurance will be you limiting factor anyway restricting your choice unless you want to pay extortionate prices bear in mind all insurances are set to sky rocket with the uk being hit the hardest (26% increase 13% germany 5% france and spain being the lowest) if you looked at Kia/hyundai they would have 4 and 2 years respectively left on their warranties of three year old vehicles. Ps don’t get bogged down on safety concerns as every vehicle is tested to a maximum 41mph offset crash and you’re most helpful safety feature on any vehicle is you 😁. I always advise any driver new and old to drive as if you have NO safety features and they should be used as a backup only. I’m sure you’ll be fine with whatever you choose as most vehicles from the past 15 years are much safer than when I passed my test in 86. Cheers

[@StephenButlerOne]

Id say a car with 250mile range is enough, 3h is 180 miles if you can do 70 all the way. Then a 20min charge at a tesla station will get you enight to do 3h again with getting to into range anxiety levels

[@calumthornton1918]

The newer Kia onboard navigation will route you to chargers, but it tends to pick expensive BP and Shell chargers. They don't have open Tesla chargers on the list

[@_Dougaldog]

My 2024 MG4 Trophy (77kWh) charges well on the Tesla chargers, typically averaging 80kW charge rate (theoretical peak is 144kW, but not seen yet). I also use ChargePlace Scotland RFID card (Radio Frequency Identification), which can work in tandem with their App'. Some ChargePlace Scotland chargers currently offering some good tariff rates on and off peak, but the App' might not work with some older chargers (hence RFID card). I have no option to charge at home, but a once a week or so fast charge (10 minute drive from house), and the odd slow top up when available works for me. The Adaptive Cruise Control works well on motorway. One pedal driving is very smooth, EV charger route planning is being rolled out but no idea of how good it is or isn't. Downside is that one pedal driving has to be enabled for each new journey, no option to save as a driver profile. When pre-heating the car using the App' it works in ten minute segments as said in video, but any change to temperature via App' if already started resets the ten minute timer.

[@foppo100]

Infrastructure people is the Achilles heal of owing a E.V.We went shopping today at Kingswood in Hull.Massive car parks for the shops and I couldn't see one EV charger.We had a coffee something to eat and anybody visisting that would have been the ideal time to put a charge in.They don't have to be superchargers at a very expensive cost.The big stores don't seem or want to realise how many customers it would attract.The range would become not so important if chargers.would be more available in the UK.Also the silly apps and payments by many is ridiculous.You don't go to a petrol station and have that problem.

[@JonathanPorterfield]

True , thats why i feel that 250/300 mile range is ideal for most drivers if you can charge at home. Destination chargers of just 7kW are needed, in shopping areas and all Hotels !

[@richardsona1966]

Hi JP, great video with some good advice. I have just bought a 2021 E Niro 4 based on yours and Andrew Tills advice after owning 2 Leafs over the past 10 years. I'm really enjoying the range and features, a great recommendation. one question; can you get the heated seats, steering wheel and mirrors to work with the remote app? Thanks

[@JonathanPorterfield]

Hi Richard, via the app i can only on my 4+ , turn on heating , the heated mirrors , and heat steering wheel , but no option to turn on heated seat though !

[@ObiePaddles]

Auto pilot is good for A roads as well. We had an MGZSEV and even when charging on the Tesla home charger we thought it wouldn’t work. But after 90 seconds it did!

[@bdeithrick]

That’s just a plug in. Safety switch

[@antoniopalmero4063]

I’ve seen driving instructor cars that are EV , ZOE , 500e , eCORSA etc. I guess if you learn and pass in an EV then you can only drive an automatic transmission car .

[@bdeithrick]

Yup not a uk Full licence. Learning in an EV isn’t Learning to “ Drive”. It’s just moving a car about the streets. Giving up the full package about planning and understanding vehicles and ice movements. Shame but people are doing this. More expensive to hire automatic cars at car Hire Firms.

[@mrstoives2444]

Charged my Kona EV at Tesla in Banbury on the way home the other day. Had the app, it was a doddle and cheap

[@JonathanPorterfield]

It is very very easy isnt it 😊

[@ateeqn1985]

My official dealership kia servicing is very expensive about 200-300 per 10k miles.... Although the work they do is minimum .. its required for warranty

[@JonathanPorterfield]

You can use any vat registered garage as long as they follow kia schedules and 'parts'. This does not affect the warranty at all. This is also stated in the e niro handbook. See this video ...kzbin.info/www/bejne/e5y8aYOZacl_d8Usi=a9Nr6Hcm36Uq1Yt7

[@ateeqn1985]

@@JonathanPorterfield thanks . I will look at that video, but not all garages want to touch an EV. The big ones (Halford, Kwikfit) are also expensive...

[@JonathanPorterfield]

@ateeqn1985 check out the HEVRA web site

[@ElectricMikeEV]

No problems getting Tesla windscreens afaik

[@JonathanPorterfield]

Good to know , thanks 😊

[@thisisnumber0]

She said reached out I growled....

[@johnbrown3471]

Cheap overnight electricity for EV's is only worth it if you are out of the house during the day and are driving 250+ miles a week. A home charger is nice but 12/14 hours on a granny charger (6pm-8am) will get you circa 100 miles of range. Most people do only 50 miles a week unless they Sunday drive etc. People thinking about going electric always worry about super fast charging when in reality will very rarely ever need it.

[@bdeithrick]

Seems like she’s just ordering the M3. So. Questions are irrelevant. A Tesla is just get in n go

[@sarahphillips1102]

Guess you'll have to wait for part 2 to find out 😂