[Nick]

The government recently announced that a major milestone has been reached as the number of EV chargepoints reached 75,000, a deployment rate of one new charger every 29 minutes. These sit alongside over 680,000 chargepoints installed on private driveways.



The world of motoring is definitely moving in this direction - do annonuncements like this make it more likely that you might purchase an Electric Vehicle sooner rather than later?

[Drivingforfun]

Not owning a driveway I'd struggle, because my only option is to pay the public charging fees. A typical EV hatchback - not a sporty one - consumes electricity such that it'd cost me about £0.22 a mile, which is £0.03 more than my John Cooper Works. Compare that to a more apt car like a Fiesta and it's actually more like half to fuel that over the EV.

I'm not against EVs, I've been given one when having my car serviced and was honestly amazed by how much I liked it. I'd happily have one but there needs to be infrastructure for the people who don't have a driveway

I hate to sound like a typical commie, I'm not!! But it seems the people with big driveways who likely don't need to save money on petrol are able to run an EV for a pittance, yet those who live in flats or smaller houses and probably are poorer and could do with the extra pennies have to pay several times more

[Nick]

I totally get that aswell @Drivingforfun - the difference is cost is definitely an obstacke they need to overcome. I did note that there are plans for something like 100,000 charepoints being installed across smaller towns and rural areas, described as on-street and local chargers.

If you're in work currently, is your workplace an option to charge?

The RAC has Charge Watch - a companion to it's Fuel Watch scheme and is a founding supporter of Fair Charge, which looks to highlight the benefits of EVs and push critical issues, such as charging costs, onto the political agenda.

[Drivingforfun]

I think removing the VAT on public chargers is a start, not nearly enough, but a step... if either type of charging is a luxury (the vague definition that invokes VAT) surely it's charging on your drive, not in the street? Not that I'd support adding VAT to home charging either, though

Sadly the only option for me would be asking people I visit if I could plug my car in. I'm sure lots wouldn't mind but I don't think it'd give off the right impression 😆

It's a shame really as I do about 1,500 miles a month so way more than average but it's very rare that I'd do more than 150 in one journey. So I'd get the benefit of lots of cheap (and clean) miles but the other main downside (range) isn't applicable to me

[olduser]

For many EV's they could be charged at work using a 13 Amp socket, a fast charge is not required.

The costs from a public charging point is a ripoff but we are in Britain.
Installing a public charging point will not be cheap but looking at the prices charged, it looks as though they are aiming to recover the capital cost very quickly.

There is a charging point designed for kerbside use, it goes underground when not in use.
The big problem I think, will be vandalism unless the charging plug is arranged to lock into the socket.

I used the Nisan mains charging cable on my driveway fed from the garage supply but I did notice it had been messed around with when I looked in the morning.
I had an old industrial 440v warning sign, so I fixed that up, that cured the problem.

[Rolebama]

As things stand at the moment, the cons still outweigh the pros for me, and everybody I know feels the same way. Some passing the comment that they bought diesels because the government were hyping them as the best thing since sliced bread at the time. Some of them used the scrappage scheme to get rid of them.

[olduser]

I think, (hope) my choice of an electric car was a logical choice.

I was having trouble with my left foot, I was told the loss of control and power was due to the nerves not getting the signal to the muscles properly, and it could only get worse.
The result was after about half an hours driving I had trouble operating the clutch.

The car was used for shopping, going to outpatients (1 Hr each way on good days),
and long (230 mile each way trips) to see the children, and less and less local runs just to get us out of the house.
So the choice was Automatic IC or EV.

I found two used EV's at very good prices, the first I eventually found had been rebuilt after a big crash but had the original battery pack.

The second, was 3 years old, had been used for commuting, battery still showing 100% on full charge, another four years warranty left on the battery, Nissan Leaf with all the bells and whistles.
The dealer (on the internet) said in practice people running Leaf's worked on 80 mile range night or day, he would trailer the car over from Grimsby to King's Lyn for me to view and test drive.

I got on the calculator, and decided (at that time) I could hire an Auto IC for going to see the kids. (never did, my wife condition rapidly got worse)

I bought the car, used it for a year, and sold it for what I had paid for it, about 10,000 miles added.
I found it a very civilised little car, and quit good fun if any fool wanted to play at traffic lights drag racing.
I charged it on Economy seven tariff overnight from a 13 Amp socket.
When I went to outpatients (80 miles), I charged up at the park and ride carpark outside Cambridge at no cost just parking fee which included bus fare, while I was at the hospital.

[Beelzebub]

Originally Posted by Drivingforfun

I think removing the VAT on public chargers is a start, not nearly enough, but a step... if either type of charging is a luxury (the vague definition that invokes VAT) surely it's charging on your drive, not in the street?

I don't believe that's the case. I'm old enough to remember the introduction of VAT, which replaced purchase tax. The latter was indeed levied on "luxuries", which was always contentious - one man's necessity is another's luxury. Fridges and washing machines used to be luxuries.

The point about VAT was that it would be levied on absolutely everything, with a few specific exceptions such as food.

[Nowayroundit]

This is only an observation. It is only on very rare occasions I have driven by a roadsite charge point and noticed an EV connected and charging. I would hazard an estimate that just shy of 80% are sitting empty and unused.

Drivinforfun makes a most valid point, and this is particularly relevant for the mass of population living in cities. How on earth do you get your EV anywhere near a charging point? Most of the government installed points are in groups of half a dozen, or so, and they're planted outside hospitals, around shopping centres, leisure centres, etcetera, with a conspicuous lack located in residential areas.

I can think of a plethora of roads in my town where old victorian 6 story houses have been converted into flats. One block, which may have enough frontage for two parking spaces, houses anything up to 12 flats, assuming only half the residents have cars, that still 4 parking spaces short, and we have not even considered how to get the electricity across the pavement.

I am thrilled for those who have the money and the space, but I am unable to consider the EV as a realistic replacement because it is not within reach of the majority of us that are scrapping around for a living and don't live in large private houses.