Car advice needed.

ewj1978

Hi gang,
Currently in a 30kw SVE leaf. New job started last week so my commute has increased to 158km roundtrip. Mainly national roads but very hilly!
The leaf is just capable but that's driving at 80km/h indicated which in my opinion is stressful.
Could use fast chargers but they are very unreliable in cork at the mo and stopping to charge/queue to charge after 12 hour shifts is draining.
Looking at anything tbh but I'll have to sell the leaf or atleast get 18k on trade in to cover the outstanding HPP.
Any advice?
Thanks in advance.

KCross

ewj1978 wrote: »

Hi gang,
Currently in a 30kw SVE leaf. New job started last week so my commute has increased to 158km roundtrip. Mainly national roads but very hilly!
The leaf is just capable but that's driving at 80km/h indicated which in my opinion is stressful.
Could use fast chargers but they are very unreliable in cork at the mo and stopping to charge/queue to charge after 12 hour shifts is draining.
Looking at anything tbh but I'll have to sell the leaf or atleast get 18k on trade in to cover the outstanding HPP.
Any advice?
Thanks in advance.

Push to get a work charger or even get them to agree to allow you have access to a 3-pin plug.... on a 12hr shift you would have a full charge for the way home.

ewj1978

Asked before I started. Isn't going to happen anytime soon.

KCross

ewj1978 wrote: »

Asked before I started. Isn't going to happen anytime soon.

Even access to a 3-pin plug?

ewj1978

KCross wrote: »

Even access to a 3-pin plug?

No. No buildings near the carpark. Unless they suddenly decide to throw up some charging stations it's not happening.

Has to be a way to sort this out without you having to fork out big bucks for another vehicle. Would they make an exception for you to park somewhere else near building where a 3 pin plug could be installed (for example in a IPx2+ rated box)? Just offer to pay for the electricity and the install works. Still cheaper than getting a new car.

KCross

ewj1978 wrote: »

No. No buildings near the carpark. Unless they suddenly decide to throw up some charging stations it's not happening.

Any chance they would allow you to tap off a 3-pin socket off a car park lamp post or any other electric source in the car park?

If you have exhausted all possibilities of getting work charging and you have resigned yourself to selling the Leaf... what are your requirements?

Are you looking for ICE, PHEV, Hybrid. What is the budget?

Is your 30kWh a 161? Realistically is it worth €18k?

Dardania

It sounds like you don't want to swing the lead in a new job...which is understandable, particularly if you discussed it before starting.

Any possibility you could get a little diesel generator from aldi/lidl and run it for a couple of hours each day before you go home? Might get you through the winter, and perhaps it'll be easier driving in summer. And you may be off probation in work / have a stronger relationship with them, and they'll take pity on you after seeing you're not just looking for free electricity / motoring

thierry14

Come on lads

New job and you want op going in looking for work charging, connecting to lamp posts, diesel generator in aldi

Get real

OP just sell it and buy an old reliable 1.9 tdi with no fancy dpf etc and keep the money you sold the Leaf with for some maintenance

Whatever you buy will be worth nothing with your commute anyway

Better off waiting for Leaf 60kWh and drive it into the ground in a few years

KCross

Dardania wrote: »

Any possibility you could get a little diesel generator from aldi/lidl and run it for a couple of hours each day before you go home?

While I think the above is a bit of a mad idea (carrying a petrol genny in the boot) it does bring up the idea of an BMW i3 with Rex which is effectively the same thing just packaged better!

Maybe that's something you should look at... i3 Rex.

ewj1978

KCross wrote: »

Any chance they would allow you to tap off a 3-pin socket off a car park lamp post or any other electric source in the car park?

If you have exhausted all possibilities of getting work charging and you have resigned yourself to selling the Leaf... what are your requirements?

Are you looking for ICE, PHEV, Hybrid. What is the budget?

Is your 30kWh a 161? Realistically is it worth €18k?

Bloody hope its worth more than 18k. Looking at Zoe's and i3 rex's at the mo. Don't want to return to ICE and PHEV's are imo an abomination to mankind.

Dardania wrote: »

It sounds like you don't want to swing the lead in a new job...which is understandable, particularly if you discussed it before starting.

Any possibility you could get a little diesel generator from aldi/lidl and run it for a couple of hours each day before you go home? Might get you through the winter, and perhaps it'll be easier driving in summer. And you may be off probation in work / have a stronger relationship with them, and they'll take pity on you after seeing you're not just looking for free electricity / motoring

funniest fecking thing i've read in ages. thanks for making me snort tea out my nose.

thierry14 wrote: »

Come on lads

New job and you want op going in looking for work charging, connecting to lamp posts, diesel generator in aldi

Get real

OP just sell it and buy an old reliable 1.9 tdi with no fancy dpf etc and keep the money you sold the Leaf with for some maintenance

Whatever you buy will be worth nothing with your commute anyway

Better off waiting for Leaf 60kWh and drive it into the ground in a few years

Thinking i might just sell it and buy something stupidly cheap until the larger batteries come out.

KCross

thierry14 wrote: »

Come on lads

New job and you want op going in looking for work charging, connecting to lamp posts, diesel generator in aldi

Get real

Whats wrong with looking for work charging? Nothing ridiculous about that at all.

The generator in Aldi I don't agree with but work charging is a perfect solution if you could get it.... but clearly he can't so alternatives like an i3 Rex are required.

Failing that it is back to ICE until longer range EV's come on stream.

KCross

ewj1978 wrote: »

Bloody hope its worth more than 18k.

Is yours a 161?

They can be got in the UK for under £14k now. Landed, that would be around €15500 so lets say €16k all in for that 152 model.
https://www.gumtree.com/p/nissan/nissan-leaf-tekna-30-kwh/1277013359


€18k is probably forecourt price(a few on done deal asking €18k for 30kWh), not what you're likely to get on a trade in though.

thierry14

KCross wrote: »

Whats wrong with looking for work charging? Nothing ridiculous about that at all.

The generator in Aldi I don't agree with but work charging is a perfect solution if you could get it.... but clearly he can't so alternatives like an i3 Rex are required.

Failing that it is back to ICE until longer range EV's come on stream.

If you work for google maybe

If i asked for work charging first thing they would thing about is the electricity cost

Which is too high for them anyway

Could i come and plug my EV into your house everyday for free?

KCross

thierry14 wrote: »

If you work for google maybe

If i asked for work charging first thing they would thing about is the electricity cost

Which is too high for them anyway

Could i come and plug my EV into your house everyday for free?

Doesn't have to be free. Put a meter on it and pay for it. Its not about getting free leecy.

And you don't have to be a big profitable company to do it either. A few hundred will install a basic charge point. It depends on the site works and cable runs etc but its not necessarily big money to do.


In this case I'd rather pay a few hundred to cover the employers cost than take the hit on selling the car early. He is taking the worst of the depreciation because of selling early.

Dardania

ewj1978 wrote: »

Dardania wrote: »

It sounds like you don't want to swing the lead in a new job...which is understandable, particularly if you discussed it before starting.

Any possibility you could get a little diesel generator from aldi/lidl and run it for a couple of hours each day before you go home? Might get you through the winter, and perhaps it'll be easier driving in summer. And you may be off probation in work / have a stronger relationship with them, and they'll take pity on you after seeing you're not just looking for free electricity / motoring

funniest fecking thing i've read in ages. thanks for making me snort tea out my nose.

I like to believe I come with solution-based thinking

thierry14

KCross wrote: »

Doesn't have to be free. Put a meter on it and pay for it. Its not about getting free leecy.

And you don't have to be a big profitable company to do it either. A few hundred will install a basic charge point. It depends on the site works and cable runs etc but its not necessarily big money to do.


In this case I'd rather pay a few hundred to cover the employers cost than take the hit on selling the car early. He is taking the worst of the depreciation because of selling early.

Most business don't want to pay a cent

They are not in the car charging business

Its just another outlay/bill/up keep for them

Most wouldn't want it, hence they won't install

Like in op case

KCross

thierry14 wrote: »

Most business don't want to pay a cent

They are not in the car charging business

Its just another outlay/bill/up keep for them

Most wouldn't want it, hence they won't install

Like in op case

True

I would say most decent companies would be interested in employee retention and if paying a few hundred quid keeps a few employees happy that will be money well spent.

The recent budget made some declarations around BIK which also significantly improves the situation but you are right a lot of companies just won't care... so be it. Still worth asking though!

goz83

Maybe charge the car before the 12 hour shift, rather than after. That’s what I would do in such a situation. Wouldn’t fancy charging after work either.

ewj1978

goz83 wrote: »

Maybe charge the car before the 12 hour shift, rather than after. That’s what I would do in such a situation. Wouldn’t fancy charging after work either.

Still having to rely on the very unreliable charging network. Only 1 fast charger working in cork so you can guess how busy that gets.

ewj1978

ewj1978 wrote: »

Still having to rely on the very unreliable charging network. Only 1 fast charger working in cork so you can guess how busy that gets.

Bad luck story... Sorry..
Just as I get to frankfield topaz fcp there's a power cut.
Drive to rochestown fcp, card not accepted. Rang e-cars "oh that fcp is out of order" me: "so why is it still active on your app"..
Drive to the nearest scp(back by frankfield).. behind closed gates.
Drive to the scp at the park and ride.. no entry signs on all entrances.
Drive into the city. Copley street non responsive.
Another set on Copley street shows as out of order but I chance it and it works.
Now sitting in my slow charging leaf for atleast 90 mins before I attempt to crawl home after a 12 hour night shift.
Time to kiss the EV life bye bye.
#****network

Jobs OXO

This is why I wouldn't touch an EV

goz83

ewj1978 wrote: »

Bad luck story... Sorry..
Just as I get to frankfield topaz fcp there's a power cut.
Drive to rochestown fcp, card not accepted. Rang e-cars "oh that fcp is out of order" me: "so why is it still active on your app"..
Drive to the nearest scp(back by frankfield).. behind closed gates.
Drive to the scp at the park and ride.. no entry signs on all entrances.
Drive into the city. Copley street non responsive.
Another set on Copley street shows as out of order but I chance it and it works.
Now sitting in my slow charging leaf for atleast 90 mins before I attempt to crawl home after a 12 hour night shift.
Time to kiss the EV life bye bye.
#****network

Wow, someone was pishing on you from above. Tough commute. We definitely need a better network and much more CPs around. I don't understand the ones that are inaccessible. Why lock a cp behind a gate after hours?

Jobs OXO wrote: »

This is why I wouldn't touch an EV

I had a not too dissimilar story in Wicklow a few years ago. I was travelling home with a friend after a long, long day casting as extras in a Guinness advert. The first two garages we stopped at had no petrol. The third had one pump, but it was broken. Finally we reached another garage near Roundwood with the bike running on fumes and we got lucky. But in order to get there, I had to drive miles in the wrong direction with successive failures along the way.

I would think that you're more likely to break down in an ICE than have a sorry story like the one above.

Orebro

ewj1978 wrote: »

Bad luck story... Sorry..
Just as I get to frankfield topaz fcp there's a power cut.
Drive to rochestown fcp, card not accepted. Rang e-cars "oh that fcp is out of order" me: "so why is it still active on your app"..
Drive to the nearest scp(back by frankfield).. behind closed gates.
Drive to the scp at the park and ride.. no entry signs on all entrances.
Drive into the city. Copley street non responsive.
Another set on Copley street shows as out of order but I chance it and it works.
Now sitting in my slow charging leaf for atleast 90 mins before I attempt to crawl home after a 12 hour night shift.
Time to kiss the EV life bye bye.
#****network

Will your car do a round trip from home or do you depend on a public charge every time?

I’d be very slow to head out these days if I didn’t have enough for a round trip exactly due to your story above, and most certainly wouldn’t have an EV if I couldn’t comfortably go to work and back without charging including enough for minor unplanned detours to the shops etc.

unkel

Ioniq and Zoe 40 can easily do your round trip without charging even in winter. Expect to pay >€10k plus your car though for a 171 of either

ewj1978

ewj1978 wrote: »

Hi gang,
Currently in a 30kw SVE leaf. New job started last week so my commute has increased to 158km roundtrip. Mainly national roads but very hilly!
The leaf is just capable but that's driving at 80km/h indicated which in my opinion is stressful.
Could use fast chargers but they are very unreliable in cork at the mo and stopping to charge/queue to charge after 12 hour shifts is draining.
Looking at anything tbh but I'll have to sell the leaf or atleast get 18k on trade in to cover the outstanding HPP.
Any advice?
Thanks in advance.

I now drive an I3 rex 33 Kwh after coming from a 24 Kwh Leaf. I absolutely love it, fantastic to drive and 0 range anxiety, charge at public points if you want or drive on if you don't or if a charger is in use you can continue on your way.

You don't have to reduce your speed Winter or Summer, if your budget can stretch then give it serious consideration, take it for a test drive.

thierry14

unkel wrote: »

Ioniq and Zoe 40 can easily do your round trip without charging even in winter. Expect to pay >€10k plus your car though for a 171 of either

I dont know

This Zoe 40 is only 15K

http://plattsgarage.com/used_cars_for_sale/renault-zoe-zoe-e-ze40-r90-dynamique-nav-hatchback-auto-5dr-14735/?_sft_make=renault&_sft_model=zoe&_sfm_price=0+91990&subid

ELM327

thierry14 wrote: »

I dont know

This Zoe 40 is only 15K

http://plattsgarage.com/used_cars_for_sale/renault-zoe-zoe-e-ze40-r90-dynamique-nav-hatchback-auto-5dr-14735/?_sft_make=renault&_sft_model=zoe&_sfm_price=0+91990&subid

Yes but that's the slow charging "R" model (only 22kW charging) and i'd wager it's also leased batteries (still offered in the UK)

unkel

thierry14 wrote: »

I dont know

This Zoe 40 is only 15K

That's battery lease. So sale proof (and very costly monthly battery lease on top of that). The whole point of getting an econobox EV is to save money on running costs

Trade in value of his Leaf is €15k tops and second hand Ioniq or Zoe 40 is €25k plus, I'd say.

thierry14

unkel wrote: »

That's battery lease. So sale proof (and very costly monthly battery lease on top of that). The whole point of getting an econobox EV is to save money on running costs

Trade in value of his Leaf is €15k tops and second hand Ioniq or Zoe 40 is €25k plus, I'd say.

I couldn't see mention of battery lease anywhere

You sure?

bp_me

thierry14 wrote: »

I couldn't see mention of battery lease anywhere

You sure?

If you do some of the free car checks you can see.

The battery owned versions are ZOE I while the lease are just ZOE.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201712061868318 is a battery owned model.

Most seem to be the R90 model which is maximum 22kW AC charger; whether this would suit or not is up to yourself to figure out.