Everything you always wanted to know about electric vehicle (but were afraid to ask)

Busman Paddy Lasty

Zoe 3 pin charging worth more researching. Think the early models had their own specific 3 pin cable with transformer in the middle of the cable.

silver_sky

I've a third-party one for the Zoe and it's grand. No issues charging it.

Red Silurian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117679028#Comment_117679028

Yes but luas isn't Irish Rail either

Cupra280

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117682783#Comment_117682783

Did you check out the FAQs on the Irish Rail website? Just had a look there, and there is one that is "Can I park my electric car free of charge at Iranrod Éireann stations?"

And the answer it gives is:

An electric car may park free of charge at designated charging bays only for the purpose of re-charging the vehicle’s power supply. If electric car is not charging parking fees will apply.

innrain

The problem with that is that there are car parks in the proximity of train stations which are not owned by IE. For example Onramore train station car park is owned by Galway CC. Rules are set by them.

Cupra280

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117683483#Comment_117683483

So, then it is not an actual IE car park?

Red Silurian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117683483#Comment_117683483

Is there a list of car parks near railway stations that are (or are not) owned by IE?

Another important thing to note about Oranmore station car park is that it is free for all cars to park there

Sabre Man

Driving long distances in a Tesla is usually very easy thanks to the extensive and expanding supercharger network, so in this video series, Guillaume will attempt to drive about 4,500 km without using fast charge points to prove that you don't need a Tesla to drive long distances! In this video, Guillaume drives from the French west coast to Switzerland: 800 km on AC only in his Model 3 SR+.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7m5F57cLvc&pp=sAQA

Sabre Man

In this video, Simon takes the new MG ZS EV for a spin right across the country, from Dublin to Galway, to find out if it can do it on one charge. On the way back he takes a detour to check out the new charge points at Junction 14 on the M7 (Mayfield).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-fOrVFKiaw&pp=sAQA

Sabre Man

In this video, Simon reviews the MG ZS EV.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rylDBxPcLY8

handpref

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117678293#Comment_117678293

A bmw and Kia granny charger will work on a Zoe (2018)...do it regularly.

the bmw chargers were going for €160 on eBay, since brexit I don’t use eBay anymore.

Sabre Man

People who don't own an electric vehicle don't realize how cheap they are to run if you can do most of your charging at home. Inge had no idea before he changed to an electric car.

Even a heavy car like a Tesla Model S can be cheap to run, and if you slow down just a little bit, your range increases and your consumption goes down.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DlJo7uYQP0

Sabre Man

In this episode, Guillaume and Inge discuss feedback from 6 PHEV owners to the following questions.

1. Why did you buy a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV)?

2. How is it working out?

3. Is it like you expected, or did anything surprise you?

4. Are you happy with your electric range and overall consumption?

5. Do you regret not buying a BEV instead (or not staying with petrol/diesel)?

6. What will you buy next?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xc_mIH5eoZc

lotmc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117677065#Comment_117677065

About 2 years ago I got clamped while charging at the Stillorgan Luas Park and Ride for 30 minutes, while I went to the nearby shops. The chargers were on the eCars app as free (it was before they introduced charging) but seemingly that didnt include parking.

Sabre Man

In this video, Guillaume visits 5 countries and drives 1,320 km in one day in his Tesla Model 3 SR+. Along the way he also discovers some interesting charge points.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2jgr4Rj-Oo

Sabre Man

In this video, Guillaume presents the Renault Zoe Riviera, also called Exception.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRSoUnr8rzQ

fafy

The Zoe Riviera version is available in the UK, limited to 300, so will hardly be available over here:

https://www.renault.co.uk/electric-vehicles/zoe/zoe-riviera.html

https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/renault/zoe/355754/new-renault-zoe-riviera-limited-edition-launched?amp

Sabre Man

In this video, Guillaume starts his long drive back home to France from Budapest but he takes a different route and has some fun on the Autobahn.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOq24KplNd0

blue5000

I saw a Tesla towing a caravan headed South on the M7, was it anyone on here and if so how did your journey go?

Chardee MacDennis

Any thoughts on the MG5? Seems some deals popping up in the last few days with the Exclusive showing up cheaper that the Excite list price. Haven't spoken to any dealers on it though - so who knows what the ONR price is.

Sabre Man

In this video, Guillaume drives from Munich to St. Nazaire.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVz-2AmiMNw

Sabre Man

In this video, Guillaume takes a quick look at a blue and a white Tesla Model Y and compares them to his Model 3. He also talks a little bit about which cars he hopes to review soon for the Irish EV Owners Association (IEVOA).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17yuvwai-Yo

Faiche Ro

Im waiting on delivery of an ID 4, my first EV and to be honest i dont know anything about the the whole public charging process, complete newbie.

So this will seem like a stupid question - so how many different types of chargers are there at filling stations etc.? what do i need to charge i.e can i swipe my bank card? do i need a special account etc...

Appreciate any help/advice

AndyBoBandy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117857686#Comment_117857686

Theres only 2 types of charger, AC (Slow) & DC (Fast).

Your ID.4 takes 2 different types of plug: Type 2 = AC (slow: up to 11kW) & CCS = DC (fast) (the CCS plug is a combination of an AC plug with an additional 2 DC pins at the bottom of it). When AC charging, you'd typically use your own charging cable you got with the car, but with DC charging, the cable/plug is attached to the charger itself.

You'll need an account/card for every provider, main ones are ESB eCars, EasyGo & Ionity (though I believe as a VW driver, you get a 'We Charge' card for use with Ionity). Currently paying by bank/credit card at the charger is not an option, and apps/cards/fobs are needed.

Go now and sign up with eCars & EasyGo, if public charging will be infrequent for you, pay as you go accounts will be fine, and just load €20-€30 onto each account (I have both eCars and EasyGo, and only really use eCars in the wild (outside of Tesla), EasyGo, I only use for the free chargers they have at some Lidl stores, so have never loaded money on that account).

The older eCars 50kW DC units (called Triple Heads as they have 3 cables on them (CCS/CHAdeMO/AC43)) can be used by you as they have a CCS plug, but only 1 of the CCS or CHAdeMO can be used at any 1 time. You can use the AC43 (43kW), but as its AC, you'll only get 11kW charging rate from it, but if the CHAdeMO or CCS was being used, you could use the AC43 while waiting to at least get something while waiting... The newer eCars 150kW DC units have 1 CCS & 1 CHAdeMO plug on them and both plugs can be used at the same time

The EasyGo DC units are twin plug CCS/CHAdeMO units, and I'm not sure if both can be used at the same time)

If charging at home, you'll be using AC, and charging at a rate of 7kW, if you charge in public on an AC charger, like at Tesco, you'll get 11kW from the charger (even though they are capable of 22kW). With AC charging, the max rate you can pull is determined by the cars on board AC charger, and not what the charger itself is capable of.

When travelling on a long journey, and you need a top up, you'll want to be (fast) DC charging using a CCS plug on a DC charger, as this will charge your battery of speeds up to 100-150kW, so you could go from 20% - 80% in around 20-30 minutes.. (that same 20%-80% on an AC charger at 11kW would take many hours).

Download the PlugShare app, it will show all public chargers in Ireland and beyond, and also shows recent user check ins, as well as photo's etc... its a very useful resource for scouting out chargers in areas you will be visiting or passing through etc.... It's user driven, so sign up, and contribute if you can by checking in, and advising if chargers are broken or any other issues arose etc...

Faiche Ro

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117858288#Comment_117858288

Thanks so much - extremely helpful post.

Are there any etiquette tips around EV charging?

AndyBoBandy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117858727#Comment_117858727

When DC/Fast charging, the charge rate slows down as the batteries state of charge increases, so its a very inefficient use of your time to charge beyond say 80% at a DC fast charger.

for example it could take 35 minutes to go from 20% up to 80% when DC charging, and it could take another 35 minutes to go from 80% up to 100%, so when stopping off along a route, its advisable to only really take on board what you need to make it to your destination, or to the next charger (though you can always include some buffer in there) especially if someone is waiting to use the charger after you. eCars have a 45 minute limit on DC charging anyway before incurring a €5 overstay fee.

Also, the lower the battery %, the faster it will charge, so its better to arrive at a charger at a lower SoC (1-20%) to get the fastest charge rates, so plan your stops, particularly at fast 150kW+ chargers to be arriving as low as possible to get the fastest charging rates, and thus spending the minimum amount of time stopped.

Start watching some of the Bjorn Nyland videos on Youtube (TeslaBjorn). He tests all and every EV out there, doing many various challenges like range tests, and 1,000km challenges (the 1,000km challenge he drives 1,000 km in the shortest possible time, so he plans his charging stops to be fast etc....). He'll have done all of these tests in the ID.4

Faiche Ro

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117858802#Comment_117858802

Thanks again.

Is there any adaptor that can be used to make use of the Tesla chargers. There are loads of tesla chargers at the manor stone service station on the M8 and they are always free.

mfceiling

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117862644#Comment_117862644

Tesla chargers are only for tesla cars. That however is changing and the network is being opened to all vehicles. These will be very busy.

AndyBoBandy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117862644#Comment_117862644

Those chargers are CCS*, so they would fit an ID.4, but currently the Tesla Supercharger network is only for Tesla vehicles, though its expected that the Tesla Supercharger network is about to be opened up to non Tesla EV's

*at the 3 older Tesla Supercharger sites (Ballacolla, Birdhill & Castlebellingham), the units have 2 cables, a CCS for Model 3, and a Type 2 sized plug for Model S & X, ad the newer Supercharger site in Mahon Point in Cork, the units are V3 Superchargers, so there is only 1 plug which is CCS

Sabre Man

In this video, Guillaume talks about his experience and issues driving his Tesla Model 3 SR+ in France, Switzerland, Italy, Slovenia, Hungary and Germany. He also talks about doing long distance trips in an electric vehicle in general, and gives you a few useful tips.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WUNY5phMTs