Unhappy with owning an EV in Ireland

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This discussion was created from comments split from: ESB eCars.

PaulJoseph22

Irelands charging network is a disgrace.

AndyBoBandy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118622284#Comment_118622284

It is, but just don’t say that to the lobby group or they’ll get really upset.

PaulJoseph22

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118622307#Comment_118622307

And it’s the reason that I and many won’t buy an EV. My brother has one and he regrets buying it.

markpb

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118622341#Comment_118622341

I think you’ve mentioned that once or twice alright 😊

PaulJoseph22

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118622565#Comment_118622565

And I’ll mention it again, in the vain hope that things might improve.

markpb

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118622613#Comment_118622613

I like boards.ie, I’ve been using it for a very long time but I’m under no illusion that posting here will affect government policy or the thought process inside a semi-state. The best I could hope for is that I either learn something or that I influence someone’s opinion by way of reasoned argument but unless Anna from eCars is lurking here, posting ad nauseum about your brothers EV woes is unlikely to achieve anything. And since this is an EV forum, it’s likely that most people here will be EV owners so you’re unlikely to influence our opinions either.

PaulJoseph22

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118622640#Comment_118622640

Last time I checked Boards was not an EV forum.

Feel free to scroll past my posts or put me on ignore. I have a PHEV, this is also a hybrid thread…,

TitianGerm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118622683#Comment_118622683

You're posting in the EV forum on Boards?

PaulJoseph22

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118622703#Comment_118622703

EV and HYBRID

eddhorse

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118622718#Comment_118622718

Jasuz do you have to go to every "EV and Hybrid" thread to complain about your brothers car?

liamog

Mod Note: This forum is not an echo chamber of only pro-ev opinions, but I do expect a higher quality of conversations than general posts of "EV bad", particularly when they are dotted around other threads

NIMAN

The charging infrastructure is poor, but we'd hope it would get better investment going forward. Based on what, I don't know! Government hasn't exactly got a good track record up to now.

But I would say that if you can't do the majority of your charging at home, then I wouldn't advise anyone to buy a full EV at present.

Green Finers

I don’t drive an EV and probably won’t until my current petrol becomes uneconomical to keep maintained or on the road. Which will be a very long time please God.

After which I will buy a hybrid petrol. The best of both.

Green Finers

One thing that has to change is the enforcement of spaces.

They need to be more ubiquitous, spacious and rigidly enforced.

Not only have I seen diesel cars plonked in them, I’ve also seen EVs parked there without charging. The thick owners must think they’re dedicated spots for EVs regardless of whether they’re charging or not.

liamog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118628754#Comment_118628754

Hybrid Petrol isn't really a best of anything, my attitude to hybrids in 2022 is to ignore them as a technology. That doesn't mean avoid buying one at all, but it's not a factor I would consider when picking between two cars. Your behaviour doesn't change when buying a hybrid, you're still filling a car with petrol at pumps and driving it around.

If you look to buy a PHEV instead, they can work for people who are scared of making the switch to a full EV, but be aware that they only work if you are able to charge them every night at home. In my experience PHEV owners spend more time plugging in cars than those who own a full EV. People who can honestly asses their motoring requirements will often find that a BEV would suit them, with a minimum amount of change, they concentrate on the 4 times a year they might do a long trip and use it to justify either a PHEV purchase or a car with a much bigger battery that they very rarely use.

The charging situation is much better in Ireland than many people give it credit for, the trick is to suck up the extra cost on an Ionity charge for those 4 times a year. I've paid about €60 more to use an Ionity charger in the last year instead of paying €1,000's more to buy a car with a bigger battery.

circadian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118628772#Comment_118628772

Yeah I have a PHEV and rarely rely on the network unless I'm off on holidays down the country somewhere. I'd have absolutely no issue with charging for the space after a certain amount of time. I've been in smaller towns for over a week and have struggled to get a spot to charge the car because someone with an EV has parked up for the day (or more in some cases!) so I'm left doing the shorter runs around the area on petrol instead of EV. I'd loose my mind if I had a full EV.

Dakota Dan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118622640#Comment_118622640

It’s about as effective as going on your local radio station to rant about the government.

SteM

We got a Leaf 24 and lasted a few years with it. Got rid of it last September and replaced it with an Ioniq PHEV. The Leaf was grand when we were doing anything local but we found ourselves wanting to holiday or do day breaks in Ireland a lot, for obvious reasons, and the charging structure just broke our hearts. Chargers broken, busy, ICEd etc, it was workable for us. PHEV works well for us as a one car family I feel.

bertiebomber

I have a small diesel car when i can no longer afford to run it when they charge 10 / 20 euro a litre then i will resort to a pony & trap or a bike. No ev for me as there are no chargers in my area.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118629087#Comment_118629087

Where do you live?

PaulJoseph22

Hybrid PHEV works for some people, I’m not scared of going full EV, but I look around where I live and into the north of Ireland at the charging network and that swiftly makes my mind up.

PaulJoseph22

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118629068#Comment_118629068

I don’t know how many times, I’ve experienced the same, people seem to just leave the EV there for the day with no thought of others. Thankfully I’ve the petrol as a back up.

The few times I’ve found one that works and is unoccupied, as soon as I get the message it’s fully charged, I’ll move my car within 5 to 10 mins, but vast majority don’t bother and indeed I’ve seen people on here giving other tips on how to get the full day parking for free…..

jusmeig

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118629314#Comment_118629314

If you never had to use the charging network in Ireland, what would be your other reasons for not driving an EV, or its just this?

liamog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118629364#Comment_118629364

I wonder how much your PHEVs reliance on constantly charging is clouding your experience of the charging networks. The charging network needs a massive improvement for people who can't charge at home, but for those who can, their use of the public charging network is likely 3 or 4 times per year.

My car only has a 200km range, with my normal usage it needs to be charged at home once a week. The few times a year I do longer journeys I'll pay extra to hit a multi charger site. I value my time waiting for a charger more than the €16 extra for using Ionity over a single eCars charger.

mailforkev

I have loads of public chargers locally (few DC, many AC) but I still wouldn’t have bought an electric car unless I had the ability to charge at home.

Not sure if controversial or not but I also think that most public chargers should be for full EVs only and off limits to PHEVs. One really needs them, the other doesn’t.

PaulJoseph22

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118629671#Comment_118629671

Nope, but it is influenced by my sibling who drives an EV but borrows my PHEV while travelling around the northern part of the island. When he borrows my car I have to drive his EV….. Have you owned a PHEV, you’re very negative about them…,

PaulJoseph22

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118629068#Comment_118629068

Was it just the charging network that made you move from full EV to PHEV? Any other reasons?

eastie17

I dunno, I'm sure there is alot of joy from those who have already invested in EVs given the current price of fuel but the overall model, in Ireland at least doesn't make a lot of sense:

1/ We already have a grid that is struggling we are told, where is all this extra electricty going to come from 2. How are the government going to replace all of the excise and VAT they get from fuel sales? 3. Time to charge, similar to some Nordic countries unless there is an abundance of charging stations wont we end up with long queues when "filling up" takes 20 to 30 minutes?

irishgrover

I average 40,000k per year on EVs (originally a 28kW battery and now a 64kW)

I use the fast charging network very regularly and have never had a significant issue. However

1. I have home charging
2. The routes I primarily drive are very well served - allowing for redundancy in charging. IE if the charger I goto is broken occupied there is another one 20 minutes away
3. I don't live in Dublin - I live in a rural area (south galway)

If not for 1, 2, and 3 above I might be unhappy, but I'm not, I'm very happy.

I would not buy an EV if I did not have #1 and #2 and I'd be less likely if #3 was an issue

Ubbquittious

Soon you'll have to fill your EV with virtual petrol to combat falling road tax revenue & there will be a GPS monitoring you everywhere you go.