First time EV owner - questions...

DaveByDavid · 07-10-2021 8:21pm #1

We are hoping to purchase our first EV soon (Ioniq 5 - 58kw) which will be delivered in December for January pickup.

We haven't owned an EV before, but with the driving we do (around 20km a day max) it seems perfect. We rarely go much more than about 100km in one go, and with the odd motorway drive to Dublin we can always plan the journey in case we need additional stops.

But we did have some questions:

With the SEAI grant, is there any particular chargers we need to get for the house, and where is the best place to get one?
What kind of speeds could we get as a maximum at home?
Is there any reason we wouldn't be able to get a charger install? We own the house and have a drive, so I assume we just get it put on the side of the house and then cable would be long enough to the car?
Do batteries on EVs suffer from same thing as other batteries where after a while they don't hold as much charger? Ioniq 5 has a 8 year warranty, but not sure whether that would include stuff like less charging hold. How much would these be to replace?
How is charging on the move paid for, like at a services or something?
What are the best apps to know where all the chargers are?

Is there anything else we should know, or be aware of?

We're moving from a 14 year old car to brand new and it seems like a good time to move to electric with our limited driving and hopefully the ability to charge at home.

fricatus · 07-10-2021 9:13pm

With the SEAI grant, is there any particular chargers we need to get for the house, and where is the best place to get one?

AFAIK, the only restriction is that it has to be installed by a registered electrician

What kind of speeds could we get as a maximum at home?

About 7.6 kW (32a x 240V)

Is there any reason we wouldn't be able to get a charger install? We own the house and have a drive, so I assume we just get it put on the side of the house and then cable would be long enough to the car?

Your electrician will advise. If the house has really old wiring, you might need some upgrades. Also, you would install the charger somewhere within easy reach of where you park the car. If that is a long way from the consumer unit, and for example the patio needs to be dug up, then you'd need to factor in that cost. If it's just a straightforward cable run under the eaves or through the garage, they should be able to do it for about the grant amount.

Do batteries on EVs suffer from same thing as other batteries where after a while they don't hold as much charger? Ioniq 5 has a 8 year warranty, but not sure whether that would include stuff like less charging hold. How much would these be to replace?

Yes, all lithium-ion batteries suffer time-based degradation and over time hold less charge. However EV batteries have a sophisticated Battery Management System that protects them from excesses of temperature, discharge and overcharging. Laptops and phones don't typically have this, so you can expect the EV battery to last a long time, indeed it will probably outlast the car, and be reused in static storage.

Also, some EV batteries are advertised as a particular capacity (e.g. 58 kWh), but in reality are bigger. The BMS will only allow you to use the advertised amount, so when you take delivery of the car, you will see 58, whereas in reality the capacity might be 64 (I don't know if this is the case for the Ioniq5, just an example). Four years later your capacity might have dropped to 59, but the BMS will still access 58, and from your point of view it will be as if there was no capacity loss. The likelihood of ever having to replace the battery is vanishingly small unless there is some defect that comes to light and Hyundai don't cop it on the chin - unlikely, since their customer support is very good, and the warranty should see you right.

How is charging on the move paid for, like at a services or something?

There are various charging providers. In Ireland it's mainly ESB E-Cars. You can get an RFID card or just pay via the app.

What are the best apps to know where all the chargers are?

Ecar connect is the ESB one, Plugshare (international) and Zap Map (UK&I) are very popular too.

Is there anything else we should know, or be aware of?

It's a cool car, you'll love it, and you'll never go back to fossil! 😀

DaveByDavid · 07-10-2021 9:49pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117990389#Comment_117990389

This was really helpful, thanks!

I only went on a mini test drive but did indeed love the car, I think this is just last minute worries because I've never bought new, and never gone electric.

So forgive me for the stupid question but if max is 7.6kw then it will take around 7-8 hours to fully charge a 58kw battery?

We have a drive that takes car very close to house so hopefully no issue for the charger, will speak to the electrician that recently did some work for us in the house.

I think my main concern is long distances, I don't particularly want to be driving slower than 120 on motorways, but I guess with quick charging a pre-designated stop on the way to charge isn't so bad. Most of our driving will be short anyway so we should get away with a 58kw.

Black_Knight · 07-10-2021 10:41pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117990578#Comment_117990578

Don't worry about long journeys. Sure you've less range than a fossil car, but who wants to drive that long without stopping anyways. I've an id4 78kWh battery (500km wltp range) and it'll easily do 300km on the motorway at 120km/hr. That's pretty much in line with what evdatabase says I should get. For the ioniq5 standard range it suggests around 250km at motorway speeds. Given the driving needs you suggest it's plenty.

You have a 58kWh (energy) battery. Charging at 7.6kW (power) will provide 7.6kWh per hour from your charger, but there will be losses to heat and resistance. <10%. But basically yes, 8 hours to change from empty to 100%, but you'll never/very rarely be 0%, at for day to day use charging to 80% is typically advised to put less stress on the battery (prolong it's lifetime).

When choosing a charger, I'd advise going with a tethered unit (cable attached), and getting a cable plenty long enough. It gives some future proofing if ye change car and the socket is on the other side. And a very minor note, but subtlety with your charger could be advised. I've heard of them being stolen off people's walls. They're not pretty things anyways so I'd advise tucking them anyways either way.

Congrats on the car. A very nice intro to ev driving. Guarantee you'll never go back.

DaveByDavid · 08-10-2021 11:40am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117990847#Comment_117990847

Thanks.

I'll see what length leads can be gotten, it might be the cast that we can hide it behind the gate in back garden and only open the gate when we need to charge, although that would be annoying overnight so will speak to an electrician and see.

Yeah fair point on long journeys, like I said above it's probably just last minute nerves of putting so much money down on a new car.

I don't mind stopping, although if electric cars continue to get more popular we will have to hope that the infrastructure develops at a similar place, otherwise it might be an extended stop to charge because everyone else is doing the same!

Black_Knight · 08-10-2021 2:00pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117992277#Comment_117992277

Our charger is behind our side gate. The cable fits under the gate though, so it's nice and subtle.

DaveByDavid · 11-10-2021 4:23pm

Did anyone have any recommendations for sites or companies to look at getting a charger installed with? We want to start exploring our options and cable lengths. I think we may need something like 7-10m if possible, and tethered so we don't have to keep taking the charger from the car.

I also made the mistake of test driving the ID4 today and it was nice and comfortable. I guess anything will be compared to an 14 year old Focus.

Just need to decide if we want a SUV, otherwise I think the interior of the Ioniq 5 is nicer, especially the dash and screens.

Black_Knight · 12-10-2021 10:06am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118005325#Comment_118005325

Both seem very well received. Not sure what the lead time on the Ioniq5 is, but I regularly hear (in the ID.4 thread) that you could be waiting 5-6 months from when you put your deposit down. Pick a price point you're happy to pay, pick some features you must have, pick a range you want (take 20% off WLTP to give a more realistic real world range) and compare one to the other.

I think Phil Fitzgerald has helped a few people get custom cable lengths on their home chargers. https://www.facebook.com/Electric-Autosie-449314421932265/

Everyone on IEVOA facebook fawns over Nigel Daly. I've heard good things, but also expensive things.

DaveByDavid · 12-10-2021 10:37am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118007971#Comment_118007971

Thanks - will take a look.

Interestingly both the Ioniq and ID4 dealers have told me they can get the cars in January.

I must admit after reading through horror stories on here I'm a little bit skeptical as to why people have been waiting months and months for ID4s and I have someone telling me they have orders for cars coming in January, although some of them aren't being "built" until start of December so I'm not massively convinced.

Ioniq 5 dealer told me same thing - they'll have some by December for January take home.

thunderbolt · 13-10-2021 3:09pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118008108#Comment_118008108

Would you mind DM'ing me which Hyundai deal you're dealing with? I was told March/April!

niallo27 · 13-10-2021 4:57pm

I ordered my Id4 in April and still no sign of it, any dealer that is promising you a Jan delivery is flat out lying to you.

DaveByDavid · 13-10-2021 10:47pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118015168#Comment_118015168

Yeah I was thinking that...

First time EV owner - questions...

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