Advice for a new EV owner in Ireland

Jimdawg · 06-02-2022 5:10pm #1

Hi,

So I decided to take the big step and go all electric and I'm sure its going to be brilliant decision. But I have a few questions that I need help with before I get the car. I plan on charging my car at work 90% of the time and using a granny cable at home for small top ups overnight when needed.

What is the best public car charging network? So far I see ESB - ecar connect and EasyGo, is it best to have and account for each provider ? Is it better to get the fob/card they provide over the APP?
Do free charging points still exist, and how do you find them?
I plan on using a granny cable at home but that could change... what is a general price of a home charger on a semi-d including the 600euro grant? My house has a heat pump and a smart meter so I'm not sure if I can get a day/night rate. Can you recommend any installers/brands, I see some energy providers offer a free charger when you switch so that something I can do in when my contract is up next year.
Will constant use of the fast chargers damage the battery?
What has been the biggest challenge you have experienced with your electric car so far and how dis you overcome or adapt to it?

If you have any words of wisdom or advice please share.

Thanks in advance :)

the_amazing_raisin · 06-02-2022 9:50pm

Another point about the home charger, better to get it while the grant is still in place. The UK are getting rid of their charger grant and Irish government will probably want to do the same in a year or two

the_amazing_raisin · 06-02-2022 5:26pm

So here's my advice 😁

Ecars has the most chargers, so maybe they're best to sign up for. Easy go have some of their own chargers but they can also use ESB chargers. However, it can be slightly unreliable issues on Ecars side. Hence why I go with Ecars

Yes they exist, use a site like plugshare to find them. Generally attached to shops or hotels. Lidl have free chargers provided by Easy go. Some you'll need to sign up to an app, others you can just plug in

I'd recommend getting a home charger. Granny lead isn't as weatherproof and can eventually damage the socket if the circuitry is old. Chargers come in all shapes and sizes with prices to match. If you have a heat pump you might want to look at one that has load management included to prevent overloading your supply. Watch out for the free chargers offers, they often sign you up to rates that are more expensive so be sure to factor this in

Maybe... there's some evidence that repeated fast charging isn't good for the battery, but there's also research that say it doesn't do much damage. To be frank, if you have home and work charging then you'll only fast charge when needed, and probably only to the minimum amount needed since it's much more expensive. So I wouldn't worry about it

Charger anxiety, it can be bad with something like the old Leaf since you didn't have much choice when queueing for a charger, you didn't have enough battery to make it to the next charger. With the ID.4 this is much reduced, but if doing a long journey I'll probably charge opportunistically rather than waiting until the battery is nearly empty. It normally lines up with the need for a bathroom/coffee/food break anyway, so it's not much of an inconvenience

Welcome to the club and hope you enjoy your new car! Feel free to ask any questions you think of

Gumbo · 06-02-2022 5:27pm

the best is one that’s available when you need it. Use the apps if going on a long trip and pick what chargers are on your route. eCars, ionity etc
Few and far between nowadays. Mostly at hotels if staying there but there’s a few at Lidl’s around the place. Although I’ve seen a few being turned off lately (Cabra for example) and I suspect they will introduce faster chargers where you pay or it’s because of abuse of the free charging).
My father in law got a Wallbox Pulsar fitted in November for €1199 from www.carcharger.ie. That includes the load balancing clamp. The charger is smarty and can use excess PV too.
If you fast charge a couple of times a day for the duration of ownership I suspect you would see greater degregation than the average person.
Thinking ahead. If I’m going long trip tomorrow, make sure you know what chargers are available on the route and plan.

What car are you thinking of?

zg3409 · 06-02-2022 7:52pm

What is your daily commute round trip in km?

What is your typical weekend round trip in km?

Can you get a proper home charger using seai grant and if so why not, 3-4 times faster than granny charger?

You need to avoid public charging for 99% of trips as public chargers are often busy, blocked or broken. Did you have access to a second car for longer trips?

The amount you save charging at work versus home may not be worth the effort, maybe 200 euro?! Is there always loads of work chargers available? Are they free to use and will they continue to be free? Who repairs them when they break so can you 100% guarantee you can get a charge there every day?

Lots of free charge points in some places like some lidl or Aldi but probably not worth it as you save 1:40 euro per hour typically

Jimdawg · 06-02-2022 9:17pm

Thanks for the solid advice. I'm still trying to wrap my head around this new way of thinking with an EV but I'm sure I'll get the hang of it soon.

Jimdawg · 06-02-2022 9:28pm

So I'm going for the Ioniq 5 executive plus with a 480 km range but I'm guessing that will more like 380/400 with normal driving so plenty of range for day to day driving.

I had a look a car charger.ie and they look tidy so I'll looking into them some more thanks

Dayor Knight · 06-02-2022 9:30pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058231648/advice-for-a-new-ev-owner-in-ireland

I've had an ID.3 for about 5 months now, so here's my experience.....

I use ESB ecars only, so far, mainly the fast chargers. There's one on my way to work and one near my workplace, which are the a main ones I use. My daily commute isn't that that high so a decent charge does me for nearly a week. I find the card the handiest to us at the charger, but the app wouldn't be far behind.

I plan on getting a home charger but just haven't got around to it yet (any day now..). I think it's good to get a feel for using the public ones for a few months first anyway.

I wouldn't rely on the granny cable for anything, bar an emergency trickle somewhere remote ..... it's dribble charging at best.

I really haven't had any issues and am loving the driving experience. You do need to think about your charger locations alright though, and need to plan a bit more for 'fuelling up' than you would with an i.c.e. car. If you use the public chargers for a while, you'll get a good feel for when you can charge, when they're busy etc.

All depends on your own scenario of course - what range will you buy, how near are chargers to you etc.

I have had a couple of nervy drives to a charge point on low battery, and I do have a petrol back-up. I would say go for a home charger if you can. Over the life of the car, it will be well worth the few hundred you will pay over and above the SEAI grant.

Jimdawg · 06-02-2022 9:40pm

Hi so my daily commute is 200km and my weekly drive is approximately 850km.

I get free charging at work I just have to pay a maintenance fee of 50 euro a year, I see plenty of free ports for charging but that may change as more people return to the office.

I've calculated that I'll need to charge my car every 2nd day to have a well charged battery. That's why I'm thinking if I can keep my car close to full charge leaving work I really shouldn't need a wallbox at home....

But in the long term I really should just get one installed at home. Thanks for the advice 😊

fits · 06-02-2022 9:49pm

With a commute of 200 km you will probably be charging daily. Which car are you getting ?

Old diesel · 06-02-2022 10:04pm

I use a granny charger myself in our garage but I'm not doing a daily commute so the slow speed is okay.

Were I doing a 200 km commute every day then absolutely id put in a proper wallbox.

You can still charge at work even with a wallbox - its just you have added flexibility with wallbox.

loopymum · 06-02-2022 10:11pm

With a 200km commute you would probably be wise to charge everyday at work if you can access the charger & the back up home charger if you can't. Should be totally doable to avoid public charging

Jimdawg · 07-02-2022 1:44pm

Hi Guys Thanks for all the comments and advice I'm getting a Hyundai Ioniq 5 with a 73kW battery up to 480km of range.

Its a nice looking car and I hope it serves me well for many years. I will try to charge my car in work everyday as it should not damage the battery and use the granny cable in the short term. As you all have said its better to have a home charger so I will get one installed in a few months, it will even add value to the house.

I've got back few quotes ranging from 1000 to 1300 euro for different types of charger.

The best option I see so far is for 1200euro (600euro including the grant) with CarCharger.ie that have a Wallbox pulsar option. It can even connect to solar panels which I would love to get in the future.

Advice for a new EV owner in Ireland

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