Random EV thoughts.....

In this country? I recently saw another project similar in the US, much smaller, but easier deployment. I'm trying to remember the name.

l.e. found it https://beamforall.com/product/ev-arc-2020/

My Oh has the ev 10 weeks this week,all urban driving of approx 280km per week,charged at night at 12.5 c,fuel cost for 10 weeks approx 75e.

Previously paying approx 50e weekly for petrol and also extra purchases when visiting filling station,ev was best decision we made,also have home charger.

Iv found EV to be very cheap and convenient for me.

Got an EV start of Jan this year. Mostly school runs, GAA trainings and matches etc. We have a 2nd car (7 seater Touran)

Total approx running costs to me so far this year for 21,000km is: €198.44

1372 kwh from Grid @ 0.0754 = €103.44

+ €95 euro from public chargers = €198.44

2368kwh from Solar.

The same usage in my Diesel Touran (mostly short cold journeys) @ Approx 11cent/km = €2310.

Before we got EV we always said we would use the ICE car for long journeys. However so far we have still chosen to use the EV for long journeys, because its more comfortable and cheaper. Its easy to plan a quick stop along the way. Maybe im lucky but iv used the public chargers a few times now with no hassle or queues at all.

Recently stopped in kinnegad on the way home. Put car on charge. Went to for wee, got a coffee and a sandwich(no queues). When I got back to the car there was nearly 15% on it. Way more than I needed to get home. I didnt even have time to eat my sandwich.

Pretty much mirrors what we did in terms of using the cars.

It's still relatively cheap, but that 2368kWh is costing you in terms of lost feed in tariff. At say 21c per kWh that would be nearly €500, you'd possibly be better, financially, to use the off-peak for extra charging and let the solar go back to the grid.

Id say its ballpark, it was a 1.5 petrol Q2, all urban,50% heavy traffic.50e was put in every sunday for a weeks driving.

Routinely on roughly a monthly basis I do Sligo-Dublin return trip and nearly always stop in Kinnegad for a break and charge- up both ways. I spend on average eur 25 per month doing this and so expect about eur 300 for rapid charging for the year. Home charge at night rate roughly maybe once per week so costing something like eur 20 per month or eur 240 a year so my rapid charging is costing me more. Overall happy as its a lot less cost than running an ICE. Also have solar panels which generates a micro generation credit so Overall happy with the financials and importantly for me making my small green contribution to the planet.

Other than potential BIK savings there is no reason to want an EV as a company car. If someone else is paying for your fuel, there’s little incentive. At best they might move to a PHEV but many company car PHEV drivers don’t bother to plug them in. Equally if they’re in cars that they like they’re not going to care about the increasing maintenance costs as they get older. What are they driving currently ? Is there a comparable PHEV or EV that would be attractive available to them ?

How does it work for home charging or are all EVs charged in the workplace?

I sometimes wonder do operators of EV chargers look much at the coverage map and think there could be an opportunity here. See below image

Its filtered on essentially fast chargers…….there is nothing between Galway city and Clifden, you would imagine they would throw one in at Maam Cross or Ougtherard. north of the circled area is poor enough also.

I guess they have most likely done studies and worked out its simply not worthwhile

I suspect it’s based on commercial forecasts for usage based on traffic volumes and access to suitable grid connections.