EV (electric vehicle) News & Discussion

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#1642339 29-Sep-2016 09:01

As more EVs arrive in NZ, the demand for chargers will increase, and that demand will be met. We are already seeing a surge of new chargers being deployed and as more people move to EVs there will more and more added. Until there are more chargers than petrol stations - I am sure I read recently that this has already happened in Japan - i.e. chargers > petrol stations.

So I think your concern re. wait times will probably be fairly minimal.

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Linuxluver

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#1642342 29-Sep-2016 09:02

trig42:

Linuxluver:

MikeB4:

I love the notion of an EV and can see one in my future, for me it is range, the target range is either Wellington to Taupo or Wellington to Napier on a single charge. When that is achievable I am in.

Unless you normally drive 340km without a single stop, you may be happy with a car that can do 70% of that range and give you a chance to use the loo and eat a sandwich for half an hour at Mangaweka or Waiouru while it charges. That's definitely going to be an option in the next 12-18 months.....and you get to go zero emissions.

More generally, I'm baffled by the lack of willingness to make any compromises at all to reduce emissions now in the face of the slow-motion climate emergency underway now. Not even 20-30 minutes you'd probably stop anyway on that once-a-year trip. I'm not getting at you, Mike.....I see it a lot. Most people seem to have no appreciation of what it means to be seeing climatic change occuring on an *annual* basis on a planetary scale. That's a train-wreck in progress in real terms, but we aren't used to operating on those time scales in assessing risks. Then consider the 20 year lag in CO2 feedback. The changes we're seeing now are the consequence of CO2 released in the 90s....and we've released a lot more since then. Today, we're just talking about limiting how bad it will get. We're already well down that road and no sign of slowing down.

I'd have no issue with having to stop for a 30 minute top-up on say an AKL to Napier trip - I do that run two or three times a year, and in the car I would normally stop somewhere (usually Putaruru or Tokoroa or Taupo).

The issue I can see happening though, is that by the time I get an EV, a lot more other people will also have them, and there will be queues for those EV chargers, so your planned 30 minute top up might take an hour, an hour and a half while you wait for other people. Unless there is another one 10 minutes up the road, it isn't like you can just decide to push on. Range anxiety will still be a major factor in longer trips.

That said, I'd happily have a Leaf for my commute, or at home (on Waiheke). The wife could use a full charge on a Leaf for her whole week's 'commuting' - about a 2 km round trip - and errands.

Seriously considering it for her next car.

They will build more chargers. This is just the start. But I hear you. I pulled in at Kaiwaka on the way home a couple of weeks ago. It was about 8pm. There was a LEAF parked there and the driver was playing with their smartphone. I pulled up alongside.....they looked surprised and jumped out started charging. "WTF......why were you sitting there doing nothing when you should have been charging?" - I thought to myself. In the end it was only a 15 min delay as they lived nearby. But it highlights how important it is to be tight and efficient with the timing and use of the chargers if your car is on the EV charging space........

So far, in three months, I've had to wait 4 times...and none longer than 20mins.

Plus......climate change.

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MikeB4

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#1642499 29-Sep-2016 11:39

As I see it and I have never tried an EV so please correct me if I have this wrong. Given the distances and terrain to travel from my home to Taupo takes on average 4.5 - 5 hours and is around 370kms. I would need to stop and charge at least twice, that is Bulls then Waiouru. That would add and additional 60 minutes plus to the travel time.

Travel to Napier is around 4 hours and 311kms. Again I would need charge at say Woodville then maybe again in Hastings to ensure I had enough power to get to Napier adding again around 60 minutes to the trip.

When we travel now we do stop often for rest breaks and refreshments but we do need to refuel on a trip to either Taupo or Napier so stops are optional. We see the travel as part of the pleasures of a trip and will stop often to look at things so stopping for charge ups may not be that onerous when there is two of us. If I am traveling alone it could be a pain literally. When I stop now for petrol I use Z stations as they will always assist with fueling etc do the power charge places assist?

RUKI

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#1642509 29-Sep-2016 11:58

MikeB4:

As I see it and I have never tried an EV so please correct me ....

In your estimation of the time needed for re-charge you assumed that when you arrived - there is no queue and the one and only charging point is up and running. What-if someone arrived 1 minuted before you and started charging?

In comparison: when you arrive at Z - you may assume that 1 out of 6 is out of order and 4 out of 5 are busy with other customers - so you are hoping 1 is there for you...

When [they] launch those 100 new fast chargers across NZ, there should be no less than 4 outlets IMO in every spot (do not know what the plan is).

With growing number of EV and considering charge time even 4 will not be enough: 6 @ gas station where you spend 5 minutes - has to be 6*6 = 36 charge points at EV charge spots for the same throughput, if everyone were driving EV, but not right now...

paulchinnz

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#1642515 29-Sep-2016 12:06

MikeB4:

As I see it and I have never tried an EV so please correct me if I have this wrong. Given the distances and terrain to travel from my home to Taupo takes on average 4.5 - 5 hours and is around 370kms. I would need to stop and charge at least twice, that is Bulls then Waiouru. That would add and additional 60 minutes plus to the travel time.

Travel to Napier is around 4 hours and 311kms. Again I would need charge at say Woodville then maybe again in Hastings to ensure I had enough power to get to Napier adding again around 60 minutes to the trip.

When we travel now we do stop often for rest breaks and refreshments but we do need to refuel on a trip to either Taupo or Napier so stops are optional. We see the travel as part of the pleasures of a trip and will stop often to look at things so stopping for charge ups may not be that onerous when there is two of us. If I am traveling alone it could be a pain literally. When I stop now for petrol I use Z stations as they will always assist with fueling etc do the power charge places assist?

Good points.

For the trip to Napier with an ICE car, one might stop where it's nice (aesthetically or gastronomically etc). With EV, where you stop will be strongly determined by where the charger is.

No one's spontaneously come out to assist me in Chch at Z's charger. Can someone who's successfully activated a charger via Plugshare, can you please post a screenshot of the activation button? I expect it's blindingly obvious but I can't see it. Thanks.

Linuxluver

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#1642600 29-Sep-2016 13:29

MikeB4:

As I see it and I have never tried an EV so please correct me if I have this wrong. Given the distances and terrain to travel from my home to Taupo takes on average 4.5 - 5 hours and is around 370kms. I would need to stop and charge at least twice, that is Bulls then Waiouru. That would add and additional 60 minutes plus to the travel time.

Travel to Napier is around 4 hours and 311kms. Again I would need charge at say Woodville then maybe again in Hastings to ensure I had enough power to get to Napier adding again around 60 minutes to the trip.

When we travel now we do stop often for rest breaks and refreshments but we do need to refuel on a trip to either Taupo or Napier so stops are optional. We see the travel as part of the pleasures of a trip and will stop often to look at things so stopping for charge ups may not be that onerous when there is two of us. If I am traveling alone it could be a pain literally. When I stop now for petrol I use Z stations as they will always assist with fueling etc do the power charge places assist?

In an attempt to make charging more pleasant, efforts are made to locate chargesrs - fast and (slower) destination charges at cafes, restaurants, tourist attractions, shopping centres and the like. You should stop each two hours anyway just to be safe.

I've done drives recently in the 500-600km range in a day without much fuss in my 24kw Nissan LEAF. In a 60kw 2017-18 model EV you might stop once on the way to where you're going. It might take 30 minutes. Initially it might be at 'the' charger.....but that won't happen too often and they will be putting more in.

Climate change is a factor here. I don't see how a stop that's 10 minutes (or whatever) longer than usual to be zero emissions would be insufferable.

Try driving an EV. I think I offered if you're in the Auckland area.

As for help.....you just plug the car in and push some flavour of "Start". I'll post a photo or two.

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MikeB4

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#1642606 29-Sep-2016 13:35

Linuxluver:

MikeB4:

As I see it and I have never tried an EV so please correct me if I have this wrong. Given the distances and terrain to travel from my home to Taupo takes on average 4.5 - 5 hours and is around 370kms. I would need to stop and charge at least twice, that is Bulls then Waiouru. That would add and additional 60 minutes plus to the travel time.

Travel to Napier is around 4 hours and 311kms. Again I would need charge at say Woodville then maybe again in Hastings to ensure I had enough power to get to Napier adding again around 60 minutes to the trip.

When we travel now we do stop often for rest breaks and refreshments but we do need to refuel on a trip to either Taupo or Napier so stops are optional. We see the travel as part of the pleasures of a trip and will stop often to look at things so stopping for charge ups may not be that onerous when there is two of us. If I am traveling alone it could be a pain literally. When I stop now for petrol I use Z stations as they will always assist with fueling etc do the power charge places assist?

In an attempt to make charging more pleasant, efforts are made to locate chargesrs - fast and (slower) destination charges at cafes, restaurants, tourist attractions, shopping centres and the like. You should stop each two hours anyway just to be safe.

I've done drives recently in the 500-600km range in a day without much fuss in my 24kw Nissan LEAF. In a 60kw 2017-18 model EV you might stop once on the way to where you're going. It might take 30 minutes. Initially it might be at 'the' charger.....but that won't happen too often and they will be putting more in.

Climate change is a factor here. I don't see how a stop that's 10 minutes (or whatever) longer than usual to be zero emissions would be insufferable.

Try driving an EV. I think I offered if you're in the Auckland area.

As for help.....you just plug the car in and push some flavour of "Start". I'll post a photo or two.

Absolutely agree and the sooner the internal combustion engine is assigned to history the better, however the extra stops can be a pain literally.

Does anyone know if rental car companies have EV's available?

Linuxluver

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#1642610 29-Sep-2016 13:46

Example. Here is a photo of a Veefil charger used by charge.net.nz.

You park.

You open your car's charging hatch. On a LEAF or a Zoe it's at the front. On a Tesla it's rear left (I think). On a PHEV like an Outlander it's on the rear side. I think on the left.

You chose the cable you need and and any adapters you might need to fit your car. (You will already know this before even buying your car, and definitely before leaving home the first time or you're a thoughtless, careless cliff jumper who doesn't care what happens.)...and you insert the plug into your car. For CHAdeMO, it's the big, round one....about 10cm across.

You touch your fob on the place shown in the photo...and then the other lights activate and you can choose an 80% fill or go for "max"....and then you push START.

If you want to stop before the charger automatically stops, you tap your fob again and push stop. This is so no random person can stop your car charging. They would need your Fob.

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MikeB4

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#1642634 29-Sep-2016 14:22

Now we are talking range, 600kms makes this very viable

http://www.autoblog.com/2016/09/28/embargoed-11-a-m-here-is-volkswagens-all-electric-meb-with-3/

old3eyes

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#1642635 29-Sep-2016 14:25

MikeB4:

Now we are talking range, 600kms makes this very viable

http://www.autoblog.com/2016/09/28/embargoed-11-a-m-here-is-volkswagens-all-electric-meb-with-3/

Agreed but the price here if we actually ever get it will be $60 grand plus..

Regards,

Old3eyes

MikeB4

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#1642643 29-Sep-2016 14:35

When China fully enters the EV market prices will drop dramatically.

wellygary

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#1642674 29-Sep-2016 14:39

old3eyes:

MikeB4:

Now we are talking range, 600kms makes this very viable

http://www.autoblog.com/2016/09/28/embargoed-11-a-m-here-is-volkswagens-all-electric-meb-with-3/

Agreed but the price here if we actually ever get it will be $60 grand plus..

Its still a concept car, which means its at least 3 years away from production if at all......

For VW its simply a "please don't forget about me, and can we try not to mention that diesel thing...."

MikeB4

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#1642675 29-Sep-2016 14:41

wellygary:

Its still a concept car, which means its at least 3 years away from production if at all......

For VW its simply a "please don't forget about me, and can we try not to mention that diesel thing...."

diesel thing? what diesel thing

paulchinnz

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#1642685 29-Sep-2016 14:52

Linuxluver:

Example. Here is a photo of a Veefil charger used by charge.net.nz.

You park.

You open your car's charging hatch. On a LEAF or a Zoe it's at the front. On a Tesla it's rear left (I think). On a PHEV like an Outlander it's on the rear side. I think on the left.

You chose the cable you need and and any adapters you might need to fit your car. (You will already know this before even buying your car, and definitely before leaving home the first time or you're a thoughtless, careless cliff jumper who doesn't care what happens.)...and you insert the plug into your car. For CHAdeMO, it's the big, round one....about 10cm across.

You touch your fob on the place shown in the photo...and then the other lights activate and you can choose an 80% fill or go for "max"....and then you push START.

If you want to stop before the charger automatically stops, you tap your fob again and push stop. This is so no random person can stop your car charging. They would need your Fob.

Thanks LL. Can you post a screenshot of where to activate in the Plugshare app?

RUKI

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#1642906 29-Sep-2016 19:48

MikeB4:

....the sooner the internal combustion engine is assigned to history the better, however the extra stops can be a pain literally.

Does anyone know if rental car companies have EV's available?

... you reminded me memorial plate in Waitakere Regional Park Info Centre - there was once a stop people made there during the DAY TRIP (took all day) to the west coast from Auckland.... No ICE just horses :-) That is now a history, but was not long ago from now...

Rental - Blue Cars - talk to Carl. He is based on Waiheke - ask if he has anything in Auckland for you...

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