Electric Vehicles: What have you spotted?

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Re: Electric Vehicles: What have you spotted?

Post by Hell Razor5543 »

Being that Audi is the 'premium' car range of VW, that does not surprise me in the least that they are charging exorbitant prices for what should be standard equipment. I knew somebody who wanted to get a Q7, top of the range model, with a tow bar fitted. When he was told the price for tow bar he went elsewhere (Range Rover, I think).
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Re: Electric Vehicles: What have you spotted?

Post by mickthemaverick »

I wouldn't be surprised if there was an extra levy on towbars for Audi's simply because they don't want them seen as workhorses!! :-D
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Re: Electric Vehicles: What have you spotted?

Post by mickthemaverick »

NewcastleFalcon wrote: 06 Oct 2020, 12:02 Image

Regards Neil
When you think about it, it is astounding that Audi would fit anything that reflects badly on them :sulk: :-D
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Re: Electric Vehicles: What have you spotted?

Post by NewcastleFalcon »

I think a hybrid mini countryman has appeared in this thread but today I do believe the 100% Electric Mini makes its debut
The Front
The Front
The Back
The Back
https://www.mini.co.uk/en_GB/home/range ... lsrc=aw.ds

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Last edited by NewcastleFalcon on 06 Oct 2020, 20:32, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Electric Vehicles: What have you spotted?

Post by Mandrake »

GiveMeABreak wrote: 05 Oct 2020, 22:55 Yes, what a daft idea, having the charging port on one side only - unless you pay extra to have one on the other side too! I mean what were these people thinking when they 'designed' it? That's really going to do the paintwork a lot of good.
It's the only EV that I'm aware of with duplicate charging ports on both sides - and it's clearly a sign that the location in front of the front doors is poor for reach otherwise why add a duplicate.

The vast majority of EV's either have the charge port on the front near the middle (including Leaf, Kia e-Niro and Soul, Hyundai Kona and others) or on the rear quarter at a traditional petrol flap location - usually on the left. (Including all Tesla's, Hyundai Ioniq, i-Miev/Ion and others)

After switching from the Ion with its rear mounted ports (left side for rapid charging and right hand side for AC charging) to the Leaf (with both ports in the middle at the front) I think the front middle position is clearly the most convenient for several reasons:

1) You can drive into the charging bay forwards instead of having to reverse in. Judging the distance to the protective poles most rapid chargers have is much easier going in forwards, as the cables sometimes don't have much spare reach for you to keep your distance.

2) Most rapid chargers are flanked by two car parks with the charger half way in between them. The idea is that one space is taken by the currently charging car and there is room for another car to pull along side and wait for their turn for the same charger. If your charge ports are in the middle at the front bumper it doesn't matter which space you use - the cable will reach equally as well.

For those with a rear quarter charge port one space is going to give an easier reach for the cable coming from the centre line while the other space is going to make cable reach much more difficult as the cable is trying to reach around to the wrong side of the car. This was an issue on the Ion where I sometimes couldn't use one of the two spaces as the cable wouldn't reach unless I used the one that put the charge port on the centre line of the two spaces. I hear from Hyundai Ioniq drivers that they have the same problem with some rapid chargers.

3) Having the charge cable near the boot of the car is awkward if you're trying to unload the boot and/or family while the car is charging. Reversing in and having to park quite close to the charger for cable reach doesn't leave much room to open the boot let alone unload large items, and it will tend to get in the way of whoever is sitting on the charging port side of the rear as they won't be able to get out and walk directly to the boot, they'll have to walk all the way around the car.

With a front port like the Leaf you drive in forwards leaving the boot fully out in the open and easy to access, and all occupants of the car can get out and walk around to the boot without obstruction. You can also get out of either side of the car and walk forwards to the charger and then to the pavement to the sides of the charger (if any) without obstruction.

So of the two locations while less aesthetically pleasing (due to having a big pop up flap at the front of the car) the front bumper location is clearly more practical, versatile and convenient.

For some reason some European brands like Audi and a couple of American brands (Chevy) have decided to go with front wing mounted charge port locations - basically just in front of one of the front doors on the front wing, usually on the left side.

I really don't know what possessed them to put a charging port there. Whoever designed it hasn't driven EV's in the real world! You have the same disadvantage of a rear quarter port where the car is "handed" and prefers the cable to be coming from one side, but you have far less reach than a rear quarter charging port as rear quarter ports are very close to the back of the car while front quarter ports are much further from the nose of the car.

So front quarter ports give the worst cable reach of all three locations. It also means you have a big charging cable sticking out just in front of one of the front doors, and it will get in the way of whoever is sitting on that side trying to get to the charger or the pavement beside the charger. Not to mention a charging cable sticking out of the side of the car just in front of the front doors is going to be in the way of anyone trying to walk between two adjacent cars or get into their car if they are parked on the side your cable is sticking out! There really shouldn't be anything infringing on the already small gap we have between cars parked side by side.

In my opinion the fact that Audi even offered duplicate charging ports on both sides as an option is a frank admission that front quarter ports are a bad location! :roll: The front central location just makes so much more sense than any other location and causes the minimum of obstruction and inconvenience.
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Re: Electric Vehicles: What have you spotted?

Post by GiveMeABreak »

Agreed 👍. I think the designers need to get out a bit more.
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Re: Electric Vehicles: What have you spotted?

Post by NewcastleFalcon »

Ioniq and Zoe
Ioniq and Zoe
Had a brief chat with the Zoe's. Nice to know new car quailty control is up to scratch. It was supplied with a non-functioning charger and had to be returned as soon as they got it! That minor setback sorted and they are quite happy with it now.

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Re: Electric Vehicles: What have you spotted?

Post by NewcastleFalcon »

Zoes are much thinner on the ground in Northumberland than they should be and I get the impression that Renault really aren't trying that hard. There is a dealer in Newcastle but none in Northumberland, and when I wanted a part for the Clio I got it from the Nissan wing of the same chain Lookers. .

Anyway amongst the Leafs, Jaguar I-Pace, Hyundai Kona and KIA e-niro was a Northumberland spot of a single Zoe
The rare Northumberland Zoe
The rare Northumberland Zoe
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Re: Electric Vehicles: What have you spotted?

Post by NewcastleFalcon »

Another Renault
Renault Kangoo Electric Van
Renault Kangoo Electric Van
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Re: Electric Vehicles: What have you spotted?

Post by NewcastleFalcon »

All over the place today, and charger clogging up needed a few changes of route.

First up was a rather large white Audi e-tron....quite a high spec thing and 70 Reg. Paint seemed OK to me. Occupant as you might expect tapping away at her phone and only just started their charge up. As we moved on elsewhere in came a BMW I3 and A Tesla Model 3. Yes they werent going to get a quick charge either.

Plenty of the usual Tesla's and Leafs and a Hyundai on the road spots. Later in the day this was the very definition of optimism....a Tesla Model 3, a Leaf, and a Mercedes plug-in something or other with all three cables plugged in at once.
three is a crowd
three is a crowd
And a brand new MG plugged in and charging at 89%, owner eventually came back at 95% charge. Meanwhile we were in position A parked alongside waiting for their return. In the meantime a Tesla arrived on the scene, a Leaf was mooching around and another Tesla did a drive past and look, and a BMW plugged the Ac cable in when the owner spent all of 5 minutes getting something from the shops.
MG ZS EV doing the anti-social over 80% public charger hogging
MG ZS EV doing the anti-social over 80% public charger hogging
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Re: Electric Vehicles: What have you spotted?

Post by mickthemaverick »

NewcastleFalcon wrote: 16 Oct 2020, 21:06 All over the place today, and charger clogging up needed a few changes of route.

Regards Neil
Signs of things to come if they don't get their fingers out with the charging network. I still have to go 7 miles to my nearest public charger although there are a couple of privately owned options available for use at 50 ppkw in Hertford now. :(
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Re: Electric Vehicles: What have you spotted?

Post by NewcastleFalcon »

Looks like if you had an electric car at the moment Mick now you would have to rely on your cheese supplier at either Hoddeston or Welwyn Garden City or the Shell at Cheshunt for rapid chargers, until they install some more.
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Re: Electric Vehicles: What have you spotted?

Post by mickthemaverick »

Indeed! You can see why I'm not rushing in to it at rhe moment! Mind you as things are going it might be ok by spring, and I can always go and buy some cheese!! :-D
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Re: Electric Vehicles: What have you spotted?

Post by Huskyxantia »

Saw an old unigate milk float the other week delivering milk was a nice sight to see , didn't take a photo as I was driving , it was very clean
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Re: Electric Vehicles: What have you spotted?

Post by bobins »

Does this qualify for an electric vehicle spot ? It's definitely a BEV :-D It was being used as the brake van on a short rake of wagons behind a diseasel loco at Amberley today - and yes, it is electric :)
BEV loco, amberley - own work
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