EV charge times

It is interesting how cars that do little damage to roads pay not a lot less than a 44-tonne truck which is much more damaging.

There are a lot of issues to consider in reinforcing the network, and a national and local plans are required. 

When I applied for a charger, I had to wait for Western Power to reservice my neighbour whose service was looped from mine. 

This arrangement is very common on new developments built over the last 50 years. Not sure if it still is. 

So as each household applies for a charger, the service arrangements will need to be checked, and where necessary, a new service will need to be run fromm the main cable to one house. This could result in a lot on new service joints on the main cable. Not a good situation. 

DNOs will need to consider this and have plans in place to reduce the cost of reservicing, and disturbance to roads/footpaths, and local supplies 

This situation may accelerate as heat pumps start to be rolled out in volume. 

We won't go into how the LV distribution network gets reinforced, more headaches and disturbance. 

All of this is important in the light of global warming, but I hope that plans are in place along with funding. 

Well it will not just be more joints of 35mm wavecon to the houses - at some point the arterial feeds running up the street will need to be beefed up as well, and the transformer that feeds them

I suspect the plan and the budget forecast will be the first casualties on encounter with reality.

Mike

When I applied for a charger, I had to wait for Western Power to reservice my neighbour whose service was looped from mine. 

I wonder if we'll get to a point where limiting the charge point to say 16A (or even 10A) would (along with the absence of other long-term heavy loads) would allow the use of existing looped services to continue. Or even logically tying the two smart meters together when the charger(s) self-limit via data from the home area network(s). 

   - Andy.

That would make an electric car even more impractical than it is now, and this morning they are talking about servicing electric vehicles being “dangerous” and needing much more training for mechanics. Good luck with that, as it appears they also have a high failure rate, noticed by recovery firms (Including hybrids). There are few garages with servicing facilities, particularly the HV gloves being worn on TV! 

Part of the problem that makes a roadside rescue/repair harder for an EV is that many designs have no easy procedure  to allow towing or pushing to a safe place - there is no equivalent to putting into a neutral gear and handbrake off. There could be, but it is not actually done, and if the aux power is off then you are snookered if the last action in ‘fault’ state is to screw the electric brakes to the on position.

The other thing that does not yet exist are ‘jumper cables’ to allow one EV to partly recharge another - allowing one to limp a mate to the next lay-by would be good.  The AA man and the well prepared hobbyist carries a jerry can and some 12V jump leads for a normal car, but the EV equivalent is lacking.

I understand that actually most EV breakdown call-outs relate to tyres and wheel damage, (pot holes and punctures affect all car types as the top scoring show stopper) then problems with the 12V auxiliary circuits,  while traction power failure is quite a way down the list.

Mike

I can't imagine working on an EV is any more dangerous than working on a petrol car that has a tank full of explosive liquid.  But it will require appropriate training.

I don't have an EV yet myself, but those that do own them comment on how little maintenance they require when compared with a petrol or diesel.

Simon Barker: 
 

I can't imagine working on an EV is any more dangerous than working on a petrol car that has a tank full of explosive liquid.  But it will require appropriate training.

I don't have an EV yet myself, but those that do own them comment on how little maintenance they require when compared with a petrol or diesel.

Well quite, all cars have hazards; sharp bits, toxic liquids, brake dust, whirling death. EVs have one more that's different and needs different training and PPE, it's hardly a showstopper.

Here's the service schedule for a Renault Zoe, https://www.gogreenautos.co.uk/buyers-guide/renault-zoe-guide it's not exactly onerous. Change the pollen filter, check the fluid levels, every 3 years change the 12 V lead-acid battery (keeping a battery on the 12V system as a backup for lights, vacuum pump, etc. makes the safety case comparable with a petrol car). Note also that nothing on the service list involves work on the traction battery, but if you look deeper into the various repair procedures that do there's no live working with gloves, more “isolate by removing safety link and lock-off”.

Simon Barker: 
 

I can't imagine working on an EV is any more dangerous than working on a petrol car 

I imagine that the battery voltage could be lethal to the great unwashed doing diy ………. and others.