Rules and Guidelines
Want to participate in the discussions? Please read our Community Rules and Guidelines. Need some help? Visit Support and Answers.

  • State Not Answered
  • Locked Locked
  • Replies 57 replies
  • Subscribers 9 subscribers
  • Views 1795 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
You may also be interested in
This discussion is locked.
You cannot post a reply to this discussion. If you have a question start a new discussion

Electric Vehicles - Impact on electrical network. Survey of vehicle uptake.

Former Community Member
Former Community Member
Dear IET forum,

I am carrying out research into the impacts of the projected surge of electric vehicle uptake on the local network infrastructure. The results will be used as part of my Technical report for Ceng. Please could you spare 2 minutes completing the survey in the link below? Its very short I assure you and completely anonymous. My aim is to understand a sample of peoples views on them personally taking up ownership of electric vehicles and if the pandemic may have changed their future car ownership behaviours. 

When complete i can post the results here and if you are interested make a comment and i can send you the finished technical report.

Much appreciated, thank you in advance.!
https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/CC7GJSB

  • 0
    Thanks Simon

    Yes, hybrids are fine and light weigh SUV's with small battery for inside city use are OK.  But Chelsea tanks running round cities belching out fumes are out as far as I am concerned.
  • Former Community Member
    0 Former Community Member
    Simon Barker:

    That doesn't work for the people who live in the city.  After a few shopping trips, and taking the kids to school, the battery will be flat and the car will be forced back to running on petrol or diesel.


    That's why plug-in hybrids were invented.  It doesn't take long to re-charge a modest size battery from the mains.  That way short city trips can be entirely on electric, and the engine only has to start up on long journeys.




    That's exactly how we use our hybrid VW Passat GTE, short trips to the shops, school runs, dog walks, playgrounds etc, all on 100% electric.

    If going longer distances I switch to Hybrid mode and let the car decide how best to use Electric/petrol. If we (remember to) plug it in after each journey it rarely goes flat, but with only about 20miles usable electric range when it does go flat it takes about 3hours to charge.

    Electricity costs 14.4p per kWh during the day and just 5p for four hours overnight so it works out cheaper than doing the same types of driving in the VW Golf 1.4Tsi we traded for the Passat GTE and it has the same petrol engine. 








     


  • 0
    While I can see the benefit at the moment of the low cost of EVs I cannot see that continuing when Internal Combustion vehicles are phased out. The tax an IC vehicles currently generates over £30 Billion in taxes, its loss is going to have to be recovered from somewhere.
  • 0
    kfh, I am sure you are correct.  To encourage solar and wind energy, huge grants were given for a few years which then disappeared so we need to take the advantage whilst we can.  

    Re the Passat the electric side is exactly correct as new model has a 31 kWh battery but the car is much to heavy 1.75 tons because it has a 6 speed gearbox and several luxury sporty add-ons. 

    Better if VW go for a micro-electric vehicle with no gearbox just a 1 litre engine that charges the battery on long motorway trips only.
  • 0
    CliveS:

    kfh, I am sure you are correct.  To encourage solar and wind energy, huge grants were given for a few years which then disappeared so we need to take the advantage whilst we can.  

    Re the Passat the electric side is exactly correct as new model has a 31 kWh battery but the car is much to heavy 1.75 tons because it has a 6 speed gearbox and several luxury sporty add-ons. 

    Better if VW go for a micro-electric vehicle with no gearbox just a 1 litre engine that charges the battery on long motorway trips only.  




    amen to that!


  • 0
    That's why plug-in hybrids were invented.  It doesn't take long to re-charge a modest size battery from the mains.  That way short city trips can be entirely on electric, and the engine only has to start up on long journeys.


    Real world useage, having recently got a plug-in hybrid (new):-

    Quoted electric range:- 40 miles

    Actual electric range:- 28 miles (i.e. about 70%) based on the same commute each day (equal hills up and down)

    Battery size :- about 13kwh

    Range per kwh :- about 2 miles (slightly over)

    Time to charge from UK 13A socket :- about 9 or 10 hours

    Range added per hour from UK 13A socket :- about 3 miles (walking pace!).

    Yes I am getting a larger charge socket soon, but the point is you canna change the laws of physics capn.

    YMMV but best take the real world into account regarding the word "modest" as that certainly doesn't apply to manufacturer claims :-)


  • 0
    Thanks Roger,  what make of car have you got?    I heard an advert that claimed that electric vehicle could run at a tenth of the price of normal cars which I consider to be a gross over statement.  

    If you charge using a solar panel maybe, but using daytime power at 14 pence per unit is still expensive but off-peak could work. 

     Have you any more accurate costs that you share with us that show the true cost per kilometre?
  • 0
    Hi Clive,

    It's an Audi but I expect most cars to perform the same in the real world, just as MPG claims for petrol/diesel. I have not tried to be accurate yet, but I was hoping for cost per mile to be about 1/3 when charged at home. Real world is about half.

    As I say, if you live in Ipswitch where hills are a novelty then it may be different, but here in the hills and valleys (like a lot of the UK) it's not going to get anywhere near test track results. My previous cars used to do between 40 and 55 MPG so around 10 to 15p per mile at current fuel costs. Electric real world is going to be around 5 to 10p per mile depending on your costs and how heavy your foot is. Charging costs away from home vary a lot at the moment, probably not worth it unless you get it for free or have no choice (I have seen figures quoted up to 50p/KWh = 25p/mile).

    Perhaps the advert you saw was comparing running a Ferrari to a Zoe?
  • 0
    2 miles/kWh seems particularly poor.  Maybe it's down to the weight and complexity of a PHEV.  A pure electric vehicle should beat that.  3 to 4 miles/kWh seems more common for a normal electric family car, driven sensibly.
  • 0
    Audi claim 40 miles from a 13kWh battery (i.e. 3 miles/kWh). I have noticed a significant impact due to temperature, cold days it is nearer to 2, warmer days towards 2.5. Hopefully in the summer it will improve a bit further but I don't ever expect to get 40 miles on a charge in the real world.

Join us to get the best from IET EngX.

Joining EngX lets you personalise your experience so you stay up to date on the topics that interest you, plus you’ll be able to make connections who are looking to collaborate, exchange ideas and more.

Join us Not now

Community Rules & Guidelines