First Multicharge Journey

[Pict]

On Thursday we will be undertaking our 1st multicharge journey from South west England to Central Scotland.

I have planned it on A Better Route Planner and it indicates we will require 4 short(ish) stops. These stops are not adding too much time to the overall journey time as we would normally be stopping at least once for a long leisurely lunch and depending on coffee consumption a couple of quicker comfort stops.

ABRP set the reference consumption as 275 wh/mile but don't know what that means in miles/kWh

We could reduce the charge stops to 3 but I chose to plan to arrive with 40% battery left as didn't want to be rushing about finding chargers as soon as we arrived.

What is the optimal cruise speed for the car do people think, my boy racer days are long gone and would usually be sitting about 65mph. I do not tailgate/slip stream lorries, don't wish to, and will just set the adaptive cruise control for a safe distance. I have seen too many rear end shunts to never want to be involved in one and debris thrown up by wheels can be avoided hopefully.

It will be interesting to see if we stick to the plan, chicken out and look for chargers sooner than necessary or take the oil burning Land Rover.

Got to do the return journey a week later so might involve more/less stops based on experience

 

[Horsley Legs]

I thought 65 was the optimal cruise rate for the ZS.

 

[bloggsy]

I did a trip travelling at 70mph on motorways and A class roads (in Eco mode) and finished with less than 1 bar, and the 'low battery' warning on and about 10% battery left. I repeated the trip but travelled at 60mph in Eco mode and finished with 2 bars of battery left!

It probably cost me an extra 15-20mins but the extra range makes up for it, in my opinion.

I'd also recommend you download the Chargeplace Scotland app ("Charge Your Car") so you can use the public chargers when you cross the border and don't forget your passport for the Immigration check and to have your return journey booked!

Cheers

Bloggsy

 

[Jake]

The range ABRP has used equates to around 160 miles which in summer sounds safely conservative. The stop gaps look about right to give you enough reserve if an alternative charger is needed. However the time allocated to recharge is very optimistic and I would allow a further few minutes to each of those stops for purposes of planning/time estimates. If you are lunching and loo break then that will use up more than the time needed on each charger. Good luck with your trip and enjoy the car. Your sort of planning reduces any range anxiety to the minimum. Well done.

 

[macd2401]

Not too sure what's available in Hamilton, but Larkhall train station has 2 rapid chargers that are pretty decent

 

[Pict]

Not too sure what's available in Hamilton, but Larkhall train station has 2 rapid chargers that are pretty decent

According to the Chargeplace website there are 14 7kw free chargers in Duke St car park which is a 10 minute walk from our destination. That'll do nicely

 

[Pict]

I'd also recommend you download the Chargeplace Scotland app ("Charge Your Car") so you can use the public chargers when you cross the border and don't forget your passport for the Immigration check and to have your return journey booked

I have the website book marked which allows you to confirm the charger on free chargers but will probably add yet another app <sigh> to my phone

As I have not been home for so long I may not want to do the return journey

 

[Pict]

The range ABRP has used equates to around 160 miles which in summer sounds safely conservative. The stop gaps look about right to give you enough reserve if an alternative charger is needed. However the time allocated to recharge is very optimistic and I would allow a further few minutes to each of those stops for purposes of planning/time estimates. If you are lunching and loo break then that will use up more than the time needed on each charger. Good luck with your trip and enjoy the car. Your sort of planning reduces any range anxiety to the minimum. Well done.

Thanks for the vote of confidence.

As you mentioned I was trying to be very conservative with the calculations/settings so it would be as relaxed as possible

I hope Shap and Beattock summits don't kill the range though, there are long drags uphill to both of those and as it will be motorway then very little chance of regeneration

 

[bloggsy]

Thanks for the vote of confidence.

As you mentioned I was trying to be very conservative with the calculations/settings so it would be as relaxed as possible

I hope Shap and Beattock summits don't kill the range though, there are long drags uphill to both of those and as it will be motorway then very little chance of regeneration

Have you saved the AA Roadside Assistance for MG's to your phone as well...?!

Cheers

Bloggsy

 

[Pict]

Have you saved the AA Roadside Assistance for MG's to your phone as well...?!

Cheers

Bloggsy

Confidence!

We did get an AA card in with the handbook but we will not need it

 

[EWD]

On Thursday we will be undertaking our 1st multicharge journey from South west England to Central Scotland.

I have planned it on A Better Route Planner and it indicates we will require 4 short(ish) stops. These stops are not adding too much time to the overall journey time as we would normally be stopping at least once for a long leisurely lunch and depending on coffee consumption a couple of quicker comfort stops.

ABRP set the reference consumption as 275 wh/mile but don't know what that means in miles/kWh

We could reduce the charge stops to 3 but I chose to plan to arrive with 40% battery left as didn't want to be rushing about finding chargers as soon as we arrived.

What is the optimal cruise speed for the car do people think, my boy racer days are long gone and would usually be sitting about 65mph. I do not tailgate/slip stream lorries, don't wish to, and will just set the adaptive cruise control for a safe distance. I have seen too many rear end shunts to never want to be involved in one and debris thrown up by wheels can be avoided hopefully.

It will be interesting to see if we stick to the plan, chicken out and look for chargers sooner than necessary or take the oil burning Land Rover.

Got to do the return journey a week later so might involve more/less stops based on experience

To convert 275 wh/mile to miles/kwh:

275/1000 = 0.275 kwh/mile

1 kwh / 0.275 = 3.636 miles/kwh

Or the easy way:

1000/275 = 3.636

 

[LightningBolt]

Let us know how it goes! Successful trips like this in an EV should reassure anyone about range.

I haven't converted just yet, taking my first hire soon, but I personally love the idea of an enforced stop every ~90 minutes on a mammoth journey like this. Fresh air, a stretch of the legs and/or a nap will make the journey much nicer... and probably safer from a fatigue perspective!

One day when we have fully self driving cars we probably won't believe how we regularly did non-stop journeys of many hours in length physically driving. As Robert Llewellyn says, I'm sure if you were to run some kind of science experiment where you forced a person to sit in a box for 4 hours straight, concentrating on a quite boring and repetitive task, you'd be breaking all sorts of UN Human Rights Laws, but we all do it to ourselves regularly in ICE cars!

However, the only thing I have yet to be fully sold on, is the idea of doing 60/65 constantly.

 

[Rabtmac]

Set off yesterday to visit my brother's (not seen them since last year with this virus)
Worked it out as a stop at Gretna then charge again in paisley so I've some charge to use over the weekend.
Set off at 100% got to Gretna with around 22 miles showing as left.
Both ecotricity chargers totally dead (what else would they be) but decided to try the Ionity chargers beside the petrol station.
I watched them build them and thought at the time I'll try those someday.
Well what a saga that turned out to be.
Couldn't connect no matter what I tried. sun so bright I could hardly see my phone screen even when I found a little shade.
Finally got some app I had to use when I scanned the QR code.
It asked for payment to be set up which I did but only a tenner as a minimum
Then still nothing???
Finally found a phone number and got connected to a wonderful lady in Germany (I think)
She took me through a totally different process and explained they take money from my account, let me charge then deduct the cost from the amount they take and out the rest back???
I was stuck and agreed.
They take £67
I got a charge and I terminated it myself at 80% got a receipt for £18.30
Got to paisley with around the same 22miles left and hooked up to Instavolt I've used once before and thought were brilliant
And wasn't disappointed this time either.
Got to 92% (would have disconnected earlier but was on the phone trying to explain to my wife why £67 had been charged to a firm in Germany).
Disconnect and head to my hotel.
Total cost for Instavolt £10.54
Won't be using Ionity again and I've also lost another tenner on the app I don't know how to use.
I've checked on the net and recon I can make it to Carlisle for another Instavolt charger on my way home Ionity are on my list of avoid like the plague chargers along with Ecotricity.

 

[mj224]

Much the same as my first (and only) part charge up at an Ionity pump. First go failed, but they still held that £67, and the second attempt after 15 minutes on the phone, stopped at about 40% charge, and of course another £67. The part charge gave me enough to get to Cardiff Gate, and use the Ecotricity charger successfully and cheaply.

Ionity is a joke...........

 

[jamesie]

It's interesting, the cruise at 60-65mph is actually quite relaxing.

When I drove an ICE there was no way I would drive at less than 70mph (unless speed or traffic restrictions!). However, did my first long run on the M6 recently in my ZS EV and stuck to approximately 60mph, MG Pilot did most of the work admirably. I wasn't constantly having to move from lane to lane to overtake slower moving traffic. It was excellent, doubt I would go back to 70mph!

 

[LightningBolt]

It's interesting, the cruise at 60-65mph is actually quite relaxing.

When I drove an ICE there was no way I would drive at less than 70mph (unless speed or traffic restrictions!). However, did my first long run on the M6 recently in my ZS EV and stuck to approximately 60mph, MG Pilot did most of the work admirably. I wasn't constantly having to move from lane to lane to overtake slower moving traffic. It was excellent, doubt I would go back to 70mph!

Reminds me of when I used to do 80-85 all the time in my old 53 reg VW Lupo (it rattled above 85 ) and then ofcourse, got caught by one of the speed vans, as I rightly deserved.

After that I made a conscious effort to always do 70, and actually it was much more relaxing and way more fuel efficient anyway! And I learned it adds no real extra time whatsoever on an average journey.

Maybe the same thing will happen if I try 60/65.

 

[bloggsy]

As I have not been home for so long I may not want to do the return journey

I didn't realise you were an ex-pat! Come awa' in, you'll have had yer tea?!

Cheers

Bloggsy

 

[Pict]

I didn't realise you were an ex-pat! Come awa' in, you'll have had yer tea?!

Cheers

Bloggsy

Thought the username might have given it away

 

[Pict]

Well it looks like Ionity should be avoided for the time being, especially on our first long outing. Thanks for the heads up on the problems

It's interesting, the cruise at 60-65mph is actually quite relaxing.

I have always been perfectly happy with the cruise at 60/65 and continually get ribbed by the children and grandchildren for always being the last to arrive anywhere. 65 gives enough speed to pass hgv and move back across without being forced to keep up with the faster moving traffic stuck in the middle/outer lanes. Having driven HGVs I am also used to plodding along sub 60.

I realised last night (Friday) that we have never used a rapid charger yet, always 7kwh freebies or home charging. Never used the CCS connection so it will be a priority over the weekend to check this works (no reason it shouldn't but better safe...)

 

[ARealHuman]

Blimey, hopefully I can remember to stay away from Ionity chargers as well as the (usually) broken Ecotricity ones. Not exactly a good advert for going electric, is it? I've yet to do a longer journey and will have to be careful about planning when I eventually do.