(quite) long trip this weekend - any advice/guidance?

[Pat]

Traveling a total of 280 miles (140 each way) on Saturday.

Trophy here.

I am very nervous about being able to do this on one charge (in fact I'm not going to try it - even assuming 100% state of charge to start!)

I can get to my destination and about 1/2 way back in 200 miles where there is conveniently located (in Hereford) a bp Pulse charging station that has
4 x 50kW CCS - hopefully, one of these will be free - put in about 50 miles and get home easily. (79p per kW - blergg!)
4 x 43kW Type2 - this is my 'real' concern - what are these? Are they tethered (Did a bit more digging - seems all chargers over 22kW are tethered)? Am I going to get 43kW on my car? Or is there some other limit I don't know about?
4 x 7kW Type2 - Blergg as this is going to take ages to put 50 miles in and really upset passengers.

In any case - thoughts?

 

[Jomarkh]

Check out your route on Zap-map to see what networks are available.
Have you done much rapid charging and do you have apps or RFID cards that maybe cheaper?
All type2 connections will be at 7kW unless you are lucky enough to have a car 3 phase capability ie L2 and L3 populated on your socket.

 

[Pat]

Cheers Jomarkh

1) Check Zap-map - will do (should have known/remembered this tbh)
2) No -not rapid charged ever. So no, don't have many apps at all to support this (was kind of hoping we'd gone beyond this tbh). The money really isn't the problem - okay it's 10x the cost of at home but I only do journeys like this maybe half a dozen times a year so I don't care - just 'Blerg'

By L2 and L3 you mean the pull-away plug thingy in the charge socket? That's there - no clue if anything is behind it however I don't believe that if the car is standard (which it is) that any sockets behind there won't be connected).

Your questions prompted more digging - seems that the MG4 is limited to 11kW on 3-phase power, do it's 50kW or bust!

 

[Rolfe]

Don't try it on one charge, not even with the NMC battery.

Do you have a destination charger anywhere near where you're headed for? If you could leave your car on that while you conducted your business/pleasure, that would do it. But obviously it would have to be within a reasonable walking distance. Check it out anyway.

Otherwise, if you're stopping to charge, forget the type 2 chargers. Go for a CCS rapid. If you don't need a lot of extra range then maybe 50 Kw will be OK, but since the Trophy can charge at up to 140 Kw you should really look for an ultra-rapid at 150 Kw or more. That will minimise your stop time.

Just the other day A Better Route Planner updated itself so that everything 100 K and more has a different symbol from the 50 Kw, so you can see at a glance. I found it unintuitive to get to grips with, but after wasting a lot of time fiddling around with it, I'm actually finding it useful.

I'm off tomorrow morning to do 450 miles in an SE SR, and I've got a small sheaf of printouts detailing charging stops, where to leave the motorway, backup charging stops, and panic charging stops! No doubt with a bit of practice I'll get more relaxed about it.

 

[dsimpkins]

On a Trophy I believe you would get the same maximum charge rate as an SE LR on a Type 2 AC charger which is 11kW. So on the 43kW Type 2, I believe best you would get is 11kW. Better than 7kW, but not the best.

Charging on DC using a CCS rapid charger is defintely your best bet. As others have said, check using ZapMap (app or website) for chargers on your route. ABRP (A Better Route Planner) can also help with finding ideal routes/charging stops.

I don't know your exact route but Worcester is fairly near to Hereford and that has more options for rapid charging by the looks of it. There are two other DC charging locations in Hereford, but one is offline according to ZapMap.

 

[Rolfe]

Here's a detail from my route map for tomorrow, my second charging stop. You can see the single lightning-flash on the lower-power chargers, and the double flash on the ultra-rapids. It's given me my route to the preferred charger close to the motorway (and a Brewer's Fayre!), but I can also see the options if there's a problem. Two more ultra-rapids within fairly easy reach. Worth a play with it.

 

[dsimpkins]

I've recently been on holiday with the family, and taken multiple long trips across the UK. Firstly to the New Forest, and then back home to visit family. Then a day trip to Berkshire to visit old friends and back home, Followed the next day to Devon for second part of holiday and back home. Used ZapMap to plan routes and charging stops. In Berkshire, chose a car park with a destination charger to charge while seeing friends. In Devon, used a mix of rapid charging, and the on site destination chargers at the holiday park. I was a little nervous about it all, but the trick is to plan, and have a backup plan if the charger you plan to use is busy.

On the return from Devon, the motorway was closed due to an accident, so we decided to divert and visit Wells on the way home to avoid the queues. My wife did the navigating and planned a route to avoid the worst of the traffic, and got us to a destination charger in Wells to top up before final leg back to Bristol. Saved having to top up back in Bristol before returning to work (I charge at work and don't have a charger at home)

 

[Rolfe]

Even my backup plans have backup plans. I've even got my granny charger and an extension lead in the car, on the 5-litre-can-of-petrol principle that if I can get close enough to a 13A plug (and develop a relaxed attitude to time) I can rescue myself.

 

[PeteC]

Don't try it on one charge, not even with the NMC battery.

Not sure why you would say that. On every trip we make to Scotland in our Trophy our second stop is about 290 miles from home and we arrive there with plenty of charge left having charged once after about 160 miles where we stop for lunch. So one charge gets us comfortably to the sort of overall distance being talked about here. I do agree about making use of the rapid charging of the Trophy.

 

[dsimpkins]

Choosing the SE LR was my backup backup plan, gives me that extra bit of range so I only need a plan A and B, not a C as well.

 

[Pat]

Thanks all - appreciate your thoughts.

 

[Rolfe]

Not sure why you would say that. On every trip we make to Scotland in our Trophy our second stop is about 290 miles from home and we arrive there with plenty of charge left having charged once after about 160 miles where we stop for lunch. So one charge gets us comfortably to the sort of overall distance being talked about here. I do agree about making use of the rapid charging of the Trophy.

I was thinking about the advertised range of the Trophy and tanking along the motorway. But maybe that's just because I intend to tank along the motorway myself tomorrow. Going at a more modest speed would make a difference.

I was also thinking about it being the OP's first long trip and it being better not to push the range first time till you have some experience with how far your car will take you.

 

[PeteC]

I was thinking about the advertised range of the Trophy and tanking along the motorway. But maybe that's just because I intend to tank along the motorway myself tomorrow. Going at a more modest speed would make a difference.

I was also thinking about it being the OP's first long trip and it being better not to push the range first time till you have some experience with how far your car will take you.

The trip I'm talking about is also motorway/dual carriageway for all but the first 20 miles. Done at 70 mph which is not tanking it but is a sensible enough compromise to get reasonable range and not be too slow.

I agree that it's best not to push the range first time, but they will easily make the outward trip of 140 miles without charging (assuming they start with 100%) so will have a fair idea of how their consumption is going before making the return trip.

I just felt that your assertion that they shouldn't even think about doing it with just one charge was a bit out from my experience. Even in December at 2 or 3 degrees I made that 290 miles with one charge stop and plenty in hand.

 

[Ian Key]

You don't say what your route is but if you use google maps (I find it easier on a laptop) you can put EV charging stations into the search bar which will give you an overview of what's available and their speed.
Also take in to account the car charges quickest between 20% and 80% so you need to charge up before you get down to 20% and only do a splash and dash so you can get comfortably home without spending too much on overpriced electricity.

 

[Robf]

I tend to sit at 60 on motorways, took a little bit to get used to but in practice (in the south) it makes only a little difference to my journeys. Doing 70 I find myself getting caught up in the outside lanes behind other increasingly irate drivers going fast / slow etc, its surprising how many times I catch up with the faster drivers. 60 brings you just a bit faster than the trucks and usually gives me a nice relaxed drive, I doubt there is much difference in my average speed (especially on the M25 parking lot).

 

[Jomarkh]

Cheers Jomarkh

1) Check Zap-map - will do (should have known/remembered this tbh)
2) No -not rapid charged ever. So no, don't have many apps at all to support this (was kind of hoping we'd gone beyond this tbh). The money really isn't the problem - okay it's 10x the cost of at home but I only do journeys like this maybe half a dozen times a year so I don't care - just 'Blerg

I would try a few short test connections to a couple of different rapid chargers just to get the feel for how they work.

 

[Rolfe]

I would try a few short test connections to a couple of different rapid chargers just to get the feel for how they work.

Good idea. I tried it out on the 50 Kw charger at the end of my road before I went anywhere, and it gave me confidence.

The trip I'm talking about is also motorway/dual carriageway for all but the first 20 miles. Done at 70 mph which is not tanking it but is a sensible enough compromise to get reasonable range and not be too slow.

I agree that it's best not to push the range first time, but they will easily make the outward trip of 140 miles without charging (assuming they start with 100%) so will have a fair idea of how their consumption is going before making the return trip.

I just felt that your assertion that they shouldn't even think about doing it with just one charge was a bit out from my experience. Even in December at 2 or 3 degrees I made that 290 miles with one charge stop and plenty in hand.

Fair enough. Maybe the Trophy regularly gets closer to the advertised range than the SR? I checked a trip of 195 miles I do regularly (and did in May) on ABRP, and it first found a 186-mile route by cutting a couple of corners, then said if I wanted to do that in one charge (in my SR), arriving at 10%, my maximum speed should be 61 mph. This is mostly on the M74/M6. Not going to happen.

I'm all charged up to leave for Sussex in an hour or so, and the app is telling me I have 224 miles range. In its dreams, once I hit the motorway, and then turn on the aircon as it's going to be warm in the south.

I still think that caution is better on a first long trip though. I should be able to do 450 miles with only two stops, but allowing for enough in hand to look for alternative chargers if there's a problem, and allowing for not charging up too full on ultra-rapids, I feel it's safer this time anyway to go for three stops. Once I have that experience I'll be better able to assess the practicalities of a two-stop route for another time. Better that than getting into a nail-biting situation on the motorway with the next exit ten miles away.

It's also true though that the outward journey should be a good measure of how the range will pan out, and that heading for home is a lot less stressful than heading for a charger that's only a mark on the map, and will it work and will it take my money and will there be a queue?

I tend to sit at 60 on motorways, took a little bit to get used to but in practice (in the south) it makes only a little difference to my journeys. Doing 70 I find myself getting caught up in the outside lanes behind other increasingly irate drivers going fast / slow etc, its surprising how many times I catch up with the faster drivers. 60 brings you just a bit faster than the trucks and usually gives me a nice relaxed drive, I doubt there is much difference in my average speed (especially on the M25 parking lot).

I'm sure you're right, but I can't do it! I tried, when I was a bit low on charge, but it was driving me nuts. The road was pretty clear, and sitting at that speed with a clear road in front just felt wrong. I reasoned that the GOM said I had enough to get home, and it was working on my outward speed which had been more like 75, and anyway there were chargers on the way if things got hairy. I made it home on 4%.

 

[MGCamb]

Not sure why you would say that. On every trip we make to Scotland in our Trophy our second stop is about 290 miles from home and we arrive there with plenty of charge left having charged once after about 160 miles where we stop for lunch. So one charge gets us comfortably to the sort of overall distance being talked about here. I do agree about making use of the rapid charging of the Trophy.

Bedale?

 

[PeteC]

Good idea. I tried it out on the 50 Kw charger at the end of my road before I went anywhere, and it gave me confidence.



Fair enough. Maybe the Trophy regularly gets closer to the advertised range than the SR? I checked a trip of 195 miles I do regularly (and did in May) on ABRP, and it first found a 186-mile route by cutting a couple of corners, then said if I wanted to do that in one charge (in my SR), arriving at 10%, my maximum speed should be 61 mph. This is mostly on the M74/M6. Not going to happen.

I'm all charged up to leave for Sussex in an hour or so, and the app is telling me I have 224 miles range. In its dreams, once I hit the motorway, and then turn on the aircon as it's going to be warm in the south.

I still think that caution is better on a first long trip though. I should be able to do 450 miles with only two stops, but allowing for enough in hand to look for alternative chargers if there's a problem, and allowing for not charging up too full on ultra-rapids, I feel it's safer this time anyway to go for three stops. Once I have that experience I'll be better able to assess the practicalities of a two-stop route for another time. Better that than getting into a nail-biting situation on the motorway with the next exit ten miles away.

It's also true though that the outward journey should be a good measure of how the range will pan out, and that heading for home is a lot less stressful than heading for a charger that's only a mark on the map, and will it work and will it take my money and will there be a queue?



I'm sure you're right, but I can't do it! I tried, when I was a bit low on charge, but it was driving me nuts. The road was pretty clear, and sitting at that speed with a clear road in front just felt wrong. I reasoned that the GOM said I had enough to get home, and it was working on my outward speed which had been more like 75, and anyway there were chargers on the way if things got hairy. I made it home on 4%.

Hope your trip goes well!

Fair enough. Maybe the Trophy regularly gets closer to the advertised range than the SR? I checked a trip of 195 miles I do regularly (and did in May) on ABRP, and it first found a 186-mile route by cutting a couple of corners, then said if I wanted to do that in one charge (in my SR), arriving at 10%, my maximum speed should be 61 mph. This is mostly on the M74/M6. Not going to happen.

ABRP often suggests more stops than I seem to actually need however I tweak the settings, which is a bit of a shame as otherwise it's a useful app. It could be going for more optimal stops, but as I'm stopping for a meal break I usually find that the car has charged to 90% or so by the time I'm ready to resume the journey. The Trophy eats faster than I can!

 

[Ejaydee]

I'm all charged up to leave for Sussex in an hour or so,

Have a good trip @Rolfe and enjoy Sussex!