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Talk me through getting an EV
Posted: Sat Dec 23, 2023 12:58 pm
by Beau
Hi all
We are looking at getting a SH E-Niro as a replacement for an old Volvo V50. The Niro seems as good as any without being too darn wide. We live in the lanes of Devon and all these really wide cars are a PITA.
I am completely green to all types of home and on-road charging systems.
Things that may be relevant.
We have PV but it's an old system without Bluetooth. We want a smart meter but this is proving difficult due to poor signal. I read about chargers that can divert excess PV but presuming that will be tricky due to my previous two points? Is it possible to have a cheap dumb charger and make it smarter down the road so to speak?
Thanks, Beau
Re: Talk me through getting an EV
Posted: Sat Dec 23, 2023 1:03 pm
by dan_b
Hello and welcome to the forum - you're in the right place!
As you already have solar PV, an EV charger like the Zappi would work with that - it has a current clamp sensor on your incomer, so it can measure when you're exporting.
One of its settings is Eco + which charges your EV only when exporting. Or you can set it to charge at a certain rate, or at a certain time, what ever.
I'm sure others will be along to offer some more insights.
I know what you mean about overly large vehicles these days - living in SW London there is an absolute infestation of SUVs - literally the worst place for them is in congested urban areas with narrow streets and tiny parking spaces, but hey, Chelsea Tractors eh.
Re: Talk me through getting an EV
Posted: Sat Dec 23, 2023 1:29 pm
by Joeboy
Welcome to the forum. For charging, the EV will come with a granny charger (check though).which will plug into a standard 3 pin wall socket and charge the car at 3kW. Any excess solar generated will automatically go to the demand of the EV.
While that's happening you can research best type of charger for your particular needs.
EV themselves largely come down to £ v's range. The market is fluid, again do research new v's used, vehicle size etc. We had a Nissan leaf with 90 mile range for a while. It certainly got the job done and wasn't expensive to buy used. In fact I really liked the car and if Nissan ever debut a 300 mile range leaf I'll be on the list. Kia are good cars, reliable and without the badge expense of Euro models.
Reminds me, read this the other day. Personally, I am waiting for an Asian 350 to 400 mile (Winter range) big hatchback with selectable 4WD. I've got most of it now but not quite on the range.
https://www.topgear.com/car-news/electr ... gle-charge
Re: Talk me through getting an EV
Posted: Sat Dec 23, 2023 2:00 pm
by Beau
dan_b wrote: ↑Sat Dec 23, 2023 1:03 pm
Hello and welcome to the forum - you're in the right place!
As you already have solar PV, an EV charger like the Zappi would work with that - it has a current clamp sensor on your incomer, so it can measure when you're exporting.
One of its settings is Eco + which charges your EV only when exporting. Or you can set it to charge at a certain rate, or at a certain time, what ever.
I'm sure others will be along to offer some more insights.
I know what you mean about overly large vehicles these days - living in SW London there is an absolute infestation of SUVs - literally the worst place for them is in congested urban areas with narrow streets and tiny parking spaces, but hey, Chelsea Tractors eh.
A clamp on meter sounds ideal.
Even the Niro is noticeably wider than the old Volvo but all EV estate's are even wider still. The Niro is classed as an SUV which put us off even looking before now.
Re: Talk me through getting an EV
Posted: Sat Dec 23, 2023 2:08 pm
by Beau
Joeboy wrote: ↑Sat Dec 23, 2023 1:29 pm
Welcome to the forum. For charging, the EV will come with a granny charger (check though).which will plug into a standard 3 pin wall socket and charge the car at 3kW. Any excess solar generated will automatically go to the demand of the EV.
While that's happening you can research best type of charger for your particular needs.
EV themselves largely come down to £ v's range. The market is fluid, again do research new v's used, vehicle size etc. We had a Nissan leaf with 90 mile range for a while. It certainly got the job done and wasn't expensive to buy used. In fact I really liked the car and if Nissan ever debut a 300 mile range leaf I'll be on the list. Kia are good cars, reliable and without the badge expense of Euro models.
Reminds me, read this the other day. Personally, I am waiting for an Asian 350 to 400 mile (Winter range) big hatchback with selectable 4WD. I've got most of it now but not quite on the range.
https://www.topgear.com/car-news/electr ... gle-charge
Yes, I think a granny charger will do us for a bit. Very rare for us to do a long trip and need a fast turnaround for another long trip.
The Niro range looks pretty good with plenty of owners doing over 300 miles in the summer months but price is the penalty as you point out. The right-shaped box that's not too wide has proved to be the stumbling block for us. We use the boot a lot and a decent roof for roof rails is also a must for this windsurfer. Lots of pretty aerodynamic cars with good specs but poor for lugging kit about
Re: Talk me through getting an EV
Posted: Sat Dec 23, 2023 2:17 pm
by Joeboy
If I was going to jump into my 1st EV purchase I'd do something like this and stick a set of Thlue bars on it.
Very reliable high.volume build. A bit of a goldilocks car. Especially for a first. We ended up going for a Hyundai Ioniq 5 as our second venture into EV land. We love the car but you don't get 5 times the experience for what was defo 5 times the price of the leaf. I love a set of folding seats and a hatch.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/225921976208 ... R-bCpfCSYw
Re: Talk me through getting an EV
Posted: Sat Dec 23, 2023 4:21 pm
by Stig
Joeboy wrote: ↑Sat Dec 23, 2023 1:29 pm
For charging, the EV will come with a granny charger (
check though) which will plug into a standard 3 pin wall socket and charge the car at 3kW.
My bold.
Work colleague just bought an ex-demo Ioniq (I think, not sure) and it didn't come with a charging lead.
Re: Talk me through getting an EV
Posted: Sat Dec 23, 2023 5:41 pm
by Stinsy
Beau wrote: ↑Sat Dec 23, 2023 12:58 pm
Hi all
We are looking at getting a SH E-Niro as a replacement for an old Volvo V50. The Niro seems as good as any without being too darn wide. We live in the lanes of Devon and all these really wide cars are a PITA.
I am completely green to all types of home and on-road charging systems.
Things that may be relevant.
We have PV but it's an old system without Bluetooth. We want a smart meter but this is proving difficult due to poor signal. I read about chargers that can divert excess PV but presuming that will be tricky due to my previous two points? Is it possible to have a cheap dumb charger and make it smarter down the road so to speak?
Thanks, Beau
1) Kona is probably the best value BEV you can get. £15-20k gets you a good one.
2) Public charging is for long trips only. Many people never use a public charger, most people use one once-or-twice a year.
3) If you get a Zappi you’ll be able to charge from your excess solar. No signal of any kind required, just a CT clamp on your meter tails to detect current flow.
4) Worth pushing for a smartmeter if at all possible because then you’ll be able to use IOG which is the best tariff by far and allows you to buy electric at 7.5p/kWh.
Re: Talk me through getting an EV
Posted: Sat Dec 23, 2023 5:42 pm
by Joeboy
How did I.miss this? Sorry!
Worth pushing for a smartmeter if at all possible because then you’ll be able to use IOG which is the best tariff by far and allows you to buy electric at 7.5p/kWh.
Absolutely!
Re: Talk me through getting an EV
Posted: Sat Dec 23, 2023 5:56 pm
by openspaceman
Beau wrote: ↑Sat Dec 23, 2023 2:08 pm
Yes, I think a granny charger will do us for a bit. Very rare for us to do a long trip and need a fast turnaround for another long trip.
Hi Beau how are you doing?
Granny charger may well do for a start but my experience charging my daughter's car was that the plug got hot. If I do it again I think I'd use a 16A CEE plug and get the car closer to the socket, failing that find an old fashioned 3 in plug with solid brass terminals.
The real advantage of an EV is to do with smart charging and without a smart meter you won't be able to take advantage of the best trariffs for off peak charging and daytime exporting.
My daughter managed to run the house and her car from March to October on Solar PV with 6kW installed PV and a 10kWh home battery but I cannot remember if you have a battery and inverter . The thing to be wary of with a Zappi is it needs connecting in as a separate consumer unit from the house consumer unit to prevent it parasitising the house battery (for which the work arounds are a faff otherwise).