Hi
I really think it would be a good idea if you explained which car you decided upon and what type of journeys you undertake. The reason for this is that(up until now) as a confirmed petrol / diesel head I'm conscious that electric vehicles are the future but cannot really understand which type to go for. The frequency and availability of charging stations is an issue as we do long journeys to see family. Would you mind giving advice on the forum or would you pm me?
Thanks for your consideration as I'm sure others are bewildered by this major change....I see car mags etc devoting more and more pages to EVs but I think users views are more pertinent...at least to me anyway!
There's quite a lot of things you need to know before taking the plunge, as you say. First, however, I'll dispel some common misconceptions:
1. All charge points have moved towards a common plug/socket so theoretically you can use anyone.
2. Sadly, the government hasn't seen fit to force all charge companies to use a common system of payment (something like a single card) so currently they all use their own systems. Even though a lot are totally free, such as the ones at M&S in Cheshire Oakes they still insist you open an account with the provider. So not a lot that's easy there, then.
3. The most common type of charge point provider is Polar. All (both) the points on Colwyn prom are Polar and the Polar system uses a single charge card which costs nothing for the first three months and then £8 pm thereafter.
4. The government still fit a free charge point in your house. A chap comes and spends a day fitting a direct line from the main board (did in our case, anyway) and that sits outside, impervious to weather.
5. All Rescue companies recognise range anxiety and if you do run out mid-journey, they'll put the car on the back of their transporter and take you to the nearest charge point.
You also have to know what types of vehicle there are. We have a PHEV: Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle. Quite a few companies now sell them. Plus points: the engine takes over if you run out of electricity. Negative points: they're taxed according to your petrol engine emissions.
Then there's the pure EV. Range between 200 - 350 miles per charge. Faster acceleration than a Porsche, utterly silent apart from tyre noise, superb to drive but if you do run out then it's off to a charge point for half an hour while it re-charges.
BMW, meanwhile, do an EV with a petrol engine that drives a generator, so that keeps yo- going for much longer than an EV by itself.
Because they're all minimising weight and drag they're all generally pretty sleek in shape and inside all the instruments are graphical. No speedo needles.
Best advice I can give is to visit all the showrooms in Junction who are offering EVs or PHEVs. Take a test drive in several to get the feel of how an EV performs. All I can say is there's now no way we'd return to petrol.