EVs for EVeryone ..... by fotopix

EVs for ….. EVeryone – for EVery Reason – for EVery Purpose

A grand statement perhaps but then, things are moving that way.

Electric Vehicles (EVs) and particularly cars and vans are gaining more and more market-share month-by-month. New, sleek and soon-to-be-seen commercial EV trucks are upon the assembly-line. This is hardly surprising considering a number of factors. They’re less polluting, more environmentally friendly, quieter, very fast, less expensive to run than petrol/diesel vehicles, and with vastly fewer moving parts, consequently reduced service and maintenance. Increasingly sophisticated AI is improving vehicle safety with many EVs offering semi-autonomous driving modes. The development of the electric car has a very long pedigree, from early experiments in the 1830s to heightened interest during the oil shortage and rising prices in the early 1970s. There was a strong resurgence, including production models such as GM’s iconic EV1 in the late 1990s and early 2000s. With oil prices once again breaking records, greater environmental awareness and considerable technological improvements there’s now a surging high demand for EVs. Current models offer ranges of 300+ miles and there’s a month-by-month exponentially expanding network of publicly available rapid charge-points. Currently there are over 30,000 such charge-points in the UK plus the thousands of owners who have convenience of charging at home. This brief photo-essay explores the experience of a group of EV users in and around Worcester, UK - including myself. I thank everyone who has taken part in this project, for their willingness to help, their enthusiasm and optimism about the undoubted future of EVs, and above all, their consideration for the environment.

Clive and Gill Haynes Kia e-Niro 4+

When our good old Nissan X-Trail reached 15 years of age, it was showing signs of wear. Additionally, increasing petrol prices and high road tax meant it was time to replace it. What to do? That was a dilemma. Fossil fuels are environmentally unfriendly, yet we needed reliable transport. What about an electric car (EV)? We undertook extensive research, explored makes and options and spoke with EV users. There was overwhelming evidence that an EV would be the correct choice. Along the way we discovered scurrilous and misleading information about EVs (from opposing forces with vested interests or through sheer ignorance). We’re environmentally conscious and want to do our bit. Having decided to buy an EV, our choice was influenced by which models were the most efficient, and what sort of range could be expected. Most importantly, the car must fit our rather narrow garage. As we have solar panels, there would be a benefit towards low-cost charging. EVs are highly efficient, very quiet, very fast (when needed), beautifully responsive to drive and there’s technology to charge the battery en-route by the internal heat-pump and ‘regenerative braking’. With a full charge, our Kia will travel 300 miles. Maintenance and service is low for an EV. Petrol/diesel vehicles have over 1,500 moving parts, whereas the average EV has a mere 20, potentially less to go wrong and maintain. For charging at home, the cost of electricity, depending upon energy suppliers, can be as little as 2p to 6p/ mile. Additionally, there are thousands of public charge-points throughout the UK – a number which is constantly increasing.

Gill and Clive on Exmoor

Sheila Joynes and Stephen Bell Nissan Leaf

Why did we buy an EV? Back in 2007 we were devising a 12 year plan aimed at reducing our costs and maintaining our lifestyle as we headed towards retirement. In 2014 we installed solar panels and it made sense to buy an electric car to make the most of that free energy. Why the Nissan Leaf? Because we knew that Nissan had designed the Leaf right from the start in 2010, to be bi-directional so that energy could be sent back to the grid as well as charging the car. This ‘Vehicle to Grid’ became available to us in 2019, by which time we had upgraded to our current car with a 62kWh battery – 4.5 times the size of a Tesla Powerwall 2 – and we have been sending electricity to the grid, and being paid for it, ever since. On top of that, our current car is wonderful to drive and has a range of around 230 miles.

Sheila and Stephen at Hollybed Common

Karen Dewson BMW i3

Back in the day, I had a Mark I Golf GTi. It had Bilstein Struts, a Sebring Exhaust and low-profile tyres. Handled more like a go-kart and at the time it could take most cars at the lights. When it was about 15 years old, we refurbished it - right back to the base metal. Resprayed in metallic silver, new alloys, the works. I drove it for another 5 years before it started to go rusty again early MkIs were like that. Family life took over - no time or money to fix ageing motors so I inherited my husband's Mk IV Golf - comfortable, easy to drive, with the luxury of power steering and servo assisted brakes! We still had Billies all round and every few years treated the suspension to a set of poly bushes - it made such a difference to the handling. At 18 years of ownership from new, and nearly 200,000 miles, the Mk IV was getting tired. It really didn’t owe us anything. That brings us to my BMW i3 - 5 years and 34,000 miles of gloriously smooth, ‘one pedal’ driving. It has a strong, lightweight carbon-fibre cage built on an aluminium chassis. Awesome acceleration, turns on a sixpence and is a pleasure to drive. Now it’s out of warranty I might have to tweak the suspension and put spacers on the back. Some things never change.

Karen keeping the i3 spick and span

Dave Dewson

Tesla Model 3 Performance

As fast as a Ferrari and 6x cheaper to run than a diesel (around1.5p per mile!). An environmental footprint that offsets itself many times over during its lifetime and can be recycled (unlike petrol). The battery in this car will outlive me (15 years in the vehicle, 20-25 years as a home storage system) before its recycled (approx. 98%). After 5 years of actual driving experience and over 130,000 miles, an EV is the most fun you can have on 4 wheels. Environmentally, if you want to be any better, use a bicycle.

Dave charged and ready to go at Hopwood Park Services, M42

Dan and Carol Wild and Jim Murphy BMW i3 and Tesla Model S

Jim and Dan are long-standing friends with a common interest in technology. In 2014 we tested a Leaf and were blown away by the technology and the quality of the drive. We both came away saying “we have got to buy an electric vehicle” (EV). Dan bought a Renault Zoe and Jim a Nissan Leaf. Shortly afterwards we founded ElectrAA (Electric Automobile Association) to promote the use and enjoyment of EVs. We thought enjoyment to be important as the environmental benefits were well published, but no-one reported what a pleasure they are to drive, responsive and quiet. Several shows of EVs were put on in Malvern Priory Park with talks in the adjacent theatre. Later we organised an EV Zone at Classic car shows to reach a wider audience. In 2016 we were so pleased with our EVs, despite what in current terms would be considered puny batteries and inadequate charging infrastructure, that we replaced them, Jim with a Tesla model S and Dan with a BMW i3. Dan bought his three times! First on a three-year lease at the end of which he had no desire to change or upgrade so extended the lease. When lockdown came and the car wasn’t being driven anywhere, it made economic sense to buy the i3 out of the lease. We still appreciate the sheer pleasure in trips out in our EVs especially as the fuel costs are insignificant. Charging overnight at home equates to £1.20/100 miles for the i3.

Dan, Carol and Jim at Malvern Common

Tim O’Neil with Freya Tesla Model 3

A number of years ago I started reading more and more in the media about climate change and started to get quite anxious about it – it sounds dramatic but if we don’t change our ways we’re essentially heading for another mass extinction event. The planet will still exist but the human race will not, I always see anything to do with the environment as ultimately not being about the planet but people, there is no human race B! At the same time, I’ve always been into cars. I guess it was therefore obvious I’d develop a love of electric cars. Whilst our addiction to fossil fuels has enabled us to live a life surrounded by luxuries, we need to change to ensure we can continue this way of life in the future. Batteries offer a chance of a much more circular economy with advantages such as second life usage and the ability to recycle them. There are many more positives but space does not permit. On a final note, I’d like to mention the company I work for – Zap-Map. We’re an app company that aim to make life as simple as possible for electric vehicle drivers. Our moto is search, plan and pay. You can search for the 30,000+ charging devices on the public network through our map, plan a route and pay through Zap-Pay on certain networks. Thanks for reading, I’d encourage anyone to try out an electric vehicle if you haven’t already!

Tim and Freya, near Inkberrow

Paul Snooks Worcester Environmental Group Nissan Leaf

I was a relatively early adopter of an EV - a Nissan Leaf for environmental reasons - I have had this car for over six years. We need to get off fossil fuels as soon as possible to avert a climate catastrophe. I wanted to play my part in being the change I wanted to see in the world. I hoped others would follow. I’m pleased to see that EV sales are now growing exponentially. I’m not really into cars. I just love their functionality. All the stuff, and more, you can see in the photo was crammed into my car. It’s like the Tardis! I constantly carry large amounts of materials around with my voluntary work with Worcester Environmental Group - a small charity that is enhancing biodiversity and helping people connect with and understand nature more. My EV has been an invaluable workhorse in this vital project. I also use the car, locally with the occasional longer trip, for personal use. It’s never once let me down. However, I have experienced recently, on longer trips, having to wait for chargers to be free due to many more EVs on the road. For the first five years I almost never had to wait. Hopefully the charging infrastructure will keep pace with the rapid growth in EV sales. It’s generally not a problem because I mostly charge up at a really cheap rate at home in the night. That’s particularly helpful right now with fuel prices having gone through the roof!

Paul at an environment awareness event, Worcester

Judith Hardy VW ID.3

Changing to an EV was a big step for me. I knew I only wanted to run one vehicle – so it had to work for all the journeys I would opt for using a car, not just short-range people-carrying around town. The versatility of hatchbacks had worked for me before, so the new range of medium sized EV’s with longer range seemed ideal and I decided to go for it. Driving holidays with a week’s luggage, day trips in the country with space to store muddy boots and raincoats and indulging in my interest in visiting art galleries and making the occasional, usually unplanned, purchase all proved to be well within the space and range capabilities of my VW ID3, and now I am a true EV convert.

Judith at Chapel Arts, Cheltenham

Bill van Marle Kia e-Niro 4+

On a background of a lifelong interest in environmental issues and a wish to reduce my carbon footprint, I decided to buy an electric vehicle when one of my children bought one seven years ago. Switching to electric also melded with our 2013 move into a ‘passivhaus’ (pictured behind me) which is super insulated and has mechanical ventilation and heat recovery and solar water heating. In order to mitigate the worst aspects of climate change and global warming, a move away from fossil fuels will be essential. Although electric cars are not a panacea, they are a key part of the transition to sustainable, renewable forms of energy. Concerns about range and charging have significantly reduced. Many newer EVs have a range of around 300 miles and this is real if one is prepared to average between 60-65 MPH. The majority of EV drivers do most of their charging at home and I charge when the solar panels on the garage roof are generating. Concerns have also been expressed about the sourcing of some key battery elements, e.g. lithium. Battery technology is a rapidly developing field (in 2019 three scientists shared the Nobel Prize for Chemistry for their work in developing lithium ion batteries) and I have little doubt that solutions will be found for any problems. I have been an EV driver for 5 years and I thoroughly enjoy driving my current one, trying to use the brakes as little as possible. Five years ago seeing another EV was a rare sight but now not many minutes pass without seeing another one!

Bill outside his ‘passivhaus’ at Cradley

Mark Garnett MG ZS

I first heard that electric vehicles (EVs) ‘were a thing’ in 2015, researched on YouTube (www.fullycharged.show), and after just the first 100 meters of a test drive I was convinced; I bought a used fully-electric Mercedes BClass in 2016. It turns out EVs are even better than I expected. They’re a joy to drive, more fun, more relaxing and way cheaper than I’d assumed (fuel alone less than 2p per mile versus 15p for diesel or 18p for petrol); I’ve since driven 80,000 miles without a drop of petrol/diesel! Pictured is my second EV (better range/faster charging). It’s hard to convey the joy that it is ‘full’ each morning (no more cold morning visits to the petrol station to hand over £70)! Company car drivers are saving thousands in tax due to the advantageous ‘benefit in kind’ treatment which favours EVs. New (and used) EVs are more expensive, but the total costs are lower; anyone driving 12,000 miles annually could save £25,000 on fuel alone by switching (versus delaying until, say, five years after they stop making combustion vehicles). EVs also cost less to service, are more reliable and depreciate less, so please test drive any EV before your next vehicle.

Mark near home in Worcester

Robin Coates Malvern Hills Car Clubs

You are by now bored by hearing the obvious benefits of EVs such as: • putting power back in your battery when you go downhill, slow down or brake • never having to go to those smelly petrol stations • such a quiet ride you can hear the radio or have a conversation • saving you money every mile you drive • doing your bit for the planet with much lower carbon footprint • lower maintenance bills (no oil changes, filters, plugs and exhaust systems) BUT did you know the low-cost way to get into EVs? . Most peoples’ regular journeys are short, so at Malvern Hills Car Club we suggest members buy a short-range second-hand EV for about £10,000 and use one of our petrol cars for their occasional long distant journeys. They usually want to try one of our eight EVs first to see how great they are. BUT most EV owners hardly ever charge away from home and with some good guidance and ZapMap to help with your research it gets easier and easier. The horror stories of the past are in the past. If you want help to think about whether buying an EV or even joining the Car Club is right for you, complete our contact form on www.malvernhills-carclubs.org.uk

Robin with a Zoe EV at Colwall

Royal Mail and EVs

In 2021 Royal Mail set a target to introduce 3,000 electric vans throughout the UK. The Bristol East Central Delivery Office, located in the City’s Easton area, had its 23 diesel delivery and collection vans replaced by fully electric equivalents – comprising the Office’s entire collection and delivery fleet In October 2021, Royal Mail launched the first Delivery Office in Scotland to feature an all-electric fleet of collection and delivery vehicles. By spring 2022 more than 40 Royal Mail delivery offices, including Worcester, ‘went electric’, with more to follow.

Royal Mail EV at Pirton