[Roo]

Just want to say Hi. I'll be reading many threads on this forum as OH and I get up to scratch with our EV. It arrives next Friday and it's a cancelled order Kia E-Niro. Impulse buy after reading around the reviews and stuff. Boring looking car and we hate the black but for us it's about going electric and having a family car with decent boot/range etc.

I'm currently clueless. A Pod Point charging unit is on order but seems to take a few weeks. Until then I'll have to work out how to plug it into the mains with an extension lead.

Is there a glossary area? I've been reading the posts and some I don't even understand. Like what's a granny charger?

Do you think we can drive it through France and Spain?

What's the best route planner?

I look forward to getting to know you over time. It's great to see EV taking off.

 

[EVJourney]

Like what's a granny charger?

The very 3-pin plug you'll be using until you get your Pod Point installed. It's means slow, hence Granny, my Granny wasn't slow she could slap me much faster than I could move out of the way however.

Do you think we can drive it through France and Spain?

Yes, but you need to plan, plan, plan.

What's the best route planner?

Abetterrouteplanner and Zap Map combined.

 

[UKTechie]

Watch Mr EV on YouTube he has eniro and driven abroad it is better than just reading 👍⚡⚡⚡

 

[Phil Himsworth]

It's means slow, hence Granny

I thought it was called that because it's the charger you use when visiting your granny who doesn't have a wall box installed!

A glossary would be no good as we'd all have our own definitions

 

[Roo]

Hi there, thank you all. Yes, I'd assumed granny charger is something old school, but exactly what who knows. I will watch Mr EV on youtube excellent thought.

Obviously our main worry is charging. But I'm guessing that the charge network will just get bigger and bigger. In our local there are Tesla chargers but none for non Tesla EVs. Hats off to Elon Musk.

I'm irritated that Kia are not offering much in the way of charging support but I'm relatively OK with pioneering. Having an EV is going to make me much happier about driving.

 

[Ian R]

Roo, welcome to the wonderful new world of EVs! I'd suggest having a watch of the Fully Charged series Maddie Goes Electric. Here's the playlist:

Maddie Goes Electric

Many of our viewers already ‘drive electric’, power their homes with clean energy etc., and many are looking to 'go electric'. But if like our presenter Madd...

www.youtube.com

 

[Chickster]

Yes Maddie goes electric, Fully Charged, Mr EV, EVM and Bjorn Nyland on Youtube are all good sources for newcomers to EV. Plugshare is also good app.

Driving long distance abroad needs lots of planning and of course breakdown cover! Someone here has already a thread about long distance and mentioned that friends, B&B's, etc will be more open to charging even from a 3 pin (correction 2 pin abroad) than a hotel. Top up along routes rather than long full charges. The 80-100% charging range takes much longer and better to top up to 80% a few times during a pee break.

 

[proddick]

Welcome and congratulations on ordering an e-Niro.

Granny cable
The 13A "charging" cable is technically known as a portable EVSE (Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment) - the actual charger is in the car. I always say it is called a "Granny charger" because you use it when you go stay with granny, I certainly wouldn't typecast all grandmother's as slow!

For safety, it has a short cable between the plug and unit, which is why you are not supposed to use an extension cable. If one is necessary I would strongly recommend it be a quality, RCD protected unit and always uncoiled. See 13A weatherproof extension lead (RCD options)

Are you sure the car comes with a "granny" as I had heard Kia were (like Renault) no longer including one?

Charging on longer journeys
Personally I don't use route planners as they don't consider the most important factor - redundancy. I look at my route in Google maps and then consider when I might be ready to stop. Being a similar age, that is usually after a couple of hours so I look on map for where I might get a break and charge - usually off the motorway (avoiding Electric Highway). I then crosscheck with ZapMap to find somewhere with three charging points nearby and based on distance from route and reviews, plan them as Options A, B and C. That way if I get to Option A and find it broken or in use, I know it isn't far to option B. This isn't very encouraging perhaps, but best to be honest with you and things are getting better with more sites having multiple rapid chargers.

EV Dictionary
Podpoint have a useful one at Electric Vehicle Dictionary | Pod Point

 

[WalkingBootWeather]

I thought it was called that because it's the charger you use when visiting your granny who doesn't have a wall box installed!

I thought it was called that due to the cacophony of smells it emits - a sort of cross between, lily of the valley, peppermint and wee. No? Just my charger then.....

 

[Duncan]

Roo, welcome to the wonderful new world of EVs! I'd suggest having a watch of the Fully Charged series Maddie Goes Electric. Here's the playlist:

Maddie Goes Electric

Many of our viewers already ‘drive electric’, power their homes with clean energy etc., and many are looking to 'go electric'. But if like our presenter Madd...

www.youtube.com

Roo, especially watch the episode where she messes up public charging and you can avoid the rookie mistake! Don't make the France/Spain trip the first time you use a public charger, get some practice in at home first.

 

[proddick]

In our local there are Tesla chargers but none for non Tesla EVs.

The Tesla destination chargers with a white sign will work with your car so you may be able to get a free charge at your local

 

[Phil Himsworth]

Obviously our main worry is charging. But I'm guessing that the charge network will just get bigger and bigger. In our local there are Tesla chargers but none for non Tesla EVs. Hats off to Elon Musk.

We got our first EV three years ago, and have just replaced it with another; it's been interesting to compare how many chargers there were back then with now, the numbers have increased quite remarkably.

The only place this hasn't happened is, ridiculously, motorway services, but it sounds like even there things are starting to happen. I would be surprised if the rate of new chargers does anything but accelerate.