HOW to improve the RANGE on most EVs

[Les burrows]

 

[meveringham]

I thought pre-heating doesn't work with the car plugged in, unless it's actively charging? Or do you just mean the battery heating, not the pre-conditioning? @Les burrows

 

[Cocijo]

The slight issue that I have with pre-conditioning when plugged in is the current day rates.
It’s counter productive to charge your car on cheaper off-peak rates and then use full day rates to pre-condition.
Yes, if you need the max range, pre-conditioning when plugged in will help of course, but it won’t be at the off-peak rate.

 

[Les burrows]

I thought pre-heating doesn't work with the car plugged in, unless it's actively charging? Or do you just mean the battery heating, not the pre-conditioning? @Les burrows

Well according to the video above this guy says it does but I was under the same impression as you but have never tried it myself to be honest.
Les

 

[enisdem]

i guess you are right ... Mine didnt work in the morning while it was plugged in.
error code 40 ( will need to look it up )

 

[Les burrows]

The slight issue that I have with pre-conditioning when plugged in is the current day rates.
It’s counter productive to charge your car on cheaper off-peak rates and then use full day rates to pre-condition.
Yes, if you need the max range, pre-conditioning when plugged in will help of course, but it won’t be at the off-peak rate.

Cocijo you have a point but it will only be for a short while so maybe the benefits out weight the costs I don’t know never done it and don’t have any cheap electric rates anyhow.
Les

 

[meveringham]

Cocijo you have a point but it will only be for a short while so maybe the benefits out weight the costs I don’t know never done it and don’t have any cheap electric rates anyhow.
Les

Also, does anyone know how electricity providers charge? If you pre condition for 15 mins, are you charged for a full hour?

i guess you are right ... Mine didnt work in the morning while it was plugged in.
error code 40 ( will need to look it up )

Mine doesn't work either, have tried many times.

 

[PeteC]

I thought pre-heating doesn't work with the car plugged in, unless it's actively charging? Or do you just mean the battery heating, not the pre-conditioning? @Les burrows

Mine will start the pre-heat if it's plugged in and not actively charging BUT it will then immediately start charging. I'm not sure that this happens for everyone.
Also, if the car is already 100% charged then it won't start pre-heating as it won't charge. As I've got a Trophy and usually only charge to 80% this isn't often a problem for me.

 

[Cocijo]

Cocijo you have a point but it will only be for a short while so maybe the benefits out weight the costs I don’t know never done it and don’t have any cheap electric rates anyhow.
Les

Yes - I haven’t really looked at the numbers Les.
I guess if you’re using the battery heater and have the cabin heating full on you could be pulling 7kwhr+ So, very roughly at around 42p/KwHr for say 20-30mins it could cost about £1.50 a time, so not massive? I suppose the issue might be that you leave it longer on full day rates?

Also, does anyone know how electricity providers charge? If you pre condition for 15 mins, are you charged for a full hour?

On home tariffs you get charged by how much you use.

 

[Les burrows]

Thanks for that Petec from that it does appear to work then if not fully charged.
I have heated the cabin while it been on charge but not the battery need to give it a go

Yes - I haven’t really looked at the numbers Les.
I guess if you’re using the battery heater and have the cabin heating full on you could be pulling 7kwhr+ So, very roughly at around 42p/KwHr for say 20-30mins it could cost about £1.50 a time, so not massive? I suppose the issue might be that you leave it longer on full day rates?

I could be wrong here but according to the handbook and the app Ismart it only runs for 10mins
Les

 

[PeteC]

Thanks for that Petec from that it does appear to work then if not fully charged.
I have heated the cabin while it been on charge but not the battery need to give it a go

I could be wrong here but according to the handbook and the app Ismart it only runs for 10mins
Les

Yes, it runs for 10 mins. That's been enough to clear our car of frost. We turn the heat up in the app. If you did need longer you can repeat the process.

 

[Buster72]

Also, does anyone know how electricity providers charge? If you pre condition for 15 mins, are you charged for a full hour?

You only pay for the amount of electricity used don't you.

 

[Les burrows]

You only pay for the amount of electricity used don't you.

Yes of course otherwise each time you turn on the kettle on you would be charged for an hour let’s not go there please on home use.
I do believe that there are some rapid chargers that charge by the hour or part there off but I haven’t come across any as yet.
Les

 

[remarkable1967]

Still waiting for delivery on my MG4 SE SR so currently feel like a childless guy wandering around Mothercare at the moment. I'm looking at Octopus Intelligent before the car arrives. This gives 6 hours at cheaper rate upto 5.30am. As i leave for work at 6.30am, would battery preheating for the last cheap hour (4.30am - 5.30am) still be effective if I don't drive until 6.30am or will it have cooled down again by then.
Ta...Mark

 

[KevW]

Also, does anyone know how electricity providers charge? If you pre condition for 15 mins, are you charged for a full hour?


Mine doesn't work either, have tried many times.

Still waiting for delivery on my MG4 SE SR so currently feel like a childless guy wandering around Mothercare at the moment. I'm looking at Octopus Intelligent before the car arrives. This gives 6 hours at cheaper rate upto 5.30am. As i leave for work at 6.30am, would battery preheating for the last cheap hour (4.30am - 5.30am) still be effective if I don't drive until 6.30am or will it have cooled down again by then.
Ta...Mark

Octopus intelligent doesn't support MG models (unless they have added them recently - for which I'd be interested) Octopus Go is your best bet if that are still taking new accounts, it's 4 hours off peak 12.30 - 04.30 you do need a smart meter to have this tariff. If you did get an Octopus account you can use my referral code

Octopus Energy

Octopus customers pay less: Cheaper than price-cap prices, rewards for using less when the grid is stressed, and smart tariff savings for your home, car or battery

share.octopus.energy

We both get a £50 account credit. Hope you enjoy your 4 when you get it, I'm enjoying mine ..

 

[Ayoull]

Octopus intelligent doesn't support MG models (unless they have added them recently - for which I'd be interested) Octopus Go is your best bet if that are still taking new accounts, it's 4 hours off peak 12.30 - 04.30 you do need a smart meter to have this tariff. If you did get an Octopus account you can use my referral code

Octopus Energy

Octopus customers pay less: Cheaper than price-cap prices, rewards for using less when the grid is stressed, and smart tariff savings for your home, car or battery

share.octopus.energy

We both get a £50 account credit. Hope you enjoy your 4 when you get it, I'm enjoying mine ..

Due to SAiC not releasing public exposed APIs for their cars Octopus Intelligent is only available if you have an Ohme charger at home as this has the APIs require for octopus intelligent to work.

 

[remarkable1967]

I got a quote from Octopus last week on an Ohme Charger at £999 fitted. The guy specifically asked for manufacturer and model and said that the 6 hour Intelligent tarrif would be available on that charger. I need to call next week just to get an idea of lead time for charger and smart meter so I will check again to make sure. Thanks.

 

[Deleted member 10041]

I got a quote from Octopus last week on an Ohme Charger at £999 fitted. The guy specifically asked for manufacturer and model and said that the 6 hour Intelligent tarrif would be available on that charger. I need to call next week just to get an idea of lead time for charger and smart meter so I will check again to make sure. Thanks.

Because MG isn't compatible with intelligent. You would need an ohme, then it doesn't matter what car you have.
I have an ohme and it works great with intelligent

 

[turntoport]

I got a quote from Octopus last week on an Ohme Charger at £999 fitted. The guy specifically asked for manufacturer and model and said that the 6 hour Intelligent tarrif would be available on that charger. I need to call next week just to get an idea of lead time for charger and smart meter so I will check again to make sure. Thanks.

Octopussy also do a 5-hr 'Go', at a slightly higher (currently (sorry) 8.25p/kWh vs 7.5 p/kWh for 4 hours); with 'Go' you choose your timeslot; Gofaster (5 hrs) allows a slot from 01:30 to 06:30, enabling you to battery pre-heat and ac precondition in the last hour at the 8.25p rate. Maybe worth the +0.75p/kWh increase if you're commuting/early starting a lot?
The battery-pack is a sizeable mass, and once heated, although obviously losing temperature at a rate dependant on oat and wind speed,, will likely retain maybe +10 deg C an hour after heating. I've noticed that the app won't switch on battery heating if it's been run 90 mins before (might be just a comms bug, but has been consistent); an obd data readout would confirm all this - probably someone on the forum has real data (?)
atb

 

[Deleted member 10041]

Where are you seeing those prices, don't doubt you but currently with octopus and the go rate is 12p/kWh, intelligent is 10p. I'd swap today if I could find those tariffs but can't see them on the octopus website anywhere.