Any EV advice for my first long trip?

[Koops]

UPDATE
With a tail wind, HVAC off, ECO mode and 65mph on the motorway section I got 4.5mi/kWh on the journey to Heathrow with 12C ambient. For the return journey with HVAC on I got 3.5mi/kWh initially on the motorway improving to 4mi/kWh on A roads with 8C ambient. Overall I arrived home after 205 miles with 30 miles range remaining on the dashboard. Very happy with this result. Thanks again for all the advice. At least I’m now prepared for charging en route using various apps which I was prompted to download and register ?

——————-
Tomorrow I’ve got an evening round trip of 225 miles from Wiltshire to Heathrow with a pick up in Oxfordshire. I’m on IOG and Ohme Pro and haven’t yet done a 100% charge to my MG4 Long Range. I’m hoping to de the whole trip on one charge.

My plan is to set the vehicle max charge to 100% (usually 80%) then plug in this evening around 10pm when I get home, when I expect the vehicle battery will be at around 50%. Before plugging in I will set the Ohme schedule to greater than 50%, probably 60%, with charging to finish by 7am (I’ve got a short trip at lunchtime, just 3 miles). My understanding is that not only will the car charge to 100%, it will do the load balancing too within an hour of achieving 100% charge.

Around 100 miles will be on M4 and I’d like to cruise at 65mph.
I’d like to have the heating/cooling running too.

Does anyone know whether I’m likely to complete the trip without needing a charge en route?
If I need to charge and between Heathrow T5 / M4 Chippenham, any recommendations for a charging station (I’ve never used one!)?
Any other advice?

Thanks in advance ?

 

[Grriff]

I would work on the basis of 3mls/kWh, though you should get more. I think you should plan to recharge.

 

[Grriff]

Further thoughts:
If you haven't done so
Download the Tesla app. There are open chargers at Terminals 2&3 and several locations just off the M4.
Download other apps from the charging companies you might use and enter credit card details if required. They can be more reliable than contactless.
It might be too late, but it's worth doing a test run on a nearby DC charger.

I find the ABRP app and Google maps most reliable for finding chargers.

 

[JonnyG]

Tomorrow I’ve got an evening round trip of 225 miles from Wiltshire to Heathrow with a pick up in Oxfordshire. .........

That may be pushing it a bit on one charge IMHO. It will be very weather / wind / speeed dependant IMHO. I know my Xpower would only manage 200 after really trying today.

To maximise your chances preheat everything while you battery is still charging / balancing. Choose ECO everything including Energy Saving Mode, Turn off AC, don't go above 60mph and try and draft 2 seconds behind vans !!!

On the other hand find a suitable fast DC charger around 150 miles into your trip and drive as you please in normal modes etc. ???

 

[Tight Git]

The other good place to charge would be Reading services westbound - 12 open to all Tesla chargers 47p/kWh (56p at peak times 4pm-8pm).

Not sure if they are contactless there so you would need the Tesla app to start the charge and a card on the app for payment.

Avoid the Ionity at Chippenham as that tends to be very busy!

 

[richlove]

I'd say, based on the info given, you'd be OK but tight, so factor in a stop in the later half so you have it if you need it. I did a trip to central London at the weekend from MK, 70% motorway @ 65mph-ish and averaged 4.3m/kWh, which is about bang on WLTP for the SR (218 miles range).

That said, range estimation for motorway only for LR seems to be about 216 miles (perhaps based on 70mph ?), so I'd say the answer to your question comes very much down to driving style, speed etc. It will be tight either way

 

[Rolfe]

I agree, you might be a bit tight on that distance at this time of year. Better to have a plan about where you might charge and then not have to use it, than realise you're sweating with range anxiety.

You could look around at where you'll be stopping to see if there are any AC chargers you can leave your car on within walking distance of your destination. If you can do that, it's a brilliant way of extending your range without actually having to wait for the car to charge anywhere.

 

[Tight Git]

Further thoughts:
If you haven't done so
Download the Tesla app. There are open chargers at Terminals 2&3 and several locations just off the M4.
Download other apps from the charging companies you might use and enter credit card details if required. They can be more reliable than contactless.
It might be too late, but it's worth doing a test run on a nearby DC charger.

I find the ABRP app and Google maps most reliable for finding chargers.

The hotel at Heathrow now charges £5.00 for an hours parking to use the Tesla chargers!

 

[PeteC]

I would expect to charge once on that trip. Like @Tight Git, I was going to mention Reading Services. I stopped there on a recent trip to Wales and charged at the Gridserve chargers there, pointing out all the Tesla chargers to my son. If only I'd checked the Tesla app and seen those were open to all! I won't be making that mistake again! Tesla chargers are so much cheaper. It's well worth having the Tesla app and getting it set up.

 

[Tight Git]

I would expect to charge once on that trip. Like @Tight Git, I was going to mention Reading Services. I stopped there on a recent trip to Wales and charged at the Gridserve chargers there, pointing out all the Tesla chargers to my son. If only I'd checked the Tesla app and seen those were open to all! I won't be making that mistake again! Tesla chargers are so much cheaper. It's well worth having the Tesla app and getting it set up.

Yes it's amazing how many people will use Gridserve when there's a much cheaper Tesla open to all right next to it! Happens in other places as well...

 

[richlove]

I would expect to charge once on that trip. Like @Tight Git, I was going to mention Reading Services. I stopped there on a recent trip to Wales and charged at the Gridserve chargers there, pointing out all the Tesla chargers to my son. If only I'd checked the Tesla app and seen those were open to all! I won't be making that mistake again! Tesla chargers are so much cheaper. It's well worth having the Tesla app and getting it set up.

Don't want to hijack the thread too much, though an answer may be relevant to the discussion

I just downloaded the Tesla app, based on this advice and (unless I'm being particularly unobservant) there doesn't seem to be an obvious way to filter or distinguish between chargers open to all and Tesla owner only chargers. Am I missing something? (Perhaps the app knows I'm not a Tesla owner from my email and only shows those open to non-owners)

 

[Tight Git]

Don't want to hijack the thread too much, though an answer may be relevant to the discussion

I just downloaded the Tesla app, based on this advice and (unless I'm being particularly unobservant) there doesn't seem to be an obvious way to filter or distinguish between chargers open to all and Tesla owner only chargers. Am I missing something? (Perhaps the app knows I'm not a Tesla owner from my email and only shows those open to non-owners)

Yes - you will only be able to see the open to all on the app

 

[Grriff]

The theory is that you will only see chargers limited to Tesla if you add a Tesla car to the app.

 

[NickHeynes]

I think that if you enter a non Tesla car into your profile you will only see open to all Tesla chargers

 

[NickHeynes]

Sorry . pretty much what Grriff said!

 

[TedB]

Further thoughts:
If you haven't done so
Download the Tesla app. There are open chargers at Terminals 2&3 and several locations just off the M4.
Download other apps from the charging companies you might use and enter credit card details if required. They can be more reliable than contactless.
It might be too late, but it's worth doing a test run on a nearby DC charger.

I find the ABRP app and Google maps most reliable for finding chargers.

Which Tesla app in the iOS store do you recommend?

 

[Grriff]

Which Tesla app in the iOS store do you recommend?

Sorry, I'm on Android, where Google Play has only one 'official' app.

 

[Joningy]

UPDATE
With a tail wind, HVAC off, ECO mode and 65mph on the motorway section I got 4.5mi/kWh on the journey to Heathrow with 12C ambient. For the return journey with HVAC on I got 3.5mi/kWh initially on the motorway improving to 4mi/kWh on A roads with 8C ambient. Overall I arrived home after 205 miles with 30 miles range remaining on the dashboard. Very happy with this result. Thanks again for all the advice. At least I’m now prepared for charging en route using various apps which I was prompted to download and register ?

——————-
Tomorrow I’ve got an evening round trip of 225 miles from Wiltshire to Heathrow with a pick up in Oxfordshire. I’m on IOG and Ohme Pro and haven’t yet done a 100% charge to my MG4 Long Range. I’m hoping to de the whole trip on one charge.

My plan is to set the vehicle max charge to 100% (usually 80%) then plug in this evening around 10pm when I get home, when I expect the vehicle battery will be at around 50%. Before plugging in I will set the Ohme schedule to greater than 50%, probably 60%, with charging to finish by 7am (I’ve got a short trip at lunchtime, just 3 miles). My understanding is that not only will the car charge to 100%, it will do the load balancing too within an hour of achieving 100% charge.

Around 100 miles will be on M4 and I’d like to cruise at 65mph.
I’d like to have the heating/cooling running too.

Does anyone know whether I’m likely to complete the trip without needing a charge en route?
If I need to charge and between Heathrow T5 / M4 Chippenham, any recommendations for a charging station (I’ve never used one!)?
Any other advice?

Thanks in advance ?

May be pushing it in one trip.
I've done 2 longish trips to Gatwick Airport this year in our October 2023 MG4 Trophy LR, from the Hampshire/Wiltshire BORDER, approx 90 miles each way, charging at home (Ohme Pro) to 100%, I was a tad nervous on the first trip at the end of chilly January, having read horror stories of leaving the car (not just MG) for several weeks, returning to a flat 12V battery if there was less than 50% charge in the traction battery (still unsure why) to avoid the possibility of this, I did two things.
1/ I bought a 12V battery booster (around 30 or 40 quid) plenty of power to revive the rather puny 12V battery as supplied.
2/ I decided to charge the car at Cobham (Downside M25) services, charging the car to around 95% charge, sufficient to get to the airport, leaving around 80% and return to home without a further charge, it took around 25 minutes or so to charge, a visit to the toilet and a coffee. Totally hassle free, the second trip was worry free, like an experienced pro ?.
This coming weekend we embark on a really decent trip of 260 plus miles to Cumbria, which with warmer weather and a stop off at a National Trust property to break up the trip, there's little chance to do it on one charge, so using the brilliant Octoverse app from Octopus Energy, we'll be stopping to top up near Stafford after the NT visit.
BTW, a secret I'm reluctant to share, our Octopus Agile tariff is brilliant, often PAYING US to charge the car, use the washing machine and, dishwasher overnight.
Also have 6kW solar, so with longer days and (hopefully) sunshine able to charge during the daylight hours at an amazingly cheap rate.
I hope this helps those in fear of running out of juice, it really is very doable with so many great high power charging stations appearing, considering Spain soon! ??

 

[Grriff]

It's worthwhile checking if the NT property has a 'destination' charger. They don't always appear on EV charger maps. Check Find electric vehicle charging points at NT properties.

 

[Joningy]

It's worthwhile checking if the NT property has a 'destination' charger. They don't always appear on EV charger maps. Check Find electric vehicle charging points at NT properties.

Thanks Grriff,

It doesn't appear that NT Shugborough have EV charging points as yet, sites I've seen which do are only 11kW, OK if you are needing a small top up, or perhaps staying several hours, but we will only stretch our legs for a max of a couple of hours, so I guess it'll be the Ionity 350kW at Stafford, also relatively close to the M6, it will pump in the max 135kW for our Trophy LR in a very short time and are available through the Octopus Electroverse card.
I do have several other options, but so far the Electroverse has (touch wood) worked faultlessly.
At our Holiday Property Bond destination, near Grange-Over-Sands they have teamed up with Monta, its a 7kw charge rate, so is same as our Ohme Pro at home, I've not used them before but I'm sure we will soon find out, also it's very reasonable at 30p?kWh.

Thanks again Grriff.