Looking to switch to EV

sczoo

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Hi all,

Sorry if this has been asked so many times but as most of you already own an MG4 I thought it’s best to ask owners as opposed to the salesman at our local MG dealership.

I’ve always looked to making the switch to EV I don’t use my current car a lot (Hyundai Bayon mild hybrid) so I’d be considered as a low user is this ok for an EV? Or does it need to be driven regularly for the battery? (Sorry if
I sound stupid ?)

I also live in a terraced street so no option to
Charge at home but I could charge up at nearby public points would this be sufficient?

In terms of car usage I probably average around 30-40 miles per week mega low!

Thanks all
 
Hi Look back a few items same sort of questions asked recently, I tried to copy but cant!

I do similar mileage, with occasional longer journey, about 4k annual mileage. I personally dont worry about the small mileage.
 
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Hi all,

Sorry if this has been asked so many times but as most of you already own an MG4 I thought it’s best to ask owners as opposed to the salesman at our local MG dealership.

I’ve always looked to making the switch to EV I don’t use my current car a lot (Hyundai Bayon mild hybrid) so I’d be considered as a low user is this ok for an EV? Or does it need to be driven regularly for the battery? (Sorry if
I sound stupid ?)

I also live in a terraced street so no option to
Charge at home but I could charge up at nearby public points would this be sufficient?

In terms of car usage I probably average around 30-40 miles per week mega low!

Thanks all
I think the EV itself will be fine with the low milage.

We are also low milage so far, at least while neither of us are commuting regularly (though that will change in a few months).

Sometimes we've left the car for several days, though we do use it more than we used the petrol one because I don't feel so guilty about popping to the supermarket in it.

EVs are the future for many reasons, including that they can be charged when there is a lot of wind power (or solar). You can plug yours in during those times even if you do public charging rather than home.
 
The low usage or low milage, is not a problem in my point of view. I often only drive mine once a week.
Charging is much more of an issue. I have the same challenge as you, but I'm able to charge at the parking facility I have to park in. If you can't charge at a reasonable rate at an AC charger where you are not obligated to monitor the car and move once sufficiently charged, it will be a hassle. But given that you can have a hassle free charging at a public AC charger, you are good to go.
That's what gives me peace of mind
 
That’s great thanks everyone :) really helpful glad to hear that my low mileage shouldn’t affect the car which is reassuring to say the least!

Yep the charging thing can be a bit of a pain but with the low mileage I use a car for I’m sure it will be fine if only they invented something for terraced streets would be a godsend maybe in the future ?
 
I would recommend learning about all the types of charging options and the costs so you're not surprised or overwhelmed by it at the same time as getting used to a new car and its quirks.

They range from rather expensive and fast (30 min) around the main road networks to fairly cheap and very slow (30 hours) from any 13 amp socket. Most people have a dedicated home charger (about 8 hours) I believe, which is not an option for you. Also the very cheap options are only possible with home charging.

If you explore zapmap and electroverse websites or apps that'll get you started and ask here as needed.

I've never looked in to it but some people make their home chargers available to others via the apps. Hopefully someone here can say if this is a viable alternative.
 
20230430_164900.jpg
 
Yep the charging thing can be a bit of a pain but with the low mileage I use a car for I’m sure it will be fine if only they invented something for terraced streets would be a godsend maybe in the future ?
There are some potential solutions for terraced streets depending on your council supporting them:
1. Lamp-post chargers. These can provide a slow charge at a reasonable price.
2. Gullies in the street from your house. This is the best option as you can then get a cheap overnight tariff. On the other hand, you'd have to pay to get one installed.

I know that Reading have allowed both of these on the terrace street that some friends live on.

Some councils are much more supportive than others.
 
As others have said (and I don’t want to be a downer) without home charging I think it will be a royal pain. Unless you have work charging or similar, relying on expensive public charging may leave you with many grey hairs !
 
That’s great thanks everyone :) really helpful glad to hear that my low mileage shouldn’t affect the car which is reassuring to say the least!

Yep the charging thing can be a bit of a pain but with the low mileage I use a car for I’m sure it will be fine if only they invented something for terraced streets would be a godsend maybe in the future ?
By Terraced Housing I think you mean you have frontage but no off street parking. If that is so, many councils are trialing thing like this EV Charging Cable Gully | As Seen on Dragons' Den | Pavement Charging |

In case where you live they do not allow these yet, someone advised (not me of course) that you get a home charger and late at night charge your car and early in the morning disconnect and clear the pavement.
1719782740710.png

This should do you until the councils take their finger out and sort this situation. One of the best benefits of EVs are home charging.

Throw in a curve ball.
Keep your existing car and run it into the ground. Then in 5-10 or even longer years, look at an EV again. Small, more range, fast charging etc may be on the cards.

Also, will not be spending loads on a new car
I disagree with this. Not from environmental issues but practical ones. ICE cars need to be driven to run smoothly. Low mileage clogs catalytic converters and other issues with the motor. Also the cars run worse when cold but become more efficient as they warm up. They therefore need more servicing. It's like your mower. Every summer I have to get it serviced because it doesn't start or runs poorly.

So my advice to my friends has been electric cars are great for short mileage usage. No warm-up required. No engine-specific service required. Everything else is true for your current car as well as an EV car.

Not sure why I am writing this as I am sure there will be a queue of keyboard warriors waiting to pile on me. eh ho this is what I believe for what it is worth.
 
I disagree with this. Not from environmental issues but practical ones. ICE cars need to be driven to run smoothly. Low mileage clogs catalytic converters and other issues with the motor. Also the cars run worse when cold but become more efficient as they warm up. They therefore need more servicing. It's like your mower. Every summer I have to get it serviced because it doesn't start or runs poorly.

So my advice to my friends has been electric cars are great for short mileage usage. No warm-up required. No engine-specific service required. Everything else is true for your current car as well as an EV car.

Not sure why I am writing this as I am sure there will be a queue of keyboard warriors waiting to pile on me. eh ho this is what I believe for what it is worth.
I agree with you.

I've had my MG4 for 15 months and not done 3000 miles yet. It gets used at least twice a day to take the dogs to the park which is less than a mile away. And before someone says why don't they walk there, one of them has several corns on her feet and finds it painful to walk on hard pavements.

My point is in my old ICE diesel the engine never got warm so was inefficient. The catalytic converter would do a forced regeneration, because it never ran hot enough for long enough to do a passive regen, which would produce a cloud of smoke out or the tail pipe.

If you are buying an EV to save fuel costs, unless you can charge at home, you might be disappointed.
 
Thanks all for your advice really appreciate them, I think I’m gonna have to rethink it over from what your saying, I mean my current car isn’t exactly old it’s 2023 plate with 6.2k on the clock but really did want to go for an EV but your probably right with my setup living in a terraced street in the valleys, so it might not be the right time for me to make the switch as of yet. I checked with my council and their not doing anything as of yet and I even read the below on their website I’ll paste it so don’t even think I could put a cable from the house ?

From council website:
In the interests of highway safety and in respect of future maintenance, the Highway Authority are not able to permit the trailing of cables, even with the use of an overlay or recessed grid across a public highway or footpath, or the channelling of cables under the footpath. This is due to public liability issues, including the risk of trip hazards and more complex electrical safety issues at the point of use.
 
Its a real shame that they want us to go green but are doing little to help us, plus the charging companies are ripping us off with stupidly overinflated prices
 
Thanks all for your advice really appreciate them, I think I’m gonna have to rethink it over from what your saying, I mean my current car isn’t exactly old it’s 2023 plate with 6.2k on the clock but really did want to go for an EV but your probably right with my setup living in a terraced street in the valleys, so it might not be the right time for me to make the switch as of yet. I checked with my council and their not doing anything as of yet and I even read the below on their website I’ll paste it so don’t even think I could put a cable from the house ?

From council website:
In the interests of highway safety and in respect of future maintenance, the Highway Authority are not able to permit the trailing of cables, even with the use of an overlay or recessed grid across a public highway or footpath, or the channelling of cables under the footpath. This is due to public liability issues, including the risk of trip hazards and more complex electrical safety issues at the point of use.
Councils will react to residents. Start collecting signatures. Start writing to the Councillors. All councils MUST have a NET ZERO plan for reducing their carbon footprint. It is completely unacceptable for them to say only the rich with off street parking can have EVs. Become an activist. If you don't the councils will never change. They are by and large useless and need to be forced. 1/3 of the country's carbon footprint is from vehicles. It is the easiest thing to tackle because electric cars are far superior to ICE cars anyway. Any concern for safety of cars is also reduced dramatically as EVs are computers on wheels and will stop from hitting pedestrians faster than humans.
 
I also live in a terraced street so no option to
Charge at home but I could charge up at nearby public points would this be sufficient?

In terms of car usage I probably average around 30-40 miles per week mega low!

Thanks all

Some areas have charging outside the block or using street lamps next to the pavement. Ive seen memes of people running cables from their house across the footpath using yellow anti trip plates. Wheres the nearest charger? If you dont mind leaving the car to charge and reading a paper while you wait 25 minutes.

Ideally youd want a charger at home on a drive....or charging points on the lamppost. Its not ideal is it?
 
Hi all,

Sorry if this has been asked so many times but as most of you already own an MG4 I thought it’s best to ask owners as opposed to the salesman at our local MG dealership.

I’ve always looked to making the switch to EV I don’t use my current car a lot (Hyundai Bayon mild hybrid) so I’d be considered as a low user is this ok for an EV? Or does it need to be driven regularly for the battery? (Sorry if
I sound stupid ?)

I also live in a terraced street so no option to
Charge at home but I could charge up at nearby public points would this be sufficient?

In terms of car usage I probably average around 30-40 miles per week mega low!

Thanks all
Have you considered looking at a Hyundai Ioniq Premium SE Gen 2? That'd more than do the range you need, the efficiency on them is insane (much better than the MG4), and the LKA is much more refined than MG. I realise they're not sporty or lookers, but they'd be fantastic for you, especially as you're already used to Hyundai.

The 38KWh Ioniq Gen 2 would do close to 150-200 miles on a charge even in worse weather, often more in summer, I got as high as 230 miles on a single charge from memory (which is insanely efficient, close to 6miles per kwh, my MG struggles to make 4 most of the time). Efficiency wise they were only really beaten by Tesla :)

As the model has been discontinued, there are also some brucy bargains on them second hand also :)

Only downside of the Ioniq is it doesnt have the fastest DC charge rate, but I was really happy with both the Gen 1 and Gen 2 Ioniq Premium SE I had, and the LKA/TJA once updated was actually fantastically decent, and didn't have a penchant for jerking you about like the MG4 can.
 
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