My first week driving electric SUV

[Devil]

Sorry, Max. Misinterpretation. When I said 'So you use the PHEV during the day', I didn't mean 'you' personally but 'you' generally, meaning Tom, Dick and Harry, each with their cars. The vagaries of English!

[robf]

We have owned a 22kw Renault Zoe in the UK for about 6 months now (bought second hand). My wife uses it for her daily commute (about 25 miles) and at the weekend. The worries about running out of batteries have never materialised, and I wish we had got it sooner. We charge it at home, in the summer with our solar panels when possible (we have a Zappi charger), and when needed during the night on cheap rate (5p a kw). We rent the battery. The kia nero will do up to 455km.
If I lived in Cyprus full time the only things that would worry me would be the initial cost (they are a good buy second hand, possibly import from the UK), and the lack of specialist car mechanics. If Cyprus is still providing a feed in tariff, I would recommend in the strongest terms possible for you to install solar panels now, they save me a fortune in the UK, and would be a no brainer in sunny cyprus.

[cyprusmax47]

We have owned a 22kw Renault Zoe in the UK for about 6 months now (bought second hand). My wife uses it for her daily commute (about 25 miles) and at the weekend. The worries about running out of batteries have never materialised, and I wish we had got it sooner. We charge it at home, in the summer with our solar panels when possible (we have a Zappi charger), and when needed during the night on cheap rate (5p a kw). We rent the battery. The kia nero will do up to 455km.
If I lived in Cyprus full time the only things that would worry me would be the initial cost (they are a good buy second hand, possibly import from the UK), and the lack of specialist car mechanics. If Cyprus is still providing a feed in tariff, I would recommend in the strongest terms possible for you to install solar panels now, they save me a fortune in the UK, and would be a no brainer in sunny cyprus.

Great post from you robf. A PV system in the UK can produce something like 700-800 kWh/y for 1 kWp installed, in some sunny summers. In Cyprus different situation and the average is 1800 kwh/y and more if you install optimizers in good South positions. With the pressure of the EU, Cyprus finally went on with the net-metering system which is excellent in my opinion. What comes on top is that now you are allowed 10 kWp to install, also companies! (and by the way: my car was just imported from the UK in August)

Max

[Dominic]

Doesn't relate to Cyprus though, especially if you recharge via solar power.

[Earlsfield]

Doesn't relate to Cyprus though, especially if you recharge via solar power.

I would suggest only if you recharge by solar power, and in Max’s case a “Home PV” system, which is great if you have the facility, but many of us living in apartments in complexes simply do not have the ability. Most of the electricity in Cyprus generated by fossil fuel. I actually do think the immediate future, considering the state of current technology, lies with some form of hybrid vehicle, relying totally on electric, unless of course you just poodle around a relatively small and well catered for area, is simply impractical. Only my opinion but this particular vehicle is designed more to save money for the user, in the longer term, rather than the environment. Is a 2ltr SUV really a suitable choice for short trip urban travel?. Saying all that, I do however think if Cyprus invested heavily in solar/renewable power for the “masses”, given the size of the island and the concentration of its citizens then a future of pure electric vehicles with a credible network of fast charging points, not only in garages, but installed on complexes, car parks etc is not only desirable but achievable.

[Devil]

As a long-term (12 years) user of hybrid vehicles, I believe that they are the only way forward at this time in Cyprus, to reduce carbon emissions. However, there are some ifs and buts beyond my average reduction of petrol consumption (and CO2 emissions proportionally) for similar-sized vehicles from 10-12 l/100 km to 4-5 l/100 km. If you do only short, urban, journeys intermittently (e.g., nipping down to the village supermarket for a litre of milk), with a cold engine, you will be disappointed; the hybrid system will not have time to heat up and you will be running as a pure petrol car. On a cold winter's morning, it may take up to 10-15 km before the hybrid system really kicks in. Corollary: if it's 35°, it kicks in after a couple of hundred metres but it takes a couple of km or so to be efficient. Of course, if you do a number of short trips in succession so that you start with a warm engine each time, the hybrid system is great (my car is designed to keep the engine hot while parked, for this reason).

IOW, if you do only short trips from cold, forget hybrids.

[cyprusmax47]

There are many different types of hybrid cars in the market in the meantime. As I drive one of the so called Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) I start full electric from the first moment until the battery bank is down to 20%. I explained it in my first post already how I can use my car.


Wikipedia:
A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), also known as a plug-in hybrid, is a hybrid electric vehicle with rechargeable batteries that can be restored to full charge by connecting a plug to an external electric powersource. A PHEV shares the characteristics of both a conventional hybrid electric vehicle, having an electric motor and an internal combustion engine; and of an all-electric vehicle, also having a plug to connect to the electrical grid. PHEVs have a much larger all-electric range as compared to conventional gasoline-electric hybrids, and also eliminate the "range anxiety" associated with all-electric vehicles, because the combustion engine works as a backup when the batteries are depleted

So I would recommend to study the Wikipedia link, showing all the different Hybrid vehicle power train configurations:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hybrid_vehicle

Max

[JimX]

Absolutely correct Lloyd, I see two major Japanese car manufactures are going over to all electric in a few years time, I do believe this is the future but it is a long way off especially for all electric cars. Also replacement batteries will be very expensive if you can get one.I do admire those like Max who has bought into this new technology but I will not be doing the same.My near neighbour had a Lexus SUV Hybrid she purchased several years ago in the UK, she has sold it on for fear of what the future maintenance will cost, shame as it was a lovely motor.

[boycott]

If there is no electric you cannot get petrol as the pumps are electric!

Either way you have a problem.

[JimX]

Yes Lloyd as I said in my post two Jap manufacturers are going over to electric only, all duel fuel cars are already available made by them, here where would you plug in your all electric motor? just like the UK where they are supposed to be available using credit cards to pay for a charge, I watched a program on TV recently where they followed three all electric cars on two hundred mile trip, it was a disaster for those drivers, and that was the UK just imagine that here...

[trevnhil]

I wish I had seen that program, it sounds interesting

[cyprusmax47]

If there is no electric you cannot get petrol as the pumps are electric! Either way you have a problem.

Jim, the point I was making was that if you want to go green you should do so with a hybrid car, not purely electric. That way you have two options for power.

This was the reason I am driving a hybrid car now (a plug-in, which is completely different) to be charged with solar power, from my own roof, as only then it is "going green" in Cyprus, where the electricity from the grid is still produced with heavy fuel.

Max

[WHL]

If there is no electric you cannot get petrol as the pumps are electric!

Either way you have a problem.

Not strictly correct, I was out in the USA near the Grand canyon, and went to fill up, they had a power cut, but the guy had a handle which he put in the side of the pump and turned it out came the petrol.

[PhotoLady]

Very interesting thread..... I hadn't read it until now but we've got the joiner in so can't do any home working at the moment as my hubby is helping him, so it's given me the opportunity to sit and read.

When we came to UK after our years in Cyprus, we didn't really want to get a car but just as we arrived our local county council drastically reduced our public transport service. We were considering spending around £7k on a car and I was quite keen on a second hand hybrid that we'd looked at mainly because it was a dual fuel with the car automatically deciding when petrol would kick in over the electric and vice versa.

My hubby isn't car minded at all and has no idea what goes on beneath the bonnet so he wasn't really onboard with the idea because he didn't really understand the concept. So we ended up buying a small 2007 model Chevrolet Kalos unleaded with less than 4,000 miles on the clock. It's still not done 8,000 miles yet!

However, now he knows more about them - we'd more or less decided the next one is most likely going to be a hybrid. But, we don't do long runs - our longest drive would be a trip to Blackpool around 12 miles each way or a similar distance to the furthest garden centre we visit.

So now, after reading Devil's post about running on a cold engine has left me pondering.....

[Devil]

However, now he knows more about them - we'd more or less decided the next one is most likely going to be a hybrid. But, we don't do long runs - our longest drive would be a trip to Blackpool around 12 miles each way or a similar distance to the furthest garden centre we visit.

So now, after reading Devil's post about running on a cold engine has left me pondering.....

As a guess, >90% of the time you would get the full performance of a hybrid on, say, 15 km trips. In freezing weather, the full hybrid effect may take 6 or or 7 km to kick in while the petrol engine warms up, and it would be immediate on the return journey as hybrid engines are designed to keep in as much heat as possible over a long time. Mine kicks in almost immediately after 2 hours parking in coldish weather. The point I wanted to make was that if you use your car only to go to the village shop twice a week, then a hybrid is a waste of money. In 40°C weather, the hybrid action is quasi-instantaneous, less than 100 m to start (but the aircon may push your consumption up by, say, 0.05-0.2 l/100km). Having had both types, a Toyota/Lexus would be better than a Honda for your usage, the latter being better for consistently longer trips.

[Devil]

Interesting to read a real report. What is cost new ? If you want to help the environment, reduce carbon emissions why choose such a large vehicle , a compact, half the size, half the weight using half the metal will give half the carbon footprint to manufacture and be more economical, will have a smaller battery pack which will be cheaper to replace.

They are available in all sizes though most in CY are mid-size. My daughter (in CH) has a Yaris hybrid, smaller than my Lexus, but she has a consumption almost as high as mine (currently 4.3 l/100 km) but hers goes up a bit in winter because of mandatory snow tyres.

[PhotoLady]

@Devil

Thank you for your informative post, it looks like it's staying on our agenda then. We don't do many short trips as we can walk into the village should we need anything, except if it's pouring with rain!

The shortest short journey we do is just around 8 miles each way to either Lidl or into Poulton on the other side of the river