Learning from EV Ownership 2 Weeks after Delivery

athuntershill on 19/08/2022 - 17:03
Last edited 19/08/2022 - 17:04

Previously posted in this forum asking for helpful tips, and here's my own experience after 2 weeks.

Comprehensive Insurance

Coverage for EV is not yet offered by all providers. e.g. Bingle (my previous provider)
Youi quoted me nearly $2000 after a very painful online/phone quotation process. I know this is not the fault of the call centre rep but feel sorry for him nonetheless.
Tried AAMI next and got quoted $1200. Was able to purchase a policy online right away, and rego added a few days later after collecting the car.

Apps to download

The manufacturer's app is the obvious one to have.
Then, PlugShare. While the information there is great, it'd be worthwhile to check out your nearby charging stations ahead of time.
Next, down the charging station provider apps as they will give you real-time availability status. So far, I have Exploren, Chargefox and Evie

Accessories

Floor mats came with my EV and have no need for anything else internally.
Wall Connector is optional for me as I have single phase at home and have been able to charge for free so far.
Type2 cable is useful to have since many charging station are now BYO. Stations with cable are often taken up by other EV first, so having your own in the car is very handy. Watch out for the next 10% deal from EVSE.

Charging

I have been able to charge for free (almost) in the last 2 weeks.
option 1, visit a public car park with charging stations and top up for 3 hours while working remotely in a nearby cafe. This will give me 50-60% charge and in time for me to leave before having to pay for parking.
option 2, take the car to work and get a full charge in a paid car park. This is $12 per day for me but offset what I'd normally pay for the bus.

Keen to find out other useful tips.

Automotive Electric Vehicle

Comments

  • Jugganautx on 19/08/2022 - 17:09
    +1

    Unluckyyyyyy, you're with AAMI!

  • brendanm on 19/08/2022 - 17:10
    +33

    Always tell as many people as you can that you own an ev, and make as many threads about it as possible, so everyone knows.

    • Muzeeb on 19/08/2022 - 17:12
      +4

      I notice OP didn't mention Tesla once. Maybe they aren't that impressed by the car after two weeks or Musk shame has kicked in.

      How do you know if someone is vegan drives a Tesla?

      Don't worry they will tell you.

      • athuntershill on 19/08/2022 - 17:16
        +2

        Like a nice golf buggy with an iPad mounted on top

        • bdl on 19/08/2022 - 18:32
          +1

          fingers crossed that build quality is better than golf buggy + ipad

          enjoy the new wheels

        • Muzeeb on 19/08/2022 - 18:41
          +1

          I can see the similarities

          Includes matching vegan leather too.

      • djones145 on 19/08/2022 - 17:50

        crossfit vegan that owns a telsa?

      • ColtNoir on 20/08/2022 - 09:15

        There’s more EV’s than Tesla now

        • brendanm on 20/08/2022 - 11:50
          +2

          Yes, but odds are the other ev owners won't have personalised plates, or create a hundred threads asking what paint protection to get for their car.

    • SF3 on 19/08/2022 - 17:41

      Ah I think I found the term/definition.

      Boasting is commonly defined as talking in a self-admiring way or glorifying oneself. It is often thought of as excessive pride. We tend to think of people who boast as arrogant, self-preoccupied, or, perhaps, insecure, which may be why they need to boast in the first place.

    • reactor-au on 20/08/2022 - 11:46

      Double points if vegan

  • RockinIt on 19/08/2022 - 17:12

    Which EV?

    • athuntershill on 19/08/2022 - 17:14
      +4

      Are you baiting me to say it so the haters can pile on :)

      • [Deactivated] on 19/08/2022 - 17:50

        tesla or chinese?

        • Muzeeb on 19/08/2022 - 18:48
          +3

          Most new Tesla's in Australia are Chinese

        • boomramada on 19/08/2022 - 19:26
          +1

          Some tesla even use Chinese BYD batteries as well.

        • brendanm on 19/08/2022 - 20:00
          +2

          Mexicantacogirl.meme

      • RockinIt on 19/08/2022 - 21:09

        I can't believe you're the same dude who bought the T on impulse. You work at NAB too?

    • SF3 on 19/08/2022 - 17:17
      +11

      Click to reveal

  • SBOB on 19/08/2022 - 17:36
    +6

    option 1, visit a public car park with charging stations and top up for 3 hours while working remotely in a nearby cafe

    Is this really a long term option?
    Would the cost of buying stuff continually from the cafe not offset this (I hope you aren't just sitting in a cafe for 3hrs and only buying one coffee )

    Would seem paying a couple of bucks for a fast charger and working from home would be more comfortable and productive:/

    • athuntershill on 21/08/2022 - 23:47

      Perhaps. It's only been a couple of weeks.
      Was nice to enjoy a bite without any rush once in a while.

  • AustriaBargain on 19/08/2022 - 17:46
    +7

    $12 a day for parking right at your work is a bargain. Some people pay a lot more than that.

  • pegaxs on 19/08/2022 - 17:47

    Oh, look, another thread to passively humble brag about your Tesla… good to see you are following the suggestions from last thread…

    How do you know someone owns a Tesla? Don’t worry, they’ll tell you.

  • chrisn26 on 19/08/2022 - 17:49
    +17

    What's up with people ragging on OP for being a little excited about their EV? C'mon it's not a brag to own an EV, in fact it is an imperative especially if the government is now making lots of noise about EVs (basically whenever the govt says so means we should've done it like a decade ago)

    • thrillhouse on 20/08/2022 - 07:40
      +4

      Jealousy, usually.

  • spackbace on 19/08/2022 - 18:00
    +3

    Got the personal plates yet?

    • Daabido on 19/08/2022 - 18:49
      +2

      "SMUG"

      • mskeggs on 19/08/2022 - 18:59
        +5

        SMGPRK is available in NSW.

        That said, I might buy a Tesla one day, so I shouldn’t tease!

        • spackbace on 19/08/2022 - 19:06
          +6

          Looks like SMLPRK is available too, equally as relevant :P

    • Muzeeb on 19/08/2022 - 18:50
      +1

      Take your pick

    • 7ekn00 on 19/08/2022 - 20:05
      +2

      Love the ZEROCO2 ones :P

      • leTintin on 22/08/2022 - 10:29
        +1

        I saw RIPICE driving around which I thought was cool

    • SF3 on 20/08/2022 - 10:46

      “LOVEMYEV”

  • Euphemistic on 19/08/2022 - 19:56
    +3

    How about some actual EV stuff, aside from charging the other stuff is normal for any car.
    1. Are you concerned about range? Have you tested it? How often do you ‘need’ to charge or do you just top up every day regardless that you’ve only used 20km?
    2. How do you find regen braking/one pedal driving? Do you find yourself still going for the brake pedal?
    3. How does it go? Silent rocket? Effortless cruise? Just another car? you are a petrol head and don’t care?
    4. Is it weird not hearing it idle before you take off or becoming silent stopped in traffic? Have you driven an ICE since the EV and found it noisy/smelly?
    5. Can you set the AC to set the temp for you before you drive?

    • dcuksuop on 19/08/2022 - 21:02
      +5

      some actual questions, I'll share my experience.
      1. nope, don't drive much on a daily basis. you can generally plug in every night if needed and start every day with a full charge, like with your phone. on a road trip, just need to do a little planning. Superchargers are fast, faster than toilet/food/stretch break.
      2. it's great, you can go from braking to accelerating to braking instantaneously, no lag from moving your feet. go for brake pedal when needing to stop very quickly.
      3. not sure I understand this one, but silent rocket and efforless cruise. driving long distance with autopilot is much less draining mentally, not tired after the drive.
      4. nope, either music is playing, or it's off when I want quiet, and it's nice and quiet. yes, second car is ICE, feels sluggish/like driving a tank.
      5. Yes, also heat/seat warmers too, can also vent the windows, all via phone app.

    • pegaxs on 19/08/2022 - 23:23
      +5

      Oh, I own an EV motorcycle, so I want to have a go as well… (Brand new Fonz Moto Arthur 2+)

      1: Yes, because I only get 30 to 40 of them per charge. It's enough for about 3 days worth of trips to work. Tested it and got home with 2km to spare (according to the "km till empty" read out.) And it gets charged every 3 days at about 30~ish %SOC. Cost me about $0.40 to $1 to charge.
      2: It's pointless. It slows the bike down too much as the bike doesnt have enough mass to make it really worthwhile. It seems too savage and isnt linear. It's either on or off.
      3: Silent rocket. It has an eco mode and is quite zippy and a full power mode. In full power it would blow the wheels off my old 150cc Vespa. Does 70km/h flat out but will sit on 60~65 effortlessly. The torque is what gets you over a standard equivalent petrol bike. It comes on at any speed with no ramp up, it's just always there.
      4: It's weird sitting at the lights or at an intersection and it not making a noise of vibrating like an ICE bike. It took some getting used to thinking that when the light goes green, is the bike on or off?
      5: Yes. You either leave it in the shed, or push it outside and let it sit in the sun to warm it up. :D No heated grips or heated seat. Not enough reserve power to have creature comforts on it.

    • athuntershill on 22/08/2022 - 00:00
      +1
      1. I start to feel uncomfortable when the range drop below 100km. I have in-laws living 40km away and occasionally need to drop in at short notice.
      2. Regen braking took me more than a week to get use to. Maybe because I tend to let the car glide when driving ICE.
      3. Was never into performance cars, so was pleasantly surprised at the instant accelatration.
      4. Yeah, still feels weird when starting the journey. My ICE is a large SUV with indicators on the opposite side, so pretty much different in every way.
      5. Yes, have this option in the ICE also but hardly used it.
  • 7ekn00 on 19/08/2022 - 20:03
    +3

    Seems to be a lot of obsession with charging!

    You do realise lithium ion batteries last a lot longer when operating and charged between 20% and 80%?

    Lots of battery longevity being lost / damaged by charging 80% to 100% every day/night :/

    • mskeggs on 19/08/2022 - 22:19
      +1

      I’d be interested in your reference here. I don’t think it is as clear cut as you say.

    • Thinkscape on 20/08/2022 - 09:10
      -1

      Do NOT follow this rule-of-thumb blindly as it might not apply to you.

      For example, the OP got a Model Y. If it's the standard range version, then his battery pack has Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) chemistry. Those are happier when charged to 100% regularly, and that's exactly what the user's manual says.

      • 7ekn00 on 20/08/2022 - 09:18

        Don't believe the marketing hype and the shills with no scientific publication link to back any of their claims :/

        From: The Degradation Behavior of LiFePO4/C Batteries during Long-Term Calendar Aging
        (https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/6/1732/pdf)

        Figure 10:

        A higher SOC will accelerate the side reaction, causing the decomposition of the electrolyte and the increase of the SEI film. In addition, at higher SOC levels where the graphite anode is lithiated more than 50%, the low anode potential accelerates the loss of lithium ions [6,28].

        EDIT: SOC = State of Charge (the amount of charge in the battery)

        • Thinkscape on 20/08/2022 - 09:39
          +1

          You're oversimplifying things and calling people names without understanding it fully.

          If you only focus on this one paper, then take a look at Figure 10 and 90% soc, or look at figure 19.

          If you're quoting, don't be selective - because in the next sentence:

          On the contrary, from the perspective of very long-term aging (i.e.,
          capacity fade higher than 20%), an SOC level in the mid-SOC range (i.e., around 50% SOC)
          will speed up the degradation rate of the battery. This may be because a SEI film with high
          stability is formed, which effectively prolongs the battery life stored at 90% SOC level

          TL;DR
          The 90% SOC yields higher lifetime than 50%. Also the paper is testing abstract cell lifetime, but the lifetime is heavily affected by pack conditions - that's where BMS comes in. It's likely that Tesla BMS with the LFP packs is configured and optimised for the ideal conditions (per this paper as well) to prolong the lifetime, so electric conditions, temperature (under 25) and SOC of 90% (which would be 100% reported by the car + buffer).

          • 7ekn00 on 20/08/2022 - 09:42
            -2

            @Thinkscape: LOL so now 90% is 100% and that's close enough to call me wrong .. news flash: 90% is just as close to 80% as it 100% ;)

            Got to love the Tesla zealots, nothing beats choice-supportive bias :P

            • donga100 on 23/08/2022 - 20:18

              @7ekn00: How do you know that what Tesla displays as 100% is not actually 90% of the real physical capacity of the battery?

              • 7ekn00 on 24/08/2022 - 08:37
                -2

                @donga100: Read my comments, I am talking about Lithium polymer chemistry!

                I also stated "manufacturers can manipulate the variables", Tesla setting 90% as 100% is an example of a "manufacturer manipulating the variable" ;)

                It still doesn't change the fact that lithium polymers don't like to operate at the extremes of SOC!

    • ColtNoir on 20/08/2022 - 09:18

      But what if it’s lithium polymer, or some other lithium battery?

      • 7ekn00 on 20/08/2022 - 09:21

        Read the degradation article I posted ;)

        ALL LITHIUM CHEMISTRIES follow the same degradation process and influenced by similar variables :/

        Sure, manufacturers can manipulate the variables (multiple batteries, multiple charge cables, cooling systems, etc), but the basics of the chemistry, degradation and end of life remain fixed …

  • peanut48 on 20/08/2022 - 07:26
    +11

    OP, I don’t own an EV and I still liked your post because if I do own one in the future I now know something more about it. Thanks for sharing.

  • Hirolol on 20/08/2022 - 07:44

    What about the extra features that you need to pay to unlock?

    • athuntershill on 22/08/2022 - 00:03

      No way I'd be paying for them.
      Only brought the basic model for the EV experience, and there're plenty features to play with.

  • 2esc on 20/08/2022 - 08:46
    +1

    How much do you spend each time at the Cafe?

    • athuntershill on 22/08/2022 - 00:08

      About $12, same as my parking/charging at work.
      Wanted to have a like for like comparison between my opt 1 & 2.

  • Thinkscape on 20/08/2022 - 09:11
    +1

    Welcome to the club! 🔋⚡
    Congrats and enjoy your new ride!

  • Thinkscape on 20/08/2022 - 09:19
    +7
    • For longer trips use https://abetterrouteplanner.com/
    • When in pinch with range, decrease highway speed. Drag and energy usage grows exponentially and you will notice that dropping from i.e. 110 km/h to 90 km/h will drastically increase your range.
    • If you have solar, get https://chargehq.net/ - works with most inverters, will help you drive from nuclear energy for free. The FB group is active and has lots of tips to configure it.
    • If you don't have solar, get it now — having an EV brings its ROI forward a lot
    • OZB is quite toxic, but I recommend the FB groups for ev owners and model 3/y owners - very active, treasure trove of tips, suggestions, reviews etc. Everything from insurance, through HUDs, self-closing frunk and doors, to race track mods.
    • Muzeeb on 20/08/2022 - 09:29
      +5

      OZB is quite toxic

      This pretty well sums it up

      • SlavOz on 20/08/2022 - 10:09
        -1

        Tbf that's the story of any online forum. My colleague at work used to tell me she's part of a Facebook group of mums discussing Kmart deals. It would descend into the darkest, nastiest, and most spiteful arguments.

        It might just be that people are rarely at their best online, especially when it's a group of women. B****** be crazy.

        • Muzeeb on 20/08/2022 - 10:11
          +2

          You run a mention in a few reviews. Get RHC lawyers onto them on your behalf. Defamation is real.

          • SlavOz on 20/08/2022 - 10:26

            @Muzeeb: I did a search and couldn't find any.

            You got me excited for a moment there. Surely it's not that easy to bring fame to the iconic name of Slavs in Australia. There are many in that group who deserve the honour before me.

            • Muzeeb on 20/08/2022 - 10:41
              +2

              @SlavOz: They don't mention you directly but I'm sure this is a dig at you. 🙂

              • SlavOz on 20/08/2022 - 13:57

                @Muzeeb:

                And don't ever dare state facts that go against the community hive mind. If you offended the collective stupidity of the drone masses, you will incur their wrath. Doesn't matter how much proof and facts you can present, if the community don't like what you are saying, it's an avalanche of trolls and drongos running unchecked.

                You really think that's talking about me lol?

                • Muzeeb on 20/08/2022 - 14:01
                  +6

                  @SlavOz: No this part silly 🙂

                  inept idiots, conspiracy theorists and anti-vax type wack jobs

                  • SlavOz on 20/08/2022 - 15:34
                    -3

                    @Muzeeb: Hey, I'm all for rounding up the gays and forcing them to get vaxxed against monkeypox. Can you say the same thing?

                    Maybe you're an anti-vaxxer too, just depends which vax you're talking about and who is forced to take it…

        • SBOB on 20/08/2022 - 14:12
          +1

          It might just be that people are rarely at their best online

          This a personal self assessment?

      • HelpMeiCantSee on 20/08/2022 - 23:01
        +1

        Holy hell there’s a lot of butthurt in those reviews. Jesus, people need to grow up and grow some skin. Wow.

    • Bethk66 on 20/08/2022 - 23:43

      I have a model 3 and these are all great tips @Thinkscape 🤗

    • athuntershill on 22/08/2022 - 00:19

      Thanks for the tips.

      People can say what they like, time will tell if the $30k extra over a traditional ICE is worthwhile.

  • saltypete on 20/08/2022 - 10:32
    +3

    Thanks OP. Useful, everyday info that will be helpful to help understand how to manage this kind of vehicle.
    Consistent with the OZB philosophy you have found ways to get free fuel. Well done -( let's now have the wave of folk bemoaning the plight of the poor shopping centre owner unable to feed her family because you are ripping the food from her family's mouth…😁)

    Plenty of EnVy floating around here too, but we'll all look back and wonder what the fuss was about in a few years.

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