Tag Archives: electric car

Untethered and Tethered Charge Points (Image: POD Point)

POD Point Installation Guide – Applying for the charge point

Blog, Charging, Charging, FAQ, POD Point, , , , , ,

I Have my New Car Ordered – Now I Need a Charge Point

Untethered and Tethered Charge Points (Image: POD Point)
Untethered and Tethered Charge Points (Image: POD Point)

With my new Leaf, I get a new, FREE, POD Point charge point.
Thanks to a Nissan discount of £264 and the government OLEV scheme discount of £500, there is no charge for me at all for the entry level unit, although there are a couple of upgrade options you can choose.

Here is a quick guide to what to expect when you are ready to get your system installed. This blog covers the on-line application, with a separate blog that covers the installation.

Ordering my New Charge Point

The process starts with an email from POD Point to start the application. It was pretty straightforward and the pictures below step through the choices offered. The three choices I made of most significance to me were the following:
1) Upgrade to a 7kW charger. This cost £95. This seemed good value and future proofs me for longer range cars in the future.
2) Upgrade to a key so that I can lock the charger if necessary. This cost £30. I am not sure if electric thieving is likely.
3) I chose to have an un-tethered system with a type 2 socket so that it could work with any car. This was no charge. POD-Point tell me there is no difference in charge between a tethered and un-tethered system.

1 – The initial email from POD Point

2 – website starting point

3 – charge power choice

4 – tethered/untethered choice

5 – extras: key, cable, freestand

6 – Order summary showing total price less the nissan discount

7 – A statement that I have bought/leased a new car and have suitable off-street parking for a chargepoint to qualify for the OLEV grant

8 – 2nd Order summary including the OLEV grant

9 – payment for my extras

10 – payment summary

11 – address for installation

12 – installation specific questions

13 – statement of whether I do or don’t want the OLEV grant

14 – formal grant application. This needed a form downloaded, filled in and uploaded. Not particularly difficult and definitely worth it to save £500.

15 – MPAN number needed from my electricity bill.

16 – the thank you

A Total Cost of Ownership Comparison of ZOE Vs CLIO

Blog, Buying/Leasing, Cost of ownership, FAQ, Renault, ZOE, ZOE Z.E. 40, , , ,

At Fuel Included, we have run our Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) Calculator on a real-life example to help show the way the costs break down, and the considerable savings that can be made.

Today we have gone head to head with an all Electric Renault ZOE Dynamique 40 kWh, and a Petrol engined Renault CLIO Dynamique Nav TCe 90.

Renault ZOE and Renault CLIO

We have taken a commuter travelling into central Milton Keynes each day and parking as our representative driver. These tables show the total monthly cost* by summing all costs for the three year period of the lease and dividing them by 36.

Total Cost of Ownership

Electric ZOE Vs Petrol CLIO cost comparison for 20,000 miles per year
Electric ZOE Vs Petrol CLIO cost comparison for 15,000 miles per year
Electric ZOE Vs Petrol CLIO cost comparison for 10,000 miles per year

Conclusions

Even at the lower ranges of driving there are significant cost savings to be made. However, we see that as the mileage increases, the money to be saved is simply staggering.

Please contact us if you would like us to assess the cost of ownership of an electric car for your use case.

*Assumptions made for these calculations:

  • Petrol price from Sainsbury’s Bedford £1.21 per litre.
  • Electric charging is home charging plus 10 charges per year at £6 per charge from the Ecotricity rapid charge network.
  • CLIO mpg 52 from https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/realmpg/renault/clio-iv-2013
  • Both cars taken on 3 year PCP. Clio prices from http://offers.renault.co.uk/cars/clio/selection?offer=305 and ZOE prices from our current Fuel Included offer.
  • ZOE miles/kWh 4.5 from manufacturers real-world mileage figure divided by battery capacity.
  • Home charging Economy-7 unit cost 7.5p
  • Tax: Clio 1.2L 118 g/km CO2 = £160 in year 1 and £140 per year subsequently.
  • Parking costs based on person parking 200 working days per year in Milton Keynes town centre
Copyright: convisum / 123RF Stock Photo

Total Cost of Ownership – Price Comparison of Electric Vs Petrol Cars

Blog, Buying/Leasing, Charging, Cost of ownership, FAQ, , , , ,

We are asked all the time to help people make sense of the Price to Value balance between Electric and petrol cars. The way the two types of cars work is quite different so it is not always straightforward.

To help, Fuel Included have today launched their Total Cost of Ownership calculator and information service to help you look at the actual costs associated with owning an electric car and comparing it to the actual costs associated with a petrol or diesel car.

This is available for both private and fleet enquirers

Copyright: convisum / 123RF Stock Photo

Our Total Cost of Ownership Calculator takes many factors into account, including the following:

  • Lease costs
  • Deposits
  • Comparison with petrol alternatives
  • Benefits (savings) of electric cars where you live i.e. congestion charge, parking
  • Different forms of charging (home vs public and rapid vs standard)

We know that cost is only part of the story, but now you can at least answer the cost part simply and clearly.

We provide access to a simple form on-line, that will provide a straightforward Total Cost of Ownership Report to help you make the right decision.

If you want a more detailed assessment, we will work directly with you to refine your circumstances.

 

Multi-Car Test Drive in Milton Keynes – This Friday 28th April 12pm – 2pm

Blog, BMW, i3, i3 94Ah, Leaf, Leaf 30kWh, Milton Keynes, Nissan, Renault, ZOE, ZOE Z.E. 40, , , , ,

FuelIncluded have organised a test drive day this Friday in Milton Keynes.

We shall have the three best-selling all-electric cars here; Nissan Leaf, Renault ZOE and the BMW i3.

Multi-car test-drive

Please contact us now if you would like to drive one or more of these great cars at a single, convenient location, with experts on hand to discuss and ask questions of.

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Autonomous Vehicles: Time to start thinking about the people inside

Autonomous Driving, Uncategorized, , ,

“I hate solitude, but I’m afraid of intimacy.” 

—Iris Murdoch

Image Source: commons.wikimedia.org

Currently, most of the attention on autonomous vehicles is focused on the technology that lets cars drive themselves. However, in the near future, the industry will need to broaden its focus to include what is arguably just as important: the passenger.

A fascinating article considering the human impact of autonomous vehicles for taxi-service. Read More: The Intimacy of Autonomous Vehicles

Mexicans Lining up Electric to Beat Pollution

Blog, Electric Taxis, Leaf, Nissan, Pollution, , , , ,

On a trip to Mexico City this week, I have just seen a lovely sight. A long row of all-electric Nissan Leafs lined up in a taxi rank ready to start the day.

Electric Taxi Rank in Mexico City

If you have ever been to Mexico City, then you will know that air pollution is a major issue here, as it is now becoming in all large cities. The taxi rank is not yet a full solution, and the city is still filled with diesels and petrol guzzlers blasting out noxious fumes, but it is a step in the right direction. I hope for many more.

A Look Around my New Nissan Leaf 30 kWh

Blog, Leaf, Leaf 30kWh, Nissan, , , , , , , ,

I just took delivery of my new long range Nissan Leaf and I love it.

Check out the short video. This is the Tekna and the interior shots show the nice leather (heated) seats front and back, and the roomy boot.

New stuff I have noticed:

  • The extra range is wonderful.
  • DAB radio is great and the software interface is much improved.
  • It tucks in the wing mirrors automatically when you lock it.
  • It comes with both 13A and type 2 charge cable as default.
  • It seems to accelerate a little quicker than before in normal mode (in spite of the extra battery weight).
  • It seems to accelerate a little slower in eco mode. I guess that is good for eco.
  • Gun Metal grey looks fantastic.

Jeremy Clarkson builds the case for electric cars

Blog, BMW, Electric Cars, i3, , , ,

I was running late, but I finally caught up on the last episode of Grand Tour last night, and enjoyed the usual round of sheer irreverence and pointlessness. What I love about Clarkson is that I don’t have to approve of anything, I can just laugh.

However, as a lover of electric cars, I felt trepidation as Clarkson pulled out all the stops to take the mickey out of James May by setting up a petrol Vs electric test designed to make the electric fail (and fail he did missing the whole of the Roger Daltrey gig).

James May with BMW i3 (Image: www.bbc.co.uk)

On the plus side, it set me thinking. Clarkson has a good point which is that an electric car is not the best choice for all situations. It would be a bit like me setting up an off-road race between Clarkson’s beloved Lexus LFA and a Land Rover. The Lexus LFA is great but is just not going to perform across the muddy fields.

When choosing whether to go electric it is vital to think about how you use your car, and how to select the right car to meet your needs. I’d be the first to say that an electric vehicle isn’t always right, but for many cases it is a fantastic choice, and will serve you well and save you money.

So keep enjoying Clarkson – I know I will – but if you want advice on electric vehicles, don’t take it all from a celebrated ‘petrol-head’ playing for laughs. Instead, come and talk with us and explore how to make it work for you.

Please contact us for independent advice on electric and plug-in hybrid cars.