Never say I don’t do enough research.
If there’s an article or YouTube I haven’t watched on the merits of particular electric cars I had my eye, then the algorithm isn’t doing its job.
Another issue with a somewhat temperamental old diesel Golf meant expediting my move to leaving the gas-guzzler behind.
I’ll preface this by saying – I bought used. New EVs are expensive, as are comparable petrol models. The options really boil down to taking on higher purchase, or, personal contract purchase (PCP).
But at the same time, there are a lot of vehicles coming off PCP deals which can be had for considerably less than the new price. I opted for a Volkswagen ID.3 with reasonably low mileage.
Firstly, let’s just say, it’s a particularly enjoyable driving experience. I’ve never owned an automatic, but the instant torque and lack of revs make everything utterly smooth and buttery.
I’m sure people who have driven modern automatics for some time will be already familiar with most of this technology, but it still impresses in terms of its ability to take the hassle away from driving.
The ID.3 has a fairly smooth auto hold function, meaning once it comes to a complete stop it will hold the handbrake on until you accelerate away. There’s no rolling back here, at any stage or on any incline I’ve experienced so far.
On the road the ID.3 is a comfortable and smooth experience. That on tap torque making pulling onto a roundabout or getting up to speed while merging, a true breeze. It’s nippy, the steering is balanced yet light, and while it’s heavier than its predecessor (the old Golf), it hug corners well. The adaptive cruise control is also extremely useful on daily commutes.
If conditions aren’t ideal or there’s some turn in the wheels and you accelerate to get to speed, you can find the traction control warning pop on for a moment to let you know it’s not entirely got this situation in its grasp.
But overall, it’s a very smooth and enjoyable place to spend an hour or two on a longer journey. I’m not going to delve into the features of the car itself, the entertainment system and the like, but focus on the EV experience itself.
Let’s turn to range and battery capacity.
I do think that some motoring journalists need to be more critical of the quoted WLTP estimated ranges. I did a lot of research into EVs before making the jump and was acutely aware, but still, it should be laid out in much clearer terms. While it’s the modern equivalent of miles per gallon, it’s significantly more important when eyeing a purchase.
This particular ID.3 has a claimed range of 268 miles, with a usable battery of 58kWh. You’ll not achieve that, regardless of how you drive. But in my experience, dealerships in general have been upfront with actual ranges, which is important if you’re not doing weeks of homework in advance. Luckily, there’s a clear battery percentage on the ID.3 display, along with the range. The latter really is very much just a guide, though. If you’ve been driving frugally for a couple of weeks, then a full charge will show well over 220 miles range.
If you’ve been blaring the heat and doing motorway miles, that range estimate will be lower.
Temperature truly does impact range. On a warmer day I’d estimate I can get 220 miles out of this car – although it’s been particular nippy on most days since I’ve owned it. However, motorway driving and freezing temperatures could see that drop to 160 miles. It’s just something you have to be aware of, rather than anything of a dealbreaker.
While some cars have heat pumps and the ability to precondition the batteries, you’ll face the range dropping with all EVs.
You will need a home charger. The cost savings and convenience offered by an EV are, in part, led by getting that cheaper rate and also being able to ‘fuel’ up without travelling anywhere else.
Something you might not be acutely aware is of the need to use that dreaded energy-draining air conditioning and heating more than a traditional ICE car, because there’s no heat being generated by an engine up front.
I found that estimated range dropped by around 20% or so when I stuck on the heating at a reasonable setting, or chose a specific option to defog the windows, which is inevitable with three people in the vehicle on a long journey on a nippy day.
But most of this concern is only aligned to stretching out what’s possible with range. On a day-to-day basis I use the car with the air conditioning on a comfortable setting, and don’t consider whether I can make a return journey which is on the cusp of what’s possible.
Technology is your ally in this journey. This is by a distance the most tech-heavy car I’ve owned, but it’ll likely feel familiar if you’ve been driving anything with decent spec in the last couple of years.
There’s an enjoyable satisfaction in being able to blast the heating and clear your ice-covered windows from the comfort of your sofa, using the Volkswagen app. You can also schedule the car to heat up at specific times so it’s comfortable when you enter it, or charging periods – utilising cheaper tariffs in the evening to charge the vehicle.
The charger network and infrastructure is something EV owners often bemoan, and it’s also the element which may go some way in putting drivers off making the greener switch.
Let’s say, things have gotten considerably better. Companies such as Weev, BP, and Ionity, have developed a solid network of rapid chargers across Northern Ireland and beyond.
That being said, however, you’ll still find huge gaps in the network up and down the country.
For example, take a look at our second city. There are quite a few chargers around Derry, but the majority are not fast chargers – running on AC – and will take considerable plug-in time. That includes those you’ll find at Lidl, which on my Volkswagen only charged at 11kW – which would mean hours, rather than minutes.
In fact, in the city itself, I only found two locations – almost beside one another – which offered rapid charging speeds.
I had just about enough juice to make it back to Belfast following our Christmas visit, but thought I’d top up. Turning into a large forecourt, I see four BP Pulse chargers squeezed into a far corner.
Three are not working when we arrive, the fourth is occupied and there’s a car waiting.
A visit to the Maxol nearby only has one CCS attachment for fast charging (used by most cars now) and there’s a Tesla driver spending a good few minutes just trying to get it going. We leave and return to the BP Pulse the following day.
The difference in price with charging at home is stark. You can get off-peak rates for £14p/kWh. But the BP Pulse rapid charger will set you back six times that – 85p for contactless payment, but 69p for subscribers.
There is a literal cost at the heart of this. What Car? recently did a fair side-by-side comparison of electric models and their compatible ICE counterpart. It found that charging on the go actually worked out more expensive than filling the car up with petrol.
Using something like Zapmap, or ABRP (A Better Route Planner), will give you a detailed guide as to what is around, as well as whether it’s working or in use – although this isn’t always correct. I’d also recommend checking out EVANI’s website for lots of useful EV information from Northern Ireland.
Really, if you have a home charger – which you really do need when investing in an EV – you should only need to rapid charge when going on a long journey. And if you are continuing on a journey in one go, you’ll want something of at least 50kW charger, if not 100kW plus.
Most average EVs can charge from 20%-80% in around 30 minutes on these. Faster chargers and pricier vehicles can also see that reduce further still.
There definitely is a satisfaction being able to power your vehicle without ever having to visit a petrol station (most of the time and long journeys aside). I opted for the Zappi, which was purchased and installed by myenergi. It’ll allow you to charge at 7KW, which means plugging in when you get home and you’ll be back up to full charge in around eight hours.
This is all becomes easier if you have a driveway. And it’s the issue that people are facing in big metropolitan areas such as London. You might have a multi-million pound townhouse, but you’ll not have anywhere to park your car or install a charger with any great ease.
We’ve a decent space to the left of the house, so picked a spot close to the front of the property. The cables connecting to your fuse board inside are fairly chunky, but the installers managed to run them under the window sill and then into the wall. There is now a slightly unsightly cable on the inside of the hall, but it’ll get boxed off soon or at the very least painted to match the wall itself.
It’s very much plug and play. You may wish to have your scheduled charging set up (either on the myenergi app or your car’s own platform to schedule for off-peak hours, for example) but you can literally just plug the thing in and hit start, and it’ll begin – showing you how much power its taking in. Your car will also show your battery percentage and rough idea of how long it’ll take.
One thing to remember is this current generation of batteries prefers its life between 20% and 80%. So, most EVs are best to charge to 80% for general use on a regular basis, then charging to 100% when needed for longer journeys and when the car isn’t going to just sit there, idle, for a long time.
I initially had some trouble getting past 2.4KW in terms of the power I was drawing down. It wasn’t the charger’s fault, but turned out it was a setting in the car itself. You can also set your car up so it will only charge to 80% (or any other desired charge state).
The app also lets you monitor any renewable energy sources you have (primarily solar), but also allows you to see just home much power you are drawing from the grid, which might make you a little less keen to re-boil that kettle when you see just how much energy it uses.
It also tracks your charges and energy usage, and is a good way of knowing much you’re be spending when the bill comes through the door, assuming you know your cost per unit from your electricity supplier.
The ID.3 joins a range of Volkswagen EVs on its bespoke electric platform – it’s essentially its first EV built from the ground up, rather than the majority of those from the Stellantis Group, which usually have options right across EV and ICE.
It’s a sharp-looking motor – a slightly taller Golf with a higher driving position, but still very roomy inside. This is a three-year-old model with reasonably low mileage, and comes in an unmistakable metallic turquoise. You’ll not miss it when looking for it in the car park. One of the design attributes for me is that it looks like an EV. Some drivers, especially traditionalists, would prefer the switch to electric is a fluid one. They like grey saloons and they’d like it to stay that way.
So far, it’s been nothing but a positive experience. There’s a lot to like about the smoothness, easy of use, day-to-day practicality and modern feel of going electric. There’s never going to be the right time to switch. The first EV I drove was a Nissan Leaf which could go about 50 miles. Now, a reasonably priced Volkswagen will do 220 miles. Those with deeper pockets can avail of all many of huge battery vehicles with real world range in the higher 300s. They are always going to be getting better and cheaper.