My first go in an EV

[croyde]

Duster is in for a service and they've given me a brand new Renault Zoe electric as a courtesy car.

First impressions, very smooth and relaxing to drive. Drove from Weybridge to Wandsworth in the rush hour and I didn't get wound up like I usually do

Loads of oomph! off the line when you want it but now I know why everyone sticks to the 20mph limits.

I'm fascinated at increasing my range

I put it in D and another click and it's in B. Regen braking. Seems to feel like engine braking and the readout shows me charging the battery as much as using it.

Got to Wandsworth from Weybridge and started with 120 miles to empty, and still had 120 miles.

Now in back in Kingston and on 108 miles. I did boot it along the A3 and it does zip along although the steering felt odd above 60, need to look at the tyres.

So A3 whizzing along then past Roehampton gate it's a long downhill, 40 limit. Foot off the go pedal and I'm making electricity.

What dark art is this?

Despite a hater of screens, this one is OK as it's just for phone, music and nav, although you can see the map where the clocks would be.

I'm quite impressed from the driving seat but I don't like the looks from the outside. Too tall for a little car but I guess the floor is the battery.

Nice futuristic hum/whine too.



Got this in the back, hope I don't run out as I have no idea what to do with it

[leef44]

Sounds like a good first impression

[FarmyardPants]

You plug one end into the car
and stick the other up your ar^H^Hcharger

[croyde]

FarmyardPants said:

You plug one end into the car
and stick the other up your ar^H^Hcharger

Ahhh sooo! it runs on methane?

[Scrimpton]

You're doing it wrong. When you drive 20 miles in an EV you lose 70 miles of range, you're personally killing African children in Cobalt mines, Lithium is rare and yucky, you can't drive to Glasgow and back in one hit and nobody has a drive to park on and charge.

[OutInTheShed]

If it's your first go in an EV, you had a terrible childhood, deprived of the dodgems!

[TheDeuce]

Scrimpton said:

You're doing it wrong. When you drive 20 miles in an EV you lose 70 miles of range, you're personally killing African children in Cobalt mines, Lithium is rare and yucky, you can't drive to Glasgow and back in one hit and nobody has a drive to park on and charge.

Agree. The only point of EV's is the stupidly fast 0-60 times of the stupidly expensive ones.

We can't have normal people trying normal EV's and haplessly declaring them to be a superior type of car... This is piston heads! What will all the old shed drivers think!? Banging on for decades (lying) about how their old V6 Mondeo somehow gets 50mpg because they drive it sensibly, tuppence for brand new part worn tyres, £15 retro fit seat warmers bought from the local BP.

Don't presume the right to come into these forums and claim to have tried a grass roots EV and like it!! What next? I suppose you think EV's will be the future


(My tongue just pierced my cheek)

[Minsky]

Glad you like it. It really is a great car. Don’t tell anyone but BEVs are better than ICE by a country mile. Anyway:

You can switch the sound off under 30mph by pressing the button on the right of the steering wheel - under the switch to open the charging port.

Plug your iPhone into one of the ports and you have Apple CarPlay

Like any EV you can sometimes find free filling. Worth discovering anywhere local. If you end up with one and you go to octopus you can fill for 12p kWh at night - waking up to a car ready to go is great.

My only gripe with the Zoe is that you can’t change the seat height but you get used to it.

The duster is a great car but I couldn’t go back to an ICE.

Have fun. Just keep it under your hat.

[LeoSayer]

That mirrors my first experience albeit with a Leaf.

The smoothness and power when pulling away is where it is massively better than any ICE car over driven. The only thing that comes close was the first time I drove a V6 with a slush box.

[PF62]

And unlike an ICE, with a EV that has timed / remote pre-conditioning you never have to scrape the windscreen in the winter or suffer getting into a meltingly hot car in the summer - the car is the perfect temperature every time you get in.

[silent ninja]

The level of refinement is something else, especially in the slightly more premium cars which have better dampening, insulation etc. When you go back to ice and feel those vibrations on the steering wheel and pedals, it really feels like ancient tech. This is the way for the 5 series and above type audience looking for comfort.

I know they instantaneously respond in straight line speed but it's a bit nauseating when EVs do that versus ICE which have a glorious sound track to go with it.

[dapprman]

Oddly enough I changed from a Duster to a Zoe as my second car, though a lot as due to post back operation meaning great improvements in life but uncertainty if I could use a manual gearbox when the back was playing up (though a lot less) (slipped disk trapped the nerve associated with the lower left leg - when back plays up pressing a clutch pedal becomes an issue - was fortunate i also had an automatic at the same time when it went).
Now selling the Zoe, but only because I consolidated from the big Lexus and the Zoe to a GV60.

[cerb4.5lee]

OutInTheShed said:

If it's your first go in an EV, you had a terrible childhood, deprived of the dodgems!

It always felt like a dodgem had ran into the back of me with my first go in an EV...because the brake regeneration was so annoying! Everyone kept telling me how smooth/refined EVs were, but the poxy brake regeneration ruins the smoothness for me(you can turn it off thankfully though at least I believe).

[Diderot]

cerb4.5lee said:

OutInTheShed said:

If it's your first go in an EV, you had a terrible childhood, deprived of the dodgems!

It always felt like a dodgem had ran into the back of me with my first go in an EV...because the brake regeneration was so annoying! Everyone kept telling me how smooth/refined EVs were, but the poxy brake regeneration ruins the smoothness for me(you can turn it off thankfully though at least I believe).

Yep, I always have one pedal mode off.

[croyde]

I mentioned odd handling and steering feeling weird the only time I topped 60.

I was taking my time moving across to lane 1 on the 3 lane A3.

Steering seemed to be fighting me.

Realised later that the car has lane departure warning. Could this have been it?

[Scrimpton]

Almost certainly, I turn it off in my car as I find it annoying.

[SWoll]

cerb4.5lee said:

It always felt like a dodgem had ran into the back of me with my first go in an EV...because the brake regeneration was so annoying! Everyone kept telling me how smooth/refined EVs were, but the poxy brake regeneration ruins the smoothness for me(you can turn it off thankfully though at least I believe).

Takes time to adjust, you very quickly get used to modulating your inputs assuming you have any feel in your right foot.

Our etron has a clever setup, the left steering wheel paddle adds regen (2 levels), the right paddle removes it. My wife a big fan of one pedal driving, me not so much, so a great solution that allows quick adjustment on the fly.

croyde said:

I mentioned odd handling and steering feeling weird the only time I topped 60.

I was taking my time moving across to lane 1 on the 3 lane A3.

Steering seemed to be fighting me.

Realised later that the car has lane departure warning. Could this have been it?

100% this will be the issue. The first thing I turn off with a click on the stalk in our car whenever I get in, hateful invention.

Edited by SWoll on Saturday 28th January 21:45

[annodomini2]

croyde said:

I mentioned odd handling and steering feeling weird the only time I topped 60.

I was taking my time moving across to lane 1 on the 3 lane A3.

Steering seemed to be fighting me.

Realised later that the car has lane departure warning. Could this have been it?

It's called Lane Keep Assist and most implementations are terrible. Only one that I've driven that works is Tesla's, which only interferes if there is something for you to hit.

[Minsky]

cerb4.5lee said:

It always felt like a dodgem had ran into the back of me with my first go in an EV...because the brake regeneration was so annoying! Everyone kept telling me how smooth/refined EVs were, but the poxy brake regeneration ruins the smoothness for me(you can turn it off thankfully though at least I believe).

Like being able to heel and toe driving smoothly with one pedal takes a bit of practice and skill. It annoys the hell out of people behind you as your brake lights will often be coming on way earlier. But anyone used to a heavy clutch will learn pretty quickly and it soon becomes second nature. Get it right and you become a better driver as you're forced to anticipate. Very easy to do 200 miles without touching the pedal once.

One pedal driving is like making love to a beautiful woman. You have to have a light touch and gently caress her pedals and know when it is time to smoothly withdraw.

Edited by Minsky on Saturday 28th January 23:18

[cerb4.5lee]

Minsky said:

cerb4.5lee said:

It always felt like a dodgem had ran into the back of me with my first go in an EV...because the brake regeneration was so annoying! Everyone kept telling me how smooth/refined EVs were, but the poxy brake regeneration ruins the smoothness for me(you can turn it off thankfully though at least I believe).

Like being able to heel and toe driving smoothly with one pedal takes a bit of practice and skill. It annoys the hell out of people behind you as your brake lights will often be coming on way earlier. But anyone used to a heavy clutch will learn pretty quickly and it soon becomes second nature. Get it right and you become a better driver as you're forced to anticipate. Very easy to do 200 miles without touching the pedal once.

One pedal driving is like making love to a beautiful woman. You have to have a light touch and gently caress her pedals and know when it is time to smoothly withdraw.

Edited by Minsky on Saturday 28th January 23:18

That is top class to be fair!

I'd rather fk the whole electric bks off completely though!

It was an answer to a question that nobody asked for me.