85p kW on the motorway - how can I pay less?

[DSLiverpool]

So looking to pick up the EQC from Ashford and drive back to Liverpool.

Planning to go clockwise M25 to M40 and I looked at charging on the M40 / Jesus.

Instavolt looks convenient but costs more than it’d cost in my 5.0 RR at 85p a kw!!

I’m told I get a Mercedes Me card but that’s just convenience not a discount.

Any tips from you seasoned chargers please.

[samoht]

It looks like there's an 'open' Tesla supercharger point at Banbury Cross Retail Park with 12 chargers, it would appear that you can charge there for 58p / kWh and should then get you to Liverpool.

I've not used the superchargers, I think you may need to install an app, but AIUI they're the cheapest option for fast charging en route.

https://www.tesla.com/en_gb/findus?v=2&bounds=...

https://www.tesla.com/en_gb/support/non-tesla-supe...

[PushedDover]

Saw the headline and thought one word answer



Tesla

[Blockbuster]

Signup for Electroverse. If you have enough charge to make it to Ionity at West Bromwich (just off the M6) then it’ll cost you 71p, and it’s usually a first rate experience with Ionity as well.

[Murph7355]

Feels like the networks are gouging at the minute, and desperately trying to maintain fossil fuel pricing structures....so you're a bit buggered.

Shouldn't be 85p though, even for the fastest chargers - I typically use Gridserve (reliable and 79p ish) or Ionity (reliable and 30p ish with a card I got with the car...but not many of them around).

[James6112]

A £60k+ car
Why worry about the £20 public charge ripoff (as in petrol cost,as a one off)!
Get it home & use public chargers as little as possible.

[DSLiverpool]

Murph7355 said:

Feels like the networks are gouging at the minute, and desperately trying to maintain fossil fuel pricing structures....so you're a bit buggered.

Shouldn't be 85p though, even for the fastest chargers - I typically use Gridserve (reliable and 79p ish) or Ionity (reliable and 30p ish with a card I got with the car...but not many of them around).

I’ve had an EV in the fleet since 2015 - number of times i charged away from home - 3 - and 2 of those were Rugby. It’ll be an adventure if nothing else.

[Murph7355]

DSLiverpool said:

I’ve had an EV in the fleet since 2015 - number of times i charged away from home - 3 - and 2 of those were Rugby. It’ll be an adventure if nothing else.

It'll be fine as long as you don't unduly worry about the cost (as noted above).

I've owned mine 5mths or so and used public chargers maybe 10 times. Only had "issues" twice....

The first was driving it home, when I couldn't get the charge point to accept cards or apps - customer services (BP Pulse) sorted it remotely. (Half wish they hadn't at 83p!).

The second was on Saturday when the Ionity charger I pulled up at was out of order. 2mins on and a neighbour had completed charging so I topped up and off I want.

It's a non-event. But it would be so much nicer if the prices were sensible.

[TheDeuce]

Blockbuster said:

Signup for Electroverse. If you have enough charge to make it to Ionity at West Bromwich (just off the M6) then it’ll cost you 71p, and it’s usually a first rate experience with Ionity as well.

Definitely sign up for electrovores, you get a discount at most chargers, it's free and instant - they will send you a physical card but in the interim you can just use the app to start the charge.

As others have said, it's a one off trip so not worth worrying about the one off cost really, but for general EV use having electroverse makes a lot of sense over and above the small saving it brings.

[jonathan_roberts]

Buy a Tesla instead.

[Paul Drawmer]

jonathan_roberts said:

Buy a Tesla instead.

Please explain why the OP should do this.

[jonathan_roberts]

Paul Drawmer said:

jonathan_roberts said:

Buy a Tesla instead.

Please explain why the OP should do this.

If you boil it down to bare figures, Teslas are the best performing EV with the best and cheapest charging network. Might not be to everyone’s tastes but if you are spending time posting on the internet working out how to avoid charging at 85p/kwh then you’re probably best buying a car that doesn’t make you feel like you’re being fleeced every time you charge away from home.

[DSLiverpool]

Paul Drawmer said:

jonathan_roberts said:

Buy a Tesla instead.

Please explain why the OP should do this.

The Tesla (Plaid aside) is white goods, the Merc is still a Merc and I like Mercs. I also like the fact it’s 33% off an admittedly over inflated price.

[jonathan_roberts]

DSLiverpool said:

Paul Drawmer said:

jonathan_roberts said:

Buy a Tesla instead.

Please explain why the OP should do this.

The Tesla (Plaid aside) is white goods, the Merc is still a Merc and I like Mercs. I also like the fact it’s 33% off an admittedly over inflated price.

Use the 33% to pay for convenience of expensive electricity :-)

[Zero Fuchs]

Don't get me wrong, "watch the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves" but for a long trip 2-3 times a year?

It'll be a drop in the ocean compared to the money spent or the 33% discount on the EQC. Whichever way you slice it, it's barely worth worrying about shirley?

I've still got a few ICE that I run alongside my EV. Usually when on a fairly long trip (few hundred miles) it costs more to park than charge the EV. But occasionally I like to go by ICE to stretch their legs and for a different experience. Relatively it costs a fortune but is so infrequent it's almost irrelevant.

[DSLiverpool]

It’s more not getting ripped off by not knowing than saving £20 or so.

I’ll get the MB app, better way app and the one mentioned above.

Just getting to bloody Ashford is a trek in itself.

[gmaz]

Paul Drawmer said:

jonathan_roberts said:

Buy a Tesla instead.

Please explain why the OP should do this.

Ashford to Liverpool just needs a 10 minute charge at Rugby, where there are 28 chargers at half the price of non-Tesla brands.

Tesla efficiency is about 4mi/Kwh whereas EQC is about 2.4mi/kWh so again, its cheaper to charge and less time spent re-charging.

Edited by gmaz on Tuesday 5th March 08:32

[rllmuk]

If you register for Ionity and get their passport it's £5 a month, with first month free, and when you then start the charge via the app is 54p per kwh, which is the cheapest, fastest public charger I've found (outside superchargers). Seem to be a few sites on that route so worth a look.

[DSLiverpool]

rllmuk said:

If you register for Ionity and get their passport it's £5 a month, with first month free, and when you then start the charge via the app is 54p per kwh, which is the cheapest, fastest public charger I've found (outside superchargers). Seem to be a few sites on that route so worth a look.

Perfect thank you !

[TheDeuce]

gmaz said:

Paul Drawmer said:

jonathan_roberts said:

Buy a Tesla instead.

Please explain why the OP should do this.

Ashford to Liverpool just needs a 10 minute charge at Rugby, where there are 28 chargers at half the price of non-Tesla brands.

The question was why buy a Tesla. The OP has already made it clear they hardly ever use public chargers.

Saving £20 a few times a year isn't a reason to limit ones car choice to a single brand.