New EV due Jan - WaEV charger install

[Sebbak]

So I'm getting my first EV in Jan (Ioniq 5N - excited is an understatement!) and I'm currently sorting out my charger install from a company called WaEV. It seems like they're quite a small company in the huge pond of EV charger suppliers, but on recommendation from a friend and a check of their reviews, it appears they're a pretty solid lot - has anyone else used or even heard of them? I'll update how things go if anyone is interested.

Aside from that, are there any tips from EV veterans that would be handy to know between now and getting the car? I understand that charging/efficiency may be lower in the winter months, so I'm expecting that to a degree, but is there anything where you thought 'I wish I knew that' soon after getting the car itself?

It's going to be like Christmas 2.0 in Jan

[gmaz]

Sort out your EV tariff. Octopus Intelligent Go is probably the best at the moment but I don't know if that will work with your charger/car combination.

If you're on Octopus, get an Electroverse card for ease of charging.

Install and be familiar with a mapping app like zap-map.

[Sebbak]

gmaz said:

Sort out your EV tariff. Octopus Intelligent Go is probably the best at the moment but I don't know if that will work with your charger/car combination.

If you're on Octopus, get an Electroverse card for ease of charging.

Install and be familiar with a mapping app like zap-map.

Ah yeah, good point. We're with British Gas at the moment and it looks like their EV charging tariff is relatively good compared to others (though Octopus is looking best as you say). I'll look at the Octopus Go/charger combination, cheers!

[IanJ9375]

What a place to kick off the EV journey lol
The N is sure to be a riot - enjoy!

[IanJ9375]

Sebbak said:

Ah yeah, good point. We're with British Gas at the moment and it looks like their EV charging tariff is relatively good compared to others (though Octopus is looking best as you say). I'll look at the Octopus Go/charger combination, cheers!

I'm on Octopus Go so the 5hrs of cheap rate which works really well - British Gas do a very similar one to this going by my neighbour using his Ioniq5
Depending on your usage that 5hrs might be more than adequate and it's pretty much works for us apart from when a quick turnaround is required - 20500 miles done this year so far with only a few public charging trips needed when away on holiday and a few hours here or there needed on peak at home

[Sebbak]

IanJ9375 said:

Sebbak said:

Ah yeah, good point. We're with British Gas at the moment and it looks like their EV charging tariff is relatively good compared to others (though Octopus is looking best as you say). I'll look at the Octopus Go/charger combination, cheers!

I'm on Octopus Go so the 5hrs of cheap rate which works really well - British Gas do a very similar one to this going by my neighbour using his Ioniq5
Depending on your usage that 5hrs might be more than adequate and it's pretty much works for us apart from when a quick turnaround is required - 20500 miles done this year so far with only a few public charging trips needed when away on holiday and a few hours here or there needed on peak at home

My useage is relatively low, and I only need to go to the office twice a week, so charging should (hopefully) be a doddle using the overnight cheap rate almost exclusively. I've been scoping out fast chargers for our likely Devon/Cornwall trip next year and it looks like the route from here is pretty well serviced!

Yeah, I5N is maybe jumping into the deep end a bit! But I'm sure my current Fiesta ST has put me in good stead

[pills]

If you haven't got a smart meter get one ordered now.

[Sebbak]

pills said:

If you haven't got a smart meter get one ordered now.

I should have said, but yes, I do have a smart meter already. Good point easily forgotten though!

[Mark V GTD]

Pick up my Honda EV on Tuesday - got the overnight tarrif sorted but just planning to plug it in to the three pin as only do 200 miles a week.

[Martyn76]

I'm with OVO, using the OVO Charge Anytime free add-on and app I can charge at 7p at any time, had my OHME smart charger installed by them too and can say it was very straightforward.

[Mark V GTD]

I’m just struggling with the concept of spending £1000 on a wall box which will wipe out all the savings!

[Sebbak]

Mark V GTD said:

I’m just struggling with the concept of spending £1000 on a wall box which will wipe out all the savings!

Well for me, some back of fag packet maths shows:

Approx £97 a month on petrol = £1,164 over a year

Approx £20 a month home charging = £240 over a year (based on me charging the I5N at home, 0-80% x 4 on the cheap overnight rate only)

Difference = £924

My own installation is quoted as around £1100 currently, which is probably on the more expensive side as it's not a straight forward one, so I'm recouping that within about 14-15 months. Keeping the car for much longer, so makes sense in this situation. Yeah, I might have to charge in the daytime or maybe even supercharge it once or twice in that time, but I'd say that within 18 months the cost is mostly recovered (in my case that is).

So let's say it takes 18 months to recover the costs and I keep the car for 5yrs, not unreasonable I think?

That leaves 42 months at approx £20 a month charging = £840

42 months on my current £97 a month = £4074. Total difference over 5yrs is £3234. Again, all extremely rough figures and, yes, we're not saving tens of thousands, but it adds up.

Plus, although the I5N is not an efficient EV, I'm not aware of many (any?) traditionally fueled 600bhp ICE cars that you can run for a monthly fuel cost of £20, unless you're only driving to the end of the driveway and back. I'm not starting the billionth EV vs ICE debate here, just stating what I believe to be accurate (if somewhat sarcastic). More than happy to be corrected.

Posting this I feel I've potentially bodged the numbers somewhere, as I think I should be getting a £3520 saving by using (97x60) - (20x60)+(1100)... please let me know. Strongly lacking coffee at the moment

[JQ]

Based on your usage I wouldn't get one. You'll be absolutely fine with a 3 pin plug, and if it doesn't work out you can just get one at a later date.

My wife got an EV with similar usage to you and it was fine charging off the 3 pin plug. I then got an EV and we got a charger installed. I'll be honest with a bit of careful planning we could probably run both cars without the charger as I'm not doing a high mileage either.

Our neighbour has a Model Y and they run that without a charger.

Honestly, get the car, try it with the granny charger and then make the decision.

[Sebbak]

JQ said:

Based on your usage I wouldn't get one. You'll be absolutely fine with a 3 pin plug, and if it doesn't work out you can just get one at a later date.

My wife got an EV with similar usage to you and it was fine charging off the 3 pin plug. I then got an EV and we got a charger installed. I'll be honest with a bit of careful planning we could probably run both cars without the charger as I'm not doing a high mileage either.

Our neighbour has a Model Y and they run that without a charger.

Honestly, get the car, try it with the granny charger and then make the decision.

A fair point and I did consider that, but something I omitted from the previous post is that I may be able to grab a promotion soon and with that, more travelling will be required, so it's a bit of future proofing too. Would still be much cheaper than my current vehicle overall, but I'm taking the belt and braces approach at the moment.

Appreciate the point though, makes absolute sense if only needing to charge occasionally for the majority of the time!

[SteBrown91]

Mark V GTD said:

I’m just struggling with the concept of spending £1000 on a wall box which will wipe out all the savings!

Its easy.

My old diesel was costing me between £2200 and £2400 a year (depending on price flutuations, mileage etc)

Charging exclusively at 7p/kw for the same mileage is around low £400s per year.

I am over 3 months in and the charger well on its way to being paid for.

[IanJ9375]

Checkout your supplier for any deals/incentives to use their scheme -

Octopus as an example - https://octopus.energy/get-an-ev-charger/

Have also seen some chargers in Costco priced about the £500-600 mark but obviously you'd need someone happy to install it

[ashenfie]

Just get the charger install by a local electrician, Saves time and is safe and lets face it you spending 1000s on the car, and you going to scrimp on the charger?

[Greenmantle]

ashenfie said:

Just get the charger install by a local electrician, Saves time and is safe and lets face it you spending 1000s on the car, and you going to scrimp on the charger?

Yes agree.

I got my charger installed back in July 2022. Got a local electrician to do it and the total cost was £800 for the Zappi and £600 install so not cheap.
I finally got my EV in July 2024. Charging is really easy. I just charge it when range drops below 100 miles. In fact I just realised that I don' have a granny charger.

[Sebbak]

Minor, if somewhat boring, update; all installed and commissioned. Bloke was here about 3hrs all told, as it was a little faffy due to the front to back routing, but got there in the end!

No car to test charging on though, so will have to wait and see when that day comes

[FiF]

Martyn76 said:

I'm with OVO, using the OVO Charge Anytime free add-on and app I can charge at 7p at any time, had my OHME smart charger installed by them too and can say it was very straightforward.

I'm with OVO Anytime too, though it's not quite charge at 7p literally Anytime.

If it is would like to know why mine is different.

Essentially in my case the app gives session times when the 7p price will apply. This is overnight every night but sometimes spells during the day. Both the charger app and the Anytime App allow me to charge outside these declared ' session times' but at full price.

In session charging is at the full rate, your normal tariff rate, but is then discounted to the 7p by a credit to your bill.

I think, not tried it yet, but if left car plugged in all the time then the charger a Hypervolt running in OVO mode would just automatically top it up at 7p whenever OVO declared a cheap session. There was one the other morning up to 10am but car had 85% so didn't bother.

If it's different arrangement with another setup that would be interesting. Ohme charger not an option for us as was told it communicates over 4G and the service round here is very hit and miss so had to go wifi.
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