Electric cars - so worried

[Northernlurker]

I keep worrying about being forced to buy an electric car when I change my car in a few years.
Reason being the long journeys and (mostly) self catering we love. In Scotland.
We need a range around 50% higher than the current max. It's no good saying charge it on the way if there are no fast chargers. Been looking at details today, even the fastest chargers need just over 30 minutes. Thousands of people drive UJ the Highlands and Islands annually. There won't be anything like enough chargers to cover that. We can charge overnight using an ordinary plug but it's not going to hit the max. Feel like we will spend the whole time worrying about finding a free charger in the middle of nowhere.
How is this ever going to work? It takes two Minutes to fill up a tank with petrol, electric is going to take hours!

Electric isn't the future and never will be , the upgrades to infrastructure, charging points for houses without drives ect won't happen.

I am not sure what Is, only other thing I can suggest is buy a hybrid as it's a halfway house.

Why would you be worrying about this?! Only a small percentage of new cars are currently electric, new cars don’t have to be electric until 2035 and by then the infrastructure will be in place and maximum travel distances will be longer. This is literally never going to be a problem for you.

You're literally fretting over a holiday you take what- once, twice a year? I'm sure you'll manage 🙄

Who will force you to buy one?

Scotland has a fantastic national charging network, better than most countries in Europe. I have taken my EV to multiple islands and several trips to the western highlands. There’s an abundance of chargers. Never been a problem.

The western highlands must have more chargers to head of population than anywhere else in the UK. Get a grip. No one is forcing you to buy an electric car.

Hmm. You really are worrying unnecessarily!

There are loads of fast chargers in Scotland! Most of them are free - run by Chargeplace Scotland. Have you looked on Zap Map to see?

We holiday in the Highlands and Islands and really haven't had any difficulty.

And as you say, you can take your three pin plug with you if you need to charge overnight at the self catering cottage - our car puts on 130 miles overnight like that.

If you are going somewhere very remote like the far north of scotland you have to plan petrol station stops in just the same way.

Is 30 mins to full charge really such a disaster when you are on holiday? By the time you have been to the loo, picked up some milk an bread and a coffee and drunk it, you're good to go!

Loads of solutions.
Buy a new car before the rules change and keep it for years
Buy a good second hand combustion engine car when you need one
Hire a van
Hope the infrastructure and/or exchangeable batteries are sorted or ranges increase.

The infrastructure is coming
A 30 min break isn't that long once you go to the loo and get a coffee
One guy drive lands end to John i groats in an electric car , with one charging stop - I'd need more breaks than that

It's a change but it will be ok

Since those of us who actually live in rural Scotland like to occasionally visit the shops, access healthcare and go on holiday ourselves, I think it's fair to assume that by the time all new cars are electric there will be lots more public charging capacity. Otherwise you won't be able to walk down the street without tripping over cables hanging out of the windows of people without drives.

I wouldn't worry too much, I've been on the waiting list for mine for nearly a year now and it hasn't even been built yet. There'll be flying cars before I get the bloody thing

The infrastructure is coming. They wont leave the highlands high and dry.

13 years till new cars will be electric. Will still get second hand petrol for many many years after that. This changeover is something planned to take a generation. Calm down.

Omg.
The people living in Scotland will need chargers. There will be chargers. You will be fine.

You're letting your anxiety get the run of you OP. It's really not something to waste time fretting over at this stage.

I've got a Petrol/Electric Hybrid car that I love driving and I'll be happily buying a fully electric car when I trade this in, but that won't be for a year or two yet. I currently charge the car at the house using a granny charger in the evenings and use it on electric mode to do my local shopping trips and school run. I only use petrol when driving further afield.

Maybe hire a petrol hybrid car for a week and try it out for yourself and stop letting your fear of the unknown causing you anxiety.

The only people who get range anxiety are those who don't own or drive electric cars. We are planning a cross Europe trip for next year in our electric. There are hundreds of YouTube videos of people doing these trips. Something like the Hyundai ionic 5 can charge 60% of its battery in 11 minutes at a fast charger. Do you drive more than 300miles without stopping for a ten minute wee?

Reason being the long journeys and (mostly) self catering we love. In Scotland.

You know some of us actually do actually live in Scotland, like ALL THE TIME, and have infrastructure and stuff?

Christ. Talk about first world problems.

Anyway, your worries are needless: the legislation applies to new cars only, won't be in place until at least 2030, and battery technology is accelerating by the day.

I hear there's a bit of an issue in Ukraine ATM if you're looking for something to get properly concerned about?

I’m not sure if this is a serious post or not, but all the majors are investing in super fast chargers, they will be in restaurants, service stations, car parks, everywhere, and it’s a decade away.

Honestly you really don’t need to be worrying about your holidays that far away.

It's 13 years before all new cars have to be electric and even then, petrol will still be phased out for years after that. By which time, the infrastructure will be in place to support the charging. No doubt the range and speed of charging will have improved no end. 13 years ago, Netflix hadn't even started. iPhones only launched in 2007. Technology changes so fast, worrying about what you'll do in over a decade is pointless because it will have moved on so far.

I wish we could just somehow swap the battery but unless they stop weighing so much then never going to happen. Or a charged liquid could just be poured in - but again nope!

You are aware that millions of people live, work and drive in Scotland all year round? And we have electricity just like England too 🙄

The only people who get range anxiety are those who don't own or drive electric cars.

I have to agree with this. My DH recently opted into his company's green car scheme and we're wondering why we didn't change earlier. The lowest our battery has gone is 60% after a week of commuting. We can see the nearest fast chargers and they usually have at least 8 available spaces (out of 10 or 12). I can't imagine our area is an exception to the rule as we pass plenty of electric cars day to day.

Electric isn't the future and never will be , the upgrades to infrastructure, charging points for houses without drives ect won't happen

I disagree. What exactly do you predict the alternative to fossil fuel is then

Infrastructure is improving all the time. I wouldn't consider buying a new petrol only car now, we're looking at hybrid minimum but probably full electric.

What an oddly specific worry

I have a fully electric car. Bought the bigger battery. The range is 300 miles which I have gotten in it. There are super fast chargers which can charge to 80% in about 14 mins. It's time to get a cup of coffee and stretch your legs. I love driving and after the initial range anxiety I realised I was being ridiculous. Also the normal plug charger works fine overnight so you plug into wherever you are self catering and then charge along the way if there's not enough. TBH though I can't see people bring FORCED to buy them. There will still a second hand market for fossil fuel cars and there will be new ones too. Realistically it will be 20 years I'd say before ECV's are the overwhelming majority

It's years and years before all new cars will have to be fully electric. Even then you could buy a second hand petrol car if you wanted. If the infrastructure isn't sufficiently developed by 2030/35 then the target will have to be missed. So don't worry about it.