Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Electric car charger but no drive

72 replies

HammergoHammer · 12/01/2023 07:50

Hi,
I am considering buying a house with no drive but I know I want an electric car in the future.
The house is opposite a large supermarket with a car charger. Do you think this would work as a longer term option? Would they notice?

OP posts:
InMySpareTime · 12/01/2023 09:04

I think people without EVs assume we must charge up every night, and every time we park up anywhere.
With 2-300 miles range, and given UK drivers go an average 20 miles a day, you only need to charge every couple of weeks. I'm sure you can find somewhere to park and charge in that time.

ThreeblackCats · 12/01/2023 09:08

We have an electric car. The chargers at our local Tesco are low wattage and in two hours (time for shopping and pop into our local pub for a drink) it charges about 10% or something low.

Rapid chargers, as found on the motorway, fully charge from 30% in about an hour.

Find out if they have rapid chargers near you.

We charge at home for the majority, so my apologies if my numbers are a bit off.

InMySpareTime · 12/01/2023 09:10

@BarbaraofSeville most people don't drive hundreds of miles a day, and everyone parks somewhere at some point. You can just charge while you get some food or stop for a loo break.
Unlike ICEs, you don't have to stay at the car while you refuel an EV, you can do other things, like have meetings, or go to a shop.

Electric car charger but no drive
BarbaraofSeville · 12/01/2023 09:11

If you only need to drive 20 miles a day you can go a week or two between charges. Many people drive a lot further than that, sometimes going further than the range in a day. So they have to account for charging time in what could already be a very long day. And if you have to use service station chargers, they are expensive.

But if your mileage that low, the extra cost of an electric car means that it is a very expensive alternative.

As it happens, 20 miles a day on average, or 7000 miles a year is pretty much what I drive. A year ago I bought a 2 YO small petrol car for just over £8k. The same car in the electric version costs over twice as much. It would take about a decade before I broke even cost-wise.

So either way, to many, electric is currently a luxury that is not justifiable/affordable.

Stockcleandemon · 12/01/2023 09:16

Don’t buy an electric car if you don’t have a drive .. we do and only occasionally need to use a charge at services or supermarket .. in our experience there is nearly always a queue or they don’t work . You will probably have range anxiety for a bit anyway so don’t make it worse by having anxiety about being able to charge .

Thesealsknowsheismagic · 12/01/2023 09:18

It depends on the supermarket. Some have maximum time limits you can be there. Most now charge. If they don’t charge they are almost definitely slow chargers and, yes, the supermarket would notice an ev car plugged in all night.

And yes I do have an electric car. It’s a company car and I charge at the office. That lasts me all weekend. We have a caravan and the caravan park has chargers too, that’s the furthest we go in that car. I wouldn’t rely only on a local supermarket.

Why not get a hybrid? My friend has the Hyundai plug in hybrid. Charges when in sports mode or can be plugged in. It’s great.

OhWifey · 12/01/2023 09:23

@UnhappyAcademic it's on my driveway. The cable goes into the garage then into an extension lead in there. If tripping is the only problem then surely that's a problem with a wall box too! Maybe even more so as the cable potentially rests higher up.

MonsterChopz · 12/01/2023 09:28

We've had an Ev for 11 months and have no off street parking. It's not been a problem for us using public chargers. We are fairly average users mileage wise, approx 1000 miles per month and charge the car once or twice a week using public chargers.

Our car only takes about 40 mins for a full charge so I usually make a coffee, grab my IPad and nip out at night and get 40 mins peace and quiet to charge while having my coffee and watching trash TV on the IPad.

bumbinobum · 12/01/2023 09:29

It depends on your area but in our area people regularly have to wait to use the chargers. And I've seen people get rather angry when people use the charging bags as full on parking spaces for the whole day.
My friend actually ran out of electricity while they waited although I'm not sure how they let it get to that point!

I don't think it's works. I'm sure some people do it but it does appear to be with great difficulty.

bumbinobum · 12/01/2023 09:30

Charging bays!

SamanthaCaine · 12/01/2023 09:31

InMySpareTime · 12/01/2023 09:04

I think people without EVs assume we must charge up every night, and every time we park up anywhere.
With 2-300 miles range, and given UK drivers go an average 20 miles a day, you only need to charge every couple of weeks. I'm sure you can find somewhere to park and charge in that time.

You find people who don't own EV's assume a lot of things, often complete nonsense.

Sadly what they don't tell you when buying an EV is how many people will openly tell you that you're wrong or how they're no good 😂. I've had colleagues and family members rush to tell me what a mistake I'd made 🤦

I also know someone who leased an EV without a drive. She managed just fine with an eGolf and a 100 mile range. She lives in a town with just two chargers but loved it so much she now has an iX3. As you say, you only need to charge occasionally and is remarkably like having to visit a petrol station.

But she's a doctor so can lease these through the NHS for peanuts though. Even with elevated electricity costs, it's a no brainer.

gldd · 12/01/2023 09:34

No one has a petrol pump at home but we manage ok..

If you have to charge at home, run a the cable across your pavement with an EV pavement cable cover (i've seen loads of these around north London).

Or go to a public charge point when you need to, the same way you go to the petrol station now. There may not be enough right now, but more and more are being installed.

BunchHarman · 12/01/2023 09:34

Don’t bother with the EV, they’re not the answer.

ProserpinaProserpina · 12/01/2023 09:34

Don’t do it. Our neighbours have an electric car and no drive. If you park outside their house (on the road), they come and ask you to move. CFers.

Lancasterel · 12/01/2023 09:37

Would the supermarket charger be a fast charger? Would it not be really expensive?
Our EV is now only cheap enough to run because we have an EV electricity tariff and charge at home. It’s still gone up from 5p/kwh to 12p/kWh and that is the best we can get. Friends recently had to charge their EV at a motorway service area - pricier than a supermarket I know - and it was 84p/kwh 😱

HereLiesBetelgeuse · 12/01/2023 09:37

I have an EV, no drive and no road access to my house. We use the public chargers, just plug in once or twice a week while walking the dog. My council area charges 25p per kwh which is cheaper than my home electricity. The next council over is free charging so if shopping further afield can charge for free.

SamanthaCaine · 12/01/2023 09:39

BunchHarman · 12/01/2023 09:34

Don’t bother with the EV, they’re not the answer.

The answer for what, life, happiness, world hunger?

EV's outsold petrol cars last month so they seem to be the answer for a lot of people nowadays.

Was the answer for me 5 years ago and still today.

oudie · 12/01/2023 09:41

You are allowed to use public chargers, you pay for it though. Are there still free chargers in supermarkets? None round here are, the last one to charge was Tesco and that was introduced last year. So yes you could use the supermarket charger but you can only park for so long so would have to move your car once charged. DD has an electric car and relies on public charging without issue. For me it would be a pita as it often means walking back to the house from the charger up to a mile away. I wouldn't be able but she is young and I bothered by it.

oudie · 12/01/2023 09:41

You are allowed to use public chargers, you pay for it though. Are there still free chargers in supermarkets? None round here are, the last one to charge was Tesco and that was introduced last year. So yes you could use the supermarket charger but you can only park for so long so would have to move your car once charged. DD has an electric car and relies on public charging without issue. For me it would be a pita as it often means walking back to the house from the charger up to a mile away. I wouldn't be able but she is young and I bothered by it.

hartof · 12/01/2023 09:43

I have a drive but it isn't on the right side of the house to have a proper charging point so I use a 3 pin plug. However, I also live next to a massive Tesco with 4 charging spots and I regularly get a spot there if I want a bit of a faster charge (and it's 28p kwh so cheaper than home electric) The car dealership kept telling us we were mad to buy it on the basis of using the Tesco charger but it's worked out fine for us.

hartof · 12/01/2023 09:43

I have a drive but it isn't on the right side of the house to have a proper charging point so I use a 3 pin plug. However, I also live next to a massive Tesco with 4 charging spots and I regularly get a spot there if I want a bit of a faster charge (and it's 28p kwh so cheaper than home electric) The car dealership kept telling us we were mad to buy it on the basis of using the Tesco charger but it's worked out fine for us.

hartof · 12/01/2023 09:43

I have a drive but it isn't on the right side of the house to have a proper charging point so I use a 3 pin plug. However, I also live next to a massive Tesco with 4 charging spots and I regularly get a spot there if I want a bit of a faster charge (and it's 28p kwh so cheaper than home electric) The car dealership kept telling us we were mad to buy it on the basis of using the Tesco charger but it's worked out fine for us.

blebbleb · 12/01/2023 09:43

Collywibbles · 12/01/2023 07:59

And herein lies one of the big challenges of trying to get us all to go electric. The infrastructure to support it is simply not there across the uk. And I don't see how it can be in the amount needed v housing types.

Yes the government don't look at this side of things. They just want the public to be jumping for joy about them being climate friendly.

blebbleb · 12/01/2023 09:43

Collywibbles · 12/01/2023 07:59

And herein lies one of the big challenges of trying to get us all to go electric. The infrastructure to support it is simply not there across the uk. And I don't see how it can be in the amount needed v housing types.

Yes the government don't look at this side of things. They just want the public to be jumping for joy about them being climate friendly.

blebbleb · 12/01/2023 09:43

Collywibbles · 12/01/2023 07:59

And herein lies one of the big challenges of trying to get us all to go electric. The infrastructure to support it is simply not there across the uk. And I don't see how it can be in the amount needed v housing types.

Yes the government don't look at this side of things. They just want the public to be jumping for joy about them being climate friendly.