[avtur3]

Bristol Royal Mail depot now using only electric vans:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-57256872

Royal Mail vehicles get an absolute hammering, it will be interesting to how these vehicles stand up in service, I believe they are Peugeot e-Experts.

[avtur3]

A slight negative announcement by HMRC a couple of days ago results in all public EV charging activity now attracts VAT at 20%. To date most suppliers had been charging the domestic rate of 5%.

Instavolt announced they would immediately pass the full increase on the their customers, saying that they were disappointed with the change and they they would not profit from the increase.

So any EV user who does not have the ability to charge at home now has to accept a 15% increase in 'fuel' costs. This may not be a deal breaker but it is hardly in the spirit of things when the government wants us to adopt EV's.

[kanga]

Trial of driverless electric 'buses in Cambridge:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-c ... e-57266371

[Propwash]

A slight negative announcement by HMRC a couple of days ago results in all public EV charging activity now attracts VAT at 20%. To date most suppliers had been charging the domestic rate of 5%.

Instavolt announced they would immediately pass the full increase on the their customers, saying that they were disappointed with the change and they they would not profit from the increase.

So any EV user who does not have the ability to charge at home now has to accept a 15% increase in 'fuel' costs. This may not be a deal breaker but it is hardly in the spirit of things when the government wants us to adopt EV's.

It is an immutable rule of life that when any activity reaches a certain level of popularity it will attract taxation. Where it was already previously taxed that rate will be increased. Making any lifestyle decisions based purely on current tax positions is rarely a sensible policy.

PW

[riverrock]

Bristol Royal Mail depot now using only electric vans:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-57256872

Royal Mail vehicles get an absolute hammering, it will be interesting to how these vehicles stand up in service, I believe they are Peugeot e-Experts.

For anything with lots of short distance, stop-start, electric makes perfect sense. Milkmen have been electric for a long time!
They will know the range their current vehicles do, so should be able to be confident in electric use.
https://business.peugeot.co.uk/business ... xpert.html

[JonathanB]

A slight negative announcement by HMRC a couple of days ago results in all public EV charging activity now attracts VAT at 20%. To date most suppliers had been charging the domestic rate of 5%.

I don’t believe it was a change, rather a clarification. They should have been charging 20% VAT all along.

Thankfully so far I only charge at home or occasionally at free charging points.

[malcolmfrost]

My postie says his van only does 8 miles a day and we live in the far reaches of Surrey. An electric van should be perfect. After all milk was delivered for years with EVs!

[Colonel Panic]

AIUI Instavolt's charge is now a "very competitive" 40p/kW inc VAT. That compares to Tesla's 28p, and my 5p night rate.

Imagine if dino-juice varied in cost like these!

[Rob P]

Royal Mail vehicles get an absolute hammering

I am mildly interested to know what sort of 'hammering' that posties may (or may not) give to their vehicles is likely to be problematic to an EV.

Bouncing off the rev limiter? Chugging along in too high a gear? Frequent cold starts? Neglecting to check the engine oil level? Riding the clutch? Dropping the clutch with a load of revs on?

It doesn't strike me that any of these apply to an EV

Rob P

[avtur3]

Royal Mail vehicles get an absolute hammering

I am mildly interested to know what sort of 'hammering' that posties may (or may not) give to their vehicles is likely to be problematic to an EV.

Bouncing off the rev limiter? Chugging along in too high a gear? Frequent cold starts? Neglecting to check the engine oil level? Riding the clutch? Dropping the clutch with a load of revs on?

It doesn't strike me that any of these apply to an EV

Rob P

You misunderstand, I wasn't being critical. The point is Royal Mail vehicles suffer at the hands of multiple drives, you only have to look at the state of the vehicles to realise that they are completely unloved. Putting EV's into their fleet will be good test, the EV drive train could go a long way to reducing a number of wear and tear type issues. The only factor that may be a problem is if they are driven with a heavy right foot the range/efficiency will suffer. Hopefully if they are spec'd up correctly, not just marginally up to the job, they could be quite successful.

[Colonel Panic]

For our (much loved) Postie, getting the van as dirty as possible seems to be a badge of honour - akin to him wearing shorts in two feet of snow.

[malcolmfrost]

Bizarrely our postie has just spent 2 hours on our drive after the gear lever came disconnected. Just had a new engine (who replaces an engine on a 5 year old van?).
Once the engine cooled we got him into reverse and then forward so he's gone now, 5 miles in second

[kanga]

Istr GPO vans based on Morris Minor, used by Telephones in dark green and iirc Royal Mail in red, had black rubber front wheel arches. I assumed this was because of expected numbers of encounters with unfriendly surfaces

[Jim Jones]

AIUI Instavolt's charge is now a "very competitive" 40p/kW inc VAT. That compares to Tesla's 28p, and my 5p night rate.

Imagine if dino-juice varied in cost like these!

I’ve just done my first trip away. Started from home 100% charged. Drove 110 miles mixed country side A-roads plus 35 miles motorway at 70 using adaptive cruise control.
Topped up to 80% at Keswick Booths supermarket at 35p per KWh £5.65. (InstaVolt) just using ordinary contactless payment.
Toured about The Lakes and coast for 2 days, topped up again, £5.95.
Set off again round various beauty spots for walks over 2 days. Set off for home showing 50%,enough to get home if no diversions etc. Topped up to be sure at a cafe in the Dales using Enginie ( need the App) from20% to 50% on the way. £5.
Home to recharge back to 80% overnight. £1.95.

The use of public chargers for me will be like this. To some extent paying 8 times the cost of home charging at InstaVolt is hardly here nor there. More important is reliability, something that InstaVolt seem good at from all reports. Sadly the motorway network sites have a very bad reputation but is being addressed by a merger/ takeover.

The annoying thing is the need for a range of RFID cards or Apps. Again this is being addressed. There will be some brand loyalty I guess, based on reliability as much as cost. Bit like being an Esso man, or BP devotee from bygone days.

[Rob P]

We need to question if the steering device in the 200 mph Tesla Model S Plaid (0-60 mph <2 seconds) is a yoke or the illegitimate offspring of the Austin Allegro's 'Quartic' wheel.

Not that Tesla owners favour much 'hands-on' driving.

Rob P