Top tips on recharging

HOME CHARGER A HOME charging point will usually be fitted for free when you buy the car, thanks to Government grants to encourage EV use. You may want to upgrade to a 7kw charger if your car has the capacity to accept it, or if you want to ‘future proof’ your installation for an upgraded car you may one day purchase.

ELECTRICITY DEALS CHECK your electricity supplier’s prices. It makes sense to move to a deal that has the lowest price per kwh but a higher standing charge, as you will become a heavy user. If you will charge your car mostly at night, consider an Economy 7 meter with cheaper rates in the early hours. The Leaf has a programmable charging timer that can make the most of this.

PLAN AHEAD IF you plan longer journeys carefully, they needn’t be stressful. A Leaf’s satellite navigation lists charge points, but websites such as Zap-map (www.zap-map.com) are more detailed, telling you what type it is and whether it’s currently working.

PHONEONE RECEPTION WHEN using a public charge point controlled by an app,, make sure your mobile phone reception is good enoughugh to receive data. Otherwise you could be waitingg a while for the instructions to reach the charge post. It’s especially a problem in multi-multistorey carcar parks or places with a lot of people, such as concertscerts and theme parks. BE POLITE EV owners are generally friendly, and most will move off a charging spot once they have enough power to get home – leaving it free for another driver to use. Make sure you follow this etiquette, too, or you could be seriously inconveniencing someone.

ON THE SPOT DESPITE clear markings and the threat of fines, some internal-combustion engine car drivers still park in EV charging spots. In the EV community it’s know as being ‘ICED’, and there are Twitter and Facebook pages dedicated to shaming offenders. If you really need to charge and are blocked, ask the service station or shop staff to make an announcement asking the driver to move.