Our electric car has left us feeling flat
OH, THE challenges and frustrations of an all-electric car! Four months ago, my husband decided to change his vehicle and, having done his research, the Nissan Leaf ticked all the boxes. With the Government pushing us towards electric cars and the rising price of fuel, it seemed the right decision. We put our new car to the test by driving from our home in Cheshire to Bristol, a distance of 143 miles. The battery was fully charged at home and had a range of 170 miles. In case we needed a top-up, we had researched where we could stop on the journey. We were driving at a steady 60mph when we stopped at a large garden centre off the M5 to test the electric power point, but discovered it was out of order. My husband bought a fleecy blanket to keep me warm as we realised we would need to conserve as much battery life as possible. Using the heater, heated seats and heated steering wheel were out of the question. We carried on to Gloucester Services, but were not able to activate the power point to top up our battery. We made two phone calls to the helpline, but each time were left on hold for eight minutes before being cut off. Had it not been for a kind gentleman in a Tesla car who parked alongside us and used his card to connect us to the power point, I am sure we would have been stranded. There are only four power points at the Gloucester North and South services, so when there are more electric cars on the road there will be a considerable wait for a charging point. Even a ‘fast’ charge can take half an hour — it is nothing like popping into a fuel station, filling up within minutes and driving away. We finally reached our destination six hours after setting off. This journey had taken us two-and-ahalf hours in our previous car. We visited the Bristol Nissan dealership the following day, but neither the manager nor five other staff were trained in how to help us. We were able to charge the car there for free, but were worried this would not give us enough battery life to get us back to Cheshire. We just about managed to make it home on that one charge (we must have had a tail wind!), travelling at only 50mph and without heating. We couldn’t even risk switching on the radio. The electric power points are owned by several different companies and are not user-friendly. They must be simplified and there should be a quick-pay card machine at the charging point. For short journeys, an electric car is ideal, but I would advise you to seriously consider whether one is the right vehicle for you if you need to make long trips.