My NW UK EV experience

I love the look and design of the Honda E but it was way out of my price range and like you had concerns over public charging. In the end I bought a BMW i3 with the range extender (basically a motorbike engine in the boot that can charge the battery) on the idea that if I have a long journey and need a top up its a lot easier to stick some fuel in than charge in public, should I be unable to find a good public charger that isn’t 85p! It’s cheaper to run on the petrol than at that price on electric. But really day to day is so much cheaper with a 9p kw/h overnight rate and average 4 miles per Kw on my commute I haven’t looked back yet.

I bought a RAV4 Prime plugin hybrid as my first electric. I wish the price delta over the standard hybrid version weren't so high, but given the low supply in comparison to demand, it is what it is. At least I only had to pay sticker price. The nice thing about the plugin hybrid is that I am all electric when running errands nearby, and hybrid at any other time. It's very convenient and the best of both worlds. I suspect we'll be seeing a lot more hybrids and plugin hybrids selling over the next several years.

Very interesting review, Mat. Looks like it certainly pays to do very thorough research before purchasing. Looking forward to you purchasing / reviewing a hydrogen fuel cell car next! 🙂

I always had an interest for them cameras. However while they are not ilegal. In Germany, using them can get you into a lot of trouble. On the other hand I find something fascinating and it is this footage can become historically interesting. I remember when I first got my first digital camera. It was a Sony point and shoot. The day before I left to go study abroad I strapped it to the passenger seat of my hand me down Renault and went for a final drive. In my absence the car would be sent to where cars go to die. I have came back there, but visiting. So that footage is also special to me. I found out that there are some walk around videos in yt (what isn't there) and there is some of my home city and it really wakes up memories, now being a few years I haven't been there. So that's that

Might I suggest having a look at the PlugShare app for your next trip? Looking at the same destination, it seems to show a few more chargers around the destination you showed than the Zappi app you showed. Unless of course you’re using that app because you get special rates through those chargers. Another good app is ABetterRoutePlanner which can map out the most efficient stops along your journey to match your desired charge levels that you’re comfortable with. While I don’t live in the UK, I do live in New Zealand which is somewhat similar geographically (must be why there’s so many Brits around 😉) . I recently just put 100k km’s on my four year old EV, with many of that being road trips. Mine can generally drive around 4-5 hours before it needs a recharge but I generally can only do 2-3 before I need a stop to have a stretch and a toilet stop. I can generally do that in a small town along the way, put the car on a charger for 10mins while I do the above and carry on. While this is probably not possible in an EV like the Honda-E with city car range, with the amount of range my car has it means my road trip charging stops are not dedicated to charging. If I had to stop and watch the car charge I probably would not have switched to an EV

Good data Mat! Not planning to get a new (or used) car anytime soon, but I like to keep up with the state of things and your real-world experience of EV usage in your area is valuable info. So is that the Mrs. reflected in the mirror recording video from the back seat of that Twizy in Majorca? Anyway, whoever's reflection that is would scarcely be recognizable.

Great video, Mat. Very informative. I live in Connecticut USA and the non-Tesla charging network near me is sparse. Love that little Honda. Too bad they killed it. Thanks!

Good video, thank you Matt. I was considering an electric car, but bought a Petrol Hybrid today instead. With the high price of electricity, and the low(er) price of petrol, one of the main advantages of electric cars has disappeared, especially when taking into account the purchase price. I estimated about 12p/mile for the hybrid, vs 8p/mile for electric charged at home, or 25p/mile if using a fast charger. Does that sound about right?

Another benefit of an EV is that you can go through Rufford Ford without hydrolocking the engine.

It was only in the last month that I spotted my first EV ever. The island I live on is just about 50km round trip up and down the coast, the local gasoline is priced about the highest in Japan at 200yen a liter, yet electricity rates are maintained to the Hokkaido standard. Ferry rates are such (20,000yen each way, or more depending on vehicle size) that most locals get a rental car when back on the Hokkaido mainland (or keep a second car there)... all of this is to say, it seems like we are an ideal spot for EV uptake. I don't know what the delay has been, maybe the domestic market is way behind Europe and the US (as is typical with tech these days), but I keep feeling we must be nearing the tipping point.

Mitchell and Webb! Loved that show

Final production version images of the upcoming Renault 5 EV have just leaked. The first thing I thought when I saw them is "I can see Mat buying one of these once he's finished with the Honda E". I'm not sure if I can post a URL on here, but if you search "Renault 5" you'll get a bunch of news articles showing the photos.

Great video, thanks Mat. I was very tempted by a 2nd hand Honda e as the prices are very good and I mostly do local journeys < 20 miles, but I do go somewhere 60 miles away every Christmas and the idea that I might only just make it and arrive with nothing left "in the tank" just meant it wasn't feasible. If I were to get a small-ish used EV I think it would be the 64kWh Kia Soul. I looked at hybrids too - liked the idea of the Yaris Cross - but have since learned that they need regular and/or long-ish journeys otherwise the 12v battery dies and you can't start them. I do less than 2.5k miles per year and regularly leave the car 2-3 days without using it, and by the sounds of things I'd need to trickle-charge the Yaris to make sure it didn't go flat and leave me high & dry - just not worth it unfortunately. As the other half has an EV6 I think I'll aim for a frugal small-ish petrol car for now - partly because we can't get a proper EV charge point installed at home as we're on a looped supply (and the neighbours don't want to be un-looped).

Thanks for the unbiased video. Of course nobody ever talks about the cost in time waiting for the charge...your time has value, and you are giving that to charging time. But really...the reason there aren't enough working chargers, is there is no money to be made with them. BTW in my diesel Jetta, I would have to stop for fuel 22 times in a YEAR for 12.5k miles. With each stop taking at most 10 min...so 4 hours a year was spent filling up.

Things are a little better in the North East. I'm on my second Leaf now, and have been driving 100% EV since 2013. Charging at home is still the best option, but several local supermarkets have chargers so it's useful to jump onto those if available. Good to get home with more range than when I left.

Meant to say I now know of 2 Honda E owners in my home city, one green with black stripes! And one blue. Can't remember how many you said were in the UK, but 2 of them at least are here.

Another good and fair video Mat. As an EV driver, I think you missed a couple of important stats from your end slide… weather conditions, average speed, highest speed, and journey time. The difference to efficiency on the motorway from doing 70 vs 60 is huge and wet roads zap range. I am an EV driver and have been since 2018. Things are better now, but there are still dark zones where charging isn’t great. I’ve never had an issue with charging, but it does take some effort. For balance, I expect those Tesla drivers do most of their charging at home and just top up at the expensive chargers. I charge at home for 7.5p. Last year I did 12,000 miles including some 400 mile journeys. My average cost over the year was 10p per kWh or 2.7p per mile. Still much cheaper than an ICE would be. EVs don’t work for everyone yet, you need to decide if it works for you and choose the right car. Love the Honda-E btw. Good choice.

I love the design of the Honda e, looks like with my daily commute of 25.5 miles each way, mostly A Road's, and charging at my work I could live with one of these.

My company car is supposed to go back at the end of this year, and I am still mulling over the electric car. I don’t think it suits my use though as I do quite high mileages and they are all over England. I love my current car, a BMW 330e, but the electric range is usually between 21 and 28 miles. It is not unusual for me to do 200 miles in a day, and I wonder if any electric car would make sense for that. I can charge at home though, but the timing could be close depending on charge speed. I love electric assistance though, it makes for a much smoother and more comfortable driving experience. A lot of the PHEVs now have around 60 miles and that is what I think I might go for next. Great video Mat, and I absolutely love the little Honda too! The interior reminds me of the Rover SD1

Mat, would you be kind enough to link the resources you used for this video? I’m due to take delivery of a leaf in a few weeks and they would be useful. Thanks!

I know this is a technology channel but I'm glad to know your dad is chugging along and that you're able to visit him. Something this video makes me think about is in my next car, for which I am casually looking, all I really want is to be able to make it the 400 miles to work over the course of a week using the plug on the outside of my house which is 120 AC. Supposedly it adds about 3 miles an hour, so I'll assume 40 miles a day, meaning I have to have a base range of 250 miles to be safe. But it is all 70 mph highway driving, so I should err on the plus side of 300. But you highlight a real utility of these cars, which is driving on normal roads, not the big ones. It could be a weekend cruiser. Drive 50 miles somewhere at 35 miles an hour while listening to the radio, eat lunch, drive back. I am going to have an internal combustion engine until the EV charging becomes as convenient as that, but what I was thinking might be a good option as a commuter now makes me consider it as a fun weekend car. That also fits with me not wanting the electrical redone. It must be the economical choice. Luckily I only work 18 days a month, albeit on 5 day blocks, so I should be able to get away with just a normal plug.

I have a prius plug-in hybrid and most days I never use the gasoline engine because I have a very short commute. Truth be told, I could probably get along with something like your car (if they were sold in the US!), but I like the idea that I can drive long distances without worrying about the charging system along the way. And the charging situation in the US is pretty bad too.

Did I detect a brief cameo appearance of MacBreak Weekly on the car audio? Good video. I've plenty of concerns about various "no ICE passenger vehicles after 2030" regulations and you've done a fine job illustrating one of them. If you can install a charger in your garage, you've mitigated some but not all of the range dependability issues. And I don't think policymakers fully grasp that a great many car owners rely on street parking or a shared garage, and thus are 100% reliant on public charging points that are nearby and functioning when needed.

I live between those two EV chargers at 10:46 (the other is Fulwood Booths) and I've often wondered why, despite living next to the A6 and the M55/M6 junction, I rarely see or hear any EVs round here. Guess I know why now - they're avoiding the place so they don't risk getting stuck or paying through the nose for juice.

Nice little car Mat. I wanted an electric car. I live in rural France and the charging infrastructure is terrible. I am going to get a hybrid as a next car. We have solar on the roof which has saved us a fortune since EDF doubled the price of electricity in the last two years. We'll drive locally on the solar electric and use petrol to do long distance.

So happy for this! I LOVE the design of the Honda E, totally get why you bought it! I just got a Kia Niro EV, and i love the feel of driving a EV, from the nuts acceleration to the silence at low speeds. Thanks Matt, i also think you should try to think less about what people will think about your videos... 🙂 your amazing. Please keep it up.

The Honda is adorable! Yes, there are so many factors on battery life... I use the Plugshare app, which will show the elevation of the route. If I drive to Buffalo, NY, it's mostly downhill. But the drive home is a nail-biter!

I'm very glad I didn't rely on the public charging network with my recent UK EV experience. What a disaster. It's a lot better in the US.

Wow that's a tight range....Glad it works for you. By the way I grew up in St Anne's. Loads of memories from the 70s and 80w. Finally I can see why you do t want that video on YouTube. It's open fair and honest without being sensationalist....

Yet another way which I envy you Matt. I would love to have an EV. I'm just too cheap to spend that kind of money on a car. My current car is 2011 Impala with 180,000 miles. It does okay by me. But I do like seeing the new technology. It's a shame the government can't force the charging companies to keep their equipment working. I imagine those companies received some sort of government kickback to set up those charging stations. Then they just pocket the profits and let them go to rot and aren't required to fix them. Doesn't seem right to me.

Nicely balanced video Mat. I suspect too balanced for EV YT. Torque, efficiency and quiet are tempting but cost and range/ non-home charging not there (yet) for my use case. The KwH cost of using those chargers make even motorway service fuel stations look decent value!

The Great North West EV charging desert... I live in a decent suburb of Liverpool. And the grand total of EV chargers in my post code (L23) or my nearest postcode (L22) is 2. And that's gone DOWN since last year when 1 seems to have been removed for good. The 2 I could reach are in the car parks to pubs I never go to. Which is nice. Feels like we're decades behind.

The daft part is when hire companies give you an EV with a flat battery when they could provide their own support infrastructure. That is disgusting. The other fact is the way charger networks are ripping you off without maintaining the network. I wouldn't buy a short range EV personally. I have a long range Tesla and in every way it's better than my last ICE vehicle and no maintenance. Of course I use non Tesla chargers, but rarely. Most of the time the superchargers are great for long distances. We also book hotels and accomodation that has an EV charger and run an AirBNB with an overnight charger available.

I do love the look of the Honda e, and it's a pity they've stopped making it. I used to watch the fully charged show, but I gave up on it. While Robert Llewellyn's enthusiasm is to be commended, his accuracy borders on delusional.

Whenever the whole EV vs ICE debate comes up, I can't help but wonder if people at the turn of the 20th century had such passionate discourse over horse and buggy vs horseless carriage.

I never saw that car before - it is cool looking, and I love that dashboard. I have no interest in EV's as they don't really suit my needs right now, however, like all your stuff, I thought the video was really well done and interesting.

I recommend the Patreons watch your prior car talk Patron Exclusive as well: https://youtu.be/Cimcw_5Hrcc

Your story reminds me very much of my EV experience 10 years ago here in Texas driving a Nissan Leaf, which had a similar range to your Honda. The charging infrastructure was terrible and far and few between. But things sure have changed around here. Now all of the EVs have at least 200 miles of range, and there are reliable chargers at least every 50 miles or so down every busy highway. Oh and the charging rates are now triple what they used to be, sometimes more. Which means I'm usually spending 15 minutes tops at a charger. I've driven all over the USA in various EVs. It's not quite as convenient yet as a gas car, but it's getting close.

I was gonna say 'hybrid!', then you beat me to it, Mat. If countries are serious about reducing petrol consumption, hybrid cars seem to be the obvious stop-gap until a better solution than a £30K car that can do barely 150 miles can be developed. The old lefty in me can't help but suspect that the proposed ban on petrol car sales in the UK is more about buying shiny, new stuff than saving the environment.

Thank you for posting this for patrons. Your route planning was certainly dismal in the pursuit of charging stations. My local grocery store has four free EV chargers, but I have no idea what type they are or if all of them still function. I see EVs parked there with open terminals quite frequently, but I don't know how many work or what type of connection they are. I do live in a city in the US, but I wouldn't consider it to be the cornucopia of civilization either. I do miss my 2015 hybrid Toyota Prius C. It was the one vehicle I hated returning as a lease as I wasn't making enough money to purchase it outright. I am glad that you love the car and that you had the capability of charging at home already established. My 'take away' from this video is that if you want an EV make sure you plan carefully and that home charging is the ticket for success. And wow, that game at the end is reckless driving to the extreme. Keep crossing the lanes like that and you're bound to get a major citation. 😉 Take care 🤍

Honda e is a beautiful wee car. Shame it’s been discontinued!

I'd have bought one of these if they'd sold them in Canada. Ended up with a Fit instead. Hopefully the last internal combustion engine I'll ever buy. Still not clear to me why car companies don't make small EVs for city dwellers. Range isn't important to me, if I ever need to drive to another city (rare in Canada, they're far apart), I can always rent.

I think this is exactly what I need now. I am picking my I3 on Monday