Real-world experience of an Electric Vehicle – 18 months with a Hyundai Ioniq EV

Each now and then at Ausdroid we like to overview issues that are outdoors the box, but more a short while ago, the box has expanded and while the moment conversing about cars might’ve been a bit off subject, the fashionable electric powered auto (or EV) is squarely in the realm of technology… and so we’ve been talking about them a little bit additional.

You may perhaps recall that back in August 2021 I reviewed Hyundai’s Ioniq Electric EV. The conclusion of my review was somewhat constructive … and so, not long after completing the overview, I put my revenue where by my mouth was, and went and purchased the very same car or truck.

Why?

Having driven a few EVs and hybrids in 2021, the conclusion was not seriously all that tough. The conclusion details back then were being:

• Value – the Ioniq EV was a little bit more affordable than the Tesla Design 3, however a little dearer than the MG ZS EV. Supplied it was an ex demonstrator, I paid out all over $46k for mine, which when compared pretty favourably to the pricing / attributes of other people.
• Design – it could possibly just be me, but the Tesla Product 3 seems to be a minor bland, and it’s not actually like a car inside of. I like standard car or truck stylings, and the Ioniq was a lot more my flavour.
• Characteristics – Tesla’s interface in the automobile is quite awesome, but I like Android Auto and Automobile Perform, and I like cabin layout that satisfies how I push. The Ioniq is additional polished to me… and not as minimalist as the Tesla.

What did I pass up out on? Not all that a lot:

• The Ioniq’s selection is a tiny less than the Tesla – dependent on the product you pay for – but 311km assortment is excellent for what I need.
• Tesla has additional bells and whistles in its cars and trucks, but truthfully, I really do not genuinely need to have most of them, and there is some I just never want.
• I reckon the Tesla is a lot easier to cost – the cost port is far more simply available, and it does not have the silly cap on it that the Ioniq does. It’s a little annoyance.

How’s it been?

Really actually? Good.

The automobile I drove right before the Ioniq EV was a Skoda Octavia wagon, a automobile I experienced wanted for ages and somewhat liked driving much too. It was frugal on gas, straightforward to generate, experienced a lot of house and just met my requirements easily.

Moving to an EV, I shed a handful of things – the Octavia had extra luggage space and I do are inclined to cart around a bit in the boot. It experienced slightly far more leg place, and of system, it could go a ton even more than 311km on a one tank of gasoline. It would routinely get all over 600-650 out of a tank.

On the other hand, the elephant in the home – which turned a lot additional substantial in the previous 18 months – was fuel rates. Fuel has grow to be incredibly costly, and with its 43 litre tank, it could price tag close to $75 – $80 to fill it, and that value has remained relatively stable. In conditions of bang for buck, that’s all around 13c for each km.

The Ioniq, at wherever between no cost and 14c for each kWh to fill its battery, can price tag everywhere from absolutely nothing to $5.40 to fill it. Bang for buck, that is close to 1.7c for each km.

Want to set that in true phrases? If I push an ordinary of 20,000 km a yr (which I do), in a petrol car or truck that fees me around $2,600 a 12 months in gas. There’s also the extra pricey upkeep – an ICE motor vehicle has additional transferring components and needs more labour to retain it on the highway – but let us just leave it at gas.

The identical length in an electrical automobile costs me just $340, and that’s presuming that I pay back for each individual kWh set back into the vehicle a fantastic total of my recharging is performed during the working day, so it fees me absolutely nothing due to the fact the solar handles the car’s consumption.

$340 for a year’s well worth of driving, vs $2,600 is a important change, and as quickly as I figured that out, I have not appeared back again even the moment. I’ll gladly tolerate acquiring to stop and demand on longer journeys – which I not often do anyway – when it expenses me so minimal to run the vehicle.

About all those for a longer time drives – do you have array anxiousness?

Only twice has the motor vehicle offered me a little bit of a fright, and one particular of all those moments it was only a absence of organizing. The other one… well… I’ll demonstrate, but in advance of I get to that, the shorter response is no. I hardly ever shell out far too substantially consideration to the battery demand level, distance remaining or something else.

I surely did for the 1st couple months of ownership as I did not want to get caught out, but after you get about the new automobile wow thoughts and settle into your program use, you get utilized to what the automobile can do and working with it becomes 2nd character. For me, for instance, I charge the auto most evenings and – if I’m dwelling during the day, or know I’m going to be – I’ll arrange to demand the car throughout the working day when it prices me absolutely nothing.

For longer drives, I’ve bought a Style II charging cable in the boot so I can very a lot use any general public charger to top up if I will need to, but I incredibly hardly ever use general public charging infrastructure. I just never want to.

So.. selection anxiety is not a every day, weekly or even monthly detail. Let us discuss about the two times it was.

Mid 2022, we took a weekend up to Orange to get a little bit of R&R. The push up to Orange was quickly within just the car’s assortment, but we made the decision to quit at Lithgow in any case for a swift demand although we bought a consume and utilized the loo. That acquired us comfortably to – and dwelling from – Orange without having any vary problems in anyway.

On the other hand, though we had been there, we drove from Orange to Wellington. It’s about 100km just about every way, and the road is reasonably superior. Even so, as we’d been driving locally close to Orange I hadn’t been all that prudent with preserving the vehicle topped up, and so we still left with about 260km selection. Should’ve given us a 60km buffer which I assumed would be all right.

Turns out, which is not quite how it labored and I realized a important lesson – EVs driving at 110km/h are likely to chew by means of the juice a very little quicker. Turns out that round vacation of all around 200km virtually drained the battery, and we manufactured it again into Orange with around 20km assortment still left on the automobile. By this stage, it was flashing up warnings and I must confess there was a respectable time there wherever I suspected we mightn’t make it back to the fast charger in city. The good thing is we did, and 45 mins – and lunch – afterwards, the car was complete and again to regular.

The other situation was related: driving 120km every single way and not charging the vehicle right away meant that the next early morning, I was coming up about 20km short on the range estimate and experienced to pretty swiftly obtain any readily available community charger on the way to leading off so I could make it household.

The lesson here? If you know you’re heading to be driving further than regular, demand up before you go, and if need be, chuck the 10A wall charger in the boot – indeed, it costs gradually and it still implies you need to have to uncover a electricity socket, but at least you’re not likely to stop up stuck on the facet of the road. Worst circumstance, you find a pleasant organization, sling them $10 to plug your auto in for a couple of several hours, and get on with it.

The other possibility, of study course, is to preserve NRMA Roadside Guidance membership, and as extensive as you’re not a goose, if your auto truly does operate flat on your way someplace, they’ll give you a tow to the nearest public charger or your location. Not a poor offer.

Have there been any main downsides?

No, not really.

There’s some points you should not do with an EV – the additional fat and somewhat small clearance implies they’re not genuinely suited to heading off-street, and they are not really made to tow just about anything. Theoretically, you could tow a smaller box trailer or related with the Ioniq, but I wouldn’t – your selection would be vastly reduced.

The battery remaining the dimensions that it is, typically EVs really do not occur with a full-dimensions spare tyre. Some appear with a area saver, and some – like the Ioniq EV – really don’t appear with a spare at all. You do get a “wheel fix kit” which, from encounter, is mainly worthless.

For managing about city, I’m not as well fussed by this – even with a gradual leak, you can ordinarily find a servo close to by, blow the tyre up to a large strain, and that’ll permit you travel much ample to a garage or a tyre location to get it repaired. Worst circumstance, the tyre’s ruined and if you will have to run the auto on a flat for a quick length you are not heading to do much hurt, or you can get the automobile towed.

Nonetheless, if you’re driving lengthier distances a bit additional often, or a lot more at threat of a tyre puncture – driving in industrial or business places exactly where there feel to be more nails and screws on the road – purchasing a house-saver spare and throwing it in the boot in all probability isn’t the worst concept. A spare and a basic resource package won’t just take a whole lot of place, and they’re not tricky to use for the peace of head it features.

I genuinely really should get on to that.

In summary

The last 18 months with a Hyundai Ioniq EV have been a breeze it is begun discussions with strangers who are keen to understand far more about how the electrical automobiles perform. It’s achieved each want that I have had – driving myself to get the job done, driving the household all-around on weekends, and extensive length driving. It is charge me 5/8ths of absolutely nothing to operate in the scheme of things, and if I’m cautious, I can cost it for no cost. It has lots of area for me – I’m 6 foot tall and relatively reliable – as effectively as companion, kids and crap in the boot.

There’s basically practically nothing I have not been capable to do, and it is saved me a fortune in functioning and servicing fees.

There is a whole lot of discuss about selection anxiousness, and indeed driving an EV does signify you require to assume a minor little bit about the place you’re likely and when, but it is barely a stress filled practical experience. There is terrific providers out there to enable you determine out lengthier distance outings and charging alternatives – PlugShare’s Excursion Planner is the greatest by significantly – and it truly normally takes away the want to panic.

Owning an EV has been a breeze, while I do acknowledge there are some persons for whom it just may not function so properly – charging EVs in strata structures can be complicated as there aren’t electric power points close to alloted parking areas in some buildings, if you routinely travel long distances, then charging could begin to take in into your time, and if you really don’t have off-avenue parking, charging an EV can make you reliant on community charging infrastructure which – when improving – is much from all over the place.

Got thoughts? Check with them in the remarks, I’d love to remain and chat.