This page is intended for employees and visitors of STFC-RAL, until something official becomes available. This is the situation at March 2022. Hopefully some of what I've learned in nearly 6 years of EV driving is useful. TLDR; download the Chargepoint app and plug in! At the Harwell campus there are many tenants, STFC being … Continue reading Using the EV chargers at STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory
Tesla Model S charging in cold weather
Say you've not used the car much over the weekend, it's not fully charged and you need to make a surprise trip on Monday morning. It's mild weather and you turn up at a public high power charger a few miles from home, and find the car charges at 20kW. Eh? It should manage at … Continue reading Tesla Model S charging in cold weather
EVs in 2021 and Scotland in the Model S
In 2021 EVs are coming from most manufacturers, and at some rate too. Back in 2015 when our Tesla was new, around a thousand a month were registered in the EU. In September 2021, over a thousand a day were registered! Recently on my commute along the M4, I usually see at least one car … Continue reading EVs in 2021 and Scotland in the Model S
Renewables and home heating
This is a page I intend to use to develop ideas for moving our heating from gas onto renewables. So that's why it might read like my notes! Since buying a "fixer upper" of a house in 2011 we've been ... well, fixing it up. We added an extension and replaced all the windows and … Continue reading Renewables and home heating
A year with a used Tesla Model S in the UK
In early 2020, just before lockdown, we bought a used 2015 Tesla Model S 70D from Tesla. Naturally, if I'd have known that I would hardly need a car for at least a year due to a global pandemic, I wouldn't have bought it. But as a used car it has worked out very well. … Continue reading A year with a used Tesla Model S in the UK
Electric Cars – a resource for teachers in 2020
An electric Tesla Model 3 has completed JOGLE, John O-Groats to Lands End, with only one and a half hours spent stopped and charging, breaking the previous record easily. This is enabled by a network of high power chargers which can charge electric cars at up to 250kW. https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/tesla-model-3-breaks-record-shortest-charging-time-crossing-uk The carbon impact of electric cars … Continue reading Electric Cars – a resource for teachers in 2020
First holiday in the Tesla Model S
Instead of the 2020 Tour of Europe we were hoping for in the Model S, we took a week's holiday in North Wales. Although we could have made the journey without charging, that would have left us nearly empty. There are fewer chargers in Wales than in England, and no EV charger where we were … Continue reading First holiday in the Tesla Model S
A diary – Buying a used Model S from Tesla in the UK
Late on Sat 25/1/20 "Just flippin' buy the thing if you think it's good value then" - so I pushed the button- and was rewarded with a hedgehog?! To cut a long story short, it took 27 days from order to the collection of the car. Tesla's communications weren't the best, I've had better from … Continue reading A diary – Buying a used Model S from Tesla in the UK
“Yay my energy bill is in!” or “How we pay only 9p a unit for our electricity!”
Warning - in 2021-2 the UK electricity wholesale price has risen substantially, so an Agile tariff may not suit you. We now use Octopus "Go Faster". This post dates from 2019... We switched to a time-of-use electricity tariff from Octopus in summer 2019, from an Economy 7 tariff. This means that the price of electricity … Continue reading “Yay my energy bill is in!” or “How we pay only 9p a unit for our electricity!”
Goodyear All-Season tyres on the most efficient electric car
The Ioniq 28kWh is/was the most efficient car you could buy. A small part of this is down to the Michelin Energy tyres. I have been using these and other eco-tyres for many years in previous ICE (fuel) cars, with good results. I could get up to 95mpg out of a Skoda Fabia for example. … Continue reading Goodyear All-Season tyres on the most efficient electric car
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