MOTORS: ‘Frustration’ searching for charging points can ‘take away the joy’ of an EV car
The electric car revolution is well under way, although there are signs that it is stalling.
The cars themselves are getting better with quicker charging times and greater range but potential switchers are hesitating because of limitations in the public charging infrastructure.
Ideally, if you go down the EV route, you should have a charging point at home so you can leave it plugged in at night, on low rates, or at anytime the car is lying idle.
That still doesn’t help if you’re contemplating a long journey and that‘s where it’s important to have reliable public points.
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Unfortunately, that’s proving to be an issue as I discovered in the week I spent with one of the best electric cars around, the Kia EV9, which as the brand’s flagship has been picking up awards everywhere since its launch last year.
In the past, the problem has been finding an available charging point which is unoccupied and fully operational. The latest issue is that time limits have been imposed on the length of time you can stay plugged in.
In theory, it’s a sensible measure so a charger is not blocked off for hours on end but the reality is something different.
The majority are limited to one hour after which you face a £10 penalty automatically added to your bill but in some cases it is only 40 minutes.
If you can get a charger which will give you full power that should be ok, but invariably I’ve found they rarely provide the promised charge - in some cases less than half and the result is that instead of getting a decent battery top-up in the time allowed, only a fraction of that is delivered.
On a trip around Royal Deeside in the featured EV9 test car I found myself in Banchory and running low on charge. I managed to find the public charging point tucked away at the back of the Bellfield car park but over the half-hour I was plugged in, all I managed to get was a pretty useless three extra miles of range.
That episode was repeated for the rest of my time with the car which was spent searching for charging points and then being frustrated by either the low level of power delivered or severely restricted in the length of time I was allowed to stay plugged in.
It took away the joy of the car which is a superb piece of kit and at five-metres long and weighing more than two-and-a-half tonnes is a big beast.
The seven-seater version has three rows of seats to make it practical and luxurious transport for even a larger family.
If all goes well on the charging front, it should give around 300 miles of range on the open road and up to 400 around town.
It’s aimed at premium customers who won’t be deterred by the £65,000 starting price. I loved the experience behind the wheel and unlike many other EVs, the whole set up felt natural and instinctive with everything at hand and simple to use.
From the driver’s seat, the interior feels huge with acres of space but what’s remarkable is just how agile it is on the road whether on demanding twisty side roads or in city streets.
This jumbo EV presents a bold blunt front end with distinctive vertical LED headlamps and the seamless side view is helped by flush door handles which pop out automatically.
It comes with a choice of two motor powertrains, six or seven seats and three trim levels but they all come with a comprehensive list of features. Four-wheel-drive starts with the GT-Line and the top versions come with Terrain Mode with Mud, Snow and Sand settings.
All versions have double 12.3 inch digital cockpit and touchscreen displays with a separate 5.3 inch screen for the climate control.
Kia EV9 GT-Line 7-seater, auto 4-wheel drive
PRICE: £73,275
POWERTRAIN: 99.8 kWh battery with 2 electric motors.
POWER: 378 bhp
TORQUE: 700 Nm
TOWING CAPACITY: 2500 Kgs (braked)
TOP SPEED: 124mph
0-62mph: 5.3 secs
CHARGING TIME: 9 hrs 5 mins (230v/48A AC) 83 mins (50 kW DC)
RANGE: 300 miles