The Electric Future of Motorhomes and Camper Vans

[joe and sue]

How does a caravanner use a public charging point with caravan on tow? These things are designed for cars only.

Similar practical limitations will restrict the ability of EV motorhomes to use the public charging network. Anything bigger than my 5.4m PVC needs a dedicated large charging bay. Would that involve competing with HGVs for use of EV truck charging infrastructure? Would EV MHs be allowed access at all? The software probably would recognise that the vehicle isn't a HGV and fail to connect.

Meanwhile how are the 1st generation BEV vans such as the growing Amazon fleet coping with practical limitations on range and charging? It would be interesting to find out.

"The growing Amazon Fleet" of EV's is a complete Media myth,
We were at Peterborough Showground at the weekend, and noticed that there were hundreds of NEW transit vans all displaying the Amazon name and logo, all un-used and ready for the road, and "They are all DIESELS!" not 1 EV amongst them.
I had the spare time to wander around whilst Sue was at the craft show !!
Joe

 

[Tombola]

That is where the Green agenda is taking us. It is fairly obvious that private car ownership will gradually become out of reach of the masses, as pre-2030 ICE cars reach end of life and there are fewer affordable EVs to replace them with. The cost of lithium batteries may be reducing but the cost of the necessary infrastructure is heading in the opposite direction. A potential scenario could be most people having to lease cheaper quadricycles instead of cars, such as the new Citroen Ami EV (range 45 miles, top speed 29 mph on sale here in 2022 for around £7k). Or join carshare clubs like those that are quite popular in London.

I tend to agree with @Clipgate and @glenn2926 on UN Agenda 2021/2030 and what has been decided for future generations. Ours could be the last generation to enjoy unlimited freedom to travel.

IM fine with all this, as long as you quote some stats. Other than that it is hearsay.

 

[Spriddler]

These things are designed for cars only.

Similar practical limitations will restrict the ability of EV motorhomes to use the public charging network. Anything bigger than my 5.4m PVC needs a dedicated large charging bay.

The dislodged one at my B&Q has been out of use for more than 6 months.

 

[Tombola]

"The growing Amazon Fleet" of EV's is a complete Media myth,
We were at Peterborough Showground at the weekend, and noticed that there were hundreds of NEW transit vans all displaying the Amazon name and logo, all un-used and ready for the road, and "They are all DIESELS!" not 1 EV amongst them.
I had the spare time to wander around whilst Sue was at the craft show !!
Joe

The chunk of amazon EVs, is promoted in the USA not peterborugh show

 

[Tombola]

The only one at my B&Q has been out of use for more than 6 months.

View attachment 549090

seen that pic before too, think it may have been you a while back.

I use the burtonwood Tesla supercharger network a lot. A year or so ago, you could swan up, and pretty much guarantee a space. 2 have been out of use for about 3 weeks, (fixed now)
Lately, over the past 6 months or so it has become busier and busier. Even though the charging network is growing it will be interesteing to see if it keeps up with the ever growing amoungt of Teslas on the road.

A guy in a merc pulled up alongside me yesterday and tried to plug in

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[Spriddler]

seen that pic before too, think it may have been you a while back.

I use the burtonwood Tesla supercharger network a lot. A year or so ago, you could swan up, and pretty much guarantee a space. 2 have been out of use for about 3 weeks, (fixed now)
Lately, over the past 6 months or so it has become busier and busier. Even though the charging network is growing it will be interesteing to see if it keeps up with the ever growing amoungt of Teslas on the road.

A guy in a merc pulled up alongside me yesterday and tried to plug in

Yes, I have posted it before. I have just looked up the date when I took it - Feb 2020! It still hadn't been fixed when I saw it about 2 weeks ago. Of course it might have been fixed and busted again.
I'd have a go at an EV if I could afford one (or wanted to afford one more like) but I anticipate having to do the the same tedious pre-planning as I do in the in U.K. to find (less critical) LPG pumps for my Gaslow system when away from home.

 

[Essgeebee]

I think heavier vehicles are destined to be run on hydrogen engines. Harry's Farm Youtube channel did an interview recently with the man in charge of JCB whose company are pioneering hydrogen power plants for their machines. Far more economical and weight efficient than batteries. With the world's annual output of some rare materials required just to make the batteries for the UK's estimated EV fleet, there seems little prospect of EVs being the future. Add to that the charging issues frequently mentioned and the inadequate generating capacity even before large numbers of EVs are on the roads, and hydrogen seems a far more promising prospect.

 

[Tombola]

I'd have a go at an EV if I could afford one (or wanted to afford one more like) but I anticipate having to do the the same tedious pre-planning as I do in the in U.K. to find LPG pumps for my Gaslow system when away from home.

I can understand that. Horse for courses, and at the risk of sounding like an ev salesman, i was the same. I was always a big motor guy, plus the bikes, on road and off road.
But I totally changed my mind once I bought one.

Never forget when I picked my first one up, the sales guy sat in the back on the handover, "OK sir this is this and thats that", I said your ok mate Ill sort it from here, (me having driven virtually every car around johnny big nuts) but had bought this without even a test drive and a 14 day cool off.
Anyway, off he goes, and Im looking for the start button? nope, ignition? nope. I say to my wife, quick google how to start this
I looks over out the window and shouts to the guy, Hey, where the start button, hey smiles wanders over and says, "what are you trying to start? "

eh?

there is no engine sir, put it in gear and go
Red face know all driver pulls away smoothly. lol.

 

[nicholsong]

Here in Katowice, Poland we have an E.Leclerc S/market CP right opposite our window there are 4x Tesla charging points and we see 1-2 cars a week using them, so take-up of EV vehicles here seems to be slow.

Geoff

 

[Paul Wilkins]

I've owned three BMW i3s (still have one) and I think its the best thing since sliced bread. I'm not that fussed about its 'green credentials', however it does save me a load of money in fuel cost and currently, VED.
I've seen some EVs towing caravans, but with a range of only 100 miles its just not worth the pain of charging them. The larger the range, the longer the charge. Plus having to un-hitch and re-hitch after each charge.
Electric motorhome? Hmm Naaah. Too heavy. Would require Alko chassis made of box girders to take the weight of the batteries. Charging times would be lengthy even with a 350kW charger (if you could find one). Sure you could charge on 'hook up' but you take a field full of vans, all pulling 13A for 12+ hours that's not going to be cheap. I see some manufacturers are building 'hybrid' versions, but that's just pussyfooting about to dodge the VED. Hybrids are a waste of time and effort. Either do it or don't.

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[joe and sue]

The chunk of amazon EVs, is promoted in the USA not peterborugh show

Thefre is an ad on UK television stating their investment of £ Millions in electric vans

 

[SpeedyDux]

"The growing Amazon Fleet" of EV's is a complete Media myth,
We were at Peterborough Showground at the weekend, and noticed that there were hundreds of NEW transit vans all displaying the Amazon name and logo, all un-used and ready for the road, and "They are all DIESELS!" not 1 EV amongst them.
I had the spare time to wander around whilst Sue was at the craft show !!
Joe

OK I haven't seen a "fleet" of Amazon EVs but I did see one of their EV vans going slowly on the M4 some weeks ago near Brizzle.

Of course Amazon might be using the old trick of driving the same van several times round the block to create the illusion.

 

[Spriddler]

THE FIRST of 100,000 electric delivery vans made by American start-up Rivian have hit the road for online marketplace Amazon.
The first deliveries commenced in Los Angeles last week [Feb '21] and the new vans are projected to be operating in 15 additional cities by the end of this year.
Each vehicle is made at Rivian’s plant in Plymouth, Michigan..... and has a range of 150 miles per charge.
Amazon has started the long process of kitting out its delivery depots with electric chargers and says it has already installed thousands of units.

Amazon rolls out first of 100,000 custom-built electric delivery vans from Tesla-rival Rivian

Electric delivery vans made by American start-up Rivian have hit the road for online marketplace Amazon.

www.driving.co.uk

 

[Tombola]

Here in Katowice, Poland we have an E.Leclerc S/market CP right opposite our window there are 4x Tesla charging points and we see 1-2 cars a week using them, so take-up of EV vehicles here seems to be slow.

Geoff

where excatly is it, Ill possibly get the data if its tesla

 

[cyberyacht]

Tombola wrote "A guy in a merc pulled up alongside me yesterday and tried to plug in"

Therein lies the first problem. Until manufactures get their arse into gear and standardise the charging connections/protocols, we will have a miss mash of part built charging infrastructure.

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[Blue Knight]

How does a caravanner use a public charging point with caravan on tow? These things are designed for cars only.

Ah, that's the elephant in the room and a rather big one too.

The guy who reported the consumption figures also said that his own 70-mile jouney to the campsite was fine but that any other long journey via the UKs motorway service station network would be a proper pain in the arse.

He did say that the only way to recharge a car 'n' caravan combo was to unhitch the caravan first and leave it in the caravan park area of the service station before driving off to find the charge point, assuming that:

1. The charge point was working.

2. The driver had the suitable app to access the different charge points.

3. The charge point and the car were working in synch and that neither were having an incompatibility crisis with each other.

4. The charge point was not being used by another EV as a parking space, i.e. not being charged.

5. There was a spare charge point available in the first instance.

6. A petrol or diesel car was not using the charge point as a park spot because the service station had ran out of conventional parking spaces.

One guy estimated that he would have to unhitch at least four times on a journey he had planned.

We all know that caravaners like a bit of inconvenience when setting up their vans but the idea of constantly unhitching during a journey sounds like a proper naff experience to me.

 

[Paul Wilkins]

THE FIRST of 100,000 electric delivery vans made by American start-up Rivian have hit the road for online marketplace Amazon.
The first deliveries commenced in Los Angeles last week [Feb '21] and the new vans are projected to be operating in 15 additional cities by the end of this year.
Each vehicle is made at Rivian’s plant in Plymouth, Michigan..... and has a range of 150 miles per charge.
Amazon has started the long process of kitting out its delivery depots with electric chargers and says it has already installed thousands of units.

Amazon rolls out first of 100,000 custom-built electric delivery vans from Tesla-rival Rivian

Electric delivery vans made by American start-up Rivian have hit the road for online marketplace Amazon.

www.driving.co.uk

Ahh Rivian.. they make a really interesting 4x4

Tombola wrote "A guy in a merc pulled up alongside me yesterday and tried to plug in"

Therein lies the first problem. Until manufactures get their arse into gear and standardise the charging connections/protocols, we will have a miss mash of part built charging infrastructure.

Its getting there...
In the beginning Nissan built the their electric car with a Japanese standard connector. EcoTricity then got a big grant from the EU and installed a load of chargers with Japanese standard plugs on 'em.
Then came the EU standard connector which now everyone adopted (almost) however, Mr Dale Vince couldn't really be bothered upgrading his network because no one wanted to pay him to do it. Slowly Mr Vince started to convert his ageing charging network, but as the chargers were so old, they started breaking down and Mr Vince couldn't be bothered to fix them as it would cost him too much money.
Thankfully, new networks have come along all with the right plugs on the end and things are getting better. Ecotravisty no longer have a strangle hold on the motorway service stations and their chargers are being replaced.
Then there is Mr Tesla.. sigh...

 

[Puddleduck]

most car charging points you can't park a large Motorhome at so I'd be stuffed.

and are down right dangerous for anyone in a wheelchair. Not that there are ANY electric wheelchair adapted vehicles at the moment in any case.

Public charge points.... In rural Northumberland.

In any rural area! We're not all town / city residents.

Funny how most the folk negging Ev's dont have or havent owned one. Let alone the knowledge about what and where they are going.
it is usually what the read in a newspaper or hear down the pub = gossip, not knowledge

Find me one that will take a wheelchair ramp and is tall enough for a person on a wheelchair and I'll try it out.

Really? Try telling that to people I know that live in Scotland that have owned an EV since at least 2015, or indeed those that live in Finland, Sweden and Norway! They will be the ones laughing that anyone can be so blinkered. The fact is, people who want to find ways to use EVs in what may be challenging conditions, find ways to do so, whether that be in very cold driving conditions, a lack of public charging facilities or so called range anxienty.





Get over it guys, EVs are coming and in a decade's time the general consensus will be "what was all the fuss about".

That's not snow!!! It's a light dusting and no excuse not to go to work.

This is snow:

the charging infrastructure will evolve to serve the transport market but that could leave the motorhome users a bit out in the cold.

And the disabled. If you check out charging points making a note of how a disabled person would have to exit their vehicle (sometimes into traffic) and get to a dropped kerb along a busy road and then finding the charging point was too high and barricaded by protective fences so inaccessible!

My car is getting expensive to repair and maintain so normally I would be thinking of replacement but I'm holding off for a couple more years and unless there is a change in attitude so disabled people are considered in the EV market and infrastructure I'll get another ICE car and run it as long as I can.

Rental / shared / hired cars are not really an option for any of the disabled who don't come under the motability scheme. It's bad enough finding a taxi that can take a wheelchair.

 

[Tombola]

Find me one that will take a wheelchair ramp and is tall enough for a person on a wheelchair and I'll try it out.

why ? are you negging them ?
I dont have any idea who has Evs suitalbe for chair users.

 

[Tombola]

Ecotravisty no longer have a strangle hold on the motorway service stations and their chargers are being replaced.

exactly this.

It reminds me of inkjset printers, more money is made out of selling the ink than the printers long term.

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[Puddleduck]

why ? are you negging them ?
I dont have any idea who has Evs suitalbe for chair users.

No one does. I have been in touch with every single manufacturer (well over 60 Marques - not all have evs on the market yet) I have found (researching on behalf of my MP and Chloe Smith MP - Minister of State)* no manufacturer has any clear idea of what is required. The rail system for the batteries is where the ramp housing and mechanism would need to be sited. Because e-vehicles are the shape they are they aren't tall enough to accommodate a chair and occupant. Absolute minimum internal height of the vehicle would need to be 1.4 m - and the door a similar height and wide opening.

Side ramps are not practical as they would need to extend so far out.

Even motability replies that there are no eWAVs on the market and as far as they are aware no eWAV is even on the drawing board.

* We were due to do a fact finding mission to see which charging points were wheelchair friendly but had to cancel due to my family issues.

 

[Blue Knight]

For us personally the whole concept of owning a 'reliable EV' was fantastic and in all honesty we had no drawbacks for using it in our daily lives, albeit I reckon we would have hired a petrol or diesel car from Enterpirse for the trips to Cornwall and Shetland etc.

If it wasn't for the fact that our Ioniq 5 didn't always select its drive gear or its reverse gear, or refused to move, or close its central locking system properly, or open correctly in the first instance, or if the driving aides weren't wonky and intolerable, or if it didn't sometimes revert to emergency break mode in the highstreet, or throw up a wobbly with its parking sensors, or the electric boot failed, or the computer would constantly throw up warnings........

.......then I reckon it would have been an ideal 'reliable' car for us.

 

[Tombola]

No one does. I have been in touch with every EV manufacturer I have found no one has any idea of what is required. The rail system for the batteries is where the ramp housing and mechanism would need to be sited. Because e-vehicles are the shape they are they aren't tall enough to accommodate a chair and occupant.

Even motability replies that there are no eWAVs on the market and as far as they are aware no eWAV is even on the drawing board.

Yeah, I just had a look myself and got similar info.
Pretty poor form Id say but probably being along the same lines as each other motor that was brought to play back in the day, chairs users last on the list !
Remember the little sky blue Invacar, looked hideous to me but my uncle swore by his. I had many a time bashing the handle bars on his as a kid, obvs wasnt suitable for a chair but I get your point.

Dunno, Ive no answer how , if, or even when, but its defo a question

 

[Tombola]

For us personally the whole concept of owning a 'reliable EV' was fantastic and in all honesty we had no drawbacks for using it in our daily lives, albeit I reckon we would have hired a petrol or diesel car from Enterpirse for the trips to Cornwall and Shetland etc.

If it wasn't for the fact that our Ioniq 5 didn't always select its drive gear or its reverse gear, or refused to move, or close its central locking system properly, or open correctly in the first instance, or if the driving aides weren't wonky and intolerable, or if it didn't sometimes revert to emergency break mode in the highstreet, or throw up a wobbly with its parking sensors, or the electric boot failed, or the computer would constantly throw up warnings........

.......then I reckon it would have been a ideal 'reliable' car for us.

teething problems then

 

[Puddleduck]

Yeah, I just had a look myself and got similar info.
Pretty poor form Id say but probably being along the same lines as each other motor that was brought to play back in the day, chairs users last on the list !
Remember the little sky blue Invacar, looked hideous to me but my uncle swore by his. I had many a time bashing the handle bars on his as a kid, obvs wasnt suitable for a chair but I get your point.

Dunno, Ive no answer how , if, or even when, but its defo a question

The Invacar did have a model that was available for chair users They were hideous to look at but gave so many people freedom

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[Tombola]

They were hideous to look at but gave so many people freedom

his words exactly, wed get so many waves etc when out and about

 

[Viennese]

An electric dpd van went down our back lane this morning. As it is a dead end he had to reverse back up and having got my car out I followed him. The side of the van said it was electric and I think it was a Mercedes. So perhaps there are more around than we realise.

 

[Blue Knight]

teething problems then

That's not the full list either, lol.

The really funny thing is that there's a few guys on the Ioniq Forum and FB page who call these things 'niggles' and truly love the vehicle. Some people call them enthusiasts but I just call them deluded!! Lol

You'll get statements like "I love the car and don't regret buying it but this morning at 2am in the service station it wouldn't engage drive and then it locked me out for an hour".

Crickey, I was pi$$ed off when my new BMW had a sticky rear wiper so having a car with so many faults was truly depressing.

Nicky would say "I'm not taking the I5, I refuse; what about if it doesn't engage its drive gear again and I can't get home".

Give it a few years to get these niggles sorted and we'll have another go

 

[Peppadog]

OK I haven't seen a "fleet" of Amazon EVs but I did see one of their EV vans going slowly on the M4 some weeks ago near Brizzle.

Of course Amazon might be using the old trick of driving the same van several times round the block to create the illusion.

I must be local to you SD. It might be a coincidence, but I had a delivery a short while ago from an electric only van. It was either DPD or Amazon, I can't remember which.

So its slowly coming. I've recently bought an EV scooter (125cc equivalent). Its brilliant for trips into Bath or Bristol, or on the back of the motorhome. Electric cars and such for now, Hydrogen cells instead of batteries powering electric vans and commercials in the future, once they work out how to create Hydrogen without burning fossil fuels. They are working on that as well.

Anyone who has not driven an electric car needs to, only then will you realise its the way to go. I love 'em, but ICE's are (nearly) history.

 

[SpeedyDux]

For us personally the whole concept of owning a 'reliable EV' was fantastic and in all honesty we had no drawbacks for using it in our daily lives, albeit I reckon we would have hired a petrol or diesel car from Enterpirse for the trips to Cornwall and Shetland etc.

If it wasn't for the fact that our Ioniq 5 didn't always select its drive gear or its reverse gear, or refused to move, or close its central locking system properly, or open correctly in the first instance, or if the driving aides weren't wonky and intolerable, or if it didn't sometimes revert to emergency break mode in the highstreet, or throw up a wobbly with its parking sensors, or the electric boot failed, or the computer would constantly throw up warnings........

.......then I reckon it would have been an ideal 'reliable' car for us.

Sorry, I just couldn't help laughing at your tale of Ioniq woe. I feel guilty now.

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