We’ve all heard about how reasonably priced EVs can change into while you cost at residence and benefit from photo voltaic power. However, what about longer distance drives? Do EVs make as a lot sense when you’re packing up your issues to move away with the household in comparison with conventional modes of transport?
We needed to place the newest EV know-how to the check on a highway journey from Adelaide to Sydney. We additionally needed to check what EV infrastructure was like regionally and selected a route that will take us barely inland and away from the nicely established charging community.
Alborz and I made a decision to choose a set of automobiles that led their subject in EV tech and effectivity, so Alborz picked the entry-level Audi Q5 diesel and I picked the Kia EV6 Lengthy Vary rear-wheel drive. We then caught our video crew within the Kia Sorento Hybrid to see how that will fare on the journey as nicely.
And since we have been making it rather less honest for the EV by doing that, we additionally needed to attempt to obtain the complete drive (round 1400km) on a single tank of diesel to see whether or not it may very well be accomplished.
By this level you’ll realise the check is somewhat contrived, and admittedly, I configured it this manner as a result of I hoped Alborz would run out of gasoline earlier than we arrived to Sydney – ideally on the Sydney Harbour Bridge or another equally inconvenient location.
Realistically, Alborz wouldn’t must stress about making it 1400km on a single tank as a result of he might gasoline at any variety of service stations alongside the best way in a matter of minutes, whereas I’d have to attend for a full cost. And I actually needed to determine how a lot time you’ll truly must price range charging on this sort of journey and whether or not it will be sufficient of an inconvenience to not trouble taking an EV.
However, he did take it significantly and determined he’d do round 90km/h for the journey to make sure he’d make it there on the 70 litre tank of diesel. He additionally upped his tyre stress to 46psi to scale back rolling resistance.
Me then again – I used to be going to drive usually at across the pace restrict. I additionally used a superb free web site known as A Higher Route Planner to map out my journey. It takes under consideration topography, climate and actual life power utilization at freeway speeds to point the place and when you have to be charging.
Our plan was to drive all the best way to Hay in New South Wales on the primary day, keep in a single day in a motel after which end the drive the next day by way of to Sydney.
So we set off from Adelaide and brimmed each the Audi and Kia earlier than we obtained began. We encountered our first problem earlier than we left with the financial institution of eight chargers in Adelaide’s CBD all full.
Properly, that’s not fairly true. 4 of the free chargers that work in any EV have been full and the 4 Tesla chargers instantly reverse have been empty (the Kia can’t cost on the Tesla community). Most irritating was the Tesla proprietor who determined to make use of the free choice as an alternative of the Tesla charger instantly reverse.
So we waited round for some time till anyone determined to go away and we plugged the EV6 as much as head off.
It’s at this level we reset each journey meters to trace financial system as we snaked our method out of Adelaide. For these unfamiliar with Adelaide, it’s at sea stage. It then climbs steeply at freeway speeds. This instantly began consuming into my vary and affecting the electrical automobile’s financial system.
The journey began off at round 17kWh/100km, however as we began making our method up the hills out of Adelaide that crept as much as round 22kWh/100km.
Cease 1: Tailem Bend, South Australia (12 minute cost)
Our really helpful first cease is Tailem Bend, round 132km out of Adelaide. It is a good one as a result of the service station options 350kW quick DC chargers and the suggestion is to take the automotive to 95 per cent to make our subsequent cease in Ouyen. I needed to cease right here for 12 minutes to cost from 80 per cent to 95 per cent.
Alborz handed me shortly after I plugged up after which I used to be delayed somewhat additional after serving to a pair out of their Hyundai Ioniq PHEV work out how you can create a charging account.
After leaving Tailem Bend, I jacked the pace up a bit to journey at GPS pace as an alternative of indicated pace. This elevated my financial system from begin to round 20kWh/100km (after it dropped to about 18kWh/100km after leaving Adelaide).
I did discover a giant distinction between 100km/h and 110km/h (GPS pace) when it comes to power utilization. It will be the distinction between it sitting extra fortunately on the 20kWh/100km mark earlier than creeping as much as 22kWh/100km.
Cease 2: Ouyen, Victoria (1hr 14 minute cost)
We then arrived to Ouyen and I plugged the EV6 up. Sadly the charger in Ouyen (and as we realised by way of elements of regional Australia) is barely a 75kW charger.
It means it’s essential sit right here longer to cost. Being a Monday afternoon – there was additionally actually nothing open for meals. So we simply needed to stand round consuming junk meals till the automotive was able to go.
Alborz arrived halfway by way of our cost and as soon as he realised there was nothing open for meals – he determined to go away. Thanks, Alborz.
Not desirous to let him get too far forward – I pulled the plug at round 90 per cent and hit the highway for our in a single day keep in Hay.
That’s once we bumped into our first hiccup. Halfway between Ouyen and Hay we realised the bridge over the Murray River was closed for roadworks.
As Alborz arrived forward of me, he had to determine how we might recover from the Murray to make it to Hay. The one straightforward route was a detour that added about 70km to the general journey, however it was our solely option to make our in a single day lodging and the subsequent charger in Hay.
As you may think about, I began getting somewhat nervous at this level. Not solely have been we including an unanticipated 70km to the journey, I had pulled the plug somewhat early to meet up with Alborz.
Along with that the solar was setting and it was getting chilly. Decreased temperature will increase the quantity of power the EV wants to make use of to maintain the battery at its optimum temperature vary, which inadvertently decreases your vary.
Cease 3: Hay, New South Wales (1hr 40 min cost)
I used to be sweating bullets because the vary repeatedly went down quicker than the space we have been travelling. The impact of this is able to have been multiplied even additional if I had baggage and different passengers within the automotive.
I ended up arriving at Hay with 1% of battery remaining after having to scale back my pace to stop the vary from vanishing.
The charger in Hay is a free NRMA charger, however sadly it’s capped at 50kW, which implies a brilliant sluggish cost. Given our late arrival fortunately there was no one else there on the solely charger on the town and I used to be in a position to plug up whereas we used our hybrid help automotive to go and get dinner at a truck cease.
By this level our consumption had settled to round 21kWh/100km as a part of the freeway drive.
So how are we going up to now when it comes to time spent charging. Given Hay is our in a single day keep I haven’t included that point into the equation as a result of we have been in a position to go to the motel and eat dinner whereas the automotive was charging.
It has been a 1 hour, 30 minute deficit to the EV. Over round an 800km journey, it’s in all probability the period of time I’d have stopped for wee breaks and meals stops if I used to be driving an inside combustion automotive, so it’s not the top of the world.
The next morning we set off for Sydney throughout the Hay Plains. From right here the chargers all change into excessive pace DC chargers that ought to imply a lot much less time stopping for fees.
How’s Alborz doing? Up thus far he’s averaging round 4.7 litres of diesel gasoline per 100km.
Cease 4: Tarcutta, New South Wales (30 minute cost)
We’re now again on the quick chargers. We plugged up at Tarcutta and juiced the EV6 from 19 per cent by way of to 95 per cent in round half-hour. It was sufficient time to stretch the legs and hit the highway for the remainder of our highway journey.
Cease 5: Sutton Forrest, New South Wales (25 minute cost)
Our cease at Sutton Forrest is one other 350kW charger. It was initially meant to only be an 11 minute cost, however after filming the piece to digital camera and going into McDonalds to get a espresso (it was busy in there), we ended up spending round 25 minutes on the charger to get us to 65 per cent.
Cease 6: Sydney, New South Wales (36 minute cost)
The ultimate cease for Alborz and I used to be close to to the Sydney CBD. I brimmed the EV6 to 100 per cent, which takes round 36 minutes) and Alborz fuelled the Q5, which takes about 4 minutes (it took me only one min! Paul counts his minutes in EV time, Alborz).
Our power consumption within the EV6 from Sutton Forrest to Sydney was additionally wonderful because of it being primarily downhill, coming in at round 14kWh/100km.
The outcomes:
So, how did all of it go?
Alborz ended up utilizing 62.33 litres of diesel, which price us $130.83 at a value of $2.09 per litre.
It meant it price him round $.092 per kilometre of journey. It additionally meant he consumed just below 4.3 litres of diesel per 100km.
How concerning the EV? Surprisingly it price $125.56 over that journey. The EV6 can be travelled a barely shorter distance as a consequence of Alborz needing to research our detour.
The opposite factor price stating as nicely is that we needed to pay to cost at each certainly one of our cost stops besides the massive cost at Hay close to our lodging. If we needed to pay for the cost in Hay, the EV would have truly price extra for a similar journey.
And the inconvenience? For those who exclude our in a single day cease at Hay, the EV6 needed to cease for a complete of just below three hours over 1400km. Given the advice is to cease each 200km for a break, that just about equals out to the advice.
Along with that, if we had taken the extra in style route, it will have been plagued by quick chargers that will have considerably dropped our wait occasions.
Anyway – we hope you loved this problem. Like I discussed within the intro, this wasn’t a scientific check by any means. It was extra designed primarily for Alborz to expire of gasoline, however secondly to see simply how inconvenient an EV is over an extended distance regional drive. We hope you loved it.
