What name would you like to appear in your article?
Max B
What was/is the make and model of your first EV?
VW e-up!
Why did you buy the car you did?
I had an alert set up on eBay that showed any cheap EVs that were listed. I was already driving a petrol Up! and loved it so I just put a bid in on a CAT D (damage repaired) e-up! I was rather surprised to find I won it for £6,500!
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What got you into an EV in the first place?
I was keen to lower my carbon footprint. Plus I loved the idea of something totally new!
Initially, what did you find most confusing about EV ownership and how did you solve that?
After I’d won the car in the eBay auction, I had to navigate it the 80 or so miles home across Surrey with a half-charged car. It was a real baptism of fire trying to get a public charge on the way home. I got down to 4 miles of range remaining when I finally arrived at a working charger. The charger was so new it still had the cellophane wrapping on it!
What sources of information helped you e.g. people, groups, websites etc?
I was helped massively by the UK Electric Vehicle Owners Club Facebook group.
What are your top 3 pieces of advice for those people considering their first EV?
- Be prepared for a rethink of how you use your car, especially if it’s an older, low-range model like mine. I still had access to my wife’s diesel car when I bought my first EV so I primarily used it for my 50-mile daily commute.
- Be prepared to fall down the energy rabbit hole. I built a DIY solar charging station after buying my first EV!
- Pre-plan longer routes with several options for each charging stop. It will save you a lot of stress!
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