Richard Webb moved back to the UK from New Zealand two years ago, with the plan on going fully electric with his next car. In this article, he explains why he went electric and what his plans are for his next model.
During his time in New Zealand, Richard had a Kia Niro Hybrid, but had bigger plans to go fully electric. In 2019, he bought a Nissan Leaf Tekna with 40kWh battery and 168 miles of range, which is ideal, as he is self-employed and currently only does 5,000 mile a year.
He charges his car through a wallbox at home and on a few occasions has used rapid chargers locally, which ensured he did not suffer range anxiety on his journey to and from Essex. Richard goes on to say that you do not need to fear the chargers.
My biggest concern was not knowing how to charge or use the chargers. It’s easier than you think
Richard was initially worried about charging
He does point out that electric cars are becoming more and more common in his local area but points out Hartlepool needs more rapid chargers, rather than the points dotted around the town at the railway station and Morrison’s.
The charging points at Morrison’s currently offer the two ways in which the Leaf can be charged, which is ideal for when Richard goes for his essentials – talk about killing two birds with one stone (see inset for the pricing)
With the Chademo rapid charger, the Leaf will get to eighty percent in an hour – this is the fastest way to currently charge a Leaf. A home wall box with 7kW will take just under eight hours – so this is best done at the end of the day.
“This is encouraging news. Also, do not worry about charging times, as most of the time you are charging when your car is sitting on your driveway,” Richard explains some of the important stuff is getting done, when the car is not in use and it is at the end of the day.
Drivers can also save money by charging the Leaf during off-peak hours, which makes going electric sound even more attractive.
“Don’t worry too much about getting the biggest range. For me, unless you do regular journeys on 100+ miles, a 40kWh or 50kWh battery will enough and way more cost effective.”
“So, have an of your family or friends followed you into an EV…?”
Richard’s family members have their own worries with going electric, but are interested in alternative fuels, once lockdown is over.
“They did not initially think it was affordable, but there are some good deals out there.”
He did consider the all-electric MG ZS before the Leaf, but the delivery dates did not match up and he ended up getting the Leaf much quicker, which was with Richard in less than a week.
Speaking of MG, this ‘leads’ (no more puns, promise!) nicely into my next question. What would Richard have as his next car, was money no object?
“I would love a Mustang Mach-E but I’m quite keen to see where MG goes with their electric vehicle offerings. I would love a MG HS if it was a fully electric car.”
Currently, the MG HS is only available with petrol or plug-in hybrid power, but MG are planning on electrifying their future with a sports car and small MG3 supermini. Watch this space, Rich.
If anyone else would like to get in touch with their own electrification journey, please contact me via Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or by emailing me at mdoccars@gmail.com.
Michael Docherty 