The 10 amp EV challenge
The 3 things I learnt from this experiment:
- Charging an EV overnight using a regular household power point was more than ample for the journey, particularly considering most drivers average less than 50kms travel a day.
- Public Charging Infrastructure (“en-route” and “destination” chargers) are more common than people think.
- No time was wasted going to a traditional petrol station to fill up.
Do I have range anxiety? Absolutely not!
To prove it, I’m embarking on a few days of family activities using only one full charge. Any top ups needed will be via a 10 amp power point (as in, your standard household power point).
The Nissan Leaf has an indicated “full” range of 400km. Across the 3 days, there will be school drop offs, extra-curricular activities for the kids, a Melbourne Airport pick-up, a party at Mt Duneed Estate, capped off with a lunch at the RACV Club Torquay, before returning to the Transurban office.
Can it be done? I think it can!
Day one
First stop: school drop off! The kids love the electric car — its “so cool!”
Next stop: Melbourne Airport. Flight arrivals delayed by 2 hours… just as well the Leaf has seat warmers, so I settle in and listen to some tunes!
Day two
So far so good! We’re 150kms into the challenge and the Leaf still has more than 65% charge. Just to be safe, I plug it in overnight and wake up to 100% of range! So even though the local supermarket has public fast chargers, I don’t need one.
Party time! We loaded the Leaf with supplies and decorations, then headed down the freeway towards Mt Duneed.
A marvellous day was had by all! As designated driver of the only EV on the day, everybody wanted to experience the electric car. The Leaf only used 18% charge for approximately 60km of travel. Plugged in to a 10A socket overnight and woke up to 100% range!
Day three
On the home stretch: headed to the RACV Club in Torquay, for a wonderful lunch overlooking the golf course. The RACV Club has four DC fast chargers and 8 outlets, so there’s plenty of charging infrastructure. Plus, the chargers can deliver more than 400km of range in only 15 minutes!
Do I need to top up? Well actually, no. I’ve got plenty of range to return to Melbourne before plugging back in at the Transurban office.
Total journey map: I tested the range limits of the Nissan Leaf and ended up covering more territory than Burke and Wills!
How much did the challenge cost?
My home usage app shows the Leaf charged at a rate of 1.38 kWh overnight, conveniently reaching full charge just before breakfast. For comparison, the car consumes about as much power as the average fridge. Pretty cool!
So many people approached me to learn more about the car and how they would transition to EVs as their next purchase.
But the most interesting conversation came from my 82-year-old grandpa. He’s been a farmer his entire life, living in a remote area near the South Australian border. His biggest sore point is the regular power interruptions, sometimes lasting several hours, he experiences on the farm.
We worked out, if it came to it, even the Nissan Leaf, fitted with a 62kWhr battery, could power his farmhouse for days.
The Ford F150 lightning is now on his wish list!
Happy motoring!
