MG Windsor Owner Details Challenges Of Long Highway Trips In An EV
India is witnessing a fast switch to electric mobility. We see more all-electric models being launched every day, and most of them are finding buyers as well. Have you ever thought of doing a long road trip in an EV? Well, an MG Windsor EV owner recently embarked on one, and shared his experience on Reddit.
He says he bought the Windsor early this year, and has been using it for around six months and finds it to be an 'amazing city car'. He charges it once every 10 - 15 days and the vehicle returns a range of 250 - 280 km per charge.
Reassured by its range, the owner decided to take the Windsor on an intercity commute. It, he says, was the Windsor's first long trip. He took help from ChatGPT in planning the route and charging stops. It even gave him a complete, flawless plan. The problem with this was that it completely ignored infrastructure flaws and human errors, both of which aren't uncommon.
When it was time for their first charging stop, the owner located a charger which was listed with two plugs, one of which was available. The owner says that when they got to the charger, the car that was at the other plug was parked in a way that made the second plug's cable too short to reach the MG's port. This owner had to wait till the other car's owner showed up at the scene and moved his car before he could even plug the Windsor in.
The next challenge was the air conditioning. He says that it was a hot day and he had to use the AC extensively. He somehow expected the vehicle to return a range of around 200 km. However, the battery reportedly started ' draining like crazy'. While the owner expected it to stand around 65%, the actual levels were around 40%. This again, upset his plans and made range anxiety kick in.
He had to go for an immediate charging stop then. He soon realised that he had to download another mobile app to locate this specific charger. Left with no choice, he downloaded it, registered himself in and loaded money into the wallet. When he finally tried to scan the QR code at the charging stationm, the app failed to recognize the charger!
He was left with not choice but to locate the nearest charger and drive a few more kilometers to reach there. This charger wasn't free when he arrived. So the Windsor owner had to wait for some time. Here too, he had to install a different app, create an acoount and load money. His charge levels had then dropped to 20%. He had covered just 154 kilometers during this period- well below expectations. Finally, he had the charger to himself. Just when he was about to start charging, the power went out!
When he looked up, the next charger was about 70 kilometers away. Covering this distance without running out of charge was unthinkable. This owner thus got stuck in an unknown city with a nearly dead EV battery!
After waiting for an hour, the power was back, and he could charge his vehicle back and get to his destination. The arrival time was a good four hours later than what was planned. This incident gives us a closer look at the various challenges faced by EV owners.
EV Ownership: The Sore Side Of It
The manufacturers might tell you otherwise, but living with an electric vehicle can be painful many a time. Doing long distance travels in an EV takes proper planning and charting. There are applications and programs which would help you in the process. We need to invest time and energy into this, before beginning the trip. It is never a 'jump in and go' scenario!
Next, you will have to install and rely on a lot of charging applications for a hassle-free ownership. Plus, the wallets of these will have to be loaded with money as well. This also hints at the possibility of leftover balances which you might never use again! Unfortunately, some of these applications come with terrible UI, poor customer support and a lot of bugs!
On the positive side of things, automakers are now developing umbrella applications which aggregate various charger windows (apps) into a unified charging app. Opting for one of these would be of great help.
India's hot climatic conditions demand a strong air conditioning system to be operational most of the time. Doing so would, however, have an adverse impact on the EV's range. The ECO mode on any electric vehicle, will give the maximum range, but will also limit the AC. If we choose the cabin to be cooler, the actual range could dip! Another aspect is the vehicle speed. If it is above 80 kph, the range of most EVs will take a hit.
Highways can be quick and convenient, but they affect the EV's range by limiting regeneration opportunities.
Talking of infrastructure development, more chargers should be set up, with a goal of minimizing the distance between them. They should further have a focus on hosting the vehicle's occupants comfortably while it is getting charged. Most EVs take atleast half an hour to juice-up, and also require the occupants to stay out during the process. Facilities to accommodate them comfortably should be set adjacent to the charging stations.
Proper care and attention should also be given to the EV batteries as they tend to deteriorate with use and over time. Proper charge-discharge cycles are needed to keep the cells healthy.
Time can be another big concern. From chargers to a bad mobile app interface, anything can spoil your plans and slow you down. We wouldn't advise you to opt for an EV for long travel if it is time-bound.
Since regular mechanics will refuse to work with them, electric vehicles will demand a strong RSA (Road Side Assistance) and support from the manufacturer, for hassle-free ownership.