Switching to an EV as a renter Step One:
Move to a house with an internal access garage that has a plug outlet.
I still can't afford to buy anything because I'm too old to be trusted with a mortgage, and the housing market steadfastedly refuses to crash, so now I need to find a place to live with lots of available rentals.
So, Step One: get a job that lets me live in a place with lots of rentals.
Le sigh.
Update: I've just found out that there's an electricity plan available at Genesis that would allow charging an EV at ChargeNet stations for the same price as home charging. There's a ChargeNet station down the street from us (within walking distance). So maybe I'll just do that then! Problem solved!
@mwt FWIW I've been plugging my EV in to a regular outdoor power outlet on the side of the house - not in a carport or garage, and it's charging just fine. They're built to charge in all weather conditions. It's an older model Leaf, it can fully charge overnight on regular power. A car with a larger battery would take longer to charge, though.
Before I got the outside power outlet installed, I was literally putting a power cord through a house window to plug it in inside.
@HeatherInNZ as a renter, I can't add new outlets wherever I want. We don't have any outdoor ones as far as I know, and also there might be thieves that steal unattended cables like that (or even help themselves to electricity). Not too keen on leaving a window overnight for the cable either, in this neighborhood.
@mwt
Dishonest people would be more able to steal electricity from an outdoors socket. You can lock the cable to a leaf, either using the cars system, a long shank padlock to the charging cover catch, or both.
The window is harder to address without modifying it in some way, which may involve the landlord. Security catch?
It doesn't help with the time hanging around for a charge, and some people are concerned about number of fast charges (only an issue, if at all, with leads) but Genesis do have plans where Chargenet chargers are at your home supply price
@HeatherInNZ
@RedRobyn @mwt It is understandable if you're not comfortable with this set-up. Obviously a garage would be ideal. I'm just here to provide info about EVs folks might not know if they're not familiar with them. My basic-ass Leaf has got a locking mechanism so the cable won't unplug without the car's key fob. But who am I to say whether thieves can get around this? If you don't have an outdoor outlet or a window that can lock in a cracked-open position, that does get a bit more tricky.
And I live in a neighborhood where we've had everything from a package off the front stoop to a light bulb out of the front stoop light stolen over the years, and many things in between. I wouldn't be totally surprised to find the EV cable gone one morning, is what I'm saying. But it hasn't happened yet.
@HeatherInNZ @RedRobyn we do have a garden shed with electricity. And it has a window that might fit a cable. I'll have to look into that possibility. How long are the cables that come with the cars? Do they make them in ridiculously long lengths?
@mwt
They come in varying lengths, but not ridiculously long. People do choose to ignore the advice not to use extension leads. To mitigate the extra risk they use a heavy duty cord (thicker diameter conductor inside) and have it as short as possible. I did that for a while until I could get a socket closer to the garage door.
I know capital cost can be a real concern, and I have had great adventures in my leaf, but I have to advise against getting a 30. If at all possible get something with a more reliable battery. The 40's are also problematic if they have had repeated fast charges (especially don't buy the one down this way that gets charged to max, no matter how slow it gets). Many 24s are holding out better, but the range is very limited.
Also avoid the models with AC only charging ports if you ever want to do a roadie without hiring a car to do it in.
@HeatherInNZ
@RedRobyn @mwt With a larger battery it does help to get a domestic EV charger* installed at your house, which of course is a lot harder if you rent. I have friends with a newer leaf - maybe 2021-ish? - that were able to work with their landlord to get a domestic fast charger installed at their house (which they paid for, not the landlord). So it's possible but you have to have good luck with your landlord and also have the $ to pay for it.
*This is not the same as a public "fast charger" which plug into the fast-charge outlet on the car and charge in like 30min-45min. Domestic EV chargers plug into your slow-charge plug on the car and charge it faster than regular house power. My parent's one will charge my Leaf in about 1/4th the time.
@mwt
You probably do need off street parking, cables across footpaths is a bit dodgy, though I've seen pictures of workarounds.
Mine has been charging parked outside my house with the cable going under the garage door for 6 years without problems It's important to protect the box on a "granny charger" cable from sunlight - it eventually wrecks the waterproofing by degrading the plastic.
@mwt that's very cool! I'm sure it varies by region but my experience has been that Chargenet stations are the most common brand of public charging station in and around.
@mwt double check that the local charger is chargenet owned. They also manage chargers on behalf and, at least to start with, those were not necessarily covered by the EV charging plan.
Happy to give you my 2 ¢ on managing charging with a little leaf if you are interested
@RedRobyn It's got Chargenet branding all over it, so I assume that means it's officially Chargenet. But I'll check for small print next time I go past it...
Happy to soak up any knowledge you want to share like a sponge. :) I'm not sure what I'm actually buying yet. My thoughts have ranged everywhere from Toyota Aquas to plug-in Priuses to Leafs to BYD Atto 1.
@mwt
This may change if all light cars get put onto RUC (road user charges), but currently plug in hybrid drivers run the risk of paying twice - the RUC rate is lower than for full EVs, but if you end up mostly driving on petrol then you are losing in the deal. Conversely if you can get charging sorted and are doing small.trips then you have potential to save. The other thing about a Prius is that it can only charge on AC , which rules out most of the public charging stations which are DC only. A plug in Prius with a healthy battery is potentially a good option for someone who can charge it at home and do most of the running on leki. Otherwise the super fuel efficient non-plug in hybrids are probably comparable in impact. I don't know many of the pitfalls of hybrids, I'm more interested in EVs if alternative transportation can't be made to work.
To get the best use from the Genesis scheme you would probably need a car that does DC charging
@mwt
I love my leaf, but realistically it would have to have a 62 kWhr battery to keep doing what I need it to for much longer, and that won't fit. The price of one of the 62 models might well get me something better. Amongst the things I love about my leaf (as well as the adventures and the forced slow travel) is that it doesn't spy on me, and that it rips every CD I put in the media player. It's got a pirate hiding inside. I've also been super lucky with the battery. Most 30s have a much dodgier battery than mine, and that is a reason not to buy a leaf without doing your homework.
If I had to replace it right now I would probably consider the BYD atto 1 for its small size and better battery quality. That and spend far longer than I want to trawling second hand ads for anything* with enough range to get me where I want to go more efficiently than I can now.
*Except a Tesla