Paula has been driving for a number of years. She is a mother of two children and has been driving an Electric Vehicle for the past few years. She was encouraged to make the switch to electric by the technology improvements.
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1.
What is your current vehicle?
Renault Zoe – it is a fast little run around and super easy to park. Brilliant for the school run.
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2.
What are the benefits of driving electric?
Automatic car and ‘fuel’ is pain monthly under one (electricity) bill – I only charge at home.
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3.
What do you consider to be the challenges of driving an EV?
It does take some getting used to, particularly calculations on range. The biggest challenges would be if you were not able to charge at home or at work and were dependent on public charging. Our second car is a plug-in-hybrid.
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4.
Have you calculated any cost savings since switching to the Electric Vehicles?
I haven’t done those calculations but I haven’t been in the situation of having to decide whether or not to go somewhere because I didn’t have €20 for petrol – that worry is now gone.
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5.
What does your average journey look like?
I travel under 100 km per day. School run – one starting time, two finishing times. Some days I use the car for shopping trips – approx. 35/45 km each way.
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6.
What advice would you give to someone considering their first EV?
It will take time to get used to the range and adding charging to your daily routine, but once you get past yet, you are free from the petrol pump, from the handbrake and clutch!
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7.
Any additional thoughts?
There are too many different cables required by different public chargers. Each charger has different capacity and speed which can be complicated for new users. Infrastructure should be as easy to use as a petrol pump.
