I checked how long my stops lasted. And I already know what kind of electrician I need [we believe]

I regularly read in the comments on the Internet that electric cars suck because someone "arrives at the station for 2 minutes and drives" and "electrics take a long time to charge." Therefore, I decided to approach this thesis from a scientific point of view, namely: to start measuring how long my journey lasts. And I ask you for similar attempts.

My journey, that is, the father of a family with three children - what will be the electrician?

Table of contents

• My journey, that is, the father of a family with three children - what will be the electrician?
  • Driving time and required power reserve
  • Stops and rechargeability
  • Wnioski

The idea of ​​taking measurements came from the fact that I used to work as a trader, which I remember very fondly. How do traders drive? In my experience: fast. Colleagues did not spare cars, because "time is money." However, I was wondering that these traders can keep on the highway at 140-160 km / h, then go to a gas station to fill up the car, and calmly smoke 1-2 cigarettes. slow sipping coffee.

They were sure that they were racing like a whirlwind, and at these stops I was bored like a pug, because I do not smoke and do not like to overpay for snacks. I have the impression that other drivers who say “heaven” to electricians think the same way.

Therefore, I decided to check how it looks in numbers with my example:

Driving time and required power reserve

I noticed the following patterns:

• when I am driving alone on the highway, I can stop after 300-400 kilometers, but I often do not do this if it is already close to my destination,
• when I am driving on a highway or on a route with few expressways, the distance is reduced to about 250-280 kilometers,
• when I travel with my family, there is no chance that I will not stop after 200-300 kilometers: gas station, toilet, tired children.

Generally stopover in 2-3, maximum 4 hours... With three, tired children do this most often, with four I have to stop because my eyes start to close and my legs go numb.

So at a speed of 120 km / h, I need a car with a range of 360-480 km.so driving on it is no different from driving an internal combustion car. A lot, because it means approx. 480-640 kilometers in kind in mixed mode (560-750 WLTP units)... I speak of myself as an average Polish driver, because as the author of these words I can easily stop a little more often.

Somehow it turned out so funny that I can get 560 units of WLTP with a Tesla Model 3 Long Range. But this is Tesla, you need to remember that the values ​​of this manufacturer are overestimated. Not to mention, the WLTP procedure overestimates ranges:

Stops and rechargeability

And that's all: feet. My fellow traders were sure to stand for 2-3 minutes. I did not measure them then, but rather 15-25 minutes (with refueling). I measured my time:

• shortest stop with children: 11 minutes 23 seconds (from switching off the engine to restarting it),
• average parking time: 17-18 minutes.

The above times apply to combustion vehicles and plug-in hybrids., so the breaks were for stretching the bones, perhaps a gas station, a toilet, a sandwich. Now is not the time for an electrician. However, if they were converted to chargers counting, of course, about 1,5 minutes for connecting wires, starting a session, disconnecting wires, we would add the following amounts of energy:

• 10 minutes = 3,7 kWh at 22 kW / 6,2 kWh at 37 kW / 10,3 kWh at 62 kW / 16,7 kWh at 100 kW / 25 kWh at 150 kW,
• 16 minutes = 5,9 kWh at 22 kW / 9,9 kWh at 37 kW / 16,5 kWh at 62 kW / 26,7 kWh at 100 kW / 40 kWh by 150 kW.

Fast charging station for electric vehicles with a capacity of 150 kW at the Galeria A2 shopping center in Poznan (c) GreenWay Polska

Fast charging stations in Poland are mostly 50 kW devices, but the longer the stop, the lower the average power. Given that electric drivers often stop for 30-50 minutes to top up their batteries, the above averages should be pretty close to reality.

Now let's translate the energy into rangesof course, once again considering that some of it was wasted in the process, eaten up by the battery cooling system, or consumed by the heating / air conditioning while driving (I'm guessing: -15 percent).

• 10 minutes = +17 km / +28 km / +47 km / +71 km / +85 km [the last two points: bigger car and higher energy consumption; every second value in bold for ease of comparison],
• 16 minutes = +27 km / +45 km / +75 km / +113 km / +136 km.

Wnioski

If I am an average Pole, so when traveling with my family I could easily and without compromise replace an internal combustion car with an electrician if I:

• chose a car with a real mileage of 480 km and more (WLTP from 560 units),
• or chose a car with a real range of 360-400 km. (420-470 WLTP units) supporting 50-100kW charging.And I would use a charging infrastructure of 100kW or more (optimal: 150+ kW).

At my stops, I calmly walk a distance of 30 to 75 kilometers during them.. Thirty is not much, but 75 kilometers should be enough to get to your destination.

If I am an average Pole, I need to strive for a car with a battery with a useful capacity of 64-80 kWh, preferably an economical one. These criteria are met:

• Hyundai Kona Electric 64 hp,
• Kia e-Soul 64 kWh,
• Kia e-Niro 64 kWh,
• Tesla Model 3 LR,
• Tesla Model Y LR,
• Tesla Model S and X 85 (aftermarket),

… and, perhaps:

• Volkswagen ID.3 77 kWh,
• Skoda Enyak IV 80,
• Volkswagen ID.4 77 kWh.

Tesla Model 3 and Volkswagen ID.3

With more fuel efficient driving, the Polestar 2 or Volkswagen ID.3 will also get 58 kWh, but trade-offs will be required.

Of course, a free stop in a parking lot is something other than the “I need to find a charger” coercion. Because every new route requires a little planning. However, if I already knew this, I would drive more calmly – especially since the charging infrastructure in Poland is growing.

To sum it up: I already know which electric car suits me. I chose it - it's on the list above - and now I need to convince the owner that this is an absolutely essential editorial equipment. 🙂

How much rest do you take while traveling? 🙂

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