Recent content by tlongdon

I use it all the time. In the city (Bristol) to keep at 30mph max, and on the motorway to keep a max of <insert number>, but the M4 is so busy it means you can rest your foot on the accelerator and drop off, resume as needed. I find on the M4, unless you're on there at 10pm on a wednesday...

Just received an email from Ecotricity, that they will now charge £5 for a 20-minute rapid charge. If I average, realistically, 20 miles on a charge, that's 25p per mile. When I run on a flat battery (i.e. petrol only) it costs approx 13-15p per mile. So that's the end of some electric...

Who knew the high proportion of pedants amongst PHEV owners.

Honestly. I love it. Except when it screams up hills. But it beats most boy racers off the lights ;-)

I wouldn't have another PHEV either. 1. Only bought it for BIK benefits, as I wanted a slightly larger car without the corresponding cost. Those BIK savings are rapidly eroding. 2. It is 99.9% impossible to charge on-the-go. Every IKEA, shopping centre, motorway service station charging point...

YES. Got my paperwork through from TFL last week. You can complete the PDF's and mail them off. Costs £10 to apply.

Sadly it doesn't learn. And happens to be one of least intuitive satnav's I've come across. Which is why, 3 days in to owning the car, I bought a Samsung Galaxy Tab on a cheap data contract, a very good dash mount, and now use Waze for all my satnav needs.

One of these... works brilliantly. http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00FWPM9BG

Right next to the main Boots entrance from the car park behind Cribbs. 2 spaces at the beginning of the rank of disabled spaces (although I've been there before, unable to charge because a disabled badge holder has ICE'd the space. Works free with Sourcewest. Includes Chademo for the 20min charge.

I'll try that next time ;)

That's strange. I tried to unplug the LEAF (I could see on the dash it was full). The IKEA/ecotricity machine wouldn't allow my card to end the charge going to the LEAF, and I was unable to remove the LEAF's cable from the car. How did the Leaf driver manage to disconnect you?

Same at IKEA Bristol. 2 bays, 1 ecotricity charger, two cables (one AC, one DC). Assumed my Ecotricity card wasn't working as I'd plugged in (there was a Leaf charging in the other bay). They said 'oh yes that's right, only one car can charge at a time'. Lesson learned. So IKEA should...

I've not been able to heat the car via the electric heater first thing in the morning. How do you "make it" do this? The air conditioner is switched off but the engine kicks in immediately, and will only turn off if I switch the heater "off". Thanks

Using a dual-SIM M7 happily (well, other than the access to dialling compared with the old Freelander... Oh, and the mysterious pairing process which also seems overly-complex).

I've recently changed to 'max speed' on the motorway, and keep my foot down. The difference in fuel economy compared with ACC has gone from c. 35-ishmpg to around 42 mpg at a consistent(ish) 70mph on an 80 mile 99% motorway journey (M4) with a full battery at the outset.