In the second part of the trip that took me to tour Spain with a BMW 330e iPerformance , a plug-in hybrid premium saloon, I named a common problem in our country if you have an electric car ... or one with a plug-in hybrid powertrain. The main drawback of this type of vehicle is complex to solve, although it seems very easy. Where the hell do I plug in the electric car?
In this way, all the good things that an electric car or a plug-in hybrid has, such as the pleasure of driving, how respectful they are with the environment or the fact that their trips are cheaper with a combustion vehicle, are they go to hell when it comes to needing a plug. Here are the main options you have if you want to buy an electric or plug-in hybrid car, or even if you already have one.
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Install it in your home
There is no doubt: the most comfortable (and recommended) is to install a plug for your electric car in your own garage. Thus, every time you park the vehicle you make sure it is charging. In short, the "joke" will mean you inform the neighbors (they do not have to agree according to Law 19/2009, but it can cost you some anger with them) and an approximate cost of about 1,500 euros. Logically, if you are one of the lucky ones who lives in a chalet or in a single-family home, you save yourself the part of telling your neighbors.
Obtain permission from the City Council
You can also request a card or permit from the Town Hall on duty so that they will let you recharge your electric car for free. But you run the risk that the square is occupied, of course. In addition, the procedures are quite cumbersome, having to go to the City Hall, presenting various photocopies of documents, etc. Thus, if you have a test unit for a few days as has been the case, it is not worth it; Another question is to evaluate if you are interested in owning a plug-in vehicle.
Tesla Superchargerr
Pay for a private parking
Another alte
ative is to park your car in a private parking space, which is usually found in the center of cities. More and more companies of this type have enabled several places in which an electric or plug-in hybrid car can be recharged. The annoyance in this case is the price to pay, as the rates are generally quite high compared to a traditional community garage.
Pray that a public place is not occupied
Today there are many hotels or shopping centers that have free recharging points in their car parks . The problem is that, either they are disconnected or damaged (I have encountered this problem twice and it seems like fireworks), or they are occupied by another plug-in vehicle due to the fact that they already reach a significant sales volume. Specifically, 0.6% so far this year, with 2,112 units. This leads me directly to ask myself the obvious: what will happen when the use of the electric car is massive?
What if I have an emergency?
Put yourself in situation: you have just arrived home from work, or from any other place that has required you to travel with your electric car. The battery is almost exhausted but… stop! An emergency has arisen (work, family or of any kind) and you have to get back in the car. And the battery does not give you to travel more tha
5 km! Do you have (hopefully) half an hour to charge a good part of the vehicle's battery or do you choose to take a car with a combustion engine, in which you start and go?
The definitive proof
One of the manufacturers that knows electric cars for a while is Nissan. In its range it has the Nissan Leaf , the world's best-selling electric car. And their strategy makes clear what I expose in this article: if you buy a Nissan electric car they give you three months to change it for one with a combustion engine without obligation, they give you 1,000 euros to install a charging point in your home ... and you Lend a combustion car for free for 14 days a year in the first three years so you can travel wherever you want, since it is very difficult to guarantee that you can charge an electric car anywhere.
conclusio
Buying an electric car has many advantages, but also many disadvantages. Not everything is as beautiful as it is painted . A few months ago I had an interesting chat with the head of the electric vehicle department of a major manufacturer and he told me that
toyota fortuner brands are ready to develop better and better electrics. And I totally agree. However, in Spain, both the Government and the different municipalities put up many obstacles.
Therefore, are you interested in buying an electric vehicle today? It may be, but the first thing you have to do is think about the actual use that you are going to give the car . My opinion is that I would only buy it if I have my own garage with a plug installed and if I have another car with a combustion engine for emergencies or longer trips, leaving the electric car to go around the city or for trips of few kilometers.