The Run Your Fleet Electric Car Blog
By Craig Pullen, our ICT and Systems Development Manager and keeper of our electric Smart Car.
When last we blogged, Craig had set out hoping that the 10% remaining charge on the Electric SmartCar would get him and Steve to the office. What was the worst that could happen?…
As it transpired, the worst that could happen was as follows;
- The vehicle running out of power within two miles of Steve’s house, in front of an irate man in a Skoda Octavia Estate who described me using a word of Anglo-Saxon origin, the like of which is not appropriate for this audience.
- We then used the vehicle’s in-built “get me home” function, which in the tried and tested default method of fixing electrical items, is invoked by switching it off then switching it back on again. This worked once, but a second attempt was unsuccessful.
- We then resorted to a more rudimentary form of propulsion; one that also has a low carbon footprint – pushing. We discovered that using this method results in the regenerative braking system adding charge to the lithium-ion battery. Not enough to get us all the way back to Steve’s house though. When we arrived there, we charged the vehicle, caught our breath, mopped our brows, and finished the second leg of our journey powered by fossil fuels.
Advice for anyone considering using an electric car?
1) Plan your journeys – having a car with a range of 120 miles from a full charge has really made me think more about journeys; I consider alternative methods of transport much more so than previously.
2) Make sure that your home city has a ready supply of charge points, and that you know where they are.
3) Finally, and just as importantly, get a big letter box.
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