Author: Steve

What to look out for when buying a used electric car

Buying a second-hand electric car can be a smart financial decision, but it’s essential to be thorough in your evaluation to avoid hidden problems.

Many of the following checks are the usual ones you should do when buying any sort of car before parting with your money.
First steps
Research the model’s reputation and read reviews from other owners. This can give you insights into common issues and reliability.  Search on YouTube for other owners’ reviews on the model you are considering.
Documentation & ownership
  • Carte grise: Ensure the seller is the legal owner
  • Insurance claim history (useful for accident history)
  • Service book/history: Proof of regular maintenance – sometimes digital
  • Crit-Air Certificate: Still mandatory in many regions
  • Loan Status: Make sure there’s no outstanding loan or lease on the car
  • Vehicle Identification Number (VIN): Check the VIN on the chassis, engine, and documents match
Car’s physical condition
Exterior:
  • Scratches, dents, rust, uneven paint may indicate previous accident damage/repair
  • Condition of tyres – uneven wear may indicate alignment issues
  • Windscreen & lights – cracks or fogging
Interior:
  • Seats, upholstery and roof lining condition
  • Functionality of AC, heater, infotainment system
  • Dashboard warning lights
  • Window, lock and mirror controls
On the test drive
  • Steering alignment and play
  • Smooth drive engagement
  • Brake responsiveness and noises
  • Suspension comfort
  • Acceleration and pickup
Mileage (kilometrage) & odometer
  • Cross-check the kilometrage with the car’s age and service records
  • Be cautious of tampered odometers
Accident or Flood Damage
  • Look for mismatched paint and welding marks
  • Rust in odd places like under carpet or seats
  • Musty smells or water lines inside
Vehicle History
Optional but wise
  • Mechanic inspection: Have a trusted mechanic evaluate the car
  • Check recall history: Ensure all recalls have been addressed
  • Spare key & tools: Ask about duplicate keys, original tools and spare tyre
Special points for electrical vehicles (EVs)
Battery Health: This is the most critical aspect of an electric car. EV batteries degrade over time, losing capacity and range. Ask for a detailed battery health report and check the battery’s condition from the car’s onboard computer.
Usage: Higher kilometrage can indicate more wear and tear. Check the car’s history and previous usage patterns (from the car’s onboard computer). Frequent rapid charging can also affect battery health.
Service history and updates: Ensure the car has been regularly serviced and maintained and look for records of battery health checks, software updates and any repairs. Some EVs require periodic software updates to maintain optimal performance and safety features
Charging System: Check the condition of the charging port and type and condition of cables supplied.  Ensure the car can be easily charged at home or at public charging stations
Warranty: Verify if the car is still under warranty, especially for the battery and electric components.
Range and Efficiency: Check the car’s range and percentage charge.  Compare it with the manufacturer’s specifications to ensure it meets your needs.
Insurance: Get an estimate for insurance costs from your insurer.
Battery Rental: Be aware that some models, particularly the Renault Zoe, launched with the battery rented for a monthly fee. This made the original purchase cost cheaper, and subsequent pre-owned price cheaper, but the new buyer will still have to pay the monthly rental costs  Look for ‘Achat intégral’ on any sales information to avoid this and which will mean the purchase is outright and doesn’t contain this battery rental element.
Buying a used EV can be a smart move, but it’s essential to do your homework and take the time to find the right one for you.

The camera you carry.

The year is 2006, the place is Royal Tunbridge Wells in England.

I have gone in to town to do some shopping. It was a lovely sunny August day.

My DSLR at the time was my Canon EOS20D (8.3 Megapixels), but it was at home.

I only had my mobile phone with me. It was a Nokia 6230i it has a camera, all of 1.3 Megapixels. It was my first mobile phone with a camera. It’s tiny and easily fits in my jeans pocket. The battery lasts for days….and the phone still works in 2025!

On the way in to the car park I came across an unusual sight, lots of bricks covering the road, the area is taped off, but I managed to get past it.

I made my way up to the top floor as I know there were always spaces up there.

Before going shopping I walked to a vantage point on the top floor of the car park. I was surprised to see it gave me a clear view of the partially collapsed wall of a supermarket on the opposite side of the road.

Only having my mobile phone I took a few photos, just to show my wife. However, when I got home I decided to email them to the local paper. Mainly to alert them, so that they could get one of their own photographers there. I didn’t think my photos would be worthy of being published.

Imagine my surprise when they actually published my photo and credited me (top right corner of the picture in the paper).

Even more surprising when they highlighted the photo again 19 years later on their Facebook page under the headline ‘Do you remember……’

The vantage point you can see from Street View! the corner of the car park on the 4th floor.

It doesn’t matter what camera you have, being in the right place at the right time is what matters! Even with a very retro (now) 1.3 Megapixel phone camera!!

As a footnote, the wall was only exterior ‘decoration’ the internal wall was the load bearing wall, the building didn’t collapse and the exterior wall was quickly repaired. Why it collapsed I don’t know. Water ingress may be.

British Post Office Tool Case No. 3

Let me introduce you to the British Post Office Tool Case No. 3.

These tool cases have been around I’m told for over 50 years, I have two of them, one of them is about 40 years old, the other celebrates its 30th birthday this year! Whilst I didn’t work for the ‘Post Office’ or British Telecom as it would now be or BT for short, I did work for a government organisation with close ties to the GPO, PO, BT etc.

So here are the two cases I have.

The older one is the one on the left and it’s had a hard life! The only main differences between them is the ID pocket on the outside of the older one and the saddles on the handle strap are sewn to the case on the older one, where as they are riveted on the ‘newer’ one on the right.

Looking at the older one now in some more detail.

As you can see the leather is very soft and supple on this one. It’s currently empty waiting for me to renew the zip on it. A job I did about 28 years ago as well as redoing some of the stitching. The leather hasn’t had any special treatment since it was issued to me.

So opened out you can see the running loops running across the case for tools to slot in to, these can be varied in size and they tend to stay at the same tension all the time, no elastic is used, just leather.

The big pocket on the left is for small items and it is held shut with big press studs.

And moving on to the ‘newer’ one.

As you can see from the stitching the design is the same with only a few minor differences. Not quite a supple as the older one, but it is gradually getting there I guess, may be another 20 years and it will be as good.  It still has the original zip on this one, but the tag fell off some years ago and a cable tie has been serving that duty since!

And here is it fully populated with tools, some of the tools are the same age as the older case, still giving good service, no need to replace them. The side cutters are new though, these do become blunt or damaged with use. It didn’t come with all of the tools you see, I added to it over the years, hence doubling up on the loops!

And again inside the pocket are some additional hand tools, bits and bobs etc.

 

The remarkable thing about these tool cases is that you can still buy them, not cheap I give you that, but as you can see they will last a life time! They are available from this company Canford in UK sizing details are in their own PDF file.

How to charge your electric vehicle

There are several types of charging points for electric cars, each offering different speeds and capabilities. Here’s a breakdown:

Types of Charging Points

    1. Level 1 AC Charging (7 kW Slow Charging): This is the most basic type of charging, typically using a standard household outlet or a type 2 connector (Single Phase Mains). It’s slow and usually takes about 8-20 hours to fully charge an EV.
    2. Level 2 AC Charging (22 kW Fast Charging): These chargers use a 3 phase 240V outlet and can charge an EV much faster, typically within 4-8 hours. However, not many houses have a 3-phase supply.
    3. DC Fast Charging (24 kW or Higher Rapid Charging): These provide a high-power direct current (DC) and can charge an EV to 80% in about 30 minutes to an hour. They are commonly found at public charging stations and along main roads and autoroutes.
    4. Ultra-Rapid Charging (>100 kW): These are the fastest chargers available, providing power at 100 kW or more. They can add significant range in just 15-30 minutes.

How to Use Them

    1. Locate a charging point: Use apps like Zap-Map, Electromaps, Electroverse, or your car’s navigation system to find nearby charging stations.
    2. Connect the charger: For Level 1 and Level 2 chargers, you’ll need to connect your own cable – the one that came with the car when you bought it – to the charger. By contrast, for DC fast chargers, the cable is usually tethered to the charger.
    3. Start charging: Follow the instructions on the charger or the app you’re using. You may need to scan a QR code or use a contactless card or fob to start the charging session.
      Instructions are often in a pictorial format so you don’t need to worry about what language they are in. You can often change the display language on the charger screen if there is one.
    4. Monitor the charge: Keep an eye on the charging progress through the app or the charger’s display. Most will notify you when the charging is complete.
    5. Stop the charge: Once your car is fully charged or you need to leave, stop the charge using the app or on the charger’s interface. Depending on the charger, you may need to ‘tap out’ by holding your card up to the card reader on the charging unit.
    6. Payment: Pay for the charging session through the app, contactless card, or other payment methods provided by the charging network. If you have set up an account such as with AlterBase within the Deux-Sèvres, payment is taken from your bank account. Fast and Ultra Fast chargers will often accept bank cards/credit cards for payment.
    7. Charging speed: The speed of charging also depends on the battery temperature and the level of charge of the battery. The fastest charging is often between 20% and 80% state of charge and charging slows down above 80% to avoid overheating the battery and causing long term damage. For most daily use, it’s more economical to limit your charging to a maximum of 80% and only charge to 100% for long journeys.

In some local areas, there are only low power AC chargers. These work well for a top-up whilst you go and have lunch or do some shopping. However, you will need some form of contactless card for the charging network (not a merely a bank card) to use them.

In Deux Sèvres, consider signing up with AlterBase which has the most widespread network in the department. They have just revised their contracts and now have an app and a smart key fob that can be used at each charger.

Using public charging points can seem overwhelming at first, but with a little practice, it becomes second nature. To find fellow EV in the area where you can share information and ask questions, do consider joining the Deux-Sèvres EV Owners Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/dsevowners/.

Sticky Rubber!

It might sound embarrassing to admit, but the day you put your hand in to your camera bag and go to grab that lens or camera body you haven’t used for a few months only to discover the rubber parts have become all sticky and your fingers get coated in a black mess is not a good day….

However, there is a solution to this issue that I have used on a couple of my camera bodies and a couple of lenses that were functioning just fine, but the rubber grips on the bodies or the lens rings had started to become this sticky mess.

Yes it is a car care product that I had on the shelf already. With just a very small amount on an old fluffy hand towel and then rubbed carefully on to the grip and in to the rings on the focus/zoom ring. And then buffed using a clean part of the old towel the rubber came back as good as new.

Every couple of years I make a point or repeating this treatment. Making sure to not let any of the gel like product enter the camera body or lens and the rubber parts don’t seem to go bad ever again.

You can apply the gel with a cotton bud if you need to get it in to smaller confined spaces.

It will also work on any other gadgets that have some form of rubberised coating.

Keep your gear in top working order and don’t stop using it just because it has become sticky!!