Yes, it's all rather pointless really. Smaller swappable battery cells, even if less efficient, would make the system usable. But carrying tons of battery around on a permanent basis will never ever, ever work.
@@ianbarker1241Yes. Something I don’t get is even with these vans and people supposedly running life at a more leisurely pace why do I keep seeing comments where people fill up and do 900 miles without stopping. Bonkers.
But it didn't, did it. The anxiety was about whether the charger would work and if he'd got his ChargePlace Scotland RFID card there would have been no issues.
@@michaelgoode9555 Exactly, if Steve had started planning it a few days earlier he'd have had no problems with the RF ID card, what he's doing here is an experiment to see if it's possible, and it clearly is.....range anxiety is old hat now, it's 2024 not 1924
@@darrenball1775it’s over complicated because of nationalist politics. They want Scotland to be as different to the rest of the UK as possible for everything as in theory it should make independence easier. In reality everything should be standardised in the UK regardless of politics.
But the people in charge who come up with these stupid ideas , they don't have to wait around for 1 hour to charge their f***ing car " do they 🤔 They will just get somebody else to charge the car up , they will just jump into a fully charged car .... But 99% of them drive around in gas guzzling vehicles while, on the other hand, telling us. Joe public that we need to buy an electrical vehicle before 2035, what an absolute load of s**t ....❤ from teesside 🏴
@@helenreasbeck1348 I would have one for free .. I would accept all the problems then..but it’s not fiscally prudent to purchase one.. if the government were giving us one then we could accept the running mither and charges or just take it to the dump or use it as a shed in the garden at no expense to us..
Drove to Poland this summer in my 9year old euro 5 motor home stopped once going for fuel took and 5 mins, stopped once coming home took 10 mins filled up with lpg at the same time. I think The ID stands for intelligence Devoid.
I did the nc500 years ago, went from Hamilton to Inverness then Thurso for the ferry to Orkney (spent 3 days there) then down the west coast to Aviemore. Filled up with diesel twice.
@@marcuskirby9299 When you say "we", who do you mean? We travelled from Rugby to Orkney and back in June in a VW ID.3. We had no problems charging, no range anxiety, no waiting around as we used destination chargers and in Orkney I even managed to use a ChargePlace Scotland charger via their app and the car charged whilst we ate at a local hotel. Using an EV is only a problem if you make it a problem in my experience.
But they cost 5p a year to charge at home, and they save polar bears, and everyone needs to take a break so it doesn't count as stopping when you need to recharge, and they're super-duper fast, and and and... I won't be swapping my Peugeot 106d for one.
I have a Peugeot Partner, a few years old now. done 3 trips down into France and Spain this year. As a camper with my 3 foot mattress it`s a little tight, but having gotten over 600 diesel miles on a tank, i`ll stick with it till things improve with the EVs. ps too blooming cold up there, to want to stay for anytime.
The reason why there are so many signs forbidding overnight parking is because so many people have abused the local populations around the route by parking in people’s driveways, dumping human waste in passing places or beside private homes, and other littering all over the place. The popularity of the route has badly affected many locals, and the abundance of caravans and motor homes also meant that many people stock up on food before they attempt the route, so they do not benefit. Obviously not all are like this, but far too many are. And that is before you factor in those that do not use passing places properly, causing massive tailbacks (particularly in summer), or come up in ‘supercars’ and attempt to do the route in 24 hours. While there are parts of the route which do have long, straight stretches as you will have found, much of it is single track and has sharp bends and blind summits where such driving is positively dangerous. I have been driving on this route for almost 50 years and have, unfortunately experienced, or seen many of these issues. I welcome visitors - particularly those who respect the communities they travel through and do spend their money in local shops - but not those who don’t act properly and have no respect for local people.
Although I can probably understand why you are doing this…. It is making for a very strong argument for NOT giving up on fossil fuels. Diesel is definitely the better option. At least you can carry a spare can of fuel , just in case . It looks like you’re having to concentrate on where the next charger is, and then if it will work, rather than enjoying the trip. Good luck
@@G-ra-ha-m Are you saying that oil is not the remains of carbon beings which have been under pressure for hundreds of millions of years? Fossils may contain some silicon but as you pointed out oil is not a fossil. The O.E.D definition of oil from the Earth; “Petroleum is a viscous liquid that is a mixture of hydrocarbons... It is formed when organic matter buried in sediments decomposes”. So, I think you will find that, not only is it possible, it is fact! Why am I not surprised that a Luddite disputes scientific fact?
That can hold 40-80 quid on your card which can take days to go back on. I use my electroverse RFID card, and it all gets charged at a discounted rate to my octopus account. Easy
Range anxiety is a thing of the past !!! You spent 2 hours a day , worrying if you can get a charge even with 50/ charge , so like half. Tank !!! Every reason to turn your back on these vehicles !
Exactly stressful watching the panic. Tbh I couldn't stand all the stops and messing about. My husband was doing the stoppages hanging around from precious holiday time. Motorhome is pleasure not stress 😂
Everyone should turn their backs on these vehicle and send a message to the government and the car manufacturers that we will not accept them. Bar the dumpling, of course.
Constantly worrying ,and topping up all the time are top ups as costly as diesel I wudnt know ,diesel 4x4 only for me ,ps love watching all your vlogs ,just hate electric 😊
Just watching this video shows me never to buy an EV. What a mess around, most of us dont have the time, to waste hours trying to plan journeys or find a working charger.
Loved following you on your solo venture Steve around Scotland.. what a beautiful part of the world. Reminiscing the fun times with your kids when they were little..snow fun. What fantastic experiences and memories you both have made for your kids.
We did the NC 500 in October and loved it. It was lovely to see your old videos of your lovely family at Christmas. What gorgeous cute little boys they were! Take care xx
What an utter FAF charging this Buzz will it won’t it work nah crock of 💩 my son travels from Leeds to Invergorden for work he does it on half a tank of diesel 2 pit stops to answer the call of nature in his Mercedes comparing the two diesel wins hands down sorry charging anxiety is alive and kicking on long trips EVs for town use only
Never in the entire history of consumer goods has the buying public been expected to accept a retrograde product in place of an existing solution. This just proves what Mark Twain once said is true: "It's easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled. "
Steve love your NC500 blog! With recent news about the electric market; I’m afraid the market is truly dead and buried, with resale values at almost zero after a few years say 2 years max. For all those out in zero emissions land; answer 2 simple question how is your battery made??? And how do you think the electric is made.
another cracking video Steve and quite a journey down memory lane. Thank you for sharing them with us because it made the video even more personal. Much respect🙏- Kenny
Vlogs like these are great because they just prove how USELESS Milk Floats actually are and what an absolute con they are. IF there were no government bribes...oops sorry..."subsidies" and threatening sales "quota fines" for every garage NOBODY with any grey matter would buy them.
Lovely video Steve. Really appreciate the explanations along the way. The footage you took is absolutely beautiful and we love the archive shots from 2016. What great memories. Safe travels 😃 Trev n Sue
Everything about your experience with the ev van says to me dont bother they are just too faffy expensive and your constant worry in having to get a charge is not nice further the number of times you need to stop and charge plus having to wait just does not match to good old ice engines
@@toad008 I find that a strange anomaly, are the grants really generous there as we know that EVs are not suitable for cold climates except maybe if used as a town runaround doing very low mileage.
Hope you have a towbar then next time you do a trip like this you can tow your own diesel gen set behind the buzz no problem with charging no apps no worries
Totally utterly stressful. No way could I cope with this. You seem to be constantly doing the maths, I'd fail here too!! Then stations not working the cost appears huge for your journey. There's no way ever I'd buy electric. Apart from the fact they are so far from being ecological to the environment in its process and to end its life. I've seen China's huge electric vehicles and scooters dead ones. Excellent to see how you are coping. Thank you for doing this.
Be careful with the outlet vent on your air fryer at best you’ll damage your wall flocking at worse it can be a fire hazard , I put a glass chopping board behind mine.
Wow’s. Fab video. Don’t envy you at all Steve, thanks for sharing with us 😊 I love your little van and looking forward to both of you sharing your adventures in the little van. X
I have a Toyota Petrol hybrid takes 3 minutes to fill including payment and then 600 miles to the next fuel stop . On a run like that the engine barely runs keeping it topped up
I live in Canada, just wondering if you have snow tires on your vehicle? I have visited all your stops along the NC 500, month of September and May is when I usually come over, travel with a friend but not electric, would not chance it. Not very practical here in Canada, our distances are huge, Toronto to Montreal 600 km. Thanks for a great video.
This is a great adventure, even more so in the winter! It reinforces the problems with EVs, chargers not working, slow charges, high cost of charging. I think your first video said it used 10% battery to use heater overnight, and the charge cost £60-£70! .gov needs to bring cost of electric down, and the charge stations need to unify to one app for all.
We nearly got a Buz but the range (or lack of) and technical gremlins put us off. In the end we went for a model Y. Full charge we get 320 miles (even in winter) and have never had an issue charging at a supercharger.
Steve our network has went from the best to the worst in only a few years. I did the NC500 in 2017 and got every charger to work (13 at that time) but it was seriously hard work. You should have borrowed my RFID on your way past. Keep well. Love to Lins and boys.
Interesting vlog Steve. We don't yet have an electric vehicle but your journey is definitely demonstrating the pitfalls with them. Otherwise, lovely van and nice to see your route. Thank you for sharing ! Safe travels.
I live in Jersey, Channel Islands. Electric can be used here as it is a small island and you can charge in the car parks, if you are using them. I live in a flat with no where to charge and going traveling would be a nightmare with electric. I’m sticking with my petrol.
I’ve been driving EVs for 10 years but quickly realised that Tesla are the only viable option for touring stress free. We are buying a VW campervan next year and wouldn’t consider anything other than a diesel or petrol (will likely get a T6.1. California Ocean diesel).
I wouldn’t even say the Tesla are viable , my Tesla 3 (owned for a short time!!) would tell me 280 miles on full charge, never got anywhere near it! IMO until manufacture can come up with a 500 mile battery ; they just aren’t worth the hassle! Time spent charging , Just doesn’t make saving in costs worth it, not to mention next year £200 tax!
We’ve done 50,000 miles in our Model 3, most of it in Europe driving to the French Alps, across Switzerland, to Barcelona, Italian lakes etc. Not an issue at all the Tesla. I couldn’t handle the hassle in any of the other EVs we’ve had (BMW i3, Renault Zoe, Volvo C40). All our EVs have been cheap due to salary sacrifice tax perks. Without the tax breaks I don’t think I’d have had any of them. In fact when I retire in 2 years time we won’t have any EVs.
Those old chargers look so industrial and archaic, they're actually pretty reliable with the rfid card but I always expect it to fail. The biggest problem is a lot of the charge place Scotland chargers have a maximum stay of 40 minutes, obviously we need to share them and keep them free but when you only get 38kw or whatever 40 minutes doesn't get you much range. I've been up past scourie a few times but always stay at the parking for the kylesku bridge. Looking forward to seeing you go to lochinver larder in the next vid ;)
I stayed at the Weigh Inn in Thurso in 2013. I took my Canadian husband on a trip to Scotland to show him where I came from. The hotel was interesting. Great breakfast but the smallest softest beds I had ever slept in. Dunnet head is awesome.
I have done it a number of times, usually by car, but have also done it by motorbike. I can highly recommend avoiding midge season. May/October be best for me.
I regularly go fishing up and down the west coast of scotland from the north east of england...and I just dont think an electric car would work for me, until the infrastructure is properly in place for the whole country ( including its wee islands!) then I wont be changing. I am sure its fine for commuting and general small car useage around town. and I can see the benefits fo that with home charging when you need it. but long journeys into remote places then its pretty hit and miss. and when I see people waiting at service stations for the few chargers it just makes the whole travelling a long way seem massivley inconvenient
Great vid Steve, a little tip to try for your milk issue. When you take the seal off the bottle, if it doesn’t split, put it back into the lid top and it should help reseal the bottle. 😊 We enjoyed George’s singing 😂.
It looks freezing cold in the van, is there a sensible diesel or gas heater? The Buzz has a 400V battery, at 64kW charge that's pulling 160A, a huge amount of current.
Enjoying your mini series on the NC 500. Scenery is even more stunning with the Snow. Just curious at the moment, how much is it costing on this trip to charge the EV? Keep up the good work.
@@anthonykerruish4750 Steve has said the price for charging and the range he got from it .. I was surprised just how expensive it is! Thought EV were supposed to be a cheaper option .. it’s far more expensive than diesel!!! Plus all the stress of finding a charger on the route and the actual time you have to wait to charge! Right now it’s not a viable option for a vehicle that’s intended for touring.
Trouble with Ev users is even with all the inconveniences of stopping and starting route planning for charging points and the cost of said vehicles this Buzz and the conversion cost Ev owners will never admit that they were wrong to buy a vehicle there rapidly depreciation and no free road tax and as this vid demonstrates almost useless for enjoying a holiday or whatever cos you have to consider your battery level I don’t want to spend my leisure time in supermarket car parks and obscure charging points but no Ev owners will never admit that there purchase was a heart not a head decision and let’s be fair most EVs are company vehicles anyway the Government has now trapped Ev owners with no longer offered incentives and now shocking depreciation of there vehicles
You are correct; “no EV owners will NEVER admit that they were wrong to buy…”. I am thoroughly happy with my decision to buy an EV. The trouble with anti EV Luddites is that they will not listen to actual facts. All EV chargers must now offer contactless payment. Nine of the top ten most depreciating cars in 2023 were ICE vehicles. The average annual mileage of U.K. drivers is under 10,000 miles. None of this Lands End to JoG or the 500. I regularly do a 380 mile round trip (all but 30 miles on motorway and fast dual carriageways) and still have over 150 miles range upon return , with one 45 mins charge . Do you not plan your routes? Do you not need to stop for a comfort break and food or are you one of the “fill up in 5 minutes and can go for 700 miles without stopping” brigade? This chap’s “failure” At a chargers was sorted in minutes with one short phone call. I don’t spend “all my time at supermarket car parks of “out of the way” chargers. Do you not stop at a motorway service station during a long journey? I researched EVs for over 12 months before my “head” decided that an EV was perfect for me. What “conversion “ of the Buzz is a factory built EV model! How many people would do this journey in the middle of winter? (This poster even called himself an “idiot”. Surprised you haven’t gone with the old “they burst into flames” line as well.
Fantastic mini-series on the NC500 from Steve and the trials and tribulations of charging in remote areas. Many questions though. What happens in the summer when many people need to charge with limited slow(er) chargers? It seems that having an EV means the charging points become the focussed destinations to the detriment of the (possibly closed in winter) sites along the route. If Steve had a VW T6 diesel camper there would be no range anxiety and possibly only one 5 minute stop for refuelling. I was watching a What Car? UA-cam video of a Tesla, e-3008 and Kia Thingy to mid France and their charging issues - losing around 6 hours during the trip on charging. On a 3 day short break that's half a day lost to charging instead of holidaying.
I wouldn't chance electric if you paid me! I suffer range anxiety big time thinking about it. And with single track road, I just wouldn't enjoy that trip.
I had this problem with Charge Place Scotland. I didn't have the RFD card. If you call them they'll will connect the charger remotely, again to disconnect, give them a call. Good luck.
Been waiting for this title to appear. Heard of a car delivery time going to take 12 hours to deliver due to rerouting and charging time and customer told company to an el order and refund. Another advert for not buying electric cars for me. However I know our beautiful Scottish scenery will more than make up for it.
I enjoyed your video. I have a diesel van. Fill up in Inverness, do the NC500, I don’t worry about fuel. Arrive back in Inverness and fill up for the first time still with plenty of diesel in my tank. I’m sorry, but I couldn’t be doing with all of that messing about and time just to fill up!
The van looks too small. Head is almost touching the roof and cooking whilst sat down is madness. The lack of range is also a deal breaker… you are completely dependent on a mediocre charging network too. I’m not bashing you mate, I really enjoyed the video and think you are a great UA-camr. M 46, Merc Sprinter driver
Did the NC500 in.January 2022 in a smart car was a breeze compared to what I have seen so far. Take my hat off to you though for the calm way you have dealt with things and at the right old age of 62 this reaffirms that I won’t ever be driving an EV
I've just found you mate so I'm a new subscriber. Had to laugh that you mentioned you don't suffer from range anxiety but your whole video was about the next charge point proving that the journey was based on range anxiety 😅😅. I live in the Highlands and I enjoyed your video mate
Never as good? 😂 RWD is driving as it is *meant* to be. How do all the BMWs in Germany do in winter? They have appropriate rubber +/- chains etc and it’s all good.
Bollocks man. Where I live in winter there's always a mountain of front wheel drive cars and vans stuck at the bottom of a hill where I just merrily breeze past them in my RWD sprinter
Not my idea of a fun road trip worrying all the time about running out of charge. Not so much a holiday, more a case of hunt the charge station, meaning this dictates where you go. No thanks.
That van is a nice bit of kit, BUT the range is not there and the cist when charging away from home is crazy. I think you got charged £58 for a whole charge on the way to Scotland, about 180 miles. I can put £75 of diesel in my BMW 320D and have driven from London to Salzburg and still had some fuel left, about 570 miles. Need a lot more range and a lot faster charging to convince me.
Go to surfshark.com/radfords for 4 extra months of Surfshark.
U must be keen my mate done same journey in hire car ,handed it back four days later,
Well done Steve, you have proved what most people think of an EV, not fit for purpose!😊
Yes, it's all rather pointless really.
Smaller swappable battery cells, even if less efficient, would make the system usable. But carrying tons of battery around on a permanent basis will never ever, ever work.
@@moragkerr9577 Built in power source for heating, makes perfect sense to me.
Plenty other videos on the tube which were problem free re charging
@@ianbarker1241Yes. Something I don’t get is even with these vans and people supposedly running life at a more leisurely pace why do I keep seeing comments where people fill up and do 900 miles without stopping. Bonkers.
@@st200ol Using electricity to heat the interior is nonsensical. A diesel heater could keep it wam for a week on 1 litre.
My vlog in a diesel van.
Petrol station, fill up, time taken = 5 minutes. Leave petrol station, end of vlog 👍🏿
And it's warm inside the van! Shame VW are too proud to fit a diesel heater in these vans.
@@G-ra-ha-mthat would be hilarious 😂
@@SF-wr4zn But practical - people already do this, as the heater uses almost no diesel :)
Lol 😂 diesel heater in a EV ❤ from teesside 🏴
@@mariopiscitelli1968 exactly....
Range anxiety is a thing of the past....and yet it preoccupied the whole journey.
But it didn't, did it. The anxiety was about whether the charger would work and if he'd got his ChargePlace Scotland RFID card there would have been no issues.
@@michaelgoode9555 Exactly, if Steve had started planning it a few days earlier he'd have had no problems with the RF ID card, what he's doing here is an experiment to see if it's possible, and it clearly is.....range anxiety is old hat now, it's 2024 not 1924
What about ££££ anxiety ?
@@darrenball1775it’s over complicated because of nationalist politics. They want Scotland to be as different to the rest of the UK as possible for everything as in theory it should make independence easier. In reality everything should be standardised in the UK regardless of politics.
Well it was range anxiety. Anxious if the next charger wasn't working would he have the range to get to another one.
To me the electric charging infrastructure isn’t working if you have to wait an hour to fill your car. Simple.
And the fact that the evangelists think this is acceptable is a joke! The motor industry has gone backwards in the last 10 years.
@@kabukidreamboy I have worked in the motor trade for over 40 years and agree, I wouldn't have an EV Given to me !
But the people in charge who come up with these stupid ideas , they don't have to wait around for 1 hour to charge their f***ing car " do they 🤔
They will just get somebody else to charge the car up , they will just jump into a fully charged car ....
But 99% of them drive around in gas guzzling vehicles while, on the other hand, telling us. Joe public that we need to buy an electrical vehicle before 2035, what an absolute load of s**t ....❤ from teesside 🏴
@@helenreasbeck1348 I would have one for free .. I would accept all the problems then..but it’s not fiscally prudent to purchase one.. if the government were giving us one then we could accept the running mither and charges or just take it to the dump or use it as a shed in the garden at no expense to us..
Drove to Poland this summer in my 9year old euro 5 motor home stopped once going for fuel took and 5 mins, stopped once coming home took 10 mins filled up with lpg at the same time. I think The ID stands for intelligence Devoid.
The reason I will stay with trusty diesel
same here !
I did the nc500 years ago, went from Hamilton to Inverness then Thurso for the ferry to Orkney (spent 3 days there) then down the west coast to Aviemore. Filled up with diesel twice.
Totally agree. We are not ready for electric cars yet.
Short trips yes but at the end of the day we travel now and then
@ when I go on holiday I tow a caravan, I can still get 300 miles to a tank towing 1.5 tonnes
@@marcuskirby9299 When you say "we", who do you mean?
We travelled from Rugby to Orkney and back in June in a VW ID.3. We had no problems charging, no range anxiety, no waiting around as we used destination chargers and in Orkney I even managed to use a ChargePlace Scotland charger via their app and the car charged whilst we ate at a local hotel.
Using an EV is only a problem if you make it a problem in my experience.
To stressful for me, thank you for showing the problems with charging, i'll stick to my petrol campervan, all that stress not for me, safe journey.
Having an electric seems a massive pain in the arse, give me a diesel every day of the week
But they cost 5p a year to charge at home, and they save polar bears, and everyone needs to take a break so it doesn't count as stopping when you need to recharge, and they're super-duper fast, and and and...
I won't be swapping my Peugeot 106d for one.
But I can do 300 miles for £5. Never go back to ICE. Problem with Steve is he does not understand EV's.
@@toad008£5 and when you include all the costs more than ICE. 🤣🤣
Any diesel car can do the NC500 on one tank of fuel, with a few hundred miles to spare. EVs are not fit for purpose.
A video about the NC500 should not be mostly about charging and range anxiety. EVs are not the future.
I have a Peugeot Partner, a few years old now. done 3 trips down into France and Spain this year. As a camper with my 3 foot mattress it`s a little tight, but having gotten over 600 diesel miles on a tank, i`ll stick with it till things improve with the EVs. ps too blooming cold up there, to want to stay for anytime.
So much hassle mate i keep my diesel thank you
The reason why there are so many signs forbidding overnight parking is because so many people have abused the local populations around the route by parking in people’s driveways, dumping human waste in passing places or beside private homes, and other littering all over the place. The popularity of the route has badly affected many locals, and the abundance of caravans and motor homes also meant that many people stock up on food before they attempt the route, so they do not benefit. Obviously not all are like this, but far too many are. And that is before you factor in those that do not use passing places properly, causing massive tailbacks (particularly in summer), or come up in ‘supercars’ and attempt to do the route in 24 hours. While there are parts of the route which do have long, straight stretches as you will have found, much of it is single track and has sharp bends and blind summits where such driving is positively dangerous. I have been driving on this route for almost 50 years and have, unfortunately experienced, or seen many of these issues. I welcome visitors - particularly those who respect the communities they travel through and do spend their money in local shops - but not those who don’t act properly and have no respect for local people.
I did the route in a super car in 1988 before the route was called the NC 500. Very little traffic .Would not do the route now in 2024
You sound fun at parties
I don't think anyone checks in winter time and I'm not sure it's even enforceable in summer so mostly advisory signs.
@@dJnotips2007 You sound like you are a selfish #ick
Who in their right mind would be arsed with electric vehicles
Me for one...but not for this kind of journey
I cross Europe frequently in my Tesla ! It’s way better than ICE !
Cold weather .. ev's 😅😅😅
Mate I fill me camper van up once an get over half way to spain electric hopeless for distance as you vlogs showing but interesting also
Although I can probably understand why you are doing this…. It is making for a very strong argument for NOT giving up on fossil fuels. Diesel is definitely the better option. At least you can carry a spare can of fuel , just in case .
It looks like you’re having to concentrate on where the next charger is, and then if it will work, rather than enjoying the trip. Good luck
They are not from fossils either...
@@G-ra-ha-mNo, they are mineralised remains of prehistoric animals which is fast running out.
@@geoffersvoiceofreason2534 Impossible, there's mainly silicon in fossils, but none in diesel or petrol.
@@G-ra-ha-m Are you saying that oil is not the remains of carbon beings which have been under pressure for hundreds of millions of years? Fossils may contain some silicon but as you pointed out oil is not a fossil.
The O.E.D definition of oil from the Earth; “Petroleum is a viscous liquid that is a mixture of hydrocarbons... It is formed when organic matter buried in sediments decomposes”.
So, I think you will find that, not only is it possible, it is fact! Why am I not surprised that a Luddite disputes scientific fact?
@@geoffersvoiceofreason2534 No, fossils are almost all silicon. Go look at some fossils, you'll see.
All chargers should just use contact less credit or debit cards , none of this messing about with apps and frid cards .
That can hold 40-80 quid on your card which can take days to go back on. I use my electroverse RFID card, and it all gets charged at a discounted rate to my octopus account. Easy
@@SPDTDL Agreed. Electroverse all the way. Just did a road trip from Leicestershire to Cumbria with no problem at all. 2025 model year id3.
Recently got an EV. Charge point Scotland is f****ing useless. The infrastructure for EV is a joke in Scotland.
Bad idea then
Mug
@@lindawilding5516 🤣
He bought into it
@@lindawilding5516aren't you a delight. Only offering insults tut tut
Range anxiety is a thing of the past !!! You spent 2 hours a day , worrying if you can get a charge even with 50/ charge , so like half. Tank !!! Every reason to turn your back on these vehicles !
Exactly stressful watching the panic. Tbh I couldn't stand all the stops and messing about. My husband was doing the stoppages hanging around from precious holiday time.
Motorhome is pleasure not stress 😂
Everyone should turn their backs on these vehicle and send a message to the government and the car manufacturers that we will not accept them. Bar the dumpling, of course.
I came here to say exactly this. If ever a quote was inappropriate - “Range anxiety is a thing of the past” 😳
Constantly worrying ,and topping up all the time are top ups as costly as diesel I wudnt know ,diesel 4x4 only for me ,ps love watching all your vlogs ,just hate electric 😊
Just watching this video shows me never to buy an EV. What a mess around, most of us dont have the time, to waste hours trying to plan journeys or find a working charger.
Like to know the total charging cost at the end.
I dont call that enjoyment constantly thinking about my next charge !!!!!!
Thought I was watching the mcmaster
Tour of charging stations
Loved following you on your solo venture Steve around Scotland.. what a beautiful part of the world. Reminiscing the fun times with your kids when they were little..snow fun. What fantastic experiences and memories you both have made for your kids.
We did the NC 500 in October and loved it. It was lovely to see your old videos of your lovely family at Christmas. What gorgeous cute little boys they were! Take care xx
No disrespect but I would not put myself through all of what you did. Imagine how far you could have gone in one hour
What an utter FAF charging this Buzz will it won’t it work nah crock of 💩 my son travels from Leeds to Invergorden for work he does it on half a tank of diesel 2 pit stops to answer the call of nature in his Mercedes comparing the two diesel wins hands down sorry charging anxiety is alive and kicking on long trips EVs for town use only
Never in the entire history of consumer goods has the buying public been expected to accept a retrograde product in place of an existing solution. This just proves what Mark Twain once said is true: "It's easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled. "
Steve love your NC500 blog!
With recent news about the electric market; I’m afraid the market is truly dead and buried, with resale values at almost zero after a few years say 2 years max. For all those out in zero emissions land; answer 2 simple question how is your battery made??? And how do you think the electric is made.
another cracking video Steve and quite a journey down memory lane. Thank you for sharing them with us because it made the video even more personal. Much respect🙏- Kenny
Hi Steve. I will be very interested when you have finished the NC500 to compare the cost per mile between electric and diesel. Regards John.
If you keep the peel off disc inside the lid it doesn’t leak when laid down 👍🏼👍🏼
and turn top really tight.
Vlogs like these are great because they just prove how USELESS Milk Floats actually are and what an absolute con they are. IF there were no government bribes...oops sorry..."subsidies" and threatening sales "quota fines" for every garage NOBODY with any grey matter would buy them.
Lovely video Steve. Really appreciate the explanations along the way. The footage you took is absolutely beautiful and we love the archive shots from 2016. What great memories. Safe travels 😃 Trev n Sue
Everything about your experience with the ev van says to me dont bother they are just too faffy expensive and your constant worry in having to get a charge is not nice further the number of times you need to stop and charge plus having to wait just does not match to good old ice engines
Watching from Benidorm, nice and sunny here and lovely and warm.
Thanks
Thank you
I call it charger anxiety as opposed to range anxiety.
Electric no use in cold weather total rubbish get yourself a diesel van it will go forever
Is that why new cars in Norway are 95% EV ?
@@toad008 I find that a strange anomaly, are the grants really generous there as we know that EVs are not suitable for cold climates except maybe if used as a town runaround doing very low mileage.
@@kabukidreamboy I don't have a problem with my Kona. Drops from 300 m to about 260m winter. Not a problem.
What fabulous memories you and your children will have.
Hope you have a towbar then next time you do a trip like this you can tow your own diesel gen set behind the buzz no problem with charging no apps no worries
Totally utterly stressful. No way could I cope with this. You seem to be constantly doing the maths, I'd fail here too!!
Then stations not working the cost appears huge for your journey.
There's no way ever I'd buy electric. Apart from the fact they are so far from being ecological to the environment in its process and to end its life.
I've seen China's huge electric vehicles and scooters dead ones.
Excellent to see how you are coping. Thank you for doing this.
EV's if you charge at home are great for commuting. ICE for everything else. Think you've just proved that
Oooooooh that scenery, even more epic in winter, beautiful Scotland, thanks for bringing us with you Steve, can't wait for more 👍
Be careful with the outlet vent on your air fryer at best you’ll damage your wall flocking at worse it can be a fire hazard , I put a glass chopping board behind mine.
Wow’s. Fab video. Don’t envy you at all Steve, thanks for sharing with us 😊 I love your little van and looking forward to both of you sharing your adventures in the little van. X
Just found your channel love it 👍🏻🏴⛺️🚙
I have a Toyota Petrol hybrid takes 3 minutes to fill including payment and then 600 miles to the next fuel stop . On a run like that the engine barely runs keeping it topped up
I live in Canada, just wondering if you have snow tires on your vehicle? I have visited all your stops along the NC 500, month of September and May is when I usually come over, travel with a friend but not electric, would not chance it. Not very practical here in Canada, our distances are huge, Toronto to Montreal 600 km. Thanks for a great video.
What lovely memories you have made with the boys. Loved seeing them when they were younger
This is a great adventure, even more so in the winter!
It reinforces the problems with EVs, chargers not working, slow charges, high cost of charging. I think your first video said it used 10% battery to use heater overnight, and the charge cost £60-£70!
.gov needs to bring cost of electric down, and the charge stations need to unify to one app for all.
Apart from problems charging, even when they work it's necessary to wait around for ages - and even longer if anyone else is already using the thing.
We nearly got a Buz but the range (or lack of) and technical gremlins put us off. In the end we went for a model Y. Full charge we get 320 miles (even in winter) and have never had an issue charging at a supercharger.
Wow. 320 in winter? Thats some kind of record. I've had 4 Teslas but not seen thst range even in summer.
@ Well if I’m being honest it probably more like 300, maybe a smidge over but it’s fantastic so far.
Steve our network has went from the best to the worst in only a few years. I did the NC500 in 2017 and got every charger to work (13 at that time) but it was seriously hard work.
You should have borrowed my RFID on your way past.
Keep well. Love to Lins and boys.
Lovely seeing old footage of the boys when they were little. Great little van, although the charging situation should be made a lot easier.
Lovely videos of the boys. My goodness how much they have grown.
What about these storms and all those with no power at the moment. How are they going to charge their cars to get to work?
How cute were the kids! Great memories. We’re aiming to do the NC500 in 2026.
Stick with petrol or diesel or get every card payment available as charging points is some areas are no use
Interesting vlog Steve. We don't yet have an electric vehicle but your journey is definitely demonstrating the pitfalls with them. Otherwise, lovely van and nice to see your route. Thank you for sharing ! Safe travels.
I think solid state batteries, which will come out in next few years, will be a game changer.
I live in Jersey, Channel Islands. Electric can be used here as it is a small island and you can charge in the car parks, if you are using them. I live in a flat with no where to charge and going traveling would be a nightmare with electric. I’m sticking with my petrol.
I’ve been driving EVs for 10 years but quickly realised that Tesla are the only viable option for touring stress free. We are buying a VW campervan next year and wouldn’t consider anything other than a diesel or petrol (will likely get a T6.1. California Ocean diesel).
I wouldn’t even say the Tesla are viable , my Tesla 3 (owned for a short time!!) would tell me 280 miles on full charge, never got anywhere near it! IMO until manufacture can come up with a 500 mile battery ; they just aren’t worth the hassle! Time spent charging , Just doesn’t make saving in costs worth it, not to mention next year £200 tax!
We’ve done 50,000 miles in our Model 3, most of it in Europe driving to the French Alps, across Switzerland, to Barcelona, Italian lakes etc. Not an issue at all the Tesla. I couldn’t handle the hassle in any of the other EVs we’ve had (BMW i3, Renault Zoe, Volvo C40). All our EVs have been cheap due to salary sacrifice tax perks. Without the tax breaks I don’t think I’d have had any of them. In fact when I retire in 2 years time we won’t have any EVs.
@@davidwhiteman4649 yes I think they are a total waste of time and completely impractical
You will not be disappointed with a VW California Ocean
Those old chargers look so industrial and archaic, they're actually pretty reliable with the rfid card but I always expect it to fail. The biggest problem is a lot of the charge place Scotland chargers have a maximum stay of 40 minutes, obviously we need to share them and keep them free but when you only get 38kw or whatever 40 minutes doesn't get you much range.
I've been up past scourie a few times but always stay at the parking for the kylesku bridge.
Looking forward to seeing you go to lochinver larder in the next vid ;)
good video. I also know some locations where I have to ask the help centre to reboot the charging terminal... a bit frustrating
I stayed at the Weigh Inn in Thurso in 2013. I took my Canadian husband on a trip to Scotland to show him where I came from. The hotel was interesting. Great breakfast but the smallest softest beds I had ever slept in. Dunnet head is awesome.
Would have been going to Scotland this week but no snow forecast so looks like we'll have to wait, jammy thing Steve x
Porthcawl here :) Nice video mate. NC500 on my list to do on the bike sometime :)
I have done it a number of times, usually by car, but have also done it by motorbike. I can highly recommend avoiding midge season. May/October be best for me.
I regularly go fishing up and down the west coast of scotland from the north east of england...and I just dont think an electric car would work for me, until the infrastructure is properly in place for the whole country ( including its wee islands!) then I wont be changing. I am sure its fine for commuting and general small car useage around town. and I can see the benefits fo that with home charging when you need it. but long journeys into remote places then its pretty hit and miss. and when I see people waiting at service stations for the few chargers it just makes the whole travelling a long way seem massivley inconvenient
Great vid Steve, a little tip to try for your milk issue. When you take the seal off the bottle, if it doesn’t split, put it back into the lid top and it should help reseal the bottle. 😊 We enjoyed George’s singing 😂.
It looks freezing cold in the van, is there a sensible diesel or gas heater?
The Buzz has a 400V battery, at 64kW charge that's pulling 160A, a huge amount of current.
Yup definately a wee Genny in the back!! Love Scotland and journey so far❤
This is stress Steve…get a hybrid. The tax on my car will run out by the time an EV is charged….but the views look spectacular.
The UK Minister responsible for improving electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure is Lillian Greenwood Minister at the Department for Transport.
Enjoying your mini series on the NC 500. Scenery is even more stunning with the Snow.
Just curious at the moment, how much is it costing on this trip to charge the EV?
Keep up the good work.
@@anthonykerruish4750 Steve has said the price for charging and the range he got from it .. I was surprised just how expensive it is! Thought EV were supposed to be a cheaper option .. it’s far more expensive than diesel!!! Plus all the stress of finding a charger on the route and the actual time you have to wait to charge! Right now it’s not a viable option for a vehicle that’s intended for touring.
@@UK4US2023charging is only cheap at home. My car costs 2.50 to charge overnight at home or about 40 on a public fast charger.
Your trip is one long charging stress. What a nightmare. EVs are NOT suitable for cold climates, long distances, or relaxed travelling.
As I live in Canada, I totally agree, only 10 % of drivers have switched to electric , I never will. 😅
They seem to work well in Norway
Who in their right mind would buy one
Good viewing for a Sunday morning sat inside keeping warm howling a gale outside l in Yorkshire heavy🌧️ too good to see old memories 😀😀
Electric campervans must be a Stress heads nightmare. Not at all for me!
Why the big jacket, does the heater not work??
Trouble with Ev users is even with all the inconveniences of stopping and starting route planning for charging points and the cost of said vehicles this Buzz and the conversion cost Ev owners will never admit that they were wrong to buy a vehicle there rapidly depreciation and no free road tax and as this vid demonstrates almost useless for enjoying a holiday or whatever cos you have to consider your battery level I don’t want to spend my leisure time in supermarket car parks and obscure charging points but no Ev owners will never admit that there purchase was a heart not a head decision and let’s be fair most EVs are company vehicles anyway the Government has now trapped Ev owners with no longer offered incentives and now shocking depreciation of there vehicles
You are correct; “no EV owners will NEVER admit that they were wrong to buy…”. I am thoroughly happy with my decision to buy an EV.
The trouble with anti EV Luddites is that they will not listen to actual facts.
All EV chargers must now offer contactless payment.
Nine of the top ten most depreciating cars in 2023 were ICE vehicles.
The average annual mileage of U.K. drivers is under 10,000 miles. None of this Lands End to JoG or the 500.
I regularly do a 380 mile round trip (all but 30 miles on motorway and fast dual carriageways) and still have over 150 miles range upon return , with one 45 mins charge .
Do you not plan your routes? Do you not need to stop for a comfort break and food or are you one of the “fill up in 5 minutes and can go for 700 miles without stopping” brigade?
This chap’s “failure” At a chargers was sorted in minutes with one short phone call.
I don’t spend “all my time at supermarket car parks of “out of the way” chargers. Do you not stop at a motorway service station during a long journey?
I researched EVs for over 12 months before my “head” decided that an EV was perfect for me.
What “conversion “ of the Buzz is a factory built EV model!
How many people would do this journey in the middle of winter? (This poster even called himself an “idiot”.
Surprised you haven’t gone with the old “they burst into flames” line as well.
@@geoffersvoiceofreason2534why ,you just added to the carbon problem ,
Not heart coercion
Couldn’t even enjoy a cuppa, whats it all about
My gas stove warms mine up,in five minutes, 12volt electric blanket toasty.
Fantastic mini-series on the NC500 from Steve and the trials and tribulations of charging in remote areas. Many questions though. What happens in the summer when many people need to charge with limited slow(er) chargers? It seems that having an EV means the charging points become the focussed destinations to the detriment of the (possibly closed in winter) sites along the route. If Steve had a VW T6 diesel camper there would be no range anxiety and possibly only one 5 minute stop for refuelling.
I was watching a What Car? UA-cam video of a Tesla, e-3008 and Kia Thingy to mid France and their charging issues - losing around 6 hours during the trip on charging. On a 3 day short break that's half a day lost to charging instead of holidaying.
I wouldn't chance electric if you paid me! I suffer range anxiety big time thinking about it. And with single track road, I just wouldn't enjoy that trip.
Great video but I’ll be clinging onto my insanely efficient 218d that only takes 5 mins to fill!
I had this problem with Charge Place Scotland. I didn't have the RFD card. If you call them they'll will connect the charger remotely, again to disconnect, give them a call. Good luck.
Been waiting for this title to appear. Heard of a car delivery time going to take 12 hours to deliver due to rerouting and charging time and customer told company to an el order and refund. Another advert for not buying electric cars for me. However I know our beautiful Scottish scenery will more than make up for it.
Im 73 and never found a petrol station not working closed sometimes when will this EV madness end !!!!!! Ice baby ice
900 miles range on a tank of diesel from my Passat.
Volkswagen are in €280b debt due to EVs 😮😮😮 Bust...
Range anxiety is clearly not a thing of the past.What a load of bollocks.
I enjoyed your video. I have a diesel van. Fill up in Inverness, do the NC500, I don’t worry about fuel. Arrive back in Inverness and fill up for the first time still with plenty of diesel in my tank. I’m sorry, but I couldn’t be doing with all of that messing about and time just to fill up!
The van looks too small. Head is almost touching the roof and cooking whilst sat down is madness.
The lack of range is also a deal breaker… you are completely dependent on a mediocre charging network too.
I’m not bashing you mate, I really enjoyed the video and think you are a great UA-camr.
M 46, Merc Sprinter driver
Did the NC500 in.January 2022 in a smart car was a breeze compared to what I have seen so far. Take my hat off to you though for the calm way you have dealt with things and at the right old age of 62 this reaffirms that I won’t ever be driving an EV
Bought back loads memories from my trip. Thanks
I've just found you mate so I'm a new subscriber. Had to laugh that you mentioned you don't suffer from range anxiety but your whole video was about the next charge point proving that the journey was based on range anxiety 😅😅. I live in the Highlands and I enjoyed your video mate
EV charging is like trying to find a working public phone box in the UK in the late 1970s
Rear wheel drive is never as good as front wheel drive especially in the snow or ice. Why didn’t you bring snow shoes?
Never as good? 😂 RWD is driving as it is *meant* to be. How do all the BMWs in Germany do in winter? They have appropriate rubber +/- chains etc and it’s all good.
Bollocks man. Where I live in winter there's always a mountain of front wheel drive cars and vans stuck at the bottom of a hill where I just merrily breeze past them in my RWD sprinter
What a total waste of life trying to find and use these totally crap chargers and crap vehicles . And this is progress not!!!!!
Not my idea of a fun road trip worrying all the time about running out of charge. Not so much a holiday, more a case of hunt the charge station, meaning this dictates where you go. No thanks.
Treacherous but beautiful and interesting recollections
That van is a nice bit of kit, BUT the range is not there and the cist when charging away from home is crazy. I think you got charged £58 for a whole charge on the way to Scotland, about 180 miles. I can put £75 of diesel in my BMW 320D and have driven from London to Salzburg and still had some fuel left, about 570 miles. Need a lot more range and a lot faster charging to convince me.