Ineke and Bill Fulton love their new EV. It delivers everything they were looking for: a great driving experience, lower running costs and a smaller environmental footprint.
“It’s an amazing driving experience,” says Bill. “And we got real value for money.” He is talking about their Jaecoo J5 EV, a Chery Group compact electric SUV. The couple love the comfort and style it offers and the considerable driving range.
For the Fultons, ground clearance was important. Their Wagstaffe driveway is tricky, and suitable EVs weren’t easy to find. The Jaecoo ticked that box, along with an eight-year warranty and low maintenance costs of around $200 a year. “That’s because an EV has around 20 moving parts, compared to over 2,000 for other cars,” explains Ineke.
But it’s the running costs that have really impressed them. Bill estimates that driving from the Central Coast to Sydney costs just $2–$3 in electricity. “That’s an astounding saving,” he says.
While their home has solar panels, the tall trees on one side of the house block a good deal of winter sun. However, the couple make the best use of the solar they can get by storing their power in a 24 kWh Sigenergy modular battery with a built-in EV charger which neatly stacks on top. This integrated unit allows for fast car charging from their solar. They also subscribe to Amber Electric and take advantage of cheaper wholesale electricity when renewable energy is plentiful.
The couple are looking forward to some longer trips around the country and Bill’s biggest tip for EV owners is simple: plan ahead. Public chargers are becoming more common, but they’re still not as common as petrol stations. “You can’t just take off on a long road trip,” he says. “You need a Plan A and a Plan B, always.”
His favourite planning tool is the A Better Routeplanner. ABRP is a smartphone app that EV owners use to work out the best places to charge along the way. You simply select your vehicle model, enter your destination and hit the plan key to get a full trip plan including charge stops and the trip duration. The beauty is the navigator which gives real time information and the ability to replan as necessary.
Another useful app Bill uses is PlugShare, which helps locate chargers and provides user reviews and live status updates. It can even help find accommodation offering free or inexpensive EV charging.
The NRMA also offers a guide for everything you need to know to plan a road trip in an electric vehicle, including an essential EV road trip kit.
Bill also recommends carrying an RFID charging card. A quick tap can start a charging session without opening an app or scanning a QR code and it’s particularly useful where mobile reception is poor.
For Bill and Ineke, the decision wasn’t just about saving money. “The real reason we got an EV,” says Bill, “was because we wanted to be ecological. If everyone could do just a little bit for the planet, our grandchildren would inherit a beautiful world”.
| Equipment | Description | Purchased through | Approx. cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electric vehicle | Jaecoo J5 Summit EV | Central Coast Automotive | $37,013 plus tinted windows |