From London to Leeds in a Carver electric tricycle
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- Опубликовано: 7 сен 2024
- This video documents a road trip from London to Leeds in a Carver S+ Electric Tricycle.
Royalty-free music by Skygem.
If you're on Facebook you might be interested in the Carver Electric Owners group:
/ 3181937022071409
For another epic Carver journey for charity (by another driver), please take a look at:
www.justgiving...
When a Reliant Robin and a Sinclair C5 love each other very much…
Nice!
At least you gave it the correct name - and NOT a Robin Reliant!!
Hello from Trujillo Perú. My wife and I both have vespa style E-scooters with a range of 50km. We have learnt that planning a long trip based on where chargers are is not the right thing to do. We now plan lots of short trips with new things to see and do inriching our lives and at the same time getting us to our final destination.
Thanks for your comment. It's always interesting to know where people are watching from. My particular journey was just about moving the vehicle from London to Leeds cheaply and relatively quickly.
I brought my ecoflow power station with me, popped it on the back seat, it might fit in the boot, haven't tried that yet but I got an extra 40 miles out of it.
Thanks for your comment. I have another video about that.
Why at 9k is it not at least waterproof
It is. I was just being cautious.
@@TechTravel-up2cxthat's not cautious my friend, that's paranoia 😂
Thanks for an interesting video. I like the concept of a small, economical electric vehicle. Very green and potentially very civilised transport but needs more development. I would seriously think about getting one if they were better.
Looks like being in the cockpit of a small plane!
In some ways it is.
Glad you liked it!
And cheaper!
Thanks for going through the grief with an average speed of 10mph saves me finding out it’s not practical I enjoyed the motorbike style corners looked Fabby. Is the return journey going to be a part 2 video??
Thanks for your comment. I could probably have done the journey more efficiently, if I'd not stopped quite as long at the charge stops and not made a few navigational mistakes. Yes, it's quite weird doing the corners on the roundabouts etc. See the other video: ruclips.net/video/nWF0nmrV_Tw/видео.html
That was a crazy journey but enjoyable to watch 😀
Glad you enjoyed it!
Now if they had just put the two rear wheels at the front it would be a great idea. Vastly improved braking and handling. I don't know what they were thinking.
I doubt they were 😅
Double the battery and a full speed charger would make this perfect long distance/touring "motorcycle"
It is designed as a City Car really, but with some planning and preparation, longer journeys are possible, just like with the early electric cars that had limited range.
@@TechTravel-up2cx Their best option is to create a battery package, that you can install inside on the back seat so you can increase the range if you intend to travel intercity. Then again, how many people will really buy it if it can be only used on this vehicle. Overall adoption on such vehicles will be near impossible as they have single purpose (city traveling).
@@Not-a-CockroachFunny you should mention that. I've been preparing a video, on extending the range. Watch this space...
@@Not-a-Cockroach City travel overlaps 'normal' mopeds and scooter usage. In London or Brum it'd cover a lot of people's daily needs. But yes, 100+ mile range would make a vast difference. A removable battery pack - if it has the right socket could (also) be used as leisure/home power to at least brew tea.
Full respect, massive undertaking 😮
Now make these rsnge extenders instead of electric.. .. they were cooler when they had a tiny gas engine in the original design
Put a petrol engine in it (or hybrid) and i'd love one (speaking as a motorcyclist who sometimes prefers to arrive dry). Thanks for the video. Shame about all the time lost charging.
Rain is rarely Vertical, that roof will not protect you from Inclement Weather.
An amazing trip in a town car
Thanks.😎
A very expensive limited use vehicle
It's a real shame about the weather, things would have been so much more enjoyable if it had simply been dry! I really like the look of the Carver as a local runabout and get me to work fun vehicle, perhaps you've proved it's not for distance work though? Great video, thanks.
Thanks for your comment. Yes, I couldn't choose the weather, I'd arranged to collect it on a particular day and just had to follow through with that. Distance is do-able with planning and care, but it really is designed as a city car.
And let's be honest that's all it's good for in practice, but sadly not at 9k 😮
The price of these thing is ridiculous.
If China made these they would be £3K
If you took 9k anywhere you could get a lot of stuff better
Interesting! It's a bit like old stagecoach journeys changing horses along the way, although I'm sure The Crown Inn would have been much more comfortable than Tesco.
Thanks. Yeah I'm sure you're right, although I'm really thankful for Tesco's "facilities" anyway. 😀
Not forgetting the change over to fresh horses would be a hell of a lot quicker than waiting to charge those batteries.
So very well done on this journey.
You are very brave to attempt it in what is basically an egg shell with no protection on the road from any other vehicle I should imagine! Stay safe and use something a bit bigger and more convenient next time!
Thanks for your comment. The body of the Carver is effectively a Roll-Cage. It's less exposed than a motorbike (e.g. don't need a motorcycle crash helmet), but obviously being classed as a motor(tri)cycle, it's not got the full safety stuff that's mandated for cars. It's mostly now going to be local(ish) journeys. 😎
It would have been interesting to know the cost of all these recharges, and to have your impression as to how safe you felt in the traffic. What was your average speed? What was your top speed? How easy was it for you to insure it?
Thanks for your comment. Cost was £10.56 across all the public chargers I used. In "normal" urban road traffic, I felt perfectly safe. On the much faster roads - primarily the A1 dual carriage way sections of 70 mph roads, it felt slightly less safe when large lorries overtook me, but not all that much. I was more concerned about being a hindrance to traffic flow, when the maximum speed I could do was lower than the surrounding traffic. Other drivers didn't seem particularly impatient with being behind the Carver, but I did occasionally pull over, or "hug the curb" on various 60mph roads when it was safe to do so, to allow faster vehicles to pass. The Carver S+ can do about 51mph, although less going up hill. Most often, I was keeping up with traffic (40 - 45 mph), except for on the faster roads.
Remembering that I was doing a ridiculous journey for what this vehicle's designed for, I averaged about 10.5mph over the 24 hour period, but that's not a realistic picture, because I stopped longer than I needed to a couple of times, and took some wrong turns, as well as running out and the delay that caused me.
For journeys within the use-case of this vehicle, average speeds won't really be any different to other vehicles on the road.
Insurance is a bit more difficult, one company that used to insure more specialist vehicles exited the market since 2023, but there are a couple I found. If you're really interested in all this, maybe join the Facebook owners group and read past comments.
@TechTravel-up2cx many thanks for taking the time to provide such detailed information. Much appreciated. It is encouraging to see how microcars, light quadricycles and other alternatives to cars start to finally appear on the roads in certain countries. But as long as these minimalist products cost more than second hand cosy, safe and reliable small cars, they will struggle entering the market despite the great interest the public gives them. It would take a strong support from governments to produce them at an affordable price, and for insurance to be reasonable. I shall keep on dreaming 😌 looking at RUclips videos such as yours.
@@nct948 Don't you think that too many of these on Britains Roads might just become a 'hindrance' almost the same as Caravanners at holiday time? We're in Australia, where distances can be large. I doubt that Carvers could happen here.
@@peterduxbury927 I think the video shows how unpractical it would be to use Carvers outside cities. They look the part but cost too much to purchase and insure, and the need for frequent and slow refilling takes the fun out of the experience. I hope that the latest types of batteries will bring much needed improvements to the microcars and similar concepts so that they can become the vehicles of the future but for now second hand economical and cheap petrol cars are still a better choice.
@@nct948 I agree with you 100%. I felt that it was an impractical vehicle, all high costs and questionable Range, because it cannot move a family around. Many EVs are practical, and do a great job. Back in 2019, I decided to convert my 1971 Beetle Super Bug tp 100% EV. At age of 76, I had almost 20 years of having to change oils, reset the Tappets, change -out Spark Plugs, and general engine maintenance. No dirt down my finger nails. The EV Beetle starts reliably, and full instant power. It has 125HP, a top speed and acceleration that outperforms most modern cars. Further to this, there is no depreciation. I get about 80 miles per charge, but the car has always been used locally. To me, a real thrill to drive my EV Beetle every day. Owning the EV Beetle when directly compared to The Carver, is like comparing chalk and cheese. Great to write to you. Greetings from Australia.
Now make a video of you fitting a Hayabusa engine in the thing.
I think you picked the perfect day for this journey, because it showed the reality of using one of these and the benefits as well as the pitfalls.
How long did it take to charge?
I didn't time each and every stop, but you might get a feel for it from reading the other comments.
Mopeds are allowed in cycle lanes unless forbidden in the Netherlands, Amsterdam has almost a blanket ban and some city centre areas also.
Yep! Keep a close eye on the road signs, it can get bloody confusing sometimes (snorfiets & bromfiets have different rules in some places as well).
The main issue is charging time, my I-MiEV has about the same range but charges at 50kw. It would take me about 8hrs to do that journey (3hrs of charging time) because my charging stops would be around 25- 30 mind and i can reach the national speed limit.
Agreed - if one was going to do this sort of journey all the time. However, that's not what the vehicle was designed for. Whilst the journey was clearly possible with a bit of planning, that *very* long journey I did was a almost certainly a one off for me. For journey's within any car's range, and the ability to charge at home overnight, or destination charge whilst doing other things, charging time is a non-issue. Obviously faster charging would be nice, but it won't generally cause me an issue for the mostly short journeys going forward.
Brave man!
Thanks. In hindsight, I'm really not sure that's the correct word to describe the adventure!😉
Or foolish 🤷🏻♂️
Great adventure for that distance, but maybe an installation of a flexible solar panel would be a great Idea to consider for trickle charging your battery on your Carver. That would really make a difference for some of the stops you made to recharge.
Thanks for your comment. On that particular journey, I had to travel light, but I do have a solar solution that could help under some circumstances, but would take quite a long time to add any meaningful power.
That the once stunning Carver should have come to this.....wet videos in a car park.........
Mad but instructive. How long on average doesbit take to get from say 10% to 85%?
Thanks.😀 Official figures suggest 0% to 80% in 3 hours for the S+. As I was mostly charging from about 30% to 80%, stops were probably closer to 2 hours, but I admit I wasn't timing them. At most stops, I was recording the video segments and planning the next hop and the time seemed to fly by faster than I'd expected.
@@TechTravel-up2cx Well I have emailed Carvery to book a test drive... We will see!
@@amaury1264Nice! I hope you enjoy it.
@@TechTravel-up2cx
Only 50 miles to a charge and you stopped twice it would be a good vehicle if it was made in petrol technology has gone backwards with this electric motorcycle
The biggest problem with these little vehicles is the range and the time it takes to charge.
That journey took you 24 hours to do a fourney that would have taken you maybe 6 hours on a proper motorcycle.
Also the price of these vehicles is prohibitive.
It's a shame because these vehicles could be good, they need to fix the slow charge times, and they need to bring the price of them down, even if they keep the same range with rapid charging you might take a gamble.
The range and charge time isn't a problem for the journey profile they're designed for. This journey was an unusual one (outside it's design use-case) to move it from A to B.
@@TechTravel-up2cx So what you're saying is that this vehicle would be great if you had a fleet of other vehicles for you to use so you could select a vehicle specific for a specific journey.
Unfortunately most people have one vehicle that does everything, my motorcycle could be my shopping trolly, my day out, my vehicle to pick up the other half, and a whole lot more, seems to me you are suggesting this vehicle is only good for one thing, to that would not be a good selling point, buy this vehicle to add to a fleet for a specific job only does not look inspiring.
Oh but it's fun, OK but not practical.
That's why it needs the changes to make it a practical vehicle that people can see would fit their life style.
4 hours waiting for charge is no fun, 1 hour would be hard 20 minutes for 80 percent may be a capable just about.
50 mile range sucks eggs big time.
@@flitsies I'm not saying what others should do or not do. I'm not trying to justify the existence of this or other small cars and commuter vehicles. People do what works for them - for whatever their reasons are.
@@TechTravel-up2cx I get that but the way this has been thought out with regards to the way invisible claimed this vehicle was made for in the UK just does not work, parking in the city with this may be a problem due to it having 3 wheels the range socks and the charge time is not good add all that up and a huge price tag and they have missed the mark big time.
Change these few things and it would probably be a winner.
Well, you're must be dying for a cup of tea.
To Ukranaut.
Very clever, and very BRITISH comment about TEA
A Vehicle inspired by the Sinclair C5?...😁
Wow! That's a real selling point!
It's a grown up C5 😂
@@kevindarkstar 😁
It would be good to know how much it cost for the charging for the trip. You must have been knackered.
Maybe I should have summarised that in the video, but I've since answered it twice in the comments: Cost was £10.56 across all the public chargers I used. . Yes, I was very tired the once I got home.
Well done , how long at each charge did you have to wait?
Thanks. Time varied. I wasn't really clock watching, but probably averaging between 1.5 to 2.5 hours depending on state of charge at arrival.
@@TechTravel-up2cxouch 😮 that turns a trip from an adventure into a soul destroying slog
Well done. My concern with the Carver is the frequency of the required service intervals in line with warranty requirements, every 2K miles I believe. Is that correct? Do you have an authorised service centre near you?
Service info is available on the CarverElectric.co.uk website FAQ. My nearest service centre is about 80 miles away, so I do have that challenge at some point.
I'd have one.
Why 😳
EVs are rubbish
Thanks for your valuable contribution.
You Couldn't Have Made A Better Video Demonstrating Why Not To Buy A Carver, Or Any Other EV.
Yep, just like a Tesla, they may as well slap a Tesla logo on it and call it a day.
Be better off putting a Honda Cub engine in it!
All depends on your mileage per day needs.
North of £16000 inc VAT for a 60 mile range (presumably less if using a heater). What they are smoking?? How long before that company folds I wonder?
Windshield wiper not working? Or is it water on the inside of the cabin either way not so good in a rainy day😩🤬🌂
Does it have AC?
Air Conditioning is an optional extra.
Very interesting and entertaining!
But, having just 13 amp charger and needing to erect a tent every time it rains is a bit of a bummer! The cargo model looks fun for local deliveries but could you get a whole day out of it?
Just checked the website. Crikey! £12,947 for a Carver R+ with a top speed of 28mph and a range of 80 miles and a charge time of 3hrs 45min! EEEEK! That's crazy!
"Tent" isn't necessary. I was just being cautious at a couple of the stops until I got used to it.
Very off-putting for us simple people with simple means 😮😅 It is to hope that the very latest development in batteries will truly bring these small vehicles within people's financial range.
Was there no heating or didn't you dare turn it on? Love the car but it was so much better with the petrol engine,
There is heating (windscreen heater and side window blowers with heat), but not being familiar with the vehicle, I wanted to mostly avoid using them too much, so as not to reduce range much until I got more familiar with the Carver. I did use them on and off, but minimally
How long did the journey take and how much did it cost?
Cost was £10.56 across all the public chargers I used. It took around 24 hours all in with the mistakes, snack, sleep and charging stops. It could have been a little less, had I not gone the wrong way a few times and not stayed at some of the charging stops longer than I needed to at a couple of places.
Twizzy would be a better machine for this type of trip.
I'd buy the carver one but the electric no.
Six charges ??? Between three and five hours per charge??? I can do Dorset to Lancashire in 3.5 hours, fill ONCE with diesel that will do the whole 500 mile round trip, travel at motorway speed at half the cost of charging. The government have lied for years about diesel engines now they lie about all internal combustion engines and the environment and now they are trying to force these contraptions on everyone. In the sixties, ICI produced a petrol substitute that was great, and the government allowed the oil companies to kill it.
Think of the people without much money once the Whitehall wonders destroy the car that we can afford, they can boast that they put Britain back on its feet. I'm happy with my diesel Avensis; on a journey, 50 to the gallon and no problems.
I would not touch one of these electric vehicles with a barge pole, especially a Carve-up expensive, wasteful of electricity and time, 15 hour's charging on a 250 mile journey - that's a joke in any language! And a whispering death to anyone who crosses the road carelessly.
With the room available in that thing, it reminds me of the 1960's bubble cars, ok for about ten miles before claustrophobia took over - no thanks.
No heater? This is no good the UK or Northern Europe. They should at least have a heated seat like some motobikes have.
The Carver has a windscreen heater, and two side window blowers (which do help to heat the cabin), but on this journey I tried to avoid using them as much as possible because I was unfamiliar with how much energy they used and wanted to get maximum range.
wheres the pedals?
Accelerator and Brake pedals are on the cabin floor where you'd expect to find them in an electric car.
This is why EVs with snall batteries are not an option for most people. Thinking how long it would take in a standard car, it makes EVs a bit of a joke
Agreed that small battery cars are not for people with long journey requirements. It's horses for courses. This long journey isn't what the vehicle was designed for - but I've proved it was possible, just not very practical. But some people are missing the point of why I did this... The journey was *one* way (not the most practical) of me transporting the vehicle cheaply, whilst also being something "fun" and different. I had some leave from work that I had to take, so decided I'd do this, rather than pay to have it transported.
EVs with small batteries (just like small cars with small engines) are not aimed at Inter-city motorway or long distance travel. The Carver's whole design intent is to be an Inner-city commuter vehicle. It's just that *I* decided to take it outside its design use-case.
If you watch all the way to the end of the video, I freely admit it was a nuts thing to do. 😀
Mo Farah would have done the same journey in eight hours.
Yes but he would have objected to the charging plug.
Should of bought a cheap generator or hired one is it an s+ surely not a 30mph one wow
I had to travel light, because I got the train down from Leeds that morning. Otherwise I'd have had a portable power station with me, but that wasn't very practical to carry on the trains given its weight. It's an S+, slower one wouldn't have been sensible (or popular) on the A1 fast stretches.
Is this a joke?
No.
Carver expensive milkfloat not in anyway practical
Death trap springs to mind.
So this is why they are rioting
Why, just why....?
To transport it from A to B.
@@TechTravel-up2cx oh right, surely it would've been easier, faster and cheaper to throw it on a trailer.
@@musicman4164 I didn't have one available and that would be much less "Fun".😁
Nightmare.
😁
Waste of time
So lets look at this..
A Great idea and a challenge BUT..#
You didn't want to waste time and fit cameras before you left..
You didn't want to faff around fitting proper cameras
You didn't check your sound levels
All in all you simply decide that the people watching didn't deserve a video of any quality and could put up with this because YOU were in a rush?
Check your reasoning friend I think you are off Base,, THID could have been so interesting with a BIT of effort.
This isn't done with a Top Gear crew and accompanying budget mate. It's one man sharing something he's interested in with anyone who wants to watch it.
Fair play to the guy.
@@ripvanwinkle3509 No one is suggesting he is the new Grand Tour.. BUT he did it Half Arsed from the outset, it would have been a brilliant video to watch with just a little effort.. So many others do it as one man bands, they just put some effort into it. THIS had none.. Maybe he will get better in time
Amazing how much you whine about some mild rain… ffs…
great video i would say make sure to boycott coke for its factory in occupied palestine and funding genocide.... but either way the car is cool and its impressive you drove this far on it.