EVEVsCHCharging
Charging an EV from solar: a real day, hour by hour
One sunny Saturday put 22 kWh of rooftop solar into our GWM Ora 5, about 140 km of driving. Here's how the day played out, what it saved, and the one catch for your home battery.
Sweet Commute
Electric transport, with the numbers explained.
EVs, charging, e-bikes and scooters in plain English. Cole shows the working, so you can check it against your own commute and decide for yourself. No hype, no hard sell.
Start with a topic
- EVEVsRange, efficiency in kWh/100 km, and what the spec sheet leaves out.
- CHChargingkW versus kWh, home versus public charging, and how long it really takes.
- EBE-bikes and scootersBatteries, motors, rules and whether one can replace a car trip.
- RCRunning costsCost per kilometre, worked through with real prices you can swap for your own.
New from Cole
EVEVs
GWM Ora 5 review: what 3,000 km taught us
Three months in a GWM Ora 5 Ultra: what you get, what we like, three things that annoy us, real-world efficiency of 16 kWh/100 km, about 300 km of comfortable range, and whether to pick the Lux or the Ultra.
EVEVsCHCharging
How long do EV batteries last? What 22,000 cars tell us
Real-world data says EV batteries lose about 2.3% a year, and replacements are rare. LFP vs NMC in a car, what wears a battery, and why it isn't your phone.
EBE-bikes and scootersRCRunning costs
Before you buy an e-bike: the numbers that matter
Watt-hours, not range claims. Motor type, battery care, local power limits and what to ask the shop, explained so you can compare e-bikes for yourself.
EVEVsEBE-bikes and scootersRCRunning costs
The best way to get through city traffic
Car-pooling, EVs, rideshare, e-scooters, bikes and your own two feet, compared on what they cost, how much road they use and whether they actually beat the traffic.
EBE-bikes and scootersRCRunning costs
A beginner's guide to Lime scooters and e-bikes
What shared e-scooters cost per trip, how the zones and parking rules work, how they get charged, and when buying your own makes more sense.