Off Topic Electric/ Hybrid Cars

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Kempton tiger said:
Just wondering what is stopping most people going electric, is it the price? I have electric and got to say its the best car I have driven (smooth drive, I don't seem to get all the warning lights I had with previous cars, so much cheaper to run and 0 to 60 in 4.5 seconds). I did get a second hand though which saved me about 50 grand! The only drawback for me is the lack of fast chargers so if I am driving a round trip of more than 240 miles it becomes a bit of a logistical nightmare. However, that is rare as I tend to use the train for long journeys anyway. Its also strange getting used to such a quiet car and I tend to turn on the sport mode with a fake engine roar!
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For me it's price. I could cope with range issues and inadequate infrastructure, I think that will get better in time, but for me there's insufficient data on how long batteries last, what happens when they need replacing and the likely cost of that. The thought of paying maybe £30k for a car which might become useless after say 10 years makes it a non-starter for me even taking into account the fuel savings over those 10 years.

I paid £20k for a 3 years old petrol car in 2020, I do about 8k miles a year and I expect it will do me for at least another 10 years without incurring too much cost. EV's just can't stack up against that.

I do drive ev's in my capacity as a volunteer van driver and I do like them but the sums just don't add up.
 
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bradymk2 said:
expensive electric cars can be great
but if you look at the budget electric cars, they are absolutely woeful, therein lays the problem

i think good hybrids is the way forward, electric motor inner city driving, ice for motorways and country roads etc

ice cars putting horrendous emissions out around schools and houses is just awful and does need to stop
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Depends what you're calling budget.
One man's budget is another man's luxury
 
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Plum said:
For me it's price. I could cope with range issues and inadequate infrastructure, I think that will get better in time, but for me there's insufficient data on how long batteries last, what happens when they need replacing and the likely cost of that. The thought of paying maybe £30k for a car which might become useless after say 10 years makes it a non-starter for me even taking into account the fuel savings over those 10 years.

I paid £20k for a 3 years old petrol car in 2020, I do about 8k miles a year and I expect it will do me for at least another 10 years without incurring too much cost. EV's just can't stack up against that.

I do drive ev's in my capacity as a volunteer van driver and I do like them but the sums just don't add up.
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I must admit that I did worry about the cost of a new battery. However, on the car I bought there is an 8 year or 100k miles warranty on the battery so that gave me about 6 years from the time of purchase which I thought was ok as I tend to keep a car about 5 or 6 years. As you say though it is a consideration.
 
Ernie Shackleton said:
The fact that they can’t tow 2 tonnes is a deal breaker for me.

I’ll consider one when we need to replace our 1000cc petrol runaround but then the hassle of charging comes into play. I park the current car at the other end of the street and don’t think the neighbours would be too happy with my leading a 100ft of cabling, cobbled together from a dubious variety of extension leads across everyone’s gardens.
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I guess the charging is a massive issue in urban areas. My last 2 properties were apartments in Hull City Centre so I would not have even considered an electric then. Now I have a drive its great. As part of the deal when I bought the car they paid for a charging point and I have changed my electric tariff so from midnight to 5am its about the quarter of the cost. Its unbelievably cheap to charge.
 
We're in the process of getting a Cupra Born VZ. It definitely ticks a lot boxes -

- Suitable for the family
- Great for going around town or around bends
- Cheap to run
- Available on my wife's Salary Sacrifice and is an All Inclusive package
- VERY capable off the start line
- Doesn't look as sporty as it is (so I don't feel too old to drive it)

What's not to like?
 
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highpeak tiger said:
Cost, range, convenience, safety and being told what to do by people I despise (all of them).
I have a 19 plate petrol car which I will run, and repair, until it dies. As I'm 71 it will probably do me.
Also not interested in all the driving aids either.
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Do you use the waving hand signal out the window, instead of indicators? ;)

When my kids learned to drive, I found out that they don't teach it anymore...
 
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Ernie Shackleton said:
The fact that they can’t tow 2 tonnes is a deal breaker for me.

I’ll consider one when we need to replace our 1000cc petrol runaround but then the hassle of charging comes into play. I park the current car at the other end of the street and don’t think the neighbours would be too happy with my leading a 100ft of cabling, cobbled together from a dubious variety of extension leads across everyone’s gardens.
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The 2012-2016 ones you could charge off an extension lead and standard plug and most of the cars came with this type of charging cable, but since around 2017, it's been advised not to do so - the more modern batteries draw off more power and you can damage the car and your home's fusebox and wiring. Supposed to have a dedicated charger on a separate circuit with a higher amp fuse. Not that this helps if you've got on street parking.
 
Plum said:
For me it's price. I could cope with range issues and inadequate infrastructure, I think that will get better in time, but for me there's insufficient data on how long batteries last, what happens when they need replacing and the likely cost of that. The thought of paying maybe £30k for a car which might become useless after say 10 years makes it a non-starter for me even taking into account the fuel savings over those 10 years.

I paid £20k for a 3 years old petrol car in 2020, I do about 8k miles a year and I expect it will do me for at least another 10 years without incurring too much cost. EV's just can't stack up against that.

I do drive ev's in my capacity as a volunteer van driver and I do like them but the sums just don't add up.
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I had a 2012 Tesla for 12 years and only ever fast charged it, because it was free charging, against supposed advise to maintain battery life. Did nearly 400,000 km in it. Battery lost 14% of it's range, so it wasn't that much really over the time and driving period. Modern el cars have a heat pump, which warms before charging in cold weather, which supposedly extends charging life. Servicing and mechanical work is cheaper due to simpler engines and most batteries guaranteed for 8-10 years now. For me, the only obvious extra expense is tyres, due to a heavier vehicle. Having said all this, I'm back to an old Peugeot diesel due to a change in life circumstances... Anyone know how to top up particle filter additive.. cos i don't want to pay a garage £500 to do it?
 
TigerMarv said:
It depends on how you look at it.
I can't be arsed to drive to a petrol station and stand there in the bad weather to fill up.
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Amount of times I get in the car to go to 5aside and my wife's left it empty, I haven't allowed time for a petrol station detour so I go on the way back, just about make it to Tesco and then realise their pay at pump machines don't take contactless so you need to have your physical card with you, which I haven't brought with me to nip to 5aside because I almost never need it these days, so I leave without filling up. An embarrassing amount of times I've learned and then forgot that information again. So I end up going to the one at Dunswell because it's open late and takes contactless, but pay more for the privilege.

The car is pretty much only ever used for little trips around Hull. If it could be plugged in on the drive at home it'd be constantly charged, that would be immensely convenient for us. Alas, it's a diesel.

As you say, it depends how you look at it and depends on your situation. There are pros and cons for different people. But with this electric car debate you only ever hear from people who need to drive 300 miles a day and don't live near a charging station and can't get one at their house cos they live in a flat and so on and on. You see electric cars everywhere these days so they clearly work for a lot of people but if you go by online opinions you'd think no one ever wanted one.
 
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Off The Line said:
We're in the process of getting a Cupra Born VZ. It definitely ticks a lot boxes -

- Suitable for the family
- Great for going around town or around bends
- Cheap to run
- Available on my wife's Salary Sacrifice and is an All Inclusive package
- VERY capable off the start line
- Doesn't look as sporty as it is (so I don't feel too old to drive it)

What's not to like?
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That's the car ive got and love it.
There are a few little things that annoy me but that's more to do with the central unit display not the car itself.

They've dropped down in price massively in the last 2 years as well
 
TigerMarv said:
That's the car ive got and love it.
There are a few little things that annoy me but that's more to do with the central unit display not the car itself.

They've dropped down in price massively in the last 2 years as well
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Cheers Marv, that's good to hear! That seems consistent with what I've read about it. Is the issue with adjusting the temp one of them? I think that has been resolved, at least!

Edit - Yeah, the depreciation is mad, even if I got one with only 6000 miles on the clock the price has dropped by around 15k!
 
Plum said:
For me it's price. I could cope with range issues and inadequate infrastructure, I think that will get better in time, but for me there's insufficient data on how long batteries last, what happens when they need replacing and the likely cost of that. The thought of paying maybe £30k for a car which might become useless after say 10 years makes it a non-starter for me even taking into account the fuel savings over those 10 years.

I paid £20k for a 3 years old petrol car in 2020, I do about 8k miles a year and I expect it will do me for at least another 10 years without incurring too much cost. EV's just can't stack up against that.

I do drive ev's in my capacity as a volunteer van driver and I do like them but the sums just don't add up.
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Would you not take the car on a lease and trade it in after 5 years? That's what we're looking into doing. Novated lease means I pay for the lease pre-tax, think there's some government subsidies here (not sure about UK) as well, and then chuck it on a 5 year lease and trade in for a new lease at that point.
 
SydneyTiger14 said:
Would you not take the car on a lease and trade it in after 5 years? That's what we're looking into doing. Novated lease means I pay for the lease pre-tax, think there's some government subsidies here (not sure about UK) as well, and then chuck it on a 5 year lease and trade in for a new lease at that point.
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A lease is still a more expensive arrangement than I like. If I wanted to be driving a new car all the time it's clearly the way to go but I buy 2-3 years old low mileage cars and run them into the ground. Whether that approach will work with ev's I don't know given the uncertainty over battery life, etc.
 
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Plum said:
A lease is still a more expensive arrangement than I like. If I wanted to be driving a new car all the time it's clearly the way to go but I buy 2-3 years old low mileage cars and run them into the ground. Whether that approach will work with ev's I don't know given the uncertainty over battery life, etc.
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That's fair enough, I would be curious to see what the battery life is like but you would hope that gets reflected in the second hand car pricing. You can weigh it up against the cost of servicing a petrol car that has been running for a while I suppose.
 
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