BMW 330e

[Journey]

Leaving this here...




Feel free to smash your head against it, probably more productive.

 

[Jonnycoupe]

Chaps, I think you are all missing the point. The 330e is designed to essentially tick a company car tax box. No recipient of a company car with a fuel card is going to pay leccy to plug their 330e in. The gimmick is simply there to avoid tax. And then the point is that it isn't exactly an efficient petrol car.

It’s a global car, don’t confuse your UK centric view. It’s to meet CO2 commitments/ legislation not play UK BIK fiddles.

Not efficient petrol engine? Exactly clue is in the hybrid name.

 

[dlockers]

It’s a global car, don’t confuse your UK centric view. It’s to meet CO2 commitments/ legislation not play UK BIK fiddles.

Not efficient petrol engine? Exactly clue is in the hybrid name.

Again, you're missing the point. Almost no private owner is doing a business case on this car because of its 30 mile EV range (more like 14-22 in the US). It is all because of the tax incentives versus comparable cars, far outweighing the fuel saving. Especially once you factor an electric charger install.

 

[Jonnycoupe]

If I’m missing the point then atleast I’m aiming...

since when did private buyers do “business cases” anyway

 

[dlockers]

If I’m missing the point then atleast I’m aiming...

since when did private buyers do “business cases” anyway

??? You don't consider servicing cost, mpg, purchase price, depreciation when you buy a car? maybe the word business case is a little too sophisticated but it isn't hard to grasp the key concept.

 

[Jonnycoupe]

Crystal ball if you go diesel.

 

[gc123]

well thats probably scare the op off, electric cars are the future but they still have some way to go before im a full convert

 

[TripleT]

A few people have these on my road and they all plug in over night, why wouldn't you? unless you don't have a drive but then why would you buy a plug in? Saying that there is a Outlander PHEV that lives on a main road, terrance house with no front garden so straight on to pavement with his car parked on the road. He's fitted an external 3-pin plug and has the wire trialed over the pavement to charge his car. He even puts down one of those office wire covers in a vain attempt to avoid it form being a trip hazard

Anywho, I do 27miles each way to work and I'd 100% buy something like the 330e, charge at home and we have chargers in the office, nearly free commute (I know it's not free...)

 

[Jonnycoupe]

My friend has one as company car and has just ordered an ID.3 to replace it as he enjoyed the EV side and realised he could go full BEV.

 

[jpaul]

Presumably the ops car list doesn't have any full BEVs -

Although at 330e/~£40K point, and saloon size is there an absence of usual suspect German solutions, just Toyota/Hyundai/Kia, not usually on lists.

 

[gailjon]

I think it sounds like a good idea. My wife was going to get a hybrid as she only drives 20 miles a day to and from work. A PHEV would have allowed her to drive all of those miles all week on electric alone. And yes, she would have charged it every day because that is what most sensible PHEV drivers do.

Yes., there may be some PHEV drivers who don't plug them in but I see many PHEV's plugged into chargers at Tesco, etc.

In the end she went for an iD3 as the cost was the same as a decent PHEV.

For many people. who need their car for work purposes a PHEV would be good as it allows ev travel when necessary or wanted (some are up to 40+ miles on electric only) while allowing easy and stress free long journeys when needed.

It may be that we are seeing the transition from ICE to BEV through PHEV's, but there are many people who for whatever reason have to change their cars and the range of BEVs is o pretty weak at the moment so a PHEV would work as a solution to their needs at the moment. I am sure that many present PHEV owners would get a BEV next.

 

[Fusion]

Again, you're missing the point. Almost no private owner is doing a business case on this car because of its 30 mile EV range (more like 14-22 in the US). It is all because of the tax incentives versus comparable cars, far outweighing the fuel saving. Especially once you factor an electric charger install.

At my workplace, some people have company PHEVs, and we have several charge points at work. I’d imagine this is becoming the case for more and more workplaces now.

 

[SDK^]

Don't know if I would. Remember to plug in every day and go to the effort of doing so, to save 3 litres of petrol a day?

Silent driving and instant torque drives better than your average 2 litre

 

[Jonnycoupe]

Indeed and staring at 15L of fuel for only a weeks worth and it would change my mind.

 

[muon]

Silent driving and instant torque drives better than your average 2 litre

I'm not saying there is zero advantage, but there is the hassle. Also you seen the power the car has in all electric mode? It's like 70hp, how much does a 330e weigh? Instant torque isn't that useful if there is hardly any of it.

 

[[TW]Fox]

M Sport Pro with tech pack.

Btw M Sport Pro is horrible, avoid it.

 

[father-ted]

To try and answer your questions, and avoid the bickering people seem to have resorted to I can say that the 330e is a very nice vehicle overall.

Can I ask what your typical daily mileage covered is, and do you do lots of long runs or many short runs?

The nature of this car is that with the plug-in part, if you use it as intended, then you can save an awful lot of fuel and quite a sum of money (if paying out of your own pocket), you can achieve between 20-30 miles of range on the battery mode only, as long as you aren't flooring it away from roundabouts and lights at every opportunity, and aren't doing 80mph on the motorway for the most of the journey.
The charging is easy enough, and given the relatively small battery you can use a normal 3-pin to Type-2 EVSE charger, or get a proper Type-2 installed at your home, assuming you have off-street parking you should also be eligible for a grant. Obviously the good thing about getting a charger now is that you will have it for your next vehicle ,which has a good chance of being a full BEV.

The fuel economy is lacking on long runs, which is obviously annoying if you do this a lot of the time and you should probably avoid this car if that is the case, but if you commute say 50 miles and you can do 30 of that using cheap 5ppkWh electricity, then it would still beat an efficient diesel car without issue on running costs.

Thanks for the sensible response to the original question
My days vary, most of the time I probably do around 70 miles per day / once a week I do 100.
I have x10 depots scattered around Yorkshire, I live in York so pretty central to the area I cover.
The cheap car tax has attracted me to this alongside the good car spec, I currently run my own 420 m-sport.

How do I get a grant for installing a charging point?
I could fit one to the side of my garage, for ease of use / futureproofing.

 

[father-ted]

It’s simply cos the company car clowns on fuel cards get free fuel and plugging in actually costs money!

that said planning where to park at home can be quite tough to think about on your way home...

I don't get free fuel, if there is such a thing (as those that get private mileage covered also pay extra tax for that priviledge).
One bonus for me will be the fact that I can charge it up whilst my car is at work.

 

[father-ted]

Btw M Sport Pro is horrible, avoid it.

Could you expand on that please?

 

[[TW]Fox]

Could you expand on that please?

It's just mostly awful styling upgrades which either make the car look like you'd expect it to do in 12 years time with 8 previous owners (black trim everywhere) or ruin the ride quality (huge black wheels).

The non pro car is really nice looking. Tech pack is absolutely worth it, pro pack is not.