Electric Car

Psycho Sonny · 22 Aug 2017 at 11:18

Anyone have one?

I'm toying with the idea of getting solar panels (with battery technology) and an electric car for the wife. It's the way everything is going so why not adopt now?

There only seems to be about 2-3 models though. Nissan Leaf being the most obvious choice to dip toes into the water.

Apparently very low service costs as oil, etc doesn't need changing. Just tyres, brakes, and repairs and new batteries every few years.

Lashout_UK · 22 Aug 2017 at 11:21

New Leaf's out soon, so might be worth hanging on for a bit

Don't need new batteries every few years - I would be surprised if you ever needed new batteries, to be honest. Anyway, most are covered by a warranty for several years (against complete failure, at least).

Zoe's good, if you're not travelling countless miles each day, too.

vanpeebles · 22 Aug 2017 at 11:41

Pats C5

kitkat9933 · 22 Aug 2017 at 11:42

Tesla Model S

Psycho Sonny · 22 Aug 2017 at 12:06

Lashout_UK said:
New Leaf's out soon, so might be worth hanging on for a bit

Don't need new batteries every few years - I would be surprised if you ever needed new batteries, to be honest. Anyway, most are covered by a warranty for several years (against complete failure, at least).

Zoe's good, if you're not travelling countless miles each day, too.

would have thought batteries would only last 3 years or so. that's good to know. tbh i haven't done any research at all which is why i'm asking. you can either lease your battery or own it outright. i was thinking owning would be the cheaper option and then i can upgrade the battery whenever i want.

kitkat9933 said:
Tesla Model S

£57K - ermm not exactly great for dipping toes into the water.

Nasher · 22 Aug 2017 at 12:13

Tesla model X

Lashout_UK · 22 Aug 2017 at 12:17

Nasher said:
Tesla model X

They want a car, not a rolling tech demo

Nasher · 22 Aug 2017 at 12:19

But that is what they all are at the moment really :/

Psycho Sonny · 22 Aug 2017 at 12:38

Nasher said:
But that is what they all are at the moment really :/

well i see a few leafs every other day in the city centre. saw one at the airport on saturday too. the bmw ones are rarer but there is one around the corner from work parked up and charging during the day.

i'd say they are becoming much more common now. it's only a matter of time before we are all either electric or hybrid and no more manual cars left in the UK.

Simon · 22 Aug 2017 at 12:43

Leafs are by far the most sold EV in the UK.

Just factor in depreciation as a cost, battery rental is £110/month on the older ones.

tef · 22 Aug 2017 at 13:00

you have to think very carefully how long you want to keep the vechicle. the charging point standards are still evolving. In the last three years, few ground breaking technologies popped up, like DC and rapid charge. the infrastructure is lacking as it is. plus these new tech keep poping up, i think it's good idea to wait for abit. I have a 1 year old 225xe, and i am already missing out on the DC/rapid charge. if you are leasing the car for only one or two years, then fair enough because you will re-new/update as the infrastructure progress.

tom_nieto · 22 Aug 2017 at 13:27

I think we'll start to see big incentives to buy electric cars in the next 5 years as diesel is forced out. There might even be a government backed scrappage scheme again.

Psycho Sonny · 22 Aug 2017 at 13:29

tef said:
you have to think very carefully how long you want to keep the vechicle. the charging point standards are still evolving. In the last three years, few ground breaking technologies popped up, like DC and rapid charge. the infrastructure is lacking as it is. plus these new tech keep poping up, i think it's good idea to wait for abit. I have a 1 year old 225xe, and i am already missing out on the DC/rapid charge. if you are leasing the car for only one or two years, then fair enough because you will re-new/update as the infrastructure progress.

that is the problem with any car but obviously with this being so new advances are being made quite quickly. i think a new leaf would be a safe bet next year. it looks like it has 2 or 3 new technologies no other nissan has as well as double the range of the current leaf. so it's ahead of the game for what it is. might make it worthwhile getting one and keeping for a while. wait for technology to move on and then go for an upgrade. i think getting a 2018 leaf and keeping for 7 years would be very worthwhile to keep her costs down. it would pay for itself with the fuel savings.

Pottsey · 22 Aug 2017 at 13:33

tom_nieto said:
I think we'll start to see big incentives to buy electric cars in the next 5 years as diesel is forced out. There might even be a government backed scrappage scheme again.

Not just diesel but petrol is being forced out as well. No diesel or patrol cars are allowed to be sold past a set date. The government wants 100% electric cars long term.

Invertigo · 22 Aug 2017 at 13:43

Pottsey said:
Not just diesel but petrol is being forced out as well. No diesel or patrol cars are allowed to be sold past a set date. The government wants 100% electric cars long term.

No purely ICE cars from 2040, hybrids will still be fine. It's not exactly unlikely to think that in 23 years time most cars wouldn't at least be electrically assisted regardless of this timeline.

Nasher · 22 Aug 2017 at 13:45

Yea no NEW petrol/diesel only cars. But you can still have a v8 with a AAA battery wired to it

You'll still be able to run old cars and by then current cars will be tax exempt classics. I might never sell my current car, just store it and get a cheap EV for daily use eventually.

-Neil- · 22 Aug 2017 at 13:55

I pick up my Nissan Leaf tomorrow morning, it's a work commute car for me replacing the LS430.
I'll be charging overnight on the 'granny' lead (household plug), will post a thread up once I've had it for a bit.

I went for a 30Kw Tekna 3.3 Charger as no point paying £500 to charge quicker overnight and if I do charge away from home it'll be a rapid charger.

robj20 · 22 Aug 2017 at 15:05

I don't understand the whole battery rental. Seems to wipe out all the savings and then some.

Psycho Sonny · 22 Aug 2017 at 15:20

robj20 said:
I don't understand the whole battery rental. Seems to wipe out all the savings and then some.

in case it dies?

or it's because people are too stupid to think for themselves? renting anything is usually always more expensive long term than buying unless it's a short term thing.

Nasher · 22 Aug 2017 at 15:22

robj20 said:
I don't understand the whole battery rental. Seems to wipe out all the savings and then some.

It does. If your not doing many miles it makes it more expensive than running a petrol car. But then if your doing lots of miles, a Leaf doesn't have the range.

But if you don't pay it and the batteries die, your looking at an 8k bill lol

You kind of have to be in the narrow window where it's cheaper than petrol but not doing too many miles. A bit limiting tbh. Don't forget you'll also be paying for the actual car on top of that, which depreciate like yesterday's turd.