EV general discussion

[bigmike20vt]

Looking at changing my wifes little Honda Jazz hybrid for a full electric. Range less important as she does a maximum round trip of 50 miles and we have my PHEV for longer journeys. The car must have the ability and capacity to take a dog crate on the back set for a Cockapoo as she does at present or at a push the crate can go in a hatchback/SUV boot. Her preference is a car not much bigger than the Jazz she has.

The car will be kept for a minimum of 5 years

Budget £18.000 - £25,000 Under 20k is ideal

I shortlisted the following:

BMW i3 2022 with 22,000 miles at £18,000 - she likes this one but I'm concerned it will depreciate rapidly

Mini Electric 2022 21,000m £17,500 - she doesn't really like the Mini but would consider it in the absence of anything else

Honda E 2022 13,500m £17,500 - doesn't like the shape!!

Kona Electric 2023 300m £20,300 Might be to big!!

It's proving to be a nightmare to find a car that suits her needs in budget. I'm open to suggestions and any comments on the above choices

the i3 is expensive for what it is if all you look at is the range and size........ but i must admit i really do like ours. personally i think it just may become a future classic just due to how unique it is...... however the boot is tiny! and the backseats, whilst they are more accessible than a 2 door car, they are still more of a pain than a proper 4/5 door vehicle so may not tick the dog crate box.

but for your wifes use, the facelifted leaf must surely be worth consideration, as well as the ID3, E 208 (as well as other cars on that platform essentially the same but personally i think the peugeot is the nicest looker), MG4 is a decent car......., in fact there are so so many.

mind you if the i3 is expensive for what it is, the honda E is ludicrous!. personally i would rule that right out esp as she does not like it anyway... you really have to love the design to want that car imo!.

 

[SexyGreyFox]

i know you should never judge a book by its cover....................... but that car is not for me

Me neither but it is for a woman in her late 50s.

 

[Demon]

I was put off by the ID3 as a colleagues has a faulty battery module, can't charge and is stuck in his garage awaiting either the end of his lease of for VW / Octopus to come pick it up for the recall.

Yeah, they had a bad batch of modules, I had 2 modules replaced, but luckily it went smoothly, I could charge/drive the car and hardly noticed, and it was changed whilst I was on holiday!

However, don't write off a car just because of a minor issue, they did a software update that identified the modules and alerted the driver, and in most cases the car is usable and it's all covered by VW..

I'd take a car that can do 200 miles in the real world vs 100 anyday especially with 125kw charging and a very nice suspension/drive train setup.. the one aspect of the ID.3 is how refined it is to drive and the MEB platform is good for its class.

Each to their own, we had an ID.3 Max and the Mrs loved it, and I can't complain, I wanted to hate it, but the way it drove was that bit nicer than its rivals and I like the minimalist interior, it was enough for 4 adults + luggage and had an impressive amount of legroom, even the scant interior furnishings was easily forgotten..

 

[Demon]

the i3 is expensive for what it is if all you look at is the range and size........ but i must admit i really do like ours. personally i think it just may become a future classic just due to how unique it is.

but for your wifes use, the facelifted leaf must surely be worth consideration, as well as the ID3, E 208 (as well as other cars on that platform essentially the same but personally i think the peugeot is the nicest looker)

mind you if the i3 is expensive for what it is, the honda E is ludicrous!. personally i would rule that right out esp as she does not like it anyway... you really have to love the design to want that car imo!.

I also have a soft spot for the i3, and would get one as a low range commuting car just as I like the quirkiness!

The only EV I wouldn't have is the Leaf (new or old), we had one for 3 days last month and I hated it, the infotainment and platform feel archaic and it was so complicated getting it to do a scheduled charge, it couldn't deal with the charger doing it, and setting it up a charge schedule took 30 mins and lots of youtube only to find it had not charged overnight.. then getting it to charge normally took several steps.. it was not my cup of tea..

 

[bigmike20vt]

I also have a soft spot for the i3, and would get one as a low range commuting car just as I like the quirkiness!

The only EV I wouldn't have is the Leaf (new or old), we had one for 3 days last month and I hated it, the infotainment and platform feel archaic and it was so complicated getting it to do a scheduled charge, it couldn't deal with the charger doing it, and setting it up a charge schedule took 30 mins and lots of youtube only to find it had not charged overnight.. then getting it to charge normally took several steps.. it was not my cup of tea..

only other thing with the i3 which i have added an edit too.... may not be big enough for the dog box, and even if it is, the back seats are not as accessible as in some cars.

 

[montymint]

only other thing with the i3 which i have added an edit too.... may not be big enough for the dog box, and even if it is, the back seats are not as accessible as in some cars.

The i3 won't pas the OH test, she despises them haha.

The ID3 I could probably go for, it's not too much over the Golf. Will have to see what new driver insurance is like for it over the golf (which is cheap) as I'll hopefully be on the road in a couple of months, providing I can actually get a test date lol.

 

[arty]

I think there will be similar deals on and off for the next couple of years while manufacturers try to hit mandate targets. I don't think it's the end of the world to wait - it might not be an ID7 deal but there will be some good EV deals around continuously

Sure, thanks for the reassurance. I haven't seen that many electric estates around which is why this one specifically interested me.

 

[b0rn2sk8]

i would be looking at something from Stellantis for that sort of money and requirements - should come in under budget.

A few weeks/months ago you could get a brand new Corsa (pre reg) for under £20k.

Basically anything from this list are very similar under the skin, inexpensive and ‘fine’ as far as the car goes:
Corsa
Astra
Mokka
E208
E2008
E C4
E C4X
E C3
DS3 EV
Berlingo (not serious )
Jeep Avenger

 

[Journey]

It's proving to be a nightmare to find a car that suits her needs in budget. I'm open to suggestions and any comments on the above choices

£18-25k is a huge budget range.

As for something the size of the Jazz, they are 4.1m long and there are a good few cars around that to chose from, the Mini is small in comparison for example at 3.8m. Cupra born is a bit longer at 4.3m but a lovely car, and easily in budget, and should fit a doggy in the bag (with crate of course) - Link to one here. Just an example that's a V3 with 77kWh battery, so maybe overkill, but if you fancied doing a longer run it won't be an issue.

You could look at E-2008 but a cross over, and also a Volvo EX30. You said you are worried about depreciation, but have you offset that against the savings you'll make on fuel, especially on around town trips. If you are only doing 5k miles per year it won't be much, but better than nothing £100 per year at 7ppkWh at 3.5mpkWh, vs £730 at 45mpg and £1.45l, so in the 5 years that is £500 vs £3.6k!

 

[AnastieByte]

£18-25k is a huge budget range.

As for something the size of the Jazz, they are 4.1m long and there are a good few cars around that to chose from, the Mini is small in comparison for example at 3.8m. Cupra born is a bit longer at 4.3m but a lovely car, and easily in budget, and should fit a doggy in the bag (with crate of course) - Link to one here. Just an example that's a V3 with 77kWh battery, so maybe overkill, but if you fancied doing a longer run it won't be an issue.

You could look at E-2008 but a cross over, and also a Volvo EX30. You said you are worried about depreciation, but have you offset that against the savings you'll make on fuel, especially on around town trips. If you are only doing 5k miles per year it won't be much, but better than nothing £100 per year at 7ppkWh at 3.5mpkWh, vs £730 at 45mpg and £1.45l, so in the 5 years that is £500 vs £3.6k!

Thanks for this and the calculation.

I had forgotten about the Born. Will take a look. She does such a low mileage electric does make sense and I do like the idea of been able to do a longer run than my PHEV on electric alone.

 

[rodenal]

No just the standard. Will need to deal with 3 pin for a month until I move but won’t be end of the world

I intended to stumble by with a 3 pin for a few months.....in January 2023. I've never needed anything more so far (although I do eventually plan to sort a charger out), but admittedly I only commute 35ish miles each day total so a few hours at cheaper rate overnight tops back up and i tend to know well in advance if ill need to drive longer distance so it works fine for me.

 

[MrRockliffe]

I intended to stumble by with a 3 pin for a few months.....in January 2023. I've never needed anything more so far (although I do eventually plan to sort a charger out), but admittedly I only commute 35ish miles each day total so a few hours at cheaper rate overnight tops back up and i tend to know well in advance if ill need to drive longer distance so it works fine for me.

I don’t have a problem with 3 Pin charging so much, it’s just the issue that I can’t get the car close enough to a 3 point charger at my current property without blocking the other garage.

At the property I’m moving to in December, there is already a home charger installed.

 

[squerble]

Looking at changing my wifes little Honda Jazz hybrid for a full electric. Range less important as she does a maximum round trip of 50 miles and we have my PHEV for longer journeys. The car must have the ability and capacity to take a dog crate on the back set for a Cockapoo as she does at present or at a push the crate can go in a hatchback/SUV boot. Her preference is a car not much bigger than the Jazz she has.

The car will be kept for a minimum of 5 years

Budget £18.000 - £25,000 Under 20k is ideal

I shortlisted the following:

BMW i3 2022 with 22,000 miles at £18,000 - she likes this one but I'm concerned it will depreciate rapidly

Mini Electric 2022 21,000m £17,500 - she doesn't really like the Mini but would consider it in the absence of anything else

Honda E 2022 13,500m £17,500 - doesn't like the shape!!

Kona Electric 2023 300m £20,300 Might be to big!!

It's proving to be a nightmare to find a car that suits her needs in budget. I'm open to suggestions and any comments on the above choices

The Kona is a very competent EV. It's not actually that big either, it could be a case of the SUV-style body that makes it seem bigger; the boot is hilariously small and the rear leg room was only suitable for adults on slightly shorter journeys. I had one and it was fantastic. Range on the 64kWh battery will see you a real-world 180-200mi on the motorway depending on conditions - I once did a 150mi return Liverpool-Leeds journey in 5ºC, night time on the return leg, and still got home with over 40% SoC.

 

[b0rn2sk8]

Just a note on the Kona, the ‘new Kona’ is a lot bigger than the original. It’s the same size as the Nero now where as the old one was smaller, more like an e2008.

 

[NoobCannon]

My Model Y has been in the bodyshop the last 3 weeks after an incident.

Have had an Mercedes EQC 400 as a replacement vehicle by the insurance co, what a horrendous pos. Its a terrible drive ,200 miles on a full charge, cant even plug your phone into the thing i know the Tesla doesnt have car play but everyone knows that and the inbuilt satnav is fantastic and obv you can load most wated apps. Mercedes on the other hand want you to pay £265 to be able to unlock car play…..on a £65k car honestly, **** off. The whole in car system is just toilet.

100% do not recommend.

 

[pc-guy]

Never that impressed with merc EV tbh. Certainly don’t like the commercialisation of connectivities or heated seats.

Seperately neighbours merc hybrid been having some real issues with the HV drive system. 8k repair bill last time round.

 

[b0rn2sk8]

[jpaul mode engaged]

I spotted this 'week in the life of an electric trucker' in my YouTube feed which was interesting considering so many people have seemingly written off EV trucks. It included a trip across almost the entirety of Germany into Austria, I think we can safely say this was long distance.

The video is recorded in German and voiced over in English so its not the easiest to watch but it was reasonably informative. The TLDW is:

• The truck isn't limited by range, its limited by driving hours when using 350kw chargers designed for cars*.
• Unsurprisingly the truck has a flat 350kw charging curve until a very high %.
• The main depo has their own chargers which clearly makes things a lot easier.
• Efficiency is roughly 1kwh per 1 km
• Kessel Mountains are no problem and the fossil trucks were holding up the EV truck due to overtaking restrictions.
• The truck can handle the regen on the downhill without friction brakes which is impressive. Effcien
• They did the whole trip on chargers designed for cars so the trailer has to be detached a few times but sometimes there was enough space not to which is impressive, you wouldn't get that over here.
• Specific infrastructure for charging trucks is needed and once it is in, this will be a doddle.
• The operating cost is considerably lower, even paying Ionity Prices (they have a subscription unsurprisingly)

*This was the most maddest part of the video for me, they just relied upon the standard charging network that anyone else would use. They were not the only electric truck there, at one location there were 3 charging with a bunch of cars.

 

[blun]

Electric trucks are a no-brainer for transport companies. They’re not influenced by misinformation or people at the pub, just: does it do the job, cost, and a need to meet net zero targets.

Up front costs are high but ongoing costs are far lower than diesel, plus less time off the road for maintenance. This leads to considerably lower lifetime costs.

If you don’t need charging on-route they are good to go now. If charging is needed then they will probably need to wait for more dedicated truck charging locations.

As you say, mandatory break times are more than enough for charging.

Also a huge quality of life improvement for the drivers.

 

[Journey]

I spotted this 'week in the life of an electric trucker' in my YouTube feed which was interesting considering so many people have seemingly written off EV trucks. It included a trip across almost the entirety of Germany into Austria, I think we can safely say this was long distance.

Video was fascinating, and when I saw it my eyes could certainly not believe the Ionity wit the 3 trucks there. I am sure it won't take them long to deploy quite a bit more of the suitable infrastructure/charger bays.

Bjorn has a video about the new Kempower site in Norway, if you saw that one?

 

[b0rn2sk8]

I saw it in my feed but I haven’t watched it, perhaps I will do tomorrow now!