EV general discussion

LOL

EV ownership driven by desire, not duty, finds Renault​


Adam Wood, managing director of Renault UK, said that the survey proved the key to driving EV adoption was not compelling motorists to switch through regulation but by building cars they actually want to own and drive.

He commented: “The responses show that the next wave of EV adoption will be driven by making cars that people genuinely want. That’s why Renault has focused on developing cars with personality and charm, then made them accessible and affordable.

“They are cars bought for what they are, not simply what powers them. And the strongest proof of that is the owners themselves: the people who chose Renault EVs because they wanted them, are now proving just how well they work in the real world.”

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I mean...he's not entirely wrong.

People do tend to buy things more when they actually want them lmao

He loses points because they made the Twizy though lol
 
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cuke2u said:
Whatever, it is still a van with windows, commonly also known as a minibus, and because of that I doubt if it will be that popular. It's real range will be not great at all, useless on the holiday run fully loaded.
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I agree it won't be that popular, it's in a small niche.

That's not to say it can't win an award though, not every award winner needs to be a top seller??
 
Do you think Alex will have a similar grievence when we learns the winner of the 'large family tow car of the year 2026' was a VW Multivan Style 2.0 TSI 204PS :p

Edit: it won in 2024 and 2025 also :cry: .
 
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No complaints there, give its got more purpose, and the old VW minibus is a classic. Towing has a very different set of requirements to a standard runaround, and a more MPV style vehicle makes sense in context.
 
chanjy said:
Sexist much? Women can't read up on EV tariffs now?
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Lol taking out of context. Not saying they can't at all, but like most tech there are more men interested in the demographic, in fact both tech and cars, and stereotypically more women dont care as much. Exceptions exist of course.

Whether you agree or not, its also still the case in the UK more women than men look after the children and drive 'the family car', to the factor of roughly 8x more common based on statistics.
Example: Business in the Community “Equal Lives” report found women were eight times more likely than men to take the primary role in caring for children. Ergo very normal and not exactly a sexist observation.

Strawman argument much?
 
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This week, I just kept the service with mini. Next time, I’m getting a mobile service to the drive. Especially since it’s just an inspection. RAC seem to offer such a service.
 
chanjy said:
I agree it won't be that popular, it's in a small niche.

That's not to say it can't win an award though, not every award winner needs to be a top seller??
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Is not the whole point of this award that to be the best it has to be better in all areas than it's competitors?
Clearly it is only a converted van with a terrible range that makes it unsuitable to be anything like a good family car. Just because it is big on the inside doesn't make it qualify, Ignoring the fact it has abominable looks.
 
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cuke2u said:
Is not the whole point of this award that to be the best it has to be better in all areas than it's competitors?
Clearly it is only a converted van with a terrible range that makes it unsuitable to be anything like a good family car. Just because it is big on the inside doesn't make it qualify, Ignoring the fact it has abominable looks.
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Not sure how one vehicle can be better in every single area than every other car, that's a mad bar to set

Actually shorter range is not as big an issue for a family car because you ain't gonna have young kids sitting in the car for 6 hours without needing a wee or some food unlike the sales rep who just wants to blast 300 miles in one go to get home
 
chanjy said:
Not sure how one vehicle can be better in every single area than every other car, that's a mad bar to set

Actually shorter range is not as big an issue for a family car because you ain't gonna have young kids sitting in the car for 6 hours without needing a wee or some food unlike the sales rep who just wants to blast 300 miles in one go to get home
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I don't know where you get your 'shorter range', but hey if you're happy to own an ugly box on wheels that'll probably get no further than 100-150 miles, if that, that's fine. As stated, to win an accolade then it should be good at everything and exceed at others otherwise it's just a pointless exercise. It's just a total compromise.
It is just a van with windows and more than likely most would go for a diesel version, if there is one, anyway.
 
The fact that AutoExpress think 'just a van with windows' is a better family car than anything else on the market at the moment, to the point they consider it so good it 'redefines' what a family car is, is probably quite telling of the quality of the 'normal' family car offerings that are available new at the moment.
 
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cuke2u said:
I don't know where you get your 'shorter range', but hey if you're happy to own an ugly box on wheels that'll probably get no further than 100-150 miles, if that, that's fine. As stated, to win an accolade then it should be good at everything and exceed at others otherwise it's just a pointless exercise. It's just a total compromise.
It is just a van with windows and more than likely most would go for a diesel version, if there is one, anyway.
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FROM AUTOEXPRESS
Van-derived MPVs have long been popular with buyers looking to get the most space for their money, but there has always been a compromise. That all changes with the Kia PV5 Passenger, which manages to deliver acres of space and a driving experience that is more like a family hatch than a commercial vehicle.

The all-electric powertrain contributes to its award-winning appeal. The 52kWh model will be ideal for short urban hops, while the larger 71kWh battery offers 256 miles of range, meaning longer trips are a possibility. The low-slung battery doesn’t impact on cabin space, and a flat floor allows lots of room for passengers to stretch out; the arrival of a seven-seat version means there’s even greater versatility on offer, too.

However, there are two things that really set the PV5 Passenger apart, the first being its striking looks. It manages to pull off the neat trick of appearing bigger than it actually is, thanks to its tall shape and box-like appearance. But details such as the smooth nose and concept car-like vertical daytime running lights give it a futuristic look that'll keep it looking fresh for years.

On the road, the PV5 Passenger is a doddle to drive, with a good view out for the driver and all occupants, seamless electric drive and a chassis that delivers comfort and a level of driving ability that has never been seen from a van-derived model before. Combine all of these qualities with competitive prices, and the PV5 is a new take on the family car that redefines the class.
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Jonnycoupe said:
FROM AUTOEXPRESS
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Striking looks :cry:
I read the biased article, one could think how much they were paid to write such tosh. No good stating guesswork range when we all know in the real world it'll probably be 100 miles less, even in the summer. I quote from their actual review "while the larger battery delivered an economy of 2.7mi/kWh in the freezing cold of winter. This isn’t helped by the fact that a heat pump isn’t fitted".
It's still a van with windows and not a family car.
 
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Most of the families in my social circle (and parents of daughters school friends) are all going Omoda/Jaecoo for Hybrid/EV due to price if they are in the market for a newer car, a few BYD and very little MG, i know one person who has ordered a PV5 but he doesn't have a family, he just likes the idea of being able to use it for weekends away with his mates and their bikes!
 
Jonnycoupe said:
FROM AUTOEXPRESS
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The all-electric powertrain contributes to its award-winning appeal. The 52kWh model will be ideal for short urban hops, while the larger 71kWh battery offers 256 miles of range, meaning longer trips are a possibility.
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184 Mile range on the more affordable model though


chanjy said:
Actually shorter range is not as big an issue for a family car because you ain't gonna have young kids sitting in the car for 6 hours without needing a wee or some food unlike the sales rep who just wants to blast 300 miles in one go to get home
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I'll re-iterate though, the double standards are ridiculous - take Autoexpress' 2025 Family Car of the Year - the Skoda Octavia, can you imagine if it only had a range of 184 miles on a tank of fuel?

Family Car of the Year 2025: Skoda Octavia | Auto Express

The Skoda Octavia is the 2025 Auto Express Family Car of the Year, with the Citroen C4 and Dacia Jogger commended
www.autoexpress.co.uk www.autoexpress.co.uk
 
Armageus said:
184 Mile range on the more affordable model though




I'll re-iterate though, the double standards are ridiculous - take Autoexpress' 2025 Family Car of the Year - the Skoda Octavia, can you imagine if it only had a range of 184 miles on a tank of fuel?

Family Car of the Year 2025: Skoda Octavia | Auto Express

The Skoda Octavia is the 2025 Auto Express Family Car of the Year, with the Citroen C4 and Dacia Jogger commended
www.autoexpress.co.uk www.autoexpress.co.uk
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With a mileage of 2.7miles per kwh in winter it won't! It'll not even get 150 miles; which, whether anyone likes it or not, is not enough for the nearly any holiday grade trip. The lack of heatpump in a 35-40k vehicle is also somewhat telling I think that this is essentially a retrofitted utility vehicle and not a family car.
Honestly, this is the point. My Ioniq v2 would do that range almost 10 years ago, on a *38* kwh battery. (The same car could do well over 200 in summer. I saw over 220 miles multiple times). It was economic, it was effective, it was relatively cheap, it was a standard practical family car, and was relatively economic to buy, especially in the entry level spec. (and that's whilst it was a hybrid architecture that could have been made even more efficient if they took out the PHEV/Petrol/Diesel considerations and focused on pure EV.)

This is a mini-van being dressed up as a family car; I'm not saying it's a terrible car, but it's being advertised under the wrong category; and fundamentally I don't think we should be celebrating cars achieving ~2.5m/kwh, even in Winter; that is just decidedly poor considering how much everything involved has improved since EVs were first introduced.
In 2026 and onwards, we should be aiming for EVs that, as a rule, even in winter should be aiming for 250+.

Eliminating short range virtually eliminates range anxiety, reduces cost of practical ownership by reducing the amount you need to use public charging, and makes the car more practical and flexible during general use. Short ranges do the opposite and increase range anxiety.

Honestly, I wish Hyundai/Kia would go back to the original Ioniq concept, modernise it and make the new version a 'pure EV' design to maximise what they can do with it, and put a reasonable price tag on the new version, it'd sell bucketloads because it was a perfect blend of cost/features/practicality/performance at the time, and a massively underserved mass market segment now. And if Hyundai won't, BYD or someone else should - BYD Wave/Ironic anyone? :D

My 28kwh Ioniq v1 would do 150miles on 28kwh, by contrast (and yes I know its a mini van) this doing that range on over 50 just feels like beyond a step backwards in efficiency and running costs, especially with the rising cost of electric.

Kefkef's point
i know one person who has ordered a PV5 but he doesn't have a family, he just likes the idea of being able to use it for weekends away with his mates and their bikes!
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exactly covers my point here, these aren't family vehicles, they're utility/leisure/speciality vehicles someone decided to pay Auto Express to advertise as a family vehicle, when frankly it's not, it's a MPV/Minivan, in a market that is now saturated with mid-sized vehicles that are far more suitable and economic for the average family.

We aren't in the world of Corsa/Ka/Fiesta vs the Galaxy/Sharan and the likes anymore; there are so many mid sized vehicles that now suit an average family better than a mini van :D

Honestly, if BYD/Hyundai go back to that original Ioniq concept and come out with something like the following:
Liftback hatch
Aerodynamic profile
65-75kWh battery
4.5+ mi/kWh target
300+ real-world miles
BYD/Hyundai's usual "throw the options list at it" specification
Reliable
Decent and reliable ADAS
Mid £20k to low £30k pricing (sitting somewhere between the BYD Dolphin and Seal)

My god this would sell, it's exactly what so many people on the fence about EVs are waiting for, and a massively underserved market right now. MG had the potential to get there with the MG4, and be the 'Focus' of the EV generation, but they botched it with poor implementation, poor efficiency, poor quality control and poor service. Someone like either Hyundai returning to the segment, or BYD spotting the hole in the market should absolutely do this.
 
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