EV general discussion


Results of the practical test (table)

Test vehicle:
Volvo C40 Recharge
Pure Electric
without
payload
Boot capacity -
payload
Roof box
payload
Rear box
payload
load weight0 kg50 kg50 kg50 kg
Fuel consumption in km111 km111 km111 km111 km
Energy consumption
(recharged)
21.3 kWh22.4 kWh26.8 kWh22.0 kWh
Fuel consumption per 100 km19.2 kWh20.2 kWh24.1 kWh19.9 kWh
Range with 67 kWh
battery capacity (net)
345 km332 km278 km337 km
Loss with a 67 kWh
battery capacity (net)
-13 km67 km8 kilometers


However, this video says it does not.

 
Last edited:
Has anyone been using roof boxes on their EV, curious as to what kind of mileage loss you had while doing long trips.Obviously you'd just charge it more frequently but our diesel looses about 7-8mpg.

Used one on my Polestar and the EQC - it will effect it, but it also means that I’m carrying a load of weight too so I just accept I’ll be taking a large efficiency loss and plan accordingly. Any long trip will need public charging regardless so I just find the fastest charger I can and ignore the price because it’s so cheap to run 99% of the time!

If you want to save some range, slow down a bit and that’ll help offset the extra drag.
 
Used one on my Polestar and the EQC - it will effect it, but it also means that I’m carrying a load of weight too so I just accept I’ll be taking a large efficiency loss and plan accordingly. Any long trip will need public charging regardless so I just find the fastest charger I can and ignore the price because it’s so cheap to run 99% of the time!

If you want to save some range, slow down a bit and that’ll help offset the extra drag.
I assumed as much but didn't know if there was a greater impact. Just have to do what we normally do lol.
 
Sorry if I wasn't clear but when I mentioned the comparable batteries in the BMW and Volvo, it was in relation to the range and charging speed.

The CLA being a much smaller, more efficient car means it's 85kwh battery is able to produce a similar range to the 110ish kwh batteries in the Volvo and BMW. The ix3 40, like the smaller battery Volvo options has a much reduced range so wouldn't be considerations for me.
I had a drive of the normal CLA and enquired about the shooting break version. The CLA is a nice car to drive on higher specs, very efficient and the 2nd gear waould be useful at motorway speeds, but the room in the back was an issue. According to mercedes this will not be much better in the SB but will have slightly better head room due to the roof. From the configurator the 400V charging is a paid option and not included, think it was around 750-900, this was a few weeks back so may have changed now.
 
Can compare the rear space in the CLA EV, with the roomier ICE version, either have to accept a higher cross-over vehicle or larger wheelbase car like ID7, to fix it.
 
My id7 lease is up at the end of the year and I've started looking for my next car. I had a test drive in the new ix3 last week and it's by a distance the best ev I've ever driven. Obviously the design is subjective and it's expensive for what it is but with the build quality, ride, handling, tech, range and charging speed, there's really no compromises which isn't the case with everything else I've looked at.

I initially wasn't considering it as a serious option and just wanted to have a play around with it to get an idea of what to expect from the new i3 but it was that good that I've started to give it some serious consideration. I'll be coming from an id7 tourer so the boot space on an i3 saloon might be an issue and the touring isn't due anytime soon - is the ix3 the answer? Once the shooting break is available, I'm going to take a proper look at the CLA too. I'm not a fan of the interior but at nearly £15k cheaper than the ix3 and probably £10k less than the i3, I might be able to live with it if everything else is up to scratch.

Beyond the CLA, I'm struggling for other options. I'm likely going to buy outright this time so I want to future proof whatever I buy which rules out the Seal - the car itself is great but the limited range and charging speeds put me off. Similar story with the Polestar 4. The im5 looked cheap and nasty, I'm not spending £70k on an A6 and I'm not sure I can bring myself to get a Tesla. If there was a dealer closer to me then I'd have a drive in the Xpeng G6 - the range isn't amazing but with it's charging speed it might not be a big issue and I really like the look of the interior.

Is there anything else due out in the next 9 months or so in the £50k range (ideally below £50k for tax purposes) with a real world range of 300+ miles and or super fast charging and doesn't feel as cheap and tacky as the im5? Or do I lease a Seal for 2 years and revisit this when we've got 500 mile ranges and 1000kw charging speeds?

Mine too, and I’ve (involuntarily) test driven quite a few cars in that time.

The VW platform is excellent, as it has had time to mature. Reliability aside, it’s a compelling product and there are many things I think you’ll miss.



On paper, the Mercs are great. In reality, they fall a bit short for me usability wise.


The CLA for example, I think only charges on 800v chargers. This will limit you out and about for public charger and would be an instant no for me.


The other cars have some weird quirks, to me.


E.g. for auto full beam, the car must be on auto lights. The issue then is that you cannot manually enable full beam - it’s only automatic.


The steering wheel controls are diabolical and will make you rage so much.



The A6 performance with the 100kWh battery appeals, as it should have a real world range of over 300 miles, and can be had for 40k with basically no mileage on it.
 
I had a drive of the normal CLA and enquired about the shooting break version. The CLA is a nice car to drive on higher specs, very efficient and the 2nd gear waould be useful at motorway speeds, but the room in the back was an issue. According to mercedes this will not be much better in the SB but will have slightly better head room due to the roof. From the configurator the 400V charging is a paid option and not included, think it was around 750-900, this was a few weeks back so may have changed now.
Rear seat space doesn't concern me that much, it's more boot space. I sometimes carry a few large boxes in the back for work - the shooting break, with the seats down should be more than big enough for me.

400v charging isn't a concern either and I think the issue is massively overblown. With the sort of range you'll get in a CLA, you're not going to be doing much public charging anyway and to be doing the sorts of distances requiring public charging, you'll be driving routes that will be well catered with compatible chargers. Moving forwards it'll become even more of a non issue too. I'd be interested to know how many motorway service stations don't have compatible chargers now, I doubt it's many.

@MrRockliffe I'll have to have a play around with one and see how I get on with it. I initially discounted the A6 based on the price but talking to a friend that test drove one, he hated it. Although he did end up ordering a Polestar 4 and most people hate those so what does he know.
 
Used one on my Polestar and the EQC - it will effect it, but it also means that I’m carrying a load of weight too so I just accept I’ll be taking a large efficiency loss and plan accordingly. Any long trip will need public charging regardless so I just find the fastest charger I can and ignore the price because it’s so cheap to run 99% of the time!

If you want to save some range, slow down a bit and that’ll help offset the extra drag.
What sort of real world mileage per charge did you get from your polestar?
 
Last edited:
Maybe I'm old but how do you justify the cost of the electric Volvo EX60 etc vs ICG?
ICG?

The ex60 is slightly more on list for the 100kwh version than the iX3 but you’d need to check the spec to compare.

Ultimately it comes down to the monthlies and list prices isn’t always a clear indicator as to which will be more expensive to acquire.
 
Let's not get into the 'you could buy a 10 year old used car for way less' debate again please haha

I agree it's quite impressive how the equivalent ICE is now similar price to the BEV
 
ICG?

The ex60 is slightly more on list for the 100kwh version than the iX3 but you’d need to check the spec to compare.

Ultimately it comes down to the monthlies and list prices isn’t always a clear indicator as to which will be more expensive to acquire.

Sorry internal combustion engine.

Just the ICE vs EV version of the same model.
 
Last edited:
Sorry internal combustion engine.

Just the ICE vs EV version of the same model.
They are two different cars in practice.

The ICE version isn’t anywhere near as well equipped in its base spec (core). For example, you need to go up 2 trims (plus pro £60k list) to get matrix lights on the ICE. The base spec EV has matrix lights as standard on the £54k model (plus is the base currently) .

The base model EV still had good range (380wltp) and has 375hp so it’s quick. The only option in ICE is a mild hybrid with 250hp, no slot but not exactly quick either. The EV can be optioned up to 680hp and 503 miles WLTP.

So while the ICE starts at £50k it’s not at all equivalent. I’m sure a ‘core’ spec EX60 will be a thing eventually at a cheaper price, it’s not not available now.
 
Last edited:
It’s now been a week since I returned the CLA that I rejected so thought I'd give a quick run-down of the reasons and a view of a week of owning the A6 Etron

The concise version of what went wrong with the CLA that I returned last week
  • Software updates not applied before purchase
  • Safety recalls not applied until the 3rd visit to the dealer (all released before I purchased the car)
  • Climate control randomly picks a temperature to heat the car to, regardless of the settings choose
  • Safety systems crashing
  • Software updates not applied correctly on multiple visits
  • Dashboard and infotainment systems screens crashing while driving (no dash is lots of fun…)
  • Windows keep losing their one touch settings which mean they don’t close when you open/close the door and can’t be manually closed so need resetting which whilst not a long process is a pain.
  • Kept loosing the profile identification so had to manually select the driver ever time you got in
In terms of driving, it was not bad to drive, I used the strong regen mode for 1 pedal driving. It was efficient and I was getting north of 300 miles out of it quite easily. The sound system is “ok” but things thing the parking cameras, dashcam being behind a paywall is pretty rubbish. Boot is ok size wise but the opening is very small and made it hard to get even normal sized boxes in and out. Seat were comfy but picked up fluff from everything every easily and the white "leather" picked up marks very quickly. Build quality was not bad in general but could tell it was the budget offering (at 50K+...) in the range by some of the material choices.

The A6 Etron so far (touch wood etc etc) has behaved pretty much perfectly, I did a full car and system reset as it hadn't been done before I collected it and since it worked exactly as expected. The interior and materials are much higher quality, the nav and other systems also function as you'd expect. I didn't realise how much I missed the HUD until I had it back in the Audi and the Augmented Reality system works very well. It obviously much bigger than the CLA but is also much more powerful, has a bigger battery and being an Avant the boot is infinitely more usable. The fact things are not locked behind paywalls also makes it actually less expensive than the CLA and i also avoid the expensive vehicle uplift.

Overall very pleased with it.
 
Maybe I'm old but how do you justify the cost of the electric Volvo EX60 etc vs ICG?
Pretty easy ignoring all the other benefits from the base spec being better , 60k miles at today's prices in petrol would cost you around £10k, and the same in the BEV charged at home is around £1,400. I'd rather put more money in to the car than keep proping up BP/Esso/Texaco etc. Same reason for solar and battery in your house, keep paying money to EDF/EON shareholders or invest in your own home.
 
I should also add I did consider a replacement CLA Shooting Break, but they are more expensive and the number of people like me who are or have rejected the CLA on the Facebook groups is scary.

The rate they are releasing software which can only be updated at a dealer is mad. From the version I had installed on the 3rd attempt 1.3.1 they were on 1.3.3 two weeks after and 1.3.2 had been released as well. That doesn’t bode well for testing or how many problems they are hitting
 
I should also add I did consider a replacement CLA Shooting Break, but they are more expensive and the number of people like me who are or have rejected the CLA on the Facebook groups is scary.

The rate they are releasing software which can only be updated at a dealer is mad. From the version I had installed on the 3rd attempt 1.3.1 they were on 1.3.3 two weeks after and 1.3.2 had been released as well. That doesn’t bode well for testing or how many problems they are hitting
I was looking the other night and was surprised to see the Shooting Break actually appears cheaper. I was looking at the AMG Premium Edition and the SB is £1800 cheaper and for some reason it's better specced than the saloon too. The SB AMG Premium Edition gets the additional passenger side screen but the saloon doesn't - you have to get the AMG Premium Edition+ which is another £1500 on top.
 
@BaZ87 I think the new iX3 is the standout car in this situation, it's probably the best overall offering out there at the moment. I'd probably rather the i3, but they aren't going to be out until middle of next year.

I'd possibly take a look at the new Tesla Model Y Performance which is in this sort of price bracket, I do rate them, but appreciate it's a bit more unusual.
 
Back
Top Bottom