Small PHEVs?

A2Ztech · 15 May 2023 at 12:11

I am looking for a Plug-in Hybrid Vehicle of around the size of a Fiesta, Polo, etc. with reasonable carrying ability but I can't seem to find such a car. In point of fact, most PHEVs seem to be pretty large.

I do not want a Tesla, Polestar, BMW, etc. pure EV because I have to drive down to Devon from time to time to visit relatives and I don't want to be stressing about not being able to find somewhere to charge a full EV; nor do I want some sort of SUV tank. Much of my driving is in the local London area and I do have off-road parking.

A2Ztech · 15 May 2023 at 12:21

Certainly the Audi A3 E-Tron, Golf GTE and Seat Leon E-Hybrid are possibles; I believe that there is a Mini Countryman PHEV available as well?
I would be interested in anyone's personal practical experience of any of these.
I am not particularly interested either in BMW or Mercedes - just personal bias

A2Ztech · 15 May 2023 at 15:23

Is the BMW i3 REX actually available in the UK? I can't seem to find out anything about it - e.g. Spec and Price.
I am not crazy about anything as "obvious" (and tempting to a thief) as a BMW but I guess that it is worth considering.

edit: According to Wikipedia "The BMW i3 is a car which was manufactured by German marque BMW from 2013 to 2022"

A2Ztech · 16 May 2023 at 13:17

Thanks for that sandys, I will certainly have a look at it.

I spoke yesterday to someone whose brother owns and drives a BMW i3 REX; he says that the twin-cylinder petrol engine is "noisy". However, I will still look around for one 2nd hand.

Incidentally in reply to people who have asked:

whether I am looking for a "private buy or a company car", I am a private buyer.

why I would want a PHEV or perhaps an EV, the answer is two-fold:

a) I care about the environment

b) I live in London

and

I do benefit from off-road parking . . . as I mentioned in my original post

A2Ztech · 16 May 2023 at 18:08

I gather (from Green Car Reports) that The "occasional power loss" on the BMW i3 REx has led to a class-action lawsuit by some owners in the USA.
I wonder if BMW's ceasing production of the REx i3 is in any way connected with that?
I saw an i3 (not the REx version) today, it really is very small.
On balance, that is a No for me.

A2Ztech · 19 May 2023 at 22:38

Bug One said:
Do you have any kind of budget? If the i3 is too small then maybe a 3008 hybrid would be more suitable. You're looking at nearly new to get the PHEV version though.

The Budget question is an obvious one and clearly I would like to minimise the cost of changing my car - having said that I don't really have a particular figure in mind.

However, I am more or less determined to move away from a pure ICE vehicle but I do want to be confident that I can complete a journey of some 300 miles without EV range anxiety and I also want to be able to carry four or five people in comfort and on other occasions to cart stuff to the recycling centre, move some furniture, collect DIY stuff, etc.

bigmike20vt said:
If it were me it would be hard to look beyond an I3 REX.
almost 100 miles pure electric range and a little (600cc iirc) petrol motor.
I fancy one as our 2nd car, (albeit we could probably ditch the petrol engine)

I know they look small on the outside but they are a little bigger than you would otherwise think.

On the larger side what about an ionic?

The IBM i3 REx is definitely out; even BMW seem to think it was a lemon.

The Hyundai Ioniq is certainly one of the cars I am considering; I have heard good things about Hyundais in general.

A2Ztech · 22 May 2023 at 14:25

I do appreciate the feedback (well, most of it) but for the life of me I can't understand why people are so keen on the BMW i3REx. The BMW i3REx is no longer manufactured and is subject to a class action in the USA on the basis that it "is dangerous and can result in a catastrophic situation for all those on the road.". So far as I know, the basic BMW i3 has been dropped by BMW - perhaps because it is so small? In the circumstances, it would seem to be absolutely mad to believe that BMW had got it all wrong.

As to why I want a PHEV, I believe that the situation in London (e.g. the ULEZ) is unlikely to be favourable for ICEs in the future; as it happens, I am very much in favour of reduced pollution (c.f. the A205 & A406). I do not do a massive annual mileage but I do have to make some 250+ mile trips out of London five or six times a year. When I do these trips I tend to have a somewhat "loaded" car.

Perhaps I should just go for a Smart EQ ForTwo and use a ZipCar when I need to - or simply stick with what I have got now and wait for improvements in EVs and for further restrictions to come into play?

A2Ztech · 22 May 2023 at 19:40

Sorry, got to ask . . . where does this term "Self Charging Hybrid" crop up?
I have never noticed it.

A2Ztech · 24 May 2023 at 17:20

Jonnycoupe said:
Nothing relating to personal mobility should be worthy of hate.

Hate is such a strong, much abused word.

Frankly, utter contempt does seem entirely reasonable for people who insist on nipping down the road to Waitrose in some enormous SUV to pick up a copy of the Daily Mail and a couple of almond croissants.
London has better public transport than almost anywhere else in the country, people should learn either to use it or to walk.
Nobody in London needs an SUV for their "personal mobility"; the ULEZ is one small first step for Londoners.