When are you going fully electric?

Bug One said:
I think a lot of the smaller Toyota hybrids work like this. The ICE never drives the wheels directly.
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That’s not how those work, they are just what is now a standard hybrid with a CVT gear box.

bigmike20vt said:
isnt that how the BMW I3 REX worked before it went pure Electric only?
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Yes but they quickly realised hardly anyone actually used the REX once there was enough range in the car. It also wasn’t very reliable in the i3.

It also had a few issues in that the car needed to reserve 10% of the battery capacity to buffer the REX which is significant on a 100mile EV. It was possible to end up in a turtle mode if you went up a sustained incline while on REX because it didn’t actually generate that much electricity, in think on Rex it only returned 40mpg too. Regulations in some countries meant it couldn’t also have a bigger fuel tank than the electric range so even on the rex it’s range was comically low, circa 200 miles. I think that could be coded out though if you knew what you were doing.

Another example of a range extender is the new black cabs but I can’t see that lasting that long.
 
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i think the I3 rex had a time and a place (cant comment on the others, that is the only one i know owt about).

my mate had the launch one and at the time full EVs were limited to the leaf and similar range - so 60 miles on a motorway.. and yet he was able to come and visit me, leaving on a full charge and did 200 miles on 8l of fuel.

he then charged at my house on the granny over night, topped up the tank and got home on the same........ chances are he could have charged en route as well but didnt bother.

was far more practical than a nissan leaf .... EVs have caught up now and perhaps BMW were right to drop them but they were a good stepping stone of their time imo.
i wanted to buy an Ampera and went so far as phoning around garages to see if they would fully look after one for me if i bought it.................. and it put me off, as there was not one for miles.

even vauxhall said they could not help me locally and they sold the damn thing.
 
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thought it was the honda e-tech that's more rex like, without a potentially whiny cvt, but, ice gets coupled/clutched into the drive only at high speeds,
not sure if nissan e-? also does that.
jpaul said:
as others said, keep it - unless it's a lease ? presumably you are doing the miles if it is a disel so phev limited range maybe less interesting,
honda e-tech phev (like nissan/renault upcoming ones) with more range extender type architecture looks innovative/efficient but well above £20K
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bigmike20vt said:
i think the I3 rex had a time and a place (cant comment on the others, that is the only one i know owt about).

my mate had the launch one and at the time full EVs were limited to the leaf and similar range - so 60 miles on a motorway.. and yet he was able to come and visit me, leaving on a full charge and did 200 miles on 8l of fuel.

he then charged at my house on the granny over night, topped up the tank and got home on the same........ chances are he could have charged en route as well but didnt bother.

was far more practical than a nissan leaf .... EVs have caught up now and perhaps BMW were right to drop them but they were a good stepping stone of their time imo.
i wanted to buy an Ampera and went so far as phoning around garages to see if they would fully look after one for me if i bought it.................. and it put me off, as there was not one for miles.

even vauxhall said they could not help me locally and they sold the damn thing.
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Sounds similar to my experience looking for an Ampera. Local Vauxhall dealer had a couple of really tidy ones, but like you say, finding somewhere to look after one is another matter! Ended up with a ZE40 instead :p
 
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dlockers said:
Has anyone got experience of buying their EV once it comes off lease?
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Check the specifics of the lease agreement. "normally" you can not buy it if you are a connected party to the leaser... So if you are the leaser, you, your wife/children can not buy it.

It can be done but a bit of messing around.

I did it for my in laws (not electric car but still a lease car) - They couldn't buy it, neither could their daughters.... However I "bought" it so the V5 was in my name, the in laws made the bank transfer to pay for it as the guy I spoke to said they don't care where the payment comes from so long as it's paid.

I had to wait for the v5, insure it as mine for a couple of weeks whilst we transferred the v5 ownership back to the in laws. Bit of messing around but all fine in the end.
 
How much planning do people do before a long(ish) trip?

In a couple of weeks I'm heading over to Great Yarmouth for a weekend holiday which is at the very limit of the cars range, realistically I'd need to charge somewhere even if I left home at 100% charge but I'm almost likely to play golf in the morning so it'll actually be starting in Bristol with ~90% battery so never gonna work.

Looking at the route and a quick check of Zap Map it seems like the simple option of stopping at South Mimms, it's about halfway so 130 miles, no worries getting there and if I charge upto 80% it'll easily do the rest of the trip.

Is it really worth sorting out alternate stops or anything, given if I get to South Mimms and can't charge for whatever (unlikely?) reason I'll have my phone etc to check for options.
 
I'd have a couple of alternate stops in mind incase things don't work out as planned. You don't need a full itinerary of stops, distances etc like the old days - but knowing the options before you leave can alleviate any range induced panic moments.
 
little to none these days. It’s mostly to find destination chargers in the local area. Depending on which was you are going up the Yarmouth you have Gridserve electric forecourt outside Norwich (M11/A11 route) or Fastned in Ipswich (A12 route).
 
b0rn2sk8 said:
little to none these days. It’s mostly to find destination chargers in the local area. Depending on which was you are going up the Yarmouth you have Gridserve electric forecourt outside Norwich (M11/A11 route) or Fastned in Ipswich (A12 route).
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Yeah, I saw that one outside Norwich, works great if I leave from home but run a bit short but from Bristol at 90% it's too far I think.
 
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Loads of options on the M11 route, MFG at Mildenhall or Tesla at Elvden on the A11 if you are running short. Likewise Tesla just off the M11 in Cambridge. Both Tesla sites are open to all.

Few less options on the A12, I think it’s just two Osprey sites, 1 a few miles south of ipswich and one where the A12 and A14 merge for a bit.

Which ever way you go, you’d get caught in **** roadworks. Both the A12 and A11 have major road rebuilding roadworks to replace the concrete surface.

I live in the area before you ask!
 
b0rn2sk8 said:
Loads of options on the M11 route, MFG at Mildenhall or Tesla at Elvden on the A11 if you are running short. Likewise Tesla just off the M11 in Cambridge. Both Tesla sites are open to all.

Few less options on the A12, I think it’s just two Osprey sites, 1 a few miles south of ipswich and one where the A12 and A14 merge for a bit.

Which ever way you go, you’d get caught in **** roadworks. Both the A12 and A11 have major road rebuilding roadworks to replace the concrete surface.

I live in the area before you ask!
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A11 appears to be done, finally! Certainly Westbound today I was waiting for the 40 limit to hit and... nope, clear the whole way :D
 
booyaka said:
Check the specifics of the lease agreement. "normally" you can not buy it if you are a connected party to the leaser... So if you are the leaser, you, your wife/children can not buy it.

It can be done but a bit of messing around.

I did it for my in laws (not electric car but still a lease car) - They couldn't buy it, neither could their daughters.... However I "bought" it so the V5 was in my name, the in laws made the bank transfer to pay for it as the guy I spoke to said they don't care where the payment comes from so long as it's paid.

I had to wait for the v5, insure it as mine for a couple of weeks whilst we transferred the v5 ownership back to the in laws. Bit of messing around but all fine in the end.
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Interesting, so for these company car salsac schemes, where the company and octopus are the parties involved, it should be easy for me to buy it?
 
An updated TM3


In summary

- New range: Up to 423 miles
- New facelift and headlights/tail lights
- Ventilated seats
- Rear display for climate controls
- No more stalks, indicators are buttons
- Not coming to the UK until ‘sometime’ next year
 
SDK^ said:
An updated TM3


In summary

- New range: Up to 423 miles
- New facelift and headlights/tail lights
- Ventilated seats
- Rear display for climate controls
- No more stalks, indicators are buttons
- Not coming to the UK until ‘sometime’ next year
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- Improved suspension (better ride)
- Improved sound isolation
- Brighter main screen, and despite same processor etc, it’s smoother.

Interesting the increased efficiency/range is all due to reduction in drag coefficient.
 
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