Would you have an electric car if you had the money for a new car and were in the market for one?

[wheelnut]

Friday's trip, Cornwall to Lancaster. 355 mile, 6 hours or so, assuming no major hold-ups. No fueling necessary, should have at least 100 mile reserve.

Wonder how long for a leccy car.

On Wednesday I have to drive from the north east to Portsmouth, then pretty much turn around and drive back.

I realise not everyone will do that regularly, so an electric car may fit the bill, but it’s still nice to have the flexibility to drive where you want.

Electric is getting there though.

[Yambo]

I would now. Ordered one yesterday, will be here mid September.

New all electric Volvo XC40. Reckons range is 260, but What Car has it at 200 ish.

Need to look in to wall chargers now to try and see what deals I can get.

60k for a car?

That's as cheap as it's ever going to be. When China have control of all the lithium in Afghanistan and there's no organisation/cartel like OPEC controlling prices your electric car ain't gonna be quite so desirable.

[Kneerly Down]

Expensive lease, is it a commercial one?

Commercial lease but the charge point seems to be a very uncertain area.
The scheme is run by Scottish Govt and after we had a brand new £374k Ferrari fill up for nothing, still having not established (despite much trying) how the scheme works for hosts, opened the utility cabinet and threw the breakers on the charger.
Really annoyed that it came to that but we've spent about a month chasing them up now - the hosts don't have a phone number to call, just an email address that seems to illicit no response.
There is a tel. no. for customers and they say they've tried to raise it with the host side of the 'business'...who'd have thought a gov't run scheme would be unresponsive?!

[Mr. Dazzle]

a brand new £374k Ferrari fill up for nothing

Lovely electric motors in those.

[Mussels]

Expensive lease, is it a commercial one?

Commercial lease but the charge point seems to be a very uncertain area.
The scheme is run by Scottish Govt and after we had a brand new £374k Ferrari fill up for nothing, still having not established (despite much trying) how the scheme works for hosts, opened the utility cabinet and threw the breakers on the charger.
Really annoyed that it came to that but we've spent about a month chasing them up now - the hosts don't have a phone number to call, just an email address that seems to illicit no response.
There is a tel. no. for customers and they say they've tried to raise it with the host side of the 'business'...who'd have thought a gov't run scheme would be unresponsive?!

Probably find the grant money has been going into the previous lease holder's bank account or is sat there waiting to be claimed because you don't know about the forms that need filling in on a system you don't have access to.

[Mussels]

I would now. Ordered one yesterday, will be here mid September.

New all electric Volvo XC40. Reckons range is 260, but What Car has it at 200 ish.

Need to look in to wall chargers now to try and see what deals I can get.

I'll be interested to know how you get on, is it intended as a local runabout or do you have grander plans?

[Docca]

I would now. Ordered one yesterday, will be here mid September.

New all electric Volvo XC40. Reckons range is 260, but What Car has it at 200 ish.

Need to look in to wall chargers now to try and see what deals I can get.

I'll be interested to know how you get on, is it intended as a local runabout or do you have grander plans?

Happy to update.

I’m driving a lot less since Covid. WFH 99% of the time, so this is local. The office is 20 miles away so not the end of the world if I have to go in. Reckon I’ll be doing 200 miles a week tops.

I did drive, and really enjoyed driving, so Barcelona and back two years back- but the if u get that urge, I’ll take the wife’s car ( discovery). Still have the Landy for long haul family stuff.

[Noggin]

There is some more detailed information on range vs speed here.

https://teslike.com/

So in certain Teslas you could do the entire 170 miles at 80mph with plenty of range to spare. TBF a Tesla is a lot bigger and more expensive than a Zoe. It would also take a while to refill a 100kWh battery from a standard wall socket.

Porsche also seem to be very good at 'honest' range figures. Again, a Taycan is a very different beast to a Renault supermini. Porsche have also been having sideways digs at Tesla, pointing out their performance figures can be obtained "repeatably".

https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/2021 ... e-testing/

This is all first/second generation stuff, the pace of development is rapid at the moment.

I'm really interested in the Tesla for the business in the future - one of the transfer co's in the valley has a few (think 3, maybe 4), possibly because I expect they get a subsidy to buy/use them!!

Downside for me is that I have nowhere to park them for charging - there are charging spaces in a covered parking area up here, but I very much doubt I would be able/allowed to be plugged in as much as I'd need. I could possibly park outside the apartment (but not in the winter, that area fills with snow!) but then I'd have to drop an extension lead out of my first floor window!! LOL

The other issue for that particular use is temperature. The other company is in the valley and has a 'staff house' with Tesla charging points for the cars. I'm at 2000m with limited access to a charger. The 2000m is probably the biggest issue as I need to do approx 200km each way (more if going to the valley then back up to a different resort). Ok, the roads are not exactly fast in the main - and just a short amount of 110kmph or 130kmph bits of motorway/dual carriageway (the rest is 80kmph or less) - but, starting out at 2000m and around -15 degrees for December - February (and odd days/weeks of that through March if leaving early) most people I talk to (not dealers) have sucked their teeth and said it wouldn't work

The temp difference from here down to the valley can be anything from 5 - 10 degrees warmer down there

Sounds like you think you couldn't charge the car at home, is there a reason for that I've missed?

Yes, no garage, no driveway, parking slots in a courtyard remote from the house and with seriously expensive paving that would need about 8 sorts of permission to dig up.

There are some good subsidies for things like the Zoe here (apparently) but lack of parking close enough to charge and the fact that a trip to the valley is about 60kms or more (depending where you go in the valley!) makes it a bit useless for me (Not that I'm buying a car anytime soon, but I would love to get an electric one when I do - but I can't see that it will work for me, even privately instead of the business option )

[Mr. Dazzle]

Just as an aside, we often joke at work that the best way to improve range would be to always start your journeys at the top of a hill

[Noggin]

Just as an aside, we often joke at work that the best way to improve range would be to always start your journeys at the top of a hill

Top of a mountain might help, but there's 21 hairpins and 3 roundabouts to the valley, so not sure that would be great for coasting all the way!! LOL

[Rockburner]

Just as an aside, we often joke at work that the best way to improve range would be to always start your journeys at the top of a hill

Top of a mountain might help, but there's 21 hairpins and 3 roundabouts to the valley, so not sure that would be great for coasting all the way!! LOL

Lots of opportunity for regenerative braking though.

[Mussels]

Just as an aside, we often joke at work that the best way to improve range would be to always start your journeys at the top of a hill

Top of a mountain might help, but there's 21 hairpins and 3 roundabouts to the valley, so not sure that would be great for coasting all the way!! LOL

Lots of opportunity for regenerative braking though.

Not when you start your return journey fully charged at the top, much better to start at the bottom so the return part recharges it.

[Mr. Dazzle]

'tis true.

If you start fully charged at the top you've got nowhere to store the regen work. It is actually a problem, modern EVs are designed on the assumption you can regen brake and hence the conventional brakes are smaller to save weight and cost. If you've got this hypothetical person who starts every morning at the top of a big hill with a fully charged battery you run the risk of them setting their brakes on fire.

[Mussels]

So Noggin would need to work out how much charge is added during the descent and make sure she always leaves that space available when charging at the top, doable in theory if that can be calculated and set.
The calculations would need to be done with the slowest possible speeds to factor in aerodynamic losses. Make it a dry road as well.

[slowsider]

Sounds like there's no need to plug in at home for Noggin.

[Cousin Jack]

Sounds like Noggin, like me, is better off polluting the planet for a bit longer.

[Horse]

Lots of opportunity for regenerative braking though.

Not when you start your return journey fully charged at the top, much better to start at the bottom so the return part recharges it.

Did someone here mention the electric quarry trucks, carrying spoil down a mountain. Apparently they can end the day with more charge than at the start.

[Nordboy]

So, I can potentially retire in just over 4 years. I bought my 5 series last year brand new, only the 2nd new car ever.

I'd really like to go electric next time, but tbh, I just can't see me being able to afford one. For anything with half decent range and power, you're currently looking at easily £45k plus. The new Kia ev6 is going to be £50k for the more powerful version, for a Kia?

The last thing I want to be doing is spending a large chuck of my monthly income on an electric car. I may well just end up keeping my 5 series for many years after the supposed 2030 cut off date. Not that I actually think that will happen, I think it'll get delayed by 5 or 10 years.

My only worry with that plan is what the price of petrol and excise licence will end up being, making my car uneconomical (it's a 540i). At this stage, I don't know what I'm going to do?

Probably a large compromise, lose a load of power, luxury and range.

[Count Steer]

My only worry with that plan is what the price of petrol and excise licence will end up being, making my car uneconomical (it's a 540i). At this stage, I don't know what I'm going to do?

Good point. There will be billions lost in fuel duty so they'll almost certainly drive up the tax on petrol and road tax on petrol vehicles. Q? Where are they going to get the rest of the ££s from?
Can't really just up the price of electricity as they can't separate what's domestic and what's not. My bet is road pricing. Quick trip up the motorway? Kerching! Probably end up paying twice for a petrol car then.

[Horse]

My only worry with that plan is what the price of petrol and excise licence will end up being

There will be billions lost in fuel duty so they'll almost certainly drive up the tax on petrol and road tax on petrol vehicles. Q? Where are they going to get the rest of the ££s from?
Can't really just up the price of electricity as they can't separate what's domestic and what's not. My bet is road pricing. Quick trip up the motorway? Kerching! Probably end up paying twice for a petrol car then.

In the news that Shell are 'offering' to install 50,000 roadside chargers by 2025.

Charging for free, forever*

* I made that bit up. They see money in it, so will HMRC.

Gubbiment will get their money somehow. 'Red' electric, anyone?