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

[Mr. Dazzle]

Merc first out the gate with this, launched today.

So this car just popped up on my LinkedIn....

The interesting thing I spotted though was; it has a tow point! I don't think that's a headlamp washer, it's too far down and 'around the corner' from the headlight. I think it was @Horse asking if you can tow EVs, Mercedes would seem to think you can.

image_2025-03-15_160846719.png (1.16 MiB) Viewed 638 times

[Mr. Dazzle]

Toyota launches EV in China (in partnership with Chinese firm), crashes their own server 'cause they can't accept orders quick enough.

I was saying to Mrs D at lunch (she's bored of me now), I've also said it up there ^ loads, Chinese/part Chinese EVs have a very real chance of destroying lots of legacy manufacturers.

Trump has of course rolled back loads of EPA protection and incentives around EVs, this will probably help the US makers in the short term. They'd just better hope that increasingly good foreign EVs don't leave them all behind. The Germans are already overtaking Tesla technologically. Personally, I'd bet on the Chinese People used to say Japanese stuff was shit too.

https://electrek.co/2025/03/06/toyotas- ... -at-15000/

[Mr. Dazzle]

Best selling car in the world last year was the Tesla Model Y. "Car" in this context includes the big selling Ford F trucks, which always used to take top spot. I wonder if Tesla will retain that crown this year It was #1 in 2023 too.

Number 9 was an EV too, the BYD SONG (called the Seal in some markets).

https://www.statista.com/statistics/239 ... worldwide/

[ZRX61]

Gal I know just bought a Fiat 500/Yugo EV. She put a fake exhaust tip on the back...

[ZRX61]

Toyota launches EV in China (in partnership with Chinese firm), crashes their own server 'cause they can't accept orders quick enough.

I was saying to Mrs D at lunch (she's bored of me now), I've also said it up there ^ loads, Chinese/part Chinese EVs have a very real chance of destroying lots of legacy manufacturers.

Trump has of course rolled back loads of EPA protection and incentives around EVs, this will probably help the US makers in the short term. They'd just better hope that increasingly good foreign EVs don't leave them all behind. The Germans are already overtaking Tesla technologically. Personally, I'd bet on the Chinese People used to say Japanese stuff was shit too.

https://electrek.co/2025/03/06/toyotas- ... -at-15000/

Wonder when they will all realize EV's was a false step & switch to Hydrogen... Even Newsom got on board with HV's.

[ZRX61]

Best selling car in the world last year was the Tesla Model Y. "Car" in this context includes the big selling Ford F trucks, which always used to take top spot. I wonder if Tesla will retain that crown this year It was #1 in 2023 too.

Number 9 was an EV too, the BYD SONG (called the Seal in some markets).

https://www.statista.com/statistics/239 ... worldwide/

They sold 405,900 Model Y's in the US last year... & 732,139 F series. Model Y's are sold in 35 more countries than the F series & they only sell the F150 in China, not the proper trucks

[Mr. Dazzle]

Wonder when they will all realize EV's was a false step & switch to Hydrogen... Even Newsom got on board with HV's.

Hydrogen is never gonna happen in the mainstream, it just doesn't make sense if you take even the most cursory look at the numbers.

It'll be around, but not in a big way.

And, like i've said loads of times, it'll still be EVs. Just hydrogen fuel cell ones not battery ones.

Cars that go brrrrm brrrm will be gone for all but the most niche or enthusiast uses.

[Felix]

Only one i ever like the look of is the Renault 5 but then again i cant say i have been looking at them with great interest as i would never own one.

[Count Steer]

Best selling car in the world last year was the Tesla Model Y. "Car" in this context includes the big selling Ford F trucks, which always used to take top spot. I wonder if Tesla will retain that crown this year It was #1 in 2023 too.

Number 9 was an EV too, the BYD SONG (called the Seal in some markets).

https://www.statista.com/statistics/239 ... worldwide/

They sold 405,900 Model Y's in the US last year... & 732,139 F series. Model Y's are sold in 35 more countries than the F series & they only sell the F150 in China, not the proper trucks

I guess that's why Dazzle said 'best selling car in the world' as there's a bit more of that than just USA.

[Taipan]

EVs are fantatsic for performance, but I cant get my head round silent power. Half the thrill of going fast is the noise. As a town car they a lot more appealing.

I'm not so sure we'll all be happily driving round in milk floats as even Volvo have pushed back their all EV deadlines now. From what I can gather the knock on of EVs terrible residuals is only just starting to hit. Round here most of the 2nd hand dealers dont want anything to do with EVs. I think where it went wrong was they forced EVs on a market that didn't have the infrastructure in and damaged the brand, which is a shame as now the infrastructure seems to be in place but people have been piut off with range anxiety etc. The other complaint I keep hearing is the high cost of charging at charge stations?

My car is going in the next few weeks and once again i've looked at EVs and its quite frightening that you can get a decent Tesla for about £15k now. I think i'll pass again this time an enjoy something sporty with noise. Hopefully the following car purchase will be a EV but I'll check how the market is again then and hopefully it will have evened itself out?

[Mr. Dazzle]

Even ICE cars are dead quite now and set to get even quieter soon.

Most people don't want to hear your car. You only like it cause you grew up with it, it's similar to how I think 2 strokes sound awful.

[KungFooBob]

Most modern performance cars pipe fake engine noise into the cabin anyways.

They should do that with EVs just for Tiepin.

[Taipan]

Nah, I think i'm going to buy an A35 AMG with aero pack and lots of pops and bangs!







Or a Toyota CHR Hybrid...

[Cousin Jack]

Cars that go brrrrm brrrm will be gone for all but the most niche or enthusiast uses.

Wife's new Honda Jazz works (as far as I can make out) by being an EV with an ICE generator running at more or less constant speed. It speeds up with more demand, but not a direct response from the throttle. It does however make nice (and quite sporty) brrrrm brrrm noises, all artificial and played through the speakers.

[wheelnut]

EVs are fantatsic for performance, but I cant get my head round silent power. Half the thrill of going fast is the noise. As a town car they a lot more appealing.

You only really notice the silence when you’re pulling away from standstill. As soon as you’re moving there’s no real difference to an ICE car (Ferrari et al excepted).

[wheelnut]

Nah, I think i'm going to buy an A35 AMG with aero pack and lots of pops and bangs!

Me and Yambo have just spent a couple of days watching some Turkish rally stages - the pops and bangs on the overrun on those cars was hilarious.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Cars that go brrrrm brrrm will be gone for all but the most niche or enthusiast uses.

Wife's new Honda Jazz works (as far as I can make out) by being an EV with an ICE generator running at more or less constant speed. It speeds up with more demand, but not a direct response from the throttle. It does however make nice (and quite sporty) brrrrm brrrm noises, all artificial and played through the speakers.

Series hybrid - like a diesel electric train.

ICE engines are most efficient at high load and in a narrow speed range, electric motors are far far more flexible. So you use one electric motor to do the up and downy, speedy slowy, highly variable part of driving and one piston engine (running a generator) driving at one speed where it's most efficient.

[Taipan]

Nah, I think i'm going to buy an A35 AMG with aero pack and lots of pops and bangs!

Me and Yambo have just spent a couple of days watching some Turkish rally stages - the pops and bangs on the overrun on those cars was hilarious.

S'funny, that I spent years trying to jet that out of carb'ed bikes but now tuners actually map that in!

[Taipan]

EVs are fantatsic for performance, but I cant get my head round silent power. Half the thrill of going fast is the noise. As a town car they a lot more appealing.

You only really notice the silence when you’re pulling away from standstill. As soon as you’re moving there’s no real difference to an ICE car (Ferrari et al excepted).

I'm supposed to be having a drive of a Tesla this weekend. It'll be interesting to see what I think of it, although I'm not keen on the minimalist cab area anyway. It really depends on the car type for me. For a Luxury car, I want smooth and quiet, but for a performance car, I want chassis/suspension feedback, and induction and exhaust noise. My wife has a Mini Cooper SD and I think we could easily swap that for a EV considering its multiple short journeys, but I've more chance of being elexted Pope than getting her Mini off of her.

[Saga Lout]

Even ICE cars are dead quite now and set to get even quieter soon.

Most people don't want to hear your car. You only like it cause you grew up with it, it's similar to how I think 2 strokes sound awful.

You need to hear the engine so you know when to change gear. 'Sobvious, innit?