Delivered this morning - after 190 miles on (mostly) motorway, it arrived with 40% charge remaining. Good enough, I'd say.
Max range is really only applicable for those one off long range trips (which for most of us are not that often) as jn reality the behaviours of filling up an electric car are different to that of a traditional ICE.
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I know - I've been driving one for the last three years. Typically mine gets left on the charger every night and tops up, but then the current one is a Nissan Leaf with a (real) range of perhaps 110 miles. I can't imagine I'll need to charge the Ford more than once a week, perhaps even less.
There’s an article in the FT today that says the team in charge of the supercharger network have all been fired. I wouldn’t be surprised if the network is now sold as it is no longer the same selling point that it once was since many of the chargers are now available to non-Teslas
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Oh wow. I often think that about my Cayman. Then when I do a few hours in it like last weekend any thought of getting rid disappears.
Even if the journeys were in torrential rain, as it seems to have been this year. Bloody thing seems to grow algae in the name badges within a fortnight too, north facing driveway, which is good as means we get a south facing garden but cars stay damp for ages.
We really want an electric Smart 453 but wife commute is now even longer than the range and no charging in the bank car park. The new Smart is just too large vs the 453 and what we want from the car / dimensions.
She’s whacked 45k on it in 3.5yrs so am glad I bought it for my train station parking that never happens as the depreciation on the boxster would have been horrific!
If the Tesla isn’t used, does it have a clever way to charge the 12v battery from its main battery bank, or can it run down and lock you out?
There isn’t much about any Tesla which is smart but I do like EVs. Generally the 12v batteries are in difficult and prolonged place to access but mine seems fine for now.
I think a second car should either be something special (Porsche) which doesn’t need to be used a lot to justify or a POS that’s so bad the apathy towards it is liberating.
45k in 3.5 years for a fortwo is commitment, and that’s before the speeding ticket I think you said she got fairly recently!
Unfortunately, my daughters MG ZS EV doesn’t and had a flat battery on our return from Lanzarote in November.
Fortunately I have a set of jump leads in the wife’s car so was able honour enough charge in the 12v battery to power up the electrics, at which time the traction battery took over.
She loves the thing! Also based on the utter window shattering risk of where she parks it daily. Now based in Kingston so much nicer areas.
Somehow i still insure and service a car I don’t drive, as was my decision to have 2 cars myself. I just love having a car we can park anywhere and not worry.
Equally love the reaction from other drivers when getting spirited, who have written you off as lame given the car. Nobody likes an overtake from a Smart.
It sounds like there are going to be lots of cheap used EVs around in the near future and manufacturers are going to have to cut the price of their new cars to actually sell them. In Autocar, the CEO of Ford says EV is not the only future and they're going to continue making ICE cars. The chairman of Stelliantis is blasting rules dictating what percentage of EVs manufacturers have to sell, saying they're unrealistic considering the market just isn't interested. The German chancellor went to China last month and made it clear we need cheap Chinese EVs in Europe as much as German manufacturers need to sell their cars in China. Meanwhile the editor of Auto Express wrote this week that by pushing back the ICE ban to 2035 but keeping the heavy fines for manufacturers not ensuring 22% of new cars sold in 2024 are EV, the government is not taking into account the fact lots of people don't want EVs and not all manufacturers have a range of EVs attractive enough to buyers. He says instead of forcing manufacturers to sell cars no one wants, the government should have been giving buyers the confidence to buy used EVs. "More used buyers means higher used prices when anyone sells a three-year-old EV, which means the monthly finance payments on a new one will be kept lower".
It will be interesting to see where this one goes and what the incoming Labour government will do, at the end of last year they said they were going to reinstate the 2030 ban on ICE cars.
"A man of little significance"
I don’t think that no one wants EVs, it’s just that with high new prices, high depreciation and subsequently large monthly repayments, most people opt to spend their money elsewhere.
Lower new prices (and it is time for this) should lead to lower depreciation, lower PCP payments and therefore higher demand IMHO.
The BYD Seal is £19,770 where it’s made, they start at £45,640 over here, there is a decent bit of margin somewhere even though everyone will deny it.
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I believe Vauxhall (so Stellantis) have just announced EVs and ICE will be available at the same monthly PCP rate, they’ve lowered the prices of their EV offerings to do so.
https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/vauxha...20alternatives.
I don’t think it’s a case of the market is rejecting EVs, they’re just a bit pricey for most people especially given the economic outlook currently.
EVs are still selling, despite some Q1/2024 slowing down, more and more EVs are hitting the road each day meaning more used ones down the track.
It’s a long transition, 11 years to go until the legislated changes, over a decade away.
Interestingly, VW EV sales are down a bit this year, but up 90% in China. They also have an order book of 160k EVs across Europe and of course are still manufacturing ICE vehicles for the U.K. and ROW.
It’s a tough time for car manufacturers, and would have been regardless of EVs being part of the offering.
There's a suggestion ICE cars will go up in price and to lease, to help increase the percentage of EVs being sold and bring the numbers into line with legislation.
The drop in value in used EVs means leases will go up, unless manufacturers take an even bigger hit on new car prices. It all means that right now is a good time to buy a used EV.
"A man of little significance"
Story on the BBC of an EV driver refused entry to a hospital car park in case the car explodes. No ICE car has ever caught fire then?
They do not spontaneously combust, no.
Toyota was right all along about a healthy mix being the right way to go, with hybrids leading the way. Full blown EVs is a step back in technology and will never catch on unless battery technology does a quantum leap, and theres nothing on the horizon in that regard.
Comparing EV tech with ICE is like comparing ICE with steam engines. 75%+ energy efficiency from around 30%, now that’s a quantum leap.
Don't just do something, sit there. - TNH
No not really, it’s all you do on here. Come in make a few ridiculous statements and then disappear off again, you clearly don't have the foggiest about what youre talking about.
Anyway, ill leave this here from another thread….https://www.wired.com/story/cell-to-...tric-vehicles/
Last edited by Franky Four Fingers; 4th May 2024 at 21:06.
First they built the Prius hybrid which was their last good move. Then they decided hydrogen was the way forward. Then they tried to dismiss EVs by coining the phrase “Self Charging Hybrid”. Then finally (about fifteen years late) they joined the “list cause” EV brigade.
You couldn’t make this shit up!
For some people, hybrids (of the plug in type at least) are the right cars for them.
I’ve been driving a mix of all sorts of cars for the last 12 years, first hybrids, then plug in ones and for the last 8 years ‘full blown EVs’ as you put them.
The last 8 years doesn’t feel like a step backwards for me, quite the opposite.
I’m not anti-ICE either, so no ‘EV-boy’, but I don’t see why I’d go back to one for any reason really. Toyota are keeping a foot in all camps, as they should do as they’re serving a global market, as are VW/BMW/Ford etc and nothing wrong with that, even their latest full EVs are pretty good such as the BZ4X, and they’ve more full electric vehicles in the pipeline over the next couple of years.
There’s really no need for anybody to get so angry about it all.
Rather than being the best of both worlds it strikes me that a hybrid may be the worst. All the complexities, frailties and service requirements of an ICE with the additional weight of a small battery and it still emits pollution into the local environment from the tailpipe. Might be a solution currently for those that regularly drive over 300 miles without being able to stop and don’t have anywhere near where they live to charge it. If that was me I’d just drive an ICE car. Sounds like a pointless fudge?
I know what you’re saying. I ran a Golf GTE for 3 years and nearly 100k miles, plugged it in as often as possible and got an average of 78mpg over that time, not bad for a 200bhp hatchback. It was capable of zero tailpipe emission running in heavy traffic, but was also able to do 500 miles without breaking a sweat, albeit at nearer 45mpg per trip.
It was complicated though, and had onerous servicing requirements and I spent many thousands on maintenance over that time. It was a good car though, and introduced me to the joys of completing a 15 mile round trip to the supermarket without the engine ever coming on.
I’ve owned two hybrids over six year period. Only times that Toyota hatchback was more efficient than normal ICE was on the 50mph variable speed cameras M4 sections.
Nothing comes anywhere near EV for city driving.
I'm on my second Honda CRV hybrid and I love them. Most of the time they are powered by the electric motor, so have electric car-like instant torque. The regenerative braking is excellent. My first, a 2wd version, did 49mpg overall which isn't bad for a medium sized petrol fuelled SUV. My current 4wd version is running at closer to 42mpg but has only done 6K miles, so may loosen up a bit.
The drive train sounds quite complicated - whilst much of the time it is electrically driven, at higher power demands/higher speeds, the fuel efficient Atkinson cycle engine can deliver power directly to the wheels as well via a clutch system. But both have been completely reliable. I am not sure of the servicing costs because they have been covered by service plans.
Admittedly many/most hybrids don't have the same setup and usually power a conventional gearbox (usually a Continuously Variable Transmission), so the electric drive feel isn't there - though the Rav 4 is supposed to be a little more fuel efficient.
I regularly do 250 mile round trips and I just like the complete convenience of the local petrol station. But I could put a charger on my drive so am thinking about getting an MG4 as a second car for local (either the sensible SE or the bonkers Xpower)
But for me, Honda hybrids have been the best of both worlds
I’m trading my 6 month old Taycan Cross Turismo 4 in for a 5 month old Sport Turismo GTS.
Man maths came to play here but the depreciation of the ST is astonishing (which made it affordable). Price I’m paying is 41% less than the original retail price. I know there would have been discounts on it had it been sold but that is a crazy drop in 5 months. In comparison, mines gone down 21%. But. Man maths.
Hey, you don’t need man maths, just maths!
When I was looking recently at used Taycan’s on the Porsche website, I was struck by the potential huge variance in prices for apparently the same model depending on what options a given model has, it makes it really hard to gauge prices.
I would love one, not sure whether the stars will align one day, but every time I see one I want one. :-) I’ve had a few conversations with owners at Ionity charge stations, it’s done nothing to dissuade me. Maybe one day.
Enjoy yours anyway, the Sport Turismo is apparently the one to have.
Thanks Tooks. I've been hugely impressed with the car since getting it, very easy to get used to and currently getting approx 260 range as the weather has improved. I enjoy driving the car, makes me smile and love the looks. The p/ex I've been given is £16k more than the motorway quote which shows the car buying places don't want them (understandable). The Ionity service is great as makes it a pretty cheap car to run as well.
As soon as I started thinking about the GTS, I couldn't stop and this opportunity was too good to miss. The one I'm getting has a crazy list of pricey options. The odd thing is, I nearly placed a deposit on one on Thursday and that was only £2k cheaper despite having way less options. This one only appeared that day, and went for that, right timing. I'm also not keen on the face lift and feel this has made the current ones a good option. My mrs has had a proper go at me though haha.
Can highly recommend if you do go for one one day - a brilliant vehicle - hoping the new one is as good if not better.