Electric Car?

[ozleicester]

Hi folks, I know that you are a pretty long way ahead of Oz when it comes to electric cars.

Im looking at getting my first (Leaning toward and Atto 3) and just wondering if anyone has any tips, experiences and ideas about tEV's... issues, answers, things to watch for?

Cheers

[Trav Le Bleu]

Just now, ozleicester said:

Hi folks, I know that you are a pretty long way ahead of Oz when it comes to electric cars.

Im looking at getting my first (Leaning toward and Atto 3) and just wondering if anyone has any tips, experiences and ideas about tEV's... issues, answers, things to watch for?

Cheers

I would imagine the Oz experience will be completely different to the UK one.

 

Warmer weather should mean more range. However, much of the EV experience and ease-of-use will depend on how Oz is set up for charging and I'm thinking that there are greater distances between places there, but as a town runaround and if you've got a driveway/garage to charge it on, definitely the way to go if you can afford the initial outlay.

[Raj]

@tom27111 IS the Arthur Daly of Foxestalk!!

[Grebfromgrebland]

The sweet spot for range is about 200 miles real world.

[tom27111]

I'd highly recommend not buying a brand new one.

 

The depreciation is absolutely ridiculous. To the extent that I've had customers who are in 14k negative equity after 2 and a half years.

 

If you're looking brand new, lease one, don't do anything where you're liable for ownership, but be aware you're tied in to it for the whole term.

 

Look at stuff up to 2 years old if you're financing on a PCP/HP or buying cash. Then the majority of the depreciation has hit. There's really good value to be had on used EV's.

 

 

[ozleicester]

1 minute ago, tom27111 said:

I'd highly recommend not buying a brand new one.

 

The depreciation is absolutely ridiculous. To the extent that I've had customers who are in 14k negative equity after 2 and a half years.

 

If you're looking brand new, lease one, don't do anything where you're liable for ownership, but be aware you're tied in to it for the whole term.

 

Look at stuff up to 2 years old if you're financing on a PCP/HP or buying cash. Then the majority of the depreciation has hit. There's really good value to be had on used EV's.

 

 

Thanks, definitley not buying new (ever).

BYD have just announced their 2025 range which is going to be cheaper than their 24's lol.

Im assuming that will cause a big drop in the used market when they get here. Ill be paying cash...hoping itll give me some added power

[FoxesDeb]

39 minutes ago, ozleicester said:

Im assuming that will cause a big drop in the used market when they get here. Ill be paying cash...hoping itll give me some added power

Hopefully it works differently there from here, over here in Spain the best deals are for cars bought on finance as I believe that is where the dealers make their money, and cash buyers pay a higher price

[WigstonWanderer]

I’m in Perth and also considering electric, but I’m of the opinion that it might be premature here as yet. Firstly the tech is still evolving and this means huge depreciation if you buy new. Secondly, the Chinese are likely to launch into Australia big time over the next year or two. We no longer have a motor industry here now, so there is no need to protect the local industry with tariffs. Again, this is likely to add to depreciation as competition drives down prices.

 

Lastly, I’d like to include the tech that allows my car to act as a huge battery during peak periods to power my home when the sun isn’t shining in the early morning and evenings. It should be possible with sufficient rooftop solar power to virtually wipe out the home electricity usage charge leaving only the fixed charge. As far as I can tell this tech is only just starting to come in here.

I don’t think there’s very much of a second hand market here yet due to the last government dragging its feet on climate action and being generally hostile to EVs.

 

All of this means I think I’ll wait for a couple of years. Just my thoughts, but I don’t claim to be an expert.

[Zear0]

1 hour ago, ozleicester said:

Thanks, definitley not buying new (ever).

BYD have just announced their 2025 range which is going to be cheaper than their 24's lol.

Im assuming that will cause a big drop in the used market when they get here. Ill be paying cash...hoping itll give me some added power

I replaced my Kia Niro EV for the Seal-U and I've been very impressed. Suspiciously cheap, but zero issues so far. 

[MPH]

Try and hold out for a hydrogen car! India is just starting to tinker with that market. Might be a few years though,  their first model they hope to release can go more than 900 miles on a single tank. That will be a big tank.. hydrogen per mile is worse than petrol, I think..much better for the environment of course..

 

 

but seriously…. it will be quite a few years before a hydrogen car will be commercially viable for the mass market..

Edited 16 January by MPH

[Mike the Metal Ed]

What did everyone's wallboxes cost fitted?

[Lako42]

Best motoring decision I ever made getting an ev. 

 

Will never go back if I can help it. 

[Tommy G]

3 minutes ago, Lako42 said:

Best motoring decision I ever made getting an ev. 

 

Will never go back if I can help it. 

Same 

[Robo61]

1 hour ago, MPH said:

Try and hold out for a hydrogen car! India is just starting to tinker with that market. Might be a few years though,  their first model they hope to release can go more than 900 miles on a single tank. That will be a big tank.. hydrogen per mile is worse than petrol, I think..much better for the environment of course..

 

 

but seriously…. it will be quite a few years before a hydrogen car will be commercially viable for the mass market..

You'll be waiting a very ling time. Hydrogen cars have been around a very long time and very little real progress has been made. Challenges include: cost of production: very low efficiency: storeage and transportation: infrastructure costs & viability. Hydrogen will likely have a future for long haul transport such as shippong and flight, where low weight is crucial, but very has a low probability for private vehicles.

[Bellend Sebastian]

Isn't the promotion of hydrogen cars just another delaying tactic on the part of the fossil fuel industry to delay the transition to electric vehicles? Hydrogen may be an abundant element but it's not cheap to generate, store or transport. 

 

Great for extra dangerous ballooning though

 

Edit: apologies for tediously repeating pretty much the points made in literally the post above

Edited 16 January by Bellend Sebastian

[MPH]

Just for the Record, Norway in the next year or two is set to become the first country in the world that  will ONLY produces electric vehicles for private use. They are totally banning the production of ICE cars.

[Daggers]

6 hours ago, Raj said:

@tom27111 IS the Arthur Daly of Foxestalk!!

Who is the Terry McCann?

[kenny]

3 hours ago, Mike the Metal Ed said:

What did everyone's wallboxes cost fitted?

Unless you are doing 200 miles a day you don't need one. We haven't had a need as yet.

[tom27111]

56 minutes ago, Daggers said:

Who is the Terry McCann?

That's @Milo

 

He usually has my back when we team up against @Izzy for a round of golf.

 

[Robo61]

3 hours ago, Mike the Metal Ed said:

What did everyone's wallboxes cost fitted?

You will be lokoing at around £1k or more depending on how much cable is required between your meter & the location for your charger.

[09bballer]

4 hours ago, Mike the Metal Ed said:

What did everyone's wallboxes cost fitted?

Hi,

Mine was £1500 fitted including VAT and connection to solar panels. I feel like it was a slightly high price but was very happy with the service and after service help.

 

In terms of car I have a 2020 Kia E-Niro bought in December 2022 at around 2 years old. I've taken it to Scotland, 2 weeks in Ireland, Lens away game and a Belgian trip. I can get about 250 miles in Summer and a bit less in Winter, absolutely love it. My wife likes the app that brings it to 24 degrees before you get in on a cold winter morning!!

[Clogger_]

1 hour ago, kenny said:

Unless you are doing 200 miles a day you don't need one. We haven't had a need as yet.

To a point this may be true, but it's *much, much, much, much, much* better to have one if you want to take advantage of low-price overnight tarrifs. Also need to be honest with folks that our standard UK 3-pin sockets are really not designed to draw the current on a consistent basis that EVs require - be aware of safety concerns. It *can* be done, but it's not a wise choice.

 

Wall charger is a good investment for now and the future. You'll fit one at some point; might as well crack on.

 

If you're so inclined, I've heard it's one "home improvement" that actually adds to the value of your house!!!

Edited 16 January by Clogger_

[Clogger_]

4 hours ago, Tommy G said:

Same 

Me too

Edited 16 January by Clogger_

[Clogger_]

4 hours ago, Mike the Metal Ed said:

What did everyone's wallboxes cost fitted?

Just shy of £900 fitted. Believe a good box costs around £500. Cost of fitting will depend on your personal situation, e.g. whether your fuseboard can accommodate without modification.

[Clogger_]

5 hours ago, MPH said:

Try and hold out for a hydrogen car! India is just starting to tinker with that market. Might be a few years though,  their first model they hope to release can go more than 900 miles on a single tank. That will be a big tank.. hydrogen per mile is worse than petrol, I think..much better for the environment of course..

 

 

but seriously…. it will be quite a few years before a hydrogen car will be commercially viable for the mass market..

I think the OP would appreciate serious advice, not pie-in-the-sky stuff! I reckon you know better MPH - this is plain daft!

 

To be fair, there are clearly significant reasons to think carefully about making the switch to EVs. Environmental considerations are one: "dumping" older cars, environmental costs of manufacturing a new car etc. High initial cost is another. Key issue is whether home charging is viable - it's obviously going to work best if you've got a drive. But holding our for the next unicorn technology is either blindly following some petrol company-funded guff (e.g. Mail, Telegraph opinion pieces) or naive.

Edited 16 January by Clogger_