Are EVs the way forward?

[DaveD]

If EV's depreciate as quick as you say, and I acknowledge currently they dip quicker than ICE, a £12999 Dacia Spring will be around £6k in a couple of years. This should tempt the punters who would otherwise buy 10 year old ICE

"Sounds tempting. But to keep the price low, the ingredients that have gone into the Spring are more Iceland than Waitrose. We’re talking about a car with just four seats, steel (rather than alloy) wheels, a tiny 26.8kWh battery, an official range of just 140 miles, a motor with a maximum power output of 64bhp and a maximum charging rate of 30kW."

The lower priced version has a 0-60 time of 19 seconds. I don't want to drive fast but I don't want to be overtaken by HGV's at the lights.

It's a very "budget" car, not really a fair comparison with a second hand £13,000 ICE car.

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You can get a ULEZ compliant Euro 6 petrol Mazda with less than 5,000 miles on it, for the same money;

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As good as most EV's are for many people, around 80% of NEW car buyers last year still chose NOT to buy an EV.

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[Sackmycook]

It's a City car really so I wouldn't anticipate many HGV overtakes on the Old Kent Road......
I could have bought one outright with the depreciation on my BMW i3s over the last 2 years. But I dont regret buying when I did. Its been real fun, ultra reliable and cheap to run. I won't pay RFL til April 2026 either.

 

[Sasquatch]

Been out to check on the Volvo in the carcoon today. March is almost upon us so I'll soon be prepping it with a view to getting it on the road in April.

I'm looking forward to it, a few seaside runs, a couple more concours showing and hopefully some more trophies to add to the pile, but it's still inferior in every tangible regard to our BYD Seal.

Despite a map, big injectors, Nissens intercooler, reverse intercooler plumbing and a trick fuel pressure regulator, it is still slower than the BYD. Not only that, it's less comfortable, fearsomely expensive in every respect to run, hideously polluting.

I love it to pieces and will never sell it - I've had it from new 45,000 miles and 20 years ago - but no matter how nice the 5 cylinder warble sounds, or how punchy the midrange when the turbo spools up, there is simply no denying it's a significantly inferior vehicle from a previous era. To suggest otherwise is a Flat Earther level of ridiculousness. Its hilarious that people who dont even own one somehow think it's "better". I adore it, but I'm not blind.

 

[M4rc]

If EV's depreciate as quick as you say, and I acknowledge currently they dip quicker than ICE, a £12999 Dacia Spring will be around £6k in a couple of years. This should tempt the punters who would otherwise buy 10 year old ICE

Possibly, someone wanting an EV would certainly be better being used at such reduced cost.
For me, the long term future is uncertain for EV’s if there is no benefit to go in electric as initially promised I can’t see people buying into it.
Another downside, the mileage reduces massively in winter months. I find if I’m driving to various places throughout the day I need to plan out the journey to ensure I have enough charge. on some occasions. I’m end up taking my van instead which is an ideal..
It’s also a questionable how long the battery will last. mine at two year-old doesn’t seem to hold as much charge as it did from New which I suppose is to be expected.
The cost of replacing a battery would be more than a car is worth in six or seven years time I believe it’s around 18k for a replacement.

 

[B.different]

Been out to check on the Volvo in the carcoon today. March is almost upon us so I'll soon be prepping it with a view to getting it on the road in April.

I'm looking forward to it, a few seaside runs, a couple more concours showing and hopefully some more trophies to add to the pile, but it's still inferior in every tangible regard to our BYD Seal.

Despite a map, big injectors, Nissens intercooler, reverse intercooler plumbing and a trick fuel pressure regulator, it is still slower than the BYD. Not only that, it's less comfortable, fearsomely expensive in every respect to run, hideously polluting.

I love it to pieces and will never sell it - I've had it from new 45,000 miles and 20 years ago - but no matter how nice the 5 cylinder warble sounds, or how punchy the midrange when the turbo spools up, there is simply no denying it's a significantly inferior vehicle from a previous era. To suggest otherwise is a Flat Earther level of ridiculousness. Its hilarious that people who dont even own one somehow think it's "better". I adore it, but I'm not blind.

How do you find the byd seal? I've repaired a couple and been quite impressed with spec and build quality but never driven one. It's a lot of car for not much money.

 

[Ali-G]

I'm in my early sixties now, so hopefully I'll never have to own an electric car.

 

[Sackmycook]

I'm in my early sixties now, so hopefully I'll have to own an electric scooter

Corrected that for you matey (ps I'm 60 this year)

 

[Sasquatch]

I'm 60 this week and we're on our 4th.

Mind you, I'm not one of these lazy ass sorts that drives a quarter mile to the shops. I want to stay as fit as possible for as long as possible, so if I can walk or use my bicycle I do.

 

[Sackmycook]

4th scooter?

 

[DaveD]

I'm 60 this week and we're on our 4th.

Mind you, I'm not one of these lazy ass sorts that drives a quarter mile to the shops. I want to stay as fit as possible for as long as possible, so if I can walk or use my bicycle I do.

I can't see any link between those who like / don't like EV's and laziness.

 

[Sasquatch]

I can't see any link between those who like / don't like EV's and laziness.

Probably because I wasn't suggesting it.

 

[Stay Frosty]

Probably because I wasn't suggesting it.

Just letting you know we're ready if you do.
Anyway if we're at a point yet where EV depreciation has knocked seven bells out of the value of a Cupra Born V3 with the 77 kWh battery and twenty odd thousand miles or less then I'm prepared to do a straight swap for my 68 plate Vauxhall Astra 1.6 petrol turbo Elite, yep that's the one, full leather heated everything and Satnav but no reversing sensors or camera.
Two hundred hp, lightweight and nimble so great for surprising the odd Evoque driver and with EV take up being apparently so poor can only be worth twice as much in five years time if it hasn't exploded.

 

[drinfinity]

I’m now idly browsing VW eUp! after all this talk of depreciation, particularly as the ID1 isn’t here till 2027, and I’m not sure the SantaFe will make it that long. Half the price of new, easily fits in the yard, has a VW badge, and it’s called eh up!

 

[Salty Spuds]

I was only saying to Mrs Spuds t'other day that we seem to have lost the art of a reasoned grown up debate, without resorting to bitching & name calling a'la keyboard warrior stylee. So 36 pages in and we're still behaving like grown ups. Ok there has been a bit of tetchiness along the way, but generally it's been civil & good humoured. It must be a testament to the residents of this parish, keep it up

 

[DaveD]

I was only saying to Mrs Spuds t'other day that we seem to have lost the art of a reasoned grown up debate, without resorting to bitching & name calling a'la keyboard warrior stylee. So 36 pages in and we're still behaving like grown ups. Ok there has been a bit of tetchiness along the way, but generally it's been civil & good humoured. It must be a testament to the residents of this parish, keep it up

Agreed, I wonder if the title of the thread had been "are EV's the way forward for you?" it might have been a much shorter thread, because each of us as a road user has unique circumstances, nobody would be daft enough to think that their view should be universally adopted.

 

[Sackmycook]

Although it might have been better in 'The Pub' section.....

 

[Bav]

Although it might have been better in 'The Pub' section.....

Easily resolved if there's consensus on that.

 

[Sackmycook]

Make a decision man !!

 

[Stay Frosty]

Consensus?
We can't even agree on whether an EV really is the way forward.

 

[Sasquatch]

No one needs to agree. It's being done unto people come 2030 whether anyone likes it or not, or whether they will even admit it. Agreeing or not will make zero difference to that. It's the way forward because the government says so, and that's that.

Some of us have made the transition. Some haven't for good reason, and some for the most fanciful of excuses.

The bottom line is that almost 98% of drivers that make the switch remain with electric when it's time for their next car. That a cold, hard stat - not only does it work for 98% of drivers, but it works so well they won't go back.