Agreed, and all other things being equal I would choose a small MPV over a small SUV on practicality. The major snag with that is there are far less small MPVs on the market, as an example our current car is a Kia Niro, a manufacturer who no longer offer a small MPV since they discontinued production of the Venga a few years ago. At the time we bought it, the other car on the shortlist was the Honda HR-V, another manufacturer who don't produce a small MPV.
I was addressing @gg1's comment about needing a higher vehicle for a person with mobility problems. Much of the excess height, width and expense is there to make SUVs look like off-road vehicles that customers expect them to.
I suppose you are a victim of car purchasers' ever changing taste, and to a degree their being taken in by manufacturers' aspirational marketing. In a way, the shape of small MPVs is wel lsuited to EVs as the raised floor level provides a perfect location for batteries where it benefits the CofG. Also, the opportunity to have a short bonnet, (often a problem for IC engine packaging), perfectly suits an electric motor and drive train.
The only significant difference between modern MPVs and SUVs (excluding true off roaders) is the body shell, sacrificing a little of the interior space (mainly in the form of boot space - hence my preference for MPVs) of an MPV for an SUV styled body. There's no real difference to the dimensions, weight or price between them.
The percentage of parked time isn’t all that relevant if they are all used at roughly the same time - eg all the cars in office car parks (which, unless they are self driving, will be in the wrong place for other people to use anyway)
I guess my road probably isn’t typical. Partly Victorian terraces and partly random fill ins, so it’s mixed whether they have front gardens big enough for a car. Not that bothers a particular group that really wind me up - those who have a small front yard and then buy a car that is too long and overhangs the pavement, should be a parking ticket every day til they sell it…..
So residents would have to go out in the small hours and move their car when it’s fully charged?
Not necessarily, but if there was persistent parking by public chargers after the vehicle was charged thereby blocking them for other residents, a system to dissuade that behaviour would be there to bring into use. That would be important in areas where it isn't practical to provide more facilities. So many car owners regard the road space in front of their home as their private parking space and at last there would be a deterrent to restrict it at least.
The low bridges don't seem to stop some of them!
Tempting but the range is a smidge too low for me I think. I do have reasonably regular requirements to do about 200 miles a day in very rural areas with no convenient fast charging facilities (yet).
The increased range though has largely been achieved by having bigger and heavier batteries. My first Nissan Leaf (company supplied) had a 30kw battery totally hopeless the last 40kw slightly less totally hopeless. I think there is a64 Kw option now.
Maybe. Lots of pull in the opposite direction though. "I don't know dear, maybe we should wait a few months and see how things are, we won't have so much spare money once our elec/gas tariff ends and it gets more expensive..."
So basically petrol prices haven't gone up for 10 years.
It depends what impression you want to give. You could just as accurately say that petrol prices have risen 38% over the last 30 years.
I do not agree.
From Santander, 8 hours with stops or 6 hours non-stop pushing very hard at night.
Or you could tow a trailer carrying a motor generator set and charge whilst moving.
I did that once. The motorways there are deserted, fast and straight. Not something I liked.
