My parents ordered theirs in September, originally due delivery around now, but it's been pushed back to end of January. From their chatting with other owners in waiting, this seems to be common!
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Have electric vehicles been "oversold" to the detriment of public transport, walking and cycling?
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My parents ordered theirs in September, originally due delivery around now, but it's been pushed back to end of January. From their chatting with other owners in waiting, this seems to be common!
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reddragon
Established Member
I ordered my MG5 on 10 September, it arrived in the UK on 3rd November, delivery in 10 days.
The ZS is taking longer as they have just switched to a new version.
ID3 is 2 months for most models.
reddragon
Established Member
That's good to hear, clearly improved of late then!
My mum is currently in the market for an electric car (she's splashing out as a retirement present to herself and I persuaded her electric was the way to go) and I must admit the amount of choice in the either new or as close to new to make no difference (i.e. only a couple of thousands miles on the clock) for around the £28,000 mark with somewhere in the ballpark of a 250 mile quoted (so probably closer to 200 mile) range is quite impressive and almost making it impossible to decide! Test driven a Leaf (liked it), Zoe (fine but a bit compact) and an MG5 (current leading contender). Then I read this thread and I start second guessing about whether the MG5 is a good idea after all, whether it might be worth stretching the budget a bit more for an ID3 or maybe even an Ioniq 5 (she's buying outright so lease costs don't enter into it).
There's too much choice! Is this how people end up feeling when buying new fossil fuel powered cars? If so probably shows how mature the EV market is becoming
There's too much choice! Is this how people end up feeling when buying new fossil fuel powered cars? If so probably shows how mature the EV market is becoming
reddragon
Established Member
My mum is currently in the market for an electric car (she's splashing out as a retirement present to herself and I persuaded her electric was the way to go) and I must admit the amount of choice in the either new or as close to new to make no difference (i.e. only a couple of thousands miles on the clock) for around the £28,000 mark with somewhere in the ballpark of a 250 mile quoted (so probably closer to 200 mile) range is quite impressive and almost making it impossible to decide! Test driven a Leaf (liked it), Zoe (fine but a bit compact) and an MG5 (current leading contender). Then I read this thread and I start second guessing about whether the MG5 is a good idea after all, whether it might be worth stretching the budget a bit more for an ID3 or maybe even an Ioniq 5 (she's buying outright so lease costs don't enter into it).
There's too much choice! Is this how people end up feeling when buying new fossil fuel powered cars? If so probably shows how mature the EV market is becoming
This gives you a clue on what is available
EV Database
A comprehensive overview of all electric vehicles in the UK. Search and compare by range, make, model and price.ev-database.uk
Avoid - Nissan LEAF (old tech), cars based on a fossil car (Vauxhall, Mini, Peugeot, DS, Citroen, Mazda, some Audi), etc
Look at MG (cheap), Kia / Hyundai (best), VW group (ID, Cupra, Skoda), Mercedes, Polestar or Tesla (Model Y only) as they are based on EV architecture so well laid out / modern
Make sure she's happy with the touch controls on VWs
Winners for each group are: -
small = Zoe
medium Kia Niro
family - Skoda Enyak
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Just got back from a test drive. I found the buttons fine, quite liked them actually. Decent amount of room in the back too. Things I didn't like were the windscreen wipers optimised for left hand drive, and some of the software is still buggy but they seem to be sorting that out.
Also had a look at an ID4. Despite being a much bigger vehicle, it wasn't that much bigger inside and to all intents and purposes is an ID3 with a bigger boot and a much less aerodynamic body.
The VW dealer though. Utterly unimpressed. Literally couldn't be bothered to speak to me, disorganised, staff visibly arguing with each other. No follow up other than "how did you get on?". Prior to going I felt a little guilty that I had no intention of buying a vehicle from them, now my conscience is clear, because I wouldn't buy from them anyway!
Well I think it's fair to say the MG will depreciate faster than the VW! In fact a brand new ID3 will cost less than a second hand or ex-demo model with just a couple of thousand miles on the clock at the moment. Guess people don't want to wait for a new one.
I'm going to try an MG5 before deciding. Though if I go that route I might just buy it outright for not a lot of extra money per month and actually own something at the end of it. I wouldn't buy an ID3, but salary sacrifice means I can get a top of the range model for 4 years for something daft like £210/month net. By that time there should be plenty of choice on the used market.[/QUOTE]
reddragon
Established Member
MGs are 0% finance!
You should look at Kia Niro / EV6 and the Hyundai IONIQ5, plus maybe the Skoda Enyaq too. They are very good
Looked at this recently.
A new basic Enyaq is £435 a month
A new basic Kamiq is £250 a month
The £2250 a year difference will buy me 1500 litres at £1.50 a litre, and get me 15,000 miles a year.
I do about 9,000 miles a year, which is about average. The price isn't there yet, even if electric was free. If I did a daily commute then sure, electric would be better, but not commuting at all is better than electric, or the diesel powered bus that runs through the village 6 times a day.
Can't do without a car - while the kids get the school bus, and I don't commute, it doesn't help with things like going to cubs (not walking a 9 year old back down narrow dark country lanes for 2 miles in the rain on a wednesday evening at 9pm, and that's nothing to do with traffic - there's rarely any tractors out at that time).
I've worked from home for a decade, but do travel to various places (most recently Brighton, Bristol, Manchester and Kings Lynn). I simply hire a car, Enterprise drop it off and I drive where I'm going. My last trip to Kings Lynn I looked at the train, I might even have been happy with the 5h trip instead of 3h30, but as I was going to a location 6 miles out of kings lynn not having a car would be a problem.
Even going to our head office in west London, it's cheaper and faster to drive than to get the train. Taxis are unreliable in the morning, (and costs £50 return anyway), parking at the station is shockingly expensive (£25 for two days), and then there's the cost of the train itself.
By car it's about £50 to hire the car for 2 days, including dropoff and pickup, and another £50 petrol, and £20 for parking at the hotel overnight. Leaving at 7am means I get to the office before 11am, leaving at 4pm means I'm home before 8pm.
By train, getting to the office means
- 0723 bus (first of the day - £4)
- 0844 train (£150)
- Tube at 1035 (£3)
- walk
- Arrive about 1130
Back means
- Leave at 1515, walk to tube station
- 1530 tube (£3)
- 1620 train (£150)
- 1816 bus (Last of the day - £4)
- Home at 1900
Petrol prices will have to increase a hell of a lot to make that £310 return economical, but even then the flexibility isn't there -- if I have to leave at 5pm it means getting home at 9pm by car, it means another night in a hotel by train.
reddragon
Established Member
The MG5 does much of what the Skoda does, plus a few extras and is £310 pcm, much closer!
Ioniq5 is a nice looking car, as is the EV6 although both are rather expensive on leases (which is the way I'm going for the tax benefits). The Skoda is OK and looks attractive at first sight, but by the time you've added various options which come as standard on the other vehicles it's actually very expensive.
The main problem I have is convincing Mrs Trebor who thinks I'm having some mid life crisis and doesn't understand the desire to replace either my 208 with 90,000 miles on the clock and an engine management light that won't stay extinguished for more than about 20 minutes every time the local garage clears the logged fault for me, or her battered Scenic which costs 20p/mile in fuel alone, is slowly dropping to pieces and is due another expensive cam belt change next year.
The ID3 on a salary sacrifice lease just about pays for itself in reduced fuel costs, if I charge overnight at 5p/kwh which she doesn't believe. I started to run through it with her and then I got the predictable "How much you've put so much thought and effort into this when you haven't done a, b and c DIY jobs, etc etc etc?"
reddragon
Established Member
sharing your pain there, mate.
(Also, I have found VW dealerships to be useless, too. However you can get the Id3 new via a non dealer route).
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I wouldn't mind, but I earn enough that meant she could decide to take a career break to look after our youngest for a few years when he was born, and decide whether she wants to go back to teaching or try her hand at something else.
But she always frets about money. She thinks I'm irresponsible because I'll use 0% finance if it's available (why not!). I haven't even told her about the £15k loan I took out a few years ago to finish our house refurbishment, that's nearly paid off now!
Thank you
I had been leaning away from the Leaf on the basis that whilst it being one of the first to the mass market means it's got a proven lineage it was also one of the first to the mass market so is behind the times! Might suggest checking out a few of those others as well. As for modern or touch screen controls she's been fine on the test drives we've been on but then I've been there to poke and prod at any of them to see what they do but I feel there will be some time spent in my future getting her used to them once it's her car
reddragon
Established Member
The key issue with the LEAF is it lacks battery management systems so the battery overheats on long trips and loses capacity twice as fast as any other car. The Zoe and even the Nissan van with the same batteries have been updated with battery management and have no such issues.Thank you
I had been leaning away from the Leaf on the basis that whilst it being one of the first to the mass market means it's got a proven lineage it was also one of the first to the mass market so is behind the times! Might suggest checking out a few of those others as well. As for modern or touch screen controls she's been fine on the test drives we've been on but then I've been there to poke and prod at any of them to see what they do but I feel there will be some time spent in my future getting her used to them once it's her car
DustyBin
Established Member
I keep looking the Mach-E and thinking could I live with it being a crossover. But no I just couldn't. Plus surely at some point they'll drop the drivetrain from the GT model into the Focus and stick an RS badge on it.... Won't they? 
I keep looking the Mach-E and thinking could I live with it being a crossover. But no I just couldn't. Plus surely at some point they'll drop the drivetrain from the GT model into the Focus and stick an RS badge on it.... Won't they?
There’s a guy near me who has one... and it’s just not right having that badge on!
reddragon
Established Member
I found the Mach-E to be the best laid out most user friendly EV I've seen, so it's a pity that it's such a mess underneath making it a potential nightmare to maintain as it ages. 40 hoses & 100 components on a HVAC system whereas Tesla have 1 component and no rubber hoses!
DustyBin
Established Member
You may have noticed I only ever call it the Mach-E because it definitely isn’t a Mustang!
Looks nice, doesn't seem to be available yet.
I'm about to hit the button on an ID3, the 77kwh version (which seems to be being discontinued, but the leasing company have some on pre order). I was pretty blown away with the test drive (notwithstanding the awful dealer experience), and £340 a month before the income tax avoidance by doing it through my employer seems good value. It'll almost pay for itself in fuel savings.
johncrossley
Established Member
Does anyone here charge their electric car exclusively at charging stations? That is, never at home or work?
reddragon
Established Member
The only issue with the 77kw is that it is only a 4 seater with no middle seat in the back due to the bigger battery. That stopped it selling.
They are a rare breed!
If you want to do it, you need to check out charging availability in your area and cost.
London where you are from has plenty in most boroughs. Tesco Pod points are free as are many other supermarket 7kw chargers. In the Multi-Storey car parks in Reading there are rows of free chargers and cheap overnight parking making it cheaper than a rapid.
Use https://www.zap-map.com and get a feel. You will need available free 7kw chargers or Ubertricity lamp post charging plus some cheaper rapids. Lidl are 24p/kw. If you have limited free charging or costly rapids you may find it difficult.
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Oh. I didn't know that! That might be an issue...
What's where the middle seat would be? A big lump, permanent armrest?
reddragon
Established Member
DustyBin
Established Member
It’s a bit of a pain at times. A few years ago I had a MK2 Focus ST-3, the “3” spec was only a four seater and it was easy to forget when offering lifts to people etc.
I think it'll be ok. I'd rather have the longer range than a middle seat to squish someone into once in a blue moon. I'll be using it a lot for work driving to very rural locations so range to get there and back and charge at home minimising expensive public charging will be worth it.
Best bit is I mentioned it to the wife and she said "well why would that be a problem?" rather than "FFS you're not still on about buying a new car!"
Best bit is I mentioned it to the wife and she said "well why would that be a problem?" rather than "FFS you're not still on about buying a new car!"
reddragon
Established Member
Just wait until she's in it or worse still driving it, it'll be hers then or when are you getting me an EV!I think it'll be ok. I'd rather have the longer range than a middle seat to squish someone into once in a blue moon. I'll be using it a lot for work driving to very rural locations so range to get there and back and charge at home minimising expensive public charging will be worth it.
Best bit is I mentioned it to the wife and she said "well why would that be a problem?" rather than "FFS you're not still on about buying a new car!"
Haha. She thinks her 1.6 petrol scenic (a dinosaur even when it was made, we couldn't work out why the 1.6 was cheaper than 1.4) is "powerful" and likes having to change gears.
I think she thinks an electric car is like driving an automatic. I much prefer manual over automatic too, but EV is nothing like an automatic, IMV.
I'm sure she will be converted the first time she floors it and feels her eyelids being peeled back!
TBH I'd happily have 2 EVs. I think if I was buying I'd go for the MG5, decent range, decent spec and cheap. Only reason I'm leaning towards the ID3 now is because they cost the same to lease - I guess due to much higher residual value on the ID3.
reddragon
Established Member
I'm getting an MG5 with my own money, but when finally we have a company lease scheme the ID3 58kw looks good, though the Cupra version is interesting too for her.
She keeps telling me that her car is fine and will last years, it is 18.5 years old but she drive under 2k a year. However, I do get "why do you need a new car", "oh another repair bill", "it's a pain having to go & get petrol". As I drive hers too, my annual driving is hers for 8ish years
If she changes jobs, it'll be a new EV for her though for reliability & running costs.
Anyone thinking of their new car must watch this:-
China is coming!
She keeps telling me that her car is fine and will last years, it is 18.5 years old but she drive under 2k a year. However, I do get "why do you need a new car", "oh another repair bill", "it's a pain having to go & get petrol". As I drive hers too, my annual driving is hers for 8ish years
If she changes jobs, it'll be a new EV for her though for reliability & running costs.
Anyone thinking of their new car must watch this:-
China is coming!
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