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Electric Cars
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Where I live I do not have a driveway or a garage, and the lampost is 8 doors away, the council have just replaced these, and on some roads there are only lampost's on one side of the road, one thing I have noticed since moving down here is the amount of cars at weekends parked on side roads, it is getting hard to park near your house a bit like it is in fashionable parts of Fulham was 20 odd years ago. So although I would be up for an electric car as a second car, the cost and practicality do not add up at present. I have recently obtained a petrol merc SUV on contract, and as we may well be moving back to the North Kent \South east area we shall see how it goes. I sold the bmw, diesel in December, as quite a few dealers in South East London were not interested in even bidding me for the car which was 1 owner from new, 70,000 miles, and in pretty good condition, albeit a 2011 car. I was told that the ULEZ, coming in October 2021 had depressed the market, but maybe they just did not fancy the car.
Pity about Electric cars, until the Goverment put there hands in there pocket, it is going to take decades to be practical for most of us.2 -
Minor whiplash but hasn’t driven since and will never get in a Tesla again, let alone with three kids. She can’t think about selling it to anyone else.PragueAddick said:
Good grief. Hope she’s OK, and doesnt develop a phobia against driving the thing. I would. My Fiat 128 tried to kill me by jamming the accelerator open at 70 mph on the Kingston by-pass back in 1979, and to this day I am still wary about cruise control.Dippenhall said:Problems with Tesla.
My daughter has a Tesla and it was set up to be controlled with Smartphone so didn't have the electronic card with her. Parked in underground car park and when she returned had no WiFi signal to get into the car. Expensive 400 mile round trip to get home and return with the card.
But worse was to come, last week she was parked in a car park and as she put it into auto it up it took off at full speed, brakes didn't function and knocked an Astra into the next parking bay. Reversed back and as she put it back into drive it did the same again. Many other similar episodes reported but Tesla denying any problem but now with the lawyers. She couldn't understand what was happening, checked where her feet were when she cameo a halt and her foot was still hard on the brake pedal. I assume Tesla has digital fly by wire controls for accelerator and brake as it just couldn't otherwise happen.0 -
Jeez, were they in the car with her?Dippenhall said:
Minor whiplash but hasn’t driven since and will never get in a Tesla again, let alone with three kids. She can’t think about selling it to anyone else.PragueAddick said:
Good grief. Hope she’s OK, and doesnt develop a phobia against driving the thing. I would. My Fiat 128 tried to kill me by jamming the accelerator open at 70 mph on the Kingston by-pass back in 1979, and to this day I am still wary about cruise control.Dippenhall said:Problems with Tesla.
My daughter has a Tesla and it was set up to be controlled with Smartphone so didn't have the electronic card with her. Parked in underground car park and when she returned had no WiFi signal to get into the car. Expensive 400 mile round trip to get home and return with the card.
But worse was to come, last week she was parked in a car park and as she put it into auto it up it took off at full speed, brakes didn't function and knocked an Astra into the next parking bay. Reversed back and as she put it back into drive it did the same again. Many other similar episodes reported but Tesla denying any problem but now with the lawyers. She couldn't understand what was happening, checked where her feet were when she cameo a halt and her foot was still hard on the brake pedal. I assume Tesla has digital fly by wire controls for accelerator and brake as it just couldn't otherwise happen.
I guess if you have gone to lawyers it's not appropriate to talk to the media, but if there have been other cases like this, in the UK, this ought to have a higher public profile.0 -
Thankfully on her own.
This US headline dated 17 JanuaryNHTSA Reviewing Tesla Sudden Unintended Acceleration Claims
A petition alleges a safety defect in all Tesla models sold since 2012, covering about 500,000 vehicles
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A 500,000 vehicle recall would do untold damage to their business.
Possibly finish it (I don't know Tesla's financials).0 -
Depends if Tesla can do it with an over the air software update0
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The parking space for my car is not near my house so it is not possible to charge an electric car. Bought a low mileage Toyota Yaris hybrid (Petrol) instead. The deal included three years servicing which means the batteries are monitored and swapped if necessary.
The latest electric buses make use of inverters instead of batteries.0 -
They have schemes like this in SE Asia where many people ride mopeds. Pay a monthly subscription and you're able to swap out the batteries at the battery station and be on your way in seconds.MrWalker said:Why don't all manufacturers use the same size battery?
Pull in to service station and swap batteries. Simple.
I have a sneaky feeling hydrogen fuel cell technology might be the better bet in the long run, which would require lesser infrastructure investment than covering the country in millions of charging points.1 -
The hydrogen fuelling stations are currently rarer than hens teeth.
Think that you can currently only lease a hydrogen fuel cell car.
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Have a look at the Go Ultra Low website.PragueAddick said:I guess this thread is as good a place as anywhere to ask the question...can anyone point me to a webpage which has a comprehensive list of all new cars available, to help me choose my next one? What was the old print book that did that , Glass’s guide or something. 7 years ago What Car had a decent search page where you whacked in your criteria and it came up with matches. That,s how I chose a car I had never previously heard of. But they seem not to have that any more. Really surprises me. Any suggestions?1 - Sponsored links:
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As soon as Tesla stop making cars the better. Leave it the Germans and Japanese and concentrate on battery technology - they will not be able to compete with the experienced and established car manufacturers anyway once they get their act together, and Musk has all but admitted that in the past.Dippenhall said:Thankfully on her own.
This US headline dated 17 JanuaryNHTSA Reviewing Tesla Sudden Unintended Acceleration Claims
A petition alleges a safety defect in all Tesla models sold since 2012, covering about 500,000 vehicles
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I’ve put an order in earlier this month on my first electric car. First new car I’ve ever bought, more money than I’ve ever spent on a car. With a range of 250+ I can easily do my 80mile round trip commute and should do London to Manchester. Any further I figure I’d want a break anyway and have been using ZapMap to explore the ever growing charging network. Some of the charging providers look a bit fiddly/ not reliable, but have heard good things about the rapid chargers with contactless. Regardless, I’ll hardly ever need to use one as I’ll plug in on my driveway every other night. Should save ~£1500 a year on fuel, and residual value I expect to be higher than other fuelled car. Not a huge supporter of so called hybrids that charge using the diesel/petrol you put in them. May help air quality in urban areas where traffic is slow, but at any speed there’s not much benefit I can see. Seems like 2 things to go wrong rather than 1. Anyway the wait is huge on the car I’ve ordered so I expect it to be here just before Christmas.2
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What did you go for?Northern_Monkey said:I’ve put an order in earlier this month on my first electric car. First new car I’ve ever bought, more money than I’ve ever spent on a car. With a range of 250+ I can easily do my 80mile round trip commute and should do London to Manchester. Any further I figure I’d want a break anyway and have been using ZapMap to explore the ever growing charging network. Some of the charging providers look a bit fiddly/ not reliable, but have heard good things about the rapid chargers with contactless. Regardless, I’ll hardly ever need to use one as I’ll plug in on my driveway every other night. Should save ~£1500 a year on fuel, and residual value I expect to be higher than other fuelled car. Not a huge supporter of so called hybrids that charge using the diesel/petrol you put in them. May help air quality in urban areas where traffic is slow, but at any speed there’s not much benefit I can see. Seems like 2 things to go wrong rather than 1. Anyway the wait is huge on the car I’ve ordered so I expect it to be here just before Christmas.1 -
Kia E-Niro (2020 version)Rob7Lee said:
What did you go for?Northern_Monkey said:I’ve put an order in earlier this month on my first electric car. First new car I’ve ever bought, more money than I’ve ever spent on a car. With a range of 250+ I can easily do my 80mile round trip commute and should do London to Manchester. Any further I figure I’d want a break anyway and have been using ZapMap to explore the ever growing charging network. Some of the charging providers look a bit fiddly/ not reliable, but have heard good things about the rapid chargers with contactless. Regardless, I’ll hardly ever need to use one as I’ll plug in on my driveway every other night. Should save ~£1500 a year on fuel, and residual value I expect to be higher than other fuelled car. Not a huge supporter of so called hybrids that charge using the diesel/petrol you put in them. May help air quality in urban areas where traffic is slow, but at any speed there’s not much benefit I can see. Seems like 2 things to go wrong rather than 1. Anyway the wait is huge on the car I’ve ordered so I expect it to be here just before Christmas.0 -
Nice, and to think Kia's used to be cheap!0
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Which is daft. Hydrogen is so clearly the way to go if environmental concerns are why switching from carbon fuels is the aim.Addickted said:The hydrogen fuelling stations are currently rarer than hens teeth.
Think that you can currently only lease a hydrogen fuel cell car.
It reminds me of the way that money decided Betamax should die rather than what is best.0 -
Yep. I think Kia have done a good job and have a good set of cars coming along in the pipeline from all accounts. Some of the other manufacturers are probably struggling to swap from building combustion engines to electric and think some are trying to play pr games to slow the change down to make it easier. I heard the other day that one of the Nissan bosses said women struggle using chargers as the cables were heavy 😲 so self charging Evs should be the focus at the moment. https://www.google.com/amp/s/futurism.com/nissan-ev-charging-hard-women/amp1
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Batteries are not a straightforward answer by any means. They full of horrendously toxic chemicals that have to be disposed/recycled somehow, and some of the raw materials are not exactly abundant and are buried under some of the world's not so pleasant countries.iainment said:
Which is daft. Hydrogen is so clearly the way to go if environmental concerns are why switching from carbon fuels is the aim.Addickted said:The hydrogen fuelling stations are currently rarer than hens teeth.
Think that you can currently only lease a hydrogen fuel cell car.
It reminds me of the way that money decided Betamax should die rather than what is best.
I'm not saying there aren't logistical challenges for hydrogen, keeping it at -40C and transporting it for example, but the raw material for hydrogen is water, non-toxic and easy to find. Hydroelectric power stations could make hydrogen dirt cheap using overnight off peak power at little environmental cost.
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Ah, unfortunately it didn't help me as I want another hybrid, not a full electric.Fortune 82nd Minute said:
Have a look at the Go Ultra Low website.PragueAddick said:I guess this thread is as good a place as anywhere to ask the question...can anyone point me to a webpage which has a comprehensive list of all new cars available, to help me choose my next one? What was the old print book that did that , Glass’s guide or something. 7 years ago What Car had a decent search page where you whacked in your criteria and it came up with matches. That,s how I chose a car I had never previously heard of. But they seem not to have that any more. Really surprises me. Any suggestions?
I'm really surprised that apparently no web site offers a comprehensive guide to cars on the UK market. The Parkers one that @Rob7Lee mentioned, is hopeless, cars that I know exist and might meet my criteria, such as the new Merc A class hybrid, were not there. Sometimes the digital world is not as good as the old analogue one.
Well since I'm not in the UK anyway I'm going to try the German market, hopefully I use the right search words in German..0 -
PragueAddick said:
Ah, unfortunately it didn't help me as I want another hybrid, not a full electric.Fortune 82nd Minute said:
Have a look at the Go Ultra Low website.PragueAddick said:I guess this thread is as good a place as anywhere to ask the question...can anyone point me to a webpage which has a comprehensive list of all new cars available, to help me choose my next one? What was the old print book that did that , Glass’s guide or something. 7 years ago What Car had a decent search page where you whacked in your criteria and it came up with matches. That,s how I chose a car I had never previously heard of. But they seem not to have that any more. Really surprises me. Any suggestions?
I'm really surprised that apparently no web site offers a comprehensive guide to cars on the UK market. The Parkers one that @Rob7Lee mentioned, is hopeless, cars that I know exist and might meet my criteria, such as the new Merc A class hybrid, were not there. Sometimes the digital world is not as good as the old analogue one.
Well since I'm not in the UK anyway I'm going to try the German market, hopefully I use the right search words in German..Pretty much every car manufacturer is now offering hybrids - might be best to check the company websites for initial information/spec etc...For reviews, What Car is still pretty good and I would also recommend www.carwow.co.uk0 - Sponsored links:
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Saw a video where they took the top 6 most popular electric vehicles and ran them round the M25 to see how long they lasted in comparison to their advertised figures.Northern_Monkey said:
Kia E-Niro (2020 version)Rob7Lee said:
What did you go for?Northern_Monkey said:I’ve put an order in earlier this month on my first electric car. First new car I’ve ever bought, more money than I’ve ever spent on a car. With a range of 250+ I can easily do my 80mile round trip commute and should do London to Manchester. Any further I figure I’d want a break anyway and have been using ZapMap to explore the ever growing charging network. Some of the charging providers look a bit fiddly/ not reliable, but have heard good things about the rapid chargers with contactless. Regardless, I’ll hardly ever need to use one as I’ll plug in on my driveway every other night. Should save ~£1500 a year on fuel, and residual value I expect to be higher than other fuelled car. Not a huge supporter of so called hybrids that charge using the diesel/petrol you put in them. May help air quality in urban areas where traffic is slow, but at any speed there’s not much benefit I can see. Seems like 2 things to go wrong rather than 1. Anyway the wait is huge on the car I’ve ordered so I expect it to be here just before Christmas.
The E-Niro did superbly - managed something like 91% of its advertised range. Some of the mercedes ones were barely hitting 70%!2 -
These might help?PragueAddick said:
Ah, unfortunately it didn't help me as I want another hybrid, not a full electric.Fortune 82nd Minute said:
Have a look at the Go Ultra Low website.PragueAddick said:I guess this thread is as good a place as anywhere to ask the question...can anyone point me to a webpage which has a comprehensive list of all new cars available, to help me choose my next one? What was the old print book that did that , Glass’s guide or something. 7 years ago What Car had a decent search page where you whacked in your criteria and it came up with matches. That,s how I chose a car I had never previously heard of. But they seem not to have that any more. Really surprises me. Any suggestions?
I'm really surprised that apparently no web site offers a comprehensive guide to cars on the UK market. The Parkers one that @Rob7Lee mentioned, is hopeless, cars that I know exist and might meet my criteria, such as the new Merc A class hybrid, were not there. Sometimes the digital world is not as good as the old analogue one.
Well since I'm not in the UK anyway I'm going to try the German market, hopefully I use the right search words in German..https://www.greencarguide.co.uk https://ev-database.uk https://www.drive-electric.co.uk https://evexperiencecentre.co.uk https://www.evezy.co.uk
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I've never considered an electric vehicle, particularly a motorcycle as they all look ghastly and obviously electric.PragueAddick said:
Ah, unfortunately it didn't help me as I want another hybrid, not a full electric.Fortune 82nd Minute said:
Have a look at the Go Ultra Low website.PragueAddick said:I guess this thread is as good a place as anywhere to ask the question...can anyone point me to a webpage which has a comprehensive list of all new cars available, to help me choose my next one? What was the old print book that did that , Glass’s guide or something. 7 years ago What Car had a decent search page where you whacked in your criteria and it came up with matches. That,s how I chose a car I had never previously heard of. But they seem not to have that any more. Really surprises me. Any suggestions?
I'm really surprised that apparently no web site offers a comprehensive guide to cars on the UK market. The Parkers one that @Rob7Lee mentioned, is hopeless, cars that I know exist and might meet my criteria, such as the new Merc A class hybrid, were not there. Sometimes the digital world is not as good as the old analogue one.
Well since I'm not in the UK anyway I'm going to try the German market, hopefully I use the right search words in German..
I've never driven an electric car unless you count a Twizzy? When I bought a new car in 2015, we looked at the complete range of Toyota Yaris and test drove them all.
We live in a very rural area with as good as no bus service and an hour from a main line railway station. The petrol engine was gutless, no good for the hills, the hybrid was awful and sounded as though the clutch was constantly slipping with its cv transmission. The diesel had excellent torque and around 60mpg real world consumption. The shit hit the fan as far as diesels are concerned about a week after we took delivery.
Now after nearly 100,000 miles, it has so far proved an excellent buy. I guess that we will try and hold on to it and hope that the direction of vehicle technology becomes more obvious before I next take the plunge.
Anyway, reliability was an important consideration when deciding on the Yaris and I used research from this lot:
https://europe.jdpower.com/press-releases/2019-uk-vehicle-dependability-study
It may not be the answer for the best ev as it relies on models proving themselves, but that is perfect for me as I don't tend to jump at new tech whatever it is.1 -
Sure, I was reading one What Car review last night, they are certainly more detailed. It was for the Lexus UX and they only gave it 2 stars...bobmunro said:PragueAddick said:
Ah, unfortunately it didn't help me as I want another hybrid, not a full electric.Fortune 82nd Minute said:
Have a look at the Go Ultra Low website.PragueAddick said:I guess this thread is as good a place as anywhere to ask the question...can anyone point me to a webpage which has a comprehensive list of all new cars available, to help me choose my next one? What was the old print book that did that , Glass’s guide or something. 7 years ago What Car had a decent search page where you whacked in your criteria and it came up with matches. That,s how I chose a car I had never previously heard of. But they seem not to have that any more. Really surprises me. Any suggestions?
I'm really surprised that apparently no web site offers a comprehensive guide to cars on the UK market. The Parkers one that @Rob7Lee mentioned, is hopeless, cars that I know exist and might meet my criteria, such as the new Merc A class hybrid, were not there. Sometimes the digital world is not as good as the old analogue one.
Well since I'm not in the UK anyway I'm going to try the German market, hopefully I use the right search words in German..Pretty much every car manufacturer is now offering hybrids - might be best to check the company websites for initial information/spec etc...For reviews, What Car is still pretty good and I would also recommend www.carwow.co.uk
But relying on review relies on me finding whether there is a hybrid version or not. For example, there is a hybrid Merc A, but not a hybrid Merc GLA.
Boot space comparisons are a real problem. I found a German site dedicated to comparing dimensions of any car. But when it came to boot space, it only gave it for the basic model. As I know from my current car, the hybrid has a much lower capacity because that's where the battery is.
Would welcome any suggestions on here. I'll list my criteria in a separate post. Meanwhile thanks to all for suggestions thus far for websites.0 -
I have a Hyundai Ionic Hybrid (they also do plug-in hybrid and full electric versions). In hybrid form the battery is under the rear seat, so boot space is impressive for the size of the car. I'm averaging around 60mpg (more in summer, less in winter, batteries aren't as efficient in the cold), which is very decent for a 1.6 petrol engined car.
Unlike the Prius, the Ionic has a 6 speed DSG rather than a CVT, so feel far more like driving a normal car. I've been really impressed. Plus wack it in sports mode (used electric and petrol engines at the same time) and it really pulls away quickly. My Mrs Alfa has a far better 0-60 time, but I can get away from the lights quicker than the Alfa can.1 -
I must admit up to now I've been a bit sniffy about the Korean cars but you are the second Lifer to mention this one favourably. What's it like on a long-distance motorway run? And when both engines are used, is it then also offering 4WD? Anything you don't like about it?randy andy said:I have a Hyundai Ionic Hybrid (they also do plug-in hybrid and full electric versions). In hybrid form the battery is under the rear seat, so boot space is impressive for the size of the car. I'm averaging around 60mpg (more in summer, less in winter, batteries aren't as efficient in the cold), which is very decent for a 1.6 petrol engined car.
Unlike the Prius, the Ionic has a 6 speed DSG rather than a CVT, so feel far more like driving a normal car. I've been really impressed. Plus wack it in sports mode (used electric and petrol engines at the same time) and it really pulls away quickly. My Mrs Alfa has a far better 0-60 time, but I can get away from the lights quicker than the Alfa can.
The car I would be replacing is a DS5, and I really love it, despite some of the things it's rightly criticised for (firm ride, fussy gearbox). It really is two cars in one, it can slink around Prague on the same consumption as my wife's Yaris, but when we go on holiday, it turns into a comfortable grand tourer. The main engine is a 2 litre diesel with a top speed of 130mph, and while I have never topped 115'ish, it has the legs to make the most of the German autobahns. The Prius and that Lexus UX have a top speed of 110, so I'm not sure they would match up in that regard. My DS5 does offer the 4WD mode, which is useful here, (although that said, it's been a while since Prague was snowed in).
On the other hand there are just the two of us, and the dog in the hatch, so I really don't need or want an SUV, or a big car like the Volvo V60, and jeez, Volvo hybrids are expensive. I was expecting there would be a new Volvo V40 this year, but apparently not0 -
Long run I've got 65-70mpg. No 4WD, the electric motor basically assists the petrol one, evening out the power curve, adding assistance when the petrol motor would be at it's least efficient.
No real complaints. Interior isn't as nice as more upmarket cars (bit plastic-y, but then most Korean cars are), you can tell it's been built to both it's price and to be light. Other than that, it's nice to drive, performance is good. It was hard for me to justify the higher trim levels, but you do get a nicer interior if you do get a higher trim (leather seats, larger centre screen, etc.)1 -
Cheers. I will deffo add it to my list, I'm in no hurry. Current car is coming up to 7 years old, but has only done 35,000 miles. I was wary of battery needing a change if I keep it too long, but I have been told (do people think this is correct?) that batteries wear down with usage, but not with age per se.randy andy said:Long run I've got 65-70mpg. No 4WD, the electric motor basically assists the petrol one, evening out the power curve, adding assistance when the petrol motor would be at it's least efficient.
No real complaints. Interior isn't as nice as more upmarket cars (bit plastic-y, but then most Korean cars are), you can tell it's been built to both it's price and to be light. Other than that, it's nice to drive, performance is good. It was hard for me to justify the higher trim levels, but you do get a nicer interior if you do get a higher trim (leather seats, larger centre screen, etc.)0 -
I understand it is usage rather than age - it's linked to the number of charging cycles.PragueAddick said:
Cheers. I will deffo add it to my list, I'm in no hurry. Current car is coming up to 7 years old, but has only done 35,000 miles. I was wary of battery needing a change if I keep it too long, but I have been told (do people think this is correct?) that batteries wear down with usage, but not with age per se.randy andy said:Long run I've got 65-70mpg. No 4WD, the electric motor basically assists the petrol one, evening out the power curve, adding assistance when the petrol motor would be at it's least efficient.
No real complaints. Interior isn't as nice as more upmarket cars (bit plastic-y, but then most Korean cars are), you can tell it's been built to both it's price and to be light. Other than that, it's nice to drive, performance is good. It was hard for me to justify the higher trim levels, but you do get a nicer interior if you do get a higher trim (leather seats, larger centre screen, etc.)2 -
I read two articles in the FT on Saturday. Hopefully some of you can get behind the paywall (I think you get 4 free articles per month)
Robert Shrimsley was his usual whimsical but highly effective self and being the FT, the comments below were just as interesting.
Then the FT Alphaville people, with whom I wouldn't argue on pain of death, weighed inincluding a rather sobering report from a consultancy they trust called Emissions Analytics "Hybrids are 14 times better than battery electric vehicles at reducing real world carbon dioxide emissions"
So I concluded that in fact rather than fruitlessly looking for a new car that I might actually prefer, I'll take my beloved DS5 to get those paintwork scratches fixed and look to hang on to it for a couple more years at least. Given the low mileage I do, and despite that its main engine is a diesel, it looks like the better choice for the environment as well as my personal driving pleasure (an elusive pleasure at the best of times).
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