Joining the electric car club

[safrane]

Other news - the old E-Tron has gone and the new one has arrived in its place. Very nice it is to, and substantially cheaper than the previous one (by £25k). Better range, faster charging time, and higher mileage per kWh.
One (minor) complaint - the seat adjustments are old-school manual. For a £52k car with loads of high tech stuff, I would have thought that electric seats would have been standard. (Then again, the £12k seats in my Strad were manual, and I didn‘t moan at those.)
View attachment 121730

Interesting Ewan, as you said at that price I'm surprised... early EVs were fully loaded to tempt you in and make the higher price seem more justified.
Not sure if the lack of motors in the seat would have equated to the £25k drop in price.

 

[Ewan]

Interesting Ewan, as you said at that price I'm surprised... early EVs were fully loaded to tempt you in and make the higher price seem more justified.
Not sure if the lack of motors in the seat would have equated to the £25k drop in price.

Maserati charged £30k more for the Strad (over the usual GT) in 2011. By not fitting the back seats and making the fronts manual. And we fell for it! Porsche pulled the same profiteering trick.

 

[DLax69]

The $7,500 tax credit for electric cars will see big changes in 2024. What to know

The electric vehicle tax credit will be easier to get next year — but fewer models could qualify, as the government imposes stricter eligibility requirements.

www.wfae.org

Meanwhile, in Leftpondia...

 

[urquattrogus]

I think we will be looking at an electric company car in the new year, baby due April next year.

Looks like a toss up between the Hyundai Ioniq 5 (already have fleet terms) and the Volvo XC40, my wife likes Volvos…. I think I might prefer the Hyundai, a ground up EV to the Volvo. I’ve driven both briefly about a year ago.

Also have Ford fleet terms in place but I didn’t take to the Mustang EV when I took that down the road when it first came out. Felt like a fail on several fronts.

I do like the ipace bit it’s a bit pricey.

Also like the idea of a PHEV maybe but the tax looks like £1500 a year and rising compared to £500 a year and rising…… V60 Estate and maybe the Alfa Tonale (although looks a bit cramped and crappy platform?)

What else to consider?

Will be keeping my F pace SVR as my own daily car and the EV will be our family car that my wife drives.

 

[gb-gta]

I think we will be looking at an electric company car in the new year, baby due April next year.

Looks like a toss up between the Hyundai Ioniq 5 (already have fleet terms) and the Volvo XC40, my wife likes Volvos…. I think I might prefer the Hyundai, a ground up EV to the Volvo. I’ve driven both briefly about a year ago.

Also have Ford fleet terms in place but I didn’t take to the Mustang EV when I took that down the road when it first came out. Felt like a fail on several fronts.

I do like the ipace bit it’s a bit pricey.

Also like the idea of a PHEV maybe but the tax looks like £1500 a year and rising compared to £500 a year and rising…… V60 Estate and maybe the Alfa Tonale (although looks a bit cramped and crappy platform?)

What else to consider?

Will be keeping my F pace SVR as my own daily car and the EV will be our family car that my wife drives.

I’d take a look at a Lexus NX450, which is a plug in hybrid. Would be a very nice family car.

 

[Ewan]

I’d give the I-Pace a miss. It’s quick, but the ride is unpleasant and it’s expensive.

 

[Ewan]

Also, given it won’t be your only car, but will be a company car, go full EV to make best advantage of the tax benefits.

 

[urquattrogus]

Also, given it won’t be your only car, but will be a company car, go full EV to make best advantage of the tax benefits.

Thanks, yes it looks like that to me too. I now suddenly find myself looking at our tariff and trying to calculate the cost of a charge etc!

P.S I've always found this site super valuable for company car tax quick calculations.

Comcar

For finding out everything there is to know about company cars.

comcar.co.uk

 

[mjheathcote]

Thanks, yes it looks like that to me too. I now suddenly find myself looking at our tariff and trying to calculate the cost of a charge etc!

P.S I've always found this site super valuable for company car tax quick calculations.

Comcar

For finding out everything there is to know about company cars.

comcar.co.uk

Octopus Intelligent at 7.5p a kwh between 11:30 and 5:30 am.
You do need either a qualifying charger, or qualifying car, so Octopus can control when during the 6 hours they charge your car.
If you aren't with Octopus PM I you want a referral code for both £50 credit.

 

[urquattrogus]

Octopus Intelligent at 7.5p a kwh between 11:30 and 5:30 am.
You do need either a qualifying charger, or qualifying car, so Octopus can control when during the 6 hours they charge your car.
If you aren't with Octopus PM I you want a referral code for both £50 credit.

Thanks I’ll have a look. Thinking of going for a pod point wall box too? Need to get one of some sort…

 

[Ewan]

Thanks I’ll have a look. Thinking of going for a pod point wall box too? Need to get one of some sort…

We have a Pod Point. Had it three years and all good so far. (And we have the Octopus Intelligent tariff).

 

[RodTungsten]

Myenergi Zappi worth a look for EV charging. Integrates with other interesting kit. We have a 3-ph Podpoint at the workshop; now public and earning a few pence…

 

[Ewan]

I see that Audi just won the Dakar race, with their fully electric E-Tron.
Times are changing.

 

[mjheathcote]

I see that Audi just won the Dakar race, with their fully electric E-Tron.
Times are changing.

Not surprising really, full size Rough Rider at the end of the day!
6V NiCad's have moved on a bit too.

 

[Oneball]

I see that Audi just won the Dakar race, with their fully electric E-Tron.
Times are changing.

It has a two litre turbo engine that powers the electric motor. It’s basically one of these but doesn’t sound as good.

 

[Guy]

Thanks, yes it looks like that to me too. I now suddenly find myself looking at our tariff and trying to calculate the cost of a charge etc!

P.S I've always found this site super valuable for company car tax quick calculations.

Comcar

For finding out everything there is to know about company cars.

comcar.co.uk

If I was forced/bribed by huge tax savings into an Ev I would look at the Polestar and pretend it's Swedish. I would then have sleepless nights remembereing it was Chinese. I would then do man maths and buy another V8.
Angus, let me help you with the man maths......

 

[keith]

If I was forced/bribed by huge tax savings into an Ev I would look at the Polestar and pretend it's Swedish. I would then have sleepless nights remembereing it was Chinese. I would then do man maths and buy another V8.
Angus, let me help you with the man maths......

Who cares if it's Chinese... there cars are as good if not better than the western mainstream manufacturers, who are increasingly becoming owned and produced in China. The new MG Cyberstar looks to be great!

 

[Guy]

Who cares if it's Chinese... there cars are as good if not better than the western mainstream manufacturers, who are increasingly becoming owned and produced in China. The new MG Cyberstar looks to be great!

For me it is nothing to do with quality of Chinese products.

 

[urquattrogus]

Discounted the Ioniq 5 after a 4 day test drive.

It is a nice car but a few frustrations. Boot is fairly small and shallow like a lot of EV's, not really big enough for family duties, 527 litres with annoying wheel wells at the side.

Slightly annoying gear selector location, its a stretch to use the touch screen in my preferred seating position, seats not all that comfortable.

Hated the manual flush fit door handles which you can't find in the dark and don't pop out, think could be rectified by speccing a tech pack so they pop out.

No Wireless Carplay, although I'm sure you could add an adapter.

Impressive charging speed if you can find it and good tech otherwise, also fairly efficient although we only had 200 miles range at full charge even though the test car was 2wd 77kwh that has a range of "up to 315 miles" the 4WD higher power one would be official of "upto 285 miles"

Impressive cabin space though.

Went to test a used ipace.

Wow so much better in every regard. It would not charge as fast at a fast charger but who cares, will be charging with home 7.5KW charger.

Bigger and much more usable boot at 656 litres and wider/deeper.

Much nicer to drive, more refined, better ride quality (on the smaller 20" wheels and coil springs), quicker, better and easier to use tech with more buttons, and a lot more fun to drive, handles quite nicely.

Range also seems to be as good or better, indicated 230 miles in the same cold conditions.

She took some persuading to look at a Jag, but my wife couldn't believe how much more she liked it.

So going to get a 1-2 year old Ipace. This will be between 30-42k for a high spec one which seems like good value to me. Will make sure I have at least 4 years warranty on it.

As opposed to 45K on a new Hyundai that was quite good but not very exciting to own.

Probably helps that I'm already a Jag owner I guess, after mentioning it one mate has already sent me a picture of John Prescott...

P.S ruled out Polestar 2 and the XC40 Recharge as both seem to be very light on boot space. Driven both briefly...

 

[Felonious Crud]

Discounted the Ioniq 5 after a 4 day test drive.

It is a nice car but a few frustrations. Boot is fairly small and shallow like a lot of EV's, not really big enough for family duties, 527 litres with annoying wheel wells at the side.

Slightly annoying gear selector location, its a stretch to use the touch screen in my preferred seating position, seats not all that comfortable.

Hated the manual flush fit door handles which you can't find in the dark and don't pop out, think could be rectified by speccing a tech pack so they pop out.

No Wireless Carplay, although I'm sure you could add an adapter.

Impressive charging speed if you can find it and good tech otherwise, also fairly efficient although we only had 200 miles range at full charge even though the test car was 2wd 77kwh that has a range of "up to 315 miles" the 4WD higher power one would be official of "upto 285 miles"

Impressive cabin space though.

Went to test a used ipace.

Wow so much better in every regard. It would not charge as fast at a fast charger but who cares, will be charging with home 7.5KW charger.

Bigger and much more usable boot at 656 litres and wider/deeper.

Much nicer to drive, more refined, better ride quality (on the smaller 20" wheels and coil springs), quicker, better and easier to use tech with more buttons, and a lot more fun to drive, handles quite nicely.

Range also seems to be as good or better, indicated 230 miles in the same cold conditions.

She took some persuading to look at a Jag, but my wife couldn't believe how much more she liked it.

So going to get a 1-2 year old Ipace. This will be between 30-42k for a high spec one which seems like good value to me. Will make sure I have at least 4 years warranty on it.

As opposed to 45K on a new Hyundai that was quite good but not very exciting to own.

Probably helps that I'm already a Jag owner I guess, after mentioning it one mate has already sent me a picture of John Prescott...

P.S ruled out Polestar 2 and the XC40 Recharge as both seem to be very light on boot space. Driven both briefly...

Did you look at the Kia EV6? If not, you should.