Which electric car to buy?

[Winston Rumfoord]

Anyhooha. I‘m looking to buy a used EV to replace our petrol Up. Options include:
- thinking with heart (Honda e, i3s)
- thinking with head (e-golf, e-up, e208)
- also considered but probably more than we need (model 3, id3)

I’be been casually monitoring a range of all of the above for sale and as a general observation:
- many have been for sale for several weeks and are now advertised for several thousand less than when first listed.
- the delta between current price and WBAC is 30-40%, much wider than the same comparison for ICE cars.

I do want an EV but the above makes me less confident on buying now. I do think further reductions are needed in the second hand market and wonder if others feel the same.

I wonder if this is partly driven by volume of EVs bought new for company car tax benefit. A steady (and increasing) volume of these will be coming to the second hand market (but obviously without the taxi savings) and so further pushing down prices.

 

[Ch1pbutty]

I do want an EV but the above makes me less confident on buying now. I do think further reductions are needed in the second hand market and wonder if others feel the same.

I wonder if this is partly driven by volume of EVs bought new for company car tax benefit. A steady (and increasing) volume of these will be coming to the second hand market (but obviously without the taxi savings) and so further pushing down prices.

Might be better off leasing, then any drop in value is not so much of an issue. Lower monthly payment than purchasing outright. If battery technology improves then you are not left with a short range lemon (versus outright purchase) , just hand it back at the end of the lease.

(+ You normally get the option to buy the car at the end of the lease, offer is usually comparable to auction price...so if prices do come off further you could benefit)

If you not able to fit a charger at home, then a Tesla is worth considering as then you get access to the dedicated charging network at a reasonable rate.

 

[philipcon]

It’s been just over 12 months since my original post. Thank you everyone. We went for an ID3 in the end and have enjoyed it. 12 months, 11,000 miles with an electricity cost of <£400 (thanks largely to Tescos until Nov). Keep the posts coming.

 

[soulstyledevon]

Might be better off leasing, then any drop in value is not so much of an issue. Lower monthly payment than purchasing outright. If battery technology improves then you are not left with a short range lemon (versus outright purchase) , just hand it back at the end of the lease.

(+ You normally get the option to buy the car at the end of the lease, offer is usually comparable to auction price...so if prices do come off further you could benefit)

If you not able to fit a charger at home, then a Tesla is worth considering as then you get access to the dedicated charging network at a reasonable rate.

I don’t get leasing…???
Somewhere the lease company has already factored in the decrease in value.
Then factor in the total cost, you must be better off to buy and sell after x amount of years, with an asset you own to sell?

 

[Kernowboy]

You’re buying out the risk of excess depreciation within a credit structure. All things being equal it’s going to cost you against a straight purchase and subsequent sale; along with bulk savings and ability to buy into financial credit market fixed rates, that’s where the companies profits come from.

 

[vmaxkiddy]

Might be better off leasing, then any drop in value is not so much of an issue. Lower monthly payment than purchasing outright. If battery technology improves then you are not left with a short range lemon (versus outright purchase) , just hand it back at the end of the lease.

(+ You normally get the option to buy the car at the end of the lease, offer is usually comparable to auction price...so if prices do come off further you could benefit)

If you not able to fit a charger at home, then a Tesla is worth considering as then you get access to the dedicated charging network at a reasonable rate.

Tesla charging is very location dependent, the supercharger points are very thin on the ground in a lot of the country, lots of destination chargers for overnight use in hotels, at restaurants etc but these are generally pointless for most users a lot of the time. My nearest supercharger station is 40 miles away. Obviously normal charging stations can be used.

 

[soulstyledevon]

You’re buying out the risk of excess depreciation within a credit structure. All things being equal it’s going to cost you against a straight purchase and subsequent sale; along with bulk savings and ability to buy into financial credit market fixed rates, that’s where the companies profits come from.

As I thought. An expensive way to own a car.
Probably why it never made much sense to me.

 

[Lambeth Cali]

It’s been just over 12 months since my original post. Thank you everyone. We went for an ID3 in the end and have enjoyed it. 12 months, 11,000 miles with an electricity cost of <£400 (thanks largely to Tescos until Nov). Keep the posts coming.

Is that 3.6 pence a mile?

My petrol Golf is 33 pence. Wow

 

[chockswahay]

@soulstyledevon just to play with your head!

 

[Digger]

And another

 

[soulstyledevon]

@soulstyledevon just to play with your head!

I watched that last week.
Without doubt it’s the better looking car and better driving car. But as said earlier, with a £15k-£20k price difference. It’s not worth it.
Once you start adding spec to the Buzz the price just keeps going up.

Watch this video, sums up my mood on the subject perfectly. Watch from 13m
It’s a car I really want, but it’s not there yet, especially at the well over inflated price tag. Another couple of years and wait for the Buzz Beach…

 

[chockswahay]

I watched that last week.
Without doubt it’s the better looking car and better driving car. But as said earlier, with a £15k-£20k price difference. It’s not worth it.
Once you start adding spec to the Buzz the price just keeps going up.

Watch this video, sums up my mood on the subject perfectly. Watch from 13m
It’s a car I really want, but it’s not there yet, especially at the well over inflated price tag. Another couple of years and wait for the Buzz Beach…

Yeah, for the time being I feel vindicated in my decision to cancel my pre order and keep my Coast (for now anyway hehe)

 

[Ch1pbutty]

Another idea…

Fuel Cells

www.methanol.org

 

[Hawthorn37]

Another idea…

View attachment 104822

Fuel Cells

www.methanol.org

I strongly think that hydrogen will be a better long term bet. Did some work on fuel cell manufacture, and a 100ps unit is the same size as it’s petrol equivalent.

 

[Hawthorn37]

Bloke on Radio 4 yesterday from Birmingham Uni, an advocate for EVs. Said he’s driven EVs for years, and has 2 now, as do most of his neighbours. BUT it transpires he lives in an affluent area, and where every house has its own driveway so home charging isn’t a problem. He admitted that he only drives his Tesla when going out of town, and wouldn’t take the Nissan Leaf as general charging points cannot be relied on, plus all the apps you need to find them. That’s an advocate!

 

[soulstyledevon]

Did anyone spec the autopilot option on their Tesla…?

 

[ArunAlec]

I bet there are a good few hackers chomping at the bit to do a software download ..... "delete brakes" + "max throttle"

 

[johnyboy]

It is encouraged https://www.insider.com/pwn2own-hacking-tesla-contest-cybersecurity-tesla-2022-5

 

[soulstyledevon]

Haha, believe function is disabled in UK.

(But did she crash, in this case, might well have been have been safer if the car was in control!…school run often sees the ‘PC’ Facebook crowd on their mobiles whilst dropping the kids off)

Can’t wait for the day I can go to bed in the car and let it drive me to the surf, park for the night and wake me for a dawny…

 

[Hawthorn37]

Can’t wait for the day I can go to bed in the car and let it drive me to the surf, park for the night and wake me for a dawny…

Personally, that’s not my desire. The journey is part of the away time.

 

[soulstyledevon]

Personally, that’s not my desire. The journey is part of the away time.

I get that.
However I don’t mind 2/3 hours doing something else when it comes to motorway miles. The scenic stuff, I would take control.

Imagine driving to the slopes. I could leave after work and sleep through, be there, ready for the morning…

 

[Digger]

I get that.
However I don’t mind 2/3 hours doing something else when it comes to motorway miles. The scenic stuff, I would take control.

Imagine driving to the slopes. I could leave after work and sleep through, be there, ready for the morning…

Or just take a bus, train or taxi? Driving is part of the experience surely.

 

[soulstyledevon]

Or just take a bus, train or taxi? Driving is part of the experience surely.

I remember my sister getting the Megabus home from Uni One year.
150 miles, 8hrs.
She never made that mistake again…

 

[66tim99]

For town and city usage only I think I would choose the Honda nut I'd have a look
at the Fiat too.
I'd have to test drive them back to back.
View attachment 104450
View attachment 104451
BMW I3 would also be a contender.
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For longer trips I think I'd have a Tesla S
View attachment 104452

Love the Honda as a piece of design, but its price/range ratio would make it a heart choice. That same heart would I think be tempted by an Abarth 500e instead (about 130miles range real world)

Although I was genuinely mesmerised by the lines of the forthcoming electric Renault 5 at Goodwood. These images of the Alpine R5 have mashed it with a daft spoiler but I felt a real and unexpected nostalgia for the old 5, particularly the GT Turbo of course.

For longer journeys I’d agree it has to be Tesla. But if I had £107,000 burning a hole, I’d test drive an i7 (about 300 miles range real world)

 

[66tim99]

Love the Honda as a piece of design, but its price/range ratio would make it a heart choice. That same heart would I think be tempted by an Abarth 500e instead (about 130miles range real world)
View attachment 104839
Although I was genuinely mesmerised by the lines of the forthcoming electric Renault 5 at Goodwood. These images of the Alpine R5 have mashed it with a daft spoiler but I felt a real and unexpected nostalgia for the old 5, particularly the GT Turbo of course.
View attachment 104841
For longer journeys I’d agree it has to be Tesla. But if I had £107,000 burning a hole, I’d test drive an i7 (about 300 miles range real world)
View attachment 104840

Found the Renault 5 pics from
Goodwood. Love it.