Which electric car to buy?

[westfalia]

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

Abarth and Alpine trying to look as sporty as they can, and why not..
I'm not fooled though, probably driving experience equivalent to riding down
the road in a fridge. A wine fridge with a window.

 

[Corradobrit]

I'm not fooled though, probably driving experience equivalent to riding down
the road in a fridge. A wine fridge with a window.

Same for all EV's truth be told. At least the Abarth has synthesised ICE sound effects

 

[westfalia]

Found the Renault 5 pics from
Goodwood. Love it.
View attachment 104842
View attachment 104843
View attachment 104844

I love the look of that. It needs an engine in it though.
I'm not anti- EV at all, but knowing that it doesn't have an engine feels wrong.
Great colour too.

 

[vmaxkiddy]

Ha, Just being on a Megabus is an education.

If it’s education you’re after try a Friday afternoon train from Nottingham to Skegness, degree material

 

[chockswahay]

Same for all EV's truth be told. At least the Abarth has synthesised ICE sound effects

But you’d have to put up with the stupid guitar riff that sounds every time you go over 20 kph

 

[Calimili]

The whole point of the Abarth is that it sounds like a Lambo (sort of). Otherwise it's just a 500 . One 500 abarth raced me on the autobahn once. You should have seen how disappointed the face of the guy looked when past 210km/h on a uphill stretch I continued to accelerate with my diesel truck (Q7) and he couldn' keep up and became increasingly small in my rearview mirror. Needless to say he never cought up with me.
Point is EV abarth doesn't make sense if it doesn't have that ICE grunt!

 

[Corradobrit]

Point is EV abarth doesn't make sense if it doesn't have that ICE grunt!

Actually the EV Abarth has more 'grunt' compared to the ICE. In terms of torque the specs are 235 vs 231 Nm, respectively. I wouldn't kick one out of bed.

 

[Calimili]

Actually the EV Abarth has more 'grunt' compared to the ICE. In terms of torque the specs are 235 vs 231 Nm, respectively. I wouldn't kick one out of bed.

Sorry, I meant "grunt" from the sound point of view. 4Nm more pushing how many more Kg due to battery ?

I seen more point on the R5, as the original R5 didn't have a "grunt" sound either, being Turbo..

 

[willwander]

How about the Citroen Ami? £17 per month rental or £5000 to buy. Great for City use and short runs.

View attachment 81079

Saw one this morning, cute.

 

[Corradobrit]

Love it. VW Crew Cab with a Tesla drivetrain and battery.

 

[subthree]

Saw one this morning, cute.View attachment 104895

Great numberplate.

 

[westfalia]

The Unicorn farmers in Brussels have decided that from 2035
there should be no more ICE cars built.
So this thread is gonna run and run..
A sad time for me.

 

[Calimili]

So this thread is gonna run and run..

yep, same as many old diesels after 2035, they will run and run

 

[pjm-84]

Saw one this morning, cute.View attachment 104895

I nipped into Citroen and sat in one at the weekend. I couldnt stop laughing. Smaller than it is. Or maybe my 6ft 5in frame made it smaller.

 

[soulstyledevon]

The Unicorn farmers in Brussels have decided that from 2035
there should be no more ICE cars built.
So this thread is gonna run and run..
A sad time for me.

I’m not sure why this is a bad thing…?

 

[Palm]

I choose Scalextric! On the other hand, it might not be such a stupid idea to put a best before date on the sale of petrol and diesel powered cars.

 

[chez786]

How about the Citroen Ami? £17 per month rental or £5000 to buy. Great for City use and short runs.

View attachment 81079

But it’s not available in the Uk

 

[Corradobrit]

But it’s not available in the Uk

Certainly is available in the UK

Ami and Ami Cargo 100% Electric

Ami offer a new approach to tomorrow’s urban mobility needs today. It’s 100% electric and features a range of up to 46 miles.

business.citroen.co.uk

 

[Azteccamper]

Well. We’re not building any new roads in Wales (although a few have been granted special status) so i suggest a good multimedia system in any new car as some journeys are going to take forever! Also, good hard-wearing suspension as some of the potholes are the size of open cast mines from times gone bye.
There is an expectation that any children born after 2030 will have wings and the ability to fly - after paying their flight tax.

 

[Velma's Dad]

There is an expectation that any children born after 2030 will have wings and the ability to fly - after paying their flight tax.

By the time even children born in 2023 reach adulthood it's unlikely that the majority of them will have an interest in owning a car, or will have taken a driving test. The numbers are already trending downwards in the UK, the US and elsewhere (there's a piece about that in this week's Economist for anyone that has a sub).

Our generation grew up seeing driving as an essential life skill and car ownership as a universal aspiration. But we'd would be foolish to assume that our children and grandchildren think the same way. Many of them already don't. Those wanting to live in very rural areas will want to drive and own a vehicle, but for the majority daily travel will be within the range of public transport (including, eventually, driverless taxi-on-demand systems).

While our generation are still able to keep drive our quaint old motors to the polling station in fair numbers, there will be enough votes to keep private car ownership taxed at not much more than it currently is. But after that, the mainstream electorate will favour spending on a blend of public transportation and the necessary infrastructure. If you choose to live in the sticks, there will still be options, but don't expect the urban majority to subsidise that, or expect your grandchildren to come and visit you.

Other predictions about the future are available, of course.

 

[Amarillo]

Well. We’re not building any new roads in Wales (although a few have been granted special status)

For once it seems like a sensible decision by the Welsh government.

No new roads until the active travel alternatives have been properly considered. Why spend £millions on an around town bypass when you can reduce traffic by building an across town segregated cycle trail for £thousands.

 

[Wildcamper]

By the time even children born in 2023 reach adulthood it's unlikely that the majority of them will have an interest in owning a car, or will have taken a driving test. The numbers are already trending downwards in the UK, the US and elsewhere (there's a piece about that in this week's Economist for anyone that has a sub).

Our generation grew up seeing driving as an essential life skill and car ownership as a universal aspiration. But we'd would be foolish to assume that our children and grandchildren think the same way. Many of them already don't. Those wanting to live in very rural areas will want to drive and own a vehicle, but for the majority daily travel will be within the range of public transport (including, eventually, driverless taxi-on-demand systems).

While our generation are still able to keep drive our quaint old motors to the polling station in fair numbers, there will be enough votes to keep private car ownership taxed at not much more than it currently is. But after that, the mainstream electorate will favour spending on a blend of public transportation and the necessary infrastructure. If you choose to live in the sticks, there will still be options, but don't expect the urban majority to subsidise that, or expect your grandchildren to come and visit you.

Other predictions about the future are available, of course.

So is the aim to depopulate the countryside and build mega urban areas? If there is no one in the countryside how are the maga urban areas going to get food? Who is going to grow and produce it?

 

[Velma's Dad]

So is the aim to depopulate the countryside and build mega urban areas? If there is no one in the countryside how are the maga urban areas going to get food? Who is going to grow and produce it?

You make it sound like it's all some megalomaniacal master plan. Governments can only respond, as best they can, to profound long-run shifts in demographics, social attitudes and preferences, and (crucially) technological developments.

Since 1900 the percentage of the UK population living in urban areas has increased from about 30% to more than 80% today, due to those inexorable shifts in economic and social structures.

If you're worried about food security, that doesn't require a large rural population. Currently only about 1% of the UK working population are needed to farm the 70% of the UK's land that is designated as agricultural, and that labour need will fall further with progressive farm mechanisation. So there's no pressing economic need to have a large proportion of the population living in the countryside. If they want to live there, fine, but I don't see why electorates of the future will want to subsidise them to do so.

 

[Amarillo]

Currently only about 1% of the UK working population are needed to farm the 70% of the UK's land that is designated as agricultural

Meanwhile, 3.4% of the working age population are employed in the financial sector.

 

[Wildcamper]

You make it sound like it's all some megalomaniacal master plan. Governments can only respond, as best they can, to profound long-run shifts in demographics, social attitudes and preferences, and (crucially) technological developments.

Since 1900 the percentage of the UK population living in urban areas has increased from about 30% to more than 80% today, due to those inexorable shifts in economic and social structures.

If you're worried about food security, that doesn't require a large rural population. Currently only about 1% of the UK working population are needed to farm the 70% of the UK's land that is designated as agricultural, and that labour need will fall further with progressive farm mechanisation. So there's no pressing economic need to have a large proportion of the population living in the countryside. If they want to live there, fine, but I don't see why electorates of the future will want to subsidise them to do so.

Of course urban livers should subsidise the countryside. Why? Because they like it and use it for their enjoyment. Perfectly evident from the hundreds (thousands?) of cars one sees parked ( often negligently) at places such as Snowdonia, Penny Fan, Derbyshire dales etc. Their owners using and enjoying the open spaces yet bringing marginal benefit to those areas and communities. It often all take and no give by the "townies"!