Trying to have fun in an electric car

[cambsno]

Fair comment, and I've never driven an electric car. But I've been a passenger in a few, mostly Teslas. I accept that, rear passenger space excepted, I have no reason to complain, performance is excellent and they have some great gadgets but . . .

Basically just a very big computer monitor with a very bland car built around it. No sense of it actually being a car. My idea of fun is driving something that I'm involved with, for example the very old Austin Healey 3 litre, with no comforts, poor performance compared to any modern ICE car let alone an electric one, very poor in the way of safety equipment, but it feels like a real car because it is, there's a sense of belonging that just isn't there with any of the electric cars that I've been in.

A friend has a Porsche electric, don't know the model but about £180K. He mentioned that it has a simulated engine noise, he turns it on to give himself a sense of actually driving a car . . .

So, maybe the answer to the question depends on our understanding of the word "fun"

I get what you mean, but I am mainly talking about every day cars that you can have fun in. And I can in mine, accelerate out of a bend, just having the head back as you accelerate…

Certainly better than any petrol equivalent. That said an Aston Martin would be my no 1 choice for pure fun!!

It’s like with flying. For me the most fun aircraft are the tiger moths rather than Cessna although. But the Cessna is the one I would have if I could just have one.

 

[gman]

Reminds me of the whole rear wheel drive discussions for a regular car went on where 'purists' would argue that a RWD was better because you could drift. I always wondered...when was the last time they drifted on the public road?

It's becoming increasingly difficult to have any real fun on the roads these days anyway. I'll be keeping my current car as long as I can, but I suspect the next one will prioritise economy more, so most likely a hybrid or EV, the latter only possible because I think I may have overcome the challenge with charging on the street. I will miss the audible drama of the ICE.

 

[Garry Edwards]

Well, I drove an electric car for the first time yesterday - only a very short distance - and I have to say that it does have the potential for fun!
Incredibly fast acceleration, the computer screen is only a bit bigger than the normal radio/satnav screen and nowhere near as obtrusive as on the Tesla, and it has normal instruments as well, so it actually looks like a car.

It belongs to one of my sons, he can't have any fun in it because he is a warranted officer working for HMG and it wouldn't go down well if he got a speeding ticket

But, the big downside is the range. He was driving from Liverpool, called in at Manchester, then came to me near Bradford, and then he had another 300 miles to go to get home in Dover, and would need to stop twice to recharge, at higher cost than if I did the same run in my diesel car, and I could do that run and more on one tank of diesel, so could save time as well as money.

I didn't like the silence, it made the normal road noises far more obtrusive, but I suppose electric car drivers get used to that.

 

[cambsno]

Well, I drove an electric car for the first time yesterday - only a very short distance - and I have to say that it does have the potential for fun!
Incredibly fast acceleration, the computer screen is only a bit bigger than the normal radio/satnav screen and nowhere near as obtrusive as on the Tesla, and it has normal instruments as well, so it actually looks like a car.

It belongs to one of my sons, he can't have any fun in it because he is a warranted officer working for HMG and it wouldn't go down well if he got a speeding ticket

But, the big downside is the range. He was driving from Liverpool, called in at Manchester, then came to me near Bradford, and then he had another 300 miles to go to get home in Dover, and would need to stop twice to recharge, at higher cost than if I did the same run in my diesel car, and I could do that run and more on one tank of diesel, so could save time as well as money.

I didn't like the silence, it made the normal road noises far more obtrusive, but I suppose electric car drivers get used to that.

When I changed I drove the Skoda Kodiaq(?) - Tiguan style car. Really nice but just like a conventional car and a bit dull. VW ID4 was nice but not exciting, ID3 was more fun, lighter car and similar motor so felt a lot faster. Tesla was a different league though.

Noise wise I don't really notice any, although am more aware of pedestrians not hearing me so having to be ready for them to not notice me.

If that is a typical journey for him then EV is not the way to go at the moment. But would / should need to stop at least once in that for a break so probably not much longer when you factor in

 

[Garry Edwards]

When I changed I drove the Skoda Kodiaq(?) - Tiguan style car. Really nice but just like a conventional car and a bit dull. VW ID4 was nice but not exciting, ID3 was more fun, lighter car and similar motor so felt a lot faster. Tesla was a different league though.

Noise wise I don't really notice any, although am more aware of pedestrians not hearing me so having to be ready for them to not notice me.

If that is a typical journey for him then EV is not the way to go at the moment. But would / should need to stop at least once in that for a break so probably not much longer when you factor in

Normally, he just drives to work and back, 50 miles or so, yesterday was unusual. The car is a MG, didn't notice the model.

 

[Mr Bump]

Had my first proper ride on an unrestricted e-bike in GC last week, we rented a pair for the day , wow awesome
will be buying a pair to keep in our house soon i think just like mopeds but cheaper

 

[Mr Bump]

When I changed I drove the Skoda Kodiaq(?) - Tiguan style car. Really nice but just like a conventional car and a bit dull. VW ID4 was nice but not exciting, ID3 was more fun, lighter car and similar motor so felt a lot faster. Tesla was a different league though.

Noise wise I don't really notice any, although am more aware of pedestrians not hearing me so having to be ready for them to not notice me.

If that is a typical journey for him then EV is not the way to go at the moment. But would / should need to stop at least once in that for a break so probably not much longer when you factor in

you are right about Tesla being in a different league my mate spanky in mac has had one for a few years and recently he has been dropping us off and picking us up from the airport loads and its a flying machine out of roundabouts, christ its quick, he is changing jobs and his tesla has to go back soon to the lease company but is looking at a BYD seal and has test drove it and the first thing he said with a sad face, it drives like a normal car its a bit slower and it wallows a bit when he moved it about he aslo said regen braking no where near as good as the tesla.

 

[cambsno]

you are right about Tesla being in a different league my mate spanky in mac has had one for a few years and recently he has been dropping us off and picking us up from the airport loads and its a flying machine out of roundabouts, christ its quick, he is changing jobs and his tesla has to go back soon to the lease company but is looking at a BYD seal and has test drove it and the first thing he said with a sad face, it drives like a normal car its a bit slower and it wallows a bit when he moved it about he aslo said regen braking no where near as good as the tesla.

Mine is only the base M3 but thats still 0-60 in 5.8 seconds, enough to throw your head back a little the you floor it. I test drove a LR one which I think is 4.7 secs or something and that was fast!!

 

[Mr Bump]

Mine is only the base M3 but thats still 0-60 in 5.8 seconds, enough to throw your head back a little the you floor it. I test drove a LR one which I think is 4.7 secs or something and that was fast!!

oddly enough my mate in mac has opted not to have a low overnight tarrif to get cheap leccy.
he had a merc before and he says even paying 27p/kwh its still way cheaper lol

 

[cambsno]

oddly enough my mate in mac has opted not to have a low overnight tarrif to get cheap leccy.
he had a merc before and he says even paying 27p/kwh its still way cheaper lol

Seems crazy, think mine is 7 or 8p - things its around £5 for 200 miles?

 

[Mr Bump]

Seems crazy, think mine is 7 or 8p - things its around £5 for 200 miles?

he says he has looked into it but the other charges etc don't make it worth it but he is a very low user of his EV he just loves it more for the lifestyle

 

[Steep]

Normally, he just drives to work and back, 50 miles or so, yesterday was unusual. The car is a MG, didn't notice the model.

Will have been an MG5 (which I drive and love the acceleration too) or an MG4 most likely, 2 battery sizes giving 200 or 250 miles. These are among the cheapest EVs and have quite small batteries compared to others. The KIA EV3 longer range can do 375 miles and is much the same price as the new MG S5 long range which will do about 300.

 

[Nod]

Mine is only the base M3 but thats still 0-60 in 5.8 seconds, enough to throw your head back a little the you floor it. I test drove a LR one which I think is 4.7 secs or something and that was fast!!

Mrs Nod's iPace is allegedly around 4 1/2 s to 60 which is plenty quick enough. Around 250 mile range which is plenty for our wants/needs. Extremely comfortable and not a bad place to be if you're stuck in traffic.

 

[Garry Edwards]

Will have been an MG5 (which I drive and love the acceleration too) or an MG4 most likely, 2 battery sizes giving 200 or 250 miles. These are among the cheapest EVs and have quite small batteries compared to others. The KIA EV3 longer range can do 375 miles and is much the same price as the new MG S5 long range which will do about 300.

You're right, I've looked it up on autotrader and it seems to be a MG MG4 51kWh SE Auto 5dr. The 0-60 is better than my diesel Golf, top speed is a lot less (not that I drive fast) and yes, at the cheap end of electric cars.

 

[JonathanRyan]

I had fun in an electric car today.

Got up at 5 somewhere in Wales. I'd charged the night before at the high speed supercharger in the village where I was staying (which none of the local people I talked to knew was there). Set off driving at 5:30. Stopped for a planned 5 min break to top up with charge at some massive golf looking hotel I'd never heard of and then again for a slightly longer charge at motorway service (not sure where - the Satnav planned all this. I just chose which Netflix to watch). I was slightly tired after a week of long days and an early start so I let the car handle most of the driving (motorways are easy, right?).

Somewhere on the M25 in the variables I was cruising at 50 mph in heavy traffic when a young driver in lane 2 suddenly moved into my lane (3) without looking. He came about 2 feet from my front bumper while breaking.....

Kev made some sort of clicky noise and flashed up a message on the screen as we slowed and pulled towards lane 4 (best guess is the AEB applied some slowing and I instinctively swerved - it's also possible the car swerved - lane 4 was clearish and I know Kev checked). 2 mins later and I'm back up to 50 passing the young driver with a cheery wave. Couple of hours later I was safely home.

Probably many other cars can do this but today, for my purposes, arriving home without being in a pile up fits my definition of fun.

 

[Garry Edwards]

I had fun in an electric car today.

Got up at 5 somewhere in Wales. I'd charged the night before at the high speed supercharger in the village where I was staying (which none of the local people I talked to knew was there). Set off driving at 5:30. Stopped for a planned 5 min break to top up with charge at some massive golf looking hotel I'd never heard of and then again for a slightly longer charge at motorway service (not sure where - the Satnav planned all this. I just chose which Netflix to watch). I was slightly tired after a week of long days and an early start so I let the car handle most of the driving (motorways are easy, right?).

Somewhere on the M25 in the variables I was cruising at 50 mph in heavy traffic when a young driver in lane 2 suddenly moved into my lane (3) without looking. He came about 2 feet from my front bumper while breaking.....

Kev made some sort of clicky noise and flashed up a message on the screen as we slowed and pulled towards lane 4 (best guess is the AEB applied some slowing and I instinctively swerved - it's also possible the car swerved - lane 4 was clearish and I know Kev checked). 2 mins later and I'm back up to 50 passing the young driver with a cheery wave. Couple of hours later I was safely home.

Probably many other cars can do this but today, for my purposes, arriving home without being in a pile up fits my definition of fun.

Interesting . . .
Another possible viewpoint is that if you hadn't been driving when tired then you wouldn't have had the "fun" at all

 

[MK1 Photography]

TBH I have my MK7.5 E Golf for nearly three years and it's both fun and super low costs to look after.
Like all ev's the speed at take off beats most things but ultimately it's a bit daft being like that!
I have now got 6.7p per kWh charging at night 1/2 full costs about .95p so very cheap.
It's only 34 KW battery good for 150 summer 105 winter but suits our lifestyle

 

[Nod]

Depending on your view of "fun", setting off from a standstill UPSIDE DOWN might qualify...

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6LYcgaQ46c

 

[BillN_33]

Video - what a waste of time from 2 giggling (idiots) - Matt whoever just gets worse! - IMHO

 

[LCPete]

Our local council put in some electric parking bays in their car parks and roadside, the charging stations seem to have disappeared, I wonder if it because the cables have been stolen , a shame really as we do need charging infrastructure
Not the councils fault but a shame nevertheless

 

[AndrewFlannigan]

1/2 full costs about .95p so very cheap.

That sums up what's wrong with electric cars in this country - the majority of car owners have to pay fuel duty and road tax while a minority of electric car owners avoid doing so.

Then people complain that our road surfaces are in a bad state and the politicians say there isn't enough money to fix them?

 

[Nod]

EV owners pay car tax at the same rate as other low emission cars and in some cases much more. Pretty sure that busses, vans and lorries cause far more road damage than EVs too.

 

[AndrewFlannigan]

EV owners pay car tax at the same rate as other low emission cars and in some cases much more.

However, at a (claimed) 95p to half charge an electric car, they are not paying fuel tax, depriving the revenue of a major source of money towards road maintenance.

Pretty sure that busses, vans and lorries cause far more road damage than EVs too.

I fail to see the relevance of that statement in this context. Perhaps you could make it clear?

 

[Nod]

The shot you posted of damaged Tarmac (or asphalt).

 

[JonathanRyan]

That sums up what's wrong with electric cars in this country - the majority of car owners have to pay fuel duty and road tax while a minority of electric car owners avoid doing so.

Then people complain that our road surfaces are in a bad state and the politicians say there isn't enough money to fix them?

View attachment 451704

Well, it took until page 2. That's pretty restrained.

 

[AndrewFlannigan]

The shot you posted of damaged Tarmac (or asphalt).

Ah!

That bit of road is so rarely used by anything other than cars, that those are the only vehicles likely to be the causes of the damage.

Of course, without a surveyor's report, it is hard to be sure of the exact cause, so just take it as an emphasis.

 

[Mr Bump]

but VED is based on Emmissions ?

EVs do not have tailpipe emmisions

 

[BillN_33]

I must admit that with the number of pot holes on almost every road, (I hit one even on the M1 a couple of weeks ago), driving our i3 gets more and more like a dodgem ........ it's not the most forgiving at the best of times, (obviously built for the smooth German roads!!), but pot holes it does not like - all the repairs seem to be very short lived - they throw a bit of tarmac in and the next week it's out and the holes gets bigger.

 

[ProggyMat]

I drive a Dacia Duster 4x4 1.5dci that I've owned - since new - for 10 years. It's a thoroughly workmanlike and unexciting vehcile, but surprisingly capable, voluminous and reliable, with decent "light off-road" abilities that I've been thankful for on a handful of occasions. The last three times the car has gone in for service, the loan car I booked turned out to be an electric Renault ZOE, each in different power and/or trim levels. In terms of the driving experience, I was impressed... it felt heavy, but was zippy and handled well, and I'd happily drive one longer term, though the load space wasn't good and would be a problem for me in certain situations. I even have a charging point in my garage, as the house I bought - also 10 years ago - already had one fitted, so home charging would be very convenient. The thing I can't get my head around just yet, though, is the price of most electric cars. Anything with decent range is just silly money if bought new, while used cars come with very real concerns over battery condition, full charge capacity and impending future replacement costs. Dacia recently released the cute but tiny Spring, which is selling for the kind of money I'd want to pay (i.e. £20k or less, cash rather than finance or lease / contract hire)... but the range is dire, and the load space almost non-existent. I'd want something that could guarantee me at least a couple of hundred miles between charges in real driving conditions, whatever the season and weather, and big enough to fit a large fortnightly family grocery shop in the boot, with me driving and two other family members in tow. The Spring isn't that car, and all the other options are either way too expensive or not much more practical.

So, for now, it's ICE cars for me. I prefer them anyway, so that's OK - but I'd be willing to consider something greener if it were a realistic option for my use-cases. Right now, it isn't. I'll probably keep my Duster running for as long as it's remotely economical to do so, then figure out my options at that time. The car has done less than 40,000 miles in 10 years, and shows no signs of rust except for typical Renault oxidised bolts, screws and brake drums - so it should have plenty of life left in it (I'm hoping for another 10 years)...

 

[gman]

I must admit that with the number of pot holes on almost every road, (I hit one even on the M1 a couple of weeks ago), driving our i3 gets more and more like a dodgem ........ it's not the most forgiving at the best of times, (obviously built for the smooth German roads!!), but pot holes it does not like - all the repairs seem to be very short lived - they throw a bit of tarmac in and the next week it's out and the holes gets bigger.

Speaking of forgiving, my mate's Ford Edge has to be one of the most forgiving suspensions I've sat in, even the worst potholes were soaked up and we've got roads here that are so bad that they were even raised in Westminster, which is quite frankly ridiculous that what should be a trivial routine operation has got to such a stage.

Unfortunately, it's diesel only but I do wonder if the Explorer (EV) will be equally as forgiving?