Why are people buying electric cars?

[BillN_33]

We used to have those as company cars, everybody loved them. Not so keen on the 70 mile winter range mind.
You can get an extended battery as a replacement now pretty cheap, make the i3 into a great town/mid range car.
BMW could do worse than bring out an updated version.

Ours are the later bigger battery ones - 170 mile + range - I regularly see 190 miles on the "guessometer"

Great build quality and "nippy" just over 7 secs 0 - 60 but just no need to drive in like that

I'm surprised that BMW don't now make a small EV - but the i3 because of the concept, (carbon fibre etc.,) and it's body and interior styling is becoming a "classic"

 

[Steep]

WhatCar has a list of EV's that will qualify for the new EV Grant. There are 2 levels of grant, full at £3750 and um not full at £1500

https://www.whatcar.com/news/every-eligible-car-for-the-electric-car-grant/n27940

 

[AndrewFlannigan]

WhatCar has a list of EV's that will qualify for the new EV Grant. There are 2 levels of grant, full at £3750 and um not full at £1500

...and so the Great Electric Car Bribery Scandal continues...

 

[Mr Bump]

WhatCar has a list of EV's that will qualify for the new EV Grant. There are 2 levels of grant, full at £3750 and um not full at £1500

https://www.whatcar.com/news/every-eligible-car-for-the-electric-car-grant/n27940

wow some potential bargains there like

Citroën ë-C3 Aircross​

List price from £22,990
Potential price after grant from £19,240
Closely related to the new Vauxhall Frontera, the Citroën ë-C3 Aircross is a surprisingly affordable electric SUV. Just like the smaller ë-C3, all models use a 44kWh (usable capacity) battery and 111bhp motor, providing acceptable performance but an official range of just 188 miles – something rivals like the Ford Puma Gen-E and MG4 can easily better. Nevertheless, while the interior uses a lot of hard plastics, there’s plenty of room for five and a particularly impressive 460-litre boot.

Fiat 600e​

List price from £29,035
Potential price after grant from £25,285
One key perk to the Fiat 600e is its affordability – being cheaper than rivals like the Hyundai Kona Electric, Kia Niro EV and Vauxhall Mokka Electric. With a 50.8kWh (usable capacity) battery and 154bhp motor fitted, all 600es have an official range of 254 miles and reasonable performance. In spite of the retro styling, the 600e is fairly well-equipped and has a modern interior, but the 360-litre boot is less than what the Niro EV offers.

Hyundai Kona Electric​

List price from £35,000
Potential price after grant from £31,250
Although not the most inspiring electric SUVs to drive, lacking composure when cornering at speed, the Hyundai Kona Electric is one of very few models eligible for the EV grant with a range of over 300 miles. Thanks to a 65.4kWh (usable capacity) battery, the entry-level Advance version covers an official range of 319 miles, whereas the 215bhp motor means the Kona is quicker off the mark than the Jeep Avenger and Peugeot e-2008. Although the Kona’s interior isn’t the most upmarket, its controls are user friendly and there’s enough room for five. If you’re looking for more equipment, the Kona Electric N Line is also eligible for the grant.

 

[Mr Bump]

MG S5​

List price from £28,495
Potential price after grant from £24,745
Replacing the popular ZS EV, the MG S5 is a rival to the Kia EV3 and Skoda Elroq at a price that better matches the Jeep Avenger. With a 211-mile official range, the entry-level S5 isn’t quite as practical as most rivals, but the 298-mile capability of the more expensive Long Range model is superior to the Renault Scenic and even the larger Skoda Enyaq. Compared to the ZS EV, the S5 has better driving dynamics, but suffers from a very firm ride. There’s plenty of luggage space and rear leg room, though.

Renault 4​

List price from £26,995
Potential price after grant from £23,245
Despite using the same mechanicals as the Renault 5, the equally retro Renault 4’s larger body means it's a much more practical car. While the Kia EV3 has more rear leg room, the 375-litre boot is better than the Vauxhall Mokka Electric and Volvo EX30. All models have the same 52kWh (usable capacity) battery found in the R5, which gives the Renault 4 an official range of 247 miles. The R4 is a smooth runner, but some wind noise can be heard when travelling at motorway speeds.

 

[BillN_33]

The R5 with the grant also looks great value

when we bought our first i3 we got the grant, I think that the grant was £7.5k or was it £5k ........

 

[Mr Bump]

The R5 with the grant also looks great value

when we bought our first i3 we got the grant, I think that the grant was £7.5k or was it £5k ........

The absolute steal if it gets included is this...

BYD Dolphin Surf​

List price from £18,650
Potential price after grant from £14,900
Although slightly more expensive than the Dacia Spring and Leapmotor T03, the BYD Dolphin Surf is reasonably priced and has a long list of standard features. Three versions are available (and all eligible for the EV grant), with the mid-spec Boost version being our favourite thanks to its 200-mile range. The Dolphin Surf has a surprisingly good amount of rear leg room and larger boot than the Renault 5; however, the brake pedal can be grabby and wind noise is audible at high-speed.

 

[Eucris]

wow some potential bargains there like

Citroën ë-C3 Aircross​

List price from £22,990
Potential price after grant from £19,240
Closely related to the new Vauxhall Frontera, the Citroën ë-C3 Aircross is a surprisingly affordable electric SUV. Just like the smaller ë-C3, all models use a 44kWh (usable capacity) battery and 111bhp motor, providing acceptable performance but an official range of just 188 miles – something rivals like the Ford Puma Gen-E and MG4 can easily better. Nevertheless, while the interior uses a lot of hard plastics, there’s plenty of room for five and a particularly impressive 460-litre boot.

Fiat 600e​

List price from £29,035
Potential price after grant from £25,285
One key perk to the Fiat 600e is its affordability – being cheaper than rivals like the Hyundai Kona Electric, Kia Niro EV and Vauxhall Mokka Electric. With a 50.8kWh (usable capacity) battery and 154bhp motor fitted, all 600es have an official range of 254 miles and reasonable performance. In spite of the retro styling, the 600e is fairly well-equipped and has a modern interior, but the 360-litre boot is less than what the Niro EV offers.

Hyundai Kona Electric​

List price from £35,000
Potential price after grant from £31,250
Although not the most inspiring electric SUVs to drive, lacking composure when cornering at speed, the Hyundai Kona Electric is one of very few models eligible for the EV grant with a range of over 300 miles. Thanks to a 65.4kWh (usable capacity) battery, the entry-level Advance version covers an official range of 319 miles, whereas the 215bhp motor means the Kona is quicker off the mark than the Jeep Avenger and Peugeot e-2008. Although the Kona’s interior isn’t the most upmarket, its controls are user friendly and there’s enough room for five. If you’re looking for more equipment, the Kona Electric N Line is also eligible for the grant.

Some of the Photoshopped motion blur in these images is absolutley horrendous.

 

[Mr Bump]

Small family users could crush it with this at that price...

Dacia Spring​

List price from £14,995
Potential price after grant from £11,245
The petrol-powered Dacia Sandero might be the outright cheapest car on sale, but factor in the electric car grant, and it’s the electric Dacia Spring that takes the title. Available with 44bhp and 64bhp motors, the Spring’s leisurely performance and slow steering is best suited for city driving. The 140-mile official range is less than the rival Leapmotor T03 can offer, but the Spring feels more composed at high-speeds. In keeping with the Spring’s price, the interior feels cheap and offers limited space for rear passengers. There is a handy 308-litre boot, though.

 

[Pound Coin]

...and so the Great Electric Car Bribery Scandal continues...

…to replace the Great ICE Car Bribery Scandal.

 

[AndrewFlannigan]

…to replace the Great ICE Car Bribery Scandal.

Generally speaking, bribery of any sort is a scandal but if it's on offer, I can only ask: where do I apply for my Buyng a Car with an Internal Combustion Engine Bribe?

 

[ancient_mariner]

Generally speaking, bribery of any sort is a scandal but if it's on offer, I can only ask: where do I apply for my Buyng a Car with an Internal Combustion Engine Bribe?

You've been enjoying it for decades, just without realising.

 

[AndrewFlannigan]

You've been enjoying it for decades, just without realising.

Seriously, you're losing me.

What form does this bribe take?

 

[cambsno]

Seriously, you're losing me.

What form does this bribe take?

Still waiting for an answer about your views on the bribes governments do regarding subsidising trains and buses? How is that any different?

 

[Pound Coin]

Generally speaking, bribery of any sort is a scandal but if it's on offer, I can only ask: where do I apply for my Buyng a Car with an Internal Combustion Engine Bribe?

You'll need to do your own research. I'm not doing that for you.

 

[ancient_mariner]

@JonathanRyan - I think I'd promised to time refilling my car. 3min for 55L diesel, timed from the moment I stepped out until the time I was sat back in the drivers seat. No hurry - in fact taking extra time to squeeze as much fuel in as possible for a 560mile range (down to estimated 5 miles remaining).

 

[cosmicma]

yesterday i parked my car ( the wifes really ) with 15 miles of range, plugged it into the charger and woke up to a full charge with 220 miles of range for less than a fiver
the car has now done just over 18,000 miles since march 2024 and has cost less than £500 in energy cost
MY car a 10 year old jaguar XF did less than a 1,000 miles from last MOT to this MOT a week or so ago
it's becoming a bit of a no brainer which car to use and i love driving the jag it's a nice place to be but the cost differences to drive both vehicles the EV wins every time

this is exactly the reason we have an EV

the Jag will Soon be replaced with a Tesla ( second hand ) as soon as iv'e saved enough money to buy one

 

[LCPete]

Serious question and not against the principle of an EV but has anyone worked out just on running costs the difference between an ICE car and EV over say 3 years assuming both cost 25K
What I’m trying to say is how long would an EV take to pay for itself compared to running an ICE car assuming 8 K miles per year ?

 

[AndrewFlannigan]

the car has now done just over 18,000 miles since march 2024 and has cost less than £500 in energy cost

... so: are you proud of having cheated the nation out of several thousand pounds of fuel duty, which should have gone to maintain the roads on which you drive?

Will you still feel proud of this achievement, when the roads are full of holes, because we can't afford to pay for men, materials and machines to maintain them?

 

[Mr Bump]

@AndrewFlannigan

odd fact : any capacity/performance electric motorcycles will only have to pay £22 a year for VED compared to £101, the current rate for a 600cc+ ICE bike
the current rate for sub-150cc ICE bikes is £22 so Electric motorcycles are getting a right cracking deal

 

[pmac]

It wouldn't but that's a problem for the privileged few with their subsidised cars.

Remember that old saying: what goes around, has a nasty habit of coming around,

I get the feeling that what ever is said you will disagree
You also seem to have a huge chip on your shoulder with people who are financially stable or well off.
This is just another example of why our country is failing.. it’s now looked down upon by so many to become successful and have some wealth… those less fortunate think that those that have succeeded should pay for them.
You just come across as a bitter at those who have done better in life.

 

[Mr Bump]

I get the feeling that what ever is said you will disagree
You also seem to have a huge chip on your shoulder with people who are financially stable or well off.
This is just another example of why our country is failing.. it’s now looked down upon by so many to become successful and have some wealth… those less fortunate think that those that have succeeded should pay for them.
You just come across as a bitter at those who have done better in life.

well said, its a bit like how would @AndrewFlannigan feel is someone came on here and bragged about buying a £70k porch turbo would he be like bro you wasting tons of bread should have bought a skoda deeeesel or like bro you da champion have some columbian marching powder?

 

[pmac]

Serious question and not against the principle of an EV but has anyone worked out just on running costs the difference between an ICE car and EV over say 3 years assuming both cost 25K
What I’m trying to say is how long would an EV take to pay for itself compared to running an ICE car assuming 8 K miles per year ?

We only do about 8k a year
My x1 cost me about 100 a month on fuel.(3600)
Was 195 road tax a year (580)
about £550 for insurance. (1650)
Average service was about 400 a year( alternating years cost more)(1200)
£7030 to run over 3 years.

My Tesla would cost about £5.50 say for 300miles.- £150 a year (450)
Road tax was free now it’s 195(580)but my first is free as we bought before April.
Insurance was 680(2040)
Zero service costs
£3070

So £3960 cheaper .

For me we leased the Tesla over 3 years a similar spec x1 that we got rid of would have also cost us more per month too lease.

For us it was a big enough saving to try it even though we were apprehensive about it.
We also don’t even pay for charging currently as our gym we have membership at has free chargers and as I go a few hours a week it’s enough to do what we currently drive. I’ve done 3k miles and it’s cost me nothing so far.

 

[Pound Coin]

... so: are you proud of having cheated the nation out of several thousand pounds of fuel duty, which should have gone to maintain the roads on which you drive?

Oh dear.

Please show your working out. i.e. give details of the legislation that hypothecates fuel duty for road maintenance.

 

[cosmicma]

... so: are you proud of having cheated the nation out of several thousand pounds of fuel duty, which should have gone to maintain the roads on which you drive?

Will you still feel proud of this achievement, when the roads are full of holes, because we can't afford to pay for men, materials and machines to maintain them?

View attachment 458360

absolutely and enjoying every minute of it while i can

i'm under no illusion that this gravy train is going to carry on indefinitely but you can bet your bottom dollar i am taking full advantage while it lasts

you can put yourself into an EV for as little as £2,000 maybe you should try one and then come back with your opinions
i did and it converted me overnight so to speak


oh and i havn't cheated anybody out of anything
you don't know me don't assume i'm dishonest

 

[Steep]

Serious question and not against the principle of an EV but has anyone worked out just on running costs the difference between an ICE car and EV over say 3 years assuming both cost 25K
What I’m trying to say is how long would an EV take to pay for itself compared to running an ICE car assuming 8 K miles per year ?

I posted a real life example Yt vid of just that question on a high mileage car and the difference is startling. At 8k miles per year over 3 years I expect it to be much closer but there are so many variables. Certainly the longer you keep your EV the cheaper it becomes.

https://www.talkphotography.co.uk/threads/why-are-people-buying-electric-cars.753645/post-9627645

 

[ancient_mariner]

Serious question and not against the principle of an EV but has anyone worked out just on running costs the difference between an ICE car and EV over say 3 years assuming both cost 25K
What I’m trying to say is how long would an EV take to pay for itself compared to running an ICE car assuming 8 K miles per year ?

From the flip side, I spend around £1500 per year on fuel for about 15,000 miles. It would take some time for an EV to make it worthwhile trading up, though I have considered it (and someone else will be running my car after I trade it). By the time I was breaking even it's likely the government will be clawing back the lost fuel duty in other ways. I expect they will also be taking into account those charging from solar at home.

OTOH someone I work with spends £500 a month on fuel, and buying a £50,000 EV was an obvious thing to do.

 

[pmac]

From the flip side, I spend around £1500 per year on fuel for about 15,000 miles. It would take some time for an EV to make it worthwhile trading up, though I have considered it (and someone else will be running my car after I trade it). By the time I was breaking even it's likely the government will be clawing back the lost fuel duty in other ways. I expect they will also be taking into account those charging from solar at home.

OTOH someone I work with spends £500 a month on fuel, and buying a £50,000 EV was an obvious thing to do.

This is on the assumption that people are not buying new cars though.
Plenty of people are still buying new ice cars.
If you plan on running a car into the ground then yes it’s likely not beneficial changing to a EV.
But if your buying a new car anyway then why wouldn’t you buy an EV, the only reason I can see not too is if you have no personal charging .
then while there will still be a saving it’s likely to be very small if using fast chargers only.
Range and tech is only going to improve and make them far better than an ice car.

Obvious due to red tape we are so far behind the US/China with both now allowing FSD. While I enjoy driving, if my car can take me from a-b itself why wouldn’t I.

 

[AndrewFlannigan]

oh and i havn't cheated anybody out of anything

Of course you have. All those taking advantage of these bribes are cheating their fellow tax payers. That a government makes the decision to offer such bribes do not make them anything else. As someone said once: "You can call a cow a bovine but it's still a bluidy cow".

you don't know me don't assume i'm dishonest

I assume nothing but treat your words as they are written. Perhaps "immoral" would be better?

 

[AndrewFlannigan]

I get the feeling that what ever is said you will disagree

All opinions are equally valid, otherwise they would be facts

You also seem to have a huge chip on your shoulder with people who are financially stable or well off.

That would be foolish of me, as in wealth terms I fit into the 9th decile. My distaste is for those who think that greed is good and boast about how they've "got one over" on others.

...it’s now looked down upon by so many to become successful and have some wealth

There are many good reasons and some bad reasons for doing so.

… those less fortunate think that those that have succeeded should pay for them.

In my opinion that is the correct approach to life. I'm purely atheistic but agree with the religions who advise their adhertents that they are their brothers' keepers

You just come across as a bitter at those who have done better in life.

Far from it. I've done surprisingly well, considering my background. However I sympathise with my fellow citizens, who struggle with the same problems that I did.

Despite what the character "Gordon Gekko" said in the film "Wall Street", greed is never good.

 

[Vintage Racer]

This is normal in France, and has been for a while. It's more about load balancing than a crisis of supply, with red days and blue days having very different pricing IF you're on the right tariff.

I live in France and have done for twenty years. - My point still applies, as the need to 'balance' supply only grows, as demand increases. - In addition. The UK is a smaller country with the same population as France. As such, it is more difficult to 'balance' the supply network in the UK without effecting larger numbers of the population.

 

[munch]

Of course you have. All those taking advantage of these bribes are cheating their fellow tax payers. That a government makes the decision to offer such bribes do not make them anything else. As someone said once: "You can call a cow a bovine but it's still a bluidy cow".

Nobody is cheating fellow tax payers.
Dan, a farmer down the road isn't cheating the tax payer when he takes his "red diesel" tractor on the road as he goes from field to field to tend his bovines.
I am not cheating my fellow tax payers when I got on the electric and then a diesel train to go out into the Dales yesterday. Nor was I cheating my fellow tax payers when I used the connecting buses.

Cheating would be Dan using Red diesel in his family car(s)
Cheating would be me not paying for my tickets.

 

[AndrewFlannigan]

Nobody is cheating fellow tax payers.

We will have to agree to disagee on that matter.

Many things are thought acceptable in a given population but are wrong in principle and damaging in practice.

 

[Steep]

I live in France and have done for twenty years. - My point still applies, as the need to 'balance' supply only grows, as demand increases. - In addition. The UK is a smaller country with the same population as France. As such, it is more difficult to 'balance' the supply network in the UK without effecting larger numbers of the population.

Where supply issues come in at the moment are on a local level in terms of public chargers (the power is available, but local connection to it has to be upgraded).
There's plenty of generation capacity but much of it isn't yet connected to the grid either, right now that's not a problem as we generate more than we use but google says that as industry moves away from fossil fuels into electric power the demand is expected to go up by 75% over the next 25 years.

Of course google doesn't know how DNOs will adapt to demand and for certain they are not sitting still waiting for it to become a problem.
It's like EVs, 10 years ago range was ~80-100 miles, today it's 3 times that and will only get bigger/longer as technology moves on. The same will drive the Network upgrade, lots and lots of negative media and lots of moaning minnies on social media but the upgrades will go ahead.

 

[Steep]

MG4 upgrade - the new model is due for release in August in China and will use a semi solid state battery, the sss battery is safer, cheaper, charges faster and has greater capacity.
The new MG4 is a complete revamp, it will be larger than the current model and the software on board is from Oppo (android phone maker) combining the car's operating system with smartphone functions. Expected battery size 70kwh with a range well in excess of 300 miles.

MG4 to use semi-solid battery in first budget EV rollout, MG confirms ahead of August 5 debut

Semi-solid-state MG4 to start at approx. 11,000 USD in China.

carnewschina.com

 

[JonathanRyan]

@JonathanRyan - I think I'd promised to time refilling my car. 3min for 55L diesel, timed from the moment I stepped out until the time I was sat back in the drivers seat. No hurry - in fact taking extra time to squeeze as much fuel in as possible for a 560mile range (down to estimated 5 miles remaining).

Honestly, we're gonna need a league table

 

[munch]

We will have to agree to disagee on that matter.

Many things are thought acceptable in a given population but are wrong in principle and damaging in practice.

Disagree with me as much as you like, it doesn't change the FACT that people who own EV cars are not cheating fellow tax payers.

 

[AndrewFlannigan]

Disagree with me as much as you like, it doesn't change the FACT that people who own EV cars are not cheating fellow tax payers.

It isn't a "FACT" or even a "fact", it's an opinion. Moreover, I have never claimed that everyone who owns and/or uses an electric car is cheating their fellow tax payers.

Only those who took the taxpayer funded purchase discount and/or those who charge the cars from the domestic power supply, thus not paying fuel duty.

 

[munch]

It isn't a "FACT" or even a "fact", it's an opinion. Moreover, I have never claimed that everyone who owns and/or uses an electric car is cheating their fellow tax payers.

Only those who took the taxpayer funded purchase discount and/or those who charge the cars from the domestic power supply, thus not paying fuel duty.

You are the one who is giving an opinion. An opinion that nobody else on this forum seems to agree with.

 

[pmac]

It isn't a "FACT" or even a "fact", it's an opinion. Moreover, I have never claimed that everyone who owns and/or uses an electric car is cheating their fellow tax payers.

Only those who took the taxpayer funded purchase discount and/or those who charge the cars from the domestic power supply, thus not paying fuel duty.

So are the 24milliom currently claiming benefits cheating fellow tax payers?

Why should we work and pay taxes to fund someone who can’t be bothered to work?

Why should my taxes go to those that smoke and drink and have such a burden on the NHS when it is widely known.
If their health issue are cause by this should the be excluded from nhs services?

By your standards all of the above is true that these people are infact cheating fellow tax payers.