So who has got an EV then…

[CarMad]

And more importantly what do you think. 
 

I was considering the Kia EV6 but my wife was a brand snob and said no. I’ve gone for diesel again and loving the new motor, will write a review and post some pics but genuinely interested to see how people are using them and if they are a pleasure with a bit of pain?

[Soulboy]

Riz had his Tesla a good while ago......hopefully he will chip in. 

I think most peoples views are out of date on them. They watched Top Gear about 10 years ago and haven't realised the improvements (think of a phone over same period). 

A lot depends on whether you can get a home charger (ideally need a driveway) and can afford the initial outlay. If those are Yes, it's mostly all good. 

My neighbours either side have now got them as well as me (Tesla M3 / Mine / Ioniq 5).

Two of my friends have also recently bought Mustang Mach E. 

Everyone of them absolutely loves them and once you drive one, it's hard to go back to ICE. The instant torque and silence are hard to give up. The peace is far less stressful on long journeys (think of a rattling old Diesel train v a high speed electric train) and the one thing I really don't miss is the exhaust. 

And then there's running costs....!

My Taycan is working out at 5% cost in electricity compared to petrol in the M2. No road tax. Cheap servicing (very few parts). Govt grant towards home charger (£350?). Brakes unlikely to need replacing (regen instead of braking). 

Range is similar to M2 on a full tank (250 - 300 miles). Ultra rapid chargers out and about are booming. Ionity 350kw chargers will get the Taycan from 20-80%  charge in about 20 mins (far more costly than home charging though). 

If you want to consider charging, download Zap Map app and have a look. 

Residuals should be sky high. Who will want a used ICE car in 3 years that costs £80 to fill up, when you couid get an EV that costs £5 to charge for similar range? 

Downsides... 

Home charging essential imo. 

Initial cost is expensive. 

Very heavy. 

Can be big (Taycan as big as a Range Rover) 

Feel like a Beta tester on Porsche software (not an issue with Tesla). 

Battery degradation (Probs no worse than ICE car engine wear). But Porsche give a warranty for 100k miles / 8 years on the battery, so I don't care anyway. 

It's a golden era. The Govt will have to find a way to tax them as it cost f*** all to run them currently. 

*Side note. If getting as a company car. Specced up a new M4 c £80k and bik (36% pa) would cost me £1k pm in tax. 

Similar price Taycan (2% bik) would cost about £25 pm. 

Then add fuel cost and road tax and its a saving of about £1300 pm! 

[CarMad]

I miss the exhaust note when I’m in them. I nearly got a M2 for that very reason. 
 

The M40d is so quiet and smooth it’s like a creamy petrol than a diesel, take a few people out in it and they can’t believe it’s a diesel. Not sure if some of that is due to the acoustic glass or not but as a cruise it’s fab and can get 600miles from the tank. More expensive to run than electric but then there are loads of factors and mine is personal not business car. 
 

interestingly though work have just started to offer a salary sacrifice solution to get an electric car as you have to pay BIK but it’s so low so what. Might get the wife one through the scheme potentially. She has an X1 now so might have a look at the new IX1 out next year. 

[CarMad]

Just saw this, things have a way to go yet. 
 
COP26: How easy is it to drive from London to Glasgow using an electric car? http://news.sky.com/story/climate-crisis-how-easy-is-it-to-drive-from-london-to-cop26-in-glasgow-using-an-electric-car-12455784 

[Rachel]

Lol, you have more hope of that than Sydney to Broken Hill...  (just sayin')

[Lussac]

Then there's me where it's not possible to have an electric car, and there are a lot in a similar situation.  We live in a terrace on a walkway and it's 50m to the closest public parking space, garage is in a block 100m away with no power/water facilities. To have an electric car would entail the council installing public chargers which is not going to happen as they are already potless and can't afford to maintain the roads.  Would like to have had the option when ordering my about to be delivered Skoda Karoq 1.5 SEL DSG.

[Soulboy]

Home charging is the main thing in my opinion. It will come (street lamp chargers etc) but it's a way off. 

I definitely wouldnt even consider an EV without home charging. 

Public chargers are way more expensive than home chargers. And you never know if they are free or working properly. They also degrade the battery faster. 

That said - once you know your way round they are 'ok'. 

The journo in the Sky article only used Gridserve. Why? Its like going out in an ICE and saying you will only use Texaco. 

From my experience Ionity, Instavolt, Porsche dealer network and BP Pulse are the best options. Gridserve near the bottom. 

But the Taycan does have better options than most others..... it is 800v (most cars are usually 400v) and so has the fastest and highest spec chargers available (800/350kw) - which are usually quieter. 

Edited November 2, 2021 by Soulboy

[CarMad]

Agree I think for most people and use cases a home chargers is essential. The vast majority of journeys are round trips to the house so makes sense and rarely do many of us go long distances that really need a charger. 

But the range anxiety and options do need to improve to get mass adoption. I don't want to go and travel to a relative to charge at their house or have to stop within miles of the place for 20 minutes so I can travel whilst there it just feels weird doing things like that. 

Still early days but things will improve, or maybe just maybe synthetic fuels might save the day for some, maybe that is only for those that can afford that fuel though, we shall see.