Pulling the plug?

[Talk Wrench]

It does appear that some manufacturers of electric cars are having a bit of a rethink.

Why Volvo has pulled the plug on its electric car brand

Polestar remains stuck in the red as battery-powered vehicles lose their illustrious shine

www.telegraph.co.uk

I wonder what the Swedish Doom Goblin will make of this?

 

[Tin basher]

EV's nice idea, polar bears saved, rain forest grows, trees hugged all is good, a four wheel drive route straight into St. Greta's knickers. Meanwhile back in the real world they are an expensive salve to your eco-ego. They are, price wise, out of the reach of the very people who, if the idea is to take off, need to be owning one.

Basic petrol 2024Vauxhall Corsa - Vauxhall Corsa on-the-road prices RRP from £19,625
Electric 2024 Vauxhall Corsa - RRP £37,630 115kW Electric

So basic little hatchback is getting towards twice the price if you buy the electric version. Now a tiny little Corsa won't cut it for many users so bigger motors lead to even bigger prices. Mr Musk's popular Tesla - the Tesla Model 3 has a RRP range of £39,990 to £49,990. Prices start at £39,990 if your paying cash. All the folk in my social circle who drive electric have them as company motors not personal purchases. Certainly spending in excess of 30K for a motor, just for the outside chance of fondling Greta's norks is outside my current thinking.

 

[Deltaitem]

I'm planning on going electric this year. I've set myself a target of 10k and will browse the second hand market. I'm reckoning on a Nissan Leaf or similar. Sooner or later, well, sooner actually, because we've squandered all the warnings so far, we've all get to get them or go extinct, so for the sake of biting that bullet, I'm happy to get one.

 

[fourteen2two]

We part exchanged our 7 year old diesel Hyundai SUV for a self charging hybrid ( Hyundai Tucson). We didn't want to go full electric because of cost, plus we have a caravan. The hybrid can tow 1650kg and no leccy range issues.
Most EVs can only tow 1000kg or less except very pricey ones . Then range drops big time.
It tows well and economy towing is similar to the diesel. Solo its better. Performance is excellent especially in sport mode!
DSG autobox which wife loves. The previous was a manual.
We couldn't get a replacement diesel as they don't do them anymore. Nearest equivalent is a Kia Sorento diesel at £48 k
Plus extra VED for 5 years as list price is over £40k.
The Tucson is just under so VED is £180.

 

[busby1971]

They cost too much new, and second hand market only just forming, prices will drop eventually, salary sacrifice schemes can be a cost effective route purchase for high rate tax payers.

Some major brand small cars only a couple of years old, with mileages in the teens now sitting around 13 to 16k, which feels about right.

People think they need a big battery, you don’t, but don’t get anything smaller than 50kwh if you want to make a 150 mile round trip on a regular basis, especially in winter, fast charging is great but very expensive 70 to 90p a unit

99% of my charging is at work, 15p a unit or at home 28p which makes it cheaper than petrol, and it feels good not going to petrol stations any more.

 

[dctyke]

I'm planning on going electric this year. I've set myself a target of 10k and will browse the second hand market. I'm reckoning on a Nissan Leaf or similar. Sooner or later, well, sooner actually, because we've squandered all the warnings so far, we've all get to get them or go extinct, so for the sake of biting that bullet, I'm happy to get one.

some six year old Leafs cannot do 100 miles, some considerably less.

 

[Spearmint]

I'm not interested in going electric as they are purely soulless but suped up milk floats. I've had a few now for hire cars (work) and I'm not impressed.

I'll stick to my 3 Series with a 3.0L Twin Turbo Diesel and a decent ZF8 Gearbox thank you very much. 40mpg even when gooning it and an absolute blast to drive.

 

[busby1971]

some six year old Leafs cannot do 100 miles, some considerably less.

Some never did, batteries cost, e-mini, that cute Honda, a lot of Mazdas and the Smart one too, they’re all in the 30 to 40kwh range and you will only ever get three quarters or two thirds of the quoted range in summer or winter unless you’re just bumbling around town with your big coat on.

My sold range is 320+ but Ive never had better than 270 in summer and it’s nearer 190 in the depth of winter, but this works for me, i I’d bought the smaller battery then the winter range just wouldn’t have been enough For my weekly trip To site and back.

 

[fourteen2two]

We have a Mini Cooper convertible 1.5 turbo as well as the Hyundai hybrid. It's pretty quick and lots of fun. You can only get hatchbacks orsmall SUV as EVs. Range is realistically around 100 miles. Apparently pretty quick but more expensive than our convertible. The electric one would do us as it do many long trips but we wanted the soft top. I had a Saab convertible for 10,years but sadly they aren't made anymore .
We don't a huge mileage and it's pretty economical no kids so why not.
If lottery came up I'd be visiting the Porsche dealers!

 

[Cooheed]

**** Greta and her mob. Buying a second hand EV would be an absolute lottery. All dependant on how the previous owner managed the battery pack. At over £10k a pop to replace it, hydrocarbons all the way

 

[foxOneFive]

I've just ordered a new Ibiza, petrol. should be here middle of March. looked into EV's. Maybe been brainwashed on so many things on interweb? I live very rural so chargers not in abundance. What puts me off is them catching fire and hard to put out? Playing safe, the flip flop gov's will keep changing the rules, so at 60, I'm sure this car will do me for 10 years when I'll be a liability. EV's maybe a good thing? But I really don't think it's there yet

 

[Spearmint]

BMW aren't convinced and are adopting Hydrogen Engines as their main R&D focus.

Hydrogen Europe

[…]

hydrogeneurope.eu

The solution is probably a mix of both. Hydrogen vehicles for personal transportation and long distance hauling, electric for just nipping about the city or delivering individual parcels, although adopting drone technology for parcels will also negate the need for vans.

 

[busby1971]

The futures not here yet, you can only buy today’s tech, with today’s infrastructure, and Hydrogen ubiquity is much further away than electric is today.

Hydrogen has got some big benefits, one of which is smoothing green energy, but this can be achieved in so many ways, some don’t know yet.

I think the cost of fossil fuel will be a big driver soon, I used to put a tank and half of petrol in my car every week at my local garage, this subsidises those topping up once a week, once the high milers have all gone alternative, economies of scale will start to drop off.

 

[Cornish_Pikey]

The futures not here yet, you can only buy today’s tech, with today’s infrastructure, and Hydrogen ubiquity is much further away than electric is today.

Hydrogen has got some big benefits, one of which is smoothing green energy, but this can be achieved in so many ways, some don’t know yet.

I think the cost of fossil fuel will be a big driver soon, I used to put a tank and half of petrol in my car every week at my local garage, this subsidises those topping up once a week, once the high milers have all gone alternative, economies of scale will start to drop off.

The high milers don't really have a current alternative. If you currently need to do high miles you cannot afford the waiting time to charge. There are few alternatives at the moment.

 

[busby1971]

It’s only a problem for those who do long journeys, and it comes down to charging speed, I did a Cambridge to Edinburgh run at motorway speeds and only needed a 40min charging break at Scotch Corner, made it with juice to spare (not much though).

Just had a lunch break, although with the queue at costa, a coffee break would have done it.

Same on the way back.

 

[foxOneFive]

Due to my work I popped into a large car dealership today. The head salesman who has been there for years said as above....They really aren't there yet and made a point on the recovery system that is supposed to "charge" up on breaking.....no end of complaints about not working very well.

 

[Cornish_Pikey]

Due to my work I popped into a large car dealership today. The head salesman who has been there for years said as above....They really aren't there yet and made a point on the recovery system that is supposed to "charge" up on breaking.....no end of complaints about not working very well.

If you drive sensibly, on a long motorway drive you hardly use the brakes. Therefore there's no regeneration to be had.

 

[foxOneFive]

And if the nearest motorway is 100 miles away it's irrelevant? With respect, I think EV's, smart meters, air source heat pumps all great things to save the polar bears are really good. But unfortunately, you speak to anybody in any of these sectors, they are all trying to run before they can walk......Unfortunately as per.....Gov figures on a spreadsheet. Back on cars, there are people who live outside city's at the moment they just are not suitable, sorry for the yank vid, but when they sneeze etc...

 

[Deltaitem]

all great things to save the polar bears are really good.

To say nothing of saving the humans as well.

 

[fourteen2two]

There is an MG dealer near us which has about a dozen new ones ( MG 4) I think. They have been there a while.
Obviously not selling well. I wouldn't entertain one. Don't like them.
Expensive, infrastructure not there yet and made in China.
The range of the MGs would do for us, leaving the bigger SUV for long trips and towing.
We have a self charging hybrid SUV, which is pretty good and a petrol powered small car.
Our neighbour's son has Tesla model Y as a company car. (He works for one of leccy companies). He likes it. He says it's very comfortable and roomy for his family. Range is good. Obviously tax advantages for him. Its a £50K car.
I really don't like the design, nearly everything controlled by a big touch screen. Looks like someone simply stuck a big I pad on the dash.