The all things EV chat thread

[TimShady]

Last summer I had a week in Lancashire and The Yorkshire Dales.
Over the whole week my car did 65.8mpg and it's a 12yr old Kia Cee'd 1.6 diesel.
But, if your calling me out on that, you crack on.

As someone who drives an 11 year old Kia Cee’d 1.6 diesel, I can only conclude you drive like Miss Daisy’s chauffeur.

 

[TimShady]

Even when my students were thrashing 1st gear, spending 30 minutes practicing parallel parking and having to keep the engine running for heat/aircon I was still getting 60mpg from my Cactus........jus' sayin'

Now that’s just not true and you know it.

 

[Imurg]

Now that’s just not true and you know it.

Busted
I just thought I'd come on here and create some mischief by inflating might figures .......to what end..?
What have I possibly got to gain from it..?
Get a life.

 

[TimShady]

Busted
I just thought I'd come on here and create some mischief by inflating might figures .......to what end..?
What have I possibly got to gain from it..?
Get a life.

Just seems weird that you’d get better MPG with inefficient driving than people who test cars for a living.

 

[GreiginFife]

Just seems weird that you’d get better MPG with inefficient driving than people who test cars for a living.

Depends really, many engine variants. The official figured for the 1.6hdi blue 100, for example, is some 74-85mpg as tested by thems that test cars for a living.

So getting 60 (in that particular model) doesn’t seem so much liar, liar pants on fire.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Just seems weird that you’d get better MPG with inefficient driving than people who test cars for a living.

But it's ok to overinflate the range of EV's?

 

[TimShady]

But it's ok to overinflate the range of EV's?

Who does that?

 

[Slime]

As someone who drives an 11 year old Kia Cee’d 1.6 diesel, I can only conclude you drive like Miss Daisy’s chauffeur.

Wrong ................ again.

 

[Robster59]

I'm going to have to go out and buy more popcorn.

 

[Mudball]

There are other uses of EVs

An Australian Woman Used Her BYD Electric Car To Power Her Son's Dialysis Machine During A Blackout - Making It A Lifeline - Wonderful Engineering

Amidst a power outage caused by flash flooding in southeast Queensland on Christmas Day, an Australian woman, Kristy Holmes, found an ingenious soluti

wonderfulengineering.com

 

[Deleted member 15344]

I'm going to have to go out and buy more popcorn.

Popcorn made from an electric power machine

 

[Mudball]

My mk1 Skoda Superb 1.9TDI would do 50mpg mixed driving, and 69mpg on a run, cruising at legal limits which could if you wanted (as I did on occaision), do North East Kent to Plymouth, running around down there and returning back to North East Kent on 1 tank of fuel (just about 700 miles)
You didn't have to drive it like Ms Daisy the old lady either, and I did used to enjoy the fantastic torque the engine had
However it doesn't meet the narrative, so anything good said about diesels is immediately put down as lies.

I traded my 4 year Diesel SUV for an EV SUV. I am still an EV noob.... but it is a big change. With my Diesel, i would fill up once in 2 weeks or so (depending on usage). It is better on the motor way than inner roads. I am sure i have been to Plymouth (400m round trip) on a single tank. I have been to Luton airport (100m round trip) and the dial has barely moved. If it is local run, then it is a guzzler.

Right now with the EV, i am constantly monitoring % and range. Mrs took it to work (50m round trip) and i was sweating myself that it ate thru 20% of the battery!!!. So i am constantly plugging it in. Tomorrow off to Kent (120m) and I am looking at Charging. I would never bat an eyelid with my Diesel. Diesel is a clear winner.

However, as someone mentioned, it is a different way to think about it. If we use old yard stick of 2 visits to the pump, then it does not work anymore. The key here is to think of it as a phone. Set it to charge when you reach work or plug it in at night. It is brilliant for those with set routines and short-medium journeys. We also need more chargers and home chargers.

EVs are still (relatively) early days. The first adopters are already here. Now we are seeing the second wave - this is always going to be tough.

In the days gone by, i was a blackberry fan (remember the crackberrys). The single biggest thing i liked was the keyboard. I held off getting an iphone for as long as I could. Now about 10 years of having an iphone, i just cant believe that I used a blackberry. The answer lies not just in the keyboard, but the whole ecosystem. Despite the fact that the old Nokia would retain charge for a month, but I have to plug in the iphone everytime I am not actively using it.

 

[ColchesterFC]

Yes, no, maybe and it depends. PCP may not be right for you, it’s worth looking at the many car finance comparisons to understand the suitability. The AA, money supermarket and so on might be helpful.

For me, that deal looks appealing on first glance but some things that put me off for my circumstances:

1. The mileage limit is too low. Of course it might be negotiable but it changes the deal. The excess mileage rate is not daft like some others so maybe not too big an issue

2. 33% deposit for a PCP is high, PCP tends to work better with a lower (as a proportional) deposit because remember you are just paying the depreciation and the manufacturer will profit twice. But overall on this deal those numbers aren’t bad. They’re just not as good as they look because…

3. I don’t feel like you get much car for £27k on this one. I’d want to look at the spec a lot more closely and I’d want something in higher trim with a lot more features. It’s not the car I’d be looking for.

Other than that. Not a bad deal on the surface. I’d wait a bit longer though, I think there may be better coming. Finance market seems to be calming with interest rates reversing a little.

Cheers for the detailed reply. I won't be looking to change either of our cars for the next few years so I'm guessing a lot will change in that period. I'm currently driving a 12 plate petrol C Max that my dad gave me when he decided to give up driving. It's only done just over 80k miles so should have a good few years left in it before it goes to the big scrapyard in the sky. Will probably look to go EV or hybrid when it does finally give up the ghost.

Mrs Colch has a 63 plate diesel Zafira, again low mileage, that she uses for work to tow her trailer and/or the caravan so definitely won't be looking to change that one for an EV any time soon. If the ban on ICE cars does actually happen I'll look to replace the Zafira just before the ban is enforced, almost certainly for another diesel for the towing capability unless there are big changes to the suitability of EV cars for towing before then.

 

[PJ87]

@TimShady So I've booked a test drive for Friday on the Kia.

My head's been turned too much. I've been on countdown since January 22 to buy one I set a target to get it for December 24.

The deal they offering the numbers just stack up for me. The deposit is less than half what I've got saved for it ATM. The repayments are less than I'm saving every month for it. I can pick the spec IE I can get that optional heat pump which is rare to find second hand as not everyone's added them. Plus a 7 year warranty rather than 4/5

Extra year warranty on the battery on cars registered January this year onwards so 8 not 7 years

Car wow threw a bit more off the list price which the dealer near me said they would match

Could arrive mid Feb

Told the wife and even she said go for it as she likes the idea of using it as the family car and really almost retiring the big car

 

[larmen]

Could arrive mid Feb

What are the usual lead times on cars these days? Are we still suffering from the suez blockage amd chip shortage?

 

[PJ87]

What are the usual lead times on cars these days? Are we still suffering from the suez blockage amd chip shortage?

Tbh I'm not 100% sure. It seems like on these that they are ready to go now and are already in the country awaiting to be registered Job

I typed into Google last night and it said 12-16 week

I'm not too fussed either way, if I have to wait long as its before December I'm fine. However I think it will be quick as the offer ends April .

 

[Mudball]

First ‘drive’ since I got the EV.. 50 miles to Kent. Mostly motorway. Fee things
1) put the car in ‘efficient’ mode.. I was a bit stressed looking at the leccy usage. It will need some time to get used to not worrying.

2) The gps said we will reach with 55% and we reached bang on 55% .. the return it predicted for 40%, but that is not relevant as I have plugged it in

3) Boring: with no engines, the car is very quiet and responsive. Many a times I exceeded the speed limit without even realising it. Letting the accelerator go means that regen would kick in and it slows down faster than an ice car. Without all the motor noises it can be boring and lifeless. (But that is just me)

 

[cliveb]

First ‘drive’ since I got the EV.. 50 miles to Kent. Mostly motorway. Fee things
1) put the car in ‘efficient’ mode.. I was a bit stressed looking at the leccy usage. It will need some time to get used to not worrying.

Remind me what EV do you have? Is it a big heavy thing?
2.4 miles/kWh in "efficient mode" sounds shocking. I thought EVs were supposed to do about 3.5 - 4 miles/kWh.

 

[jim8flog]

Depends really, many engine variants. The official figured for the 1.6hdi blue 100, for example, is some 74-85mpg as tested by thems that test cars for a living.

So getting 60 (in that particular model) doesn’t seem so much liar, liar pants on fire.

As said previously the trouble with 'official' figures is that are done inside a lab on a rolling road so do not reflect the ups and downs of real life.

 

[Mudball]

Remind me what EV do you have? Is it a big heavy thing?
2.4 miles/kWh in "efficient mode" sounds shocking. I thought EVs were supposed to do about 3.5 - 4 miles/kWh.

Yup.. the BMWs r big and heavy wardrobes. 2.5 tons

I m trying to still figure it out.. I don’t know if it is the temp - though tbh today it has only between 0-5 today