Anyone giving up EV?

[TheDeuce]

cerb4.5lee said:

Evanivitch said:

cerb4.5lee said:

My biggest gripe with them is that they've actually took us backwards rather than forwards. Progress should make things better/easier I think, but EVs just don't work like that though in my opinion.

They will never be better than ICE for me, different yes, better...definitely not as you say.

How many billions have been spent on lower urban emissions, smoother gear changes, faster acceleration, lower noise and vibration? (Oh and finding ways to defrost windscreens quickly!)

All things that are inherently better in EVs with little or no effort.

You knew what I meant!

Poor range, and having to faff around planning long journeys...hoping that chargers work/are available etc in an EV in comparison to ICE. So EVs have actually put us backwards in many ways for me.

We at least still do have a choice though, so all you do is pick the one that you like the most/much prefer I reckon.

Honestly, in the last year or so there has been a huge increase in rapid charger installations - and they all now have to accept contactless payment (no apps) and in my experience they all work very reliably now. I see the odd one on Google or zapmap reported as faulty, but it's normally one in a bank of 10 or more, not really an issue.

I think the first wave of 50kw chargers that all needed their own apps and constantly broke down have done a lot of damage - people still think that's typical, but it isn't.

As others have said, these days you just stop whenever you would normally stop and plug in if there's a charger there. Obviously if you're low on power you have to find a charger... But how often do any of us do 200 miles+ without stopping for some reason anyway?

I suppose to an extent I've accepted and normalised needing to find a charger very occasionally - and for you that must seem like something you don't have time for, I Appreciate that. But you're in the habit of regularly visiting petrol stations, and you won't think about that because that's your normal.

I expect I spend less time overall 'filling up' than you do, but either way, once it's normal you stop thinking about it. All that really matters is which car is best for you overall - taking refiling it out of the equation, for me it's EV hands down. Getting out of an ICE into an EV feels like the machine has been fixed and is now working properly, not shaking, lurching and rattling.

[JustGetATesla]

I’ve “gone back to ICE” twice.
First time: Nissan Leaf at the end of a 3 year PCP in 2017. Lived the drivetrain, hated Evans Hellshaw. Plus the balloon payment was way above what it was worth. Opted into the company scheme to take on a Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. Comedically small petrol tank on those…
Second time: Hyundai Ioniq- 2 year lease ended in 2023, and we replaced it with a £2k Hyundai i30 of 2009 vintage. Decided to go back to a previous a car which should be robust, found one that wasn’t too badly abused, and here it is. An absolute dinosaur but one that I don’t ever need to care or worry about.

Would I go back to mechanical cars as a daily driver? God no - too primitive.

[Cobnapint]

Two things put me off owning an EV.

1. Having to find/use a working/available rapid charger in unfamiliar surroundings when going long distances (like on holiday).

2. The thought of having to eat when my battery pack says so, not my stomach (because that's the mitigation that every EV owner usually uses) at some grubby roadside services.
I'm on holiday, and when I'm on holiday I like having pub lunches in country pubs, not tarted up transport cafes.

This is a crying shame because after having a go in a Taycan the other week I was smitten.
Cost savings debate aside, the way EVs drive is just brilliant.

Edited by Cobnapint on Monday 15th April 23:31

[740EVTORQUES]

Cobnapint said:

Two things put me off owning an EV.

1. Having to find/use a working/available rapid charger in unfamiliar surroundings when going long distances (like on holiday).

2. The thought of having to eat when my battery pack says so, not my stomach (because that's the mitigation that every EV owner usually uses) at some grubby roadside services.
I'm on holiday, and when I'm on holiday I like having pub lunches in country pubs, not tarted up transport cafes.

This is a crying shame because after having a go in a Taycan the other week I was smitten.
Cost savings debate aside, the way EVs drive is just brilliant.

Edited by Cobnapint on Monday 15th April 23:31

I had both concerns as well before getting one. In practice though, having lived with one for 17,000 miles in just over a year I found them to be complete non-issues, for me at least. Possibly if you were doing more miles though.

Edited by 740EVTORQUES on Tuesday 16th April 03:31

[PBCD]

KingGary said:

Allow me to try again. When your average Joe Public decides to buy a new car, they will prioritise utility and price over all other factors.

While that might well be the case when it comes to secondhand car purchases,
I'm pretty sure than anyone who is shopping for a new car is not likely to be that
overly bothered about price, or they would have gone down the secondhand route,
surely?

[Evanivitch]

Cobnapint said:

ally uses) at some grubby roadside services.
I'm on holiday, and when I'm on holiday I like having pub lunches in country pubs, not tarted up transport cafes.

Are you usually doing 200+ mile days on holiday?

You'll be surprised how many already have chargers, often hidden away in a corner.

[KingGary]

PBCD said:

KingGary said:

Allow me to try again. When your average Joe Public decides to buy a new car, they will prioritise utility and price over all other factors.

While that might well be the case when it comes to secondhand car purchases,
I'm pretty sure than anyone who is shopping for a new car is not likely to be that
overly bothered about price, or they would have gone down the secondhand route,
surely?

Ok, I’ll use “affordability” instead, which should include depreciation. This applies to leasing and salary sacrifice, some people I’d imagine, would appreciate the money in their pocket instead of a new car on their drive. Second hand, nobody wants to buy something that’s worth nothing in 3-5 years time. Same for ICE.

[Discombobulate]

Cobnapint said:

Two things put me off owning an EV.

1. Having to find/use a working/available rapid charger in unfamiliar surroundings when going long distances (like on holiday).

2. The thought of having to eat when my battery pack says so, not my stomach (because that's the mitigation that every EV owner usually uses) at some grubby roadside services.
I'm on holiday, and when I'm on holiday I like having pub lunches in country pubs, not tarted up transport cafes.

This is a crying shame because after having a go in a Taycan the other week I was smitten.
Cost savings debate aside, the way EVs drive is just brilliant.

Edited by Cobnapint on Monday 15th April 23:31

As someone on their third EV, your first point remains valid even after 4 years of EV driving. Your second isn't though. Cup of coffee yes, lunch never. Country pubs for me.

[page3]

I think the problem with EVs is the range. It’s too much. Based on media propaganda people are now obsessed with it, resulting in large heavy cars with large batteries. The reality is that 50 kWh and 200 miles is easily enough for most, most of the time. Cheaper to buy and charge, lighter and more environmentally friendly.

[Evanivitch]

page3 said:

I think the problem with EVs is the range. It’s too much. Based on media propaganda people are now obsessed with it, resulting in large heavy cars with large batteries. The reality is that 50 kWh and 200 miles is easily enough for most, most of the time. Cheaper to buy and charge, lighter and more environmentally friendly.

I've thought the same for a while, but it's a package thing and something only the Tesla Standard Range only seem to hit at the moment I.e. moderate sized battery, good efficiency and good charging rates. Everything else is very much a compromise on those three points.

[LowTread]

Nobody says you have to stop at a services BTW.

On our way to scotland last week we had a choice for lunch:

Abington: 6 v2 superchargers at a grotty services, though the noodles were v nice.
Larkhall: 16 v3 superchargers at a nice hotel

We chose Abington as the kids were with us

By ourselves we'd have gone to Larkhall and had a nice lunch.

[Tycho]

M4cruiser said:

samoht said:

I'm only a few months in, but I can't imagine not having an EV as a daily in future. They're just such a nice way of travelling, and while not as cheap as a banger they're cheaper to run than anything 'nice', and nicer than anything 'cheap'.

I love that phrase, "cheaper to run than anything nice, and nicer than anything cheap"!
Our family's "fleet" recently acquired a basic EV, and yes I love driving it on short to medium length journeys. But we recently made a longer trip, and the stress of nearly running out of power was immense when I realised we'd be totally stuck, with no chance of walking to the charge station and carrying some back in a can.

That's a planning issue rather than an EV issue.

[DodgyGeezer]

Evanivitch said:

Cobnapint said:

ally uses) at some grubby roadside services.
I'm on holiday, and when I'm on holiday I like having pub lunches in country pubs, not tarted up transport cafes.

Are you usually doing 200+ mile days on holiday?
You'll be surprised how many already have chargers, often hidden away in a corner.

a charger tucked away which is usually a slow charger (medium speed at best)... as for 200 miles, I think you're being a little disingenuous. Our MY LR, when charged to 80%, has a max range of (about) 250 however it wants a top-up well before you're anywhere near that mark which then becomes a game of let's find the charger. I'll admit that things seem to be getting better on the charger front but (on a longer drive at least) it's nowhere near as convenient as petrol. You may feel differently, this is our experience

[vikingaero]

My sister has a Tesla Model S which I sometimes use. She's chopped it in for a diesel VW California Campervan because it's her company and she can!

I've had a few colleagues change from EV to PHEV's.

[SWoll]

DodgyGeezer said:

a charger tucked away which is usually a slow charger (medium speed at best)... as for 200 miles, I think you're being a little disingenuous. Our MY LR, when charged to 80%, has a max range of (about) 250 however it wants a top-up well before you're anywhere near that mark which then becomes a game of let's find the charger. I'll admit that things seem to be getting better on the charger front but (on a longer drive at least) it's nowhere near as convenient as petrol. You may feel differently, this is our experience

Why would you only charge to 80% if doing a long drive?

High speed chargers are pretty much everywhere now, just takes a little planning.

Tycho said:

That's a planning issue rather than an EV issue.

As above.

[Evanivitch]

DodgyGeezer said:

a charger tucked away which is usually a slow charger (medium speed at best)... as for 200 miles, I think you're being a little disingenuous. Our MY LR, when charged to 80%, has a max range of (about) 250 however it wants a top-up well before you're anywhere near that mark which then becomes a game of let's find the charger. I'll admit that things seem to be getting better on the charger front but (on a longer drive at least) it's nowhere near as convenient as petrol. You may feel differently, this is our experience

Why would you set off on a long journey with 80% battery?

[plfrench]

DodgyGeezer said:

a charger tucked away which is usually a slow charger (medium speed at best)... as for 200 miles, I think you're being a little disingenuous. Our MY LR, when charged to 80%, has a max range of (about) 250 however it wants a top-up well before you're anywhere near that mark which then becomes a game of let's find the charger. I'll admit that things seem to be getting better on the charger front but (on a longer drive at least) it's nowhere near as convenient as petrol. You may feel differently, this is our experience

Are you saying the range display is wrong? Also why wouldn't you charge up to 100% if you knew you'd be doing a longer journey, surely a M3 LR would be able to do a 200 mile journey with ease?

[plfrench]

I see Mercedes have given up on the range extender idea, so they've obviously decided that BEV does the job of covering range sufficiently well for the market longer term:

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/merced...

[DodgyGeezer]

SWoll said:

DodgyGeezer said:

a charger tucked away which is usually a slow charger (medium speed at best)... as for 200 miles, I think you're being a little disingenuous. Our MY LR, when charged to 80%, has a max range of (about) 250 however it wants a top-up well before you're anywhere near that mark which then becomes a game of let's find the charger. I'll admit that things seem to be getting better on the charger front but (on a longer drive at least) it's nowhere near as convenient as petrol. You may feel differently, this is our experience

Why would you only charge to 80% if doing a long drive?

High speed chargers are pretty much everywhere now, just takes a little planning.

even with the extra 60 miles it still wants more breaks than an ICE - as for planning, yes you're right. However, I don't really want to be planning extra stuff when on holiday, we enjoy 'spur-of-the-moment' detours/trips out (have driven to Portsmouth & the Cotswolds on a whim). Yes it can be done with EV - the fact if it's just not as convenient as ICE (even my lumbering Yanktank).

[Fastlane]

No, just ordered our 4th EV - 2 Teslas M3s, a Kona and am awaiting delivery of an Aryia to teplace the Kona. I have a toy car, so for daily duties, EVs suit our needs far better, even doing 24k miles a year between us.