BMW, Audi, Mercedes or Tesla?

[MBC2020]

I’m getting a new company car and I can’t decide between the following. I don’t have to pay a contribution so the cost isn’t a concern however boot space is important as is charging time, charging availability and comfort. I do inner city and rural driving approx 1-2000 or so miles a month.

I’m stuck between the following options:
Audi Q4 e-tron
BMW iX1
BMW i4
Mercedes EQA
Tesla model 3

This is my first EV and I’m a little nervous! What would you go for and is there anything I should avoid or know about?

[jimKRFC]

MBC2020 said:

I’m getting a new company car and I can’t decide between the following. I don’t have to pay a contribution so the cost isn’t a concern however boot space is important as is charging time, charging availability and comfort. I do inner city and rural driving approx 1-2000 or so miles a month.

I’m stuck between the following options:
Audi Q4 e-tron ~ 275 (77kw/h), 200 m (52 kwh)
BMW iX1 ~ 270m
BMW i4 ~ 365 (depending on model)
Mercedes EQA ~ 220m
Tesla model 3 ~ 300m (standard), 340 (LR)

This is my first EV and I’m a little nervous! What would you go for and is there anything I should avoid or know about?

Most important question (Imho) is what's your typical usage? Are you regularly doing more than 200 miles a day? If not, and you can charge at home, then the "on the road" charging is much less of issue. Especially with the super charger network opening up. A quick look at ranges (added to your quote) should give you an idea of what might fit your usage best.

I'd also try and get a test drive (the longer the better) in what ever options work for you range-wise. I tried the Model 3 LR and it really wasn't for me (uncomfortable, numb steering, hated the big screen) but for some it's great.

Personally on that list I'd go for the BMW i4.

[PushedDover]

Can you Tesla Y ?

Cavernous, and charging wins.

[somouk]

That sounds like a lot of charging if you are out and about for 2000 miles a month.

I'd be looking at charger availability in the area as well as how much you do per day, ie, can you charge overnight to the required amount.

Model Y is much more practical than the 3.

[PushedDover]

It would equate to 100 miles a day I guess, not a problem if home charging. In fact, ideal.

[KarlMac]

If it’s through your company check what (if any) provisions they’re making for home chargers installations or charging ‘fuel cards’.

My last company had a scheme where they rolled the cost of a home charger into the lease so range wasn’t really an issue as I could charge at home, YMMV though as each individual case is different.

[blueacid]

jimKRFC said:

Most important question (Imho) is what's your typical usage? Are you regularly doing more than 200 miles a day? If not, and you can charge at home, then the "on the road" charging is much less of issue. Especially with the super charger network opening up. A quick look at ranges (added to your quote) should give you an idea of what might fit your usage best.

I'd also try and get a test drive (the longer the better) in what ever options work for you range-wise. I tried the Model 3 LR and it really wasn't for me (uncomfortable, numb steering, hated the big screen) but for some it's great.

Personally on that list I'd go for the BMW i4.

Seconded on the typical usage question. 100 miles daily with the ability to charge at home differs greatly from two 900 mile round-trips with no charging at either end (plus a couple of hundred miles of station runs).

[MBC2020]

PushedDover said:

It would equate to 100 miles a day I guess, not a problem if home charging. In fact, ideal.

Yeah that’s about right for a typical day. Only occasionally more than 300 miles in a day. I do a lot of London driving which is significantly less than 100 miles a day, but also cover all of east anglia which is why the amount of mileage is so erratic.

Yes I should have said, I will get a home charger installed. I think you get a 3.6kw paid for by the company but you can upgrade and then pay the difference back.

[MBC2020]

PushedDover said:

Can you Tesla Y ?

Cavernous, and charging wins.

I’d love the model Y but apparently it’s not currently an option. I did ask if I could wait as the list can change per quarter but they rejected this and said there were no guarantees that the list would change significantly anyway.

[greggy50]

I would say the I4 from that list.

The I40 should get close to a real world 300 miles I would think and is a nicer bit of kit to be sat in than a Tesla.

All the Merc EVs seem overpriced to me for what you get and a bit crap on range.

The Q4 felt a bit cheap inside to me for the price when I sat in a colleagues recently, nothing wrong with it but the BMW IX3/I4 just seems a better product for similar money.

[TheLoraxxZeus]

Majority of conversation here is around mileage and charging which is fair enough but I wanted to touch on the Tesla interior. It's a pile of st. Bland, depressing and reeks of cheapness, and I couldn't imagine spending any amount of time in it.

Probably not important to some people but that really puts me off them.

[IIIRestorerIII]

MBC2020 said:

I’d love the model Y but apparently it’s not currently an option. I did ask if I could wait as the list can change per quarter but they rejected this and said there were no guarantees that the list would change significantly anyway.

I mean it's not like Tesla have slashed their prices in the last week

[S600BSB]

Presumably you will have a charger at home?