£15k PHEV or EV - Page 1 - Car Buying

Original Poster

34,192 posts

201 months

Monday 17th May 2021

Wife wants a PHEV or EV. A friend recently bought a Golf GTE for £15k or thereabouts. My FFRR is worth about that, so it seems like that's the budget.

Is the Golf the best bet? I like the idea of an I3Rex, but that'll only do about 150 miles before it empties the battery and the petrol tank.

Realistically, we don't need huge range, but I'm havering between PHEV, EV and something like the I3 (which I guess is what they euphemistically call a "self-charging hybrid"?).

Not sure where to start, TBH. What should we be considering?

If this replaces the RR, it'll be car four. If it doesn't; car five, so it won't be the long-distance car, the utility truck, or the weekend fun car.

ZX10R NIN

30,467 posts

153 months

Monday 17th May 2021

Original Poster

34,192 posts

201 months

Monday 17th May 2021

Blimey. I hadn't realised there'd be so much choice. They do seem to depreciate pretty fast, don't they?

paul chocks

77 posts

191 months

Tuesday 18th May 2021

I say go for it. If you have somewhere at home to charge and have another vehicle, then fully electric is the way to go, and don't believe the tales of depreciation, or at least don't use that solely as a comparator with ICE cars.

There are big discounts available on new cars, or certainly there were before all this micro-chip shortage started, so what you might perceive as depreciation is false (recently, a new VW ID3 could be bought for £26k on drive the deal, and there are other, cheaper alternatives too). I bought a new eGolf 3 years ago for less than £20k when it's list price was £32k. WBAC value it now at just over £14k after 3 years and 45,000 miles. Sainsbury's bank do cracking loan rates for up to £25k, so you can't even claim these cars are unaffordable.

So, you might think, I've lost £6k in three years, even after getting a bargain, but the other huge factor is this - my previous car did 30 mpg average. That would have cost me the price of 1,500 gallons of fuel over three years. 6,750 litres at, what, an average of £1.20 a litre? Can you see where I'm going here? The extra electricity I've used has cost about £1500 over the three years, and I'm not on the cheapest tariff. If you get the best EV leccy tarrif, you could possibly half that.

Not only that, but tax is zero and servicing is peanuts. For me, it was an easy decision. If you have a 60 mpg car the maths may not be so good, but those diesel cars will soon be very difficult to sell.

Personally, I'd avoid hybrids unless you have nowhere to charge, or its your only car. I think their popularity is time limited. Their electric range is poor and I think second hand demand is limited.

Fuel costs for moderate drivers are as high as depreciation. Do the maths, and have a drive.

Original Poster

34,192 posts

201 months

Tuesday 18th May 2021

Interesting, thanks. TBH I hadn't realised the eGolf can be had for similar money as the GTE.

maz8062

3,872 posts

243 months

Wednesday 19th May 2021

EV’s are a real faff and be prepared to assume responsibility for the thing throughout your ownership, unless your wife is happy plugging the thing in while out and about, at work, or wherever when the juice is low.

The eGolf is a good car, I had one on an a 48hr test drive, but the real world range was less than 100 miles for London traffic driving. Nissan Leaf first generation are priced fairly but you have to go into it with your eyes open and probably try and get at least the 30kwh battery version, as the other early cars have ranges as low a as 60 miles. BMW i3 Rex is a good car and I’d have one, but make sure you can live with the size of the thing - it’s small, and those doors will be a PITA if you have young kids.

Of your choices and depending on the type of driving, I’d go with a hybrid and the GTE is a mighty fine one, as would a Mercedes c350e (estate version) or gen 1 BMW 330e.

Original Poster

34,192 posts

201 months

Wednesday 19th May 2021

We're looking at Golf size. No kids, one dog. Wife doesn't work and, asI said, it'd be a fourth or fifth car.

100 or so miles of range would give me anxiety. He dad lives 43 miles away, for example. I'd prefer 150+, and for £15k that seems unlikely. And no, I won't increase the budget because it's not as if we even need the car in the first place
( smile

)

Even 20 miles of EV range on a hybrid would be useful if we used the car for the supermarket and so on, so a PHEV is looking favourite at this point.

GreatGranny

9,519 posts

254 months

Wednesday 19th May 2021

A Zoe with the 40kwh battery has an official range of 186 miles so will easily do 120-130 miles.
That will get to your Dad's and back with zero range anxiety.

If you have 3/4 other cars there's no need to get a PHEV instead of a EV.

Just go and drive one, you'll soon be converted.

ZX10R NIN

30,467 posts

153 months