Discussion
andy43 said:
Yep. Instant heat, instant de icing, and away you go. Silent, thrashable straight from stone cold, no mechanical sympathy ever needed. Can’t wake the neighbours at 7am no matter how hard you try. Decent ride, supernippy from the lights and into gaps. Ours is charged at home, on the 13a plug in charger it came with.
150 a month, with servicing included. Shame the new Leaf will be double that. Virtually no fuel costs, no car tax. Brakes don’t wear out, there’s no real servicing needed, it’s the ultimate hassle free vehicle.
As a commuter or city car the Leaf just works - go read Richard Porters piece on his long term Leaf.
Yes it’s ugly, yes the range limits it, and yes it’s dull, but not compared to the usual diesel white goods it competes against. I suspect most of the negative commenters haven’t tried one.
Can't wake neighbours at 7am........... I'm out150 a month, with servicing included. Shame the new Leaf will be double that. Virtually no fuel costs, no car tax. Brakes don’t wear out, there’s no real servicing needed, it’s the ultimate hassle free vehicle.
As a commuter or city car the Leaf just works - go read Richard Porters piece on his long term Leaf.
Yes it’s ugly, yes the range limits it, and yes it’s dull, but not compared to the usual diesel white goods it competes against. I suspect most of the negative commenters haven’t tried one.
Boosted LS1 said:
A very long time ago this was Teds forum about TVR:s .
You mean the same Ted who wrote this about EV back in 2015 
Like or not the world is changing.
https://www.blatters.com/mag/the-end-is-nigh/55c9c...
andy43 said:
Not necessarily. Line all three up and try a standing start, without feeling like you’re destroying a clutch or a £300 pair of tyres. The Leaf will be fastest over the first twenty yards.
If I launch the lotus well, it steals a lead. By 50mph the Merc has sorted traction out and is looming very large in the mirrors.
Shortly afterwards it steams past with 5 gears left and buggers off.
vikingaero said:
It's going to be a huge challenge for people who live in terraced streets or with no driveway.
We're already seeing cars with fairly realistic 200 mile EV ranges that can be rapid charged which meets a lot of people's weekly needs.As battery capacity increases to 300-400 miles you'll be able to get a 200 mile charge quite quickly (15-30 mins) at the right facility. Maybe whilst you do your shopping, or have a coffee or many other things.
It's not as idyllic as slow charging every night on your driveway, but let's not forget most terraced houses streets in cities and towns weren't ever designed for widespread car ownership in the first place.
A PHEV Discovery Sport would suit me fine.
Daily the car does a couple of miles. Weekends longer and every few months long -400 mile round trips.
Electric for the majority of pootling around locally and petrol for the longer stuff.
I could probably get away with a Tesla but that bill wing thing is a bit pricey.
Perfect.
Daily the car does a couple of miles. Weekends longer and every few months long -400 mile round trips.
Electric for the majority of pootling around locally and petrol for the longer stuff.
I could probably get away with a Tesla but that bill wing thing is a bit pricey.
Perfect.
As a driving reality check, our leafs average speed in 7000 miles is 17 mph. That folks is the reality of driving. Plus I don’t even live in a city, I’m in a village adjacent to the moors with twisty roads you’d all die for ! As a comparison my average cycling speed is about that
! Like I say, as a white good for dull driving, ev’s rule.
! Like I say, as a white good for dull driving, ev’s rule.
I saw one on fire last year. Firstly I chuckled as the idiot part of me thought 'Look at your stupid hippy car'. Then I stopped and felt really bad as it was someones car that was going up. Then the fire brigade turned up and tried to put out a load of what I presume are Litium ion batteries with water. That made it all really, really angry until at last they overwhelmed it.
EVs are more of a comprimise than ICE at the moment for many people so for some it works well while for others it is a ludicrous idea. It will be like that for quite some time given issues such as the amount of on street parking, no plan for how to collect tax for the 'fuel', etc.
EVs are more of a comprimise than ICE at the moment for many people so for some it works well while for others it is a ludicrous idea. It will be like that for quite some time given issues such as the amount of on street parking, no plan for how to collect tax for the 'fuel', etc.
cjs racing. said:
Willy Nilly said:
electric cars don't work for everyone
And yet from 2040 the government wants everyone to be in electric cars, what infrastructure are they going to roll out, to allow the hundreds of thousands in the same situation as myself to charge our cars.22 years is not very long.
I've been watching the Leafs (err.. Leaves?) for months now. An EV would be perfect as a second car for us as we need a car for a 4-5 mile journey several times a day and doing it in a petrol car that barely gets warm each time bothers me.
The rapid depreciation means a Leaf seem perfect for a short commuter car although I think prices are creeping up at the moment. The Zoe would also do the job but their battery arrangements make them far less appealing.
However, as I need the other car for towing it would mean getting rid of our Swift Sport meaning I wouldn't have anything fun to drive, so I've been trying to man-maths a solution. Maybe a fast estate for fun, towing, longer journeys and commuting and an EV for the rest...
The rapid depreciation means a Leaf seem perfect for a short commuter car although I think prices are creeping up at the moment. The Zoe would also do the job but their battery arrangements make them far less appealing.
However, as I need the other car for towing it would mean getting rid of our Swift Sport meaning I wouldn't have anything fun to drive, so I've been trying to man-maths a solution. Maybe a fast estate for fun, towing, longer journeys and commuting and an EV for the rest...
My wife's commute would be perfectly suited to an EV. 50 miles each way, 3 days a week.
At the moment she has a Mini One which gets circa 42 mpg. The car is old and owned outright so was looking into replacing it with a Zoe or Leaf but the cost seems huge once you add the battery lease cost at 15k miles per year.
Never had a car on finance so don't really understand how it works but seemed to be working out at about £320/month once you add the battery cost.
Am I missing something or is this the going rate? Her fuel cost would go from about £130 down to about £20 but this just doesn't stack up if the car itself is so expensive! Or am I just a cheapskate
At the moment she has a Mini One which gets circa 42 mpg. The car is old and owned outright so was looking into replacing it with a Zoe or Leaf but the cost seems huge once you add the battery lease cost at 15k miles per year.
Never had a car on finance so don't really understand how it works but seemed to be working out at about £320/month once you add the battery cost.
Am I missing something or is this the going rate? Her fuel cost would go from about £130 down to about £20 but this just doesn't stack up if the car itself is so expensive! Or am I just a cheapskate
Mr E said:
Boosted LS1 said:
Wow, I bought a leaf and left my balls behind. Ted did good, he kept his. Electric has nothing to do with cars imo.
As discussed elsewhere, I still have a car with a big f
k off V8, and another with probably the best steering ever devised by man. The Leaf is purely a method of getting to work where I make the money to indulge in the other cars.
Real petrol heads would have course have kept the 13 year old 120k Yaris that wanted a clutch and suspension refresh. Because the 1.3 litre 4 pot has something magical that an electric motor doesn’t.
My Elise is a crap car for my 130mile round trip commute, but on a sunny Sunday morning it's a joy to drive.
Paulm4 said:
My wife's commute would be perfectly suited to an EV. 50 miles each way, 3 days a week.
At the moment she has a Mini One which gets circa 42 mpg. The car is old and owned outright so was looking into replacing it with a Zoe or Leaf but the cost seems huge once you add the battery lease cost at 15k miles per year.
Never had a car on finance so don't really understand how it works but seemed to be working out at about £320/month once you add the battery cost.
Am I missing something or is this the going rate? Her fuel cost would go from about £130 down to about £20 but this just doesn't stack up if the car itself is so expensive! Or am I just a cheapskate
My leaf is 2 years old with 20k on it. At the moment she has a Mini One which gets circa 42 mpg. The car is old and owned outright so was looking into replacing it with a Zoe or Leaf but the cost seems huge once you add the battery lease cost at 15k miles per year.
Never had a car on finance so don't really understand how it works but seemed to be working out at about £320/month once you add the battery cost.
Am I missing something or is this the going rate? Her fuel cost would go from about £130 down to about £20 but this just doesn't stack up if the car itself is so expensive! Or am I just a cheapskate
With discounts (and I’m not great at negotiation about £8700).
PCP’d for 3 years. £137 a month. Probably £20-30 a month to charge it.
If the battery is f
ked at the end of it, I’ll hand it back and walk away. That’s cheap transport.
Tim bo said:
They become more prevalent on London's streets every month
DELETED: Comment made by a member who's account has been deleted.All it needs is the investment in storage & transportation. Once the tech is more viable, it will be more widely adopted, then economies of scale kick in and cost efficiency can be realised.
Electric cars cannot get around the achilles heal of recharge time, which is not an issue for hydrogen.
I'm pleased to see Toyota are sticking with their heavy investments in the tech.
Edited by Tim bo on Sunday 21st January 10:14
The thing about the recharge time is, who cares if it happens when you’re asleep. It’s like mobile phone recharging what percentage of people actually care how long it takes as long as you wake up on 100% every day.
Hydrogen vs battery is like Betamax vs VHS (and hydrogen is Betamax.)
Hydrogen vs battery is like Betamax vs VHS (and hydrogen is Betamax.)
Tim bo said:
Interesting reading, thanks for the link.
All it needs is the investment in storage & transportation. Once the tech is more viable, it will be more widely adopted, then economies of scale kick in and cost efficiency can be realised.
Electric cars cannot get around the achilles heal of recharge time, which is not an issue for hydrogen.
I'm pleased to see Toyota are sticking with their heavy investments in the tech.
Hydrogen is horrendous stuff, it leaks through and embrittles metal, burns with a transparent flame etc..All it needs is the investment in storage & transportation. Once the tech is more viable, it will be more widely adopted, then economies of scale kick in and cost efficiency can be realised.
Electric cars cannot get around the achilles heal of recharge time, which is not an issue for hydrogen.
I'm pleased to see Toyota are sticking with their heavy investments in the tech.
Edited by Tim bo on Sunday 21st January 10:14
Paulm4 said:
Never had a car on finance so don't really understand how it works but seemed to be working out at about £320/month once you add the battery cost.
Am I missing something or is this the going rate? Her fuel cost would go from about £130 down to about £20 but this just doesn't stack up if the car itself is so expensive! Or am I just a cheapskate
So she would be running a brand new car (warranty, breakdown cover, tax free, no repair bills) for about £220 a month after the fuel saving. Given the miles she doe, it seems pretty good. Most decent used cars will depreciate a grand or 2 a year anyway on the milage she does!Am I missing something or is this the going rate? Her fuel cost would go from about £130 down to about £20 but this just doesn't stack up if the car itself is so expensive! Or am I just a cheapskate
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