RE: The best electric cars to buy in 2021

[JD]

g7jhp said:

I've always said EV's don't make economic or environmental sense right now.

- Limited range
- The Elec you put in isn't green enough
- They cost too much
- EV cars cost 1.5x a normal car (CO2) to produce
- Batteries aren't good enough

Worth watch this video from Harry's Garage.

In time they'll get there, but plenty of reason to stick with your ICE car today.

That may be your opinion, and even if it is widely held at the moment, it’s one that is changing rapidly.

This year, more than 1 in 10 cars sold in the UK will be electric.

[DonkeyApple]

g7jhp said:

I've always said EV's don't make economic or environmental sense right now.

- Limited range
- The Elec you put in isn't green enough
- They cost too much
- EV cars cost 1.5x a normal car (CO2) to produce
- Batteries aren't good enough

Worth watch this video from Harry's Garage.

In time they'll get there, but plenty of reason to stick with your ICE car today.

Yup. The aim is obviously that this period is about using tax payer funds and legislation to force a naturally uncompetitive market to be able to compete, in the hopes that within a short enough frame of time the tech will advance that allows the massive efficiencies of the electric motor to be brought to bear at which point the ICE will lose almost all natural demand due to being much more expensive, much less efficient and much less practical.

That point will come but the longer it takes the longer the EV market will be trapped in this current political hole that creates divisions among people.

[LordFlathead]

Sion111R said:

Where are Hyundai and Kia in this list? The Nero and Kona are technically very strong (good range) and are priced competitively.

Exactly. These cars have ultra-high efficiencies and should be included over and above the i3, which although a good car, cannot compete on range.

Walter Sobchak said:

I’d like to get a used Model 3 Long Range or Performance once they’ve been out a bit longer and are more affordable, decent range and nice to drive.

Car of the year sales wise and the Long Range covers 360 summer miles. Best EV of the year for many years yet not even mentioned on here.

BogBeast said:

Meh list.

Model 3 standard head and shoulders above most of those and its not there

This is Pistonheads - any car on this list should be a decent steer with some character

So that the Leaf and the Zoe out.

The Twizzy is not a car in any useful sense - its an electric moped with 2 extra wheels

The Tesla roadster is niche limited run from years ago and I am not sure it was ever that good a car

Appear the Pistonheads don't have a lot of knowledge on electric cars - never seen an electric car feature in the PH fleet?

Spot on! I put in the original request and had to beg Haymarket to add an EV forum and they refused, finally only allowing it if included LPG.

This piece was written the same as some review from Asda on EV's. Totally out of touch. As a Model 3 owner, and previous EV owner for the last ten years, not a mention about the usefulness of the Tesla charging network. If people were actually to follow this dumb-arsed guide, they would soon find themselves suffering both range anxiety and charger anxiety, neither of which you get driving a Tesla.

The three most efficient cars on the market are the Tesla Model 3 (which charges a LOT faster than the Model S), the Kia eNiro and the Hyundai Kona - None of them even mentioned.

[g7jhp]

JD said:

g7jhp said:

I've always said EV's don't make economic or environmental sense right now.

- Limited range
- The Elec you put in isn't green enough
- They cost too much
- EV cars cost 1.5x a normal car (CO2) to produce
- Batteries aren't good enough

Worth watch this video from Harry's Garage.

In time they'll get there, but plenty of reason to stick with your ICE car today.

That may be your opinion, and even if it is widely held at the moment, it’s one that is changing rapidly.

This year, more than 1 in 10 cars sold in the UK will be electric.

I did say "in time they'll get there".

The point is at present EV's aren't all they're portrayed to be.

Plently of EV owners believe they're being eco and clever but they don't consider or understand the 'current' cost of their cars.

[JackReacher]

LordFlathead said:

The three most efficient cars on the market are the Tesla Model 3 (which charges a LOT faster than the Model S), the Kia eNiro and the Hyundai Kona - None of them even mentioned.

I don't dispute what you say, but when was a Pistonheads list ever based on efficiency? I don't think it should be, save that for WhatCar. The Hyundai and Kia might make a great buy in terms of range/price ratio, and offer stonking warranties, but thats where the appeal ends.

The i3, Honda e, twizzy, deserve to be there as more interesting cars, and offer more fun in different varities. Flawed in many ways sure, but that is what PH is about.

I agree the Tesla M 3 should be on there for the performance and charging network

[Simon J Bennett]

Loving my I-Pace after taking delivery last month. Only taken the 911 out of the garage once since it arrived. Fast, quiet, comfortable and brilliant in the snow we currently have in Yorkshire.

[DonkeyApple]

LordFlathead said:

Sion111R said:

Where are Hyundai and Kia in this list? The Nero and Kona are technically very strong (good range) and are priced competitively.

Exactly. These cars have ultra-high efficiencies and should be included over and above the i3, which although a good car, cannot compete on range.

Walter Sobchak said:

I’d like to get a used Model 3 Long Range or Performance once they’ve been out a bit longer and are more affordable, decent range and nice to drive.

Car of the year sales wise and the Long Range covers 360 summer miles. Best EV of the year for many years yet not even mentioned on here.

BogBeast said:

Meh list.

Model 3 standard head and shoulders above most of those and its not there

This is Pistonheads - any car on this list should be a decent steer with some character

So that the Leaf and the Zoe out.

The Twizzy is not a car in any useful sense - its an electric moped with 2 extra wheels

The Tesla roadster is niche limited run from years ago and I am not sure it was ever that good a car

Appear the Pistonheads don't have a lot of knowledge on electric cars - never seen an electric car feature in the PH fleet?

Spot on! I put in the original request and had to beg Haymarket to add an EV forum and they refused, finally only allowing it if included LPG.

This piece was written the same as some review from Asda on EV's. Totally out of touch. As a Model 3 owner, and previous EV owner for the last ten years, not a mention about the usefulness of the Tesla charging network. If people were actually to follow this dumb-arsed guide, they would soon find themselves suffering both range anxiety and charger anxiety, neither of which you get driving a Tesla.

The three most efficient cars on the market are the Tesla Model 3 (which charges a LOT faster than the Model S), the Kia eNiro and the Hyundai Kona - None of them even mentioned.

PH isn't a forum though, it's a used car sales site so maybe the articles are more focussed on shifting used cars that don't sell as quickly as their competitors?

[DonkeyApple]

Simon J Bennett said:

Loving my I-Pace after taking delivery last month. Only taken the 911 out of the garage once since it arrived. Fast, quiet, comfortable and brilliant in the snow we currently have in Yorkshire.

Really like the ipace. Unfortunately it doesn't work for me until they improve the range. It's too expensive to just be a local runabout and it doesn't have the range to get me into London and back without any hassle of having to refuel away from home at some point.

[Evercross]

The Leaf and Zoe are has-beens and the battery-leasing on used ones is a millstone round their necks.

The MG ZS should have been on this list as it is a better proposition than both of them.

[ate one too]

JD said:

g7jhp said:

I've always said EV's don't make economic or environmental sense right now.

- Limited range
- The Elec you put in isn't green enough
- They cost too much
- EV cars cost 1.5x a normal car (CO2) to produce
- Batteries aren't good enough

Worth watch this video from Harry's Garage.

In time they'll get there, but plenty of reason to stick with your ICE car today.

That may be your opinion, and even if it is widely held at the moment, it’s one that is changing rapidly.

This year, more than 1 in 10 cars sold in the UK will be electric.

More than 1 in 30 people in the UK have currently contracted Covid-19 but I ain't joining them either ...

[flickyspinny]

g7jhp said:

Plently of EV owners believe they're being eco and clever but they don't consider or understand the 'current' cost of their cars.

I disagree. Most EV owners I know understand exactly the cost of their cars, and have bought them based on the lifetime cost of motoring.

I run an EV as a second car, and the electricity cost and maintenance cost from new for four years (including 2 x MoTs - it's just had it's latest) has come to a little less than £1500 over 35,000 miles, and it's probably lost about £8k in depreciation.

I'm expecting it to cost a total of £1500 in fuel and maintenance over the next four years, by which time it will have lost £13k in depreciation.

So £16,000 for 70,000 miles over 8 years. For a comfortable and well equipped hatchback with heated leather / DAB / Nav / Bose.

More importantly, I'll chose to take the EV almost every time over the other cars in the household unless I'm deliberately going for a fun drive, because nothing else touches it as a way to comfortably get from A to B.

[Simon J Bennett]

DonkeyApple said:

Really like the ipace. Unfortunately it doesn't work for me until they improve the range. It's too expensive to just be a local runabout and it doesn't have the range to get me into London and back without any hassle of having to refuel away from home at some point.

I do a 70 mile daily commute so it is perfect. Really is an incredibly accomplished vehicle.

[DonkeyApple]

Simon J Bennett said:

I do a 70 mile daily commute so it is perfect. Really is an incredibly accomplished vehicle.

Yup. My run into Town is 90 miles per side which means the people who do it and want the advantage of using an EV to skirt local taxes and blocked routes etc use Teslas at the moment. The several I know can't wait for a viable alternative to switch to.

[fmnjg]

As a driving machine the iPace is genuinely enjoyable. Instantly fast and a very sorted, planted chassis. I would happily own one but as a motoring enthusiast, the iPace and its EV brethren will never provide the interest and passion that engined cars do. A major differentiator between marques has been removed which must be a real concern for some of the premium manufacturers. Not much mileage to be had in debating the merits of different battery packs and electric motors either. I will embrace them but hope that I can keep and use a carefully selected example of the dying breed - mid-engined, normally aspirated, manual...

[Itsallicanafford]

I really, really want to buy a Honda E to replace our Toyota auris hybrid as a second car. Thing is, it makes absolutely no financial sense making this change for using the car at what the e is made for I.e as a city car (outside of London so no congestion charging) when the Auris is so cheap to run (zero road tax, 1 circa £150 service a year and 60mpg+ economy). And the e is £30k. Things will get serious in the EV market when Toyota properly joins the party in 2025.

[samoht]

Itsallicanafford said:

I really, really want to buy a Honda E to replace our Toyota auris hybrid as a second car. Thing is, it makes absolutely no financial sense making this change for using the car at what the e is made for I.e as a city car (outside of London so no congestion charging) when the Auris is so cheap to run (zero road tax, 1 circa £150 service a year and 60mpg+ economy). And the e is £30k. Things will get serious in the EV market when Toyota properly joins the party in 2025.

Someone buys a Honda E because they like it, not really because it's a cost-effective transport solution (as you say). Just because it appeals to them and they're rich enough to drop £30k on a car for that reason.

[Itsallicanafford]

samoht said:

Itsallicanafford said:

I really, really want to buy a Honda E to replace our Toyota auris hybrid as a second car. Thing is, it makes absolutely no financial sense making this change for using the car at what the e is made for I.e as a city car (outside of London so no congestion charging) when the Auris is so cheap to run (zero road tax, 1 circa £150 service a year and 60mpg+ economy). And the e is £30k. Things will get serious in the EV market when Toyota properly joins the party in 2025.

Someone buys a Honda E because they like it, not really because it's a cost-effective transport solution (as you say). Just because it appeals to them and they're rich enough to drop £30k on a car for that reason.

Yeap, your right.

[blue al]

g7jhp said:

JD said:

g7jhp said:

I've always said EV's don't make economic or environmental sense right now.

- Limited range
- The Elec you put in isn't green enough
- They cost too much
- EV cars cost 1.5x a normal car (CO2) to produce
- Batteries aren't good enough

Worth watch this video from Harry's Garage.

In time they'll get there, but plenty of reason to stick with your ICE car today.

That may be your opinion, and even if it is widely held at the moment, it’s one that is changing rapidly.

This year, more than 1 in 10 cars sold in the UK will be electric.

I did say "in time they'll get there".

The point is at present EV's aren't all they're portrayed to be.

How many electric cars are “actually sold” to private individuals,
as opposed to leased to companies for high net worth individuals personal tax benefits,
or to show a caring corporate face and green credentials to investors.

Introductory Lease deals on low mileage plans for manufactures to gain lower fleet averages is a different question.

I suspect mere man maths just wouldn’t cut it in the real world,
Would someone on slightly above average income commit all their own hard earned upfront to purchase any electric car? Sorry cannot see that being even close to one in 20.

[Simon J Bennett]

fmnjg said:

As a driving machine the iPace is genuinely enjoyable. Instantly fast and a very sorted, planted chassis. I would happily own one but as a motoring enthusiast, the iPace and its EV brethren will never provide the interest and passion that engined cars do. A major differentiator between marques has been removed which must be a real concern for some of the premium manufacturers. Not much mileage to be had in debating the merits of different battery packs and electric motors either. I will embrace them but hope that I can keep and use a carefully selected example of the dying breed - mid-engined, normally aspirated, manual...

I know where you are coming from and I certainly felt the same. Having had the I-Pace for a month now I'm not quite so sure. Certainly my 911 and Audi S4 have remained in the garage. Might just be the weather of course, but the Jag is a far more involving drive than I probably expected. Still, nice to have the choice I guess - that is assuming I can get the key to the Jag off my wife!

[ddom]

Zoe, Leaf, absolutely awful things. Tried a Leaf a year ago on an extended test drive, it was the definition of a white goods vehicle. Twizzy, not really a car, might as well buy an electric scooter

Tesla, no thanks. As much as they have done for the EV market they leave me cold. i3 is a genuinely innovative car, the issue is range and worse, the ride, terrible. Honda is tiny, and a lot of money. Tesla Roadster, are you mad? The Taycan is the only serious option, and this is the problem right now. All these beta EV cars are going to fall by the way as the next gens arrive.

All credit to the early adopters but they are still not a viable daily car for most, in respect of purchase cost and range.