A what EV car query...

[pmanson]

Hi All,

Current fleet:

• An aged Honda CRV (petrol)
• 2020 XC90 T8

Current situation:

• 3 kids (11, 5 and 4) and a 25kg dog to lug around
• Limited Company Director
• Commute to the office (10 mile round trip) which has a charging point installed
• Other car - around town, occasionally school run (kids generally walk to school),
• Semi-regular (or at least were semi regular trips) of 240 miles down to the sea side (round trip)

We've been toying with changing my wife's car around 12 months and have gone backwards and forwards on various options:

• For her to take on the Volvo and for me to get something smaller for the new commute (eg. two seater)
• For me to keep the Volvo and to buy a small engined but large petrol car (say 3 series estate or Tiguan) for my wife to use
• Or keep the Volvo and lease an EV through the business

So we're then into two options:

1) By something with a large boot that the dog can fit in too
2) Buy something small that the dog can't fit in too (which would mean me losing rights to my own car most of the week (i take her to the office one day a week))

The need for a useable hatchback/boot (if i've got this correct) for option 1 immediately discounts Tesla and the Polestar 2 due to the saloon shape

Requirements from my wife push us towards something with a higher driving position too and brand snobbery from said wife means I have to discount anything from Kia/Hyundai et al (no point buying something that she refuses to drive. So that leaves (from my limited research):

• Audi e-Tron
• Mercedes EQC
• Mustang E?

Or we go Option 2 which is that I use a smaller car for work (unless i'm taking the dog into the office) in which case something Golf sized would work so Golf, Polestar 2? We can't go too small as on occasion it would be useful to get all five of us in the car.

If there was a 3 series sized fully electric estate that would be perfect but i've not found one yet! Sub 200 mile range is fine as it can be charged regularly.

Any cars that i've missed that we should think about?

Cheers,
Phil

[Scrump]

Tesla Model Y (when it is released in the UK).

[SWoll]

Let your wife use the Volvo (which I assume you're committed to for a while yet) and use it for all family duties and long trips whilst you get whatever car you want for your 50 mile per week usage?

Once the XC90 is due for replacement there will be considerably more available options from Audi, Mercedes, BMW, Polestar and Tesla with the practicality you are looking for.

[dmsims]

pmanson said:

Requirements from my wife push us towards something with a higher driving position too and brand snobbery from said wife

Seriously? Is she paying ?

[SWoll]

dmsims said:

pmanson said:

Requirements from my wife push us towards something with a higher driving position too and brand snobbery from said wife

Seriously? Is she paying ?

[DuncanM23]

I assume that MG would be out on a brand name/quality issue too? Otherwise the MG 5 is the closes to a decent sized estate car (also pretty cheap and ~200 mile range).

Is there any reason why the Jag iPace isn't on the list with the Audi and Merc?

Option 2 might also include the ID3?

[Milkbuttons]

I guess you wouldn't consider the Nissan Leaf based on brand but it would certainly tick all your boxes

[pmanson]

Milkbuttons said:

I guess you wouldn't consider the Nissan Leaf based on brand but it would certainly tick all your boxes

Two reasons for not going for a Leaf.

1) A very poor experience previously with the brand in regards to a Juke we previously owned
2) I can't get over the looks of the Leaf

[pmanson]

SWoll said:

Let your wife use the Volvo (which I assume you're committed to for a while yet) and use it for all family duties and long trips whilst you get whatever car you want for your 50 mile per week usage?

Once the XC90 is due for replacement there will be considerably more available options from Audi, Mercedes, BMW, Polestar and Tesla with the practicality you are looking for.

That was kind of my thinking, something semi practical (hatchback / estate) for 5k miles p/annum.

Back to Lease Loco I go!

[Gnevans]

Why lease one through the business when the business can buy it and get 100% capital write-down in year one?

FYI Mercedes do business finance with a balloon if you don’t have the capital and are offering 0% finance, we got a decent discount through Southampton Mercedes with Abbie Lyndon.

[Al's 991]

What about a Jag Ipace,
Fast, comfortable, quiet, well made and a good quality interior.
Winter 200miles Summer 240miles.
Home charge most of the time. Podpoint home charger with Octopus Go tariff. 4 hours overnight at 0.5p.
Live in Norfolk and travel to London and parts of Essex. Use Podpoint, Shell and Polar chargers. So far all have been available and working.
Car does runs into Norwich for supermarket shopping. Runs to the dump with 20 bags of rubbish and has carried Tico ( Kerry Blue ) in the back with parcel shelf removed. Sadly he has now passed away. Trips to Wicks are a breeze, sand, cement, wood not a problem, The Ipace is very versatile, is what I'm trying to say. Plenty of room for the kids to.
H and I both love the car and love driving it. With the car preconditioning, we leave home with a full tank and in the winter a warm car, summer a cool car.

[anonymous-user]

Such sacrilege to treat such a lovely car to the tip run!
Someone we know has a Jag iPace and they love it.

[Smiljan]

Al's 991 said:

What about a Jag Ipace,
Fast, comfortable, quiet, well made and a good quality interior.
Winter 200miles Summer 240miles.
Home charge most of the time. Podpoint home charger with Octopus Go tariff. 4 hours overnight at 0.5p.
Live in Norfolk and travel to London and parts of Essex. Use Podpoint, Shell and Polar chargers. So far all have been available and working.
Car does runs into Norwich for supermarket shopping. Runs to the dump with 20 bags of rubbish and has carried Tico ( Kerry Blue ) in the back with parcel shelf removed. Sadly he has now passed away. Trips to Wicks are a breeze, sand, cement, wood not a problem, The Ipace is very versatile, is what I'm trying to say. Plenty of room for the kids to.
H and I both love the car and love driving it. With the car preconditioning, we leave home with a full tank and in the winter a warm car, summer a cool car.

Do you have any more info on that Octopus Go deal? 0.5p is incredibly cheap!

[dmsims]

Smiljan said:

Do you have any more info on that Octopus Go deal? 0.5p is incredibly cheap!

Decimal point in wrong place, it's 4 hours at 5p a unit

[Fastlane]

Smiljan said:

Do you have any more info on that Octopus Go deal? 0.5p is incredibly cheap!

He means 5p...

[Smiljan]

thanks that makes more sense!

[Al's 991]

ooppps, sorry, yep it should read 5p.

[Smiljan]

Thanks Al, got your PM too thanks. I'm already with Octopus and was wondering what I'm missing out on

Still a cheap rate though, super cheap charging.

[pmanson]

Smiljan said:

Thanks Al, got your PM too thanks. I'm already with Octopus and was wondering what I'm missing out on

Still a cheap rate though, super cheap charging.

We're on agile with a charging cable that limits the charging to times when the cost is below a set rate (eg. Not between 4 and 7)

[Fastlane]

A few of points from someone with 2 teenagers, a 25kg dog and who is a ltd company director:

1. I put our 25kg dog on the back seats of my Tesla Model 3 all the time - I simply put a dog rear seat protector over them. There are loads on Amazon to fit any car.
2. Unless you have to keep the Volvo, why not get rid of that and lease/buy/PCP two EVs through the business? As a director, you can have more than one company car - I leased a Hyundai Kona for my wife and sold her Zafira - the personal savings from the Kona and Model 3 are huge.
3. The Polestar 2 is a hatchback so should fit a dog in the boot as well as the 5 of you.
4. Both the Kona and Model 3 will do an easy 200-250 miles on a full charge, but the Tesla network makes long distances a doddle.
5. If all 5 of you and the dog go out regularly and do long trips together, then keep the Volvo and perhaps replace it with a Model Y when they come to Europe.