My 2021 plan - replace hybrid with all-electric

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My Lexus hybrid is basically a tax scam. OK, it does get 30-35mpg which isn't bad for a large 4x4ish car, but the e-motor side of it doesn't really add up. There's no real range to be had in stop-crawl traffic from the batteries and many aspects of the e-system seem underwhelming (e.g. energy recovery, etc). And the car tax is still £295.

So I want to replace it with an all-electric car this year (once we can get out and test drive again). But I'm a cheapskate and only buy used on the sub-£10,000 budget.

Had thought about a used Leaf (non-lease battery), but are there better options? Requirements:

• daily driver
• 7 mile each-way commute
• occasional 50 mile trip to supplier
• have a second ICE car if I need long range
• can install a charger at the work address
• can charge through the day
• comfort = nice-to-have, but not really necessary
• two seats is enough, would be nice to put a bike in the back sometimes

Extra Q: I would expect that servicing costs of an EV are much lower than an ICE/hybrid. Is this true in the real world?

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Thanks Jon and er ... Jon! That Kia is definitely a contender, although at top end of budget as far as I can see. I'm OK with the looks.

The Zoe and early Leafs (Leaves?) seem to be the cheapest - as low as £5/6000. With i3 between them and the Soul.

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Thanks chaps. I do like ride comfort (my RX400h's levels would be nice). The shortlist is down to:

• Leaf Mk1 at £7-8000
• Soul at about £10000
• long-shot = Zoe (not yet convinced)

Understand on battery leasing and there's no way I want to pay for that. Makes picking through the Zoe used car adverts tricky, because many sellers don't mention it at all.

I watched a few videos at the weekend and 4miles/kWhr seems typical for these small-to-mid size EVs. So I'll plug that into the spreadsheet.

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^ Yes. Having done the research now, it seems a 50-mile trip to a supplier (100 miles total) might be marginal in some of these. Unless I borrow some electricity for the return journey when we're chatting!

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^ Agreed on the Lexus - it's a fuss-free every-trip car, and I'd need a second long-distance car after I get the EV.

If lockdown ever ends, I'll get a few test drives done ASAP. I will try the Zoe, too, although it feels like a long-shot due to my French-car biases.

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OK, I have now done enough reading to see that the Leaf's uncooled battery charging design means that its battery life does degenerate. And if I am looking at a 2015ish model, this is relevant. This issue eventually leads to dropped bars on the fuel gauge - can be seen on older Leafs. Some discussion about whether it's due to particular patterns of charging/etc. Not clear on that.

More significant info can be gleaned through an OBD2 reader and app. That shows cell variations, SOH, etc. And as shown in the YT link posted above, some EV garages will replace/upgrade Leaf batteries. Not cheap though, at £5000+.

Nissan gives an 8yr/100,000m warranty on the current 40kW battery. But do we know if the warranty was the same length/terms those 2015-era models, and if it is transferable?

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^ Thanks - that's news to me. Zoe remains in the running for post-lockdown test drives.

Was a bit perturbed to learn yesterday that Kia's no-spare-tyre policy means that if you get a puncture you must use the goo. You can't buy a jack + spare yourself.

Because they say that you cannot jack up the car to swap wheels. It's dangerous, apparently. :-o

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Added the original Ioniq to the shortlist as a "spend a bit more" option. But generally feel drawn towards the Kia Soul.

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Just to round things off: I dithered, and wobbled and ... postponed the idea of buying an EV for now. The market is moving pretty quickly, and the most attractive ones are still too spendy, because there are too few on the market.

But, the ideas above were great and I've decided on a 2-year lease of a new EV. The E-Niro, Soul and Kona are still too popular with no great deals, but I found an Ioniq (38kW). At £215/month amortized, it'll be cheaper than running the Lexus hybrid. It also has far better range than anything I could afford to buy used and it'll give me more time to wait and watch for the more interesting EVs to come on to the second-hand market.

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TUS373 said:

Don't bin the Lexus though! I have an RX400h and from new. Coming up to 12 years and 155,000 miles and still runs like new. It was a very good buy for the period and I still use it as the main car. I do have a new RX450h but hardly used it as it has stayed in the garage.

Lexus lasts.

Indeed (mine's a 2006 with 67,000m), but something's got to go! I am keeping my old LS400 (1997) as my long-distance drive.

When I started doing the bEV research, it was disappointing to see that Toyota/Lexus are nowhere to be seen.