Full EV or plug-in hybrid?

[Bonefish Blues]

If people go on long, 250+ mile long trips without the need to stop, then the pool of suitable EVs gets rather smaller. But if normal bodily functions are in evidence, then it's really not an issue.

 

[screenman]

A hybrid is the sensible answer, but you do have to factor in that you're carrying around two drive systems.
The wife's car is a full hybrid albeit not a plugin. The electric motor/battery is tiny so it only goes full electric mode in towns and other low load environments and then only for a few miles. It also has a horrible automatic gearbox, ok, all automatics are horrible but this one is particularly detestable.
Environmentally it's hard to justify as (for us) it rarely exceeds 56mpg, the regular petrol or mild hybrid version almost does that, but at least it's not spurting out too many noxious fumes in towns or stop-start traffic.
In retrospect a car with a bigger electric drive train would have been better, I quite liked the Dacia Duster full hybrid when I tried it.

What are your problems with automatic, have you driven a dsg car? Personally I dislike manual cars.

 

[Rusty Nails]

Thanks for the replies so far. All interesting stuff and given me a lot to think about.

If I were to go to full EV it would have to be one like the new Elroq or some others with a claimed 370 miles at the top end, although I appreciate from what I've read and heard from friends with EVs that actual range is nothing like the theoretical figure once the weather gets too hot, or too cold or too wet.

Luckily I've got plenty of time so I think a series of trips around car showrooms is in order.

And then the next decision will be lease or buy as I tend not to keep cars for more than four years.

Decisions, decisions.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

It really wouldn't need to have that much range. If I wanted to go to say Falmouth from home in Oxfordshire I plug the destination in, tell the car what battery % I need when I arrive and the car does the rest. It will, for instance, typically do a couple of short 'splash and dash' charging stops in order to minimise journey time, as opposed to a disproportionately long charge to 100%. It honestly just manages the journey in its entirety. That's in a car with an honest range of 250 miles. You don't need to carry all that heavy electricity around with you

ETA
This is an interesting watch. Maybe not all 35mins interesting, but it talks about the reality of doing distances in an EV


View: https://youtu.be/pSS-CzSdcOo?is=_AEMYDmTJ_sMOR1G