I am giving in.

[gavroche]

So the only electric car under £5K is a 5 year old Renault, but you have to lease a battery (dealer claims £40pm) but then you have to pay to charge it, it's still not looking very favourable.

That is why it is worth waiting as battery technology is improving year by year and the cost of producing them should also go down, reducing the price of new cars, whilst improving the mileage.

 

[Joey Shabadoo]

I drove a Prius for a year (averaged 42 mpg over 36000 miles). It got rear ended in Edinburgh - a wee 5mph tap but the batteries stored behind the rear bumper had to be replaced - nearly £4k! One of the reasons leasing companies are wary of them.

 

[Smudge]

I had diesel cars for many years, but with doing less mileage now and the gov making bad noises about diesel cars, i bought a new petrol car around 3 years ago. I used to buy a new car every 3 or 4 years, but i think i'll just keep this car until its no longer financially viable and then give up having a car altogether.
I'm now only doing 2 to 3 thou miles a year in my car.... and i could easily cope with just using my bikes, motorcycles and public transport. The thought of being free from car ownership is quite liberating.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Mercedes have their electric range out next year, expected to include sizes equivalent to C and E classes, including estates. Hyundai Ioniq is a decent size - not huge, but a touch above Golf and Focus size. They're out there.

I will never be buying new, I will never be able to afford it, having also said that I could not bring myself to spend that kind of money on a car

People need to get over the range thing - capacity will slowly improve, but even if it doesnt the time when that's all you'll be able to buy isn't that far off, and is likely to get closer by some years.

Problem is with that you commit yourself to a car, that's the range you have, you can't simply say wow new technology fit that new battery in my car.

That is why it is worth waiting as battery technology is improving year by year and the cost of producing them should also go down, reducing the price of new cars, whilst improving the mileage.

As above, I can't afford a new car, so that day when I can afford an electric car is a long way off & then I'll probably get one with a stuffed battery

 

[Dave7]

I heard a worrying comment on the radio. If correct then different makes of electric cars have different socket designs so motorway service stations cannot cater for all makes of cars.
Lot of use that is then.

 

[Drago]

I drove a Prius for a year (averaged 42 mpg over 36000 miles). It got rear ended in Edinburgh - a wee 5mph tap but the batteries stored behind the rear bumper had to be replaced - nearly £4k! One of the reasons leasing companies are wary of them.

Mrs D's Pious used to give us into the 70's once we'd adapted our driving style. Insurance was competitive, premiums did not appear to be abnormally loaded in any way. Alas, as much as I loved it Mrs D simply didn't dig it, so it had to go. I which I'd kept it for myself.

 

[Spiderweb]

I would love an electric car but I just don't think there is the charging infrastructure in place, I've just got a brand new diesel and will look again at electric cars hopefully in the near future.

 

[Joey Shabadoo]

Pfft. I've got an electric bike, I'm doing my bit

 

[Deleted member 26715]

I heard a worrying comment on the radio. If correct then different makes of electric cars have different socket designs so motorway service stations cannot cater for all makes of cars.
Lot of use that is then.

Just been looking at an advert for the Renault & it stated it came with a multi-function cable to fit all chargers apart from the Apple one which wil of course be completely different to anybody else's

 

[Drago]

And when it's a few years old Apple will artificially limit the performance and range...

 

[Deleted member 26715]

And when it's a few years old Apple will artificially limit the performance and range...

Joking aside, just like the VW saga there is probably nothing to stop a manufacturer doing that.

 

[Beebo]

I was chatting to a guy who works for EDF in the tech department.
He said the future model will be for discounted battery rental. The power company owns the battery but can call on the power at certain pre agreed times.
all the time your car sits on the drive it is connected to the grid, and power can be drawn down from it during peak usage and topped up during off peak usage.
If you have millions of these batteries it provides the grid with a huge localised storage capacity as cars sit still for over 90% of their life.
It makes solar and wind seem quite good options. Everyone will have a solar panel on their roof and a storage battery in their car.

 

[Joey Shabadoo]

We're taking a different approach in Scotland. We've linked the thousands of wind turbines directly to the road network to create electric hills.


View: https://youtu.be/xGqOYbeTaqs

 

[fossyant]

I think our last two cars have been i credibly good for lifetime costs and environmental impact.

Toyota Yaris, had it for 17 years before going bigger. My large Nissan for another 16 years and still going well. Doesn't look 16.

May change it for another car eventually. Either a bigger people carrier for moving bikes inside the vehicle, or another saloon. This time a hybrid. Good for getting stuck in traffic, but then couples that with a 3.5 V6 for some fun. With me being old the insurance is cheap. Sod electric cars. One would just get me to our caravan but it would be a one way trip. Cant charge off caravan electrical supplies, and have you ever seen an electric vehicle charging point in N. Wales.... nope... as there aren't ANY - I've checked.

 

[fossyant]

That is why it is worth waiting as battery technology is improving year by year and the cost of producing them should also go down, reducing the price of new cars, whilst improving the mileage.

Be another 20 years.... the likes of a Prius still use old tech batteries, and having had two of these in immediate family, they were no better on fuel than our Yaris, no faster, and certainly less practical as the boot is totally useless for anything bulky. Our Yaris could do 60 mpg on a run. Neither Prius got near that, nor a good 40 mpg in traffic.