Electric car advice

bluerobert

bluerobert

Player Valuation: £35m
I’ve hit a new low when I’m asking for advice on here but a real man isn’t afraid to ask for help.

I’m looking at getting a new car, the thing that’s putting me off going electric is the charging, availability of chargers, the time it takes and potential resale value.

I’m probably going to go 2nd hand which worries me with resale, I live around Lark Lane and see people scrambling to get their car charging on lampposts. Can anyone give any advice or their experience of what it’s actually like to live with one. I don’t know anyone who has one to ask.
 

bluerobert said:
I’ve hit a new low when I’m asking for advice on here but a real man isn’t afraid to ask for help.

I’m looking at getting a new car, the thing that’s putting me off going electric is the charging, availability of chargers, the time it takes and potential resale value.

I’m probably going to go 2nd hand which worries me with resale, I live around Lark Lane and see people scrambling to get their car charging on lampposts. Can anyone give any advice or their experience of what it’s actually like to live with one. I don’t know anyone who has one to ask.
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Do you have a drive? Will it be purely for personal use or is it for work?
 

Don't do it, especially second hand, I've tested them for years and they're rubbish, numerous drive train and electrical faults and the longevity is pathetic, that and charging time and UK infrastructure for electric vehicles is awful. Get a diesel with euro 6 or 7 emissions would be my advice.
 
jonesey10 said:
Don't do it, especially second hand, I've tested them for years and they're rubbish, numerous drive train and electrical faults and the longevity is pathetic, that and charging time and UK infrastructure for electric vehicles is awful. Get a diesel with euro 6 or 7 emissions would be my advice.
Click to expand...
That's the angle I was going to take. If you don't have a drive, on-street parking is ridiculously slow or using paid chargers is more expensive than diesel.

A friend of mine has asked his company to give him a diesel next time, because of the charging time and expense that comes with driving electrics regularly.

Charging his car overnight from his house can take 20+ hours, whilst his regular drives to London can require lengthy waits and stops at a service station to charge.

Compare that with a diesel that takes two minutes to fill. If he wants to use a supercharger, it's more expensive than diesel and his company won't cover...

... the full expense. With short drives around the city, it may be wort it, but so would an efficient petrol.
 
bluerobert said:
I’ve hit a new apex when I’m asking for advice on here but a real man isn’t afraid to ask for help from idiots online.

I’m looking at getting a new car, the thing that’s putting me off going electric is the charging, availability of chargers, the time it takes and potential resale value.

I’m probably going to go 2nd hand which worries me with resale, I live around Lark Lane and see people scrambling to get their car charging on lampposts. Can anyone give any advice or their experience of what it’s actually like to live with one. I don’t know anyone who has one to ask.
Click to expand...
Fixed.

Just don't bother with the electric car. If you want in town economy whilst also purchasing an unnecessarily large vehicle to clutter urban streets, get a used Toyota rav 4 hybrid.
 
jonesey10 said:
Don't do it, especially second hand, I've tested them for years and they're rubbish, numerous drive train and electrical faults and the longevity is pathetic, that and charging time and UK infrastructure for electric vehicles is awful. Get a diesel with euro 6 or 7 emissions would be my advice.
Click to expand...

PhilM said:
That's the angle I was going to take. If you don't have a drive, on-street parking is ridiculously slow or using paid chargers is more expensive than diesel.

A friend of mine has asked his company to give him a diesel next time, because of the charging time and expense that comes with driving electrics regularly.

Charging his car overnight from his house can take 20+ hours, whilst his regular drives to London can require lengthy waits and stops at a service station to charge.

Compare that with a diesel that takes two minutes to fill. If he wants to use a supercharger, it's more expensive than diesel and his company won't cover...

... the full expense. With short drives around the city, it may be wort it, but so would an efficient petrol.
Click to expand...
Wouldn't disagree on a diesel if the driving is regular long journeys. Just swapped a diesel for a mild hybrid petrol due to my commute dropping from a 60 mile + motorway round trip to an 8 mile urban commute. The DPF was not enjoying.
 

We've just bought a Ford hybrid. Apparently they use VW electrics which, as these things go, are pretty good.

So far, we are pretty pleased with it. The car is largely only used for short journeys so the 30 mile electric range is fine. Longer journeys are good too, they just use more petrol when the electric runs out (obvs.). It recharges itself to an extent during a journey so it does reduce petrol use.

It is a faff having to plug it in after every use but it does plug into a normal 13 amp socket. You kind of get used to plugging it in, a bit like your phone and the likes.

No idea what the long term maintenance will be like ...
 
Best decision I ever made, costs me ~£5 to charge to 100% and that gives me ~250miles. Make sure your current energy supplier has working smart meters to offer you the drivers tariffs which are much cheaper at 12-5am. (7.5p kWh off peak v 25p kWh peak hours)

Most cars will tell how far your battery will give you and tell if if you’re going to run out, public chargers are very fast and give you about 10/20% in about 30mins. Home chargers very slow.
 

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