Greedy automakers.....

 

EV's can already stand on its own as good product at very competitive total cost of ownership. The grant should really go into funding electric highway charging hubs across all major trunk roads.

The finish of the i3's is very good but the price they had got to was ridiculous.

The new lower prices & the £2,500 grant will have many more look at getting one.

 

I imagine there are a few unhappy owners of ones bought in the weeks before the price drop.

Lots have been bought or leased by companies and local authorities over the past years, i hope not many got new ones in beginning of 2021.

 

 

 

 

Auto Express,examine Renault's Sporty EV.

 

 

https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/alpine/108010/new-electric-r5-alpine-hot-hatch-and-suv-join-brands-line

Volvo EX30 coming in this price bracket.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited 16 May, 20242 yr by Ootohere

 

 

I saw the launch photos and got all huffy about no rear wiper and muddy Welsh roads.... but watched this video and Ginny showed it tucked up in the rear spoiler. I like this car. 
 

 

 

 

 

Edited 24 May, 20242 yr by Luckypants

22 hours ago, Luckypants said:

I saw the launch photos and got all huffy about no rear wiper and muddy Welsh roads.... but watched this video and Ginny showed it tucked up in the rear spoiler. I like this car. 
 

 

I saw another video where you could just about spot it when they opened the boot, although it wasn't mentioned.

Electric cars lean on every aero trick they can to eke out range from limited batteries, so from that point of view it makes sense to hide the wiper away from the airflow under the spoiler.

It looks awkward for maintenance though.

Also one thing I do on a frosty morning is manually prise the wiper blades away from the windows, in case they are iced on - it looks like that would be tricky in this setup.

Thinking of chopping in one or maybe both of my existing cars ie 1.3 TCE EDC Arkana and Zoe for 125 kW, 60 kWh Scenic which was vote by the European press and European car of the year 2024.

 

I passed on the invite to the test drive initially, before it got COTY award as Renault UK were only advertising the 160 kW with 87 kWh battery but that was a £41k car and I wanted to go for a car with an RRP of less than £40k.

 

125 kW, 60 kWh Scenic still has a WLTP at over 400 kms and acceleration of 8.6 to 100 kph which is OK for me, charge rate max of 130 Kw/hr which is fine and much better than my Zoe sub 50 kWh. 

 

One can get the red coloured one at no extra cost so an RRP of £37.5k and it should replace both the Arkanan and the Zoe I am hoping.   

 

 

 

On 25/05/2024 at 09:44, DavidY said:

 

I saw another video where you could just about spot it when they opened the boot, although it wasn't mentioned.

Electric cars lean on every aero trick they can to eke out range from limited batteries, so from that point of view it makes sense to hide the wiper away from the airflow under the spoiler.

It looks awkward for maintenance though.

Also one thing I do on a frosty morning is manually prise the wiper blades away from the windows, in case they are iced on - it looks like that would be tricky in this setup.

For maintenance it probably has a 'service position' just like most cars do for front wipers that are tucked under the bonnet. As for frost, heated screens....... EVs are capable of running electrical items without being switched on. My ID.4 automatically defrosts front and REAR screens below a certain temperature if pre-heating is activated (which can be automatic itself).

Wipers tucked under the bonnet is an issue.  As is windscreen washers and no heat under the bonnet.  The screen wash bottle should be in the cabin.   The wipers and air intake for HVAC should not get covered in Snow or Ice when that is the weather conditions and cars parked outside.  Heated screens and wiper parked areas are needed.  Also charging port covers that do not freeze closed.   But that is a the same with ICE vehicles and a German / Czech manufacturer has still not cracked that issue.  

25 minutes ago, Ootohere said:

But that is a the same with ICE vehicles and a German / Czech manufacturer has still not cracked that issue.  

True and it seems worse on EVs. The theory goes that EV charge flaps are open longer while charging, getting wet and covered in snow so fail more frequently than on their ICE siblings. I keep my charge flap latch actuator regularly lubed to try to avoid this.

Just a small heater element would help.  Vorsprung Durch Technik.    Simply Clever, but only if first you recognise an issue and do not only cold weather test in very cold dry places.

Not sure a heating element would help VAG fuel/charge flap locks from sticking. The problem seems to be caused by water ingress, which rusts the actuator to buggery. As said, charge flaps are open longer so exposed to the wet much more - so these seem to fail more frequently on EV than ICE VAG cars. There has been an interesting thread on SpeakEV about replacing the actuators, because now cars are coming out of warranty people are trying to fix for themselves as this can be an expensive failure at the dealer. I think the OP on that thread was charged £300 in total for the repair.

 

https://www.speakev.com/threads/4-years-in-and-now-a-knocking.184672/

There are just not trying and people are too forgiving of the Style and bling over function and a bit of simple engineering.

Central European manufacturers that just really are pretty poor at the basics.

I would if it was my thread changed the title, (Up to £46,000) 

as Family Sized but not big family with luggage & stuff EV,s are getting expensive. 

 

There are going to have to be many finance deals if they are going to be shifting these to people that pay for their own cars for their use and not business / lease drivers. 

In another 3 to 4 years 'Much Cheapness' used as nobody will be wanting to buy  2024/25 EV unless cheap. 

 

 

 

 

Edited 9 August, 20241 yr by Ootohere

On 09/08/2024 at 16:21, Ootohere said:

I would if it was my thread changed the title, (Up to £46,000) 

as Family Sized but not big family with luggage & stuff EV,s are getting expensive. 

 

There are going to have to be many finance deals if they are going to be shifting these to people that pay for their own cars for their use and not business / lease drivers. 

In another 3 to 4 years 'Much Cheapness' used as nobody will be wanting to buy  2024/25 EV unless cheap. 

 

 

 

These headline figures are quite eye watering. The journos tend to test the top of the range models with all the toys on them, Renault's incredible photoelectric chromatic roof panel is a wonder but would not be on my list of things to have.

 

The eleventh commandment, left behind by Moses on the third tablet which he did not go back for says do not pay retail.  I have gone for the cheapest version of the Scenic etech but I still get quite a wack off the list price of £37.5k and also the finance at 4.9% is a nice to have too, plus a decent wallbox that would cost a grand to buy and have fitted I presume.

 

I am not even sure what the luxury car tax will be doing on cars over £40k, even if already registered......

https://www.carbuyer.co.uk/car-tax/112227/car-tax-2024-ved-rates-explained-and-how-to-tax-my-car#:~:text=If you purchase a new,cars are exempt until 2025.

I did not want to risk it so was happier to get under £40k to be sure to avoid.

 

Also the more expensive models are fitted with 20 inch wheels as OE.  Too big for this type of car IMO plus it dents the range significantly as well.  

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Zero emission vehicles

Electric and hydrogen cars are currently exempt from paying road tax, however, as of 2025 any car registered from 1 April 2017 to 31 March 2025 will pay standard annual rates of road tax – currently £190 per year. New cars sold from 1 April 2025 will incur the lowest rate of VED in the first year (currently £10), rising to the annual flat rate in the second year. 

EVs costing over £40,000 will lose their luxury car surcharge exemption in 2025, as well. Owners will have to pay an additional £410 per year from the second year through to the sixth.

 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

So cars might only effectively cost well under £40k and have plenty of room for 5 persons, some who are a long way over 6 foot as in my family's case.

 

Expensive, well a matter of perspective, very cheap to run, for lecky and servicing every too years quite cheaply, practical longish ranges.  As to devaluation this is the beauty of PCP, one has the choice to hand it back or keep it for the ballon price if one has grown attached to it.

I will find it hard to part with Zoe next year as it has been such a  good car.  Little birdie tells me that Renault might sell it to me well below the balloon payment price as its market value will probably be several £k less than that balloon payment !!

 

Considering the tech in these cars (though I am Renault through and through and not Stellantis and I find some of their marketing just wierd) these cars have massive more tech year on year and I just am really looking forward to getting stuck in to my Scenic 60 kWh in a few weeks time, it is due to arrive in Bristol shortly according to my App tracing it.

    

Edited 10 August, 20241 yr by lol-lol

I can not see Dealerships have enough Trained Technicians for the 22% of New EV,s in 2024 if that many do go on the roads to service and do maintenance in 2025 / 26, and then the same again and more and more year by year needing work. 

 

Time that the youngsters were getting trained up to be able to work on these cars with the new tech, or to even understand it. 

5 minutes ago, Ootohere said:

I can not see Dealerships have enough Trained Technicians for the 22% of New EV,s in 2024 if that many do go on the roads to service and do maintenance in 2025 / 26, and then the same again and more and more year by year needing work. 

 

Time that the youngsters were getting trained up to be able to work on these cars with the new tech, or to even understand it. 

 

Is there going to be that much to do ?

 

Renault are only having 20 specialist battery locations in the UK who will be able to replace the individual packs if needed some years down the line.

 

They have to be PDI,d, and punted out, but then if Problem / Snag free then good.  Renault might be better than others.

 

As for many of the new Tech EV,s and Imports from China and elsewhere, time will tell how issue free they will be. 

I like the colour.

 

 

 

 

20 minutes ago, Ootohere said:

I like the colour.

 

 

Cannot wait to get my Flame Red one.

 

Sounds like Bjorn is doing the whole set of tests on the Scenic.  It will be the 87 kwh usable battery one I have no doubt rather than the 60 kwh I am having in a few days time.

 

Ticks all the boxes for me except it is not great efficiency at high speed due to it Cd of 0.297.

 

I will be paying closer to £30k than £40k plus get a home charger chucked in.

 

 

Edited 24 August, 20241 yr by lol-lol

@lol-lolare you taking it out of the UK much to be doing high speed runs?