Electric itch...

[ColinD]

Went to scratch my electric itch the other day thanks to rainworths for the loan of a Enyaq 60 in loft. 

 

Nice damp /raining day so found it quite good fun, in a don't stack it kind of way. 

 

Definitely feel the electric car is made for A/B roads and less so motorways. In that sense I'm sold. It's more than good enough for all my local, regional needs. Do I need it to be so big, no. I don't need the superb either. Octavia is fine, fabia estate would be sweet too. So a e208/, id3, born should be considered even a leaf... capping at 200miles real range logic. 

 

I'm still wary on the longer 'special' trips eg 'popping' up to Scotland for a long weekend. 1k round trip. I've been planning my superb drives as if it were electric, I can see the charging wait work. Although a few times found charges in use and a queue. A1M/A66. I guess being canny one would stop just before a 'hotspot'. Or stop often but for less time. If stacked/broken carry on... kind of the never halve less than half a tank in the highlands logic.

 

Having popped the superb to the local tesco's for her fill up, it's been a while, and hitting the card limit I was more than resolved to decide something this year. Partly as the trade in offer on the super at the moment nets me at 140quid a month deprecation from what I paid in Aug 19.  3yrs old in March.

 

However a quick bit of research, with other deals eg peugeot, kia, most of them popped another grand on the value and more discount to boot.  I can play harder ball of course, if I want a enyaq...

 

So now I'm torn, the enyaq, never thought I'd like a SUV. I actually fell out of it, mis judged the step height and ... I caught myself. 

 

So I'm really torn.  The bigger the car; anything more than the fabia size needs a drive adjustment to fit. So that's a few physio trips to sort my back to add in  That and lots of options/models will be coming in the next 6 months, perhaps some that fit between small city only and inter city...

 

In part I just want to PCP a bog standard one for a few years, ride out the technology shifting phase. Heck might even see hydrogen in 5 to 10. 

In part just keep the superb, swallow the fuel cost, it nets out while I'm not doing much mileage vs high monthly pcp ( I paid cash for the superb on a 10yr plan in Aug 19 ) Timing eh   

 

Also tor on mileage caps for pcp. Never had to think about it and feel I'd be restricted. That said SWMO has an unlimited focus lease so south of france in yr 3 with 500miles left on allowance is still doable.

 

Or the other side of the tear in my mind is the superb owes me little as in I spent the cash, and I can drop 100 quid in her and go 400miles.

 

maybe 450 if I take it out of sport and use the eco setting on the magic throttle pedal box instead of sport+1 at junctions

 

So existing car, new car costs, ongoing costs who knows maybe in three years I'd still get a good price and keep the 140 quid a month depreciation curve.  Doubtful I know. 

 

 

 

So all in all, I liked the enyaq, I kind of hoped I'd hate it to finish the itch. Now I find myself really trying to reconcile the man maths...  I'm not drawn to it like I was the 270+ superb as a motor to go and have a drive in... but if I truly wanted that I'd have a GTi or GR Yaris...  Neither of which would be on my drive come sun up. 

 

So I just want to get from A to B well, with minimal hassle and truth be known because I can do something about my impact in the environment buy a brand new car lol... I just can't make sense of the voices inside my head.

 

Anyway, nothing really to add....

 

Maybe see you at a charging point in March/April... but what will I be driving. Open to thoughts others may have or have had, outcomes, regrets, joy etc

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited 4 December, 2021 by ColinD

[Ootohere]

@ColinD

Maybe go check out a MG5 Long Range Estate.  Great Value if you can get one. I find them comfortable.

(You might as well totally rule out any PSA / Stellantis 50kW battery vehicles as you will not get 200 miles range even if they do software and hardware changes next year.)

 

 

 

 

[classic]

1 hour ago, ColinD said:

Went to scratch my electric itch the other day thanks to rainworths for the loan of a Enyaq 60 in loft. 

 

Nice damp /raining day so found it quite good fun, in a don't stack it kind of way. 

 

Definitely feel the electric car is made for A/B roads and less so motorways. In that sense I'm sold. It's more than good enough for all my local, regional needs. Do I need it to be so big, no. I don't need the superb either. Octavia is fine, fabia estate would be sweet too. So a e208/, id3, born should be considered even a leaf... capping at 200miles real range logic. 

 

I'm still wary on the longer 'special' trips eg 'popping' up to Scotland for a long weekend. 1k round trip. I've been planning my superb drives as if it were electric, I can see the charging wait work. Although a few times found charges in use and a queue. A1M/A66. I guess being canny one would stop just before a 'hotspot'. Or stop often but for less time. If stacked/broken carry on... kind of the never halve less than half a tank in the highlands logic.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The long trips do take more thought/planning with an electric car. It put me off for a long time and it’s clearly a major reason keeping people in petrol and diesels. I recently had a weekend in Manchester, planned everything out for chargers, all went to plan and when I got there, saw there was a rapid charger on the road outside our hotel which I hadn’t seen on any of the apps, so I actually could have just driven there without a care…
I am 7000 miles into the experience now and can’t imagine going back to fossil power. When I think back I was really close to not getting the Enyaq, and keeping my trusty Octavia, for all the reasons you’ve described.

[mdk1]

Go on Colin, you know you want to. 
 

im lucky we have the Octavia and Citigo, but we are looking forward to going electric and intend on doing long trips also.

[roo]

Colin, I was in a similar boat to you.  I don't need to move on my superb, I can afford to keep it, but I do 15,000 miles a year and in a superb 280, that's over £300 every 4 weeks at current prices.

Saving £3900 a year just in petrol is a no brainer, especially as I rarely get to drive the superb like it should be.

Yes my electricity will go up and the payments for the car are more, but I'm still saving when those are taken into account.

[Ootohere]

Those going EV and getting a home charger & looking for cheap charging really need to check that theit Energy Provider will let them go on a 'low tariff charging rate'  as many have closed this to only people already with them and no new applicants. Checking you can change to another with a good deal on EV charging is most important.  Some are asking ridiculous amounts for the standard daytime and even for the EV rate.  My tariff will go to the lowest available on January when my bargain deal ends.  I will be paying 20 pence a kWh at home I expect until any further increases in April or later comes about. 

 

There is a big difference charging overnight & getting it for 4.5 or 5 pence a kWh or having to pay 20 pence and higher per kWh at home.

 

When public charging with the Enyaq and getting 25 pence a kWh at Ionity is pretty good but the cost is going up at BP Pulse, InstaVolt and likely others.

The Charge Place Scotland Chargers in the Highland Region at 30 pence a kWh are not that reliable.

 

http://autoexpress.co.uk/product-group-tests/355362/best-electric-car-friendly-energy-tariffs-2021

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/ev-energy-tariffs/

 

https://www.carmagazine.co.uk/electric/how-much-ev-charging-and-running-cost

 

 

 

Edited 5 December, 2021 by roottoot

[SC03OTT]

People way overthink the excess mileage on PCP deals. You’ll only get charged if you hand the car back for one, plus excess mileage charges are pretty cheap. 

[ColinD]

@SC03OTT I'll hold my hand up to that.  Never done a PCP before so just looking at the headline small print I can read easily. Seeing the 8p per mile, so only an extra £80 if I want to go to scotland. I think I'll of saved that by then  none the less, it's still a 'restriction'. Not used to it, so fair for me to consider it. 

 

@roottoot Yep that's a really good point. I was about to suggest we switch t Octopus before the energy crisis hit and SWMBO wanted to stick with eon, figuring if they fail then everyone else has too and the market will be dead. Would be lovely if all the profits were just not there and there was a simpler tariff everyone was on.

 

@roo sure most of my trips are crica 70 miles, those trips I just don't want to be bothered with a charge, get out climbing quick while the weather holds, pop to the pub for juice and crisps, get home fall asleep get up for work. Not really seeing a 30min wait at a charger at midnight  In that sense any of the PSA would do, but I'd feel robbed soon as I went over the county line

 

I'd not thought about the MG5, that works  

[mdk1]

Think there is a facelift MG5 not too far away.

[skomaz]

37 minutes ago, mdk1 said:

Think there is a facelift MG5 not too far away.

 

There is...   early to mid 2022...   same chassis and tech but new exterior styling and new interior.  Mzkes it a much better looking option...

 

 

https://www.carmagazine.co.uk/car-news/first-official-pictures/mg/5-ev-electric-estate/

[ColinD]

Still the front runner for most boring car... not a great opening line. But the rest of the article makes for ok reading.

 

I'd sort of landed on the ford mustang as ticking most boxes till we got to the boot. Probably didn't help I followed one the other day for a while. I used up more of my fuel than he did his I reckon  No idea which version it was, but it can't of been the GT one. Not looking that far up the order anyway. The polestar2 again strong choice, but the boot. C40, same thing the boot... In that sense the enyaq wins out. It wins in other criteria too... 

 

None of then win as a 'driving' car. But that's possibly not a bad thing, as the MG5 review suggests, the ev's aren't going to draw out the hidden hooligan, unless you have a ludicrous mode one

 

The e208/corsa/id3 size is spot on. Enough to do local, regional and the odd sprint into wales. Heck I used to make the citigo work for scottish trips. That had an effective range of 200miles. and was hard work to drive. Granted it only cost a few kiwi fruits to buy.

 

More torn now... have to resist the 'quicker' variants. That includes the 80x... soon as 50k rolls up the market is very, very crowded and I reckon likely to get more so in 12 to 18mths.

 

In part I want the grant to be gone so the prices will not be inflated by the grant and maybe even begin to make them compete on ICE prices. Timing... 

 

Or just go and sign the damned order and get on with something else  like shedding the mince pie collection.

 

 

[Ootohere]

@ColinD 

A FWD MG EV can get up the A93 /A939 in a pretty spirited way and takes yumps and corners rather nicely on your own side of the road.

It is a pity that some of the Taycan / Audi & over big fat EV's you meet coming towards you can not stay on their side of the road.

Funnily those with Sporty EV's are out looking at the scenery and you need to get passed them to get a move on, you just need them to breath in or get over a bit rather than straddling the centre line.

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/435353-north-east-250-scotland

 

This issue is that if you sprint 60 miles into Wales when it is cold in a Corsa-e or e-208 you will need to charge before you get home again.

maybe after 110 miles and that is if just you in the car.

In the summer think more like 140 miles and you need on a charger and that is on 60 mph roads.

 

An Up!MiiCitigo EV is probably a better choice.

 

 

Edited 6 December, 2021 by roottoot

[Luckypants]

On 04/12/2021 at 21:54, roo said:

Colin, I was in a similar boat to you.  I don't need to move on my superb, I can afford to keep it, but I do 15,000 miles a year and in a superb 280, that's over £300 every 4 weeks at current prices.

Saving £3900 a year just in petrol is a no brainer, especially as I rarely get to drive the superb like it should be.

Yes my electricity will go up and the payments for the car are more, but I'm still saving when those are taken into account.

 

The PCP payments on my ID.4 work out about £100 more than the lease on the Karoq doing 12k miles a year. On 23p / kWh (no cheap deal available here) I'm saving around £100 a month in fuel costs. So its been cost neutral for me. I do make full use of free supermarket charging where possible though to help with that. For instance, I got 40kWh hours last weekend and the weekend before.

 

15 hours ago, ColinD said:

I'd sort of landed on the ford mustang as ticking most boxes till we got to the boot. Probably didn't help I followed one the other day for a while. I used up more of my fuel than he did his I reckon  No idea which version it was, but it can't of been the GT one. Not looking that far up the order anyway. The polestar2 again strong choice, but the boot. C40, same thing the boot... In that sense the enyaq wins out. It wins in other criteria too... 

 

Useful and timely video for you. A shame the Enyaq not featured.
 

 

Edited 7 December, 2021 by Luckypants

[ColinD]

Big box… fun test.

 

I have a gravel bike. It fits easily in the superb boot, seats down. 
 

id4, this test pass would seem logical. The frunk is a bit of a miss. 
that said the ford looks longer, deeper wonder if it’s long enough to sleep in
 

I don’t know why under boot floor cable storage is a thing. Got a boot full of stuff for you hols, you’re not emptying the boot to get to those cables. I guess as we do with the focus now, fill those up with stuff  stash the cables on top, or the frunk.

 

the ford, has a good price, super easy building it too. You don’t need a degree in config management to get the things you likely want in a 50k car.

 

i’m still tempted to do a spreadsheet for the enyaq/id4.

 

backup seems to be id3. 

Edited 8 December, 2021 by ColinD

[gumdrop]

I am still wondering what happens in a crash with an electric cars, the purchase price is high

you need a specialist for anything other than minor damage.

[Luckypants]

@ColinD The same guy (R Symons) did a cold weather range  and charging test of all the cars mentioned (apart from Enyaq!) and loaded it yesterday. Shared elsewhere on here by roottoot so you might have seen this.
 

 

[ColinD]

Don’t know if it’s profit related, but sales guy did mention not putting a lot in to a pcp deposit. For the simple fact if you lose it, ie write off, that deposit is gone. Assuming there is no gap or similar.

 

My insurance Co; broker, said all electrics had to be referred to the insurance provider as more complex to insure. I took that as new and unknown. Although that can’t be true for much longer.

 

@Luckypants thanks for that  my elvenses sorted.

[Luckypants]

PCP deposit being lost due to an insurance write off is a bit of a smokescreen. If it is written off and valued at less than you paid, you are still liable to pay off the finance so the loss is the same whether you paid a big deposit or not. This shortfall can be covered by gap insurance (which he may have mentioned?) which is very expensive from VWFS, but more reasonable from some of the site sponsors. I have 'back to invoice' cover for gap insurance, so no matter what it is valued at when written off, the gap cover will give me back the difference between insurance pay out and what I paid for the car new. Hopefully this would put me back in a new car if the worst should happen.

The broker is talking BS as this is no longer the case. My ID.4 was insured by Admiral with just a phone call. My existing insurer LV could not insure as it was not in their system at the time (too new) but ID.3 would have been no problem. No one on the ID.4 forum or Facebook group have mentioned that insurance was a problem or more expensive.

[classic]

3 hours ago, gumdrop said:

I am still wondering what happens in a crash with an electric cars, the purchase price is high

you need a specialist for anything other than minor damage.

Whoever does the mechanical work will have to be qualified, I have no doubt any repairers wanting to be approved for accident repairs on new VW group vehicles will already have had to train staff accordingly. Under the bonnet of an Enyaq looks way easier to repair and a lot less vital stuff to potentially write it off (ie engine/gearbox) than petrol/diesel cars.

If one takes a hit hard enough to damage the battery it’s almost certainly a write off, as would most petrol/diesels be if they took serious damage in the centre/floor area.

[gumdrop]

It is the battery in the floor that bothers me, all that amperage!

[classic]

You can guarantee someone who doesn’t know what they are doing will electrocute themselves working on an electric car.
Having said that a 10 gallon tank of fuel is reasonably dangerous and people have managed to do themselves harm on plenty of non electric cars….

[ColinD]

I remember learning about the difference between petrol and diesel. Arh warm memories flooding back.

 

petrol filled paint cans went up quite easily. Diesel took much longer and often required a tap with a long pole after a few mins.

 

I later found out books had been invented. To be fair they went up quite well too.

 

One of the above statements isn’t true. Although I may of burnt a book so who knows. Dan that’s another tree to plant. Naughty colin.

 

yea batteries… fire… scary. 
 

also rac/as towing is a challenge. But so is a 4x4 so that’s a moot point for me at least.

 

One thought I did have is how long before the bmw meme with snowsocks on the front  wheels will be replicated.

 

the irony as bmw starts going fwd and 4x4, most other tanks go rwd.

 

 

Edited 8 December, 2021 by ColinD

[Ootohere]

Rory has a good cheap home tariff if only paying 14 pence a kWh when on the daytime so not off peak tariff.

 

This Friday i need to get a shift on after being at Edinburgh Airport.

If i can not get on the Single Rapid charger when i arrive early to pick someone up and the new BP Pulse chargers are not working i will stop at Harhill Services and use the 150 kW chargers.  

Contactless guest is 50 Pence a kWh for 40 kWh will cost me £20.

If i get 3 miles a kWh that is going to be 120 miles worth.  that will do me until i get on the next charger which is a free one if working.

After using that i will hope to get to Stirling or Dunblane to charge again free but that is a lottery.

I might have to hypermile to Perth and charge there for free before getting home to Angus where it is Tescos that is free and a couple of hours charging will have it topped up. 

So for handiness £20 on a super quick charger and other than that a few hours sitting about for me to do maybe 500 miles for much cheapness.

Actual travel Distance is never a certainty when you have to start trying to get to working chargers and having to change your route.

 

EDIT. PAYG is 44 pence a kWh on the BP Pulse 100+ kW charger.

so 40 x 44 pence £17.60.

 

So doing 480 miles if charging 4 times @ £20 a time so £80 is just not very smart in an EV.  That is if getting 3 miles per kWh.

45 mpg so 10.7 gallons @ £74.90 and less stress. 

 

When at home i am taking advantage of free charging on a 7kW at Tesco.

 

 

 

 

Edited 8 December, 2021 by roottoot

[domhnall]

@ColinD  the elephant in the room is that fossil fuel burning kills serious numbers of our fellow citizens every year, and then there is the climate emergency. EVs are far from clean, hell other than walking nothing is but let's be realistic we can't ban transport. 

The ENyaq is EV number four for me (Previous cars were Nissan Leaf 40, Renualt Zoe 22 and a Tesla Model 3). It is by far and away the best car I have ever owned. Not best EV, best car.

Two weeks ago I drove it to Milton Keynes and back, 720 miles. I didn't plan it any further than working out where my hotel was and making sure I had plugged it in and prgrammed the charger to make sure I paid 5p per kWh rather than 14.5p

Video fo my trip here to prove it worked 

 

it was dead easy. I find I arrive less fatigued as the car forces you to take breaks rather than hammering on to the point where you're too tired to be keeping going. 
There's a guy on the UK enyaq facebook page who had anMG EV before the enyaq and could not be more damning of it and the lousy quality of the car which he says is cheap for a reason.