Buying a 2nd hand car instead of an EV

[Harry Bloomfield]

Short range, meaning 300 miles between charges.

Yup, short ranges!

 

[JohnD]

it can take 24 hours to fully charge

But not if you have a charging socket.

It would take quite a long time to fill a car with petrol if you insisted on using a teacup.

 

[Mottie]

The only people that are guaranteed to be able to access a charging socket at home are those with off street parking. Everyone can access a fuel pump and fill up their fuel tank in 5 minutes no matter where they live in the country.

 

[ETAF]

whats the cost to fix all the issues on your current car, 2nd hand prices are staying high , my daughter is currently looking , maybe better the devil you know , than buying some unknown car and bills
We have a 62plate citreon and parts are already a big issue to get , even from what breakers still exist - so i know we will need to replace that soon and looking at 3 yeard old seat type 7 seater the money is just ridiculous now and increasing each year when i look ......

 

[flameport]

In 5 years I bet we'll see a lot of abandoned EV's on the streets as people can't afford new batteries.

What is going to happen in the next 5 years that would suddenly require all of these new batteries?

for everything else,

Presumably meaning those 600 mile non-stop journeys that always involve towing a caravan across the desert where there are zero charging facilities.
Or the 300 mile version where someone drives for hours to a place, refuels their diesel banger in 60 seconds and then must inexplicably make the return 300 mile journey immediately with no stops for any reason.

Plug an EV in, especially in a domestic set up and it can take 24 hours to fully charge and give a reasonable ( nothing like an ICE though) mileage.

Perhaps it might take that long in the totally unrealistic scenario of someone returning home with zero range left and then they decide to charge as slowly as possible by plugging into a 13A outlet until it was at 100%.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Presumably meaning those 600 mile non-stop journeys that always involve towing a caravan across the desert where there are zero charging facilities.

Think of just towing to a field, in the UK - where, how do you recharge?

 

[Avocet]

That's the point I was making, the increase in 'electronic crap' is now responsible for the car's motive power. Not so much the motor(s) or batteries themselves but the control systems.
I know two EV owners personally who have their cars, both less than 3 years old & under warranty, stuck at main dealers whilst futile attempts are made to rectify faults that have immobilised the vehicle.

ICE cars have been throttle-by-wire for decades now. You're as likely to be immobilised by electronics in an ICE car as in an EV these days. Yet the reality, is that few are.

 

[Avocet]

I'd rather walk than buy an EV, especially with some of that unbranded stuff coming out from China. In 5 years I bet we'll see a lot of abandoned EV's on the streets as people can't afford new batteries.

Hasn't happened yet, and the oldest of the current generation of EVs are soon going to be coming up to the average age when an ICE car would be scrapped...

 

[Avocet]

People are not buying EVs and manufacturers are turning away from them as well. EVs do not have the range of an ICE, nor do they charge up in a viable time. An ICE pulls into a garage and fills up in five minutes. Plug an EV in, especially in a domestic set up and it can take 24 hours to fully charge and give a reasonable ( nothing like an ICE though) mileage. Consequently people are buying up nearly new ICE cars and this is pushing up the price of second hand vehicles.

EV sales are still rising. Not as fast as the government would like, but ICE car sales are falling.

 

[Avocet]

Sadly the highest April VED rate increases seem to focus on the very range of ICE cars (2001 to 2017) that so many people rely on for their daily transport.
Some of these in the higher emission bands will see their VED almost double whilst not being able to afford newer cars with lower emissions or EV's

Our two (both pre 2001) have escaped this robbery with a £15 PA increase each, but then the two together only cover 6000m a year.

On the other hand, many EVs (all of which have "0" tailpipe emissions) have been retrospectively hit with £195 tax, whereas some of the filthiest 2001-2017 cars that were taxed for £20-£50 a year, have seen very small increases.

 

[Avocet]

Nowt much wrong with an EV, for regular, short range commuting - for everything else, you simply cannot compete with ICE.

ok, I'll stop doing 20,000 miles a year in my EV now I know that...

 

[Avocet]

Think of just towing to a field, in the UK - where, how do you recharge?

Do these fields currently have petrol pumps?

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

On the other hand, many EVs (all of which have "0" tailpipe emissions) have been retrospectively hit with £195 tax, whereas some of the filthiest 2001-2017 cars that were taxed for £20-£50 a year, have seen very small increases.

Two reasons for that - EV's were heavily subsidised, to encourage people to buy them, then to get range, they are much heavier/do more damage to the road surface. Now you pay, more in line with ICE.

Do these fields currently have petrol pumps?

No, of course not, but I can nip to a garage, and fill up in five minutes, no waiting. Even if an EV had the range towing it's own weight, I would then have to take it from the field, to a charger, and sit there for hours whilst it recharged, versus the no waiting five minutes.

 

[norseman]

On the other hand, many EVs (all of which have "0" tailpipe emissions) have been retrospectively hit with £195 tax, whereas some of the filthiest 2001-2017 cars that were taxed for £20-£50 a year, have seen very small increases.

I like the 'zero tail pipe emissions' bit, makes EV's sound totally green .. until someone asks the question 'where does the electricity to charge them come from?'

nb. the only 'filthiest' 2001-2017 cars that paid up to £35 (the next band was £165) were those emitting no more than 120 gms.

 

[martygturner]

If you are in Ulez and can home charge buy a leaf.. its range now is pants for long haul our 2014 plate one does 76 miles on a fullish charge @ £2.62 overnight. Round town - bristol it does a school run commute across town, shopping and kids clubs. When you sit down and look at just how many long journeys you do if you live in a city its pretty small. If we did'nt own a second car from work we would just rent for longer journeys - our total has been 3k over a year motsly holidays and some days out. a decent merc is £260 for a week, insurance included on a find it site that includes dealers renting out the demo stock- we rent for holidays ( bizarre as it is its cheaper than using non work miles which at my tax rate stack up pretty quick, last year I got caught for £800 extra tax on 8000 private miles)

Its all about getting out of the irrational mindset of what if i need and looking at what do I actually need.