An electric vehicle that looks like the future

[River Don]

That is a horrible looking vehicle RD.

It seems to be a look some are going for with all electric, with there not being an engine in the front, they can push the cabin forward and open up more space inside.

For an SUV this is exceptionally pretty.

https://www.alfaromeo.co.uk/models/tonale-concept

However, I don't think SUVs or hybrids are really the way forward.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Meanwhile, in related news, after 30 years, the RAC...
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-56647128

...catches up with Viz.


http://viz.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Satsuma1.jpg

[RobTheRover]

@Big Fat Yorkshire Pudding.

Did you go for a hybrid in the end?

I changed jobs in December so the c350e had to go back. I looked at personal leasing a CLA250e (I don't get a company car with the new job) but decided in a purchase of another C Class, but this time a diesel as (when something resembling normality resumes) I'll be putting some miles in.

Bought a 2.5yo C 220d AMG Line for less a month than the CLA250e lease would have been and instead of handing the keys back on the CLA in 4 years time, I'll have a paid off car worth around £10k as a trade in. 

[albie]

The real future in the EV sector is going to be vehicle to grid technology;
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2021-04-27/more-evs-are-being-designed-to-push-power-to-the-electrical-grid

Once VW go down that route, all the others will follow suit.

[SydneyRover]

''The Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) last week announced that Australians could soon be charged for exporting solar to the grid to help cope with electricity "traffic jams"''

https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2021-03-30/solar-power-electricity-should-owners-pay-to-supply-grid/100035198

[Axholme Lion]

Buying an EV now is like buying a betamax VCR. In a few years people will regret shelling out over £40K for a little hatchback that they won't be able to sell.

[Metalmicky]

Buying an EV now is like buying a betamax VCR. In a few years people will regret shelling out over £40K for a little hatchback that they won't be able to sell.

I have to admit that I am holding out for the 'next generation' of EV's before throwing my hard earned at one.

[albie]

Buying an EV now is like buying a betamax VCR. In a few years people will regret shelling out over £40K for a little hatchback that they won't be able to sell.

Brilliant Axholme......your are nearly a genuine wit, halfway there already!

Exactly the opposite is true.
In 5 years time you will struggle to sell your old fartmobile, and have to pay someone to take it away.

For those interested in the future, the IEA have produced their interpretation of the market development;
https://www.iea.org/reports/global-ev-outlook-2021
For discussion, not an endorsement of all within.

[Axholme Lion]

Buying an EV now is like buying a betamax VCR. In a few years people will regret shelling out over £40K for a little hatchback that they won't be able to sell.

Brilliant Axholme......your are nearly a genuine wit, halfway there already!

Exactly the opposite is true.
In 5 years time you will struggle to sell your old fartmobile, and have to pay someone to take it away.

For those interested in the future, the IEA have produced their interpretation of the market development;
https://www.iea.org/reports/global-ev-outlook-2021
For discussion, not an endorsement of all within.

Not really. I bought a new Jimny last year just before they got dropped in europe due to emissions, it's already worth about eight grand more than i paid for it a year older and with 8k on the clock. I will never sell it in any case. In a couple of years i'll buy the LCV vesion they've brought out , commercial vehicles don't have as strict regs on emissions. Well maintained they should both last me for years.

[dknward2]

More and more towns and cities are introducing zero emission zones so will less places to visit.

Also fuel prices will start to increase, electric will stay low and even lower if you have solar panels.

Expect all car companies to make all BEV models or they won't be able to sell cars in Europe.

China are really pushing on with Tesla outselling the even the local brands.

We need smaller and cheaper with a real world range of 200 miles at worst

[Axholme Lion]

More and more towns and cities are introducing zero emission zones so will less places to visit.

Also fuel prices will start to increase, electric will stay low and even lower if you have solar panels.

Expect all car companies to make all BEV models or they won't be able to sell cars in Europe.

China are really pushing on with Tesla outselling the even the local brands.

We need smaller and cheaper with a real world range of 200 miles at worst

It needs to be 350 mile range to be taken seriously, otherwise a decent day out becomes a weekend job.

As regard zero emission zones just rub cow shit on your number plate then they won't know who you are.

[albie]

Chinese nailing it with the girlies at £3k a pop;
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-06-04/china-s-top-ev-maker-stakes-its-future-on-a-4-500-mini-car?srnd=hyperdrive

Still think they are going to be too expensive?
Think again.

[drfchound]

Chinese nailing it with the girlies at £3k a pop;
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-06-04/china-s-top-ev-maker-stakes-its-future-on-a-4-500-mini-car?srnd=hyperdrive

Still think they are going to be too expensive?
Think again.

Cheap enough albie and it will have its target market.
I can’t see me getting one though, definitely not good enough to pull the caravan, get a couple of sets of golf clubs and trolleys into etc.
It might even be a bit tight for young mothers to gets a couple of kids in with pushchairs and all the kit they need to carry around with them.
However, as you say, cheap enough.

[Janso]

Not big enough for my meeds, but encouraging that cheaper models are coming.

[albie]

To be fair, Hound, I reckon caravan owners are a niche that will eventually get a solution, but they are not at the head of the waiting list.

Point is that inexpensive options are coming to market, and that will transform access and perceptions. This one is aimed at young women, and is working for that sector.

If the Chinese start exporting similar low cost vehicles to Europe (albeit with a premium), the big players will need to respond or take a caning.

With the towing issue, an EV should have much greater torque than an ICE vehicle, so with the plummet in battery costs your next choice will be a much cheaper EV that will do what you need.

[dknward2]

Just dont look at the crash results of that car they say any accident over 15mph will cause major injury.

The idea is great and perfect for car sharing in inner city’s like London with slow speed traffic but needs to be built correctly if mass adoption is needed.

I’m looking into the Skoda enyaq iv or vw id4 once released

[albie]

Agreed...I did not look at the safety data.

If they wish to export, then they will have to meet the standards set in the export destination.
After that, the issue is the price point at which they can achieve market penetration.

Media focus has been on the Tesla end of the market, the premium product.
That will not be the story going forwards, as the volume sales will be at the other end of the range.

Don't forget that most are not driving from Inverness to Plymouth on a regular basis....they are doing a few miles here and there around the local patch. They have different needs to Hound.

[drfchound]

Agreed...I did not look at the safety data.

If they wish to export, then they will have to meet the standards set in the export destination.
After that, the issue is the price point at which they can achieve market penetration.

Media focus has been on the Tesla end of the market, the premium product.
That will not be the story going forwards, as the volume sales will be at the other end of the range.

Don't forget that most are not driving from Inverness to Plymouth on a regular basis....they are doing a few miles here and there around the local patch. They have different needs to Hound.

Agreed albie and to qualify my earlier post, I accept that there will be a market for the Chinese car.
I have actually been looking to swap my current car but think I  am still going to go with a diesel model for the time being.
The battery range on a suitable car for me is nowhere near what I would be looking for but in another five years time I feel sure that things will have significantly advanced and what I want will be out there.

[albie]

This fella has a towing guide for EV's;
https://electrictowcars.co.uk/electric-tow-cars/

Gets updated regularly as the position changes quite quickly with new products etc.

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

@Big Fat Yorkshire Pudding.

Did you go for a hybrid in the end?

I changed jobs in December so the c350e had to go back. I looked at personal leasing a CLA250e (I don't get a company car with the new job) but decided in a purchase of another C Class, but this time a diesel as (when something resembling normality resumes) I'll be putting some miles in.

Bought a 2.5yo C 220d AMG Line for less a month than the CLA250e lease would have been and instead of handing the keys back on the CLA in 4 years time, I'll have a paid off car worth around £10k as a trade in. 

Sorry didn't see this.  I still intend to but having issues getting one at the moment for a few reasons.  Intention is to get the Passat GTE in some form, though I also fancy the id4 which might be available at this rate by the time I get it.

Got a petrol tuscon in the meantime. It's not good and will probably be changing in next few weeks as costing a fortune too.  Fuel cars and company cars just don't work anymore.

[Axholme Lion]

Just ordered a second Jimny. Lead time is around a year! I wont be selling either.

[selby]

  My daughter is a sustainability officer for one of the large charities that are on the High Street, they recently trialed all electric cars for their area managers and found them completely unsuitable for any decent journey finding problems with the claimed ranges of the vehicles and of vandalised charging points or the wrong connections.
  The problem with their van Collection vehicles is the range and load size for their larger items such as furniture.
  Hybrids case could be the answer for the car fleet if people use them as intended, a past survey of reps hybrids returned at the end of the hire period found that the connection plugs had been unused and still had the original cover on as hired out from new and had been driven on the petrol engine only.

[Metalmicky]

Just ordered a second Jimny. Lead time is around a year! I wont be selling either.

What's so good about a Jimny then Axholme...?

[Axholme Lion]

Just ordered a second Jimny. Lead time is around a year! I wont be selling either.

What's so good about a Jimny then Axholme...?

It's slow, bouncy, noisy, the boot space is non existent, but it has tons of character is very sturdy and is virtually unstoppable off road. It's a real love it or hate it car with a following. Twelve month old models with over 10k on the clock are currently going for over eight grand more than when they were new due to the supply issues. Most people would hate it compared to most modern vehicles as it feels like from a different era.

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

Ended up with a plug in Kia niro hybrid last week. Got to say I'm really surprised how much I like it.

[Bentley Bullet]

The whole range is quite impressive, apart from the Starmer.

[Metalmicky]

As an aside to this, I see that the EU have imposed fines on VW and BMW for colluding on the technical development of emissions-cleaning technology for diesel cars.

https://www.independent.ie/business/world/volkswagen-and-bmw-to-pay-875m-in-fines-for-collusion-40631309.html

[Axholme Lion]

As an aside to this, I see that the EU have imposed fines on VW and BMW for colluding on the technical development of emissions-cleaning technology for diesel cars.

https://www.independent.ie/business/world/volkswagen-and-bmw-to-pay-875m-in-fines-for-collusion-40631309.html

VW gassed monkeys when testing vehicles.

https://www.peta.org/action/action-alerts/monkeys-abused-volkswagen-inhalation-test/

[Metalmicky]

As an aside to this, I see that the EU have imposed fines on VW and BMW for colluding on the technical development of emissions-cleaning technology for diesel cars.

https://www.independent.ie/business/world/volkswagen-and-bmw-to-pay-875m-in-fines-for-collusion-40631309.html

VW gassed monkeys when testing vehicles.

https://www.peta.org/action/action-alerts/monkeys-abused-volkswagen-inhalation-test/

Not like the Germans that.......................... oh wait 

[SydneyRover]

This is a good idea

''UK government backs scheme for motorway cables to power lorries
E-highway study given £2m to draw up plans for overhead electric cables on motorway near Scunthorpe''

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jul/27/uk-government-backs-scheme-for-motorway-cables-to-power-lorries