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Wolf Island

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Check your options for charging at home. A wallbox will be far the best way to live with a BEV. Your expected use will rely a lot on that.

Currently, (see what I did there) the Ioniq is well regarded by the media, the Taycan is good but costly.

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I've been test driving all the VW hybrids and IDs plus other manufacturer models.

My wife and I want to go down the Hybrid route. We now have solar panels so it makes sense to use the electricity generated by them to power a car.

Because Mrs NI has many medical issues now, comfort is a no1 priority. 

The Peugeot 3008 is a great, well built car. However, the passenger seat does not offer lumbar control even as an optional extra. Comparing the quality of comfort to a Tiguan was like night and day though. The VW won hands down. 

From my driving perspective, the Mini Countryman, Citroën Aircross (a 3008 in a slightly different disguise) and Peugeot 3008 were all enjoyable to drive. The Tiguan is faster than the French counterparts whilst the Mini is just overpriced and in case I haven't stressed it enough, overpriced.

If you do less than 30 miles a day on average, look at the Hybrids or Phevs as they are often called (petrol hybrid electric vehicles). The Tiguan is basically their GTE but you have a choice of models.

A hybrid can be charged from a standard wall socket. Most hybrid manufacturers limit the amount of kwh their cars can accept anyway. 30 miles of power would equate to around 4 hours of charging from a garage socket. My research has shown that despite a few saying you should only do this as an emergency is not true. A Rolec Wallpod can be obtained from many stores for around £100. Not only is it waterproof and looks like a proper wall charger, it is for 13 amp plugs and can be upgraded at a later date!

It's worth checking out the Tiguan R Line especially as VW are offering £2250 towards your PCP deposit. Expect a lengthy wait though. 

 

 

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21 hours ago, Erithacus said:

Check your options for charging at home. A wallbox will be far the best way to live with a BEV. Your expected use will rely a lot on that.

Currently, (see what I did there) the Ioniq is well regarded by the media, the Taycan is good but costly.

I swear this will become an anachronism in the next 5 -8 years. 

The chargers are getting faster, the new battery technology is looking good and the existing li ion ones are improving all the time. Unless you are in a rural setting, charging stations will become as standard as fuel stations are now.

In my 60 years, no one has ever said to me, "the problem with combustion engines is I can't keep fuel at home". 

Just because we have a ready supply of electric in the house, it has become the focus of the charging solution.

I have a Corsa e and if I have to charge it home (only 3 times this month) I use a standard 3 pin plug charger overnight, using the timer function in the car.

Edited by Port Said Red
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On 30/01/2022 at 18:53, Wolf Island said:

Anyone got a recommendation for a family car? I am undecided between a Hyundai Ioniq 5 and a Taycan Cross Turismo. 

Both been well received by journo's and customers, the Ioniq slightly more so I would say.

But with the Ioniq starting at 37k and the Taycan at 88k not really a fair comparison to make.

Very different cars for very different requirements.

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We have a Volvo XC90 hybrid ? and a Hyundai Ioniq (not the 5). 

Im not sure my next car will be anything other than a Volvo, I’m so impressed with it and 0-60mph in 5.4s is so impressive for a car that weighs 2.5t and averages 50mpg!

The Hyundai was cheap as chips but is a lovely little car. It’ll do 190 miles on a full charge and it has everything you could ever want it to. The Hyundai range is largely regarded to be one of the most accurate out there - I’ve seen as high as 215m on the range. 

But as others have said, the two cars you’ve listed are hardly a fair comparison, but I know the Ioniq 5 is extremely well thought of. 

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Also....

If you're ordering a car and get a price guarantee that's one thing. However, if like us you'll have to wait 9 months, please bear in mind that even though the guaranteed price might be under £40,000, it's when the car is registered that is important. If in 9 months time, our car would now cost £40,001 then our car tax is £450 for the next few years!

It doesn't matter that our guaranteed price was £39,995 or whatever was agreed. It's the price of the car when it is registered that matters. Not fair especially as many car prices will go up between now and over 6 months time. Will the Government increase the 40k threshold? They should!

If you can buy a brand new one on the forecourt, go for it!

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1 hour ago, Wolf Island said:

Thanks for the tips. If I was paying up front then on price these wouldn’t compare. But on pay monthly it means that price isn’t the main factor. I need to ferry the kids and dogs around and cruise round WSM in the evening that’s it really.

Using your current car as a deposit should give you far more than you expected. If you can negotiate a deal and then be patient like us, you're in for a great deal. 

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am considering the Volvo X40 recharge (but long wait list) the lack of fast charger  points in bristol is a concern - we can't charge at home as we're on a terrace st.

there is a new place up near the mall at Cribbs i see.

sat in the Tesla 3, too small for me at 6'3" and a bugger to clamber in and out of, the Y isn't available anywhere to try out as they are selling so fast. Tesla have better range and the superchargers are very quick (latest ones do 1000 miles in an hour)

the ID4 has OK reviews, but again how quick to charge and where.

prob wait for the Volvo i guess.

 

 

 

 

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I don't think I will ever buy a new car again, my last 3 have all been ex demonstrators, the Corsa e was around 10,000k cheaper than brand new because it had 3100 miles on the clock, it's in perfect nick and has all its warranties.

They gave me 9300k for my 2016 Auris Hybrid with 96000 miles on the clock! I was shocked as I only paid 15500 for it (again with less than 5000 miles on the clock) back in 2017.

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3 hours ago, Dollymarie said:

Electric or hybrid? Genuine question, although I’m gonna need a 7 seater, and they’re not cheap. Just wondering if full electric is better as it’ll future proof it for longer?

I know this sounds like I am sitting on the fence, but I think it depends on the driving you are doing. I don't know if this is true of all Ev's, but my little Corsa e has significantly lower range when I use it for motorway driving. When I am driving in urban conditions in eco mode and taking advantage of the "regenerative braking" I get close to the advertised 210 mile range. On the motorway that drops to somewhere around 130/135? I haven't made a motorway only journey yet so I am not sure on that.

When I was working those kind of figures would have made it impossible for me to go fully electric, that's why I have driven hybrids for the last 17 years. But in less than a year a 200 mile range is at the lower end of what the new cars are doing. I imagine that there is a similar percentage drop off in the range on motorways for those other cars as well though.

I find it interesting that the improvement in the electric cars is at an almost exponential rate, where as the hybrids I drove didn't really advance much in nearly 20 years.

One thing I do love about the EV is the completely relaxed feel to driving. The lack of noise when you accelerate or climb hills with ease, just makes me smile.

 

 

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9 hours ago, Dollymarie said:

Electric or hybrid? Genuine question, although I’m gonna need a 7 seater, and they’re not cheap. Just wondering if full electric is better as it’ll future proof it for longer?

I’m wondering the same . Can’t get my head around the economics and manufacturing costs to the environment of having two forms of propulsion in one vehicle. 

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Looked at e vehicles a while back, and for me adoption is still looking like it's a bit too early in the development cycle.

I don't do enough driving for anything other than occasional urban at the moment, and when we do need to take a long journey, it will fall outside of the range of most of them.

I can see me getting rid of my petrol and possibly using Uber a lot more with view to renting a car for the long distance stuff.

If I did more miles, there might be a green argument, but if you have a German drive train, tyres made in Poland, batteries made in China all assembled in Japan before it is then shipped back to Europe and then freighted to the UK, I'll have likely died from old age before I have reduced my carbon footprint on the car being made, let alone any other benefit.

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I would wait a while if you can. There is a chip shortage - hundreds of thousands of cars have been built but are just waiting for the electrical components to be installed. Lead times on new cars now are long, but when the chips arrive there will be a glut. There will be loads of good deals about. Flipside is 2nd hand market is good now, but prices quite high. Its also a good time to look at the car valuation if you are in a PCP - you might make a few quid if the residual value is higher due to the market. Plenty of company drivers also havent done anywhere near the mileage

 

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We're also in the market for a hybrid SUV but every dealership we've been to (VW, Skoda, Seat, BMW) recently told us the EV infrastructure isn't quite there yet and to wait a few years for more options. It's a shit time to be buying a new car, you either pay a premium for a second-hand one or have to wait at least six months for a new one. 

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I've had a Kia e-Niro (modrl 3) for the last 4 months as a company car and have to say its amazing which all the online reviews back up.

I have to say I was sceptical at first and didn't particularly like the look of it, however since driving it on a daily basis (I do about 130 miles a day) I have fallen for it.

The drive is superb,  torque when you need it and great feedback from the steering wheel when you zip around corners. The one slight negative is the lane assist which Kia have made automatically on for NCAP rating purposes but this can be turned off by the dedicated button. Other than that bravo Kia.

The interior is that of a hood quality mid market crossover, with leather seats and steering wheel both of which are heated,  with the trim and dash neing high quality. My previous car was a VW T-Roc and the comfort and aesthetics of the Niro smashes the VW out of the park.

The model 3 comes with loads of driver assistance, a rear camera and a good entertainment/nav system.

From a charge/distance perspective I am getting the book 280 miles if its driven in eco mode around town/A roads however this drops on the motorway to about 240, although I should say I have a slightly heavy accelerator foot. Other factors that affect distance are the heating. If you like to be warm you will take a hit on mileage.

The charging infrastructure I have not found to be a problem at all. A trip to Plymouth required me to find a fast charger to get back, but this was no problem and at 50kWh I had enough charge to get back after a 30 minute cuppa on arrival in the Green Army territory. The pod point infrastructure which you can also use FOC at Tesco and others is also fantastic. I normally do about 90 mins of admin a day so just head to Tesco and voila 40 odd miles added.

To sum up, take the E-Niro for a test drive and I promise you will be impressed.

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On 03/02/2022 at 16:13, tin said:

We're also in the market for a hybrid SUV but every dealership we've been to (VW, Skoda, Seat, BMW) recently told us the EV infrastructure isn't quite there yet and to wait a few years for more options. It's a shit time to be buying a new car, you either pay a premium for a second-hand one or have to wait at least six months for a new one. 

Seems add take to me. The beauty of a hybrid is that you don’t need the charging infrastructure. You charge at home and when you run out you use petrol diesel. For my mind you wouldn’t ever stop to recharge a hybrid. 

I don’t with mine, but the it only does 20 miles on electric! ?

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2 hours ago, Fordy62 said:

Seems add take to me. The beauty of a hybrid is that you don’t need the charging infrastructure. You charge at home and when you run out you use petrol diesel. For my mind you wouldn’t ever stop to recharge a hybrid. 

I don’t with mine, but the it only does 20 miles on electric! ?

But we are quickly running out of dead dinosaurs to fuel them, and in the meantime the industry seems determined to squeeze out as much profit from what there is. My worry would be how long combustion engines will remain viable.

I know it won't last forever but I am taking advantage of every free charge I can find on my journey, Some supermarkets, outlet centres like Clarks Village and the last hotel I stayed in for example.

My hybrid cost me an average of £48pm in fuel on the last year I had it, so far in the first 4 months of having the ev it has cost me £14pm.

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On 03/02/2022 at 15:05, Bristol Rob said:

Looked at e vehicles a while back, and for me adoption is still looking like it's a bit too early in the development cycle.

I don't do enough driving for anything other than occasional urban at the moment, and when we do need to take a long journey, it will fall outside of the range of most of them.

I can see me getting rid of my petrol and possibly using Uber a lot more with view to renting a car for the long distance stuff.

If I did more miles, there might be a green argument, but if you have a German drive train, tyres made in Poland, batteries made in China all assembled in Japan before it is then shipped back to Europe and then freighted to the UK, I'll have likely died from old age before I have reduced my carbon footprint on the car being made, let alone any other benefit.

I don't get this argument, because all these things are the same for combustion engine cars too, even the batteries only vary in size. I have no control on that side of the green argument, but I can make a difference at the end of that cycle by not supplying further pollution when I use the vehicle. It's the same for the electric, I am signed up for a company that claim to supply 100% renewables, but I know this is a con because my energy costs are going to go up like everyone else's in April. A little research tells me that they only have to source 20% of their energy from renewables but "carbon offset" the other 80%.. Again I have no control over that, so I can only do the thing that I can control which is to "drive green".

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Kia EV6 and Polestar 2 worth a mention of you want higher mileage capacity.

Otherwise if you're not wanting to charge, then go with Toyota or Lexus. Toyota offer a good balance between fun to drive and fuel economy.

I have a 2L Corolla and it is far superior to the 1.8L Auris I had before in many ways. Also, is has the next generation of Toyota's amazing hybrid technology.

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I've got the Corolla self-charging hybrid. 1.8 petrol but anything up to about 25mph and it runs on electric. Also, running down the motorway it keep switching the engine off and using the EM too. No need to charge it so seems like the best of both worlds. Would love to go full electric sometime soon though.

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3 minutes ago, OneTeamInBristol said:

Combustion engines will never go extinct. 

The time frame thrown around for them to even be in the minority is vastly overstated or 'sped up' if you will.

Based on what? It's getting harder and harder for the base material to be drilled at a price that makes commercial sense. They may not become extinct but they will become an anachronism like gas lamps or steam engines. 

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9 minutes ago, Port Said Red said:

Based on what? It's getting harder and harder for the base material to be drilled at a price that makes commercial sense. They may not become extinct but they will become an anachronism like gas lamps or steam engines. 

Oh yes they will certainly not be the most affordable method of propulsion but they will always be around and able to be used albeit at a higher cost.

They will follow the same pattern that horses did. They were once used as transportation, now used primarily for entertainment, leisure and hobbies.

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4 hours ago, Arsene's Wanger said:

I've got the Corolla self-charging hybrid. 1.8 petrol but anything up to about 25mph and it runs on electric. Also, running down the motorway it keep switching the engine off and using the EM too. No need to charge it so seems like the best of both worlds. Would love to go full electric sometime soon though.

You can run the motor up to 80 mph, but is subject to effort and charge. Charge isn't normally an issue, it's inclines. The previous generation was only 47 mph.

Don't know if you have noticed it, but there's a display on your instrument cluster which shows a power bar. The power bar in "Eco" has a line half way across it. The bar raises the more you put your foot on the throttle pedal. Keep it below the half way line in Eco and it can work quite well off the motor.

Not sure if you're aware ??

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6 hours ago, Pickle Rick said:

You can run the motor up to 80 mph, but is subject to effort and charge. Charge isn't normally an issue, it's inclines. The previous generation was only 47 mph.

Don't know if you have noticed it, but there's a display on your instrument cluster which shows a power bar. The power bar in "Eco" has a line half way across it. The bar raises the more you put your foot on the throttle pedal. Keep it below the half way line in Eco and it can work quite well off the motor.

Not sure if you're aware ??

Which menu is that in? Is it in the info app?

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