When are you going fully electric?

Jonnycoupe · 2 Feb 2021 at 09:32

Basher said:
We've got 2 kids (and maybe a third within the lease period) so space for children plus the nonsense they come with is important.

I've got an A650TDI at the moment, so something at least comparable performance wise would also be important. Range isn't that important, as long as it can do 200 miles there will be no issues.

All the ones listed are within the schemes price for my role, and given the BIK for electric cars is zero (and only 1/2% in the next few years), the price for the above isn't important. Servicing, insurance etc also isn't important as that's covered through the scheme.

Just out of interest is the IPACE on there? Guess price stops it looking at the list?

With the 3 kids e-tron prob has to be the pick.

b0rn2sk8 · 2 Feb 2021 at 09:39

You mentioned potentially 3 kids, assuming you’ll have at least one in a car seat? Are any of the others needing car seats? If the answer is yes, I’d expect all of them to be very tight.

Your range requirement knocks out the etron, the 50 will not get 200 on a charge in the real world.

I know very little about the Lexus but the others should be fine.

The Ford obviously has that high position which makes getting kids in easy but it is the newest to market.

The Tesla has by far the best drive train and tech while is reasonably good everywhere else. The Tesla is a proper saloon with a boot rather than a hatch back.

The Polestar is sort of between the two, most say it has a better interior than the Tesla but it’s drive train isn’t as good. It’s sort of between the Ford and the Tesla in terms of being a crossover.

Basher · 2 Feb 2021 at 09:42

Kenai said:
Ignoring the servicing aspect, which i'd guess is included in the scheme anyway, what about the Black Edition eTron is 'poverty spec' vs the Polestar and M3LR?

Plenty of reviews knock them for not having the range or speed they ought to for their price (price is also presumably not a significant issue as a company car) but not seen any knocking them for being 'poverty spec'

Jonnycoupe said:
Just out of interest is the IPACE on there? Guess price stops it looking at the list?

With the 3 kids e-tron prob has to be the pick.

IPACE isn't on there unfortunately, the price limit per month is £730 so I guess it's just out of range (E-Tron is £729).

Basher · 2 Feb 2021 at 09:47

Also worth noting that the Polestar is MUCH cheaper - which means it could include the Performance pack within the budget.

Jonnycoupe · 2 Feb 2021 at 10:02

Joy of no showrooms with Polestar i guess

hard to have a poke around one.

Basher · 2 Feb 2021 at 10:13

Jonnycoupe said:
Joy of no showrooms with Polestar i guess hard to have a poke around one.

Yeah exactly. I've got a test drive in the Tesla booked, but no way of getting into a Polestar!

WJA96 · 2 Feb 2021 at 10:35

kitkat9933 said:
I get some of those options being at cost but reversing camera is standard even in budget cars now. For heated windscreen that can't be right, it's a legal requirement to have a defrost function etc. Unless you mean no option for an embedded wire heater which most cars don't have as it's expensive as Ford own the patent for that or something like that.

The MY21.5 revised Model 3 has the windscreen heater as standard I believe. I'm pretty sure the Polestar has it too. I think the Ford patent expired some time ago but I bet the Ford has it too. On an electric car the need to use hot air to defrost the windscreen is horrific because the energy drain depletes the main battery. The electric wire windscreen heater is powered off the 12V auxiliary battery.

Kenai said:
Agreed some of these are definitely on the tight side.

Reversing camera is included as far as i can see
LA/AEB/ACC ought to be standard agreed
steering column wouldn't worry me
driver seat memory is plenty for most i'd have thought
again, 2 zone is probably ok for most, 4 zone isn't critical

It is under-specced from what I expected, i'll admit, but i think calling it 'poverty spec' is probably sensationalising it a bit.

Only the most basic camera system is standard. Nothing like the excellent system on the Tesla. And I did say poverty spec compared to other electric cars, most of which are very highly specified.

WJA96 · 2 Feb 2021 at 10:42

Basher said:
Also worth noting that the Polestar is MUCH cheaper - which means it could include the Performance pack within the budget.

Is that worth it, do you think? Most EV drivers hardly use the brakes so those massive Brembos could just be for looks, depending how you drive it. The suspension I don't think you'd ever adjust and the big wheels apparently ruin the ride. If you want adjustable suspension the eTron has air suspension and having had several Audi's with Air Suspension it's really nice and you can feel the difference.

jpaul · 2 Feb 2021 at 10:45

WJA96 said:
From that list I’d go Polestar or M3 LR depending on whether or not you like saloons or hatches.

saloon or suv style/size distinction there too ? ... but, seems there is only an inch in height.
E-tron you can put 3 iso child seats in the back, so, space may make it the family car.

----
M3 categorisation as a better EV - courtesy of the better aero and lower weight ? (so passive / active safety features at play)

----

silvagti said:
I like the look of that new Renault 5 concept though. Could be tempted if they can keep the price around the £20k mark.

if Renault are starting to re-package the Nissan electric platform in more (saloon) variants that's good. ... beyond Zoe.

WJA96 · 2 Feb 2021 at 11:10

jpaul said:
saloon or suv style/size distinction there too ? ... but, seems there is only an inch in height.
E-tron you can put 3 iso child seats in the back, so, space may make it the family car.

As I said, I don't think there's a true duffer in there and @Basher would be happy with any of them.

Basher · 2 Feb 2021 at 11:16

WJA96 said:
Is that worth it, do you think? Most EV drivers hardly use the brakes so those massive Brembos could just be for looks, depending how you drive it. The suspension I don't think you'd ever adjust and the big wheels apparently ruin the ride. If you want adjustable suspension the eTron has air suspension and having had several Audi's with Air Suspension it's really nice and you can feel the difference.

Yeah, I mean it does seem a bit overkill, but it would be included in the allowance either way - and make a fairly small difference wants BIK increases from 0%.

WJA96 · 2 Feb 2021 at 12:15

Basher said:
Yeah, I mean it does seem a bit overkill, but it would be included in the allowance either way - and make a fairly small difference wants BIK increases from 0%.

I'm sure some Polestar (or other sued car) dealer will just love you for specifying an option they can sell on in future.

VincentHanna · 2 Feb 2021 at 12:23

Basher said:
Also worth noting that the Polestar is MUCH cheaper - which means it could include the Performance pack within the budget.

Other than aesthetics, I can't see why people spend £5000 on the Performance Pack.

The ride is worse and the range is worse.

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/polestar/2/first-drives/polestar-2-2020-uk-review

Now, the differences. You could argue that losing the lightweight 20in wheels and firmer Öhlins suspension drains away some steering feel, but there’s so little true feel either way that this is barely worth mentioning. The steering is accurate and sensibly geared, and that's it.

The big change is found in the character of the ride. It probably isn’t too simplistic to say that, for 90% of most people's day-to-day driving activities, the standard 2 is going to be the better option.

Think very carefully about going for the Performance Pack. I know: you need the pack to get those magnificent wheels, but if you’re doing plenty of mainly sedate miles, you will probably thank yourself for passing up the Öhlins dampers. They’re very good, but they knock the dynamic package slightly out of balance and, in all honesty, you’re unlikely ever to move them out of the softest setting. The 2 may have the spec-sheet numbers, but it's no sports car.

VincentHanna · 2 Feb 2021 at 12:27

VincentHanna said:
Is anybody charging off something like this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/amp-switched-interlock-socket-220V/dp/B00T9XH9E4/

And using it with a OHME charger plugged in, instead of a dedicated EV charger?

Reason I ask is that I'm getting a Polestar 2 soon, and I was just going to charge off the 10amp mains socket which I know is really slow. However, recent events where I was driving 120 miles a day unexpectedly after a family bereavement has made me realise it's worth having a faster charger at home.

However, the house is rented and we're looking to buy our own place at some point this year, and so I don't want to spend a lot on a dedicated charger for my landlords house (He is fine with me installing one), so I thought this would be the cheapest short-term home charging option until we move and then I can take advantage of the Home charger grant

I asked a local leccy about doing this and his response was:

There's quite a few regulations for E.V Chargers, so probably best if I go through them with you, and see what works best for you

Maybe he didn't quite understand that I'm asking him to install a blue commando socket that people use for Caravans/Hot tubs etc.

I can't imagine the same regulations for E.V Chargers apply to these type of sockets?

b0rn2sk8 · 2 Feb 2021 at 12:33

I think the regs around the commando socket have been ramped up and they are similar to an EV charger. It’s the same amount of current and types of appliance going through them in the same outdoor settings at the end of the day.

Journey · 2 Feb 2021 at 12:34

VincentHanna said:
I asked a local leccy about doing this and his response was:

Maybe he didn't quite understand that I'm asking him to install a blue commando socket that people use for Caravans/Hot tubs etc.

I can't imagine the same regulations for E.V Chargers apply to these type of sockets?

If he doesn't know the regs about installing a 32A outdoor commando socket, I don't think I'd want to use him anyhow.

SDK^ · 2 Feb 2021 at 12:36

VincentHanna said:
Other than aesthetics, I can't see why people spend £5000 on the Performance Pack.

The ride is worse and the range is worse.

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/polestar/2/first-drives/polestar-2-2020-uk-review

I agree.
I like the wheel design and the gold seat belts add some character to the interior but the manual adjustable dampers and brakes are surplus.

b0rn2sk8 · 2 Feb 2021 at 12:50

It’s almost as if they needed something as an answer to the performance model 3 but didn’t have any options to make it go faster. They probably bally don’t actually expect to sell many and is more about marketing than anything else.

It’s meant to be a performance brand after all.

Journey · 2 Feb 2021 at 13:02

I am sure Tesla will be working on the Model 3 Plaid or equivalent, given how popular that segment size is, which should provide interesting performance, not that they need to make it any faster, it is just getting silly now.

chroniclard · 2 Feb 2021 at 13:09

Few months till our lease is up and 2 years later I still find myself going "meh" to 99% of the available electric cars, that are more reasonably priced. Suspect it will be a petrol again.