Would you have an electric car if you had the money for a new car and were in the market for one?

[Mr. Dazzle]

3 year old Tesla Model 3, Long Range, White.

[Dodgy69]

MG4

[weeksy]

3 year old Tesla Model 3, Long Range, White.

Long range ? He's done 800 miles in 3 years, he'd never need to charge it

[MrLongbeard]

[Horse]

Place your bets.

The hot money is on a) Swasticar b) Polestar

Outside bet: BYD

On the Essex Riviera

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[Taipan]

In the final analysis my answer is a definite yes, as I bought one yesterday. Anyone want to buy a dirty, polluting Range Rover?

LOL what ? you don't need ANY car, let alone a new one... How many of the miles you did in the Range Rover wouldn't have been just as viable in the wifes Mini ?

Go on.... lets see then.

Probably a couple of airport trips were the only ones we couldn't have done in the wifes mini. I suppose I could have put a few nights out and day trips on the list, just from a comfort POV as the Mini isn't great for adult passengers in the back. But it was never about need, it was about want and i'm all over that!

[Taipan]

3 year old Tesla Model 3, Long Range, White.

Close, but no cigar. 5 year old Tesla Model 3, Long Range, Black!

[Taipan]

Been looking at home chargers and they seem to come in around the £1k figure. Seems they are a saving over using public chargers for sure, but given the low miles I dod i'm not sure I actually need one, as it maybe the 3 pin "granny charger" may suffice for what I use, with the occasional top up on a public charger?

[Mussels]

I'd use the 3 pin option until it gets annoying enough to want an outside socket. The £1k figure is probably very flexible depending how simple the job is with your existing wiring.

[Mr. Dazzle]

My parents have done >10k in their electric Mini now with just 3 pins. If you're not doing a 200 mile round trip commute every day it'll be fine.

[KungFooBob]

A proper wall charger may add value or make your house slightly more desirable (over a house on the same street without one) should you ever sell it.

[Lutin]

Whatever you buy, make sure it's not a Ford Kuga - Irish Ford Kuga owners sue over fire risk from battery defect

Owners of Ford Kuga plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) who have been told not to plug them in as a battery defect could cause them to catch fire have started legal actions over the issue.

The urgent recall, which was issued in early March and affects 2,850 Irish motorists, warns drivers not to charge the battery because of a risk it might short-circuit while on the road. The problem could cause a loss of power or a fire, according to the recall notice.

Ford said sales of unsold new Kuga PHEVs built before November 2023 were halted in January and said it has no control over the sale of used vehicles.

It instructed occupants to exit their vehicle immediately if the “stop safely now” warning is triggered while on the road and told owners to “not plug your vehicles in to charge the high voltage battery”.

[Taipan]

My parents have done >10k in their electric Mini now with just 3 pins. If you're not doing a 200 mile round trip commute every day it'll be fine.

Good to hear. Bearing in mind I only did just over 4k miles in my last car in 2.5 years, I cant see the charger cost being justified and if I did need to top on a public charger i doubt the occasional cost would bother me. If I'd qualified for the OLEV grant it might have swung it?

Road tax/VED was £195 a year. Thieving bastards. Its the polluters who should pay, not us saintly EV drivers!

[Horse]

3 year old Tesla Model 3, Long Range, White.

Close, but no cigar. 5 year old Tesla Model 3, Long Range, Black!

Peaked too soon, perhaps?

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https://www.topgear.com/car-reviews/lan ... irst-drive

[Rockburner]

My parents have done >10k in their electric Mini now with just 3 pins. If you're not doing a 200 mile round trip commute every day it'll be fine.

Good to hear. Bearing in mind I only did just over 4k miles in my last car in 2.5 years, I cant see the charger cost being justified and if I did need to top on a public charger i doubt the occasional cost would bother me. If I'd qualified for the OLEV grant it might have swung it?

Road tax/VED was £195 a year. Thieving bastards. Its the polluters who should pay, not us saintly EV drivers!

Gotta keep the taxes rolling in....

[Mr. Dazzle]

Gotta keep the taxes rolling in....

Does show the trend EV ownership is on though, or at least the trend the government is anticipating. Can't afford to miss out on all those cars now.

[Taipan]

The Tesla is the strangest car I’ve ever driven! QAF for sure but the regen braking allows you to drive one footed in most instances. So you have to learn to back of the accelerator in anticipation your stop point. I’ve always driven autos two footed and brake with my left foot. The Tesla doesn’t like this and tells you off with alarm bells and warning displays! It’s punitive in other ways too. If you use autopilot but don’t “check in” but holding the steering wheel it will cancel you from using the function for the rest of the drive. I get it from the safety point of view, but I feel like I’m being retrained to drive in a certain way?! Almost like someone is trying to create a master race of new compliant drivers!

[Mr. Dazzle]

Most VAG products - even up to Lamborghinis - don't like left foot braking either.

Autopilot thing is legislation, Tesla haven't actually homologated the idea of driving without holding the wheel so they're legally obliged to make sure you're holding on.

[Taipan]

Most VAG products - even up to Lamborghinis - don't like left foot braking either.

Autopilot thing is legislation, Tesla haven't actually homologated the idea of driving without holding the wheel so they're legally obliged to make sure you're holding on.

It come from shunting cars back and forth on a showroom whilst the carburettor was on fast idle!

[Mr. Dazzle]

Dunno about Tesla, but in certain Mercs and Beemers the "gearbox" flappy paddles on the steering wheel adjust the level of regen braking. You can easily flick between "put you through the windscreen" and "float along free wheeling" using said paddles.