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

[Mr. Dazzle]

Superconducting cables would be neat. I half expected them to be single crystal/graphite coated but that seems to be the domain of (stupidly) expensive hi-fi cables that have (*cough, splutter, snurkle*) 'excellent musicality".

We did some work on superconducting wind turbine electrics at my old old place actually...our biggest customer was an MRI firm and they were leveraging their cheap cryogenic superconducting tech to make much more efficient (and weirdly, cheaper) wind turbines.

I'd forgotten about it until just now...Google suggests it's still a thing.

[Sunny]

I've gone from nooooooo, to idly contemplating getting an EV as a commuter to replace the FocusOfDestiny later this year.

I clicked on Dodgy's Octopus lease deal link a few weeks back and quite like the look of the Cupra Born.

Would like it to have smidge more range, just as a back up if I need to do the family drive north in it (220 miles door-to-door, and it's a 225 range ) but that's not really what it's for. My commute to the office once a week is a 54 mile round trip, and if I go any further afield I'm almost always going by train (plus I could always take the diesel VW on occasion instead if necessary).

[Mr. Dazzle]

Go drive one, you'll probably buy it

[Sunny]

Go drive one, you'll probably buy it

I can't decide if that's because you've realised I'm massively impulsive, or you actually think it's a decent fun car...

[KungFooBob]

The Born is on 0% PCP with a £4500 deposit contribution atm... just make sure you get the V3 Spec for the massage seats.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Go drive one, you'll probably buy it

I can't decide if that's because you've realised I'm massively impulsive, or you actually think it's a decent fun car...

I just know a lot of people who've test driven EVs to "see what they're about" and then immediately bought them!

[Taipan]

Go drive one, you'll probably buy it

I can't decide if that's because you've realised I'm massively impulsive, or you actually think it's a decent fun car...

I just know a lot of people who've test driven EVs to "see what they're about" and then immediately bought them!

Case in point...

[Yorick]

I can't decide if that's because you've realised I'm massively impulsive, or you actually think it's a decent fun car...

I just know a lot of people who've test driven EVs to "see what they're about" and then immediately bought them!

Case in point...

I've driven 2 and didn't like them.

[Sunny]

Briefly thought I'd fallen off the foe list, before realising that's a triple quote

[Count Steer]

Go drive one, you'll probably buy it

I can't decide if that's because you've realised I'm massively impulsive, or you actually think it's a decent fun car...

I just know a lot of people who've test driven EVs to "see what they're about" and then immediately bought them!

I can imagine. Driving a hybrid gets to be from a standstill...then, when the engine kicks in you sort of go thinking - 'a few more mph on electric would be nice'.

I expect one of the cars will be replaced with an electric one before long.

[Taipan]

I just know a lot of people who've test driven EVs to "see what they're about" and then immediately bought them!

Case in point...

I've driven 2 and didn't like them.

Kitten muderer!

[KungFooBob]

I recently had a BMW 530e for a few days. It was proper quiet. The leccy to 20-30mph before the petrol motor kicked in was novel. The foot to the floor performance was impressive.

But.

Even driving it like a WLTP tester, I couldn't get the mpg to within 15mpg of my 2l diesel car of a similar class.

If economy is a bigger priority than performance, I reckon a baby killing derv still wins out over a hybrid.

I do think fully leccy is probably the way to go though.

I don't think I could buy a Tesla, just because of Musk. I've just been reading reviews of the Taycan, which is just a E-Tron GT in a posh frock, I'd happily have either

[ZRX61]

I guess you could always buy a Jag?

oh wait...

[Count Steer]

I recently had a BMW 530e for a few days. It was proper quiet. The leccy to 20-30mph before the petrol motor kicked in was novel. The foot to the floor performance was impressive.

But.

Even driving it like a WLTP tester, I couldn't get the mpg to within 15mpg of my 2l diesel car of a similar class.

If economy is a bigger priority than performance, I reckon a baby killing derv still wins out over a hybrid.

Averaged 70mpg over 3 years with our previous hybrid.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Also depends massively on the kind of roads you're driving on of course. Hybrids are good for 'smoothing out the peaks', using the electric motor to do the peaks and troughs. If you're plugging along at a steady speed they're less beneficial.

Cars are built for a global market of course, so somewhere with a lot of speeding and slowing (like MK ) or a lot of slow speed stop/start (any big city) benefits more. They build the cars to benefit the greatest possible part of their market.

[Taipan]

The old peugeot/Citroen 1.6Ds always gave over 70mpg and driving my old 1.5 DCi Megane to Spain we got almost 80mpg overall! That was in the 80s. Funny that all these years later we're struggling to match that and are impressed if we do!

[Count Steer]

The old peugeot/Citroen 1.6Ds always gave over 70mpg and driving my old 1.5 DCi Megane to Spain we got almost 80mpg overall! That was in the 80s. Funny that all these years later we're struggling to match that and are impressed if we do!

Fair comment but I'm pretty sure that those little diesels didn't have the same performance as our hybrids. I know which I'd rather drive to Spain.

Edit: I imagine cars have got heavier/safer too + just about all of them seem to have air-con, electric windows etc etc etc now.

[Mr. Dazzle]

My last diesel car would do > 70mpg on a run too, I think the highest I ever saw was 80mpg in some 50mph average speed motorway works. The car could also do 155mph and 0-60 in less than 7 seconds. Couldn't do all those things at the same time

[Docca]

I’m driving to southern Spain in the full EV in a couple of months.

My experience last year has reassured me about the charging infrastructure across Europe.

[Taipan]

Decided to install a home charger after all. Multiple reasons, not least because we live in an old house and not sure the wiring is up to the lengthy load of 3 pin charging? It probably is, but just in case it isnt. Also it means i have the inconvenience of having to feed the charge lead through a window and open windows are a security risk, let heat out in winter etc blah. Now i just have to work out which supplier and tariff to go with!