When will you buy an EV car?
Posted by sillwuka@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 925 comments
The number of leased/pch electric cars is growing in the UK. Fairly affordable deals for a brand new car for 2/3 years. When do you think you'll make the leap, if at all?
I still own a Diesel made in 2018 and I'm still pretty content but if I was to predict, I'd say maybe not my next car but the one after that could be electric.
Intelligent-Quail621@reddit
When my 208d gives up. It runs on fresh air.. the range is crazy how little it uses.
donkomaniac@reddit
Actually trying to decide this myself.
Currently drive a 2008 petrol car, it's still in good condition and relatively low mileage.
But, I'm about to start commuting further for work, and with the cost of petrol, it's got me thinking that I'd be as well off getting a 3 year old EV and a charger at home.
I think it's going to cost between £250 and £300 a month for petrol, so I could use that money to pay monthly for a much newer and (in theory) more reliable car while charging cheaply at home.
The other thing is that if I do end up needing a new car, I'd still have to pay the fuel AND probably a monthly payment unless I get another cheap petrol.
Is that an crazy way to look at it?
GrabbedByTheGhost@reddit
I'll buy them when I can get an EV charger either for free or at a rate which won't bankrupt me.
I'm finding cars of all types are becoming ludicrously expensive. I loathe the necessity of them
ufbam@reddit
Tesla FSD has just arrived in the Netherlands, so when it reaches the UK. Then I'll be saving on fuel and insurance. (Because it increases safety so much you get a discount) Plus I'll be able to take in the views on long journeys.
CryptographerLoud236@reddit
Never. They’re not the answer. And they cause too much environmental damage to manufacture and maintain. There’s a better soloution out there but EVs aren’t it
disembodied_voice@reddit
EVs still cause objectively less environmental damage than ICE vehicles, which is what matters.
CryptographerLoud236@reddit
I think you need to research EV manufacturing impacts, which is conveniently left out of the evangelists playbook.
thats before we discuss installing infrastructure, methods of generating the electricity to charge the vehicles(highly dependent on country) , replacement batteries and installation, often before breaking even on the environmental damage mileage figure and EVs are down by quite a lot over ICE.
Although I wouldn’t expect a disciple to know that before arguing with a stranger on reddit. Facts don’t encourage profitability, nor do they fit the ‘save the world’ rhetoric that most EV owners have gullibly swallowed.
Information is the enemy of profits.
disembodied_voice@reddit
I did research it. I even presented the research to you. EVs are, in fact, better for the environment than ICE vehicles. That's just reality.
CryptographerLoud236@reddit
Tell yourself whatever you like. I like how you tried projecting your own evangelical tactics back on my responses, but thats quite easy to see through and nobody is buying it. You clearly aren’t the type to be open to facts. You’ve conveniently dodged all answers to questions presented in the previous responses, misinterpreted figures, ignored others and at this point just looking to prolong an argument for no valid reason other than your ego and misplaced sense of authority based on a single source that supports your argument, which isn’t really in line with the critical thinking required for successful academia, which you’re trying to lean on but not utilising correctly. and Its likely you’re an EV owner and don’t want to admit that higher purchase price, cost of repairs replacements and diagnostics are not actually worth the perceived ‘benefits’. Which, FYI, we are yet to see in terms of climate, environmental recovery/improvement. And probably won’t for a very long time until either EVs are embraced for the purpose of conserving the planet instead of profit. In the mean time, cleaner energy is required and EVs are not it.
Be angry if you like but it doesn’t change things.
I won’t be responding further as battling belligerence is a poor use of time and effort.
shadowboy@reddit
In June.
I’ve ordered a model 3 Tesla on lease. (Actually the cheapest EV lease I could find £305 a month 0 down)
I had 10k cash and I couldn’t find anything that looked even remotely worth that much. Yes I could have bought a 10k piece of shit which then would have died in 3-5 years anyway.
This way I save on fuel, save the planet and have a nice car for a few years. Just a shame the money goes to Elon…
TimeNew2108@reddit
I am considering it. Why because I can lease on salary sacrifice, tax free, and all maintenance covered including tyres. Also insurance, tax and an ev charger fitted in my driveway. My current car I have had for 3 years, Hyundaiis20 2017 is costing me £165 per month and starting prices for an mg is £230.
Decard_Pain@reddit
Had one over a year now, really nice car, quiet, comfortable and cheap to run.
Defiant-Sand9498@reddit
Haven't got a drive or road outside my house, I use a van for a work, current van I've 80k on it and won't be changing till it's no longer financially viable to keep on the road, what's the battery life span on electric vans like? Unless it's similar it won't be any time soon
g0ldcd@reddit
When I can charge cheaply, without a driveway.
notouttolunch@reddit
Presumably "never" is too short a response. Haha
PerLin107@reddit
I was going to say on the 17th of Never.
Odd-Cake8015@reddit
Nevember has a nice ring to it
g0ldcd@reddit
My local council has seemingly been trialling stuff for years.. well trialling in "thinking about", rather than actually making a socket appear anywhere.
SetPhasersToFuckUp@reddit
This has to be the most frustrating aspect.
I'm convinced that they have an invested interest in not making it happen.
Government needs to strong arm them.
BamberGasgroin@reddit
Have you looked under the kerbs?
Content_Somewhere225@reddit
Why. I see it on my street.
notouttolunch@reddit
You see that never is too short a response? I don't know why that's the case. It's your street, perhaps you should find out.
Content_Somewhere225@reddit
It's not rocket appliance.
notouttolunch@reddit
What's not rocket appliance.
Understanding your comments is incredibly difficult.
TAOMCM@reddit
Not if petrol gets taxed to shit
Expensive-Draw-6897@reddit
I doubt that will happen unless you use a super slooooow public charger. As the super fast chargers times get faster and faster, the price to charge up will work out the same as a tank of liquid fuel. At least the prices should be more stable as they are not affected by middle East invasions/wars.
eggs_and_ham_i_am@reddit
Fast charger are already more expensive than petrol.
Anything over 65p a kWh works out more expensive per mile than petrol. Most fast chargers are 88p a kWh. So considerable more.
My home charger is 5.5p kWh, so massively cheaper. But if you can't charge at home, then they really aren't worth it.
Public chargers need to start having more government regulations regarding price, currently it's a free for all.
Could you imagine if petrol was £1.10 a litre of you fill up using a spoon, but if you want to fill up using a faster hose it'll be £2.45 a litre. It's just totally wrong.
Anon_not_available@reddit
A lot of Arnold Clark’s have 55p 150kw chargers. With all the new tax shit coming into play for EV’s the only way the government will get us all into them is to cap pricing at like 50-60p a kw at public chargers. Because I home charge I don’t really pay attention to my efficiency but if I was only public charging I would be looking at the more efficient 4+ miles per kwh cars like a Tesla or ioniq 6.
ATSOAS87@reddit
It's working out for us. We use public slow chargers overnight, and we live in a flat in London
thecornflake21@reddit
Do you always manage to find a charge point and is it a worry that it will become harder as more people move to ev?
ATSOAS87@reddit
Generally, I've not had an issue with finding a charger.
Near us there are 4 on road street chargers. But in an underground car park there are about 10 more, however, you need to pay to park there.
So if we need to use one of those we drain the battery down and then do a full charge to make the most out of it.
Ok-Age5784@reddit
How much is charging per KWH? Have some down my street but theyre 40p+ per kWh for slow charging
ATSOAS87@reddit
31p/kWh
pronoobmage@reddit
Your analogy is completely wrong there.
Filling up using a spoon or a faster hose is just matter of time.
Faster charging is a matter of technology.
High level, high performance technology has high price tag...
Hillbert@reddit
I've just finished a fairly extensive piece of work on some of the underlying costs for charge point operators. Believe me, they are not trying to fleece anyone. Most of them are making no money at all.
For anything apart from slow 7kW chargers, installation costs, connection fees, standing charges, electricity network charges etc. etc. add up to something like 60 p/kWH
Then VAT, potential revenue share, etc. etc.
1207554@reddit
I have just come out of the industry. It's basically a marathon for the operators that can last the longest before going bust. Only a handful will make it to the end.
People really dont appreciate the costs that go into this sort of stuff, while its a growing market, you have companies that are just constantly making a loss and relying on investment to keep them going.
onefourk@reddit
How do Tesla do it for cheaper, is it a loss leader?
1207554@reddit
They operate a different market to what I worked in, so dont know for sure, so take this with a pinch of salt.
They were early to the market and bought all the prime sites. Cheaper land, cheapest connection costs etc, so everyone after them has higher costs from the get go. It was probably a loss leader to begin with and its far easier for Tesla to eat costs than it is for most but they have been well established for long enough now that I wouldn't be surprised if they were the only one in profit. Probably a bit of trying to starve the competition of customers to make sure they are one of that last few operators remaining once the market consolidates.
bill_end@reddit
If I drive a polestar or vw EV, can I use a tesla charger?
If not, that's something the government needs to legislate for. It'd be ridiculous if you could only fill up certain cars at esso, same should apply for EV charging
eggs_and_ham_i_am@reddit
That's quite interesting. Wasn't it the same with their cars sold as a loss with the intention of starving the competition out of the market place?
So are Tesla chargers still owned by Tesla? (Sounds a silly question I guess) Does the money you'd spend using a Tesla charger go to them or is it Tesla in name only now?
If the money goes to them then that is a good enough reason for me to never use them. The idea of giving anything to the 🔔 end that is musk makes me shudder.
HELMET_OF_CECH@reddit
And yet the government don’t give a shit about how this is all working out in reality as long as the Net Zero religion can be worshipped at all times.
Unable_Efficiency_98@reddit
Yeah, a decent 2.5 MVA transformers is £67k. Then you’ve got the ducting, cable (around £150/ m), installation, switchgear, kiosk, circuit protection etc. And that’s presuming the local grid can handle the supply to it, then you have the various fees to the DNO before you even get started and once you’re running. It’s not cheap to set up.
UnbalancedMint@reddit
Im a transport manager for hgvs and some elements of our operation would be manageable still in spite of the current range limitations of hgvs... Problem is the batteries are obviously massive to pull 44 tonnes so would need a fast charger to be able to fully recharge every night. Was quoted over 100k for this. If we went down the 7.5kwh charger route then it would take over 24hrs to charge so its not viable unless we run two trucks. Which then becomes twice as much tax, insurance, inspections and physical space etc... So its really difficult to make it work currently. We would still be game for it even if it cost us a bit more but the quick maths we did came back as almost triple our current costs so its just a non starter for us at least.
bill_end@reddit
I should imagine that your home leccy is a domestic tariff which is is subject to a government price cap. The company providing a public charger will be paying considerably higher commercial rates.
Plus, if you're getting 5p/kwh no doubt you're charging at night when rates are lower. People using a public charger aren't going to be going there at 3am and doing a trickle charge.
EVs are great for people with driveways and their own house so they can install a charger. For renters, flat and terrace house dwellers, not so much
Significant_Bear3843@reddit
There are subscriptions to lower price and tesla are roughly 25-50p.
rohaan06@reddit
Who offers 5.5p overnight?
eggs_and_ham_i_am@reddit
It's an economy 7 tariff with Eon. Our day rate is scary, but we're not around during the day, and we do all our dishwasher, washing machine, tumble dryer, and car charging between the hours of 1:30-8:30 using timers.
We locked in at that price about 3 years ago, and we have about 8 months left of our contract at that price. I'm not sure what will be the best we can get once that comes to an end, I'm too scared to look🤣
rohaan06@reddit
I can see the current best with EDF for a 30.1p day rate and 6.5p off peak rate for 7 hours! Sounds like you got a really good deal
mintvilla@reddit
about 75p was my rule of thumb, but then fuel prices have sky rocketed, probably closer to £1 now for parity.
eggs_and_ham_i_am@reddit
Yeah, admittedly my sums are worked out when fuel was £1.38 a litre, A while back. I haven't actually seen what fuel is now as I don't generally need it, but obviously I'm aware it's gone stupid.
mintvilla@reddit
Surprised you've not seen it to be fair. It's about £1.90 for diesel and 1.60 for petrol
Used-Ad9589@reddit
5.5p that's shiny. I am looking to do this myself was offered 8p overnight lol
eggs_and_ham_i_am@reddit
It's a duel economy 7 tariff. We get hammered on our day rate, but no one's around then, so come night right, between 1:40am-8:30am it's 5.5p and we do out washing machine, tumble dryer, dishwasher all on timers as well as the car charge.
Used-Ad9589@reddit
Yeah I am looking at installing batteries & switching out my solar inverter to circumvent the day time tariff being like 10p above the norm personally. Should let me ride the cheap rate 24/7 then
1995LexusLS400@reddit
You can't really say that 68p/kWh is more expensive than petrol because there are a lot of variables. A decent EV does 4-4.5 miles per kWh. My car does about 25mpg, with current fuel prices (£1.659/L). it would cost me £1.21-£1.36 every 4-4.5 miles.
A better metric would be to use mpg above a certain amount. At 68p/kWh, that would be the equivalent of a petrol car that does 50mpg. 39mpg at 88p/kWh. Also just for reference, at your home charging price, that's the equivalent of a petrol car that does 700mpg.
MrMantis765@reddit
It's because the technology to discharge electricity at higher rates is more expensive
Hot_College_6538@reddit
Tesla’s SuperChargers are currently about 42p at peak, and many drop to around 22p overnight.
LordSolstice@reddit
In China, you just drive upto a "charging station", your empty battery gets swapped out for a fully charged one and you drive off.
Not sure why that isn't more of a thing, seems like a pretty sensible solution.
Expensive-Draw-6897@reddit
I'm not sure how popular this scheme is and what types of cars that can use it. It sounds like you would need a subscription to use it. I don't fancy getting someone else's problematic battery.
Snoo63@reddit
Relevant Technology Connections (well, Technology Connextras) video (basically says thinking about charging an electric car as if it's refuelling a petrol car - assuming you don't drive it for a very long distance each day - is the wrong way to think about it. Because of how long it just sits there, stationary, each day.)
g0ldcd@reddit
I think the problem is, that the really cheap/free is overnight green energy.
Great if you can plug your car in at home and have it start to charge at 3am - less use, if it's in the supermarket carpark. I'm sure they could reduce the price, but that energy is costing something.
Really just need something like trickle chargers in lamposts.
Extra-Sound-1714@reddit
Lamppost charging seems to happen in parts of London. Meanwhile other parts of the UK still have few public chargers anywhere.
ingoodnick89@reddit
What should happen is you are able to log in to your home energy provider at any charge point and it just goes on to your monthly bill.
SJG_13@reddit
Last year I was seconded to an EV ChargePoint company through my consultancy. Under the LEVI fund, all local councils have been given a pot of money to install on street charge points, usually connected to lamp posts or as standalone bollards. Many local councils have already awarded these contracts and are installing charge points. Not cheapest charging at home but still way more affordable than charging at a supermarket for car park. I think a lot of tires will be around 30p kWh. Basically, even if you have a driveway, the vast two drivers will have access to on street parking within the next five years. For example Brighton and hove council are installing over 7000 and Reading council where I live are installing around 3000 on street charge points.
krona2k@reddit
It will happen, I mean look at the stats. 25% of all new cars sold globally are electric. About the same in the UK. Electricity is everywhere. All we need is a little bit of imagination to reap the rewards. None of this is actually difficult.
g0ldcd@reddit
Yes, it will happen. Just compared to other countries we're doing an appalling bad job of actually rolling out the infrastructure. It's not impossible, there are examples all over the world - so what's our excuse? It's maybe the single thing that makes me despair of all our governments - everybody wants it, we all need it, so why are we still here?
soopercerial@reddit
We are ordering an electric car next week.
I've done a lot of research and the best way for us to charge will be subscribing to be.ev for £100 a year. We will then be able to charge for 39p per kWH.
This is much more expensive than being on a special home tariff, but is also cheaper than I currently pay for petrol.
Yes I will have to charge it once a week, but it will only take around half an hour, and I can just potter round the shop whilst I wait.
I'd have a look into it if I were you. Not as convenient as petrol, but you might find it isn't as expensive as you think.
PsychologicalRun1911@reddit
Tesla supercharger off peak is cheaper. That's what I'm doing while I figure out my home charging situation.
soopercerial@reddit
I'm in Liverpool, I wasn't able to find a Tesla supercharger with rates cheaper than what I mentioned above unfortunately.
PsychologicalRun1911@reddit
Off peak it's cheaper. Here it starts at 11 pm.
soopercerial@reddit
Thanks for that, I'll have to have another look
mintvilla@reddit
You can at Tesla charging stations. Off peak i've seen them about 25p per Kwh which is about 3x cheaper than petrol/diesel
One-Conversation-203@reddit
This is what I do when travelling (within reason) I can often find them for 20p or 21p, off peak tesla pricing is a great feature. 21p is cheaper than most peoples home energy tariffs (not specific ev or solar or heat pump tariffs)
Emergency_Summer_397@reddit
I’m in a flat but hope to move to a terrace soon. I googled it thinking hooray I can get an EV and it sounded super easy, just ask the council to install a pavement gunnel for the wire to sit in and charge from home. Is it not that simple irl?
g0ldcd@reddit
You might be able to do that. But how do you stop somebody parking in front of your house? It's not "your space"
Snoo63@reddit
If companies thought about it, they'd install employee electric car charging stations at work. Make it a benefit.
JJY93@reddit
Can you get cheap petrol right now?
Vladimir_Chrootin@reddit
No, but it doesn't take hours to fill up, nor do I have to drive to a P&D in the next town over in order to do that.
CarpeCyprinidae@reddit
Can you get petrol thats cheaper per mile than public fast-charging for EVs?
yes. Absolutely yes, anywhere except motorway filling stations
harj-london@reddit
When you can plug it into every street lamp post in the UK and charge it up at 1/5 of the price of petral.
GainsAndPastries@reddit
Our neighbour has one, the cable trails over the footpath to charge his car 😂
lil_tram@reddit
We just got a full hybrid because of this - we wanted to go electric, but without the infrastructure there's no way
gregredmore@reddit
I love EVs and would never go back to an ICE car. But I have a driveway and can charge cheaply at home. If I could not do this I would be driving a petrol hybrid.
Dull-Classroom-3479@reddit
A few years ago, Scotland had this thing called Chargeplace Scotland - a card and app that gave you free public charging. I had an EV van for a week and used it loads.
But they've really cut back on it now.
I did not enjoy the hassle and expense of charging that van on a motorway trip - would have been easier and cheaper in the Picasso I had then.
So, for me, once I can get a decent condition used EV for about £8000 that I can charge at my house.
Condition 1 is probably do-able now, but condition 2 requires moving house as there is no driveway and a brutally busy main road in front of the house. I *could* get away with putting in a charger and running a cable over the pavement and charging the car at night time, but since we're moving anyway, I don't want to pay to put a charger in at the house.
Difficult-Practice12@reddit
My street has multiple charging spots. So am going to buy one.
HousingMean6184@reddit
7 pence a kW with a £80 charger from Halfords. Dangle said charger out the front window and plug the car in like a microwave
Jesus-TF-Christ@reddit
I switched from petrol to electric last year. I only charge with public chargers in London and my cost per mile is now 5p per mile less than petrol ish. I used to get 40ish mpg and now get 4.5kwph. Plus my parking permit is cheaper each year and my service is cheaper
podgehog@reddit
That's why I got an early model s, don't charge at home, just charge for free at their stations whenever I'm out
Omadster@reddit
I think there will be a new tax on charging in the near future , can't see how the government could possibly lose the revenue from petrol/diesal sales , they will wait until enough people have electric and enough tax has been lost at the pumps
Junior-Tap-8503@reddit
I do this, just using a long 32A commando
Alt1690@reddit
The driveway thing isn’t as big of an issue as you muhtb think. A lot of councils are Trialing systems that dig a small trench in the pavement up to your house which is covered so safe for public to cross whilst it’s charging
g0ldcd@reddit
Right - and the person who parks outside my house and goes on holiday?
There needs to be access to electricity to nearly every space - then some simple system where you can tap it and it'll charge it to your home bill.
porphyro@reddit
You already can charge cheaply enough on public infrastructure in london that I and many other people in the city do this. Its about 2x the price as if I had my own driveway charger but its still much cheaper than petrol.
g0ldcd@reddit
*points to country that isn't London*
porphyro@reddit
Sure, that's why I specifically pointed out I was talking about london. It is cheap insofar as its still significantly cheaper than petrol and outside big cities a much higher percentage of people can have the option to install their own charging infrastructure
V65Pilot@reddit
Pretty much my answer, which, roughly translated, means never.
eelam_garek@reddit
Is this because you don't have a driveway or are you just being contrary?
bensuffolk@reddit
That is the exact reply I was going to give.
dazzou5ouh@reddit
When I find one I like at a good price. But a used Audi etron GT is really starting to lure me
nsfwthrowaway2019uk@reddit
I'd probably stick with a plug in hybrid until the infrastructure is built out and there is a standardised charging network I.e I dont want to make an account at every charge point.
Happy_Chief@reddit
When the charging mess is sorted out.
Its not really economically viable to own an EV and charge it at a public charger when compared to a 2nd hand ICE car.
Either, public charging needs to come in line with domestic charging, domestic charging for those without driveways needs to somehow work, or the government needs to step in to create a scheme which makes EV charging viable for those that live in flats.
RestingRichard@reddit
Even at the top end of EV public charging rates (service station without subscription/account) it still generally works out cheaper than running an ICE car. Using the tesla supercharger network (open to all) pricing is basically the equivalent of a car doing 70mpg.
Yes, that's nowhere near as low as what people who can charge at home can get, but it's still better than diesel at the moment, with less of the price volatility
Happy_Chief@reddit
Totally, now add the cost of the EV against the 2016 ICE car I already own outright.
The numbers stop working without at-home charging, even less so if I add an inconvenience factor for having to drive across town to charge somewhere (I.e, my hourly rate)
RestingRichard@reddit
Great job on moving those goal posts
Happy_Chief@reddit
The only way is sorting the charging mess.
ExternalSalad5212@reddit
Idk how much charging prices work out but for a new EV for my needs I am estimating around £300 a month. I pay (even with diesel nearly being £2 a litre) around £75 for two weeks. That's £150 a month and I can do it anywhere in under 10min. I don't have a driveway so the inconvenience. Also, my car is MK3 Skoda. The parts are dirt cheap and I can do 90% of maintenance myself so I am saving on that as well. I would be to afraid to work with ev without enough knowledge to not get shocked
TheTreeDweller@reddit
You might an argument, we're counted with a logical response and moved the goal right after, hence moving the goalposts.
Obviously a nonsense poster really.
Former_Intern_8271@reddit
Nothing is cheaper than the car you already own
TAOMCM@reddit
You can just keep your car and then buy a second hand ev in 10 years time, you don't need to switch up early.
loldonkimo@reddit
Boomers gonna boom
Happy_Chief@reddit
I'm 30...
ParkLane1984@reddit
congrats !
tribordercollie@reddit
Yes they were. If you’re in the market for a used car (ignore the you already own a car outright argument), it’s cheaper to get an EV than an ICE equivalent in a lot of cases now. If you can charge cheaply, then it’s cheaper than replacing your car with another ICEV.
I could argue the same about my EV. I own my EV outright so what’s the point in buying an ICEV?
WitShortage@reddit
While your point is valid for you, it's not a valid argument overall. Comparing a new electric car with a fully depreciated ICE car is wilfully disingenuous. I get why it makes sense for you, but if your advice for everyone is "don't go electric, buy a 1 year old petrol car"
This is why car magazines never cross-compare the latest economy car against a price-equivalent depreciated luxury car. It's specious.
RetiredFromIT@reddit
But that's not the issue. I didn't buy my EV, 3 years ago, because I wanted to junk my 2013 Diesel and switch to EV.
I decided 6 years ago that my next car would probably be an EV. Then I carried on driving my Diesel until I decided its usefulness was at an end (for me, at least - friend is still driving it).
So my choice was between a new/used EV or a new/used ICE.
I'd previously decided on the EV bit. The fact this was a car for my retirement made me decide on a new one.
No-Phrase-97@reddit
I've driven EVs for 5 years. The best mpkwh ive achieved LONG TERM (i.e. 1 calendar year or more) is around 2.8mpkwh. On a Tesla supercharger this is anything from 20-23p per mile. On a regular fast charger this is 28p per mile. On my Ford Focus at 40mpg and £1.30lt fuel (as of 6 weeks ago) its 15p per mile.
The cognitive dissonance among EV drivers is real.
martini1294@reddit
Who owns an EV and only publicly charges? That’s absurd
The occasional time I publicly charge is enormously offset by the fact it costs me ~£5 to full charge at night
£5 gets me 250miles. Say I do that 10 times a month. That’s £50 for 2500 miles driven. Yeah I might have to pay £40 to charge publicly on a long journey but now I’ve paid £90 for 2750 miles driven
Can you drive 2500 miles on £90 of petrol? Nah didn’t think so.
The only cognitive dissonance here is people who can’t see the bigger picture. They both have a place but as someone that drives 25k miles a year I love my EV
Hugh_Jorgan2474@reddit
Your comment just proves the point about how deluded some people can be
martini1294@reddit
Are you saying I’m deluded, or they are deluded?
Hugh_Jorgan2474@reddit
You! Going on a long rant without even comprehending what the comment said.
martini1294@reddit
Well I did read the comment
I explained that having an EV without a home charger is stupid. Thats not delusional. That’s sensible. I then explained where expensive public charging fits in, whilst still being cheaper than ICE if you can home charge.
It’s never going to not be this way. Either get a drive way, or don’t get an EV.
No-Phrase-97@reddit
Did you even read the comment I was responding to?
martini1294@reddit
I think so? There’s like 3million comments on this particular post
I just stated a perfectly reasonable counter point with maths to back it up. Not sure why the hostility
You said it’s 28p a mile to drive an EV and you’re only using expensive charging. Then you said it’s 15p a mile to drive an ICE van. That’s like me saying actually it’s 28p to drive your ICE van if you only fill up at expensive motorway services where the fuel is double. You don’t do that? So why does that apply to EVs?
It’s not even debatable that EVs cost more than ICE if you publicly charge? But you don’t do that. And if you do, that’s your fault for being silly.
No-Phrase-97@reddit
I'm not being hostile. You're making a straw man argument. The comment I was responding to was articulating a point based on "high end" public charging and Tesla supercharger. Home charging, or a blended mix, was never part of this particular thread.
martini1294@reddit
In which case then okay I’m wrong.
But you should never have an EV without home charging or a blended mix. I think this point needs raising, because that’s obviously worse than an ICE vehicle and people need to stop using it to be anti-EV
It’s a square peg in the round hole situation. Use the right tool for the job. In this case that isn’t an EV and never will be.
No-Phrase-97@reddit
Totally agree.
One-Conversation-203@reddit
What are you talking about, just do the maths. Tesla superchargers (3 nearest me for example) are 41p peak 21p off peak, 41 and 23, and 41 and 22. If you only charged peak, your proclaimed 2.8miles per kwh is 14.6p per mile. Thats cheaper than your 15p ford focus. If you charge off peak, at an avg of 22 then thats 7.8p per mile. You may drive them long term but you messed up the maths. Regular fast charger I’ll be the first to admit are super expensive, but re tesla ones you are plain wrong. Fwiw I charge at an overnight rate of 4p per kwh, and since getting my car I’ve averaged over 4miles per kwh, so my effective cost is 1p per mile. Obviously not applicable to anyone but shows amazing savings if home charging is possible, but even if its not and you are savvy then you can still make savings.
No-Phrase-97@reddit
You questioned my maths and then attempted to disprove my calculations by doing the exact same arithmetic i did...
You're also picking Tesla superchargers to support a weak argument. I'm not sure that washes. You're also cherry picking further by qualifying Tesla membership and antisocial hours (off peak) rates. Im sorry but in the real world it doesnt stack up.
bonzog@reddit
I've had EVs for a similar time and tend to agree. The running costs are entirely dependent on off-street charging and people tend to dramatically over-state the efficiency of their cars.
Our oldest EV has averaged 3.6mi/kWh over the past month (furthest back the data in the Kia app goes).
The other one has averaged 2.5mi/kWh over 13,000 miles.
Both are capable of better figures but we do not drive either of them with a particular care for efficiency - we have no need to, and it's the fairest comparison to how most folk would drive an ICE. Plus it's fun to zip around.
I obviously have access to home (cheap) and workplace (free, for now) charging but if I was relying on public chargers, it would be very very difficult to make a credible argument that the EVs were anywhere near as cheap as a sensible petrol car.
I really like my EVs but I don't like blind evangelism. They are still not a universal fit for everyone right now.
No-Phrase-97@reddit
Good to see another real life response. My EV is a company car and I mostly charge for free at work, very occasionally home. I do however make the occasional long journey cross country and there is literally no credible argument i can make that positions an EV any better than an ICE in terms of economic efficiency.
Is it fun? Yes. Is it nice to drive? Absolutely. Is it affordable if you can home charge? Not on your nelly.
thecornflake21@reddit
My 2019 diesel Qashqai does 80mpg easily (and that's not an uncommon car). So not the case for all diesels. If I did short journeys around town all the time that would drop to about 55-60 but then I wouldn't own a diesel (dpf reasons)
CarpeCyprinidae@reddit
Just not true.
A quick Google shows that its still possible today to find a public 7Kw charger that costs 65p/KwH but the majority of fast chargers are more like 85p/KwH
phead@reddit
You shop around, 85p is at the very high end, Tesla is always cheaper than that, as is some other chains. My nearest rapid charper is 39p (with 14 bays)
CarpeCyprinidae@reddit
and you pay a subscription price of £10 a month on top of that, meaning the actual cost is higher
DoctorOctagonapus@reddit
What the hell are you putting in your petrol car? I put £60 worth of fuel in my car a fortnight ago, and according to the dashboard it added about 340 miles. That works out at just less than 17 2/3p per mile. No way are you getting that kind of value for money off a public charger.
Johnlenham@reddit
That £60 is probably closer to £80 now. Petrols shot up, diesel is nearly £2 a go as well..
DoctorOctagonapus@reddit
I need to fill up again so I'll see, though prices round here haven't gone up by much more than a couple of pence since then. They soared last month, but have been fairly steady in the low 150s since.
Johnlenham@reddit
Round me it's gone from 1.49 to 1.59 in a week. Crazy times
RestingRichard@reddit
Tesla supercharger are about 40p/kw and Ionity is about 47p/kw with a subscription that costs about a tenner per month, that works out at about 10-12p per mile
eggs_and_ham_i_am@reddit
That's just not true.
Anything over 68p kWh works out more expensive than running my wife's Seat Ateca per mile. Moat convenient chargers (as in will get you going again within 45 minutes) are already set between 75-85p That's considerably more per mile than a petrol.
I have an EV, I've had it 3 years, and I've never used a public charger because the expense is just so uneconomical. If we're going somewhere that would require a charge enroute, we take the petrol car.
RestingRichard@reddit
Did you miss the word GENERALLY in what I said? Obviously there will be some exceptions, and yours is one of them, but generally it works out at about 40mpg at the top priced ones which is broadly what the average car does.
My defender does 20mpg on a good day, but I know that generally most cars are more economical than that, so didn't base it around what my defender does.
eggs_and_ham_i_am@reddit
A Seat Ateca is probably the most middle of the road family car you can get. To imply I'm using a thirsty car to manipulate my point is very disingenuous.
It gets roughly 36-38 mpg.
Fast EV chargers are more expensive than that on any EV that gives 3.7 miles per KW, which is the average over a year of cold and warm weather that the majority of EVs will give.
Again, some will give slightly more and some less. But comparing an VW ID5 and a Seat Ateca ice car is very like for like for a family car.
RestingRichard@reddit
Tesla and Ionity both cost around a tenner per month and broadly half the price of the most expensive network. So yes, while you pay a premium to fill up at a services by just tapping your credit card, thats no different to the premium you pay filling up your ICE at a services either.
notouttolunch@reddit
There are almost none of these chargers available. There are only around 1400 sites across all of Europe!
There are some near me, in a major city. They're 4 miles away on an industrial estate.
charlottedoo@reddit
Public charging can be cheaper than home parking. The cost is for time taken to charge. If you find a 7KW charger (the same as home) it’s like 23p while if you’re not on a EV tariff it could be up to 30p.
Happy_Chief@reddit
Who is actually getting an EV, and then not putting themselves on an appropriate tarrif though?
BertUK@reddit
Out of interest, how many miles do you average every day?
iamabigtree@reddit
Charging is being rapidly (pun intended) being sorted out. The number of new chargers being installed is extraordinary.
Happy_Chief@reddit
Yup, and it still won't fix the price gulf between home charging and public charging.
RaveyDave666@reddit
Never.
Jazzlike-Gur-1324@reddit
You'd want to be a headbanger to buy EV unless you can charge at home.
If you can charge at home they're incredibly cheap to run. I Have cupra born VZ and it is best car I've owned. Super comfortable and goes like the clappers when needeed.
Doesn't make vroom vroom sound though.
Mafeking-Parade@reddit
Home charging for people without driveways is the deal-breaker.
I have an Tesla, and it works brilliantly for my use. But you'd be mental to buy one without a home charger.
Loads of extra aggro, for practically zero saving against a really efficient diesel.
I had half an hour spare after dropping my partner to a hospital appointment in London yesterday, and thought I'd see if I could chuck a quick charge in the car to avoid stopping at a Tesla Supercharger on the upcoming motorway drive.
I have various cards/apps for charging services (Shell, Octopus etc.) that I never use. 95% of my charging is done at home (with added solar), and the odd 5% is done at Superchargers on longer drives.
After 20min driving around various chargers suggested by the apps, I couldn't find any that matched the app's availability or weren't taxi-only. I gave up, and we stopped for a 7min mega-fast charge at the services while I grabbed a wee and a coffee.
I got home and plugged it in yesterday afternoon, and this morning it has \~280 miles of charge for about £7.
NinjaMonkey91@reddit
This is pretty much the position I was in right before Covid (car was made in 2012 and I have owned it since 2015) doing 12-15k miles a year. Looking at the rate of improvements and if it continued at that pace switching to an EV within 10-15 years seemed like the sensible move to make (I have plenty of driveway for a charging point.
Since then I've moved to remote working, do \~3k miles a year (primarily town running taking the kids to/from various things) and my car is starting to have more serious mechanical problems but I'm thinking about just buying a cheap, reliable runaround instead of forking out fortunes for a car that'll hardly get used (EV or otherwise).
gracki1@reddit
After I can afford a place with driveway,by myself.
Lazy_Helicopter_2659@reddit
When I can get home charging
bellabanjsk@reddit
Your definition of affordable and mine are pretty fucking different!
decidedlyindecisive@reddit
Yeah we have the same issue. It's still so expensive and people are calling them affordable!
LordSn00ty@reddit
It's this, really. If you have a family and cant squeeze them all in a leaf, most ppl don't have a spare 30-50k to drop on a new car. Most people don't want to take out a 20k loan to buy one. Most ppl don't have a spare £300 a month to lease one either. Its getting closer every year but I dont think its there yet.
Zynchronize@reddit
The used ev market has gone kinda crazy because of the fuel price, before that it was an easier choice to make.
Our previous used Ceed cost us £17,400. It was serviced annually and it felt like every service revealed new expensive problems - engine oil leaks, DCT issues, etc. We were paying £50 a week in fuel.
Our used Kona EV (Mini SUV) cost us £17900 and has needed no additional maintenance other than annual service and tire changes. It’s costing us about £7.50 a week in energy. Our insurance was about the same for both.
There are less unexpected costs with the EV, it’s cheaper to run, and frankly nicer to drive - I can always “make that gap” at roundabouts. We calculated that we were saving roughly £2500 a year with it vs our ceed - which is insane.
It might not make sense for everyone household but for us it’s been an excellent result.
LordSn00ty@reddit
Thanks, this is really interesting. I think we'll hit a point when our MPVs maintenence and fuel bill will outpace the combined purchase and upkeep cost of an EV. maybe we're there already and I haven't been paying attention 😄
EyeAware3519@reddit
Genuine question. What is your definition? What do you spend in total over the total length of ownership? I bet the costs are closer than you think.
Daveddozey@reddit
I’ve owned my current car for 4 years, cost £1100. Petrol has cost £1500, maintence and MOT well uneer £1k, mainly tyres and suspension
I park it on my drive next to my electric charger.
Splodge89@reddit
I bought my old car in 2012 for £11k. I ran it for 13 years until someone wrote it off last year. I got £4k back from the insurance. Works out at about £45 a month on depreciation. You’re not getting leases that cheap.
Rowdy_Roddy_2022@reddit
You can get a brand new electric Dacia Spring for as low as £10k, and a wide range of good used EVs for the same price.
notouttolunch@reddit
Modern Renaults have always been poor quality cars. This isn't an option. They fall into the same category as cheap tat Chinese things like Jellyspoon and BYD
Rowdy_Roddy_2022@reddit
We'll ignore then how highly rated the Renault 5 is and indeed BYD cars are, and stick to meaningless stereotypes.
notouttolunch@reddit
The Renault five has been on sale for barely any time. Even if it does turn out to be acceptable, one good model does not change the legacy of the last 30 years.
BYD again have yet to produce anything long enough to earn a reputation. As indicated, they can't be used as a measure of good cost effectiveness or cost of ownership of an electrical vehicle.
Splodge89@reddit
Never said you couldn’t…
iamabigtree@reddit
I bought my diesel in 2016 for £10k. Those days are gone my friend.
Former_Intern_8271@reddit
You can get decent used EVs for that now
Splodge89@reddit
I know. I bought one when mine got wrote off last year.
hodge91@reddit
Yeah my current car was £8k around 8 1/2 years ago, I've done about 100,000 miles in it since and my current milage is the highest its been. I do have a charger attached to the house so it would make sense but I do a lot of drives which can be 200/300 miles in a day and would hate the thought that I forgot to charge it so could struggle to fill up vs being able to drop in the petrol station (for what its worth I have no clue how long it would take to charge a car at home if I realised it needed charging). I have been looking at mild hybrids as an option.
Splodge89@reddit
Mild hybrids are a waste of time and money. All they are is a normal petrol car with a big starter motor - they never actually drive on electric. They were invented purely so the manufacturers can market a hybrid without actually making one.
A normal “self charging” hybrid is more what you need.
I have a plug in hybrid, more of a cross between and electric and a hybrid. I love it, but it probably wouldn’t suit doing 200 miles every day. It can do it, but you may as well just have a normal hybrid.
EyeAware3519@reddit
Not a lease no but plenty of EVs out there for 11k and car price inflation had a once in a lifetime spike in 2021 so you benefied from that. How much do you spend on fuel and servicing? How many parts that are designed to fail had to be replaced?
Splodge89@reddit
The argument was about getting a new car on finance costing the same as buying and keeping. Fuel would be bought whether it’s new or not. Servicing, again the same. My old car costing me nothing but brakes and tyres (which you’d still have to find on a lot of PCPs etc) and a timing belt
gash_dits_wafu@reddit
Yeah I purchased a 10 year old C'eed 6 years ago for £1000. Probably spent an average of about £400 a year maintaining her and getting her through her annual service requirements and MOT. £47 a month.
The best case of bangernomics I had was with a Passat I owned. I purchased a ~10 year old Passat for about £2000. Spent around £600 over 2 years for MOTs and services, and then someone rear-ended me and wrote it off. Insurance paid out about £2600. So I basically broke even, I was well chuffed.
Happy_Chief@reddit
The issue is its not viable to own one.
Yeah, on a lease/pcp/whatever agreement, they're close on their 3 year deals.
Compared to buying a 2016 Corsa outright which costs £200 in insurance and £35 in road tax, no where near.
PublixEnemynumberone@reddit
So your point is a brand new car is more expensive to buy than a ten year old shed?
notouttolunch@reddit
I think sheds are generally cheaper than cars. Unless you're considering the type of sheds that require planning permission. But that's not a helpful comparison.
IanM50@reddit
EVs are actually cheaper to manufacture, but oil companies are encouraging car manufacturers to keep prices higher than ICE cars, this is one of the reasons why Chinese cars are cheaper in the UK and why EVs sell for far less in other countries.
notouttolunch@reddit
This isn't the conspiracy sub. Sorry.
EyeAware3519@reddit
Look at the price of cars in China. No conspiracy.
Splodge89@reddit
Look at the price of everything in china. It’s cheaper, for whatever you might want. That doesn’t mean there’s some oil conspiracy keeping it expensive elsewhere. There’s quite a bit more to economics and pricing than nasty oil companies.
onionsareawful@reddit
ICE cars in china are also far cheaper.
EyeAware3519@reddit
Now you're getting it
Happy_Chief@reddit
I've no idea if you're correct, however let's say you are.
That doesn't change the EV standpoint for Joe Bloggs.
IanM50@reddit
No it doesn't, but that's capitalism for you
bellabanjsk@reddit
See my other comment, they’re really not!
EyeAware3519@reddit
Okay. If you've done the maths and worked it all out then fair enough. Made sense for me though. I'm basically paying the same on my loan than I was on petrol. Everyone's situation is different just make sure the maths is sound.
bellabanjsk@reddit
I think the issue here is that getting a car on finance is out of reach for me (and a lot of people) regardless. I have always bought cars outright after saving up, and then not paid a loan. I simply couldn’t afford to pay more than a few grand in total.
MultipleScoregasm@reddit
Buy a used one? I did!
bellabanjsk@reddit
Still too much for me. My secondhand car was 8 years old and £4K 7 years ago and the only thing I’ve needed to replace are tyres (which you’d need to do on an EV aswell) and a battery.
atsevoN@reddit
My car is 30 years old and I paid 2000 for it 7 years ago
bellabanjsk@reddit
You win 🤣
atsevoN@reddit
How many EVs will be on the road in 30 years? Not many lol
notouttolunch@reddit
This response didn't make sense.
Drprim83@reddit
When I can be confident that I can do a 250 mile motorway drive on one charge
uzzi38@reddit
So when are you buying then? Should be any moment now, right?
HousingMean6184@reddit
We have a 82kW it does worcestershire to Hampshire and back in one day with 50ish miles to spare
RestingRichard@reddit
Pretty much any with a battery over 75kwh would fulfill that need
RestingRichard@reddit
Pretty much any with over 75kwh battery will be able to do that
SnooGiraffes449@reddit
I live in a flat and the communal car park doesn't have chargers. I don't want to have to drive and park at a garage for an extended period of time to charge my car. So hard pass for me.
Former_Intern_8271@reddit
People in the EV camp seem to think rapid chargers are what everyone needs, but I think the focus should be on installing a shed load of cheap slow chargers in apartment car parks like yours and on the road sides, literally cover the country in low power cheap chargers that are easy to install.
That will mean forcing landlords and property managers to do it in some scenarios, so be it.
uzzi38@reddit
I'm in agreement with you. It shouldn't even be particularly difficult in the overwhelming majority of cases, if you can guarantee a solid electrical socket and semi-reasonable grid supply even a good old 3 pin socket can deliver 3kW charging rates, which is more than enough to cover most people's daily commutes (and then some).
Obviously I wouldn't recommend pulling the full 13A the standard allows for here on any old socket, but one specifically ready to handle those currents would do fine. We should be pushing for that and other stuff like lamp post or roadside 5/7kW chargers far more than fast charging if we want EVs to be viable for most people. And in the case of the latter, they also need to be priced below 45p/kWh ideally as well - something that shouldn't be difficult if we're talking slow chargers only anyway.
murrayhenson@reddit
There’s plenty of us in the EV camp that want the same thing you do: 3-7 kW charging points everywhere. Charging points at 50% of all new parking, upgrades to existing parking, and retrofit existing parking. Charging at a space within, say, 500 m of your home address should be billed at the rate of your home electric tariff + a small bit extra to account for the install costs and maintenance.
LowarnFox@reddit
Yes, exactly - I live in a house with allocated parking that isn't a driveway. To charge I'd currently have to run some kind of cable across neighbouring property and an access route, I don't think I'd be popular! If there was a way that I could easily stick a charger in my parking space without causing everyone else loads of disruption, I'd seriously consider it.
I'll be honest, I haven't looked into it in lots of detail as I just imagine it'll be a lot of hassle and my current petrol car is "fine" anyway - but I really think this is what's needed. Cheap, slow chargers for communal parking and on street parking that work overnight.
Former_Intern_8271@reddit
I've also seen some places cutting grooves in pavements for people to run their cables through without bothering people, that could help
LowarnFox@reddit
That could work with on street parking- I don't think my neighbours would be keen for me to cut a groove across the front of their actual property though. The way it's set up as well is that multiple properties might want the same access route for a charger.
If there was a way to cheaply and quickly install electric chargers for all the allocated parking, I think that would be the way forward.
I do think at the very least, new build estates etc should be forced to provide suitable electric charging for people who don't have their own driveways etc.
nouazecisinoua@reddit
Same. I only know one block of flats near me with chargers. Even if I lived there, I don't think I'd get an EV in case the management company remove them, don't repair them, or I get evicted/massive rent hike/etc.
FoodStorageDevice@reddit
If you can charge at home , an EV hould really be your first consideration.
Majestic_Tough_4095@reddit
Never
grouchy_fox@reddit
The second that 'cheap enough for me to buy used' and 'needing a new car' converge for me. I wanted to hold out for an EV with my last car, but when it had to be replaced EVs were still out of my price range.
ThePandaDaily@reddit
Never. I like engines.
Lopsided-Mark-7537@reddit
I thought the same as you until I came to needing a new car and the sudden realisation that the used EV market is on par or is even more affordable than a new diesel car. The savings are very real and as my 3rd largest expense I could t ignore the 70% reduction in fuel cost. Caveat IF you can charge at home, it’s another case of homeowner privilege.
Roofless_@reddit
First and foremost I am a petrol head however, after getting an EV for my partner it makes total sense IF you can change from home and/or work. As a daily driver it makes total sense.
D0wnb0at@reddit
As a petrol head, why are petrol heads so against EV’s? They are faster and cheaper to run.
I get the manual vs automatic people. But I don’t understand people who prefer petrol over EV as a driving experience.
PleasantGanache@reddit
I went from a Golf R to Model 3 performance, sure the Tesla is faster, but it handles like a boat and the brakes are scary bad. Yes running costs are cheaper, but for some, its not enough.
TAOMCM@reddit
Thats not an ev problem it's a tesla problem. The i4 is glorious.
Connorgri@reddit
Bet it sounds brilliant on a cold start or burbling through town … oh hang on.
See, sound is a big part of petrol head-ism. And that’s just never going to be a thing with an EV.
Demonkittymusic@reddit
That’s a Tesla problem, they are crap cars.
eelam_garek@reddit
Newer Teslas have really improved on everything. 2022+ are great handling and cheap to acquire now.
Contact_Patch@reddit
Because most petrol heads are into cars, not just being fast in a straight line, but, like horses, the relationship you build with your car/s of choice.
I like the noise of an engine, the sound of turbo spool and chatter, I like rev matching and heel and toe, I like that my light car responds with very little inputs, I like that it communicates through my arse and fingers what's going on, I like the smell of unburnt fuel and the occasional bangs and flames on overrun (not pop and bang maps, you haven't earned those), the vibrations, the assault on the senses.
EVs are clinical and dreadful as an experience. Whoop it's fast in a straight line, but it's literally a disposable laptop on wheels.
I would daily an EV if they were cheap enough, ideal for that.
Past-Obligation1930@reddit
I’m into cars. None of the things you mention make sense to me. I want to go fast as quickly as possible, why the fuck do I want to make bangs and smell petrol? I’m not five, I’m an adult.
RobsonNGreen@reddit
Because its the sound and feel that makes it. Some of my favourite cars ever. Lexus LFA, Carrera GT and RS3. Are my favourites simply because of the way they sound
Contact_Patch@reddit
No, you're into speed.
You're not into cars at all.
Enjoy your latest iPhone on wheels chief.
Better still, get your bike license and realise EVs are still slow in reality.
Past-Obligation1930@reddit
I find this an interesting take. My EV accelerates faster than any car I’ve ever had. It just doesn’t go Brrrrrrm brrrm whilst it does it. But I don’t care about that, so I prefer the EV. What am I missing?
Contact_Patch@reddit
Because there is more to cars than acceleration... But I guess you missed all of that.
Undercover_Elephant_@reddit
Interesting. If it fulfils the purpose of getting me from A-B I’m happy. I appreciate everyone has different needs in life though. I’ve never had the urge for a car to communicate with me through my fingers and arse but it certainly sounds good fun I guess.
Contact_Patch@reddit
😂 yeah phrasing, but, that exactly what a well setup car does, your hands are getting feedback from the front wheels, and your hips are telling you what the rest of the car is trying to do in relation.
Undercover_Elephant_@reddit
LOL I learned to drive in an RS Turbo in 1992 so I get it really. I’m old and boring now. PS It was my Dads not mine 😂
__e_n_t_r_o_p_y__@reddit
They are faster but much less engaging, therefore less interesting to petrol heads.
Toodle-Peep@reddit
Far from universal, even my little MG4 is a hoot to drive.
iamabigtree@reddit
That was my impression the day I got my MG4 and took jt for a drive in the Pennines. Tonnes more fun than any car I've ever owned, just put your foot down and it shoots off.
Now I'm sure there are plenty of petrol cars that do the same, but not for the same cost.
RestingRichard@reddit
I took an alpine a290 out for a test drive last week and it was hilarious to drive, genuinely felt like I was chucking a 90s/00s hothatch around some country roads. Fantastic little drivers car
Fruitpicker15@reddit
If I could do my hiking and camping trips to the Highlands with an EV I'd happily get one.
Splodge89@reddit
I think the biggest issue is most petrol heads have never actually driven one….
Funny_Maintenance973@reddit
EVs have absolutely no character.
I am a fan of slower, but fun cars. Having driven my dad's ev, it is extremely fast, but so, so dull.
I do like the look of the Renault 5 and the Honda E, but both have such small ranges they're not worth having for me.at least they have tried to inject some fun into them
callisstaa@reddit
Understandable.
I live in China where EVs are pretty much the standard and charging infrastructure is fast, cheap and easily available.
There are still a lot of driving enthusiasts here who drive petrol cars. EVs just don't feel the same at all. Best one I've driven is a Xiaomi SU7 but even that doesn't compare to driving a 'real' car.
Brutal_De1uxe@reddit
Every one I have driven, I haven't liked. Sure they are quick off the line but that's all they have
Petrol cars do pretty much everything else better
Diavoletto21@reddit
Because my E39 M5 is infinitely more fun, engaging, better to look at, better to be in, sounds better, feels better to drive and the list goes on.
makebeansgreatagain@reddit
Speed is such a tiny miniscule part of what makes a car enthusiast. Aesthetically EV's mostly all look like the same amorphous blob of smooth cheap plastic. Except the new Renault 5, that's really cool. 99% of enjoyable driving for me is sounds and feeling, changing gears, rev matching, heel toe, hearing intake noise growling away under load. Smells in older cars. It's all character that no new EV will ever have. Same reason I utterly detest classic car EV conversions.
If you're only in it for speed, you're not an enthusiast, or petrol head.
Past-Obligation1930@reddit
Way to gatekeep enjoying cars.
makebeansgreatagain@reddit
Hardly, when the above comment is reducing it to "faster and cheaper = better"
They said they didn't understand people who prefer the driving experience of petrol over electric, I explained.
fearlessflyer1@reddit
i’m not a serious petrol head but EVs feel more like Tech products than cars, but then again ICEs are hardly far behind in the ‘ipad with wheels’ stakes. but EVs do lead the charge, looking specifically about how many things in a tesla require you to use a bit ipad rather than a button
Toodle-Peep@reddit
Theres plenty of EVs that actually have plenty of physical controls. Teslas are kind of infamous for how much they offload onto the display.
thelovelykyle@reddit
I drive a Ford Explorer SV.
I used to drive a Ford Explorer ICE.
The differences in operation are the lack of gears, I start the car with a knob rather than a button and that I can cap my 'Charge until' percentage (which I do have to use the ipad for).
And I fuel it using a different cable, of course.
They are the only differences.
Contact_Patch@reddit
I'd hardly call an Explorer a petrolhead car.
Particular-Bid-1640@reddit
A Ford Explorer is already a large, numb vehicle though
ughhhghghh@reddit
I'm a petrol head through and through. Nothing about EV's interest me. I like the sound, engagement etc when driving. Bear in mind, I do trackdays etc so whether something is faster and cheaper to run, doesn't really bother me too much.
Liquidfoxx22@reddit
For me, noise.
Alive_Conclusion_850@reddit
It's not just about how fast something is. It's more how fun it is to drive. Take the Mazda MX5. One of the most loved cars about. Not particularly fast, but so fun to drive. Unfortunately I'm yet to see one EV that handles and drives anywhere near as good.
Contact_Patch@reddit
I've driven a MK1 1.6 with a turbo strapped to it, and it's utterly hilarious. Unbelievably fun.
sushi_collector12@reddit
They’re just really insecure deep down and incapable of change.
jake_burger@reddit
I think it’s a vinyl vs Spotify situation for some people.
Effective_Topic_4728@reddit
That's the obvious split. For people who can park on a driveway, it's now the obvious choice. For everyone else, it's obvious not to have one.
darkerthanmysoul@reddit
For me it was cheaper to get an EV and with a tight budget and needing a car I took the chance knowing my best bet at charging would be when I do my weekly shop.
My work is not anywhere near a charger and my house isn’t by a road and where I park isn’t “looked after road” so I can’t place a charger there.
I do just fine charging it while I shop or go for a coffee but I also see that it somewhat limits me.
Splodge89@reddit
And this is the actual truth of EV ownership. A once a week charge while you’re doing something else is actually plenty for an awful lot of people. The average person does about 130 miles a week - remember that an average means roughly half of people are below it too. Most EVs can manage that sort of range. And you can shove that much into a battery on a rapid charger in 10-15 minutes.
dwair@reddit
Roughly half of people are above it too, which means you really have to start looking for those fast chargers quite frequently and planning your trips away from home around their availability.
In my case I'd be looking for a charger every day and a half, traveling further to find a charger and spending over an hour a week (rather than just 10 mins) at best just sitting in my car charging it up.
Splodge89@reddit
Oh, so it doesn’t work for you it works for no one. Fair!
dwair@reddit
I really was just pointing out that if it only works for half the people, it's not going to work for the other half.
If you only use the car for nipping to the shops or the school run, it's an obvious solution if those facilities are local to you. Everyone has different needs and at present EV's are not a practical solution for everyone - by your reconing only about half of car users or somthing.
You are right though, you don't have to sit in your car whilst it charges. Personally I love exploring random industrial parks and deserted supermarket car parks in the rain for half an hour stretches in the middle of the night, but I'm not fully convinced it's everyone's cup of tea.
audigex@reddit
Why would you charge in a supermarket car park in the middle of the night, when you could just do it in the day when you’re at the supermarket or shop or restaurant or whatever anyway?
I’ve charged on public chargers 100s of times and sat in my car waiting for it about twice ever
dwair@reddit
Generally I'm at work or doing something else during the day so tend to buy fuel later on. This is especially true on longer journeys where I have to fill up along the way.
As I don't own an EV (yet) as far as the charging queues go, I'm just going on what I see around my town and on the motorways so I'm happy to be proved wrong about that.
audigex@reddit
On a long journey you’d fill up at a motorway services not an industrial estate
And sure you’re at work in the day, but surely you’d charge when you go to the supermarket, or restaurant, or something like the cinema?
Almost everyone is going to be near one of those for half an hour a week regardless
Splodge89@reddit
It’s more than half of car users who cannot charge at home who would be suited fine with charging publicly while they’re in the supermarket or the gym or having a cheeky McDonald’s once a week.
They don’t work for everyone, but that’s not to say it doesn’t work for anyone and should be dismissed.
audigex@reddit
I think the point is that while it’s not ideal for everyone, it does work better for many than people sometimes seem to think
Let’s say (just for the sake of argument) it’s fine for people up to bang on the average mileage who can do a 15 minute rapid charge once a week instead of a 5 minute petrol station trip, and that half of people have driveways
By extension, you’d conclude that EVs work for about 75% of people. Because approximately half have a driveway (50%) and of the other half, approximately half do below average mileage (+25%)
And that’s already quite pessimistic considering the UK housing survey says 2/3 of homes have off road parking, and because really most people are around the average mileage so there’s no need to cut off at bang on 50%. If we said it’s probably 2/3 with a driveway and 2/3 could get by with a weekly charge, for example, then that’s 66% with a driveway and another 22% from the remaining 33% who can just do a rapid charge once a week. So 88%
Really I’d say 88% is optimistic, but the point is that we’re probably somewhere in the 70-90% range who would be fine
I say this as someone who had an EV without off road parking for 2 years, too - so I’m not just declaring that other people should take an inconvenience I haven’t experienced. It was honestly fine. I prefer it now I have a driveway, but it was totally manageable - as with the commenter above, we just charged at the supermarket or shopping centre or occasionally my partner’s work when she took my car
Like yeah sometimes I had to sit in the car for 15 minutes while it charged… but then 3 other times I could skip the 5 minutes at the petrol station entirely because it just charged while I was in Aldi, so overall the time lost was about the same
Splodge89@reddit
Thankyou for explaining it in a way I struggled with.
Snoo63@reddit
Relevant Technology Connextras video
eelam_garek@reddit
Teslas are fine to own without a driveway. You can access very cheap charging at good speeds.
PlanktonTrick5634@reddit
I don’t drive anywhere that has charging though. My office building only has 1 car pass per office and no charging with no plans to add charging, I’m only there twice a week, and I get all my shopping online. I still drive everyday. Where would I charge? When?
eelam_garek@reddit
Well, that's a very subjective question. Where do you live? (roughly)
PlanktonTrick5634@reddit
Bristol
eelam_garek@reddit
Just had a quick look on the Tesla app. I have a non-Tesla EV so it will only show me ones open to everyone. It hides the telsa only ones. I can see there's 8 superchargers at somewhere called Eastgate? I don't know Bristol. The there's some further north of there too.
I also don't have a Tesla membership, which would grant access to lower cost charging but it's saying even I could get 31p per kWh at certain times (Tesla has dynamic pricing that changes depending on when you arrive). So it's safe to assume 20p or a bit lower is possible. When you consider everyone else is now 60p and north of that, it's amazing.
My friend has a Tesla and can't install a charger at home at the moment. He's fueling it largely with a supercharger network that's about 15 miles from his house. So he loses around 30 miles to charge it in journey, but he's still left with 250ish. More than usable for weekly life. He doesn't go every day.
iamabigtree@reddit
There's one exception and that is company car drivers. The BIK tax can mean you still save money even without a drive. Plus with the recent rises in petrol then rapid EV charging and petrol are just about on par as long as you stay away from the motorway services chargers.
Junior-Tap-8503@reddit
I live in a terrace with on street parking that’s not even in front of my house and I manage charging fine
LowAnimator8770@reddit
How?
Junior-Tap-8503@reddit
I have a 32A commando socket on my front wall, cable from that runs down to the end of our terrace shared garden and terminate in small outdoor storage box.
I have a commando to type 2 charger plugged in to that which I coil up and leave in the box when not in use.
LowAnimator8770@reddit
How do you stop people tripping over it when it’s over the footpath?
Junior-Tap-8503@reddit
By positioning it neatly, there is no pavement on my bit of street.
I have a neighbour up the road who charges on a 3 pin through their ground floor window and they use one of those black/yellow cable covers on the pavement.
eggs_and_ham_i_am@reddit
I took am a petrol head. I've got an ID5, the car car is terrible and I can't wait to get rid, but it's shown the EV's can work for us as a family as long as we also have my wife's petrol car for longer more complicated journeys.
Also, having an Elise and a Capri helps with the easy, but sterile boring dullness that is driving the EV
Undercover_Elephant_@reddit
The issue is possibly because you’ve got an ID5. Have you tried other EVs?
eggs_and_ham_i_am@reddit
I've driven several EV's, Polestar 3, Leaf, Cupra Born, Renault 5, BMW I3, VW Buzz, and found them all to be very sterile dull driving experiences.
They are perfect for their use of commuting to work, taking kids to clubs, going on family days out that ain't weekends away, etc. But fun or engaging to drive they most definitely ain't.
FWIW, the Born was probably my favourite of the bunch, and will most likely be my next car, it felt the closest to "hot hatch" territory, my preferred type of cars. The Polestar was an absolutely awful car to drive.
IanM50@reddit
Petrol heads find it difficult to understand that the instant torque, high hp, rapid acceleration, low slung mass, and rheostatic braking, make EVs great to drive, especially round places like the mountains of Wales, where you can accelerate hard, brake hard and drive through corners.
the-holy-one23@reddit
We've just done the same. It makes her commute mega cheap
EntrepreneurNice4994@reddit
When I can afford one
AttersH@reddit
Made the switch last year & I’ll never go back. The car is a genuine dream to drive, smooth, quiet, one pedal (i-pedal), so you don’t even need to brake, it’s literally one pedal driving (obvs there is a break if needed). It’s very speedy. Packed with tech, heats up & cools down in seconds (literally), can defrost it from an app before you leave the house. It’s cheaper than petrol, far easier to fuel at home, there’s charging stations literally everywhere now (never had a problem, the car tells me where the nearest charger is & if it’s free & how long the current car charging has been there 😅). Also get cheap electric over night on our tariff, which saves pennies on the washing machine & dishwater. And I’m hopefully helping the environment a bit 🤷🏼♀️ it’s certainly helping my bank balance at the minute with the cost of diesel, which our last car was.
I wasn’t sure about making the switch & I’m absoloutly converted.
NotSayingAliensBut@reddit
And just out of interest, what did it cost you to buy? New or used? Owning, leasing, or company car? What's the depreciation like? How do these costs add up with "cheaper than petrol"?
AttersH@reddit
We bought a 23 plate in 2025. £22k, we bought it outright with savings & part-exing our old car (£10K). We only have one car, so costs are split equally between two of us. No idea if it was cheaper than a petrol equivalent spec wise as we knew we wanted electric.. we didn’t really switch for cost as such, although it is cheaper to run. We were changing cars & thought electric was much cleaner & they were nicer to drive!
NotSayingAliensBut@reddit
Thanks for replying. I wondered as so many people who like them seem to have them as company cars. Hope yours works out well for you.
Mermaid654@reddit
I live in a town with a population of 40k. There's 20 charging stations within a mile and a half of my house. I think the government's got a way to go before my town had good options for charging cars!
AttersH@reddit
I get that if you don’t have a drive obviously. That’s pretty shit. But for those that do, it’s easy & theres plenty of chargers on motorways on trips & we’ve found hotels/supermarkets tend to have them if we are staying anywhere without a charging point..
offensive_ferret@reddit
Sounds very similar to where I live, small handful of chargers from what I've seen in passing and looks like it would be completely insufficient for the population
neddin@reddit
Out of curiosity, what ev do you have? I got a 2020 MG5 that is lacking the bells and whistles you talk about
AttersH@reddit
Ioniq 5, the top spec version, 23 plate. It has aircon in the seats (front & back), it’s incredible 😂 & heated obvs. It’s the most high tech car I’ve ever been in, I feel so fancy 😂
luckeratron@reddit
I've got a 2020 MG5 and it has most of these.
neddin@reddit
Not the remote heating or latest info on closest available chargers
luckeratron@reddit
Yes it has remote heating in the app and the sat nav takes you to the nearest charger (although I use google maps for that)
mythmakeruk@reddit
This!
ConsciouslyIncomplet@reddit
Thirded
tuta_user@reddit
When I need a very large battery for my house.
Xsyfer@reddit
When I've got a driveway and a charger.
Any day now.....not
dwair@reddit
I don't have anything against electric cars per-say, although I do treat their longevity with some suspicion, and charging them cheaply and easily on long journeys seems to be more hassle than it's worth to me (I live rurally, do high milage, don't want to have to hunt out chargers and hang about for someone else to finish before I start my 30 min wait).
Environmentally I'm also not fully convinced as lithium production is at least as environmentally destructive as oil extraction and refining, and electricity production although 'cleaner' than everyone running an individual ICE isn't exactly very clean in the UK either.
That said, if I was just doing a school run, pootling about town and keeping my milage under 20k a year I'd happily invest in one but until the battery tech and supporting infrastructure improves (which I'm sure it will), I'll be sticking to my old ICE diesel which does an OK(ish) 55 to the gallon.
disembodied_voice@reddit
It is not.
EVs in the UK realize a 62% reduction in lifecycle impacts compared to ICE vehicles.
dwair@reddit
Yet The cost of green energy: lithium mining’s impact on nature and people
Although the EV life cycle analysis you linked to confirms that in an ideal situation EV's might leverage a 62% reduction in CO2 emissions, they also state that this can drop as far as 22% less CO2 than diesel in the EU (Imported batteries and Polish power stations). As I said although EV's are cleaner, they aren't exactly clean to run until we shift to 100% renewables.
What was interesting though was the CO2 displacement depending on car size "For example a small electric car displaces 24 tons of CO₂ while a medium, large and executive EVs displace respectively 32-37 tons, 45-54 tons and 63-68 tons (depending if compared to a gasoline or diesel car)", which throws a massive spanner into the idea we should all be driving tiny cars and not massive SUV's which does make sense when you think about it.
The statements "LCA is an inadequate tool for vehicle emission standards" and "LCAs are inherently uncertain" certainly underlines the idea that they are cleaner but not clean - we just don't really know by how much, which was the point I was trying to make in the first place.
disembodied_voice@reddit
As per the lifecycle analysis I cited, lithium mining only accounts for less than 2.3% of an EV's overall environmental impact.
And yet even in the worst case scenario you cited, EVs are still cleaner.
That section is concluded with the statement "Nonetheless, the LCA is a good tool to assess different policy options, to compare technologies or understand trends and emission hotspots". In other words, we can use it to tell what's cleaner, and EVs are clearly cleaner.
Underwritingking@reddit
I bought one earlier this year. I doubt I would go back, but we do have a home charger
Schanche0@reddit
Never.
Irritant40@reddit
I've already got 2.
PsychologicalRun1911@reddit
I just bought one for first time 2 weeks ago. I'll never buy a petrol/diesel again.
grgext@reddit
Bought one 6 months ago, fucking love it.
Polestar 2 dual motor. Great range, goes like stink and is fun to drive. Never need to defrost it in winter either as the climate control is on a timer.
onetimeuselong@reddit
400 mile real winter range small sports car.
Like the Alpine A290 sized, but with 400miles on a charge in winter.
I have a 5m x 2.9m garage and make a round trip of 200ish miles once a month.
Full-Variety4242@reddit
Already got one and no regrets. Dirt cheap to charge on an overnight tariff. A bit more spenny on a long journey to use the fast chargers but still cheaper than petrol atm!
greigarious@reddit
I live on a street of Victorian semis with on-street parking and I can only park outside the house maybe 10% of the time. Nowhere to charge except for public chargers. My 2018 petrol car still has lots of life left in it. I will likely buy another petrol just before the ban and hope I can run it for another 10 years. By then the EV tech will have settled down and the public charger network should be fully regulated and/or integrated.
krona2k@reddit
Been driving electric for 14 years. If you can get a 70kWh battery vehicle and then get on Intelligent Octopus Go tariff you will be driving for a 1p a mile. Enjoy! (Driving costs may go up in July, but unlikely to be more than 2.5p a mile).
mmm19284202@reddit
2016
BarnacleExpressor@reddit
When my ICE car breathes it's last breath 😂 can't justify the expense right now when I've got a paid off, efficient car already.
Various-Jellyfish132@reddit
When my car hits 200k+ and/or is uneconomical to repair, so hopefully not for another 4 or so years
Own_Experience863@reddit
I have a drive way and a petrol car. In the next few years, I'll be getting a second car which will be electric.
BLightyear67@reddit
Never. My house has on-street parking.
HeartyBeast@reddit
I’m waiting for cross-pavement charging solutions
iViEye@reddit
Don't wait. Join the campaign for more lamppost charger installation that can serve both residents and visitors
HeartyBeast@reddit
That’s not really what I’m interested in. I’m joining the campaign to allow me to run a a cable from my house to my car on the street, so I can use my solar panels.
phead@reddit
You shouldnt need a campaign. Local councils have the full legal advise from government to allow pavement slots. They were first trialed nearly 10 years ago now!
HeartyBeast@reddit
Got a source on that legal advice?
phead@reddit
It’s here
HeartyBeast@reddit
Much appreciated thank you. I’ll have a chat with my friendly local councillor
iViEye@reddit
Fair enough honestly. I'm seeing more solutions pop up but haven't really looked into it. I believe that there has been some leniency on it as long as it's safely installed
shoobs5@reddit
if you care there are way to do this, like you can get a lampost fitted with a charger.
robhaswell@reddit
Not everywhere, actually probably not in most.
g0ldcd@reddit
Indeed, or ones that fit in the kerb - just somebody needs to actually roll the damn things out.
ThrobbingGristle@reddit
It’s quite normal to trail the cable over the pavement nowadays.
NotSayingAliensBut@reddit
And how "normal" is it to be able to park outside your own house?
Junior-Tap-8503@reddit
So does mine, yet I have two EVs which I charge at home
Frugal500@reddit
Got one in September (used) the depreciation has made very nice electric cars very affordable
cadex@reddit
When buying a used electric vehicle do you need to consider the battery health? I just moved to a new build that has a driveway, charging port and solar panels so it makes sense to take advantage of these things and go electric but I'm concerned about second hand issues.
miffedmonster@reddit
We bought a secondhand EV a couple of weeks ago. It's a 2025 Citroen e-berlingo. £34k new, we paid £19k for 3k miles on it. There were plenty to choose from, all around that price. No issues with it at all, battery seems perfectly healthy (albeit not the biggest capacity, but that's not a secondhand fault, just the model). 3k miles is essentially new imo. Same car would've cost us £450 a month on salary sacrifice, which sounds ok until you realise that's £21k in 4 years on a lease. We're expecting this to last a minimum of 10 years
GooseyDuckDuck@reddit
The car is only a year old, I’d be a bit worried if the battery had issues in that time.
miffedmonster@reddit
That's kinda my point. We saved 15k by getting a car that was under a year old. The depreciation is wild so def worth going secondhand
MidnightRambler87@reddit
I won’t.
Will never earn enough to buy brand new to justify any monthly lease cost, and am I fuck wasting decent money on a 2nd hand one whose battery life is completely ruined.
Asoxus@reddit
Battery life of more recent evs exceeds 300k miles or 20 years… it’s a myth that second hand ones are completely shagged
luckyrubberducker@reddit
Why are there only 2 EVs above 200k miles on autotrader?
Asoxus@reddit
Not entirely sure what point you're trying to make?
How many ICE cars are there on autotrader over 200k miles?
luckyrubberducker@reddit
Asoxus@reddit
It takes years to get up to that kind of mileage assuming they average the standard 12k a year you'll be seeing those evs above 200k miles in like 16 years...
witdim@reddit
When they're cheaper than a petrol car and the infrastructure to use them is in place.
Ok-Notice-6092@reddit
They usually are cheaper second hand than the petrol equivalent.
witdim@reddit
Until the battery has a problem and you have to scrap the car.
Ok-Notice-6092@reddit
lmao, i really should get my EV bingo card out.
Fine_Cress_649@reddit
I bought an EV 3 weeks ago and in that time 2 of the remaining 6 public chargers in my town have stopped working, making a total of 12 that are not working and 4 that are. Which is... Annoying
Rowdy_Roddy_2022@reddit
I don't think that's fair. I'm on that sub quite a bit and people are very aware that if you can't charge at home and/or at work, EV ownership is a hard sell.
The government needs to step in on public charging prices because we're being taken for mugs and paying far more than other countries in Europe for the exact same infrastructure.
boomerangchampion@reddit
In fairness there are questions virtually every day on that sub from people who can't charge at home and the unanimous response is always "you won't save any money"
Fine_Cress_649@reddit
Yeah but it neednt be that way. It's slowing the adoption and it goes against a sense of natural justice if people who can afford driveways can save a load of money compared to povvos like me who can't.
NotSayingAliensBut@reddit
I don't believe that they will ever be cheaper to run, because the government will claw back what they're currently losing and will continue to lose in fuel duty and emission-based VED if more people move to EV's. It's already started with duty on hybrids. Then when they have ramped up the taxes they will say, 'look, EV's are as cheap to run as ice!' because that's how governments work.
PatchcordAdams@reddit
I bought an EV for £2k and it’s 32 times cheaper to run than my petrol*. Absolutely insane really.
The infrastructure thing is valid though. That price difference comes from solar+overnight combo.
It’ll get sorted eventually and I reckon we’ll end up with price parity to petrol and rapid charging available everywhere. It’ll be decades though.
StampyScouse@reddit
Many of them already are, if you do some research, several new EVs are cheaper than their petrol equivalents, and the used EV market is significantly better than what it used to be.
notouttolunch@reddit
This is only half of the requirement.
Also, that Chinese shite like BYD and Jellycoo doesn't count.
StampyScouse@reddit
I ain't talking about BYD and Jaecoo, I was talking about actual western brands, Ford, Vauxhall, etc. And I never said it was the whole solution either, I just said that they're not as expensive as people still percieve them to be.
Tomby_93@reddit
The cost is currently basically directly related to whether you live somewhere with a drive. With a drive = cheaper running costs than current ICE. Without a drive = higher running costs than current ICE.
ShareCrafty5822@reddit
Drive at least four times a year from pompy to Edinburgh, can I do that journey on a single charge ? If so I would consider it. Can do quite comfortably on over a quarter of a tank in my current car, diesel ⛽️
Ok-Notice-6092@reddit
Its amazing how many people seem to drive from lands end to john o'groats and back everyday when the issue of EV's comes up.
If you have a driveway and are in the market for a new car then an EV is pretty much a no brainer. I've just got mine and wish I jumped a lot sooner.
I do around 15,000 miles a year but maybe once a year I do a journey of over 150 miles. So an EV is perfect for for 99.9% of my journeys.
Phoenix_Kerman@reddit
when they have physical controls and no touchscreen, don't want to connect to a phone and don't have forced lane assist or braking
GooseyDuckDuck@reddit
That’s almost every car, not just EV.
Phoenix_Kerman@reddit
i wouldn't buy any car with those issues
RubberDucky882@reddit
I do not plan to unless the battery tech changes from Lithium, (batteries that big made out of Lithium should not exist) the range increases a lot, and the charge time actually gets realistic and the charging infrastructure actually gets better. Unfortunately Net Zero policies will make the charging infrastructure needed a no no.
I will stick with my 2 V6's on the drive, one costs £740 a year in car tax, still rather pay that than have a soulless, boring. heavy depreciating, awkward to live with EV.
RefrigeratorOk8237@reddit
I just put a deposit down on a used one this weekend. The wife and I decided at least one of our cars needed to be non-petrol.
Been thinking about it for a while and the Iran/petrol situation has pushed me over the edge.
When I went took my test drive the EV dealer was rammed - they sold at least three while we were there! (We're in the sleepy Somerset countryside)
The PCP is £120 less per month than my outgoing Tucson and hopefully I'll be saving on the £70-80 a month in putting in the tank.
Zooport21@reddit
Bought a 71 plate MX-30 a few months ago, the other cars a 3.5 v6 Alphard. Did about 630 miles last month and it cost me £17 in electric the same trips in the Alphard would have cost me £247.
It’s great having both but I could 100% go all in on a bigger EV now I’ve tested the waters.
JoPOWz@reddit
When there's something worth buying.
I don't want an SUV, and I don't want a tiny car with no range. When there's more choice of car-sized cars with medium-long range, or some more options in the 2-seater-sporty category than just MG's "funky doors" cyberster, then it'll be a lot more appealing.
EyeAware3519@reddit
LowerPick7038@reddit
I drive a diesel and spend about £80 a month on fuel. £960 a year. My diesel cost £7k ish, all decent EV was double that so I wouldnt save anything.
eelam_garek@reddit
Second hand EV is where you'll notice the savings (if you charge it at home)
LowerPick7038@reddit
I was referring to 2nd hand EV. I am currently living in Scandinavia so just direct convert the finances. A full sized EV 2nd hand with about 80k miles was starting around £15k. Not sure what the market is like in the UK for EV but I bet theres still lots of viable ICE cars to be bought that are cheaper than EV.
eelam_garek@reddit
You can get a good EV now for around £9k - £10k. Given how much fuel is now, the savings would appear long before 7 years. Check those figures again.
LowerPick7038@reddit
You also live in Scandinavia? Can you send me some links to some good EV?
eelam_garek@reddit
I'm afraid I can't, but if I can find them in the UK then you can in Scandinavia. Used market must be maturing better than here as many more people have EVs. They'll be available. Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Finland are world leaders for EV adoption and they have truly embraced EVs in a massive way. More EVs, me as more used ones. Thanks for helping me point that out by mentioning your region 👍🏻
Have a look for Ioniq Electric 38 kWh, Kona EVs and Kia e-niro's - all great range cars that you'll be able to find within your price range.
LowerPick7038@reddit
Hey google, define not having a clue - " but if I can find them in the UK then you can in Scandinavia."
These are the Cheapest you recommended Kia niro it has 300k on the clock lol. Its at £6k kona it has 200k on the clock and is £10k Ioniq it also has 200k on the clock and is £4.5k
These are all end of life cars, also another factor in with older EV is that during the winter months the batteries have significantly less range. My brother in law traded his EV for a hybrid due to winter being too stressful.
eelam_garek@reddit
One of those you linked is a hybrid. Let's focus on one you linked though, as an example. The Kona is perfectly fine and absolutely nowhere near "end of life". Here's a video of a Tesla that has done 400k miles and can still drive over 200 miles on a charge:
https://youtube.com/shorts/HaqtgSkvhgE?si=3qkbVj4Tu6d0m9tF
If you're going to tell people to get a clue, you really need to be in possession of the facts. EVs are only beginning life at 120k miles.
Oh and Kona is a very efficient car, you'd love it in the winter. With a heat pump, which it has, the range drop is nowhere near as significant as it was in the past. There's a reason they're being adopted massively over the region that you live in.
LowerPick7038@reddit
Thanks for the kona recommendation.
Just so we are clear. You are saying i should sell my diesel estate ( let's pretend I just get a full refund on it) and purchase a smaller kona (my wife would be firious ) with double the KM for £3k more which if I got free electricity ( I dont but we can pretend ) after 3 years i would be making savings on fuel.
Cool video with the Tesla on 400k, is that the same battery and motor as the kona?
Also can you share the source for EV battery's being start of life at 120k? I did a search and could find this which says " If you choose the Hyundai KONA Electric, you'll be happy to know that the electric motor and lithium-ion battery that power it are generally expected to last for about 200,000 miles "
eelam_garek@reddit
There's plenty of observable evidence available now to say that EVs last far beyond your assumptions. There really is no excuse to have this opinion in 2026. I've already given you one example, there's plenty more.
I have a feeling if this discussion continued you'd just continue to list perceived barriers for you not being able to get one. I've had petrol, diesel and EVs and I can tell you from experience EVs are better in every way, I would never go back. It's hard to have that perspective though until you've lived with one for a while.
If you don't want an EV, don't get one. We don't need to go back and forth on it endlessly - especially when the discussion won't be going anywhere. I honestly don't care either way - to be blunt.
LowerPick7038@reddit
Giving a off 1 example of a singular car isnt exactly evidence to prove your point though is it. As if it was it wouldnt be a video on how amazing it is that its reached that high miles.
You can feel whatever you want about our discussion but ive not brought up any new arguments. Im still holding the exact same one i started with. EVs are more expensive than what I have and it would take years for me to reach any savings. You decided to challenge me and say I arent looking hard enough for these EVs.
So i found you a list of the cheapest EVs which was between double and triple the amount of KM that my diesel has and either around the same price as I have now or more expensive and smaller ( granted thats a new criteria ) i have a wife and 2 kids, we have an estate with a roof rack and still cut for space sometimes so downsizing isnt an option
Either way I feel like this discussion has been useless. You are clearly very pro EV and cant actually support any of your claims. Ive tried to work with you but you just bring more and more barriers as to why I am wrong even though I have clear and sourced reasoning and you are just changing the criteria. Either way im not bothered. You can drive whatever you want, all I know is if I still lived in the UK I wouldnt have an EV yet and I wont be having one now in Norway either.
eelam_garek@reddit
You've contradicted yourself several times. Quoting where you live in Scandinavia like some sort of flex as to why you shouldn't buy an EV, when that area of the world has seen the largest uptake of EVs across 4 entire countries. Then you said 120k miles was end of life cars, then linked me an article saying you can expect at least 250k miles from the Kona.
You're all over the place - and clearly just looking for excuses not to buy one, so don't buy one. It's that simple.
Norway is the single country that has fully adopted the and has the best infrastructure for EVs, way better than the UK - but the entire country must be wrong and you're right, obviously 😂
LowerPick7038@reddit
Ive contradicted myself several times??? PMSL. Go on then list these.
I mentioned where I live and straight away said I did a 1to1 conversion in currency. As in the market is alot different here. A £10k UK car will be £17-20k here. Not a flex at all pal. Just putting things into context. As in, yes theres more EV but all cars are more expensive. You still wanted to challenge that and tell me i am wrong and I need to look more. Even though you have fuck all experience with the car market over here haha
As for the 120k end of life, I linked you to an article that copy and paste " generally expected to last for about 200,000 miles " in reference to the motor and battery and thats direct from the manufacturers mouth. Not mine. So yeah 120k is alot more " End of life " than " Beginning of life " as you so wrongly claim.
Can you please quote me where I said EV is wrong? I said that financially it doesnt make sense for me to buy one at the moment.
eelam_garek@reddit
I mean we've already been through this, the Kona is a great EV, and you found the example for me - plenty big enough for a wife and 2 kids. 120k isn't end of life, as I think you understand now, having proven yourself wrong 😂
I won't dignify the rest of your waffle with a reply but I am curious - why do you think 96% of all cars sold in Norway are now an EV? You seem keen to dodge the exact fact that you're an egde case and very much in the minority with your reluctance to get one.
It seem almost the entire driving population are now being them. If they're so impractical and expensive - why don't the figures reflect that? I'd love to hear what mental gymnastics you're going to do next, please - indulge me.
LowerPick7038@reddit
" the Kona is a great EV "
Never said it wasnt
" plenty big enough for a wife and 2 kids "
This is debatable as its smaller than the car I have now. Therfore it would be a downgrade in space.
" 120k isn't end of life "
120k is double the mileage of what my current car has and according to the manufacturer this is 60% spent.
" I won't dignify the rest of your waffle with a reply "
Thats a great was to concede when you know you are wrong.
" why do you think 96% of all cars sold in Norway are now an EV? You seem keen to dodge the exact fact that you're an edge case and very much in the minority with your reluctance to get one. "
Wtf are you waffling now? What do you think we are even discussing? Ill answer your question once you answer the last one I sent.....
" Can you please quote me where I said EV is wrong? I said that financially it doesnt make sense for me to buy one at the moment "
Answer this then.
EyeAware3519@reddit
I don't want to drive a diesel, they are slow and noisy.
LowerPick7038@reddit
Replace what I said with " Petrol " then. I wasnt suggesting you go out and buy a diesel for yourself. I was countering the " cost savings are nice " since EVs are expensive upfront.
EyeAware3519@reddit
My current EV was a fair bit less to buy than a similar petrol car, ignore the list prices as no-one ever pays them I saved about 6k. But I don't want a petrol car either though, guess why? Yeah, slow and noisy. Even if the EV was signi more expensive to buy and run I would still have one. Instant torque is addictive.
LowerPick7038@reddit
How much was your EV?
EyeAware3519@reddit
It's a Cupra Born VZ First Edition which has every option. I pay about £400 a month over 3 years then I'll hand it back. The deposit was £3.5k.
An equivalent Golf GTI which is a fair bit slower would have been over £100 a month more at the time but they had just released the MK8 so deals were non existent.
LowerPick7038@reddit
Right. So its a £30+k car.........and you are giving it back in 3 years. " the savings in fuel are great "
EyeAware3519@reddit
I've told you multiple times I don't care about the cost savings. It's the car I wanted so I bought it. If it was powered by fairy farts that cost £5 a litre I still would have bought it if it gave instant torque.
LowerPick7038@reddit
Actually the ONLY time youve mentioned the cost savings was when you said " Cost savings are nice " . Ontop of that you say you are a petrol head, then say diesels and petrol cars are " Slow and noisy ".....what type of petrol head dislikes the noise of engines? Mentalist. Finally you are comparing a £30+k performance EV to non performance equivalent ICE. Theres a magnitude of ICE cars out there at that price range that will shit all over your leased car and do it sounding amazing.
EyeAware3519@reddit
My last petrol car was a Golf GTI. It has less power and way less torque and engine sound was pumped into cabin with a little speaker.
But whatever, if you don't want an EV don't get one why would I care? I'm just sharing the reasons I bought one.
LowerPick7038@reddit
You are aware your last car isnt the only example of a ICE car £30+k and under. I thought you didnt buy it and you was giving it back in 3 years? Also you did share your reasons which were " Cost savings are nice ". I shared mine that If I got free electric it would take me ( EV car £30k ) ( ICE £7k + ~£1k fuel per year = 23 years ) to see them sweet cost savings
cupidstunt01@reddit
Some are, some aren't.
TimeInitial0@reddit
Hopefully this week wednesday (how precise haha). Ive been looking since march and currently in touch with a dealership. Would be perfect timing as my charger is being installed on Thursday
DJSambob@reddit
I recently bought an EV.
I drive an EV for work and my company installed a charger at home for me at no cost to myself, so I decided a personal EV made far too much sense. I haven't changed my electricity tariff to an EV one, but I'm still saving around £150pm in fuel cost so those savings could still be greater
jc456_@reddit
Getting one in the next month. Around a grand for a home charger all in. Once that's been installed I'm doing it.
cloudstrifeuk@reddit
When I can charge it at home without a driveway.
Also when the Renault 5's go under £10k on the used market.
When those stars align, I will change from my super reliable Skoda ICE.
Competitive-Chest438@reddit
We’ve had the R5 since June. It’s our first EV and a really great little car.
ParkLane1984@reddit
do you use thr back seats ? seems quite cramped in thr vids.
Competitive-Chest438@reddit
My 7 year old fits fine 😂
Fluffy-Astronomer604@reddit
My missus has a Mini Cooper, it’s cramped in the back there. A lot of hot hatchbacks are cramped but it doesn’t stop them selling.
ParkLane1984@reddit
yeah for sure. i woukd need the badk seats so its a shame.
Fluffy-Astronomer604@reddit
Lots of other EVs on the market that have back seat space. MG4 is an option that’s competitively priced and good looking car.
Chance_Somewhere_826@reddit
Yesterday 😂
Gone from a 2010 Land Rover discovery (19mpg) to an AWD Tesla Model 3
sillwuka@reddit (OP)
No more waiting for the inevitable next repair bill for the Landy!
Chance_Somewhere_826@reddit
Yeah the £4.5k to get it through its last mot wasn’t fun 😭
frithrar@reddit
Probably the same year as Leeds gets trams.
spardha@reddit
Been looking this week, but I can't afford a PCP deal and just doesn't make logical sense. So trying to work the math to see what I can afford 2nd hand. I having spent £100 and not quite full (bottled it :D) forced the decision to seriously look. I just can't see fuel coming back down to what it was.
Mattman254@reddit
Recently got a used EV on HP. The math on my end worked out that buying a new lease or PCP is burning money unless it's a company car or salary sacrifice. Best option for personal use is let someone else depreciate it's value on lease/PCP then buy it used at a huge discount.
EVs drop in price massively over the first 10000 miles then taper out. People still fear battery dedrigation (mainly because the Nissan leaf didn't heat pump it's battery when charging and wrecked it causing that stereotype) but it's realistically a non issue now, 10% loss every 100k miles is a good stat to go by.
spardha@reddit
I feel for me it makes sense, but as I'm not currently paying anything for my current car but fear that will change being 13/14 yrs old. I was looking at the ID4 and the MG ZS i think.
I just can't get over that hump of going from £0 to £300, even though calc suggest I'll be saving about £120-£150 pm so its actually only £150.. but yeah.
Mattman254@reddit
I got my EV just after paying off my previous car, for me the monthly payments broke even after 80k miles in fuel savings, that is now about 60k miles
spardha@reddit
What did you get?
Mattman254@reddit
BYD Seal, on HP with PartX from my Mercedes
mkaym1993@reddit
I live in a fist so have no way of charging it at home. Until I do I would never get one
New_Line4049@reddit
Theres a few criteria thatd need to be met for me. Firstly, Im not leasing a vehicle or using PCP. I would consider Hire Purchase, but thats as far as Ill go, so they have to become affordable oh those terms. Secondly, I want 300 miles off a single charge minimum. Thirdly, the charging network needs to drastically improve, particularly in rural areas and it needs to be possible to charge cheaply without ability to home charge. (And when I say cheaply, Im comparing to petrol/diesel prices at times where the world isnt in crisis) Finally Id be wanting for the VED to come down from the absolutely ludicrous levels its currently at. My 2015 petrol car only pays £35 a year, so Im not going to be paying £200 odd a year (£400+ in the first year, or first 6 years if over a certain value). Nope. Not happening.
BlondBitch91@reddit
When charging can be done in a matter of minutes, just about anywhere there is currently a petrol station.
I mostly do long distance driving (300 miles is normal for me) due to commitments across the country. I do not wish to become well too acquainted with service station cafes and overnight hotels to do a journey I can currently do in 4 hours. And before someone says "Take a train" - £30 (with petrol, even now) vs £200.
Ihavethepoweeeeeeer@reddit
Ive got one. Having a home charger helps keep the overall cost viable. Public charging is a nightmare, though. Not just the prices but having to jump hoops to download apps and join other services just for a quick charge. Mental.
Defo worth it if you get a home charger (charge free at work?).
the95th@reddit
Next - have my eyes on a model Y second hand, purely because I have a large driveway and only commute 4 or 5 miles a day
RobsonNGreen@reddit
Only if it becomes illegal/impossible to use an ICE car. Or so unbelievably expensive it would bankrupt me. Even if its 3x the cost it is now. I grew up and still am a petrol head. So hopefully never if it is possible
AccomplishedSafe8084@reddit
I really want one now but they're still so expensive. We have a deal through work and even that doesn't help much. Spending around £340 a month (the cheapest option) on a car that's just going to sit in my driveway because I work from home and rarely go anywhere...
I paid off my current little petrol car (2010) last Nov (was around £80/month), so it doesn't make much sense to get back into even more vehicle debt.
blackskies4646@reddit
Never tbqh. I just don't like them.
Additionally, charging times and range need to be massively improved.
VeniVid1Vic1@reddit
Never
profprimer@reddit
Given the catastrophic levels of depreciation on premium EVs, the fact that I own three old ICE cars worth a £6k deposit, and diesel is nearly £10/gallon, I can afford to buy a two year old Audi Q4 e-tron with 12,000 miles on it and be a net £200 a month ahead on the deal. Once I strip out my current VED and fuel costs, it turns out that I’ll be getting a free premium EV and cash back each month.
So even though I’ll hate driving the thing any further than Tesco’s and the airport, now is the answer.
Dolphin_Spotter@reddit
Next car, three years time
Chad-Buttsniff@reddit
Not that I'm a Luddite, and my friends with electric cars call me one of "them", but for me, when the technology is there that I can charge it for 5 minutes and get 700 miles from it is when I buy one.
Then the standard argument of "everybody stops for half an hour every 2 hours on a long drive" also doesn't apply. I am about to set off on a 350 mile trip and fully intend sitting in the car until I'm there. At most I might stop for a piss, which will take 5 minutes, so again, not really enough time for a charge.
Also, we do a lot of hiking and camping. I can drive the 200 or so miles to the highlands, park up, hike, camp, hike some more, then drive 200 miles home all on one tank. I don't think Highlands charging infrastructure is quite there to allow me to do that.
I don't think I have a particularly onerous or unusual use case, and I'd be happy to buy one when they suit my use case.
gizmo998@reddit
4 years ago babe
ajw248@reddit
When they make a nice 2 door coupe.
Leading_Notice497@reddit
I'm in a similar boat with my current car, but the home charging point is the real game-changer. Once that infrastructure is more accessible for people without driveways, I think the switch will be a no-brainer for daily use. My next car probably won't be electric, but the one after that is looking very likely.
IainMCool@reddit
When my current car dies. I've had it from new 8 years ago and I'd expect at least another 10 years from it. I also got an ebike for lots of my short journeys.
Tall-Reputation-9519@reddit
When someone makes one I want to buy, I currently have a Discovery Sport as I live in a rural area and have a big dog to take to muddy places.
When someone makes an EV with a flat boot floor, almost-vertical bootlid, 300 mile+ range, physical heater controls and 4WD I'll seriously look into but so far nothing ticks all those boxes so I'm sticking where I am.
I'm sure someone will make one soon (Defender Sport coming out next year) but until they do EV is off the table, as are most ICE cars to be fair.
sillwuka@reddit (OP)
I'm sure LR are aware there's a market for current customers looking for similar practicality of their current cars on an EV platform like you said, I'd be very interested too
Tall-Reputation-9519@reddit
The Fiskar Ocean was looking like a great car and I almost went and looked at buying one but didn't need to change at the time, then they went bust so that's no longer an option!
LordDethBeard@reddit
Never.
But that is mostly down to not having a divers licence.
Imperial_Squid@reddit
Have you bought EV cars?
Vill you buy EV cars?
Vhen vill you buy EV cars?
(General context and specific reference for those who need it)
jd8585@reddit
Id buy one tomorrow if I could charge it.
Am in a apartment building, and directly asked the housing association for permission to install a charger, or if they have plans to do so, and answer was no to both.
They'll need to find a way to get convenient and cheap charging available to the masses without driveways to make EV more attractive.
Civil_Classroom6399@reddit
We are currently looking into it, we have an a6 diesel currently (with a small personal loan at 230 a months) and we do around 250-300 a month on fuel. So by my math if I can get somthing for around 450 a month im saving money (man maths). But im still not convinced about it, out a6 will fill up and get 800-900 miles on a steady run ( i know you dont do that in one stint). I just cant get my head over the range anxiety thing. Got an id3 as a courtesy car when my caddy went in for some warrenty stuff and I was shocked how fast it lost its range. But it was freezing outside and knowing I only had about 30 miles round trip I blasted every bit of heating (it was cold).
But day to day it dos no more than 100 ish miles and once a week dos a 300 mile trip, but we go away alot in it (the whole reason for an a6 avant). But we have just moved and taken on a house with a decent solar array so its more compelling now and with alot of evs doing 300 miles now its becoming more attractive.
HousingMean6184@reddit
We have a reasonably flash ex dealer demo EV on PCP and it’s £350 a month. Courtesy car is a poor indicator, they do get worked hard and people don’t give a monkeys cause it’s not their personal. Ideally you would prime the battery/only charge to 90% etc….
Civil_Classroom6399@reddit
I think if the right deal comes along ill do the switch im not fussed about a brand new cars its what ever the best offer is (on somthing im intrested in)
HousingMean6184@reddit
We didn’t go hunting for a (near) brand new one. The target was something pre April 2025 to dodge tax, sub 20K miles and something that can do ~250 miles on one charge. We ran into a half off APR (9.9% to 5%) + free charger deal. On paper he paid £80 a month more compared to the last PCP taken out in early 2022. After inflation realistically it didn’t “cost” more. For context he is spending £6 of electric for a 200 mile round trip to work. After 3 trips a month to work the car cost sub £100 before insurance. No brainer for us 🤤
ClericalRogue@reddit
When theres enough reliable and affordable infrasturure to support it (public charging points).
Jordlr99@reddit
I will when my 20 year old diesel A3 finally gives up but that doesn't look like it will be any time soon.
I have solar panels so could effectively charge an EV for free so makes no sense to get an ICE car when the A3 needs replacing, but the £200+ lease deal is still more than i pay for diesel a month so the A3 is staying for now.
CitroenUK@reddit
On my second. It's only practicable if you have home charging. I'll never go back to ice cars.
DamMofoUsername@reddit
I bought a 2014 ford fiesta 1.2 for £7k in 2018, £30 road tax, 44mpg in London, serviced it myself, changed the lower control arms (£30 each) the car owns me nothing it’s been reliable and cheap for 8 years without any monthly payments. I think the term ‘cheap’ has lost its meaning
summerwine75@reddit
When you can buy one for £1,000
improbableneighbour@reddit
When there are long range high quality estate second hand EVs for less than 25K and 3 years old. The ID7 is about 5k£ away from that price so in about a year.
reni-chan@reddit
My diesel car is fully paid off, annual tax is £20, I service it myself, does on average 55-60mpg, and a 50L tank of diesel often lasts me 1-2 months.
Even though I have a driveway and would love an EV, it makes 0 economic sense to switch right now or anytime soon.
EccentricDyslexic@reddit
Been all electric for 4 years now. Solar on roof, WFH a leaf and a Tesla charge for free.
rupertbarnes@reddit
I have no problem with en EV. I think most hate towards them is driven by petrol heads and I drive a fantastic ICE car that cannot be replicated. Also it’s bought and paid for so effectively free, even if I have the odd cost on repairs.
I’m also a high mile driver at weird times so charging in the night at an expensive services would be a pain. If I was a commuter, less than 25 miles each way and needed a new car then an EV would be perfect. I think many of the anti battery claims are fuelled by haters. Infact one of each where local short trips and driving about are EV then long work trips with the diesel.
That’s how I see it.
RedactedStatement89@reddit
Never. Fuck 'em
I'll stick with my M140i. Way more interesting.
sillwuka@reddit (OP)
I don't blame you
thewindow6@reddit
When they make one that’s as much fun to drive as my MX5. I know that for 75% of my driving I could swap to an EV without changing anything, if I could charge from home in reasonable time then it would easily do the 12mi commute I’ve got each day. But my Mazda is more fun, and a bit part of my wind-down is taking the long way home sometimes. I don’t think an EV would be as fun for that
sillwuka@reddit (OP)
I think that'll be difficult on beating your handling on the twisties but you'll get a smile from the acceleration i guess.
RobertTheSpruce@reddit
When they become good value and when my local fire station has a viable solution for fighting lithium Ion battery fires.
Daveddozey@reddit
When it’s affordable. Compare autotrader cars under £2k.
Petrol: 9,000
Electric: 10
sillwuka@reddit (OP)
You'll be waiting another 10 years+ before they hit that depreciation rock bottom but I get you totally
Daveddozey@reddit
It won’t though -the batteries are worth more outside of a car.
Need batteries to drop another order of magnitude in cost at least.
Good_Ad_1386@reddit
When there is one that functionally duplicates what my current car does at a price I can justify. I am not holding my breath.
Heathy94@reddit
I bought one last year. Was weighing up what car to get next after my diesel, was thinking of getting a hybrid but as I looked into it more I thought they were pretty pointless and decided to jump straight in and go full electric.
I obviously have a driveway so can charge cheap overnight and I don't think I'd ever go back to a regular car. I know us EV owners can sound like 'stereotypical vegans' harping on about the benefits and how great they are and how everyone is missing out but a lot of people genuinely are.
Every time I drive past a petrol station now and see diesel at £1.96.9, like this morning, I just think thank god I'm not paying that anymore. Last night I added 40% charge to my car and put the dishwasher on before bed, it cost me £1.17.
Turbulent_Pace_2388@reddit
I recently changed from a 2017 Mercedes GLE 250d to a three-year-old Tesla Model Y Performance.
It’s still early days, but so far I don’t regret it at all. To be fair, it’s the best car I’ve ever driven.
I was sceptical beforehand, but we now do relatively low and irregular miles, so it works well for us. I do a lot of miles for work, but that’s in a diesel Transit van and I don’t pay for the fuel.
It is a bit extravagant to just ferry the kids to school and go to the supermarket but it does make it more exciting.
zephyrmox@reddit
When/if my flat block gets at home charging. I'm in no real rush.
theegrimrobe@reddit
when hell freezes over
or they make batteries that are a lot more efficient and a lot SAFER than the current ones
so likely hell
Avionykx@reddit
When I can charge cheaply, efficiently and quickly away from home, and when there's a charging solution that allows those without driveways and guaranteed parking outside their homes to charge.
Currently, even in a relatively large town, the two EV charging places I drive past (with the 150KWh chargers) on my average commutes, will get clogged up quite heavily with works vans in an evening.
The local energy companies and Fibre companies seem to have switched to electric vans and, at least since Christmas, there's been all the charging bays filled with them from about 5pm onwards, and a queue for other vehicles to charge.
I was at the petrol station at 11pm last Wednesday and a bloke was sat there in his EV saying he'd had to wait 2 hours to get on a bay and needed a full charge because he had a big trip the next day.
I'm sure not every charging experience is like that but it sounds like a bit of a pain in the backside to me.
yyyeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet@reddit
I’m on my third EV now. Id never go back to petrol/diesel now.
Range isnt really an issue for me. My car does 300m on a charge and I rarely drive more than that. If I do I’m happy for a 15 min break to get a coffee while it charges.
More-Crew4331@reddit
You should really be getting a better range than 300 meters
yyyeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet@reddit
It’s only early spring. Battery chemistry and all that.
Fantastic-Chemist512@reddit
Agree. been driving an EV for the last three years. Will never go back to ICE.
I have a charger at home and on the Octopus IG tariff that charges at 3.5p over night.
Drnorman91@reddit
I made the switch when I found a car that cost me less than the cost of my old car and monthly fuel. The wife already had one, and we share the charger fitted at home. It is a struggle on the coldest of days to do my commute, but it’s a damn sight cheaper, so I’ll happily struggle
WorriedStand73@reddit
I'm in the process of getting one, I have a driveway and very rarely drive more than 200 miles a day.
I reckon I'll save about £150 a month in fuel costs.
dickybeau01@reddit
I moved to an EV in 2019. Never going back. Cheapest motoring because I can charge overnight at home. It would be a nightmare without that.
underwater-sunlight@reddit
We were considering one a couple of months ago as a lease option, but we still have a year left on our car loan and im still concerned about visiting my family north of the border as home charging isn't an option there and local charging points are sparse.
With solar panels and the wife working from home most days, we could charge in the day for next to nothing but its the longer journeys to friends and family that pose issues. Holidays are manageable as most locations now have EVCP and as more rapid charging stations pop up, charging on longer journeys shouldn't be too bad so I think our next car might just be electric - although the government's bait and switch by promising that they are the cheaper option, then adding on additional charges makes me second guess myself
Comfortable_Tank1771@reddit
When IC cars become unavailable or unreasonably expensive.
Dazza477@reddit
Just bought a 2022 CX-30 this March with a 5-year loan term, so perhaps after that.
The benefits of them appear to be reducing with road tax requirements (even though it's based on emissions??), government grants reducing, energy prices increasing, slow charge time (compared to fuel), and generally more expensive.
Negatives appear to outweigh the positives at the moment. We shall see in 5 years' time.
Pericombobulator@reddit
I have given it real consideration, based on the current oil price debacle.
crispysnugglekitties@reddit
We did about three weeks ago due to the war.
sockeyejo@reddit
When I can afford one (will take a very long time)
and
When I live somewhere that I can charge one with a dedicated charger instead of an extension lead passed through my window and down the driveway (i.e. when I own my house with a driveway or garage... probably never)
apfm141@reddit
When I can do at least 450miles in one go and if I need to charge it to full it takes no more than 10minutes.
BlueOvalRacer@reddit
I will buy an EV when there’s literally no petrol or diesel left to fuel ICE cars and if no one has thought of another fuel source, hydrogen etc. If it gets to that stage (I’d be surprised if it did) though I’d probably just get public transport everywhere. I have no interest in driving a microwave on wheels.
Whole-Strawberry3281@reddit
I will delay it as long as I can, I love petrol and charging isnt practical for me since I park on a street where I often have to pay for parking as they run out of permit space
TheTreeDweller@reddit
Had one for four years now, never had an issue with charging and the "costs" of public chargers. Have used it driving across the country Glasgow-London for an example and zero issues. That 30mins charge = sensible break from driving to eat and hydrate.
Maintenance costs? One air filter and two tyres(due to a nail puncture) since getting it.
Would I go back to a combustion or hybrid? Never. I don't care for a rev of the engine and well I'm far less impacted by global events such as oil blockades 🤷♂️
Itchy_Notice9639@reddit
I did in 2024, had it for almost 2 years and it went back (ioniq 5) . Had no real issues with the car or range, but as i was doing mostly long journeys far from home, i was paying on average £0.8 /kw . It was costing far more than an ICE engine, even with overnight charging at home couldn’t make up for the costs on the long journeys. I have no regrets in giving the car back, as now i have a diesel with 54mpg consumption and even the £1.9/L of fuel is worrh it plus it’s my all time favourite car (a4 s line). (Basically, i was paying on average £0.2 per mile in the ev, and with today’s fuel cost i’m paying £0.15 per mile, plus longer range-less stops). Also, everyone’s like “but ev’s charge really fast nowadays”. Like, sure 10-80% in 15 minutes is allright, but let’s add the rest of the maths, as you’ll lose a few % pre-heating the battery, 5 minutes to fiddle with the app and charger, 15 minutes to 80% and another 20-40 minutes to 100%, otherwise you’ll stop again in 150 miles and repeat the procedure. And with the diesel, i stop for 10 minutes all in with bathroom break and fuel, and have 600 miles range… i love ev’s, i love the comfort and gadgets, but it’s just not right for me yet.
No-Reason-8205@reddit
When I can buy a second hand EV for about £7000, charge cheaply and quickly on any road and the range is more than 300 miles. Currently I can never park outside my house, work doesn’t have a charger at all and I don’t have time to waste waiting.
ThrobbingGristle@reddit
Your comments about “when I can buy one for £7,000” is the wrong way to look at it.
That £7,000 target is the wrong lens. Cars aren’t one-off purchases, they’re ongoing cost machines. A cheap petrol car looks good upfront but quietly drains money through fuel, servicing, and failure risk. EVs flip that equation: higher entry price, but materially lower running costs. The real comparison is total cost over time, not sticker price on day one.
The 300-mile requirement is largely psychological. Most people drive 20–30 miles a day, which even modest EVs already cover comfortably, and if you’re organised (home charging even with a granny charger, or local charger), you start every morning with a “full tank” at home. Demanding petrol-like range ignores the fact that EVs change the usage model entirely; they’re not worse, just different.
So waiting for a £7k, 300-mile EV is basically waiting for a perfect but unnecessary intersection. Prices are already falling, and plenty of used EVs work today for real-world driving. The smarter question isn’t “when will they hit £7k?”, it’s “what’s the cheapest way to run the miles I actually do?”. For many, many people, this is now to get an EV.
Mermaid654@reddit
You've got to be able to afford to buy the car as well as run it. £7k for a car is an awful lot of money for quite a lot of the population.
RedTheWolf@reddit
Aye, that was one of the most 'I'm super-privileged and completely unaware of how average people live' comments I have seen on here in a while! Particularly the follow up with a comparison of how buying a car outright is money better invested on the stock market...
"Never wise to tie up your liquidity in a vehicle." I wouldn't know, I don't make enough to have people in Wall Street gamble for me 😅
ThrobbingGristle@reddit
Watch this video. It summarises in plain detail what I mentioned.
https://youtu.be/ZxIUKUwxO74
ThrobbingGristle@reddit
Oh my, how did you come to that conclusion? My comment was in response to a comment talking about spending £7,000 on an EV. It had nothing to do with the scenario you replied with. You didn’t need to respond to me with an insult.
ThrobbingGristle@reddit
Nobody should really be paying £7,000 in cash for a car. If you have the cash, the APR to fund a car financing will generally be less than the % return on that cash in the stock market over the term you’ll own the car. Never wise to tie up your liquidity in a vehicle.
mikolv2@reddit
Stock market is risky. Interest rates on car finance are currently pretty high. I go through a specialised car finance broker for all my cars and the best they can find now is mid 7% and only if you are a high earner. There are plenty of reasons to pay off a car if you have the money for it. What sort of guaranteed returns can you get now on a £7k saving? 4.5%?
beernon@reddit
I’m uninformed on EVs, I had the impression that they batteries would be really worn down by that point?
Aperson3334@reddit
Early EVs didn’t have thermal management systems for their batteries, which caused premature degradation. Modern EVs have liquid cooling and resistive heating to keep their batteries at an optimal temperature. The average lifespan for current EV batteries is about 300k miles.
Toodle-Peep@reddit
The specific thing you've heard about is from old cars that didn't have thermally managed batteries. Specifically gen 1 nissan leafs. Any decent EV is going to get old and fall apart mechanically long before the battery has degraded significantly.
There are also things to do to help it have a long life. If you aren't going on a long trip, don't charge it to 100%. particularly don't charge it to 100% then leave it for ages. Just go to 80% for daily driving and you'll be grand.
Junior-Tap-8503@reddit
Both my EVs are from 2021 and have 90% battery health; when looking at used EVs you just check if they’ve had a battery health check 🤷🏽♂️
PatchcordAdams@reddit
I own a 2015 plate Leaf. It’s a dinosaur compared to modern cars which thermally manage batteries. It still has 11/12 bars of battery. I’ve looked after it. Genuinely reckon it’s got another 7-odd years.
Newer cars the batteries will outlast the cars easily.
Exalyte@reddit
Not really Tesla have a dash you can look at they have tracked every car ever sold 200000 mile 10yo cars are still like 75-80% capacity it's really a non issue but originally it was a concern as smart phone batteries die within a few years but the techs moved on and is ultimately far more reliable than smartphones
evc-automatron@reddit
No, but because people have that impression/worry the 2nd hand EVs are relatively cheap for now.
Big_Poppa_T@reddit
By what point? They said when second hand EVs are about £7k. No mention of miles or age at all
Stephen_Dann@reddit
Unless you regularly make 250 plus mile journeys, why would you need that range. My first EV was realistically 210 miles, current one 280 miles. I rarely drive more than 180 miles without needing a bladder stop. A rapid charger has done the job before I get back, as I will also be getting a coffee.
WesternEmpire2510@reddit
Im currently in the market for a second-hand Nissan Leaf to replace my 100k miles 2009 peugeot 308. Range doesn't need to be amazing. I just need it for the commute or local driving
ZippleJuice@reddit
Just dropped my car off for an MOT. If it fails catastrophically I'll be buying one soon. Probably a second hand small EV around 10k.
sneddsdead@reddit
If you don't have your own drive it's impossible, plus the charging network is a joke if they honestly want us all to drive EVs
louisejanecreations@reddit
This. There’s 1 car park I can think of about 10 miles away that has chargers and I don’t have a driveway so can’t charge it at home.
No-Translator5443@reddit
When they make one that you can easily diy replace damaged cells, not the whole battery
Willing_Office_1289@reddit
When I can afford to buy a house so I can charge it overnight 🙃
ternymal_velocity@reddit
When I can get a big MPV (Caravelle style) with a 250 mile real world range.
Upset_Locksmith_6634@reddit
I bought one but range anxiouity killed me and I sold it, they need to be chargeable to 80% in 5 mins then they'll become fully mainstream
HumbleUK@reddit
I have a Nissan Ariya - never thought I would but it’s been one of the best I’ve had.
alexanderbeswick@reddit
Be at the mercy of dynamic derv/petrol prices. Be at the mercy of dynamic electric bill prices from your home. Both shit options. We're being shafted
fergie@reddit
At least with electricity you have the possibility of making your own.
Ill-Confusion-1844@reddit
Starting a new job in June where there’s an EV salary sacrifice scheme and free charging at work. Not sure if I’ll go new with the EV scheme yet, or just buy 2nd hand, quite like the look of Polestar 2’s, which would be what I’d be going for used.
Chemical-Lettuce2497@reddit
When I can get one for under 7k like the majority of my cars have been and there's a reasonable way to charge at a reasonable price
HenryFromYorkshire@reddit
I think that a lot of people who live in houses with driveways just don't understand or realise the problems that less well off people have with the whole electric car situation.
Of course, people who live in houses with drives are probably more able to get an electric vehicle.
I was once well off, got divorced, now living in a second floor flat. No way I'd be able to charge my car when I can't usually park on my street at all. I really don't know what we're expected to do.
Daveddozey@reddit
People who store their property for free on public land?
Fortunatly a majority.
Nebulousdbc@reddit
Yup, the whole EV debacle really rams home those that are well off can save even more money, yet people that don't have a driveway either have to pay petrol prices or pay comparable fast charging station rates.
Oh and let's not forget those on higher incomes are likely to be offered EVs on salary sacrifice further increasing the savings between upper/maybe middle management compared to the lower level employees
Glimmerousdream_@reddit
I have no plans to buy a new car as there’s nothing wrong with my 20 plate petrol Fiesta at the moment - buying a new car when I don’t need one feels a bit counterintuitive to the whole environmental benefits of an ev.
I’d consider an EV or Hybrid for my next vehicle whenever that is, but the price needs to be right.
Capable_Tip7815@reddit
I have 2 and on our 3rd (handed back a salary sacrifice for an upgrade). My brother has one and my mum. Love my Ariya Nismo.
the01li3@reddit
More likely to buy a hybrid so I can travel more then a few miles and not worry about recharging for an hour ish.
But also probably when my current car dies and I have to get a new one considering the environmental impact that just creating an EV car can have over anything else, it's not really worth full converting to EV when your current car is ok.
nothingwittytosayyet@reddit
Curious as to why you think the charge on an EV only lasts a few miles and need a recharge after an hour? Unless you got one with a miniscule battery, most nowadays give you upwards of 100mi, bigger batteries get you upwards of 2-300mi. They drain at roughly the rate you drive (if you're being smart about it) so really only need recharging in line with that.
For reference I get about 250mi from a full charge on average, and charge my car every 3-4weeks.
the01li3@reddit
It's rare but every 6 months I need to travel 300 odd miles and then the same back, if I also have to sit and wait for the car to charge it doesn't make me any happier to do that trip.
If im adding an hour to that trip it's not needed.
nothingwittytosayyet@reddit
I've done a fair few 300mi trips in mine (Manchester to Cornwall/Devon/London/Edinburgh/Cardiff). You can get a fast charge and after about half an hour you're genuinely good to go. By the time you've nipped to the loo and got some food/drink you're pretty much done, I just schedule a break in at a sensible time (about 2/3 way in) and factor the extra half hour in. Almost all serviced stations have multiple fast chargers now, and there are even super fast charging hubs in a few places now which are often dead, it's great.
the01li3@reddit
Stopping for 30 mins with a dog in the car isn't really the way to go, then finding a place I can eat with the dog in there. I have room to charge at either end but it's still a lot to trust the charge to last.
I get EV is a good way to go, but it's JUST not there for me yet. Give it an extra few miles, some extra car designs so they actually look different and I'd happily jump on the EV wagon.
Daveddozey@reddit
300 miles is a 5 hour drive. You should be stopping for half an hour to walk the dog anyway.
the01li3@reddit
It is, I do, not for 30 mins. She's getting a big of an old girl and can't do 30 mins on a normal day let alone in some new environment.
tomatta@reddit
This is such a niche problem to present as some kind of criticism for EVs. Setting aside the EV debate, are you saying you regularly drive for 6 hours non stop with a dog in the boot? I bet the dog wouldn't mind a pit stop to stretch his legs.
the01li3@reddit
"for me" I had already stated that its not really criticism of EVs as a whole and would annoy me in this niche scenario.
"Every 6 months" is not what I would call regular at all.
If you which to have this sort of a debate I suggest reading the entire comment thread or we end up just going round in circles.
nothingwittytosayyet@reddit
I mean, I also have a dog and solo travel on these long trips with him. He gets a walk then popped in the back with the Aircon on and doors locked, then I keep an eye on the app to see if the alarm is going off (never has) and check on the charge. I just feel like a lot of problems people are finding with EVs honestly just don't exist when compared to the reality of having one.
the01li3@reddit
Ours doesn't like to be left alone so there's no real escape when travelling in that same way, I'd be in the car for 30 mins, or have her with me.
As I say it's not often that I'd encounter this problem, but also I WFH so don't really use a car that often anyway. Having a petrol one just works nicer for me, and unable to afford an EV car, or it's replacement battery.
Exalyte@reddit
Gibberish
A I can drive around 250 miles reliably without needing to charge, B charging is so quick it's an issue these days.
I regularly goto on a journey it's 180 miles each way I will go do what I need then stop at the services on the way back I plug in at the super chargers go for a pee get a McDonald's or KFC and before I've finished eating the cars at 80%
Less than 30 mins every time without fail.
No it's not as fast as a petrol station but your having a piss and a bite to eat anyway so it's not actually a time loss it's a time saving
PutTheKettleOff@reddit
I agree that keeping your current car is probably best, but the days of short range and lengthy recharges are long gone.
Lunaspoona@reddit
Never.
I live in a flat with no charging facilities. I work part time delivering food so wouldn't be able to charge between my main job and that one.
Your idea of affordable and mine are probably different. I've never paid more than 1k for a car.
Asoxus@reddit
How much have you spent fixing those sub 1k cars
Lunaspoona@reddit
My dad does most of the work so not an awful lot. Mostly brakes which just costs me about £20, new tyres, budget ones are 60 each. The most expensive was the exhaust at £60. General rule of thumb though, if it costs more than I bought it for to fix, time to get rid and get a new one. If I scrap it, the money from that goes towards a new one.
saswir@reddit
What's the turnover on those cars? You reckon it's viable if you don't know how to do your own maintenance?
Phoenix_Kerman@reddit
cheap cars if you buy smart and keep on top of servicing run pretty cheap
offensive_ferret@reddit
Honestly I think a 1k to 1.5k budget for a vehicle is in line with the majority of people especially those outside of any cities or large towns. Would never dream of spending 10k upwards on a car that'll no doubt need a new battery in a few years time which costs half of what you originally paid
LifeMasterpiece6475@reddit
For me the problem with it EVS isn't so much that they're electrically run it's a combination of the cost (even second hand) and the driving experience.
We have them at work and I just do not like driving them, everything is on screen behind a menu and they're all different. Take any car from a decade or more ago and they're all basically the same to drive. If you can drive one safely you can drive them all without having to read the manual to work out how to turn the wipers on.
VagabondOfLancashire@reddit
I love buying 25+ year old cars too much
Radiant-Mycologist72@reddit
I kinda want EV's to be publicly chargeable as quickly as an ICE vehicle.
I spoke to a guy from the AA who said he recovered an EV that had gone to a charging station but it was not working and so had to be recovered to the next nearest. The problem was, because the other charging station had broken down, there was increased demand on the working one. The dude was going on holiday and had his family in the car and they were stuck at this charging station for 8 hours.
I think if solid state batteries somehow take off, that might be when EV's can really shine.
beeurd@reddit
When they are as cheap as a petrol/diesel, and can be fully charged as quickly as fully refueling.
VastList8926@reddit
Never. I'm a Gen X petrol head.
HistoricalFrosting18@reddit
Our diesel is 2016 and showing it’s age. We’re hoping to buy an EV in the second half of 2026, but we are waiting for the charger we want (with bidirectional AC charging) to become available.
thundermuffin12e@reddit
If your employer offers salary sacrifice, it's worth looking into. You pay from gross salary before tax, so you save on both income tax and NI. For something like a £500/month car, you'd typically pay around £300-350 after tax savings if you're a 40% taxpayer. EVs are particularly good right now because they're only 4% BiK tax. The main catch is you're usually locked in for 2-4 years, so not ideal if you're planning to move jobs. But if you're staying put and want an EV anyway, the savings are pretty solid.
Ashamed_Housing7489@reddit
Never
Zubi_Q@reddit
Nowhere to charge it as I live in a small block of flats
fergie@reddit
Have had an electric car for years. Bought outright.
SquareBondageDuck@reddit
When my car dies. I have a focus estate 1.0 eco boost. It’s looked after, costs me £250 a year max in repairs and used not much petrol. 2012 - no idea how many years it’s got left but I’ll keep it going until the engine pops (common with ecoboosts but so far…)
inevitable_dave@reddit
Potentially for my partners next car. We have offroad parking, and we mostly use her car for short journeys to work or for the weekly shop.
For myself? Not until we get better range, better infrastructure, and faster charging. It's too useful to be able to fill up and go in a few minutes, especially when we've got family spread across the country.
Joephps@reddit
My current car works fine and I have no practical way of charging an electric one. So at the moment I have zero reason to.
Iamthe0c3an2@reddit
When I can afford a Renault 5 Turbo or the nvision 74
X2epsilon@reddit
Unlikely I will, i drive what i can afford and last few cars i have had was purely based on that ffs i currently driving a corsa. A E.V is out of my budget if when I next need a new car one happens to be affordable maybe I am of an age where I don’t care what I driving the car is just a tool that is needed, if it does that within budget am golden.
neilt999@reddit
When I can plug it in. In Haringey, London there's hardly any charging infrastructure.
iamabigtree@reddit
Approx 18 months ago. If you mean buy another one? Then probably 2028 when my current deal runs out. There's zero prospect of my next car being anything other than electric.
westy1980@reddit
Just ordered one on Friday. Salary sacrifice scheme through work. Only way in to a new ev for me. I can't charge at home, planning to charge at work. I reckon it'll still be cheaper than petrol, especially with things the way they are now.
Plus-Photograph-6990@reddit
When I can get a good conversion for my land rover defender.
Responsible-Ad-1086@reddit
My wife has been against EV’s as she loves her petrol Merc, however after getting an Uber last night ( a BYD) she is having second thoughts
CNRADMSN@reddit
Within the next few months. Three year old Tesla Model 3 Performances down at 25k is becoming too much of a bargain
whosUtred@reddit
If or when they get a real world range of 500 miles, I’m in
sleepyprojectionist@reddit
I’m not in a position right now to replace my current car.
I’m too skint to increase my monthly payments.
I live in a rented flat and I couldn’t be able to charge at home, but my work does subsidise charging, so I could charge at 26p per kWh, which is significantly cheaper than most, if not all, public chargers.
Our building is huge and there is on and off talk of installing a solar array and making charging free.
If that should happen and I clear my debts I could probably justify something second hand.
We do have a salary sacrifice car scheme too, but as it stands my monthly costs would almost double if I were to upgrade. I have become far too used to driving a cheap to insure and run shitbox.
arabidopsis@reddit
As soon as I can afford one.
I'm waiting on the EV cayenne to try but if that isn't great, I'm going back to my Taycan
Loonytrix@reddit
Perhaps when replacing/exchanging batteries is as cheap as replacing tyres or any other routine maintenance.
Thestickleman@reddit
Only when I absolutely have to.
Driven a few and not to fussed on them. Also charging and charging times is an issue.
As is the price at the few of the fast chargers we have and I don't want a tesla
Rowdy_Roddy_2022@reddit
I bought one very recently because I needed a new car and I can charge at home.
If you can't charge at home or work though, the cost and inconvenience of public charging means you'd save more money running an ICE vehicle.
Big, big problem for the government to solve, that one. But they seem to have absolutely no ideas how to solve it.
BaldPleaser@reddit
When oil runs dry. But I doubt it’ll happen in my lifetime.
RaidersGunz@reddit
Im buying my first EV in December. It will be a polestar2.
Ive worked it out that my costs will be £100 per month to charge it vs £300 on petrol per month. Much better off.
This pay per mile will hurt me though.
ygbjammy@reddit
When there are some reasonably priced used models which are a decent family size with a big boot. Only thing under £10k at the moment seems to be the mg5 which is a small estate in the grand scheme of things. After that maybe an Enyaq or ID4 but they're still over £10k. So holding on to my ICE car until the prices on those drop more, or until the cars currently at nearer £20k (e.g the electric 308sw) drop down a bit.
I figure that the longer I hold onto my ICE car, the more numerous and better options I'll have for an EV
OldLondon@reddit
This year made the switch and id never go back. However public charging infrastructure needs to massively improve IMHO
sideone@reddit
If you're charging at home for the majority of the time, public chargers seem fine for long journeys. Plenty at supermarkets, car parks and motorway services. Sainsbury's ones are usually a bit cheaper and decent.
OldLondon@reddit
Vast majority of the country can’t charge at home and there isn’t any nearly enough chargers out there. My last long trip the services had 12 bags of which 8 were out of order. Best one had 14 and had to wait and engage in bun fights to get a charger. The only way to combat that is more fast chargers everywhere. A services that can take 1000 cars having 10-15 chargers isn’t the way to go, no where near enough. It’s fine right now as EV usage is comparatively low and I suspect a high majority of current owners can charge at home.
sideone@reddit
I don't think that's correct. Numbers vary but as far as I can see, it's 57 - 66% of the UK population have a driveway.
gwynevans@reddit
Thursday - Part-exing my current 2017 Skoda Superb for a 2022 Tesla M3. Able to charge at home and doing around 45 mile commute 5 days per week. Nothing immediate with the Skoda but was starting to hear something in the gearbox plus for personal reasons I no longer needed to make the occasional trips cross country that it was well suited to, meant it might be time to change.
My typical drive is a commute in a 50 limit, so not exactly throwing the car around, so just need something to get from A-B. The EV comes with existing battery warranty for another few year, plus a 1y/10k manufacturer warranty for the rest, to cover the unknowns.
DuckThatNoise@reddit
Never, hydrogen cars will be the norm at some point soon(ish).
ChrisCoinLover@reddit
When the range will be around 500-600 miles at least. Cost for home charge is fair at 6-7p /kw.
GuybrushFunkwood@reddit
Never say never but I can’t see it happening in the next 5 years or so.
easterbunni@reddit
When there are decent estate options
mydogmuppet@reddit
Tomorrow. If i can buy it in Beijing. But not with insane EU import taxes.
Otto1968@reddit
Next one, in a few months. Can charge at home and will be used for getting to work and local driving 99% of the time. The numbers make sense vs fuel. It's worth the hassle for the 1% longer journeys where we will need to recharge somewhere on route. I was dead set against until I looked at the costs.
Brutal_De1uxe@reddit
Probably never - i haven't driven one I like, don't have home charging and the only 1 of my cars it could possibly replace is the 2017 1.0 Focus local runabout and that's already paid off and so cheap to run that an EV would provide no benefit
If it died, then possibly, but otherwise never.
CarpeCyprinidae@reddit
When the rnage improves
For a while i've had my current car listed for sale and been planning to buy a hybrid. Of late I've been looking into plug-in hybrids instead but they still seem too much of a compromise that does neither thing very well, so probably just going for a good hybrid this time
HousingMean6184@reddit
Got one last autumn, a demo (with 3000 miles) the dealership was flogging off. Feeling rather smug given the cost of fuel. I would swap sooner rather than later. Electric cars could become more popular given fuel costs rising.
If you have a drive/space to charge it’s dead easy. 7p a kW charging at the dead of night. What’s not to love? If you have solar panels even better, it’s free electric.
ChromeAlone1@reddit
If it ever becomes economic to have one when buying an old used car
ChangingMonkfish@reddit
Switched three years ago it works well because I can charge at home and have an Octopus EV tariff with 5p per kWh between 11:30pm and 5:30am.
If you can’t charge at home, it’s probably still cheaper to charge on a public charger than buy petrol or diesel, but requires more planning then just filling the tank in two minutes.
Range is increasing though and charging times are coming down, it’s still a relatively new technology and as it matures, I’ve no doubt most people will just naturally transition.
ProfPMJ-123@reddit
I switched in 2018, and if I ignore the fact I’m in the market for a Caterham 7, just for a laugh, I’ve had my last ICE car.
My original EV was a Nissan Leaf that was bought just to do the commute, but what it let me realize was just how much more convenient EVs are (if you can charge at home) than ICE cars.
If you can charge at home, unless you have highly unusual driving needs, an EV would be better for you now.
1Marmalade@reddit
If you can see good in the Lead, you’ll love a modern/fast EV. They are a world apart.
Ill-Recognition2054@reddit
This is us. We got a Leaf 18 months ago to test the EV world and while we think its great as a commuter car (100 miles a week) its also got its limitations (as have most things in life).
Hopefully an i4 coming in the near future.
Inevitable-Debt4312@reddit
The people who can’t charge at home should be able to charge at work.
scotiaboy10@reddit
Fascinating
Spax123@reddit
I'm saving up for one currently. I've only ever owned cars which were like 80% into their usable life and am fed up with dealing with age related issues, so I want something very young that I don't have to worry about for a long time. Also fancied an automatic but I prefer small cars so choice is limited and they tend to cost more. The thing that really tipped the scales in favour of electric for me is the long term running costs compared to a petrol/diesel, as well as the fact they require far less maintenance.
rotundgorilla@reddit
When they add brum brum noises and broom broom smells
Cool_Hat1942@reddit
I have a 2016 Audi A1 1.4 petrol CoD , I'm averaging 55mog on my commute which is 75% of my mileage of 9k a year. No major servicing costs to date and ha always flown through MOT, just hit 90k miles.
I keep my cars a long time, 120-130k or when they get expensive to repair (I also don't have salary sacrifice money spare in my single income household, not having had a car payment in 10 years).
So at the earliest 3 years or if repairs get £££, ideally 5 years when I hope to have cleared my mortgage
Willeth@reddit
When I can easily charge at home. I'd have one already if I wouldn't be trailing a cable through my letterbox and in front of the neighbour's front door.
Getoiu@reddit
I got one and I love it BUT I upgraded to three phase to make it work and for now it’s £30 per month to charge.
For reference we have 4 cars in the family - Petrol, Diesel, Hybrid and Electric. They all make sense for a specific use. It’s important what’s best in your case and not just switch because they say we must - i.e. old person who drives to the grocery store once a week doesn’t need to invest in an expensive EV and a small petrol car is financially more sensible choice.
jaypalmer2000@reddit
Never
4BennyBlanco4@reddit
Hopefully never.
NeddTwo@reddit
Never. Fully electric cars are not the way forward. There's NEVER going to be the infrastructure or generating capacity in place to satisfy the needs of 40+ million cars.
Hybrid is the way forward. My friend is still running his Toyota Prius over 20 years after buying it. It never needs plugging in as it charges itself, so it never runs out of electric power.
I hired a hybrid Nissan Qashqui a couple of weeks ago and I cant rate it highly enough. Its technology, and similar from other manufacturers is the future of 'electric' cars
Sure_Video_4244@reddit
Probably just going to keep using the bus, same levels off traffic anyway,id much rather sit and scroll phone than drive
SdanoG@reddit
You onow I have been thinking this for when my lease ends, I’d save £500 a month to spend on shiny stuff
devreme@reddit
I was and still am obsessed with manual petrol cars but the new Chinese EVs I have looked at have such good range I have become really curious
SdanoG@reddit
I asked my landlord could I fit a charger point, theyvrefused!!!! I wasvplanning on going ev in 18 months time or plug in hybrid
Demonkittymusic@reddit
My next vehicle will be an EV. I currently have a BMW that gets 40mpg on average. We hardly drive and are continuing to reduce our individual trips - but mainly use the car for long drives. It’s 8 years old now, but only has 40,000 miles on it, so it could last for a lot longer. But once battery range goes north of 500 miles, we’ll move on and get an EV. I expect 2028 from the trends.
bars_and_plates@reddit
I have already owned one and sold it because it was more expensive and less reliable.
I would consider it again when I can get one for about 5-10 grand like I can an ICE car. Something decent, not the equivalent of a Yaris / Mondeo etc.
The fuel cost difference is trivial really at the moment, few hundred quid a year either way depending on whether you have a drive.
dkdebra@reddit
When there's a breakthrough in battery technology
zAirr_@reddit
The amount you save in fuel bill turns into more money lost via depreciation. What is the point?
RaptorHavx@reddit
When replacing worn out cell packs, in a 10 year old EV, will not cost more than the car itself at that point.
No-Championship5962@reddit
Any new car with a 6 cylinder diesel for the weekend drives and roadtrips and a little EV as a city car would work for me. I would lean towards a baby 3 cylinder that has a soul though over the latter.
Extra-Sound-1714@reddit
When current car dies. I don't replace cars for the sake of it.
Halleck001@reddit
I've been driving an EV for a year and average about 2K miles a month. I have a charger at home, but only use it at weekends due to my work schedule. Even the most heinous motorway chargers are still substantively less expensive per mile that any ICE or hybrid ICE car that i've had.
I thoroughly dislike my current EV for various QOL reasons. My next one arrives late May from a manufacturer I trust
HealthyComparison175@reddit
I have my eye on the Volvo EX60 when the lease deals expire in a few years.
becca413g@reddit
When they are self driving, no point otherwise as it’s frowned upon to drive with your long white cane hanging out of the driver side window 🤣
Past-Obligation1930@reddit
4 years ago. No regrets. Have owned petrol, diesel and EV. EV best.
Creative_Star_1248@reddit
My next car will be an EV. However I currently have a decent petrol car which is relatively fuel efficient so will keep it as long as it drives ok.
stewieatb@reddit
When I can get one that will tow a 2 tonne trailer for 2-3 hours on the motorway on a charge.
Asoxus@reddit
“For under 10k”
I mean let’s at least try to have some realistic expectations.
04housemat@reddit
Do that regularly?
stewieatb@reddit
Weekly.
04housemat@reddit
Kia EV9, Polestar 3, BMW iX4, Tesla Model X?
stewieatb@reddit
Will they tow the trailer in that image for 2hrs/120 miles on a charge?
Given that I get about half the fuel economy towing at 60 that I do driving at 70, and that EVs don't achieve anything like their official range when driving on motorways anyway, the answer is no.
Toodle-Peep@reddit
IX4 has a 400 mile range so.. It's probably capable.. It's not doing it for 10k though!
sneakyhopskotch@reddit
This comments section has made me realise how thoroughly pervasive disinformation and misinformation are.
So many different situations and opinions are being justified by straight up incorrect facts or assumptions.
There are plenty of reasons to drive an ICE. The main one for most people has got to be “I already have one that works.” If you want to keep driving your ICE car that is a fine enough reason by itself. But being closed off to EVs because they are EVs and then justifying your take based on what you think is true instead of actually trying it or looking into it faithfully to see how it could work, just results in a whole lot of confirmation bias. It’s frustrating because people who are genuinely looking into their options get flummoxed by all the mis- and disinformation.
To answer the post: I am leasing my first EV. The infrastructure is there. Of course it can improve but it’s long past the “good enough” point for all but niche use cases. It’s much better if you can home charge but if you can’t it is still often the best option. I did that for months. With the right tariff and some household load shifting, an EV can earn you money in fuel costs. Not saves money on fuel, I mean give you more. Range anxiety is in your mind, you’ll get over it. The driving experience is incomparable. It’s not bike : e-bike, it’s car : spaceship. I still see value in driving manual ICE cars although I’m not sure why bar nostalgia. Good EVs aren’t really old enough yet to have £1000 bangers so if that’s your budget then that’s that really. But there are insanely cheap old Leafs going around and they are decent options for the price.
The_JimJam@reddit
I'd love to.
But my current car just works (2011 Peugeot 107) and I don't have the choice to charge at home or work.
When the 107 dies (hopefully not soon) I'll likely be learning towards a cheap hybrid next. While hoping more small electrics come out (with buttons and not touchscreen-for-everything). Seeing the Renault 5 do well gives me confidence for the future in that regard
Asoxus@reddit
When our government approves FSD.
IndividualCurious322@reddit
Never. I don't drive.
offensive_ferret@reddit
When I can charge one up as fast as I can fill a tank up. When I can get an affordable estate car second hand for £1500 (what I paid for my current astra estate). When they're as easily user serviced and repaired as conventional cars are providing you use a bit of uncommon sense.
Or even when one of these companies realise a lot of people really don't care for all the extras in them, having driven a Tesla that my friend owns it felt like an iPad on 4 wheels. Unless there is some major changes I'll keep my traditional car until forced otherwise
Responsible_Bird3384@reddit
How long do the batteries last on the new EV cars? I was thinking my next car might be a hybrid. But I’m retiring early next year at 58 and my current car has less than 40k miles on it.
Toodle-Peep@reddit
they'll outlast the car, certainly, so long as you don't absolutely abuse them.
Captain_English@reddit
Plenty of evidence now that even after 10+ years the battery is usually at >80% health.
sidneylopsides@reddit
15-20 years, 300k miles from some reports
OldLondon@reddit
They’ll outlast you
IanM50@reddit
This could well be correct. EV batteries are now expected to last more than 20 years, and when you scrap the car, the scrap value of the battery pack is likely to sell for over £3k.
ucardiologist@reddit
All my friends are buying EV s like mad I know of at least 6 that switched I have been driving evs for the last 4 years never going to own or anywhere near an ICE car
Trab3n@reddit
Don't have a drive so not yet
But, if we was to go all in and make more charging spots then it's a no brainer.
So it's a matter of time.
MAXIMUMMEDLOWUS@reddit
Do you drive EV car? Vill you drive EV car? Vhen vill you drive EV car?
Bigbigcheese@reddit
When the second hand ICE cars start getting too old or too expensive.
fckboris@reddit
I rent and I don’t see that changing any time soon, so with housing insecurity: no. There’s no point me getting an electric vehicle with no way of knowing if I’ll have a reliable way of charging it in a year or so.
hscbaj@reddit
2019
chrisrazor@reddit
Can't see myself ever owning a car.
Yamosu@reddit
I'd love an EV and it might even be possible to charge at home from a standard mains plug (live in a flat). For long journeys/big top ups though I'd be stuck with public charging.
Main problem for me is cost. I simply don't have the money for a new car of any denomination, much less an EV.
Due-Guarantee2653@reddit
Got one this week. Love it and has changed my whole perspective of EV's. Currently saving up to change our second car to an EV soon as my partner and I both dont want to drive it over the EV.
_aoux@reddit
Shame about supporting Musk with that purchase.
TRUZ0@reddit
I don't think I will. I have a 40 year old supra that's tax and MOT exempt. Don't do enough miles for another car.
No-Ask2117@reddit
Waiting for hydrogen
Used-Let7134@reddit
I've just conceded defeat and gone for a salary sacrifice tesla and sold my Audi S4 since its becoming unaffordable to drive. Salary sacrifice makes an £800/mo lease around £500/mo
CurvePuzzleheaded361@reddit
Doesnt appeal at all so only when se have no other choice. My husband drives an insane amount for work so depending on public chargers doesnt appeal at all. Yes we have a driveway but that wont help him if hes 400 miles away. The price of them is the most off pitting thing.
putowtin@reddit
In the next few months, waiting for Northern Power Grid to install a separate loop before we can get the charger put in
mikolv2@reddit
Probably never, perhaps when no ICE car is permitted to be driven on the road. I don't think I will ever buy a 2024 or newer car regardless of the power train. Regulations forcing all sorts of ADAS functions on the drivers, they're all on by default, some can't even be switched off in some cars. I just have no interest in ever driving a car I can't be fully in control of. I'm a diehard petrol head, cars are my biggest passion in life and whilst I have nothing against EVs and I see the appeal of them, I have 0 interest in driving a car without a roaring engine.
derpyfloofus@reddit
An electric vehicle car? 😅
I will buy one when the building standards are updated to allow them to operate as a home battery at the same time.
martini1294@reddit
If you have a drive, get an EV
If you don’t, don’t get an EV
As someone with an EV and loves it, this is the sensible advice.
And don’t be put off by picking charging being expensive, is drastically offset by what you save charging on a night tariff. Looking at the big picture it’s obvious
~£5 charge gets 250miles. x10 that’s £50 for 2500miles. Addin a £40 public charge that’s £90 for 2750 miles driven. If you can find an ICE car that does 2750 for £90 I’ll concede defeat
Nah didn’t thin you could.
Freelanderman64@reddit
If sooner walk than drive a dodgem
WhyteRebel@reddit
I drive 18 different electric vans for work, all are the same make and model. The only appeal is lack of road noise in the cabin, but I have also driven diesels that seem very quiet from the inside.
Only one of the 18 vans made it to 1000 miles without breaking down.
Most annoying part is they aren’t cars, they are computers with wheels. Engineers show up with a laptop, plug it in and the van starts working again.
anonimity_is_best@reddit
I am the quintessential petrolhead. I’m on my 5th EV. Fast, bags of torque and unbelievably cheap to run.
The EV sits next to the supercharged, 3.0 V6 and the 2.8 straight 6. Sadly I take the EV more often than the other two…
ThrowRAkitty13@reddit
I let my phone get to 1% before charging and I don't think that will work out well for me with an EV
martini1294@reddit
I drove back from Cheltenham today and got back with 2%. I do it regularly.
You get over range anxiety after having it a few weeks imo.
robhaswell@reddit
FYI this is the worst thing you can do for your battery's longevity.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLS5Cg_yNdM
Ideally you should not let it go below 20%, and enable adaptive charging to keep it below 80% if your phone supports it.
Former_Intern_8271@reddit
How's that any different to running out of petrol?
Andurael@reddit
I got a 1st gen Nissan Leaf in 2018 and I will definitely never go back. It is perhaps the worst EV you can buy (I reckon the Zoe is worse), and if I compare it to the fanciest car I’ve driven, an Audi s6, I’d take the EV. I do have a driveway, if I didn’t I wouldn’t get an EV.
tribordercollie@reddit
Do you let your ICEV get to running on fumes before filling it up? If so, fair point. If not however…
It’s the same concept with an EV. No need to try to use the whole “tank” before refilling it.
fatcakesabz@reddit
Mate of mine describes the different thought process required when owning an EV as the ABC of ev ownership.
Always Be Charging
Any opportunity get it in a charger so it’s always topped up to 80ish %
ThrowRAkitty13@reddit
I think I'd have the same idea I have when my phone gets low, I think that 1% will go further than it actually will.
Think_Ground_1985@reddit
Do you let your car drop to 1% fuel? It’s no different with an EV. I fully charged at home for under £5, drove from Devon to Milton Keynes this morning, got as far as Solstice services on the return journey, with just 3% showing in the battery. Charged for 18 minutes at a a cost of £13, then made it back home to Devon. Over 400 miles, under £20, stopped for under 20 minutes. In the equivalent diesel model, it would have been approximately £65 and I could have saved 18 minutes charging, but would have been perhaps 5 minutes filling it with diesel. So the difference is about 15 minutes more, but £45 better off.
mashed666@reddit
Had to drive to Birmingham.... Needed to charge once. Got to the charger and it wouldn't work with 3 miles of range had to go next garage 5 miles further along made it with 0-miles I don't know how much reserve I had left after that. But was very nervous...
theroch_@reddit
Sweaty bum cheeks that’s for sure. Can’t see me getting one either. Currently in a 28 year old Land Rover
gasdocscott@reddit
When I can afford to replace my current car!
ceramicos@reddit
Never
hhfugrr3@reddit
My gf bought her first EV about 4.5 years ago. She's now on her second. I bought my first EV in November 2023 and can't see a situation where I'd go back. My son will be old enough to drive next year and I want him to learn in a proper car with gears though so I will look at buying a second hand manual petrol car for him to start off in.
chriskeene@reddit
out of interest, why do you want your son to learn with gears? Even ICE cars are increasingly automatic, to me it feels like somethings that will be much less common in say ten years
hhfugrr3@reddit
Because there are still plenty of manual cars about and learning in a manual will mean he has the maximum options available to him in future.
JNC34@reddit
Useful for hiring cars abroad
TAOMCM@reddit
Why bother? Manuals are going away fast.
hhfugrr3@reddit
Because he might need to drive a manual in future and learning now means that he'll always have the maximum options available.
C4mbo01@reddit
When it’s affordable for normal people, I need a good sized car for hobbies and need good range. My house has a drive but no charger.
I currently drive a diesel estate that does 700+ miles on a tank, I’ve owned 5 years and should easily have another 5-10 left
I’ve never owned a car that’s averaged more than £2000 a year on the purchase price.
How can I own electric, I would love to, but I’m not wasting my money. Even on current prices I wouldn’t save that much money ditching diesel. As soon as it makes sense to me I will do it
And if the 3p a mile comes in for ev tax then a low tax diesel gets even more appealing.
alphahydra@reddit
I bought a 21 plate MG5 in 2024. Prior to that, I drove a 12 year old Peugeot 508. With that car, I spent £200-250 a month on diesel. With the MG5 and a home EV charging tarrif, I do the same mileage for about £30 a month.
I think the cost for the car, and to have a 7kw charging point installed, was just over £12k all in. The ICE estate cars I was considering of a similar age and mileage were about £8k.
So, two years in, I'm pretty much at break even point versus the ICE options I was looking at (high upfront cost for EV vs higher ongoing cost for diesel). And that's not taking into account the fact that overnight charging on an EV tariff is a lot less volatile than diesel prices.
I haven't noticed any drop in range during that time, and am happy to keep driving this for several years to come. I would be very surprised if I ended up at more than £2k per on the purchase price.
Granted it doesn't get anything like 700 miles on a charge. More like 200.
My one big downside is operators of public chargers not always keeping on top of maintenance. You might arrive at a public charging park to find half of the chargers out of action, and then have to queue for the remaining ones. Which might mean waiting half an hour for a family to finish up at MacDonalds. That's only happened a couple of times to me though, when going on long holiday road trips, but it is a headache that's unique to EVs.
scandibedclothes@reddit
A small point of your comment but - your home does have a charger already, every socket on the wall can become one.
Belterhaze31@reddit
When I’m forced to, until then I’m more than happy where I’m at, they’d never work for me, some weeks I do 500 miles some weeks it’s 1500. Just thinking about trying to charge one on those miles makes my brain hurt
hhfugrr3@reddit
I've done that in my EV - it's two years old and has nearly 60,000 miles on it. The first 34,000 went on in year 1. Not really a problem. If anything it can be faster than an ICE car because the car charges when I'm in the services so I don't have to make a second stop for petrol any more.
Belterhaze31@reddit
Thing is though, I don’t want to have to wait at a services if I’ve got somewhere to be, that’s why it’d never work for me
I’d rather just have a car that does 800 miles on 1 tank, and then takes 5 minutes to fill up and go again if I really wanted to
hhfugrr3@reddit
If you can drive 800 miles without a break then you're a better man than me. I can barely manage 200 between toilet stops.
robhaswell@reddit
My car is on its last legs but unfortunately my next one will almost certainly be petrol. Bristol are remarkably behind when it comes to on-street charging.
Studio_Ambitious@reddit
Uniform battery platform, swappable battery packs that are time and cost effective, and 85% charging in 25 minutes in a widely dispersed accessible network.
Aleswellthatendsale@reddit
I live in a block of flats and I rent and will do for at least a year. That's a hard barrier to me having one sadly.
Fresh_Sock8660@reddit
I almost leased one 6 years ago. What stopped me a) lease company did a last minute increase b) living in a flat and employer never embraced chargers, despite having thousands of employees.
travelavatar@reddit
I have a driveway. I can charge cheap. I have a PHEV i use for commute and its fine but i have a very old ICE too that is horrible when it comes to fuel economy and maintenance....
I want an EV i just don't have the money. I like owning cars and running them into the ground, i don't like leasing. I think leasing its a waste of.money.
LordAnchemis@reddit
When I move to a place with a charging point
cognitiveglitch@reddit
Just jumped from a 16 year old derv Pug to a Kia EV. Nice bit of kit it is too!
RealMrIncredible@reddit
Terraced houses need to have charging conduit put into pavements and assigned bays outside homes. The UK has been so far behind with this anarchy of "Park wherever is free / available"
It's no different than having the council install a dropped curve for a driveway.
I am lucky to have a driveway and charge my new IDR cheaply with a combination of solar and overnight.
zombiezmaj@reddit
Never
If I can at all help it.
Or at worst when all decent cars are no longer available and EV is the absolute only option.
External-Praline-451@reddit
It will definitely be our next car. We don't have a driveway, but we're not on a street with pavements so that will be fine. A couple of neighbours already have set-ups. Fuck being beholden to oil and gas. Next stop plug-in solar panels.
Also a heat pump for my Dad who has oil heating due to no mains gas. With the grants, it will pay for itself in a year, with the price of oil now.
Educational_Worth906@reddit
We don’t have mains gas so had oil. We now have an air source heat pump. This winter it’s been cheaper to heat our home than with oil. That’s based on last year’s oil prices. Definitely no regrets.
External-Praline-451@reddit
That's great to know, thank you. You must be extra happy not having to worry about the panic buying and price gauging going on now. It's stressful, especially when worrying about an elderly person who needs heating on more often.
Was it much disruption and did it affect how warm you can get your home?
Educational_Worth906@reddit
It wasn’t a huge amount of disruption, it took a few days and they had to replace several radiators but used the same pipes. It’s also quieter and there’s not the smell we used to get with the oil boiler.
The heat level in the house is the same is it was before, maybe better. The operation is slightly different to traditional boilers. It takes longer to heat rooms, so you can’t suddenly decide you want it a few degrees warmer and expect it to happen as quick as gas or oil. We tend to have it constantly set to the minimum temperature we’re comfortable with and boost it a few degrees for morning and evening. The trick seems to be to not let the house get too cold - it prefers to run continuously at a low level.
External-Praline-451@reddit
Thank you, that's really helpful. We keep the heat pretty constant for Dad with a thermostat, so that should work fine.
Junior-Tap-8503@reddit
Never going back to petrol/diesel
Parker4815-2@reddit
The cost of replacing a battery in an EV is at least £6k for the smallest ones. Eventually, they'll need replacing as the range gets worse and worse. Like using a laptop.
When that price goes down, maybe.
Middle--Earth@reddit
I don't want one.
I don't have a driveway, nowhere to fit a charger, and I don't agree with the cost of human misery involved in mining the heavy metals for the batteries.
I'd buy a hydrogen car, no problem.
leah_amelia@reddit
Hydrogen cars still use batteries, it's just that said battery is charged by a fuel cell which is powered by hydrogen.
That said, battery chemistries are changing to get rid of cobalt from their mixtures to try addressing this. Even if EVs didn't exist, the minerals needed to make other types of batteries and circuit boards for computers would still necessitate their mining. As time goes on, we'll get past the need for the heavy metals for batteries. There's a reason they're a lot safer than they used to be.
reelmonkey@reddit
I am not sure when I can afford one. I would like a newer car. Got a 2016 Auris at the moment. But I would like to get solar panels and battery storage on the roof. That would be expensive as well. I am not sure what would be better. I would hate to get solar panels and the cost of that just for the car to need something expensive that would mean it would be better to get a secondhand EV.
CptBananaPants@reddit
Around 3 years ago. It ties in very well with my solar, battery, and Heatpump so that all in my utilities come to £1 a month.
Recently my supplier, Octopus, reduced the rates too.
IF you can charge at home, they’re fantastic. If you can’t…yeah, I don’t think the country is there yet. A shame, as other countries seem to have dealt with the problem.
resistBat@reddit
If you get Octopus agile then you save money if you're willing to pay attention to the rates. Looking at the price history over the last couple of weeks you could probably charge exclusively on negative rates if you're averaging less than 10 miles per day.
EcoNorfolk@reddit
Bought my first EV in 2018 .
You guys crack me up.
twirling_daemon@reddit
I’ve never wanted to buy a new car, I’m not interested in a monthly payment and I’ve not yet seen any electrics I’d want (my preference is large hatchbacks, I can role with a saloon - neither seem to really exist in this landscape) and currently I don’t have an easy way to charge so I can’t see it happening
I’m hoping my current car goes on for many years because I really do love him and fits 99% of my needs so I’m planning to keep going until there’s no hope/reasoning to keep repairs up
I’m hoping this one keeps going for long enough that it’s not really a choice tbh so hopefully many, many years 😂
Unless the next, random time I pick up a euromillions I actually win
This_Suit8791@reddit
Never unless I’m forced.
Academic-Block3384@reddit
When I can pick the battery out of the boot, carry it into my front porch and plug it in.
Kei_cars_are_my_jam@reddit
When there's one that's as fun as my MX-5, I have no interest in 0-60 times or traffic light GPs. I gave the Alpine A290 a go, but as much as it was entertaining it was still missing something. I'm not fussed about range, as long as it can realistically achieve 150 miles then I'd be content.
Irrxlevance@reddit
I wont
Successful-Matter423@reddit
Picked up my first EV yesterday. Second hand and the acceleration blew my socks off. Charged it on my driveway overnight for £2.50 to full charge. That's 1p a mile. It'll take me a while to get used to how quiet it is. Would not go back to ICE, although I have kept my diesel Audi estate for my trips to the dump, or when me and the wife need to go two different places, in which instance we'll both be fighting for use of the EV
Lasersheep@reddit
10 years ago. I’d think twice if I didn’t have a driveway though. Not sure how they are going to get around the cost discrepancy.
hoody13@reddit
My wife has a company car and has had for a few years now, the company she works for has forced anyone on the scheme to have an EV. As a result we’re about 4 years into having one ICE car (mine) and one EV. Day to day errand type driving the EV is ok but for really long trips the ICE car is still the way better choice.
As ok as the EV is day to day, I’d still reach for my keys first if I’m going out on my own. In other words, even after this long of an adjustment period I simply don’t enjoy driving an EV enough to buy one.
Mountain-Bat-9808@reddit
No because in my state we have hurricanes and sometimes we are without of electricity for days or even months. Case in point the New Orleans area and the Mississippi gulf coast after Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita also Lake Charles got hit with hurricanes back to back within a year. No I wouldn’t so we one
Omadster@reddit
Im going to wait and see what the government's are going to do about the lost revenue from petrol diesal sales , I think there will be a tax on charging , or something of that nature in the near future
na481@reddit
When the used EV market matures. It’s currently still £15k+ for most decent EVs, slowly reaching £10k+
danddersson@reddit
I am running a diesel Volvo V90 2018 (best car I have driven).
I am pretty certain my next car will be a full EV.
I recently refurbished my house, and when the floor was up, I ran a suitable cable from the meter (understairs cupboard in the middle of the house) under the hallway and dining room to the driveway.
English_Joe@reddit
Last week. Not a single regret
Cold_Raspberry520@reddit
Never my husband is a master technician. Those cars are very expensive 🫰 to fix and break a lot easier
ThingyGoos@reddit
Hopefully never
Arbycutter@reddit
I currently drive a transit tipper for work. You pricked my interest, a new tipper equivalent looking at £30-50k
Hmmm probably not for a while then
IanM50@reddit
The silly thing is that EVs cost less to build than ICE cars. Less parts, more robot construction. Thinks like 3 parts in an electric motor versus around 200 in an ICE.
TAOMCM@reddit
Yeah but battery is most of the cost
astronemma@reddit
When my current car (14 year old petrol hybrid) conks out and isn’t affordably fixable. No need to change it before then! We’ve recently moved to a house with an EV charger already installed, so we would be ready for it.
DoctorOctagonapus@reddit
When I have somewhere at home to charge it. Every public charger near me is significantly more expensive per mile than petrol, even at the current prices.
If you don't have the means to park and charge your car at home, you should not buy an EV.
KitFan2020@reddit
Not until every petrol/diesel car and petrol station have disappeared.
Organic_Reporter@reddit
My current diesel car is from 2009, I've had it 6 years and paid £3.5k for it. My plan is to run it to death, then replace with a second hand EV, as we're buying a house that has solar and a charger. If there's nothing in my price range at the time, then I'll get a cheap runaround and replace that with an EV when it dies. I have never done lease, PCP etc but would consider it or possibly get a loan if I felt the car would outlast the payments.
Urbanyeti0@reddit
Had one 4 years, it’s great for commuting as long as you can charge at home/ work. Significantly cheaper running costs and that was before the latest Iranian cockup
Had 2 close battery calls in that time though made both just. Once coming back from a gig late at night on the motorway and the exit I wanted was closed without warning and had to do a loop detour. The other running late for an event in the arse end of nowhere skipping the planned charge. Just means making sure you charge regularly on longer journeys if it’s close to your range
Equal-Application731@reddit
2020 and never looked back!
TAOMCM@reddit
Everyone who bought one loves it.
Everyone who hasn't bought one hates it.
Hmmmm
Awoken1729@reddit
I sold my Ford Focus 1.8 Petrol Zetec from 2009 and bought a Skoda Enyaq IV 60 three weeks ago. I'm loving it - already made two big road trips of more than 600 miles and both were easy with a short stop of 20-30 minutes now and again for charging. I love this car - especially the adaptive cruise control. Diving electric is so much easier and being able to fuel up at home is a dream. They arent for everyone - lack of home charging, the expensive public charging network and the neex for 500+ mile range daily for some means they dont fit all jobs yet but the technology & infrastructure is constantly improving.
Despite having told me she'd never get an electric car the year before, my wife ditched her 2015 Ford Focus Zetec and bought a 2022 Kia E-Niro.
ToffeeAppleCider@reddit
Mid thirties and only just learning to drive. I'd decided to go automatic for simplicity, and EV for home charging. It's looking like that was the right choice, but I've still got 4 months till my actual test. Hopefully the political climate settles down and the price of EVs doesn't double before then.
sgst@reddit
When I can afford a new (to me) car. More likely is when our current 2014 Golf dies and we have to get a new one.
I've wanted an EV for many years now, but have never been able to afford one.
Excellent-Day7461@reddit
When I can afford one.
BewareTheMoonLads@reddit
Never, I live in a terrace house with a busy pavement outside my house so I’ll never be able to charge
Nebulousdbc@reddit
When they stop looking dopey and fugly. Actually that's just all new cars.
Early 2000s to mid 2010 cars looked great and were all generally reliable, rusting issue had been sorted but generally speaking all the EVs from that era looked weird but oddly charming in their own way (OG Leaf). Now the vast majority of cars (EV and ICE) look like absolute dog eggs with no character and finished in a shade of primer grey like Ford forgot to paint them at the factory (Puma)
Used-Ad9589@reddit
Looking like this week as someone pulled out of a junction and wrote my diesel of this week... Not as gutted as I thought I would be honestly
ATSOAS87@reddit
We got an EV just over a year ago.
We live in a flat in London, but it's still working out great for us.
We use public chargers, but my partner occasionally needs to use a fast charger if she's taken the car far
It's working out great for us so far, and I can't imagine going back to an ICE vehicle in the future.
spookysquidd@reddit
Not until charging takes the same amount of time as filling with petrol. I’ve seen some of the Chinese fast chargers that do it, so we know it’s possible.
ImBonRurgundy@reddit
For me, I doubt I will buy another ice car ever again. I have charging at home and there is just not point having an ice car when I can get basically the same size and luxury experience in an ev for the same price, but pay virtually nothing to drive it.
Totally understand why people without driveways or some other form of cheap/free charging are reluctant though
perishingtardis@reddit
As a patrol head, you'll have to prise my internal combustion engine from my cold, dead hands.
DevilsAdvocate1662@reddit
When I can charge it as quick as filling up a petrol car and get 300ish miles out of a charge, with the air con or heating on and the stereo playing
Richmonds-a-Dorkie@reddit
2015
BroodLord1962@reddit
Never. EV's are not the answer to saving the planet. The amount of mining for EV batteries isn't good for the planet, neither is the costly storage and dismantling on used batteries.
No_Breakfast4908@reddit
Maybe a Smart#2, mid 2027. See what the reviews are like, let a few people drive about in them, see what they think about them.
haaiiychii@reddit
When they become more easily repairable. Easy battery changes, motor replacements. I fix my car in my drive, I can't do much with an EV.
One bad software update and you now have a 1 tonne brick. I like my cars dumb, even petrol ones.
oli_ramsay@reddit
Never
Specialist_Emu7274@reddit
If I had my own driveway I maybe would. But right now petrol is so much more convenient for my lifestyle. Plus my car is from 2012 and the newest car I’ve ever owned
Ill-Basil2863@reddit
I have an 06 diesel and a 14 diesel and they are giving me nothing but headaches with the poor emissions systems. Will go back to petrol before EV. I love on a narrow terraced street and will never be able to charge a car.
highrouleur@reddit
I'm still on a 2006 subaru. When this dies I'm probably going for a cheap hybrid. I normally look to buy used under £5000 and big enough to fit a bike in the back without having to take wheels off and with fittings for roof bars so I can carry a kayak. So it's gonna be a while before full EVs are in my consideration.
Got nothing against them. I drive an EV work van which is brilliant, just a matter of affordability for me
Tape_Badger@reddit
Same for me. We've been wanting to make the switch for a while, but as a family with young kids, one of whom needs space for a wheelchair, the range of genuinely large EVs are limited and pricey. We own our current MPV outright and don't want to have to get a car on finance just to upgrade (which generally would also require compromising on space). After some calculations over the Easter break, we still won't be breaking even on an EV, even with diesel prices the way they are at the moment. Once it does work out cheaper, though, we will definitely do it.
YetAnotherInterneter@reddit
The problem with EVs in the purchase price or even the cost of charging. It’s the cost of insurance.
EVs are so expensive to insure! I wish I could get an EV but unfortunately I just can’t justify the cost of insurance. I had to comprise and get a hybrid (self-gen, not plug-in) because it was the only way I could get a reasonable insurance price.
twopeasandapear@reddit
We're currently looking for a new car as the family car is just too small atm.
The only thing putting us off is the charging when travelling, and the mileage tax in 2028. So, for now, we're looking at hybrids.
leah_amelia@reddit
When my PCP deal ends on my Audi, I'm leasing a Renault 5 through work. I test drove an R5 a couple of months ago and loved it. My partner has an EV and I've driven a few at this point, including a Polestar. They're just so nice, quiet and smooth. And with the cost of petrol going through the roof and constantly being at the whim of whatever is happening in a far-flung land, being able to charge at home for a few quid rather than £30-40 for the equivalent range in petrol; it's a no brainer at this point.
Undercover_Elephant_@reddit
As an owner of both I would strongly recommend only doing it if you can charge from home (costs almost nothing) and you don’t frequently travel long distances. Otherwise PHEV is a good option.
Chiccheshirechick@reddit
Never.
Best-Hovercraft-5494@reddit
Yeah when our 2014 petrol conks out. It seems to be going fine. Only thing making me think twice is a lack of a driveway but I am going to ask the Council if they have plans for cable gullies or not. Don't want to pave over more greenspace. If you can pay the council for a dropped kerb it makes sense that they should be thinking about this. One of the biggest obstacles to getting more people on board who don't have a drive.
dinnae-fash@reddit
Took the jump 2.5 years ago and will never go back, but I do have a driveway. For those without, and without a cap on public chargers, for many it will work out too expensive.
ShineAtom@reddit
My present car is 25 this year and still passes its MOT; drives perfectly well. I suppose at some point I willl need to get a new (secondhand) car but I'm putting it off! Also, no driveway to enable me to charge an electric or I might consider one.
marvellcg@reddit
When they install enough on street charging that I'm actually able to park up close to home or the various sites I go to for work and charge it without going out of my way and then spending a couple of hours hanging around for no reason.
EconomyDisastrous409@reddit
Switched a year ago and I'll never go back!
kaetror@reddit
Not the next one, still paying a fortune for childcare, which means the amount I have spare for a car rules out all but the most hard ridden of 2nd hand EVs (like 100+k miles in 4 years).
But once all the kids are out of that age range I'd plan on getting one; my car is only really a town commuter so makes perfect sense to be an EV.
Sm0keytrip0d@reddit
Since I don't have a driveway never at this rate.
Unless they put chargers on every street and/or make them charge quicker then me filling up my petrol car I don't see why I would as it's too impractical.
morebob12@reddit
Bought one in 2021. Love it and would never go back so bought a second one in 2025.
Curious-Term9483@reddit
I'm in the "parking on the street 50 meters from my house" camp. So until the infrastructure changes it's not going to be practical for me to have an EV.
My current petrol vehicle is doing just fine. It's 9 years old now and I hope I have a few years before I get to "cheaper to replace than fix" territory. So I imagine I will get one more 2 year old petrol car and see where we are at in 10 years or so?
reddit_recluse@reddit
Bought a Tesla last month right before fuel prices spiked
Yes I'm smug
project46@reddit
I went from electric to plug in hybrid last month before fuel prices spiked.
HeartyBeast@reddit
Tesla’s a poisoned brand for me at this point.
Free_Ad7415@reddit
I love mine. And I don’t have a home charger, I just charge it when I’m walking the dog or getting coffee or groceries and it’s no issue
Icy_Meringue_5534@reddit
When I need to change my current ICE. I have a drive, so will be able to charge at home, but am put off by the expense of buying one. I've never paid more than 10k for a car. I have little interest in cars other than for their use as transport.
Contact_Patch@reddit
Looked at new EV leases earlier - 350 a month for the 55kw Renault 4. 48m 3m down, maintenance included, 15k/pa.
Still a bit rich considering that's 14k on something I won't own.
Defiant-Avocado1988@reddit
We’ve ordered one to replace the main family car, taking delivery in September.
If the orange moron had started this idiotic war 3 months earlier, then I probably would’ve gone for a Renault 5 rather than the ICE car I actually bought…
Lopsided-Watch2700@reddit
When the government subsidises one enough that i can get a 4x4 pickup truck EV, at zero expense, swap my diesel for it, job done.. Until then. Nah m8.
mpsamuels@reddit
My next car will almost inevitably be an EV but I'm in no rush to replace what I'm driving at the moment.
I don't owe any finance etc on what I've got and maintenance hasn't been costing too much so I'll probably keep running it until it becomes less viable.
SometimesMonkeysDie@reddit
Mortgage is due for renewal in 3 years. Going to see if we can borrow a bit extra and get solar panels. Probably won't need to be ferrying my kids around then either, so won't need a 7 seater, so I'll get an EV then
idonthavebroadband@reddit
In my past four cars I replaced three alternators, two gearboxes, five batteries, two clutches, two fuel pumps and one coolant system. I'm sick to death of petrol and I'd never go back.
robinscotland@reddit
I have two - the other half bought his a month after I bought mine as he fell in love with it. Mine is a 4 year old polestar and his is a new ford Explorer.
Tbh any ev made in the last 5 years doesn't have the battery issues if older evs. You see people with polestar and tesla with moon miles now and they're just fine.
VariousBeat9169@reddit
3 years ago. Best decision re a car I’ve ever made.
_arch_tech@reddit
Never. Just ordered a new D350 Defender. Diesel all the way baby.
elom44@reddit
When this car goes belly up I might see if I can manage without one. My new place has no parking and one of the hourly car rental companies has just started operating where I live. An EV would be nice but I have nowhere to charge one.
Anubis1958@reddit
I need to see next gen batteries: longer range, faster charging. We really have no idea how long these EV batteries are going to last, because changing them is way more expensive than changing an engine.
I really want to trust EVs. But I am not there yet.
Bellebaby97@reddit
When the charging network is wheelchair accesible, currently 97% is not wheelchair accesible
gxb20@reddit
When they make a van better than a transit
RhodiumRock@reddit
As soon as there is a way I can charge one near my apartment building
Adam-West@reddit
I drive a van so im still waiting patiently for one that’s viable. Im about to install solar and I have a driveway so that’s also a pull factor. The vans currently are just terrible though. I might switch to plug in hybrid in a couple of years though.
Exalyte@reddit
Purchased my first ev in 2021 as an experiment, ditched my S5 for a Nissan leaf (I fucking hated it) but within a year it was the primary car, I mean COVID was a thing so mostly short journeys nearly always one person only, eventually got rid of the 4x4 my wife had and we are now a full EV house hold Just had my march (11th) - April (10th) electric bill, £63 we do circa 17000 miles a year and have 6kw of solar using iogo to charge the cars via hypervolt and octopus iogo
If you have a driveway/space to charge and a smart meter it's a no brainer tbh, if you can add solar it becomes even more beneficial.
M3 highland on PCH £299 a month Vs my prior Audi s5 and the wife's kodiaq fuel back pre COVID was £300-400 a month easily now the cars are sub £50 a month even in winter I can't fault the M3 for speed handling or tech either
knittedbeast@reddit
Every car we've had has been at least 20 years old when we got it, and all of them were mid-priced when they were new. So I guess when the mid-priced electric cars hid 20 years old.
_studio_sounds_@reddit
I can’t see it happening any time soon. It would be a huge expense, and with job security feeling shaky, higher taxes, and household disposable income under real pressure, it just doesn’t feel like the moment to take on that kind of cost.
There’s not much incentive for me either. I’m not convinced it makes environmental sense to replace a perfectly usable petrol car yet, the charging setup still doesn’t feel good enough for my needs, and electricity is hardly cheap.
Airurando-jin@reddit
If the cost of diesel keeps going up, that incentive may come sooner
Frohus@reddit
when the range is bigger, more predictable and recharging takes as long as refueling. Only then I'd consider.
fatveg@reddit
Never. I don't live on a road and have to park 100 yards away from my house. There are 2 chargers in town 3 miles away and when I check they are always broken. So that means going on a special trip to the big town 10 miles away and hanging around for who knows how long while it charges.
It's great for people with big houses and drives, but most houses round here are terraced so it's just not practical.
Also I'm in my mid 50s, I may buy one more car before I retire, and it's not looking like I'll have enough pension to run a car.
No_Air8719@reddit
When the wheels fall off my SAAB 9-3 Vector convertible 1.8T and not a day before
72dk72@reddit
When the cars can do a real 700 mile on a charge and whe. Replacing the battery doesn't cost more than a couple of k and whe. They make something that is manual not auto.
International-You-13@reddit
Unsure, currently it doesn't make sense for me to get one, I don't have a drive or anywhere to charge at work, and nowhere between home and work where I can charge quickly and reliably.
DeadlyTeaParty@reddit
I highly doubt it, if it'll ever happen. It'll probably be the last car I'll get. But still doubtful.
I think petrol and diesel cars will still be around even into the next generation.
Scottish_Santa@reddit
Yes, definitely 👍🏻
TheSmallestPlap@reddit
When I can buy one for 2 grand and get 400 miles out of it for less than £40
Legal_Alternative258@reddit
When I am ready to accept that I have no soul left for motoring.
I've had a EV rental and was soulless. I've had a PHEV which was great but expensive, had some benefits of an EV but not many.
EVs just aren't a motoring enthusiasts type of vehicle.
Kris0r@reddit
Try driving a model 3, bloody quick and the comfiest thing I've ever sat on.
AndyTheSane@reddit
About 3 weeks ago..
Minky_Dave_the_Giant@reddit
Two years ago. I love it.
themcsame@reddit
Well, if certain laws come into effect, probably after this one or the one after that.
Ultimately, it depends on what takes my fancy at the time and when that time comes.
I considered it before this one, but honestly, I just didn't consider my future situation safe enough to rely on home charging, partly because the choice of options was ass. I wouldn't want to do it, then find out say 5 years later that I'm in a situation where home charging isn't viable.
I mean, strictly speaking, I have already made the jump with a hybrid. But as far are purely electric vehicles go? It'll be a while yet.
Specland@reddit
I think my household will get an EV run around in the next couple of years but also buy a weekend diesel transporter. Transit for the long haul trips with our camping / paddle board /windsurfing stuff. I'd love to see a 400 mile range van but that's not going to happen anytime soon or in my budget.
Murka-Lurka@reddit
I buy second hand, so when a 5 year old battery is still reliable yet affordable.
anabsentfriend@reddit
I have an EV for my job, I pay a small portion of the lease cost for personal use.
I was a bit skeptical at first not knowing much about them or anyone who had one.
But I've had it for three years now and love it. I'm intending to retire at the end of next year so the car will go, but I'll definitely buy one of my own.
I have a driveway and charge at home.
Gold_Leef101@reddit
When solid state / sodium batteries are into the second hand marketplace properly, and I can do the same range on a charge as my current petrol mild hybrid. Also want to see better charging infrastructure. Several bad experiences of Service Station charge points going down mid charge, and having to queue for a charge amongst a load of angry people at said services.
nothingwittytosayyet@reddit
Made the switch 4 years ago, lease is almost up and I will never go back to an ICE. The drive is smoother, the power is better, I noticed how slow off the mark all ICE cars are at lights and it does my head in. There are options to charge without a driveway, I know because I'm looking to move and wanted to know my options.
I have had absolutely no problems with my EV, it costs me £15 per month in charging, it used to cost me over £100pm in fuel and now I have the added bonus of the whole house benefitting from cheap electric overnight so my household bills also came down. The only servicing I've had to do it replacing punctured tyres, nothing else.
Honestly, I think the anti-EV trope is purely fear of change and the unknown.
justdont7133@reddit
Husband just got his 3rd EV, I'm getting my 2nd in a couple of weeks, so we've had them for a few years now. We're lucky to have easy access to charging at home and at his office so they're really cheap to run, and I love how mine drives. I'd hate to go back to petrol now
Tarvoric@reddit
It’s quite easy to get a EV with 200+ mile range. And now there’s double the amount of chargers than there are petrol pumps
https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/369077/uk-electric-car-chargers-outnumber-petrol-pumps-almost-two-one
So for me. I do 70 miles a day and fortunately to have a drive way. I don’t see any reason not to get an EV when my cheap run about finally dies.
JohnLennonsNotDead@reddit
Frankly, I don’t think that’s any of your business.
Tall-Nectarine-5982@reddit
When I am no longer able to purchase a petrol vehicle and there is no other alternative.
Desmo_UK@reddit
Been driving EV’s since 2017 and won’t ever go back to ICE if I can help it.
MrHolmes23@reddit
When I can afford the Sonal panels/battery to charge it. I know you don't exactly need that but its more of a want.
atsevoN@reddit
Maybe if my current 30 year old car falls apart, it’s a Toyota Celica from a bulletproof Japanese era so it’s got atleast another 30 years left before that happens yet
Amanensia@reddit
Six years ago.
Studiocs@reddit
When my diesel dies. 2016, 135k, £20 tax, physical buttons, very comfortable, practical and reliable, do all my own servicing. No rush to replace it but when i do itll be electric probably. Leasing makes zero sense to me (ICE or EV) until i absolutely have to so this will be run into the ground. Thats when.
Llwynog93@reddit
My car is 2017 and has physical buttons that I can adjust without having to look; I’m sad one day that won’t be the case
IanM50@reddit
My 2023 EV has over 100 buttons and a touch screen. Not every new car is button free.
It also has a head up display so I never need to look down.
MillyMcMophead@reddit
I love my HUD, it's just so bloody brilliant.
mh1191@reddit
Mine is 2018 and the last of my brand with buttons on the centre console. And even that isn’t buttons for everything.
But it do most of my control via the buttons on the steering wheel - they can’t take those away from me…
alijam100@reddit
A good few manufacturers are bringing this back, I believe Audi are, Hyundai and Kia look like they are going to as well
Thalamic_Cub@reddit
Just ordered one and no I dont have a charger. Will be relying on public chargers and granny charging.
Will be interesting...
SubjectiveAssertive@reddit
!remindme 12 months
ConsciouslyIncomplet@reddit
Bought one last month - we have solar panels, so current charging is 1/10 of petrol.
grownduskier@reddit
For me, it's when they figure out how I can charge it at home when I don't have a driveway. How do I get that cable across the pavement without incurring any liability issues or making sure kids can't mess with it.
Lenske97@reddit
Probably never. Evs are great if that’s what you’re into but the feeling you get when you drive through a tunnel never gets boring imo.
Ok_Impact9745@reddit
Yes because driving through a tunnel in Nissan Qashqai is very exciting.
The whole "EVs are boring" argument falls flat on its face when you realize that most cars are boring.
Lenske97@reddit
Why would you drive a Nissan qashqai
Ok_Impact9745@reddit
Good question 🤣
Lenske97@reddit
Most cars are boring correct that’s why Evs work for so many people like I said. Most people don’t care what they drive just whatever is cheap and has a fancy display
Jcw28@reddit
Most cars are boring, you're right. That's why it's very important to cling on to the non-boring ones we have left to us from before every new car released was some variant on the same ~~washing machine with 4 wheels and a bodyshell~~ unexciting EV.
tiorzol@reddit
Do you think this person probably doesn't have a boring car perhaps
Cavernwight@reddit
When I can charge quickly and as often as I fill up petrol.
ImpressiveGrocery959@reddit
Probably end of 2027
Remote-Pool7787@reddit
When i can afford it, when i can charge it at home and when it has the range capability for the sort of driving that i do
DarkLordsDaughter@reddit
Unlikely to be any time soon. We park on unadopted road, and our house is situated away from the road so don't have anywhere to ins
AdIll5113@reddit
I switched in 2020 and love my electric car. It's faster and cheaper than ICE.
However, I understand I'm privileged in that 1. I have access to NHS fleet which gave me bonkers good deals, and 2. I can charge at home for a very cheap rate.
I understand if people don't have this why they wouldn't want one.
buffalosoldier111@reddit
I’ve never even drove one, or been in one.
CaptainRAVE2@reddit
The moment my wife bought one and it warmed itself up on the night tariff while I was battling the ice on my ICE. I then also realised how much it would save me on petrol.
Live-Negotiation3743@reddit
I can get one through wok so I reckon in the next year or so
sidneylopsides@reddit
Bought our first in December.
We can charge at home, we don't do long trips, 80 mile round trip once a week is the most we do.
It's cheaper to charge, even without being on an EV tariff yet, it's faster, quieter. The way power is delivered is constant, no smell, no noise, no delays for turbos spinning up or gears changing.
I much prefer to cruise quietly in comfort, but with the ability to accelerate quickly, than to throw a noisy car around winding roads.
I'll happily enjoy a nice sounding engine drive past, but I can't stand it being there all the time.
I-live-in-room-101@reddit
When I have no other choice.
Key_Produce2617@reddit
6 weeks ago. Swapped by Fiesta for a Tesla. Best decision I’ve ever made. Have a charger at home so cheap and easy to charge.
altopowder@reddit
I really really considered one, but I WFH so I rarely use the car, and when I do it’s for quite long journeys. I had a pretty small budget (<10k) so couldn’t get a super long range one or one with fast enough charging. Like I probably fill up once a month or even less frequently than that. I suspect my next one will be an EV though. Hoping by the time I buy there’ll be more choice sub-10k.
I was close to getting an ID.3 but the silly capacitive touch buttons put me off. Sadly the usual <10k choices like the Kona / Ioniq / Kuna / Niro were a little too big for my drive!
Also looked at some of the city-sized ones but the range was a little too low.
RecentTwo544@reddit
By the end of this summer. Leased as I get money for it through work, and the Golf is due for renewal so going electric makes full sense.
MillyMcMophead@reddit
I made the switch last year despite being a petrolhead and I love it! It's the instant torque that I love most and the fact that my 'tank' is always full in the mornings.
If I couldn't charge at home I doubt that I'd have made the change from ICE due to the expense of public charging. As it is I'll never go back to an ICE now, EVs just seem to be a huge step up in terms of the overall driving experience.
Before I drove an EV I couldn't imagine how much fun I'd get out of it. The acceleration makes me grin every time.
Do_not_use_after@reddit
2 years ago, and I'm somewhat embarrassed when I see people with old, expensive and out dated ICE cars. It seems like defending the use of an abacus in the age of calculators on your phone "because I like the noise it makes". The time taken to charge on long journeys reasonably matches the time taken to get an adequate rest, so it's not an issue. Every journey starts with a 'full tank', so everyday commutes don't figure at all, even to the point that we chuckle when passing petrol stations. There is absolutely no way I'd go back to the diesel I had before we got the EV, it would be far too much of a step down in experience.
Snakey9419@reddit
I'm very tempted to now that work has free charging.
Brit_100@reddit
I’m shopping for one right now. I’d fed up of so much of my finances being determined by what despotic rulers in far off lands do. I’d like to insulate myself as much as possible from those shocks.
SubjectiveAssertive@reddit
Probably in the next 18 months, I now work fully remote and my longer trips are getting to an end and I think I can spare a bit of time to get a 80% charge
CDHmajora@reddit
Honestly i wont be getting a new car until my current 2013 Corsa literally collapses and breaks apart. The used market has increased a LOT in the 6 years ive had that little mean machine…
…but when i do, i feel like i will most likely be considering an EV more than a petrol tbh. Once i can get a good one for under 10k and i can charge it easily (i don’t have a driveway), id make the switch. But it’s just out of my finance range right now sadly.
alltorque1982@reddit
I'm on my second EV and when the lease is up I'm going back to an ICE car, or Hybrid (have had a hybrid before too). My last fully petrol car was 2017.
I have a driveway, a home charger, and for local, simple journeys it's amazing.
Longer journeys, trips away etc it's proven to be a nightmare and I just can't bear the stress of it anymore. Have had too many awful situations. So much so I'm hiring a petrol car for our next trip away and the one after that my wife is driving her petrol car.
I fully realise I'm going against the grain and general opinion here.
Tollowarn@reddit
I don't much care what powers my car, it could be unicorn farts for all I care.
The issue of home charging without a driveway has been solved. Cable across the pavement with an antitrip cover.
The tricky one is that it needs to have a wheelchair ramp. I know that this is a very specific requirement but it's the reality of my situation.
We currently have an old fiat doblo van that is both loud and unrefined but it works for now.
LahmiaTheVampire@reddit
As soon as they can drive as far as a petrol car and fill up as quick.
FluffiestF0x@reddit
About 4 months ago apparently. Perfect timing too!
waterwite@reddit
Next week.
the_uk_hotman@reddit
Never. Hydrogen should be the way forward that or some better way of storing electricity safer than using lithium and lasts longer than the current battery needs fewer cells to provide more power and quicker to charge.
Ultimately I won't buy an EV
Captain_English@reddit
If I could charge one at home, I'd have bought one already. Unfortunately, I have no rear access, and on street parking out front, like a lot of the UK.
jimmybiggles@reddit
i only just bought a relatively new petrol car, so hopefully not any time soon.
however, i don't believe we've currently got the infrastructure set up to support everyone moving from petrol to EVs. i currently don't have a drive to park on - so where would i charge mine overnight? same goes for the other thousands (hundreds of thousands?) of people who would be in a similar situation to me. i don't think we have enough chargers, and i recall hearing that we don't have a strong enough power grid to support EV chargers across the country due to the huge draw it would have on the grid.
maybe when everything has been upgraded to support having EVs, then i will. my GFs dad has one and he's always complaining about how he can't charge his car between X-Y times because they block it due to the strain on the grid... stuff that! i wanna charge it when i need to charge it! i don't have that issue with petrol, i can just fill up when i need to fill up...
Money_Philosophy_406@reddit
I've had one for nearly 7 years, had two in the household for the past 2. Do it now, you're already missing out.
Ok_Young1709@reddit
I will try to avoid it as long as possible.
edhitchon1993@reddit
When the projected monthly ownership costs drop lower than the current car (2010 Prius). Currently averaging £150/mo all in though so it might take a while - we just don't do the mileage anymore.
MountainMuffin1980@reddit
When I can easily and reasonable get a charger fitted in my drive
atsevoN@reddit
I don’t want one, expected to be downvoted but oh well
Left-Camp-4536@reddit
When petrol and diesel cars are no longer available to be filled up (i.e. if/when fuel stations no longer exist).
Jcw28@reddit
My kind of person.
Terry_Madey@reddit
I am currently looking for a new to me (used) car and coming from a Lexus is300h. An EV is looking like a possibility - which SUV with a range of 300+ miles could I choose instead of a Lexus NX?
PullUpAPew@reddit
Bought a BMW i3 last year and I love it. I can charge at home, but I realise that's not possible for everyone. It was probably cheaper than a similarly specced ICE car. We still have a Honda CRV for big journeys as a family (more for the space than the range, which pretty much matches how far you'd want to drive without a break anyway).
Perception_4992@reddit
Not while I can buy 5-10k petrol cars that need minimal maintenance and besides we only do ~5k miles a year.
Jcw28@reddit
When I have no other choice or it is so extortionately expensive to own a petrol car that I am practically forced into it.
(Braces for downvotes from the army of EV lovers on Reddit for the simple fact that I have a different preference to them.)
FunGuyUK83@reddit
Never! My wife had an EV mobility car for my son and it was the worst decision she's ever made. Within 6 months the battery had failed and spent another 2 months in the garage waiting for parts. The ball ache of waiting for it to charge and not being able to do long journeys wasn't fun. Not great in freezing weather either, milage reduced and sacrificing battery life for heat isn't ideal. Also when you look into what it takes to manufacture an EV (cobalt mining etc) it's not really ethical to own 1. Unsafe working conditions and child labour!
IanM50@reddit
I've had one for over 4 years now, but i do have a drive and can charge very cheaply.
Public charging is still not good enough in the UK for those without off road parking. The government should force every large supermarket to have multiple and cheap chargers that can charge a car in 45 minutes, for example.
Codders94@reddit
I’ll be driving my 2011 a4 estate until it dies. so all going well, never?
Monkfish786@reddit
When my hybrid conks out , it’s a plug in which can be annoying but £20 road tax is the sweet trade off.
I only drive to work/supermarket and I avoid driving when possible and utilise public transport.
I’m the ideal candidate for one due to consistent short trips so a full charge of a 300 mile EV with a real world range of 250 in the summer with AC usage so it would last me nearly 1 and half to 2 months of a charge in theory.
Of course the best case is to top up on cheap overnight electricity with a home charger.
everyoneelsehasadog@reddit
When I can afford a driveway.
MoffTanner@reddit
Getting solar installed next month so having an ev charger fitted at same time.
Ideally I'd wait till my current car suffers catastrophic failure and then buy an EV as my next car but with diesel pricing where it is thinking of buying a second car EV to take over the commute and relegate the diesel to holidays.
PolarLocalCallingSvc@reddit
I hope to buy one in the next handful of years.
I don't use my car for local journeys - I was, cycle, train, or bus it. So our car really is mainly used for journeys which are like 300mi round trip to bag Munros. The charging network is more sparse up here, especially fast charging which is more expensive anyway, and often the chargers are out of order. Once this sort of infrastructure or vehicle range gets resolved I'll be straight on it :)
Mr06506@reddit
Yeah similar, our diesel lives on the drive 5 days a week then takes us on a long trip somewhere most weekends.
Theres one journey we make several times a year though, which is to see family who live mid terrace in a town 200 miles away with no public chargers.
This one journey feels like the dealbreaker to me atm, as we can currently go there and back with no break, and I can't see how we would charge when there without designing our whole trip around a visit to somewhere with a charger.
PolarLocalCallingSvc@reddit
Yeah I feel like like I get labelled as anti-EV quite often but I'm genuine in saying my average journey is over a hundred miles and if I'm considering a round trip in the Highlands where I live, I need more reliable charging infrastructure or a much bigger battery. Yeah I know I can get some theoretical 450mi cars but up here with the hills and the roads they're looking at idk 300ni, and then you're looking at tens of thousands of pounds and I just can't justify it... Yet.
The time will come, hopefully soon, where I believe it ticks over, but it won't be for a while yet.
grahamthegoldfish@reddit
This year.
Currently my other half has an electric car and I have a diesel. The electric car is a lot cheaper than diesel to run because we are fortunate enough to have a driveway and a charge point and we have an off peak ev electricity tariff. That means we get a couple hundred miles for maybe 3 quid.
They're not without their challenges, though. In particular, public charger availability is good in towns, cities and motorways but not great in holiday locations like Devon, Cornwall, the lake district, snowdonia, etc. These are places we go a few times a year. Also, public charging takes 30-40 minutes and is more expensive than running my diesel.
On balance, though, i think the electric car is better than fossil fuels for me so my next car will he a fairly big electric car. I can mitigate the other problems to an extent and pay way over the odds for the smaller number of long trips we do. If they hadn't been 40-50k for an electric car i wanted when I got the current car then I would have already gone electric.
craigybacha@reddit
10+ years time
PatserGrey@reddit
Maybe my retirement car so no sooner than about 20 years
HeartyBeast@reddit
When I can charge cross-kerb
n0d3N1AL@reddit
Already done in 2025, huge upgrade going from a manual M240i stage 1 to an i4 M50 and best of all with my solar panels and home battery (installed last year) I'm a net exporter (carbon negative)! The used market for EVs is so good, I had been eyeing up the i4 M50 since they came out but they were unaffordable dream car territory but thanks to so many EVs being bought on a 3 year lease the used market is flooded with options. You can't get more performance and comfort foe the money, not even taking into account how cheap it is to run and service and even to insure.
acryliq@reddit
As of last December. Salary sacrifice and a good deal on a nice car eventually made it make sense.
Moist_gooch90@reddit
I think I may go for one once I buy a house, then I'd be able to have a home charger installed. So hopefully over the next 12 months.
EnormousMycoprotein@reddit
As soon as I can get something other than a Leaf for shitbox money.
PuzzleheadedLow4687@reddit
When my current car needs replacing. Probably within the next 3-5 years.
CraigTheBrewer12@reddit
Not for some time. Public charging is a mess at the moment, I had an EV as a courtesy car and it needed charging before I had enough battery to return it. One batch of public chargers were all out of order, the ones at the supermarket were all taken, the petrol station ones were all broken. I eventually found a working one at a dedicated EV charging centre, it cost me almost as much as a full tank in my current car and I had to sit around for over an hour. I know fast charging is a thing but for some reason this wasn’t fast.
I own my home and could install a charger on my driveway, but I do long drives for days out etc and I don’t want the worry of will this charger work when I arrive, or will the services have a charger, if they do will it be a fast charger etc. Easier just to stick a tank of petrol in and be on my way.
LayingInBracken@reddit
Bought one yesterday.
Sweaty-Possession-19@reddit
I bought a 73 model Y awd LR last month
funnystuff79@reddit
Would love an EV, just started commuting to work. But with no charger at my rented flat and no charges at work for at least 6 months it's going to have to wait
Mdl8922@reddit
When I can afford a 7 seater that I like more than the petrol options, & my housing association allows me to get a charger fitted.
sly870@reddit
We are in the process of investigating making the switch. We have a 24 plate Kodiaq and looking at a slightly older EV. Either a Skoda Enyaq or Cupra Born at the moment.
Other option is salary sacrifice a new EV through work and get back into the 20% tax bracket but meh.
Commercial_Treat4591@reddit
eth0izzle@reddit
I vowed never to buy an EV because I’m a massive petrol head—I’ve had a GTR, F-Type SVR etc. But now I’m looking to buy a 3-4 year old I-PACE because they’re ridiculously cheap for the car you get.
gingerbread85@reddit
A prerequisite for me is having a driveway. Public charging is too expensive. Probably the same as a tank of petrol.
My current car is going fine though and my mileage is low. It's a 2016 diesel I had new. This is the first year I've paid any tax. When it is no longer viable to run I'll see what's out there. Range is getting better on EVs and hopefully we'll get a better idea as to battery life on newer EVs
Ok-Performance4828@reddit
I have now had a Zoe, ID3 Pro S, Fiat 500e and new model ID3 GTX. Currently have the last 2 of those. Fortunately my last 2 houses have both had driveways.
BigDumbGreenMong@reddit
Bought a used VW ID3 for £15k a year ago as our local runaround - we can charge at home so it costs very little to run.
Obviously there was the upfront cost of getting the charger installed (£1k through Octopus) and bag of a beermat calculations are that we'll save that much in fuel costs within a couple of years.
The main thing is the convenience - never have to go to a petrol station. Range anxiety isn't an issue because it's only for local journeys. For city driving it's great, quiet, smooth, very quick off the line.
Slickbock@reddit
When they release one that fits 3 car seats in the back
Spock_42@reddit
I've just switched to an EV. I have a drive + home charger, and only do a handful of long drives (200+ miles) a year. Adding in some stops to those doesn't really bother me, I'm usually stopping for a coffee or lunch anyway at that distance. Anything shorter is comfortably in range.
A lot needs to happen to make them more practical for those without home charging options and higher mileage needs though. Relying on public charging is risky and costly depending on where you live.
I'm glad I made the change, and for others in my situation I think it's increasingly a no brainer. Lifetime running costs won't really be that far off a modern ICE (unless it's something bare bones and low maintenance).
space_coyote_86@reddit
When I can get through my usual hours and hours of agonising over which car to get and pick one. Tossing between Polestar 2 and VW iD.5 and Enyaq.
West_Guarantee284@reddit
I only bought my current car last year and don't feel the need to upgrade regularly. I will drive this until it costs too much to repair. Then I might consider an EV if I can charge reliably and cheaply without a drive.
spellboundsilk92@reddit
I was lucky enough to be given a family members old car when they couldn’t drive anymore so I’ll only get a new car when that falls to bits. Not having a monthly car payment is nice.
InviteAromatic6124@reddit
I bought my first one in November
Active-Strawberry-37@reddit
Buy? Not anytime soon.
Lease through a business? As soon as I was in a position to.
lankyman-2000@reddit
When I consistently work close by and don’t get moved miles away with a weeks notice
Evening-Tomatillo-47@reddit
I'd like to. Only issue is I do 200-400 miles per day so I'd like the benefits of cheap charging to not be wiped out by regular expensive charging. If I could get a van that would do 300 miles I could work that
kilgore_trout1@reddit
3 years ago - and I’d never go back to an ICE now
mrthreebears@reddit
when i have no other choice, i live rurally
the range is less than 1/3 of my current ride, and there are still far to few charging points for me to even entertain the idea of one now
Tall_Working_2942@reddit
Just got one last week. Up to now, loving it.
Southern-Orchid-1786@reddit
I'll probably get at least an S6 or RS6 after current car, so probably another 10 years.
alexwhit80@reddit
Already have. Had one for 3.5 years.
Behold_SV@reddit
I already. From 7.5p/kW dropped to 5.5. Less than a pint full battery.
dobber72@reddit
In my next life.
GuzziHero@reddit
I have my car for life (MINI R59) so unless something happens to that and I'm unable to get another... never.
Pigmy_Shrew@reddit
In about three months!
LemonheadBIG@reddit
Probably when the deals are over and tax per mile is 20p
Visible_Pipe4716@reddit
Hopefully towards the end of summer, We have a normal ICE car which the lease is up on in September and a plug in hybrid. The PIH is so much cheaper to run and I don’t like how the actions of a fat orange man baby across the pond can end up in me having to spend more on petrol.
ukguy907@reddit
Never
Fine_Cress_649@reddit
I bought an EV 3 weeks ago and in that time 2 of the remaining 6 public chargers in my town have stopped working, making a total of 12 that are not working and 4 that are. Which is... Annoying.
InfaSyn@reddit
2017 diesel here and tbh I think ill go for one more. Im only just about coming to terms with the fact my next car wont be manual.
SoupyAT@reddit
My lease expires in 3 years, then I will. But public charging costs are ridiculous
Hampshire-UK@reddit
2028
Anguskerfluffle@reddit
when i move house and can install a charger
Antique-Amoeba1218@reddit
When I can buy something with more than 150 miles of range for under 3k
Absolutely nothing against evs but im not wasting money when I have a fairly luxurious car That cost me 2.5k
web3monk@reddit
Definitely reconsidering. Seems like I can lease an electric for what I'm paying in fuel per car. Same insurance cost. Less tax.
I'm mostly worried about ruggedness, underbody protection (or lack of) and water damage. Live on rough roads, lots of standing water.
TheTwixthSense@reddit
Already got one
comoestasmiyamo@reddit
I won't. I have two and that's enough.
EyeAware3519@reddit
2019
HawkwardGames@reddit
I had a Model S for 3 years and had no issues with it at all, so I know an EV can work perfectly well. For me it’s more about whether the price and overall value make sense when it’s time to change cars.
DameKumquat@reddit
Thought about it over the last 2 years, bought a newer diesel. So when this wears out, I guess.
If you want a wee hatchback there's now plenty of EVs, but if you need a 7-seater or minivan, the second-hand market isn't there yet.
Purp1eMagpie@reddit
About 3.5 years ago
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