6 months with an EV

[pvr]

Have had the ID.3 now for 6 months, this is the extended range version with 280 miles on 80%.

The car has been great overall, but there are some downsides as well. The good points:

- High level of tech, adaptive cruise, heads up display, Apple Car play, adaptive LED lights which actually work, performance
- Petrol independence for when the next strike comes
- Charging at home is fairly cost effective


The bad points:

- Most functions are through a touch screen. Not as bad as Testla where everything is through the screen including wipers, this has all the conventional controls through the normal buttons and stalks. However, radio on / off and all air control is on the display, hate that. Want buttons really
- Cold range. I have lost the full range at the moment, gone from 280 to 220 when 80% charged. And that 220 miles range is fake, took the car to London on the weekend, and I did not have a lot left after a 90 miles trip, so the 220 was really about 135-140.
- Seat heating kills the range; With the seat heating on, for every mile driven, the range dropped by 5 miles. Switched them off in the end as it became silly.

Charging costs when not at home. The cost of charging at a hotel made the trip more expensive than if I had taken the M. Won't take the EV again on a road trip.

Summay: Lovely car for local trips as long as you can charge at home and don't depend on a (fake) range. Range anxiety is absolutely a thing with these, no matter how long the supposed range is as it is not accurate. No way I could live with this as my sole car.

[Pondrew]

Well that has confirmed that I will not entertain an EV, ever.

The range anxiety would put me off going anywhere TBH.
If yours is an extended range model and you get 130 miles on a cold day, what would a standard range get...80?

The touch screen for everything is common on many cars, though, ICE included. Dangerous IMO.

[Nictrix]

Nothing you have written is a surprise as this seems to be the feedback from most people.
Its sad is that people are being lied to when buying these cars.

[TitanTim]

You lasted 6 months

The no.1 negative for me would be boredom and falling asleep at the wheel

Tim.

[Ole gits rule]

We have had an EV, DS3 Crossback - has decent spec HUD, decent leather and adaptive cruise and adaptive LEDs.

210miles claimed will do 150 to 160 locally at a cost of about £2.50 so great for local work, prob 120 in the winter, not going to use it on a trip as thats why we have the M4.

EVs are ok round town but for me just buy used rather than new and get a wall charger and switch to low cost tariff (get cheap electric after 11.30 for 6 hours) and it can make sense but for long trips, just forget it IMHO

[Mr Tidy]

That's an interesting read pvr.

The range issue is pretty much what I expected to see and is why I don't want one! (Well not yet anyway).

[Zedebee]

Here is another perspective, a little closer to the heart of this forum, being a BMW i4. I have had this as a company car from new since April. It is the eDrive40 (middle of the range) model.

In most respects it is identical to a 4-series gran coupe, comfortably appointed with everything controlled from the touch screen, I-drive controller, or the MFSW controls. All quite normal.

To begin with I did not like it. It feels very large externally, compared to any other car I have driven, with a poor turning circle. I found I had to rely very heavily on the parking sensors/cameras. It is very fast indeed, but electric power lacks the visceral drama of planting your foot in a similarly powerful internal combustion engined car.

However, it has grown on me as a very pleasant, quiet and comfortable way of enduring a longish journey where thinking time is required. It warms itself up automatically before I get in (no more defrosting windscreens) and does most of the driving for me. I have discovered podcasts .

The “BMW app” is currently telling me I have an 80% charge and a 170mile range with a temperature of 5 degrees outside, which is wholly realistic. On a motorway journey I would be confident of pushing that to 200, because it has adjusted to me doing short journeys over the weekend.

In real life, I regularly drive up to the Midlands and back (c. 240 miles round trip). I give it a full charge and usually have 20-25% remaining, which I have got used to not worrying about. I have the cabin set to 19 degrees which includes heating the seats on a low setting. Mileage is much more affected by driving style than auxiliary power drains, hence I just set cruise control most of the time so my right foot is not plying the pedal.

Pros:
As a company car, the tax benefit is just too great to ignore. BIK tax is just 2% of the car’s value compared to up to 37% for a petrol equivalent.
It is a very nice car, if you admire the qualities of a 4-series gran coupe
It is very pleasant to drive, as an executive mode of transport
You could probably learn to enjoy the performance if range degradation wasn’t an issue, but objectively this is the same for petrol cars.
You are saving the planet (but see below)

Cons:
No idea how much this car cost, but it’s probably very expensive.
I’d much rather take the Z4 out for a Sunday blast. They are very contrasting cars, which is a good thing.
Charging can take a long time. I don’t have a wall point at home and I estimate it would take at least 48 hours to charge from empty to full on a 13A plug (by default is has a 2kW draw, which is less than a kettle).
You’re not really saving the planet.

So would I recommend? - if you do what I do, then yes, but I’d still keep something in the garage for the weekend. Electric cars like the i4 are not boring, they just need some getting used to. And if you regularly make 400 mile trips, electric cars are not for you . . . yet.

[enuff_zed]

Zedebee, did you know that there is now a performance version of this, tweaked by the same team that did the Clio many years back?

Yes, it's the I-for Williams.

No video yet, but I've seen the trailer.

[pvr]

Just don’t take them at Christmas time when the queues on the motorway for EV charging are many hours long

Looked like a Tesla meet last year in the news. I will be taking the M thank you.

[ronk]

Zedebee, did you know that there is now a performance version of this, tweaked by the same team that did the Clio many years back?

Yes, it's the I-for Williams.

No video yet, but I've seen the trailer.

[Zedebee]

Zedebee, did you know that there is now a performance version of this, tweaked by the same team that did the Clio many years back?

Yes, it's the I-for Williams.

No video yet, but I've seen the trailer.

Ho, ho, ho. Always wary about posting at this time in the evening,

[enuff_zed]

Zedebee, did you know that there is now a performance version of this, tweaked by the same team that did the Clio many years back?

Yes, it's the I-for Williams.

No video yet, but I've seen the trailer.

Ho, ho, ho. Always wary about posting at this time in the evening,

Merlot-induced humour.

[Pondrew]

Zedebee, did you know that there is now a performance version of this, tweaked by the same team that did the Clio many years back?

Yes, it's the I-for Williams.

No video yet, but I've seen the trailer.

That is VERY good!

[enuff_zed]

Zedebee, did you know that there is now a performance version of this, tweaked by the same team that did the Clio many years back?

Yes, it's the I-for Williams.

No video yet, but I've seen the trailer.

That is VERY good!

High praise from you Mr P. I thank you.

[buzyg]

As some one who can livev without gadgits, your not selling to me.