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Original poster

Every other car is a Tesla and/brand new!

193 replies

LudoBear · 03/04/2021 13:57

I've noticed what seems to be every other car I've seen has either been a Tesla, a 20/70/21 reg car or both. Seems to be since covid more People have had new cars! Anybody else noticed this? I don't live in an affluent area

OP posts:
BarbaraofSeville · 04/04/2021 19:41

@UntamedWisteria

if you charge them out on the road, it actually costs more per mile for 'fuel' than petrol does, plus it takes ages to charge up. When I'm already working a 12-14 hour day, I don't have another 2-3 hours to wait around at service stations

This is not true. It takes about 40 minutes on a rapid charger to go from empty battery to about 90% - about as long as it takes to have a loo break, buy a snack & a coffee & check your emails. And it is cheaper per mile than petrol/diesel.

I don't spend anywhere near 40 minutes at service stations, I don't have time for snacks and emails. It's often simply run in and out for a toilet stop.

Plus what happens if you have to wait for a charger? There's not that many of them yet, so obviously they're going to have to build a lot more.

lovelyupnorth · 04/04/2021 19:43

Full electric company cars get 0% BIK Tax last year and 1% this year. Simples.

Much more appealing for any company car driver to go fully electric.

Megan2018 · 04/04/2021 19:49

I’ve had EVs leased for the best part of a decade, £250-£350pcm, £20 per month max to charge, 15k miles a year driven. No tax, cheap insurance. No more windscreen scraping!
I probably charge in public about 6 times a year.

Our current cars do at least 250 miles per charge. How often is anyone driving that far in one go?!

Leasing is a really economical option, there’s no advantage to owning a depreciating asset.

UntamedWisteria · 04/04/2021 19:53

Yes, it takes longer to 'fill up' an EV when you are on a long journey.

But the time I've saved by simply plugging in at home - which is what I do the vast majority of the time - compared to the 10 minutes it used to take to fill up with petrol has been repaid multiple times.

You're all going to need to change your mindset and get used to it folks because this is the way it's going.

UntamedWisteria · 04/04/2021 19:56

And the cost per mile isn't 'artificially low'. It is the cost of electricity versus petrol, because an EV is much, much more efficient at converting the energy than a petrol or diesel car is.

And you don't need to be 100% full most of the time - you need enough charge to get to your final destination (or home) - you learn to plan journeys differently.

UntamedWisteria · 04/04/2021 19:59

Since I bought my EV in 2015 the number of public chargers has increased by a multiple of 5. We still need more, but more are coming every day.

Government data here: assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/907742/electric-vehicle-charging-device-statistics-july-2020.pdf

ConsuelaHammock · 04/04/2021 20:00

I imagine lots of people have made use of the £50k government loan?

UntamedWisteria · 04/04/2021 20:01

I don't have time for snacks and emails. I always stop for at least half an hour on a work-related journey of 3+ hours. For safety if nothing else.

sirfredfredgeorge · 04/04/2021 20:09

And the cost per mile isn't 'artificially low'. It is the cost of electricity versus petrol, because an EV is much, much more efficient at converting the energy than a petrol or diesel car is.

It certainly is, petrol and diesel are taxed to support the cost of providing the infrastructure, something that at the moment subsidises the travel by EV's.

UntamedWisteria · 04/04/2021 20:15

Fair point re tax, sir Fred. Electricity is taxed at 5% I think. Petrol is obviously more.

H1978 · 04/04/2021 20:18

That’s definitely one of the downfalls of electric cars. It can take up to half an hour to charge. For us it’s better to use the tesla chargers as they are faster and free but there are not many in the uk compared to Europe.

Etulosba · 04/04/2021 20:33

And the cost per mile isn't 'artificially low'. It is the cost of electricity versus petrol, because an EV is much, much more efficient at converting the energy than a petrol or diesel car is

It has little to do with the efficiency of energy conversion it is the difference in tax/duty. Electricity is currently taxed at 5%. Petrol/diesel is taxed at 58p per litre and then 20% VAT on top of that. Around £3.64 a gallon. Every time somebody switches from a combustion engined car to an EV, the government loses that revenue for every gallon not purchased from then on. It isn't sustainable.

Megan2018 · 04/04/2021 20:34

@Etulosba

And the cost per mile isn't 'artificially low'. It is the cost of electricity versus petrol, because an EV is much, much more efficient at converting the energy than a petrol or diesel car is

It has little to do with the efficiency of energy conversion it is the difference in tax/duty. Electricity is currently taxed at 5%. Petrol/diesel is taxed at 58p per litre and then 20% VAT on top of that. Around £3.64 a gallon. Every time somebody switches from a combustion engined car to an EV, the government loses that revenue for every gallon not purchased from then on. It isn't sustainable.

Petrol and Diesel is not sustainable Hmm that’s the point......
PattyPan · 04/04/2021 20:39

Not around here but I live in a fairly crap area I suppose, especially by MN standards. No one here has a drive so nowhere to plug in electric cars like Teslas unless you apply to the council to convert a lamppost and I think I’ve only seen one of those.

Etulosba · 04/04/2021 22:45

Petrol and Diesel is not sustainable hmm that’s the point......

I think you are missing the point.....

SavannahLands · 04/04/2021 23:04

Not seen many Tesla’s around here, but quite a few 70 plates, but a lot will be company cars which are part of a large local Manufacturing company’s fleet. We have a local 21 plate Ford Kuga, but the person who keeps that is severely Disabled, and the Cars they have are provided by the Motorbility lease scheme.

Most of the New fleet are Audi or BMW models. They appear to change their fleet cars as soon as they reach 3 years old. The more junior staff tend to get the previous years Management’s casts off, so quite a few 19 plate Audi A3 still in their fleet compound at the moment.

MackenCheese · 05/04/2021 00:03

Yes, I agree op. Last week I drove my DD to school 3 miles away and saw 10 teslas in that time (we were counting them for fun!)

UntamedWisteria · 05/04/2021 08:34

@Etulosba

Petrol and Diesel is not sustainable hmm that’s the point......

I think you are missing the point.....

Why do you think the government is making us switch away from petrol & diesel cars?

The costs of not taking action on climate change are far higher than if we tackle it by reducing carbon emissions - that's been a fact since the Stern report, and many more since then.

Etulosba · 05/04/2021 10:28

Why do you think the government is making us switch away from petrol & diesel cars?

Why are you asking me this question?

I pointed out that the government will need to replace revenue lost on petrol diesel sales when more people switch to electric cars and that, as a result, the cost of running an electric car is likely to rise in future.

They are keeping taxes low at the moment to encourage people to switch.

Do you disagree with me?

BarbaraofSeville · 05/04/2021 10:44

I pointed out that the government will need to replace revenue lost on petrol diesel sales when more people switch to electric cars and that, as a result, the cost of running an electric car is likely to rise in future

Exactly this, just like road fund licence increased for all cars when there was a drop in revenue when many cars were £30 a year or less.

Plus we still need to improve alternatives to cars. 100 Teslas in a line is still a traffic jam after all, even if there isn't a detrimental affect on local air quality.

UntamedWisteria · 05/04/2021 12:02

Etulosba I was referring to the point about sustainability, not taxes, which you chose to ignore.

I don't disagree with the tax point - but the rationale is sensible.

Like lots of green innovations, costs will fall when take-up increases, and that will be true of EVs.

BarbaraofSeville I also agree that we need to reduce car use overall - that means investing more in alternatives like walking, cycling and public transport. And encouraging EV car clubs to be set up.

A proper carbon tax would help.

Etulosba · 05/04/2021 12:44

Etulosba I was referring to the point about sustainability, not taxes, which you chose to ignore.

The point I made about sustainability was to do with taxes. Specifically the current reduced tax on electric vehicles and the energy used to power them

It was nothing to do with sustainability of oil supplies or pumping carbon into the atmosphere.

sustainability

noun
the ability to be maintained at a certain rate or level.

Diadora30 · 05/04/2021 12:49

Most of these cars are on pcp, finance so I don’t understand how they’re a boast, it just shows people are credit worthy.

UntamedWisteria · 05/04/2021 15:26

I'm well aware of the semantic difference between what you meant and what I meant Etulosba.

The point is that we are facing irreversible climate change and we need progressive taxes to support everyone in taking action against it. For the long-term sustainability of the planet.

You know perfectly well what I meant but are deliberately choosing to ignore it and hiding behind pedantry.

Etulosba · 05/04/2021 16:17

You know perfectly well what I meant but are deliberately choosing to ignore it and hiding behind pedantry.

I am not ignoring or hiding behind anything, but I'm rather tired of repeating myself.