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Original poster

Best fully electric family car

110 replies

mobear · 29/12/2021 14:04

Any recommendations? We’re only a family of 3 but would like extra space for camping/ driving holidays and ferrying DS’ friends around when he’s older. We’re currently looking at the Kia e-niro or Audi Q4 and likely to run it into the ground rather than upgrade.

OP posts:
atomicnotsoblonde · 02/01/2022 20:58

I've got a jaguar ipace would recommend

RememberThePenguins · 02/01/2022 20:59

We have a Jaguar ipace. It has a fairly large boot space for an electric vehicle but we ended up buying a 4x4 diesel for our camping trips because the ipace just wasn't big enough.

Love it in all other areas though. Plenty of space for the kids in the back. Real range is around 200 miles.

It's very fast Grin

Riverlee · 02/01/2022 21:03

@user1477249785

I have a Hyundai kona and I don't love it. If I were buying now, I'd buy the new VW which looks awesome
I agree - the VWs look great

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Scottishnewbie2022 · 02/01/2022 21:06

Do you two mean the ID4?

FrenchyQ · 02/01/2022 21:11

We have a VW id3, it looks quite compact but is incredibly roomy

Original poster
mobear · 02/01/2022 21:11

I’ve just checked and our current car does 0-60 in 15 seconds so any of these cars is going to feel a lot peppier! I don’t really understand the advantage of having a high performance car for day to day driving though? If anything I need to be discouraged from whizzing around too fast.

OP posts:
Riverlee · 02/01/2022 21:12

Id3 and id4 both look great

Socksorting · 02/01/2022 21:16

I’m buying a Skoda Enyaq. I should have it in the next 2/3 weeks. I picked the 80X and had a few bells and whistles added. The specs are excellent and I like the look of the car.

The first test drive in an electric car was in the Kia E Niro. Liked the drive but not the tacky, plasticky interior. The same garage sold Ford and I spotted the electric Mustang and was impressed with its looks. I didn’t pursue that as there was one demonstrator between 6 or so garages and it was that garages turn in 3 weeks time.

I’m very pleased with my choice, and really looking forward to taking delivery.

Socksorting · 02/01/2022 21:17

And Skoda is VW engineeRing.

Shade17 · 02/01/2022 21:20

I don’t really understand the advantage of having a high performance car for day to day driving though?

Other than being fun it’s very useful having a quick car. Overtaking becomes a piece of cake, two lanes straight-on at traffic lights - take the empty right hand lane and skip a few cars!

NinnyNewName · 02/01/2022 21:21

That would reduce the range on any electric or ICE car.

We've had a Tesla model 3 performance for 6 months and really can't fault it. We've driven from Hampshire to the Lake District and had no problems at all.

Shade17 · 02/01/2022 21:23

And Skoda is VW engineeRing.

NOT something to proud of! Skoda generally score significantly higher than VW in reliability indices and surveys. They’re the only VAG brand I would actually entertain owning as the only one that has better than average reliability!

Doubleraspberry · 02/01/2022 21:27

Thanks for this thread.

I’m looking for a second hand electric car right now, so useful information.

I was planning to get a home charger and I’m not expecting much advice from the dealers. Any tips on the best way to go about it?

Original poster
mobear · 02/01/2022 21:27

@Shade17 I don’t find I have a problem with that now, maybe helped by the fact I drive a manual - but maybe I’ll realise what I’m missing during the test drives!

OP posts:
takenforgrantednana · 02/01/2022 21:28

@mobear

Any recommendations? We’re only a family of 3 but would like extra space for camping/ driving holidays and ferrying DS’ friends around when he’s older. We’re currently looking at the Kia e-niro or Audi Q4 and likely to run it into the ground rather than upgrade.
i wouldnt have one if they gave them out free! they wont do what we need a vehicle to do, and i couldnt be arsed having to book an overnight stay somewhere just to do what would normally be a 5 hr journey
AnotherDelphinium · 02/01/2022 21:33

I got a Nissan Leaf e+ Tekna in October and I absolutely love it. I charge at home which makes it much easier, and with a 62 battery it’s got a really decent range.

We go EOW to collect his girls which is a 300 mile round trip and with a rapid charge enroute it’s absolutely fine. It’s got isofix and you can get two child seats and a average adult in the middle.

The tekna is the top of the range, so has front and rear cameras (and birds eye view which makes parking much easier!) but the seat adjustments are all manual so have no memory function.

Worth a test drive if you’re thinking about it, and I think if you push Nissan do a four-day test drive which gives you a chance to really see how it works with your lifestyle!

Delphigirl · 02/01/2022 21:33

I’ve just ordered a bmw ix3

HappyThursdays · 02/01/2022 21:37

We've got a Skoda Enyaq - the 80 battery. Had it a few weeks now.

It's fabulous - we are really happy with it. A breeze to drive, massive boot. We are carting around the kids and the dog all the time and it's coping really well.

If I had any complaints it would be the app which is a bit buggy but from reading the EV forums, most of the apps are not perfect as yet!

Abraxan · 02/01/2022 21:43

i wouldnt have one if they gave them out free! they wont do what we need a vehicle to do, and i couldnt be arsed having to book an overnight stay somewhere just to do what would normally be a 5 hr journey

Why would you need an overnight stay?

There are many rapid chargers up and down the country. Car can be fully charged again following a stop at a service station for a toilet and a coffee/snack break.

We drove ours back from Devon to South Yorkshire in a day with one lunch stop this summer.

We have two electric cars. I'm on my second (we tend to lease cars and swap them every 3 years, did this before electric too) and dh has had his for a few months now. Would never go back to petrol or diesel now.

Babdoc · 02/01/2022 21:48

I live on the edge of the Scottish highlands, and I'm not convinced an electric car would have a viable range while running heating, lights and wipers in sub zero conditions on steep hills. Not to mention the difficulty of finding charging points in the mountains. Then there is the environmental concern about the mining of the metals required for the batteries, and the extra wear on roads from the increased weight of the vehicle.
Finally, if the whole country switches to electric vehicles, how on earth do we build enough power plants to generate the electricity required for charging?

lissie123 · 02/01/2022 21:52

Well I have got the new Ioniq 5. I love it apart from not starting five or six times in the last two months we’ve had it. I’ve been stuck in some places that I would preferred not to have been ( work sites). Hyundai are now investigating but it’s been a slow process and DH has sent a few furious emails.

SwimmingOnEggshells · 02/01/2022 21:52

Ioniq 5 all the way. Wins so many awards.

Shade17 · 02/01/2022 21:54

i wouldnt have one if they gave them out free! they wont do what we need a vehicle to do, and i couldnt be arsed having to book an overnight stay somewhere just to do what would normally be a 5 hr journey

You’re taking out of your arse there! A 5hr journey is what, 300 miles? I can do a 280 mile journey in a Polestar with two charging stops totalling 23 mins, hardly an inconvenience, I’ll break for longer than that anyway!

takenforgrantednana · 02/01/2022 21:54

@Abraxan

i wouldnt have one if they gave them out free! they wont do what we need a vehicle to do, and i couldnt be arsed having to book an overnight stay somewhere just to do what would normally be a 5 hr journey

Why would you need an overnight stay?

There are many rapid chargers up and down the country. Car can be fully charged again following a stop at a service station for a toilet and a coffee/snack break.

We drove ours back from Devon to South Yorkshire in a day with one lunch stop this summer.

We have two electric cars. I'm on my second (we tend to lease cars and swap them every 3 years, did this before electric too) and dh has had his for a few months now. Would never go back to petrol or diesel now.

@Abraxan you couldnt do that if you where towing a 1800kg caravan tho add to that we have further to travel to get to devon than you did

and using rapid chargers makes you batteries die quicker if thats how you charge them all the time

Abraxan · 02/01/2022 22:00

Few people charge using rapid chargers all the time. Most people use them on occasion whilst having their own chargers at home.

Granted towing makes more of an issue. It's not something we need to do.

I didn't read that you needed to tow, so was commenting in the 5 hour journey needing an overnight stay aspect alone. We have done a small number of 5 hour + journeys in dh's EV with no need to stay over anywhere, albeit not towing. We have done many many more 3 hour plus journeys with no issues at all, with nothing more than a quick toilet break (we usually plug in at the time to give the battery a top up at that time.)

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