Electric/hybrid car advice

[Retrievemysanity]

Been wanting to switch to an electric car for a while but I’ve been put off by stories of people running out of charge, lack of charging points etc. but I need to change my current car this year so might need to bite the bullet. Someone mentioned hybrids to me as a possible halfway house. Trouble is, I’m totally clueless about cars in general and I don’t know where to start. So, anyone able to help?!

There’s me, DH and our two DD’s (11 and 13). I usually use my car for 11 year old’s school run but as of September, she’ll be making her own way to high school so I’ll just be driving relatively short distances for their activities and friends etc. Occasional longer journeys to see friends. Long family journeys will be in DH’s car which is big with lots of storage so my car doesn’t need to have loads of boot space etc, just needs to be reliable. No limit on budget but because it’s just intended as a run around, i don’t want to spend loads if I don’t have to. Fully electric or hybrid best? Any grants available? Eldest is in receipt of DLA but only lower rate mobility so we’ve not had the motability grants. Thanks in advance!

We have got a Mercedes A250E.

We normally get around 40 miles from a full charge

We park up on the driveway overnight and had an electric socket (not a vehicle charging point, just a normal 3-pin) installed on the outside wall. DH just leaves the charging cable outside covered up in easy reach.

I changed electric to Octopus Go as they charge 5p per minute for electric between 0030 and 0430 (normally it's 21p per minute). We don't charge it up every night but it is usually every other night. He nips out of the front door, down a couple of steps, grabs the charger, plugs it in and then goes up to bed. from 0% to 100% charge takes about 6 hours, so if we go to bed at 10pm at least half of it is done on cheap electric time.

I might be wrong but I did work out (using googling) that the car is a 2.3kwh appliance which is 2.3kwh multiplied by electric unit price (21p) = so that is 48p (ish) per hour to charge at full rates. I think with electricity prices being so high now that it isn't actually cheaper than filling up with petrol but it's convenient and I can adjust the electricity DD myself online if need be. We have never used a dedicated electric vehicle charging point.

DH says he much prefers driving it on electric than petrol. I don't drive it so can't confirm.

Furthest he's got on it was a trip from Bradford to Middlesbrough on the motorway (about 80 miles) as you can charge the battery while driving (something to do with braking).

@BlackAndPinkNose yes, true it’s just that my current petrol car was £10k and 2 years old so newer and cheaper than a lot of the secondhand electric cars I’m seeing. My fuel costs are really low anyway because I don’t drive far and I’ve never had to pay anything on it parts wise so it’s only really for environmental reasons that I’d be changing but I’m not sure if financially it’s a good move if that makes sense?!

DH is saying the BMW would hold its value better than models like Kia so that might be a consideration. But it definitely sounds like fully electric rather than hybrid would suit me better if I do go down this route…

I might be wrong but I did work out (using googling) that the car is a 2.3kwh appliance which is 2.3kwh multiplied by electric unit price (21p) = so that is 48p (ish) per hour to charge at full rates. I think with electricity prices being so high now that it isn't actually cheaper than filling up with petrol but it's convenient and I can adjust the electricity DD myself online if need be.

On the electric motor it’s costing around 4.5p/mile. On petrol it’s probably 15p/mile+

If anyone is in Ireland then www.seai.ie/technologies/electric-vehicles/compare-and-calculate/?page=1&order=3&action=&sort=default is a very useful site. You can see pretty much all models available and can select up to three to compare the running costs. So, for example, I compared my current plug-in hybrid with the petrol model of the same car and found that the running costs are on average about half of the petrol one. I think my individual running costs are even less than that because I don't as much petrol as the average user.

The site still useful for UK users but obviously all the prices are set for the Irish market so you'd have to allow for that.

Electric cars do seem to hold their value well - there's a lot of people who want to switch, but the supply isn't there yet in the 2nd hand market.

My FIL sold his Leaf just after the petrol crisis for £2k more than he paid for it about 9 months earlier. (Then he bought a BMW i3.)

FIL isn't rich btw, he's more of a money saving expert, scrimping, saving type. He talks about money constantly, anything we do he will ask "how much was that?" and we hate answering because the price will inevitably considered too high.

Both FIL and MIL have electric cars, love them and say they would never go back. We love ours and wouldn't want to go back either.

I second what PPs say about the Toyota Yaris hybrid, I absolutely love mine and would recommend it wholeheartedly. Light, nippy, great on the motorway, perfect size especially for a second car or without kids.

But is there a trick to improve fuel efficiency? Mine does less than 300 to the tank, nowhere near 500. I currently drive about 120 a week commuting including motorways, and the rest is local. Sorry if this is a daft question!

I had a BMWi3 Range Extender for 6 years. Absolutely loved it and recently sold it for more than it cost me to pay off the finance 3 years ago.

We have switched to a VW id4 because we need the longer range for occasional very long journeys.

We are currently charging it for free at our local supermarket but don't expect that will last for ever!

Running costs are much, much lower than for a petrol car - even if your mileage is low this should be factored in.

With your usage OP, fully electric will be fine for you. There is a lot of choice now and you should be able to get a good 2nd hand model. Be prepared to pay a bit more than for a similar age & spec petrol car, but remember running costs are lower, there is less to go wrong, and it's likely to hold its value better.

And as for the automatic element, this is my first automatic car. I hesitated for years but will never go back to manual, I love it.

All EVs are automatic.

@BocolateChiscuits @aweebitlost @Lavendersquare how do you find the back doors on the i3? DH went to look at one today and he says he liked it but has reservations with the way you can’t open the back door without opening the front, and the way they open as our eldest can be quite awkward/unsteady on her feet. He thinks she’ll find it difficult to manoeuvre in and out especially if we’re parked in a space with another car next to us. Youngest DD was with him and had no problems, he himself found it trickier than in standard cars but he’s over 6 foot and thinks that’s why…

We have a 2018 Nissan leaf that has a range of about 140 miles if driven economically (60mph and under), which can mean forfeiting heating, other than heated seats, for longer journeys in very cold weather.

We live in rural North West Wales, have a home charger and have it as our only car. Neither me nor DH have ever run out of charge. We had one tense journey home from Bristol on the day before Xmas Eve when, despite checking charger availability, every time we got to a charger someone else had just plugged in, but that is the only time we've had any issues (admittedly we haven't exactly travelled much in the last 2 years).

@plominoagain

I’m on my second Yaris hybrid , and do a 100 mile each way commute 4 days a week every week . I love it . Does nearly 500 miles to a tank which is about £36 at the moment , nippy , very manoeuvrable , yet enough boot space to move DS between uni and home.

I looked at the Yaris but I was put off as I could only have an automatic. It's a really nice looking car and I would have gone for it if I could have had a manual.

@Retrievemysanity the doors are a bit of faff, although much better than on a 2 door car. We are used to them now and manage fine with them. There really aren't actually that many occasions when we go in the car and don't all get out, so it's not a big problem. The double door has actually been very handy since DHs dad had a leg operation and ours was the only car he could get in and out of without assistance.

@Lavendersquare thanks for that. I said to DH that actually, when all 4 of us go out, it tends to be longer day trips and we’d go in his car anyway. DD1 gets school transport so actually the only time she’s in my car is when I take her to her activities and she’s in the front anyway and possibly in school holidays when I take both DD’s out and DH is working so DD1 can go in the front then and DD2 in back. The doors were his only gripe. Well, and the cost!

Why don't you ask the dealership if you can have an extended test drive of the i3, I know some who have done this and have the car for 2-3 days. Or maybe hire one for a day or two, that way you can try it in the real world to see if the doors cause any problems for you.

@PinkSparklyPussyCat most electric cars and many hybrid cars are automatic because they don't have gears or gearbox's - explainer here www.carbuyer.co.uk/tips-and-advice/169767/do-electric-cars-have-gearboxes

I thought I'd hate it but after a hybrid golf GTE and now a fully electric Jaguar Ipace
I don't really miss it and find the automatic electric a different but equally good (better) driving experience.

We have a diesel for longer trips... Its barely left the driveway in the last 2 years. We've just changed a leaf which had a range of about 80/ 90 miles to a new leaf with about 160 miles. The dealership were offering free home charger installation with the purchase but we'd had one installed with the grant when we bought the first leaf in 2019.
From what you've said I think full electric would suit you fine.
I can't remember when I last used a public charger tbh.

@ScarletPower our ipace costs less than £10 for a full charge (292mile range) and in summer we can charge it from the solar panels. Our other similar sized car can do about twice the mileage just under 600mile range but a full tank costs over £60 atm.
We've got the octopus agile tariff and app so it charges over night at the cheap rate.

We have the MG ZS EV and absolutely love it. It was no more expensive to buy than other brand petrol SUVs yet it costs us about £3 for a full charge (170 miles range) on the Octopus overnight tariff another poster mentioned.

@wonkylegs thanks for that. I absolutely hate driving automatics and would never have one through choice. I ended up ordering another MX5 as I could have a proper engine, not a turbo or hybrid, and gears!

There's no point me me going full electric until the government force my hand anyway as I don't have off road parking and often have to park away from my house.

I have a mini electric and a home charging wallbox. It charges from empty in about 4hrs and will ‘fill up’ in 30 mins on a rapid 50kW public charger (50kW is the max it will draw). Range-wise it does about 100 miles in winter and 130 in summer (same with petrol/diesel cars, you’ll get less mpg for your money). It’s a great little car and we use it as our main car 95% of the time. We have kept a larger petrol car for longer journeys and bigger loads/more passengers but we’ve not used it as much as we thought we might.

Honestly, have a think about your daily mileage and you’ll probably find that there is a fully electric (EV) option for you. I’d definitely recommend a wallbox (home charger) though, it’s the cheapest way to charge, unless you have access to regular free charging.

Oh and the driving experience of the mini is brilliant. Handling is fab (50:50 weight distribution and low centre of gravity) and fast acceleration (like all EVs). It still looks like a normal car (which appealed to me as I’m not into the futuristic ‘EV look’). The only downside is that it is a 3dr hatch so no good if you regularly need rear seats and the boot is tiny (though ginormous if you drop the back seats, which fold flat). Also feels really solidly built and nice cabin to be in, not ‘plasticky’ or scratchy trim.

[quote Retrievemysanity]**@BocolateChiscuits* @aweebitlost* @Lavendersquare how do you find the back doors on the i3? DH went to look at one today and he says he liked it but has reservations with the way you can’t open the back door without opening the front, and the way they open as our eldest can be quite awkward/unsteady on her feet. He thinks she’ll find it difficult to manoeuvre in and out especially if we’re parked in a space with another car next to us. Youngest DD was with him and had no problems, he himself found it trickier than in standard cars but he’s over 6 foot and thinks that’s why…[/quote]
Good question about the doors. My DC are 3 and 5, so the back door not being able to open without the front door opening first is actually a plus for us, but I can see that being annoying with older children.

The advantage with the ways the doors open is there isn't that pillar in-between the back and front doors, so there's a nice wide opening to get out and you're not squeezing through. So it might work better for your eldest, or it might not. Probably best to check, because it is an unusual configuration.

When we get out of the car, my 5 year old usually opens the back door himself, and because the car isn't very high he can can get out without assistance. The 3 year old stands on the floor by the door, then she "jumps" down while I hold her.

@Retrievemysanity Our DC and their friends love the doors, they think they're brilliant! Only the 5 and 7 yo go in that car as the 3yo has a tank of a car seat which is a nightmare to transfer.