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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Electric cars

20 replies

Icimoi · 04/04/2015 10:29

Inspired by the thread about automatic cars, and I thought this perhaps deserved a separate topic. Has anyone got one? What are the pros and cons? I looked into it very seriously two or three years ago but was put off by the humungous price of new batteries.

OP posts:

DisgraceToTheYChromosome · 04/04/2015 10:43

The problem is that they run on the wrong technology. I'm waiting for fuel cells and a national hydrogen network.

Theoretician · 04/04/2015 12:12

I really wanted one a few years ago, when the Nissan Leaf came out, but they would only make sense for someone who drove through the congestion zone every working day, which I no longer do. Even then, a plug-in hybrid may be a better option.

I have a petrol Golf, there is now an e-Golf (full electric) and a Golf GTE (hybrid.) They cost about the same as each other, which is about 10K more than my petrol one. If I knew I was going to get exemption from the congestion charge for long enough to get the extra 10K back, I'd consider the hybrid. Apparently the weight of the batteries has a negative effect on the e-Golf.

I was really looking forwards to the BMW i3 at one point, as it was designed from the ground up to be electric, rather than evolving from a petrol car approach, however I found it rather ugly, when it eventually arrived. If I did buy one, I'd definitely spend a few thousand extra to get the version with range-extender, which is a scooter engine to recharge the battery, hidden under the boot.

Theoretician · 04/04/2015 12:19

was put off by the humungous price of new batteries

I don't know if this is still the case, but with the Nissan Leaf you had the option to lease rather than buy the batteries. This brought the price of the car down to what a normal car would cost. The battery lease cost about the same per month as one tank of petrol, which given that a tank lasted me about a week when commuting (and electricity costs bugger-all compared to petrol) meant I would have been well ahead, had I continued to commute.

(Just checked and they do still offer battery leasing, though it's slightly more expensive than I remember, the car is also a lot cheaper than I remember.)

Dowser · 04/04/2015 12:23

Electric cars....

Scare me.

I was talking to someone in a parked car when the electric car beside me pulled away and I never heard it.
We rely on our hearing so much to keep us safe.

ScarlettDarling · 04/04/2015 12:54

My friend has a Renault Zoe...it's lovely, but I agree with the pp who said they're incredibly quiet. It was a bit freaky to be driving along at 50mph in total silence.

She says it's really cheap to run and lovely to drive. I'll be probably renewing my car in the next year and although I'd never even thought of an electric car before, it's now something I'd consider.

caroldecker · 04/04/2015 13:05

I'd only buy one if I could:

Access a second car or afford to hire one for journeys over 30 miles
could easily charge at both ends
could budget for new battery pack in 5 years

shoofly · 04/04/2015 13:18

I test drove a Nissan Leaf for a week a few months ago and absolutely loved it. I didn't really investigate the costs of it fully because my car doesn't need to be changed for a year or two yet. It was fabulous to drive. AFAIK you get a government grant to put a charging station at home, but we plugged it into the socket in the garage. It charged at the local leisure centre whilst kids were having a swimming lesson and in the city centre while I was having my hair done. It was quiet and felt weirdly calming to drive. The range on it is 90 miles and for the normal day to day short runs and school runs it was perfect. The sales guys said that most people are leasing them because they expect the range to increase in the next few years and for most households they are a second car. If I had the money to change, I'd get one tomorrow. And when my car is replaced I'd definitely go for one, if the numbers added up.

Original poster

Icimoi · 04/04/2015 13:21

So how long does a battery last? I've seen something suggesting that if you're not too fussy about power it can last as long as the life of the car, but I'm not someone who routinely plans to change my car regularly and would want a car to run for a hell of a long time before it reaches write-off point with normal use.

I looked at the Nissan Leaf battery rental scheme which could be attractive, but I've changed jobs recently and am not sure that it would be any cheaper than my current petrol costs - though there would be saving on road tax and probably insurance, I suppose. There is a cheaper battery rental option with Renault Twizys, and am quite tempted (if only to see DH's face) but I'm not sure about safety with those as they're tiny.

OP posts:

BitterChocolate · 04/04/2015 13:28

Wasn't there some talk about adding a fake engine noise to electric cars because of the risk to pedestrians?

I considered buying one a few years ago, hybrid rather than full electric, but it wouldn't have suited me. At the time I needed a 4-wheel drive and there wasn't anything rugged enough to suit me.

DisgraceToTheYChromosome · 04/04/2015 14:45

www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/science-technology/electric-cars-to-come-with-choice-of-six-exhaust-tones-2015031196113

I want a 12 litre two stroke marine diesel. Or maybe a Ducati 900SS with open Contis.

meglet · 04/04/2015 14:52

dowser I think that the designers are trying to sort the lack of noise out. I read an article a few years ago where they were debating whether the currently silent electric cars needed a low artifical noise so pedestrians knew they were coming.

The only near miss I've ever had as an adult was with an electric car. I've been drumming it into the dc's to look, and look again, and again, because you won't hear an electric one.

TheWintersmith · 04/04/2015 14:55

I have a leaf. I did have a Zoe.

They are fab. Probably best as a second car in a 2 car house, ours does 80-100 miles depending on weather and terrain.

Great for commuting and school run stuff ( very very rural area here) less good for rural day trips or goin on driving holidays.

No bother to recharge whilst out and about, On a fast charge point, like at a service station it is 80% charged from flat by the time you have nipped to the loo. Have a cuppa and it is charged to full.

You get used to people not hearing you, and find you just are more prepared to hoot or stop. The Zoe makes a lovely whoosh like a spaceship noise at low speed, though you can turn it off.

There is a discussion on adding mandatory noise for safety, but traffic noise causes so much erosion of quality of life, it would be great if we could eliminate it.

I love ours. The low operating cost is ace, plus there are so smooth and fast no gears at all, (the 0-30 in the Zoe is one of the best acceleration of any vehicle, even sports cars)

TheWintersmith · 04/04/2015 14:59

Forgot to add, we are leasing, so we can change it when the battery technology improves.

Works out much less than finance+tax+petrol

And we got a free home charge point.

I'd urge anyone to go and test drive one,

butterfliesinmytummy · 04/04/2015 15:05

Would love a tesla, they are becoming popular here in the USA, but they are pricey and petrol here is cheap

missymayhemsmum · 04/04/2015 15:11

I'd love one, but haven't worked out a reasonable way of charging it parked on the road. My friend charges his when he visits with an extension cable across the pavement from the front window, but I suspect the neighbours would get hacked off with that on a daily basis. You can only get the free home charge point if you have off street parking.

MrsTerryPratchett · 04/04/2015 16:14

I'm tempted but also in a cheap gas area (Canada) so I don't know. There are charging points everywhere here (Hippie Central) so it would be convenient.

MrsTerryPratchett · 04/04/2015 16:18

I meant to say, our power here comes from hydroelectricity so it would be a genuinely green option.

MadameJosephine · 04/04/2015 16:28

I drive a leaf and I love it. I lease it via a salary sacrifice scheme at work so it only costs me about £250 a month inclusive of insurance, servicing, breakdown cover etc. I have a home charging point but can also charge at work free of charge so my electricity bills have only gone up by about a tenner a month. I very rarely drive long distances so the range of approx 90 miles suits me just fine

MoonriseKingdom · 04/04/2015 16:34

We just got a second hand Renault Zoe (ex display, practically new). We rent the battery which is less than what I would spend on petrol. I love it!

I am probably the ideal electric car user as I need a car for work (have to do home visits) but don't do a big mileage in the course of a day. However, we have driven to my parents house (70+ mile round trip) without charging on the way by driving sensibly.

My DH has another car so we have back up for longer journeys but is now seriously talking about ditching his car as it is very easy to do fast charge on motorways. Also Renault give you a discount on car rental if you rent the battery.

If we ever become rich my DH wants a Tesla

ARoomWithoutAView · 04/04/2015 16:52

I would love a Tesla also. Pretty awesome.

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