Electric Cars 2030 What Will Yours sound Like?

[stevewalker]

This is the oft cited reason for not getting an electric car, but how many people really do lots of spontaneous 300 mile journeys in winter? I've done 300 mile journeys twice in the last 15 years. Neither were spontaneous. It feels like people just want an excuse.

That said, I did look at hybrids when I bought a new car, but honestly I wanted something a bit quicker than most of the standard models, not that I'll ever use the performance!

We have had two occasions of arriving home from work and finding a message that a relative has died and the funeral is the following morning - on the West coast of Ireland. Too late to get a flight that night and the earliest flight in the morning too late to pick up a hire car and cross Ireland. So had to drop the kids off at my parents', drive Manchester to Holyhead, Dublin to Sligo (with 15 minutes to spare), from church to graveyard, graveyard to hotel for family meal, hotel to Belfast and Cairnryan to Manchester and back to pick up the kids.

Over the years, I have had non-spontaneous trips from Manchester, via Nottingham and dover to Stuttgart, with no stops other than ferry, toilets, fuel and driver swaps - and the next day Stuttgart to Salzberg. Numerous trips from Manchester to one or other port and then well into Brittany. Manchester to the South of France, non-stop. Typically twice a year arriving home from work, hooking up the trailer and setting off from Manchester to Cairnryan (230 miles - once a year mid-winter, with 5 people and towing a trailer) , then across to the West coast of Ireland. Even those planned trips won't comfortably fit into ensuring a full charge after work, before setting off, needing another charge at the port, without losing time, then continuing the journey, in the countryside, with nowhere to charge if running low, then arriving without losing more time for a charge.

[njee20]

So you're the exception. That is not the normal use case.

[Karhedron]

I have been driving for over 25 years and I have never kept a car for less than 8 years. If someone can afford to buy a new car every 3 years then they can absorb the current price difference between ICE and EV by stretching that a year or so. My current family car is 15 years old and my little runabout that I use for commuting is 12 years old.

So you aren't the average car owner then so you will probably be able to justify it but all your arguments are based on assumptions, incorrect info and a propensity to never change your car.

I disagree strongly here. Among my entire circle of friends and family, the only person I know who can afford a new car every 3 years is my cousin who works for a major investment bank. No one else could afford a new car every 3 years. The vast majority of people I know buy cars 2nd hand or ex-display and drive them for a long time.

I have a job with an above average salary but a new car would be a big stretch for me financially and getting one every 3 years would be completely out of the question.

[PLD]

What proportion of drivers actually own their car outright these days? The growth of PCH plans probably accounts for the apparent increase in numbers who are changing their car every three years.
How the government manipulate that market through the tax system and how the leasing companies respond, could have a significant effect on the balance of demand, and that will in turn influence availability in the second hand market 3 years down the line when those cars go off lease...

[guest311]

I remember talking to a member when I was on the AA who said he NEVER would buy a new car !

as soon as it is registered it's lost value...
you then have all the faff with the problems that come up with a new car ..

he changed his car every year, but bought a car that was one year old.

so didn't have the initial depreciation,
let someone else deal with all the niggles etc ,
still had warranty,
didn't have to MOT the thing,
and then got a good price when he sold it at two years old.

re leasing, why do that, I could never understand the logic.
you might as well get a rental for a year !

[njee20]

After years of owning our cars outright I'm mildly ashamed to say that both me and mrs njee20 do have our current cars on finance. PCP in our case, so we at least have the option to buy them at the end, as opposed to an outright lease. Hers is a 4 year deal (brand new car), mine is 5 year (car was 6 months old with 1k miles). Hers is now 2 years old and we've started getting 'incentives' to switch to a brand new one again. I'm undecided what to do at the end of the finance period - whether to buy it, as well have a low mileage 4 year old car of known provenance, or whether to switch and start afresh. Ditto mine, actually.

I've switched cars every 3-4 years generally, but have always bought cars 3-5 years old (until this one). Like many people I've bought 'nicer' cars as I could afford them! That said, I can see why people do buy new cars even on a modest income, the payments on mrs njee20s are fairly small, it's 0% APR, and if you don't fancy the balloon payment you can just return the car and swap for a new one, continuing to pay a similar monthly amount each month and always have a car that's less than 4 years old.

[chrism]

I "bought" my last car, a Merc A-class,  on PCP because I wanted to hang onto as much cash as I could in preparation for retiring and relocating.

Once I'd moved to South Cumbria my plan had been to get some form of 4WD as insurance against bad weather but when I looked into it, the most cost effective option was to buy a new Dacia Duster. Since I hadn't decided whether to keep both or to return one, nor decided which one, I "bought" the Duster on PCP too, thereby giving the option to easily return either of them.

Having driven the Duster for a few weeks I decided that it had won the contest and the Merc could go back. When I'd sold my flat I then paid off the contract on the Duster too so I do now own it outright.

[ntpntpntp]

Having had a relative who was in car sales until very recently we would always buy new and take advantage of his available family member discounts, but we certainly don't change cars frequently - we run our cars until they need to be replaced. So the family cars are currently on 61, 62 and 65 plates.

The electric vehicle question is interesting.  I love my 61 Kia Sorrento, it's been great for the long trips and full loads like carting layouts to shows or drumkit and other band gear to gigs, and it's got some grunt when I want it.  I have been wondering what I'd consider in its place when the time comes. I've noticed the recent Kia adverts for hybrid Sorrentos so obviously will make time to have a poke and a test drive of one of those at some point, but I've not come to a conclusion whether plug-in or self-charge would be the better option. Getting on toward double the price of the old one though.  No rush though, as I say I'll most likely run the '61 plate until it dies.  Mind you, I've only done about 50 miles in it in the past year due to lockdowns and now working from home but that is of course far from the norm.

[lil chris]

I usually buy cars that are one year old and still have factory warranty active. I buy them on PCP so I can just give them back. I would have a problem with a plug in car, I live straight on the street in a terrace where would I plug in so it would have to be a hybrid. Anyway thinking about it by the time this becomes law I might have given up driving anyway. Has soon as I become a bit dodo I will give up, I will miss the freedom I have had for years go here I want for example. The other thing is if you buy a petrol car whats it going to be worth when the legistation comes into force, nothing. So I can see the situation where they are going to be difficult to sell much like diesels are becoming now. I am afarid we live with no forward thinking from all the goverments in the world . For example we could have had a fantastic local rail/tram networks in this country, no need for cars, but they ripped them all up, thanks Dr beeching.

[Mr Sprue]

would that be
petrol
diesel
plug in hybrid

Why Petrol of course, have to be able to rely on something that wont be a let down!