Electric, Hybrid and Alternative fuelled vehicles - News and Discussion

[boxbrownie]

2 hours ago, admiles said:

 

My car salesbod brother tells me there's very little demand for light interiors in cars these days. In fact they even value used cars traded-in with light interiors less than those with dark as they don't sell as well.

I wouldn’t put too much weight into that, dealers love black interiors......for resale they look clean regardless, same as mentioned above the leasing companies only want black interiors for the same reasons.

 

Just take a look at the most expensive vehicles on the market......and the most popular interior colour is?  Resale value is of little consequence, and besides they have “people” to keep them clean 

[richard i]

2 hours ago, boxbrownie said:

I can see an issue with a rudder being absent there 

There has to be a way to rig it. 
richard 

[boxbrownie]

7 minutes ago, richard i said:

There has to be a way to rig it. 
richard 

With Tesla I would think Elon is working on a software download 

[Fenman]

5 hours ago, admiles said:

That decision will kill off a huge swathe of their UK customer base.

Fiat is in trouble. With the new emissions taxes starting on 1 January, Fiat has much more work to do than almost any other major manufacturer in reducing the average emissions from its car sales. It has done a frankly dodgy-sounding deal with Tesla which, for tax purposes, has zero emissions, where the two companies have pooled their sales. And Fiat will still face massive penalties. So I’m not surprised to see EV-only Fiat models emerging. 
 

Did you notice a couple of weeks ago that Mitsubishi are completely withdrawing from the European market? They can’t produce models with overall emissions low enough to avoid penalties that would be bigger than any profits. I don’t expect them to be the last company to withdraw. The legislation is brutal and designed to fast-track EV sales. 
 

Paul
 

 

[Ron Ron Ron]

Volvo is in the process of removing the last few pure petrol and diesel variants from it entire range.

Most engine options across all of their models are now Plug-in, or mild hybrid, with their first pure EV's, the XC40 Recharge (pure electric version) and the Polestar 2 (separate branding and sales network), now available on general sale.

 

 

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[admiles]

20 hours ago, boxbrownie said:

I wouldn’t put too much weight into that, dealers love black interiors......for resale they look clean regardless, same as mentioned above the leasing companies only want black interiors for the same reasons.

 

Just take a look at the most expensive vehicles on the market......and the most popular interior colour is?  Resale value is of little consequence, and besides they have “people” to keep them clean 

 

Ok. Having been a salesman for best part of 25 years I suspect he knows nothing about what people ask for in both new and used cars.

[boxbrownie]

7 hours ago, admiles said:

 

Ok. Having been a salesman for best part of 25 years I suspect he knows nothing about what people ask for in both new and used cars.

I suspect he knows exactly how to sell what new owners want......

[Ron Ron Ron]

After only 8 months on sale, Skoda have permanently withdrawn their Citigo-e iV electric car from the market.

Only going on sale last December, it replaced the previous combustion engines Citigo models, which were withdrawn from the range late in 2019.

 

No news as to whether VW and SEAT will be stopping production of their own versions of this model (e-Up and e-Mii respectively).

 

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/skoda-axes-citigo-city-car
 

 

 

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Edited September 3, 2020 by Ron Ron Ron

[tetsudofan]

I've been a Mercedes-Benz owner since 2005 (A-Class, B-Class and GLA) but have decided to take the plunge and have sort of ordered a GLA 250e Hybrid.

 

Was planning on changing cars next year but thought last week that I would contact the closest showroom to see if the 250e was currently available and was told not at the moment but maybe late September/October.

 

Having found out that the saleslady who sold me my current GLA was still in the dealership contact was made yesterday and we started chatting about the car. After discussing the specifications etc. I decided that I would go ahead and get a 250e in Patagonia Red (my current car is Jupiter Red which has been discontinued ).

 

She advised that they have one coming in at the end of this month but not in red. She had done her homework and told me that a dealership up north had a red one due and was willing to swap for their red one for their incoming car. My other option was to order a red one through her but that probably would not appear until next year as only a small number are being released this year.

 

The swap would only be agreed once the deposit was paid so, to ensure that I got the car, the deposit was taken over the phone with me agreeing to go into the showroom tomorrow morning to finalise the purchase.

 

So its out early tomorrow to get things sorted....... 

 

Keith

 

 

[Ron Ron Ron]

BMW are readying their own i7 luxury limo EV to rival Mercedes forthcoming EQS and Jaguar’s all-new, electric only, XJ limo.

 

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/new-bmw-i7-electric-7-series-spotted-first-time

 

 

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[Guest]

9 hours ago, Ron Ron Ron said:

After only 8 months on sale, Skoda have permanently withdrawn their Citigo-e iV electric car from the market.

Only going on sale last December, it replaced the previous combustion engines Citigo models, which were withdrawn from the range late in 2019.

 

Which is weird as they sold out of the UK's tiny allocation almost immediately.

[idd15]

35 minutes ago, 30801 said:

 

Which is weird as they sold out of the UK's tiny allocation almost immediately.

Typical established car industry myopic thinking. Meanwhile Chinese manufacturers see a huge gap in the market and have the vehicles to fill it... RIP Skoda...

 

idd

[Joseph_Pestell]

I don't know what the situation is currently but last year there was a big shortage of batteries for electric cars (and energy storage projects). And where do these batteries come from? China, of course.

 

Why would we be surprised if the Chinese prioritise supply of batteries to their own car manufacturers? Usual short-term "profit now" attitude of European businesses who should have invested in technology made here in Europe rather than outsourced to China. If the UK Govt is serious about banning the sale of petrol, diesel and hybrid vehicles by 2035, we need to invest in the technology to make our own power sources.

 

I would add to that the thought that car manufacturers are not showing much innovative thinking. There are new companies coming to market with electric vehicles, particularly vans, that are new designs from the ground up. So much better than starting from a platform such as the Citigo which was designed around the constraints imposed by the IC engine.

Edited September 4, 2020 by Joseph_Pestell

[Fenman]

22 minutes ago, Joseph_Pestell said:

...

I would add to that the thought that car manufacturers are not showing much innovative thinking. There are new companies coming to market with electric vehicles, particularly vans, that are new designs from the ground up. So much better than starting from a platform such as the Citigo which was designed around the constraints imposed by the IC engine.

That’s a bit harsh and I think the picture is more varied: we’re at the start of a massive series of EV launches by VW group, all on specially-designed platforms (the Skoda Enyaq was one of those — VW ID3 and 4 were too, and the 3s are currently being transported for delivery). 
 

Some other manufacturers have indeed failed: Ford has been far behind the curve, and has had to buy rights to the VW EV platform. As I mentioned earlier, Fiat is in trouble, too. Meanwhile PSA has been beavering away at EV-only platforms; while JLR isn’t planning to introduce any electric Land Rovers for at least another 7 years, which seems complacent to me (and surprising given how sister company Jaguar has been fairly innovative).
 

It’s not at all clear how the market will develop, so I guess it’s unsurprising we’re seeing different strategies by different manufacturers. And you just have to read some of the anti-EV comments on this thread to realise how passionate some people are about their car’s propulsion system. 
 

Paul

[Ron Ron Ron]

Skoda's Citigo announcement is a surprise, but there's no corresponding announcement about the VW e-Up and SEAT Mii-e.

All three badge versions of this otherwise identical car are made at the same production facility.

Also, Skoda sneaked this news in a couple of days after launching their Enyaq-iV, which will be a far more significant EV for them and will be produced in much larger numbers than the Citigo.

 

 

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[Ron Ron Ron]

Fully Charged posted a video last month, about new Chinese EV's at the Chengdu Motor Show.

It just gives a taste of the Chinese push on EV technology.

 

NB: Clock the purchase prices !!!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Edited September 4, 2020 by Ron Ron Ron

[Fenman]

12 hours ago, Ron Ron Ron said:

After only 8 months on sale, Skoda have permanently withdrawn their Citigo-e iV electric car from the market.

Only going on sale last December, it replaced the previous combustion engines Citigo models, which were withdrawn from the range late in 2019.

 

No news as to whether VW and SEAT will be stopping production of their own versions of this model (e-Up and e-Mii respectively).

 

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/skoda-axes-citigo-city-car
 

 

 

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At least one of the motoring mags is reporting that a new Skoda EV in this size is likely in 2025 (the first new EV this size from VAG, using the common, purpose-built EV platform, will be the VW ID1), and they're expecting/ hoping it will come in at less than £18k. Long time to wait...

 

Paul  

[Ian Morgan]

1 hour ago, Joseph_Pestell said:

 If the UK Govt is serious about banning the sale of petrol, diesel and hybrid vehicles by 2035, we need to invest in the technology to make our own power sources.

 

There was an interesting feature on BBC's Countryfile the other day about extracting Lithium from Cornwall in an eco-friendly way. It had been an unwanted by-product from tin, lead and copper mining there. The government is funding the building of a pilot plant. Cornish Lithium

 

[Ron Ron Ron]

 

VW ID4 interior photos....

 

https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/volkswagen/id4/100854/new-2021-volkswagen-id4-interior-teased-ahead-launch-pictures

 

 

[Ron Ron Ron]

VW ID4 first drive - Autocar 3rd September 2020

 

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/first-drive-2021-volkswagen-id-4-prototype

 

 

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[Stanley Melrose]

Has anyone got any recommendations for the best charger for a BEV?  I've been recommended to install a Zappi but before I commit myself, I thought I'd see if any existing owners/drivers/users have any other suggestions.

 

TISA,

 

Stan

[Ian Morgan]

I went for the cheapest at the time (over a year ago now) the Growatt 7kW from API Electrical. £179 after government grant. It has not had good reviews, but it does its job for me.

 

You use a smartphone App to start charging. Sometimes you can start it as soon as you plug in the car, but often it takes several minutes and many tries before it will accept the command. Once it actually starts charging, it works fine.

 

 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Stanley Melrose said:

Has anyone got any recommendations for the best charger for a BEV?  I've been recommended to install a Zappi but before I commit myself, I thought I'd see if any existing owners/drivers/users have any other suggestions.

 

PodPoint for me. Nothing fancy but has worked solidly for the last three and a half years. You can see your energy use through it via the same PodPoint app you use to charge at their public chargers.

[idd15]

9 hours ago, Ron Ron Ron said:

Fully Charged posted a video last month, about new Chinese EV's at the Chengdu Motor Show.

It just gives a taste of the Chinese push on EV technology.

 

NB: Clock the purchase prices !!!!!!

 

.

I hereby rest my case for the prosecution m’lud! 

 

In respect of home chargers another satisfied PodPoint user here, though the choice was made for me as it was part of the deal with my first Leaf. Zappi do seem popular as well though as you can integrate them with a PV array.
 

EV Man and EV Puzzle on YouTube have done a number of videos on chargers over the last couple of years which you may find useful.

 

HTH

idd

 

[Guest]

James & Kate not thrilled with their Model 3 ownership experience.