Electric, Hybrid and Alternative fuelled vehicles - News and Discussion

[black and decker boy]

the Tesla can (and does) charge at over 300kwh

[The Fatadder]

Well the i3 has arrived and I am very impressed so far.  Other than the lease company missing the front parking sensors off my order (they had best not try charging me for them!)

Had my first drive this evening, very impressed how much fun it is to drive (and just how fast it feels).  Very happy 

[boxbrownie]

1 hour ago, The Fatadder said:

Well the i3 has arrived and I am very impressed so far.  Other than the lease company missing the front parking sensors off my order (they had best not try charging me for them!)

Had my first drive this evening, very impressed how much fun it is to drive (and just how fast it feels).  Very happy 

Well done, absolutely brilliant cars, had ours over three years now and it’s been nigh on perfect.

[Stanley Melrose]

Beauty is clearly in the eye of the beholder . . .  Don't you have a garage to hide it in so that the neighbours don't snigger as they pass by?

 

Colour's not too bad . . . 

 

Stan

Edited March 12, 2020 by Stanley Melrose

[Buhar]

1 hour ago, Stanley Melrose said:

Don't you have a garage to hide it in so that the neighbours don't snigger as they pass by?

 

Colour's not too bad . . . 

 

Stan

I hope any garage available is fulfilling its proper purpose by housing a model railway or a workshop. 

Alan 

[The Fatadder]

14 minutes ago, Buhar said:

I hope any garage available is fulfilling its proper purpose by housing a model railway or a workshop. 

Alan 

Indeed 

the garage is far to full of Brent to fit a car into it.

[Calnefoxile]

3 hours ago, The Fatadder said:

Well the i3 has arrived and I am very impressed so far.  Other than the lease company missing the front parking sensors off my order (they had best not try charging me for them!)

Had my first drive this evening, very impressed how much fun it is to drive (and just how fast it feels).  Very happy 

 

 

Rich,

 

Front Parking Sensors on a car that size, blimey how bad is your parking 

 

I could almost fit that in the boot of my Insignia  

 

Cheers

 

Neal.

 

P.S. I'll look out for it in the Office car park......

[The Fatadder]

26 minutes ago, Calnefoxile said:

 

Rich,

 

Front Parking Sensors on a car that size, blimey how bad is your parking 

 

I could almost fit that in the boot of my Insignia  

 

Cheers

 

Neal.

 

P.S. I'll look out for it in the Office car park......

You won’t see if for a while, finance have been instructed to work from home for the foreseeable...

 

 

My last 4 cars have all had all round sensors, you rather get used to them.... 

 

at least that’s my excuse. 

[jjb1970]

20 hours ago, The Fatadder said:

 

My last 4 cars have all had all round sensors, you rather get used to them.... 

 

 

It's not just parking sensors, we tend to become pretty reliant on any aid which makes life easier. I must admit that for all a B road blast in a sweet handling car with a good engine and a snappy manual gear box is terrific fun I wouldn't want to go back to a manual for regular driving. And I really like powered driver seats with memory function as my wife is over a foot shorter than me. 

[Fenman]

2 minutes ago, jjb1970 said:

 

It's not just parking sensors, we tend to become pretty reliant on any aid which makes life easier. I must admit that for all a B road blast in a sweet handling car with a good engine and a snappy manual gear box is terrific fun I wouldn't want to go back to a manual for regular driving. And I really like powered driver seats with memory function as my wife is over a foot shorter than me. 

It’s always been the case: crank handles were replaced by starter motors and who, now, would want to go back? My uncle had a car with no heater because it was an expensive optional extra; most of us are now very happy with air-conditioning. Does anyone prefer manually-operated windows to electric ones (yes, I know there’ll be a contrarian or two on here...)? 
 

I long ago made the switch to automatic transmission. On the rare occasions I now drive a manual car I can’t believe how clunky it is. 
 

Paul

 

[johnofwessex]

56 minutes ago, Fenman said:

It’s always been the case: crank handles were replaced by starter motors and who, now, would want to go back? ..................

Paul

 

 

From time to time I used to hand start my ex's Morris Minor if only for the eccentricity points.

 

It was pretty easy - and I have been taught how to hold a starting handle properly.

 

Twin Pot Listers & Enfield HO2's are however another matter

[Joseph_Pestell]

12 minutes ago, johnofwessex said:

 

From time to time I used to hand start my ex's Morris Minor if only for the eccentricity points.

 

It was pretty easy - and I have been taught how to hold a starting handle properly.

 

Twin Pot Listers & Enfield HO2's are however another matter

Minors are fairly low compression. As you rightly say, other engines can be another story altogether.

 

In my late teens (1973?), I was invited for a cruise on a wonderful old narrowboat belonging to my history master's brother. It had a single-cylinder diesel engine. Get it wrong starting that and it could throw you out of the boat into the cut! Or get in the wrong place and a broken rib would be guaranteed.

 

I wonder if "Almighty" is still on the waterways. A rare, even then, timber narrowboat. It was a fun weekend, even with ice on the cabin floor.

[Joseph_Pestell]

1 hour ago, Fenman said:

It’s always been the case: crank handles were replaced by starter motors and who, now, would want to go back? My uncle had a car with no heater because it was an expensive optional extra; most of us are now very happy with air-conditioning. Does anyone prefer manually-operated windows to electric ones (yes, I know there’ll be a contrarian or two on here...)? 
 

I long ago made the switch to automatic transmission. On the rare occasions I now drive a manual car I can’t believe how clunky it is. 
 

Paul

 

 

OK, I am that Luddite, perfectly happy with window winders. They work and rarely need expensive maintenance. KISS!

[StevieD71]

I've been driving my Ioniq hybrid since Oct 2018 and I am sold on hybrids now. When I qualified for motability I wasn't looking for a one, just an automatic. This was a dark horse, but when I went to the dealer and tried one, I was sold. It's good looking, comfortable, well equipped (mine is a premium SE) and sport mode is entertaining on back roads and for shocking people in more sporty cars.

 

I couldn't go back to a manual car now. Even with my knee replacement using the clutch if I have to drive my wifes DS3 is a nightmare. I don't think I could abandon the hybrid either. When it comes time for me to change next year I think the next car will be another Ioniq, or possibly a Kia Niro, which is built on same platform with more of an SUV body.

[Ron Ron Ron]

2 hours ago, StevieD71 said:

I've been driving my Ioniq hybrid since Oct 2018 ......

....When it comes time for me to change next year I think the next car will be another Ioniq, or possibly a Kia Niro, which is built on same platform with more of an SUV body.

 

Note that since you got your Ioniq, the car has been upgraded, both in kit and battery range.

 

 

.

[Ron Ron Ron]

Just a casual observation....

Today (Friday), I returned from the NW of England, back home to the south coast.

I drove via the M6, M6 Toll, M42, M40, A34, M3, M27.

I do this return journey more times than I wish to .

While whiling away the hours, I often notice car transporters and look at the load they’re carrying.

On this route, it’s commonly lots of transporters carrying Range Rovers, on their way from the midlands, down to Southampton docks for export..

 

On this particular trip I witnessed an unusual sight.

On the M6 in Staffordshire, I noticed 2 car transporters in convoy going in the other direction, carrying a load of Tesla 3’s

I’ve seen loads of Tesla 3’s on the road, but this was the first time I’d seen them on delivery transporters.

 Further along the M6 route, I saw another transporter full of Tesla 3’s.

Then on the M42, another couple of transporters carrying the same load.

Again, a couple on the M40....and then more.

 

I must have noticed about 8 or 9 transporters carrying Tesla 3’s, all heading north.

 

Where they were heading I’ve no idea, but it gave the impression that a lot of these cars are now being delivered in the U.K. 

I’ve seen quite a lot of 3’s already and on my trip up north earlier in the week, I noticed about 5 or 6 of them during my journey.

 

As I said at the beginning. Just a casual observation.

 

 

 

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[PatB]

I must confess that, when switching to the ute (now 22 years old and fairly basic, even when new) from the Scudo, I have to consciously remind myself that the rear parking sensors go crunch rather than beep if I get too close to things.

[jjb1970]

The Tesla 3 seems to be selling like hot cakes, they are everywhere where I live. They pretty much have no real competition at the moment in that any rival EVs from premium manufacturers cost a lot more and I suspect many of their buyers would not be seen dead in a KIA or Hyundai. They caught the German manufacturers who usually dominate that segment in the UK market with their pants down and with no equivalent model. It will be interesting to see see whether MB, Audi & BMW recover the market they are losing when they expand their EV ranges. Tesla has reset expectations in terms of performance and price in the segment and their rivals will have to adjust. Although I suspect that as they do adjust Tesla will also be under pressure to improve cabin quality too. And of course cars like the Ford Mustang Mach E could also really shift the market. 

Personally I like the way the Korean manufacturers approached EVs in retaining conventional car controls and avoiding putting it all on a touch screen. I think Ford are going for Tesla 3 minimalism. 

[idd15]

Model Y deliveries have commenced in the States. The premium brands are really going to start feeling the pain...

idd

[jjb1970]

10 hours ago, StevieD71 said:

I've been driving my Ioniq hybrid since Oct 2018 and I am sold on hybrids now. When I qualified for motability I wasn't looking for a one, just an automatic. This was a dark horse, but when I went to the dealer and tried one, I was sold. It's good looking, comfortable, well equipped (mine is a premium SE) and sport mode is entertaining on back roads and for shocking people in more sporty cars.

 

I couldn't go back to a manual car now. Even with my knee replacement using the clutch if I have to drive my wifes DS3 is a nightmare. I don't think I could abandon the hybrid either. When it comes time for me to change next year I think the next car will be another Ioniq, or possibly a Kia Niro, which is built on same platform with more of an SUV body.

 

The Ioniq is an excellent car. The PHEV version is an excellent compromise for people who mainly cover short distances but who do some long trips. They have approached making a PHEV differently from Euro rivals in using a very efficient engine of modest but adequate power so the car is still very frugal once running on the engine. 

In general Hyundai and KIA are making some superb cars. The Hyundai i30N hot hatches are brilliant and the KIA Stinger and Proceed are lovely cars. And they have probably done as much for the BEV as Tesla but with a lot less recognition. I find it quite sad many still refuse to accept that Korean cars are now very good indeed and match cars from anywhere. 

[black and decker boy]

7 hours ago, Ron Ron Ron said:

Just a casual observation....

Today (Friday), I returned from the NW of England, back home to the south coast.

I drove via the M6, M6 Toll, M42, M40, A34, M3, M27.

I do this return journey more times than I wish to .

While whiling away the hours, I often notice car transporters and look at the load they’re carrying.

On this route, it’s commonly lots of transporters carrying Range Rovers, on their way from the midlands, down to Southampton docks for export..

 

On this particular trip I witnessed an unusual sight.

On the M6 in Staffordshire, I noticed 2 car transporters in convoy going in the other direction, carrying a load of Tesla 3’s

I’ve seen loads of Tesla 3’s on the road, but this was the first time I’d seen them on delivery transporters.

 Further along the M6 route, I saw another transporter full of Tesla 3’s.

Then on the M42, another couple of transporters carrying the same load.

Again, a couple on the M40....and then more.

 

I must have noticed about 8 or 9 transporters carrying Tesla 3’s, all heading north.

 

Where they were heading I’ve no idea, but it gave the impression that a lot of these cars are now being delivered in the U.K. 

I’ve seen quite a lot of 3’s already and on my trip up north earlier in the week, I noticed about 5 or 6 of them during my journey.

 

As I said at the beginning. Just a casual observation.

 

 

 

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Tesla batch build rather than build to order. Our company fleet has loads (100s) on order but they tend to all arrive together.

 

Tesla only have 2 or 3 locations in U.K. at which you can collect new cars, Uxbridge, Birmingham & Manchester IIRC.

 

Ot is noticeable near me that I am no longer the only model 3 Driver and someone even has the red one (it’s £2k more than the others). Locally we have a lot of BMW I3 too.

[30801]

Re Tesla Vs the Germans. Their trump card is the supercharger network. Sure your Audi has tighter shut lines but it does not have the ability to rock up to a charging site with a dozen high capacity rapids.

It's going to take some time for that playing field to level.

[boxbrownie]

14 hours ago, Fenman said:

yes, I know there’ll be a contrarian or two on here...
 

Paul

 

Here?  Surely not......

[Ron Ron Ron]

I’m sure I’ve read or heard somewhere, that sales of the Tesla Model 3 in the USA during the  last 12 months, have exceeded those of all the competitors compact executive models combined (e.g. BMW 3 series, MB C-Class, Audi A4, Lexus iS etc,).

 

Model Y pricing is again very competitive and undercuts many similar sized vehicles from the premium brands.

 

 

.

[boxbrownie]

I noticed the EVSE installation grant is being lowered from £500 to £350 from April 2020........slippery slope begins.