Importing a Mahindra e2o

Joseph SEE

Hi Guys,

I'm strongly considering importing a Mahindra e2o from the UK and am looking for some advice.

There seems to be a dearth of information on the car - presumably due to low sales and the fact that they have discontinued sales.

The car I'm interested in has the TechX package and Chademo. Does anyone, such as Cross, know much about the car? What chemistry is it using? I was hoping it would be NCM/NMC or A grade A123 (probably not given how expensive those cells are). I assume there is no battery thermal management system as the charge time indicates a less than 1C charge even at 80% and they seem to have an innovative solution to get around the car's low nominal voltage.

It is the guts of 500km to travel from where the car is located to Holyhead - that would be 4 to 5 DC charges to reach the destination and 90 minutes to charge it plus the diversion times - it could take 6 charges. That likely means 2 days to travel that distance and it might be best to get it delivered to Holyhead.

What do I need to have in place to get the car back to Ireland? I assume I need an ESB charge card and perhaps a UK version (Ecotricity seem to have a good network). What documents do I need to show the Irish authorities? The car just squeaks past 6,000km on the clock and is a 2016 car.

This would be my first EV car.

Thanks
Joseph

unkel

Welcome to boards, Joseph

So you are looking at this Mahindra then?

Linky


I don't feel it would be a great EV car for your first EV car

But if you must, ecotricity will do the job and once back home you don't strictly need a card to get charged. Ring the number on any public charger in Ireland and they will start a remote charge for you. Or use any rfid card (like your bank card), they will work with most charging points.

Joseph SEE

unkel wrote: »

Welcome to boards, Joseph

So you are looking at this Mahindra then?



I don't feel it would be a great EV car for your first EV car

But if you must, ecotricity will do the job and once back home you don't strictly need a card to get charged. Ring the number on any public charger in Ireland and they will start a remote charge for you. Or use any rfid card (like your bank card), they will work with most charging points.

Can you expand a little on why you don't think it would be a great EV? Of course leaving aside its intercontinental range and stunning good looks.

That's good to know about Ecars.

Edit: One other thing - the tax has expired. Does anyone know the best course of action to take in that case? Can you get a tax exemption?

Joseph SEE

unkel wrote: »

Welcome to boards, Joseph

Sorry I should have said this earlier - thanks for the warm welcome.

cros13

Joseph SEE wrote: »

Can you expand a little on why you don't think it would be a great EV? Of course leaving aside its intercontinental range and stunning good looks.

It was in development as the next generation of the Reva GWiz electric city runabout when Mahindra acquired them.

TBH... it's a great little car for India when bought new with a warranty... but here in europe the lowliest 2nd hand Nissan Leaf has it beaten in every category of power, practicality, range, handling etc. etc. by a substantial margin. You are even likely to get one cheaper.

Barring the hiccup of the 2011-2013 Leaf having a slightly dodgy battery chemistry the Leaf is hands down one of the best cars in it's category, regardless of powertrain.

I don't want to sound too dismissive... the e2o is a big improvement over the GWiz.... but it's not a real car like the Leaf. The e2o can't even do 100km/h. The only reason it's possible to get one in europe is Mahindra reckoned they could sell a few to commuters looking to avoid the london congestion charge.

For your first EV it's going to be a poor experience. To be clear... a 2011 Leaf with 100,000km on it is a way better buy than a 2016 e2o with 10km on the clock.
Now if you could get the Reva for say €2.5k and you were just using it as a city runabout that's grand... but not if you can get a Leaf or Zoe of any stripe for similar money.

unkel

Here's a review:

linky


1 star out of 5

And I don't think they can fast charge at the normal public charging points. So it will take you about a week to bring one over from London to here

cros13

unkel wrote: »

And I don't think they can fast charge at the normal public charging points.

The "high" spec UK ones have chademo.

Shefwedfan

Why not something like this

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201709299796476?postcode=de78hq&sort=sponsored&radius=1501&advertising-location=at_cars&model=ION&onesearchad=Used&onesearchad=Nearly%20New&onesearchad=New&make=PEUGEOT&page=1

I looked at it before for a car for my mother. Loved the look of it but the the deal fell thru.....

Or one of these:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201710029880130?postcode=de78hq&radius=1501&model=I-MIEV&advertising-location=at_cars&make=MITSUBISHI&sort=sponsored&onesearchad=Used&onesearchad=Nearly%20New&onesearchad=New&page=1

They are the same car underneath just with different badges on them.....

Joseph SEE

Thanks guys. A lot more food for thought.

I strongly suspect that the person in the linked review above never test drove the car when they state: "but it’s still a very small car so buses and other large vehicles seem to loom over you.". The car may be small, but it is very high - if anything you'd be looming over most cars not vice versa. If they never sat in the car or drove it, which I strongly suspect is the case, well then the entire piece is worthless.

I read the Telegraph piece and a few others, which were more rounded and they seem to have actually test drove it.

I think it will max out at 100kph, but takes forever to reach it. I tried to install their app on Google Play, but it isn't available in Ireland - which isn't a great sign.

I'll definitely take the valuation comments on board and have a further think.

Joseph SEE

Shefwedfan wrote: »

Why not something like this



I looked at it before for a car for my mother. Loved the look of it but the the deal fell thru.....

Or one of these:


They are the same car underneath just with different badges on them.....

I know a little about the iMiev. A couple of years ago I was toying with importing one of the 10.5kWh cars (Titanate battery) M trim from Japan. The range would be less, but the battery would literally last a life-time.

I could be wrong, but I think both of those cars listed use fairly early Lithium Manganese Dioxide and to my limited knowledge, with that chemistry the manganese bleeds into the electrolyte meaning increased degradation in excess of other EVs.

Titanate can fast charge like no other chemistry - unfortunately it weighs a tonne and costs a small fortune - hence the small battery size.

The thing about the e2o is the car is only a year old and has a lot of nice extras. I do really like Kei cars though.

Sabre Man

For a few thousand more you can get a Leaf, which would be not only a lot better but also a lot safer:
https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/car-for-sale/16578286

Bigus

Crash safety would be my major concern if the facts below aren't enough to anybody off .

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/cars/first-drives/mahindra-e2o-review/

THE FACTS

Mahindra e2o

Tested: 15.46kWh lithium-ion battery driving an AC electric motor driving the rear wheels.

Price/on sale: From £12,995 to £15,995 including £4,500 Govt grant. As tested £15,995/now

Power/torque: Electric motor: 41.6bhp/67lb ft

Top speed: 63mph

Acceleration: 0-50mph in 18sec

Range: 79 miles (88 in Revive mode)

CO2 emissions: zero (at tailpipe).

VED band: Zero rated

Verdict: Crude and not desperately well finished urban runabout. A huge improvement over the old G-Wiz, but compared to current and forthcoming rivals, the e2o looks expensive.

Telegraph rating: Two out of five stars

NIMAN

I'd never heard of that car before tbh.
It's not a looker is it?

I'd be tempted to look out for a cheap Leaf here in Ireland. Might pay a bit more but you'll get a much better car.

Shefwedfan

Joseph SEE wrote: »

I know a little about the iMiev. A couple of years ago I was toying with importing one of the 10.5kWh cars (Titanate battery) M trim from Japan. The range would be less, but the battery would literally last a life-time.

I could be wrong, but I think both of those cars listed use fairly early Lithium Manganese Dioxide and to my limited knowledge, with that chemistry the manganese bleeds into the electrolyte meaning increased degradation in excess of other EVs.

Titanate can fast charge like no other chemistry - unfortunately it weighs a tonne and costs a small fortune - hence the small battery size.

The thing about the e2o is the car is only a year old and has a lot of nice extras. I do really like Kei cars though.

You know more than me :P

If you feel happy with car then buy away.....

In Ireland you can just get electric ireland card and off you go

Joseph SEE

Hi Guys,

Thanks for your help. I think I'll hold off on an EV purchase for now. The insurance price for the Mahindra is very expensive and then there is the obvious risk with buying such a car from a company that has closed up shop.

I also don't know what manufacturer or chemistry they have used for the battery pack, which is never a good sign. If it was a tier one manufacturer like Samsung, Panasonic or even LG then I'd be relatively happy. I fear some B grade, no-brand cells or possibly the poorer cell relations in the above mentioned manufacturers - that the main car manufacturers won't touch.

I have my eye on a 40kWh Zoe that I think I'll purchase in a year or two. I reckon even after 8 years there will still be 270km of range on local roads and 220km on dual-carriageway/motorway driving.

I'll stick to what I've got for the time-being and get saving.

Thanks

Joseph SEE

Shefwedfan wrote: »

You know more than me :P

If you feel happy with car then buy away.....

In Ireland you can just get electric ireland card and off you go

Yes, I see one of the re-branded iMiev had to have their battery pack replaced. Not a good sign of long-lasting battery pack especially in a mild climate like the UK.

I think GS Yuasa made those cells...

goz83

Joseph SEE wrote: »

SNIP

I have my eye on a 40kWh Zoe that I think I'll purchase in a year or two. I reckon even after 8 years there will still be 270km of range on local roads and 220km on dual-carriageway/motorway driving.

I'll stick to what I've got for the time-being and get saving.

SNIP

What do you have right now?

And what is your driving pattern/routine? Max daily mileage (excusing the occasional cross country journey) and whether it's motorway, urban, or mixed%

If you were considering the mihandra, it can't be heavy driving you are doing.

You could well find that spending an extra 1k or 2k now will earn you that back inside of a year.

unkel

+1

Go for a cheap Leaf!

DrPhilG

goz83 wrote: »

You could well find that spending an extra 1k or 2k now will earn you that back inside of a year.

This is spot on.

If you were considering the Mahindra (I wouldn't btw) then the Leaf or Zoe would be fine for you. Plus an older one of those will still have warranty whereas I'd be concerned about servicing and repair on a discontinued car.

But do the calculations and see how it comes out. I didn't need to change my car when I bought the Leaf, but it made financial sense to do so. I lost myself a few grand by changing earlier than I had intended but I'm saving over €2k a year now plus EVs are a joy to drive IMO.