Newbie questions

Petyr Baelish

Hi All,

Probably been asked a thousand times before but can you please clarify for me:

1. Does the SEAI grant cover used cars or only new?

2. Ho much does it cost to use the ESB chargers?

3. When considering a used Nissan Leaf, what are important points to look out for?

If there are any other major points I need to consider please feel free to advise.

Thank you in advance.

KCross

1) New and Used assuming its the charge point grant you are referring to
https://www.seai.ie/grants/electric-vehicle-grants/electric-vehicle-home-charger-grant/

2) Currently free but not for long. Maybe within the next 6 months, but no one knows for sure. Dont buy an EV if you think you will need public charging on a daily basis. You really need home charging at this point in time.

3) What is your budget so we can target the responses to the appropriate aged leaf.


Other points:
- Have you looked at other EV's (Zoe, eGolf, Ioniq, i3)?
- What is your max daily driving distance (exclude the occasional long distance drive)?
- What long distance drives do you do and how often?
- Will you have access to a second car in the house for those long drives if required?
- Have you got a driveway where you can park and charge the car at home?
- Get a 24-48hr test drive in whatever EV you decide to buy so you can be sure it covers your needs.

Petyr Baelish

KCross wrote: »

1) New and Used.
2) Currently free but not for long. Maybe within the next 6 months, but no one knows for sure. Dont buy an EV if you think you will need public charging on a daily basis.

3) What is your budget so we can target the responses to the appropriate aged leaf.

Thank you.

Regarding the charging costs, is there any estimate on what the charges will be like in comparison to petrol / diesel?

I would be thinking of a budget of around 14 - 15k to qualify for the 2k grant.

KCross

Petyr Baelish wrote: »

Thank you.

Regarding the charging costs, is there any estimate on what the charges will be like in comparison to petrol / diesel?

I would be thinking of a budget of around 14 - 15k to qualify for the 2k grant.

No estimate on the charges and how it will equate to petrol/diesel costs. Costs aside, you dont want to be dependent on the public network anyway.... its frustrating with chargers out of service and queuing etc. Dont go there on a daily basis. An occasional long journey would be OK but dont make it part of your daily life!

I've updated my response earlier. Can you reply again please.

Clarification: The €5k grant is only for new cars. The home charge grant is for new and used cars.

Petyr Baelish

KCross wrote: »

1)
Other points:
- Have you looked at other EV's (Zoe, eGolf, Ioniq, i3)? Not yet but I am open to any option
- What is your max daily driving distance (exclude the occasional long distance drive)? Daily about 80k
- What long distance drives do you do and how often? 340k around once every 2 weeks (170 each way)
- Will you have access to a second car in the house for those long drives if required? No.
- Have you got a driveway where you can park and charge the car at home? No.
- Get a 24-48hr test drive in whatever EV you decide to buy so you can be sure it covers your needs. What dealers tend to be most obliging for extended tests?

See above.

unkel

Petyr Baelish wrote: »

Regarding the charging costs, is there any estimate on what the charges will be like in comparison to petrol / diesel?

You would change your electricity meter at home for a night meter. This is completely free of charge. A Leaf would use about 18kWh/100km. This will cost 18*6.65c (Energia night rate), so €1,20. An efficient diesel would use 6l/100km, or about €7.50

If you do 30k km per year, you will save €2k per year on fuel alone.

KCross

No home charging and regular long distance trips of 340km.... I'd say you need to wait. Definitely not an old Gen Leaf.

Realistically you need a true long distance EV (something with a 60kWh+ battery). Apart from Tesla, they dont exist yet.... Kona and Niro are coming shortly though.... but you'd have to buy new and that will be twice the budget you have.

Unless you can charge at home you are stuck for now, imo.

unkel

+1

If you have no home or work charging EVs aren't really for you yet if you do a fairly hefty mileage (unless you can afford a Tesla)

Petyr Baelish

KCross wrote: »

No home charging and regular long distance trips of 340km.... I'd say you need to wait. Definitely not an old Gen Leaf.

Realistically you need a true long distance EV (something with a 60kWh+ battery). Apart from Tesla, they dont exist yet.... Kona and Niro are coming shortly though.... but you'd have to buy new and that will be twice the budget you have.

Unless you can charge at home you are stuck for now, imo.

Thanks, I'll have to hang on to the diesel for a while longer I guess.

KCross

Petyr Baelish wrote: »

Thanks, I'll have to hang on to the diesel for a while longer I guess.

Are you in an apartment with shared parking or is it on-street parking you have?

Petyr Baelish

KCross wrote: »

Are you in an apartment with shared parking or is it on-street parking you have?

It's an apartment and believe me there is zero chance of the useless management company getting a charging point in. There are a few public points within a 5 minute walk of the apartment though so that's why I was considering its feasibility.

What range can you get from the old gen Leaf or similar in that price range?

KCross

Petyr Baelish wrote: »

It's an apartment and believe me there is zero chance of the useless management company getting a charging point in. There are a few public points within a 5 minute walk of the apartment though so that's why I was considering its feasibility.

What range can you get from the old gen Leaf or similar in that price range?

With your budget you would be looking at a 30kWh Leaf which will do about 160-180km for "normal" local driving. On the motorway @ 120km/h it will be much less but I dont know exactly as its a 24kWh I have.


The charge points near you, are they the small ones that are about 4ft high(no cables attached to them) or are they the big ones 5-6ft high with cables attached?

If they are the smaller ones you could charge on them in lieu of having a home charger but you'd effectively be looking to use one of those every night and at the mercy of it being free and having to walk the 5mins home everyday in all weathers.... it wouldnt be for me... maybe you have the patience of Job!

unkel

No possibility of work charging? Even with just a cable plugged into a standard 3 pin socket? Costs your employer €1 per day or so, nothing compared to your wages.

Old Leaf 24kWh has about 100km range in winter (bit more in summer) depending on your speed, driving style, etc.

unkel

KCross wrote: »

With your budget you would be looking at a 30kWh Leaf

At €14-15k? That would be hard to find one, no?

Realistically it will be a 24kWh Leaf. No other EVs in budget either, but a Zoe41 with battery lease might very well be an option here.

KCross

unkel wrote: »

At €14-15k? That would be hard to find one, no?

Realistically it will be a 24kWh Leaf. No other EVs in budget either, but a Zoe41 with battery lease might very well be an option here.

He would just about scrape a 30kWh for that budget.... plain white, 3.3kW charger, Acenta model... just about.


EDIT... close example
https://www.motors.co.uk/car-48415903

Petyr Baelish

unkel wrote: »

No possibility of work charging? Even with just a cable plugged into a standard 3 pin socket? Costs your employer €1 per day or so, nothing compared to your wages.

Old Leaf 24kWh has about 100km range in winter (bit more in summer) depending on your speed, driving style, etc.

There may be a possibility, I would need to talk to them.

Petyr Baelish

unkel wrote: »

At €14-15k? That would be hard to find one, no?

Realistically it will be a 24kWh Leaf. No other EVs in budget either, but a Zoe41 with battery lease might very well be an option here.

Windsor seem to have a few in:

https://www.windsor.ie/used-cars/

unkel

Petyr Baelish wrote: »

Windsor seem to have a few in:

https://www.windsor.ie/used-cars/

None of those are the 30kWh model. For €10k you'd have a 2015 24kWh Leaf (but not from a Nissan dealer)

Petyr Baelish

unkel wrote: »

None of those are the 30kWh model. For €10k you'd have a 2015 24kWh Leaf (but not from a Nissan dealer)

Regardless, it seems that even the 30kWh model wouldn't suit me. It's a shame really as I would like to go electric but I guess it's just a little too early for me.

KCross

Petyr Baelish wrote: »

There may be a possibility, I would need to talk to them.

If you could get that, problem solved. Come back here if you manage to get that and then there will be options to consider.

creedp

KCross wrote: »

With your budget you would be looking at a 30kWh Leaf which will do about 160-180km for "normal" local driving. On the motorway @ 120km/h it will be much less but I dont know exactly as its a 24kWh I have

Based on rough calculations from trip over weekend I got an average max motorway range of approx 137kms from 100% battery with cruise control set to 110kmh. Emphasis on rough here!

unkel

creedp wrote: »

Based on rough calculations from trip over weekend I got an average max motorway range of approx 137kms from 100% battery with cruise control set to 110kmh. Emphasis on rough here!

110km/h indicated is about 100km real speed. OP needs to be aware of that.

unkel

KCross wrote: »

He would just about scrape a 30kWh for that budget.... plain white, 3.3kW charger, Acenta model... just about.


EDIT... close example
https://www.motors.co.uk/car-48415903

Good find, that's about as cheap as you will find one atm I'd say. Still about €16k landed though. So out of budget. Unless the OP can be flexible. A premium SE Ioniq came up for £19,995 this morning. Better fit for the OP, lower depreciation percentages, maybe even lower total cost of ownership than Leaf

McBluffin

€10-€11k should get you a 2015 24kWh Leaf if you bought private