What car for a 30km round trip commute?

Corb_lund

Thinking of commuting in from m50 to centre of town, so around a 30km round trip daily possibly in traffic..

Budget is as little as possible. Was thinking an old leaf missing a few bars? Key criteria is reliable enough to last me 2 years.

Any curve ball options?

Patser

Pretty much everything but if you want weird and cheap, get a Twizy (also get a warm coat) but they're great craic to drive.

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/car/20167797

Corb_lund

P.s will be using ice car for long journeys so no need for greater than this range as long as it will always cope with it.

unkel

A Twizy maybe fun but they are terrible value for money and you're stuck with the massive monthly lease that will go on for ever. Which makes the car sale proof as well. An electric scooter whould have been a better suggestion

OP - yes you are spot on. An early Leaf with a few bars missing (3 bars gone is fine, even more) will be fine for your commute. It will also keep its value very well and it will be very cheap to keep and run.

Gumbo

Corb_lund wrote: »

P.s will be using ice car for long journeys so no need for greater than this range as long as it will always cope with it.

The cheapest Nissan Leaf you can find will be perfect.

peposhi

DrPhilG has one for sale - a bargain of the year and spec.
I’d buy it if I was on the market and I’d slam a 40kwh battery pack done via Indra - bang on for the money 40kwh vehicle

Lantus

Any small engined petrol car like a fiesta or fabia would be reliable and cheap.

A leaf is nice if affordable and a few bars gone would make no odds to you. At that mileage it won't be much cheaper

ewj1978

Yeah but why sit on the m50 blowing fumes out your arse..
A leaf is a nice place to sit.
Make sure its got the cold pack and you'd be sorted.

Corb_lund

Can't find many cheap leafs....a few I've seen are practically the same price as full health cars. Shame. Thought the idea was okay.. Would rather not put miles on my current old ICE which I want to keep in good condition.

ted1

Just get a bike or electric bike.

beauf

I was thinking something similar. An older ev to replace an older car but I guess it's not quite at bangeromics yet. Maybe a hybrid. I guess you couldn't stay in battery mode at that distance with older ones though.

beauf

ted1 wrote: »

Just get a bike or electric bike.

That was my first plan that too.

Corb_lund

ted1 wrote: »

Just get a bike or electric bike.

Got one but tired of pedaling and there's too many morons for it to be safe..

Shefwedfan

depends on your budget of course

You could go Leaf....boring :-)
Zoe, little bit different......very cheap is battery rental

eGolf, bigger budget but worth it
i3 BMW, 4 seater with pram wheels. But the battery only version would do the job
Twizy, really you will look like a plonker
Merc, can't think of name of car but if you like a merc will do the job
Renault had another electric car, saloon thing....they used to have a few for sale on carzone. Would do the job

Personally, if you have the money then spend it, get the eGolf :-)

Shefwedfan

This baby might do the job https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/2009-electric-car-ideal-for-advertising/20246915

Patser

Shefwedfan wrote: »

This baby might do the job https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/2009-electric-car-ideal-for-advertising/20246915

Ideal for advertising?!?! Advertising what precisely! How to incorrectly glue a Nissan Wii back together service?

Old diesel

peposhi wrote: »

DrPhilG has one for sale - a bargain of the year and spec.
I’d buy it if I was on the market and I’d slam a 40kwh battery pack done via Indra - bang on for the money 40kwh vehicle

Off topic but given how a 40 kwh pack gives issues in a car it's MEANT to be in - how will it work on a retrofit into a 24 kwh car.

Unless Indra also fit some form of cooling.

Be likely better to just buy an original 30 kwh imo.

Shefwedfan

Old diesel wrote: »

Off topic but given how a 40 kwh pack gives issues in a car it's MEANT to be in - how will it work on a retrofit into a 24 kwh car.

Unless Indra also fit some form of cooling.

Be likely better to just buy an original 30 kwh imo.

It's not really giving problems.....rapidgate is over exaggerated.

Old diesel

Shefwedfan wrote: »

It's not really giving problems.....rapidgate is over exaggerated.

Still better to buy the factory 30 kwh from the word go imo.

I say that in the absence of any reports from anyone that's done an Indra 24 kwh to 40 kwh conversion.

I believe that Indra themselves are a good outfit - that's not the issue.

But it's unclear why you'd go for a retrofit 40 kwh rather then simply go for an original from the factory 30 kwh.

In fact for the OPs requirements an Ampera could even work better when compared to the convert a 24 kwh to 40 kwh option.

Because the Ampera could actually fully replace the current ICE car as well

Shefwedfan

Old diesel wrote: »

Still better to buy the factory 30 kwh from the word go imo.

I say that in the absence of any reports from anyone that's done an Indra 24 kwh to 40 kwh conversion.

I believe that Indra themselves are a good outfit - that's not the issue.

But it's unclear why you'd go for a retrofit 40 kwh rather then simply go for an original from the factory 30 kwh.

In fact for the OPs requirements an Ampera could even work better when compared to the convert a 24 kwh to 40 kwh option.

Because the Ampera could actually fully replace the current ICE car as well

Most people have 2 cars. The Ampera will remove most of the savings you make with a full BEV car. Service costs etc will be high and the toll reduction is less per trip. To name two options.



People suddenly seem to think having a strap on petrol is the best option. I don't see why.


I have two cars, so best of both World. The BEV is used majority of the time, day to day business etc, so at weekend the diesel is sitting up relaxing while the BEV is driven to 0km range left(both days this weekend ).



Then when I need to head off on a long trip I can just hope into it diesel, fill her up while crying at the pumps and head off.



The OP is doing exactly as hundred of thousands of people in Ireland should do. If they have a car for cummute into work then swap into an electric. Especially in Dublin when majority of the fuel you burn is sitting in traffic. If they swapped 100k fuel cars into electric not only would it save people lots of money it would make a huge affect to the atmosphere in Dublin.....


I don't see why anyone would recommend someone buying a petrol strap on for a car that essential will spend most of its life sitting in traffic burning fuel

Old diesel

Shefwedfan wrote: »

Most people have 2 cars. The Ampera will remove most of the savings you make with a full BEV car. Service costs etc will be high and the toll reduction is less per trip. To name two options.



People suddenly seem to think having a strap on petrol is the best option. I don't see why.


I have two cars, so best of both World. The BEV is used majority of the time, day to day business etc, so at weekend the diesel is sitting up relaxing while the BEV is driven to 0km range left(both days this weekend ).



Then when I need to head off on a long trip I can just hope into it diesel, fill her up while crying at the pumps and head off.



The OP is doing exactly as hundred of thousands of people in Ireland should do. If they have a car for cummute into work then swap into an electric. Especially in Dublin when majority of the fuel you burn is sitting in traffic. If they swapped 100k fuel cars into electric not only would it save people lots of money it would make a huge affect to the atmosphere in Dublin.....


I don't see why anyone would recommend someone buying a petrol strap on for a car that essential will spend most of its life sitting in traffic burning fuel

He said he has an ICE car for longer journeys.

It's unclear if this EV is an addition for commuting or replacing something else.

The way an Ampera works is that for the 30 km round trip the car can do it all in EV when charged.

But on the longer trip it can run on petrol just like the ice car does.

I'm merely saying an Ampera would work better then a stick a 40 kwh battery in a 24 kwh Leaf route.

Because it looks to me like this cheap EV might actually be an additional car for OP for cheaper commuting.

Lots of people as you say run two cars - it's not clear if OP does.

Talk of considering cars with bars missing implies that it's not a true "we need 2 cars situation" but rather looking to save on fuel with the existing car - which is staying.

If that's correct then an Ampera could work unless OP needs 5 seats (Amperas only have 4).

Shefwedfan

Old diesel wrote: »

He said he has an ICE car for longer journeys.

It's unclear if this EV is an addition for commuting or replacing something else.

The way an Ampera works is that for the 30 km round trip the car can do it all in EV when charged.

But on the longer trip it can run on petrol just like the ice car does.

I'm merely saying an Ampera would work better then a stick a 40 kwh battery in a 24 kwh Leaf route.

Because it looks to me like this cheap EV might actually be an additional car for OP for cheaper commuting.

Lots of people as you say run two cars - it's not clear if OP does.

Talk of considering cars with bars missing implies that it's not a true "we need 2 cars situation" but rather looking to save on fuel with the existing car - which is staying.

If that's correct then an Ampera could work unless OP needs 5 seats (Amperas only have 4).

I know what the Ampera is, at the moment between it and the i3 REX this seems to be the current favorite on this forum. When I was first on this forum most people wanted to ban hybrid discussions altogether. :P


I am going on the OP original request, it never mentioned changing two cars. Just looking for a commuter car. In that case as mentioned about it all depends on budget. For that size of commute a cheap battery rental Zoe might be the best job, low up front cost and the montly rental will be low because the km will be low.



I was just making the point that when you have an electric car you will use it more often, my BEV was bought for a Dublin commute. Now because it saves us a fortune and is a nice car to drive it is used all the time and the diesel is left sitting for those really long journeys.



Maybe OP could clarify, budget is the huge question here.