Electric car for commute

Lemlin

My commute is changing from an 86km commute each way two days a week to an 86km commute each way four days a week.

I also have to pay two tolls each way so I’m paying €5.60 a day in tolls.

There’s no charging point at my workplace so I’m wondering what electric car could cover the journey up and back without charge?

My present vehicle is a 2016 Skoda Octavia that I paid 19k for twelve months ago so I’d have a good trade in value in it.

I think to change make sense because even without taking the fuel and tolls into account, I’ll be driving any value out of the Octavia.

80sDiesel

Depends on how much you are willing to spend.

New BMW I3 (120ah)

New Kona/Niro.

Cheapest for that commute would be a second hand BMW I3 Rex.(Hybrid).

grudgehugger

Well the new Leaf certainly would if that was an option for you... Got mine 4 months ago and love it. Really nice to drive.

I have a 78km commute - have put up 7000km on it so far with the odd longer trip thrown in. Reckon I'm saving €125-150 a month on fuel (to be fair, would want to be considering the cost of a new car).

I'd say the Leaf 30 or any of the similar battery cars would also do it no bother - I like the extra range of the Leaf 40 though

As previous poster said, any of new Kia/Hyundai options will also work.

80sDiesel

grudgehugger wrote: »

Well the new Leaf certainly would if that was an option for you... Got mine 4 months ago and love it. Really nice to drive.

I have a 78km commute - have put up 7000km on it so far with the odd longer trip thrown in. Reckon I'm saving €125-150 a month on fuel (to be fair, would want to be considering the cost of a new car).

I'd say the Leaf 30 or any of the similar battery cars would also do it no bother - I like the extra range of the Leaf 40 though

As previous poster said, any of new Kia/Hyundai options will also work.

The 30 won't make it and the 40 would be cutting it too close.
( Sounds like a motorway commute)

Water John

Have a Leaf 30, would hardly do it. Leaf 40 min. Next generation really if you're going totally electric.

Lemlin

It is a motorway commute and I would hope to only spend about 20k to max 25k.

grudgehugger

Water John wrote: »

Have a Leaf 30, would hardly do it. Leaf 40 min.

I read it as 86km round trip, not each way...

So yep, Leaf 40 would be needed and I'd be wanting to be starting from a full charge each day

The new Kia and Hyundai would be grand

Water John

OP's journey is 172Km. That would be just the theoretical range of a fully charged L30.

Lemlin

Are the Kia and Hyundai easy to get second hand/new or are there long waiting times?

KCross

I dont think, for your budget, you'll get a full EV that can comfortably do that motorway commute all year round unless you were willing to reduce speed.



The Kia and Hyundai that would do it comfortably are the Kona an Niro and they would be a new buy for ~€38k.

If you reduce speed the Ioniq and Leaf 40 would be your BEV options.

Any chance of getting work charging? Even access to a 3 pin socket would do and that would allow you to look at Leaf 30 as well.

0lddog

Not to everyones taste but how about a recent Zoe ?

Lemlin

KCross wrote: »

I dont think, for your budget, you'll get a full EV that can comfortably do that motorway commute all year round unless you were willing to reduce speed.



The Kia and Hyundai that would do it comfortably are the Kona an Niro and they would be a new buy for ~€38k.

If you reduce speed the Ioniq and Leaf 40 would be your BEV options.

Any chance of getting work charging? Even access to a 3 pin socket would do and that would allow you to look at Leaf 30 as well.

Is the Niro not 31k with the grants they give?

KCross

That’s the Niro PHEV.
The Niro EV isn’t out until 192 and it will be similar price to Kona.

KCross

0lddog wrote: »

Not to everyones taste but how about a recent Zoe ?

What’s its range at motorway speed?

80sDiesel

Lemlin wrote: »

It is a motorway commute and I would hope to only spend about 20k to max 25k.

If you are adding the octavia then your best bet is to lock in an order for the kona. May have to wait longer than you may want.

ewj1978

A BMW i3 94ah Rex would be doable.(you'd maybe have to turn on the little engine if a very cold day)
Not a hope in a leaf 30.
A leaf 40 at 120kph in the winter would get ~180km.( Too close imho)
For Zoe range Renault UK have this https://www.renault.co.uk/vehicles/new-vehicles/zoe/motor.html which is fairly accurate. (just scroll down to range and adjust temp/heater on-off etc)
Niro/Kona will be outside your price bracket.

As usually asked, if you could plug it in at work it'd bring so many cars into play.

Lemlin

What range has the Ioniq?

Shefwedfan

Lemlin wrote: »

What range has the Ioniq?

180-200 but probably at 110kmph

Details about the electric car charger work grants can be found here somewhere, so they get tax off the electricity or something like that

Also Nigel Daly can install charger and they have like a eurocharge on themso could sell it to company they will make profit.....diesel for that trip per day would be close to 15 euro?

Lantus

At your range your really looking at the leaf 60 which is due out next year or the kona. Price wise your comfortably in the 35k plus range.

Your car spend if representative is 19k. So you need to spend an extra 16k to 'save' money on fuel and tolls.

If you save a 100 a month on fuel then you just need to keep the car 10+ years to break even. What is your weekly fuel cost?

Not counting interest on a new car or other costs.

So financially the elec option isn't economically a no brainer unless your car spend is 30 to 40k normally where longer range is needed.

For most of us buying cars in the 15k to 20k range its a huge uplift except where the existing elec catalogue becomes available.

Mike9832

Wait a year

VW will have a 400km Golf sized VW ID out for 25k in serious volume

Shefwedfan

Mike9832 wrote: »

Wait a year

VW will have a 400km Golf sized VW ID out for 25k in serious volume

Quit ruining people’s thread

Mike9832

Shefwedfan wrote: »

Quit ruining people’s thread

Is it not true?

80sDiesel

Lantus wrote: »

At your range your really looking at the leaf 60 which is due out next year or the kona. Price wise your comfortably in the 35k plus range.

Your car spend if representative is 19k. So you need to spend an extra 16k to 'save' money on fuel and tolls.

If you save a 100 a month on fuel then you just need to keep the car 10+ years to break even. What is your weekly fuel cost?

Not counting interest on a new car or other costs.

So financially the elec option isn't economically a no brainer unless your car spend is 30 to 40k normally where longer range is needed.

For most of us buying cars in the 15k to 20k range its a huge uplift except where the existing elec catalogue becomes available.

Don't forget servicing. The diesel will need 2 services a year.

Mike9832

80sDiesel wrote: »

Don't forget servicing. The diesel will need 2 services a year.

EV like an Ioniq needs servicing too

Every 10/15k miles

https://www.normreeveshyundai.com/Hyundai-ioniq-maintenance-schedule-cerritos-ca.htm

ELM327

Shefwedfan wrote: »

180-200 but probably at 110kmph

Details about the electric car charger work grants can be found here somewhere, so they get tax off the electricity or something like that

Also Nigel Daly can install charger and they have like a eurocharge on themso could sell it to company they will make profit.....diesel for that trip per day would be close to 15 euro?

The Ioniq is not a leaf and driving at LeafSpeed is not required.
If you want 200km or more range then yes you will have to drive slower but I can't see an issue for the OP here at all. 86km e/w is only 172km and that would be possible at 120+.

I do it. I drove wexford to Meath (approx 186km from memory) at 120 GPS speed with range to spare.


You can spend 23995 on an Ioniq (see recent post in Ioniq thread) from an Irish dealer, you could spend less in the UK, or you can buy a furnace or double your money and buy a crappy paddy spec Kona with no Active Cruise in 9 months time.

ELM327

Mike9832 wrote: »

EV like an Ioniq needs servicing too

Every 10/15k miles

https://www.normreeveshyundai.com/Hyundai-ioniq-maintenance-schedule-cerritos-ca.htm

Servicing is free on my Ioniq, and most others too probably, 5 year service pack included with purchase

Shefwedfan

ELM327 wrote: »

The Ioniq is not a leaf and driving at LeafSpeed is not required.
If you want 200km or more range then yes you will have to drive slower but I can't see an issue for the OP here at all. 86km e/w is only 172km and that would be possible at 120+.

I do it. I drove wexford to Meath (approx 186km from memory) at 120 GPS speed with range to spare.


You can spend 23995 on an Ioniq (see recent post in Ioniq thread) from an Irish dealer, you could spend less in the UK, or you can buy a furnace or double your money and buy a crappy paddy spec Kona with no Active Cruise in 9 months time.

Ok I wasn't aware the Ioniq would do that


So the Ioniq could do 180km per charge at 120km/h based on speedo in car?


Very impressive if that is the case

Mike9832

ELM327 wrote: »

Servicing is free on my Ioniq, and most others too probably, 5 year service pack included with purchase

Thats pretty cool of Hyundai , didn't know that

When the Ioniq gets the battery upgrade next year to 40kWh its going to suit almost everyone range wise, can't wait

Shefwedfan

Mike9832 wrote: »

Thats pretty cool of Hyundai , didn't know that

When the Ioniq gets the battery upgrade next year to 40kWh its going to suit almost everyone range wise, can't wait

Why? I thought it was Tesla only, remember you buy once and buy right....

Also you need a subsonic car which the Ioniq isn’t

I remember one of your accounts wanted a Kona, another was buyingthe Leaf 2

Will we have a new alias in 6 months, wonder what car that account will buy

ELM327

Shefwedfan wrote: »

Why? I thought it was Tesla only, remember you buy once and buy right....

Also you need a subsonic car which the Ioniq isn’t

I remember one of your accounts wanted a Kona, another was buyingthe Leaf 2

Will we have a new alias in 6 months, wonder what car that account will buy

A diesel skoda

Mike9832

Shefwedfan wrote: »

Why? I thought it was Tesla only, remember you buy once and buy right....

Also you need a subsonic car which the Ioniq isn’t

I remember one of your accounts wanted a Kona, another was buyingthe Leaf 2

Will we have a new alias in 6 months, wonder what car that account will buy

The quality of your posts are embarrassing these days

Seriously

Whats happened to you?

KCross

ELM327 wrote: »

... I can't see an issue for the OP here at all. 86km e/w is only 172km and that would be possible at 120+.

I do it. I drove wexford to Meath (approx 186km from memory) at 120 GPS speed with range to spare.

I'd agree the Ioniq could cover that distance but what about in wet, windy, cold, dark conditions? i.e. winter.

Would it comfortably cover it then or would he have to slow down? I suspect the latter as he's not going to want to be arriving home almost out of range each day in the winter.

I guess the only real answer is the OP should get one on trial for a few days and do the commute.

Mike9832

ELM327 wrote: »

A diesel skoda

Wouldn't buy a diesel again

PHEV like a 330e are cool

Shefwedfan

ELM327 wrote: »

A diesel skoda

Mammys diesel Skoda :P

Shefwedfan

KCross wrote: »

I'd agree the Ioniq could cover that distance but what about in wet, windy, cold, dark conditions? i.e. winter.

Would it comfortably cover it then or would he have to slow down? I suspect the latter as he's not going to want to be arriving home almost out of range each day in the winter.

I guess the only real answer is the OP should get one on trial for a few days and do the commute.

I thought the weekend trial thing was gone these days.....

Mike9832

Shefwedfan wrote: »

Mammys diesel Skoda :P

Don't be jealous old man

Shefwedfan

Other option, sell the Skoda....buy an old bangornomics diesel. A6/5 series or something comfortable for the drive

Wait, take a hit for 12 months on the diesel. In 12 months time the market should have changed, potentially you will have
Leaf 2 60kWh
Kona 39kWh
Kona 64kWh in better supply
eNiro 39wKh
eNiro 64kWh
Soul - not sure what kWh they are putting in it?
Ioniq 4XkWh
VW Niro 40/60/80kWh

All of the above would have to be purchased new but you could use the older diesel to trade in and hopefully scrappage

ELM327

KCross wrote: »

I'd agree the Ioniq could cover that distance but what about in wet, windy, cold, dark conditions? i.e. winter.

Would it comfortably cover it then or would he have to slow down? I suspect the latter as he's not going to want to be arriving home almost out of range each day in the winter.

I guess the only real answer is the OP should get one on trial for a few days and do the commute.

Can't ever envisage a day that the car cannot cover 172km.
However it's different for each driver and he will need to build his own "confidence" or profile of "how far can I drive", so the suggestion of an extended test drive is a good one.


FWIW I have a 168km round trip most weekends to Rathfarnham via m3/m50 and drive the car at 120km/h+ GPS speed with heating on auto 22 all the time, no issue even at this time of year in a full car.


This idea of motorway driving needing to be at 100-110km/h in an EV is a myth largely perpetuated by leaf drivers (I was one of them a couple of years ago) as their EV cannot drive far at 120+. There are better EVs out there that can. Ioniq, Kona, i3, Teslas etc.

Mike9832

Shefwedfan wrote: »

Other option, sell the Skoda....buy an old bangornomics diesel. A6/5 series or something comfortable for the drive

Wait, take a hit for 12 months on the diesel. In 12 months time the market should have changed, potentially you will have
Leaf 2 60kWh
Kona 39kWh
Kona 64kWh in better supply
eNiro 39wKh
eNiro 64kWh
Soul - not sure what kWh they are putting in it?
Ioniq 4XkWh
VW Niro 40/60/80kWh

All of the above would have to be purchased new but you could use the older diesel to trade in and hopefully scrappage

Thats a good suggestion

Once the Tesla Model 3 hits these shores, the EV revolution will begin

Hyundai/Nissan/VW and all the autogiants won't be able to sell overpriced EVs anymore

KCross

ELM327 wrote: »

Can't ever envisage a day that the car cannot cover 172km.
However it's different for each driver and he will need to build his own "confidence" or profile of "how far can I drive", so the suggestion of an extended test drive is a good one.


FWIW I have a 168km round trip most weekends to Rathfarnham via m3/m50 and drive the car at 120km/h+ GPS speed with heating on auto 22 all the time, no issue even at this time of year in a full car.


This idea of motorway driving needing to be at 100-110km/h in an EV is a myth largely perpetuated by leaf drivers (I was one of them a couple of years ago) as their EV cannot drive far at 120+. There are better EVs out there that can. Ioniq, Kona, i3, Teslas etc.

It’s not really a myth though. In any EV or ICE your range is reduced the faster you go just that the Leaf is worse than most. Not a myth though, it’s down to the range you need.

Your 168km trip sounds encouraging though for the OP. Rain is the big range killer. What would your remaining battery percent be after that 168km trip in the rain?

ELM327

KCross wrote: »

It’s not really a myth though. In any EV or ICE your range is reduced the faster you go just that the Leaf is worse than most. Not a myth though, it’s down to the range you need.

Your 168km trip sounds encouraging though for the OP. Rain is the big range killer. What would your remaining battery percent be after that 168km trip in the rain?

No warnings or anything, probably ~15% +- a few percent.

And it is a myth. You dont need to drive at 100/110 on the motorway in an EV by default. Just in leafs.

Shefwedfan

ELM327 wrote: »

Can't ever envisage a day that the car cannot cover 172km.
However it's different for each driver and he will need to build his own "confidence" or profile of "how far can I drive", so the suggestion of an extended test drive is a good one.


FWIW I have a 168km round trip most weekends to Rathfarnham via m3/m50 and drive the car at 120km/h+ GPS speed with heating on auto 22 all the time, no issue even at this time of year in a full car.


This idea of motorway driving needing to be at 100-110km/h in an EV is a myth largely perpetuated by leaf drivers (I was one of them a couple of years ago) as their EV cannot drive far at 120+. There are better EVs out there that can. Ioniq, Kona, i3, Teslas etc.

Is that is the case I guess the eGolf 2 would be able to do the trip as well at 120km/h

Mike9832

Shefwedfan wrote: »

Is that is the case I guess the eGolf 2 would be able to do the trip as well at 120km/h

Probably would

Why would anyone buy one?

They are like 35k, almost Kona 64kWh 400km territory

They are being discontinued too and all old tech, no liquid cooling, slow sub 60kW charging, a day to 60mph

Ioniq is available for nearly 10k less at certain garages doing scrappage ( some poster here got it for 25.8k)

More i think about it

OP should sell the Skoda privately, buy a banger and trade that in for scrappage for a new 191 Ioniq

Pay back will be very quick on a 26k Ioniq

Duckjob

KCross wrote: »

It’s not really a myth though. In any EV or ICE your range is reduced the faster you go just that the Leaf is worse than most. Not a myth though, it’s down to the range you need.

Yes faster is always less efficient, but when you drive an Ioniq with regen switched off completely you realise how aerodynamically efficient it is. It glides so well without power it's like driving on a sheet of ice. So while its still going to be less efficient at higher speeds, the effect is going to be a lot less pronounced than the Leaf.

KCross

Duckjob wrote: »

Yes faster is always less efficient, but when you drive an Ioniq with regen switched off completely you realise how aerodynamically efficient it is. It glides so well without power it's like driving on a sheet of ice. So while its still going to be less efficient at higher speeds, the effect is going to be a lot less pronounced than the Leaf.

For sure. The Ioniq is much more efficient than the Leaf but if you are close to the range of the car (Ioniq or Leaf) you need to slow down to extend range. Thats just the reality of it, as you said, more pronounced in the Leaf.

For instance, loads of videos posted on this forum since the Ioniq was released showing it doing 300km+ but you wont get that on the motorway at 120km/h.

It does appear the Ioniq will suffice for the OP so they should try one out.