Suitable?

Isambard

I recently advised an elderly couple nearby who seldom venture more than 20km from home, and who are buying a new car shortly, that an EV would be a great buy for them. They went for petrol....

how can you convince people? I'd have thought an EV would be ideal for them.

Kramer

Isambard wrote: »

I recently advised an elderly couple nearby who seldom venture more than 20km from home, and who are buying a new car shortly, that an EV would be a great buy for them. They went for petrol....

how can you convince people?.

They are probably holding out for a 1000km range EV, or did they go for one of Toyota's magic self charging chariots?

Impossible to change some people's preconceived ideas.

unkel

It would be ideal for their use. But possibly not for them. A lot of people when they get older will be very set in their ways. And not prepared to change something that has worked for them for a long time for something quite different and techie that they will have to learn to use and understand how it works.

Kramer

unkel wrote: »

A lot of people when they get older will be very set in their ways......................and......they will have to learn to use and understand how it works.

Ageist!


I was going to post old dog, new tricks but thought better of it.
But yeah, exactly as Unkel posted, too old to change their ways most likely.
Out of interest, was it a brand new petrol or a used one? I could see the logic in getting a nice enough petrol, decent spec etc. for low €20s vs a Leaf for €30k, given they do next to no mileage in it.

daheff

what are they going to buy? How much will they spend?

While you might think they are suited for an EV, the financial cost may not stack up for them...especially on the mileage you are quoting.

unkel

Kramer wrote: »

Ageist!

I'm getting rather old myself

But I like change!

Water John

Are you dropping a hint to the OH?
Getting on in years myself but always game for change. 'Ask not what was done and why, but what was not done and why not'.

Johnboy1951

Isambard wrote: »

I recently advised an elderly couple nearby who seldom venture more than 20km from home, and who are buying a new car shortly, that an EV would be a great buy for them. They went for petrol....

how can you convince people? I'd have thought an EV would be ideal for them.

Why would you think they have made the wrong decision for them?

Is it not possible they took all relevant facts into account and decided that an ICE car, of which they likely have decades experience, was the better option for them?

Mike9832

Isambard wrote: »

I recently advised an elderly couple nearby who seldom venture more than 20km from home, and who are buying a new car shortly, that an EV would be a great buy for them. They went for petrol....

how can you convince people? I'd have thought an EV would be ideal for them.

Why should they buy an EV?

They are not short for cash

Besides running costs what's the advantage bar environmental impact ( who cares)

mordeith

Mike9832 wrote: »

Why should they buy an EV?

They are not short for cash

Besides running costs what's the advantage bar environmental impact ( who cares)

Oh I don't know. Super easy to drive. The quietness. Lack of maintenance. Some people actually do care.

ELM327

Isambard wrote: »

I recently advised an elderly couple nearby who seldom venture more than 20km from home, and who are buying a new car shortly, that an EV would be a great buy for them. They went for petrol....

how can you convince people? I'd have thought an EV would be ideal for them.

I don't think these are the type of people to best target.
They are comfortable in their ways. A recent survey showed that the 18-24 year age group, a vast majority expected their first or second car to be an EV, and also to be autonomous.


This goes down with age. Hit them young.

ELM327

Mike9832 wrote: »

Why should they buy an EV?

They are not short for cash

Besides running costs what's the advantage bar environmental impact ( who cares)

Pensioners are the silent carrier of a lot of wealth.

A few quid here or there on petrol doing probably 100km a week doesn't really matter. They would be best served in a new Yaris hybrid or something, rather than spending money on something thjat will be obsolete in a couple of years.

Littlehorny

Something similar was said on another EV thread like this. Someone wrote in that an elderly couple near them bought a petrol Hyundai Kona rather than the electric one because the petrol option was way cheaper and you would have to do alot of miles on it before you could justify buying the dearer electric car.

Mike9832

mordeith wrote: »

Oh I don't know. Super easy to drive. The quietness. Lack of maintenance. Some people actually do care.

Easy to drive agree

Maintenance in any brand new car is negligible

Quietness don't really agree, not at speed anyway

Kona EV i drove was really quiet below 50kmh, at 100+ the electric motor was whining and squeaky noises going over national road I was on could be heard

Drove a 17 Tiquan 2.0TDi 4wd DSG and you couldn't even hear the engine on the motorway, cabin noises from suspension etc much less too

Both would be similar money brand new i think

Mike9832

Littlehorny wrote: »

Something similar was said on another EV thread like this. Someone wrote in that an elderly couple near them bought a petrol Hyundai Kona rather than the electric one because the petrol option was way cheaper and you would have to do alot of miles on it before you could justify buying the dearer electric car.

Its true though

I love the electric drive train and its performance

Your paying for 10-15k of petrol upfront for a Kona EV, thats the way I think of it

Some people dont mind putting 30e a week of petrol in the car, they've been doing it forever

Now when something like for like, its a different story

Say a Tesla Model 3 that costs 40k has almost 300bhp/400km range/incredibly fast charging vs a BMW 3 series for 40k

Thats a no brainer

Markcheese

You'd have to do a lot of milage to compensate for the price, but you would probably have the residual value to make up the difference...
There can also be choice, up to now if you wanted a small car, it was a Zoe or a Zoe,.(and many on here advise against a zoe as being overpriced).
Itll be interesting next year to see the "new crop", of the 208/corsa, (surprised there's not noise about a weird and wacky Citroën too), new zoe, Honda, maybe even fiat 500 coming in...

ELM327

Littlehorny wrote: »

Something similar was said on another EV thread like this. Someone wrote in that an elderly couple near them bought a petrol Hyundai Kona rather than the electric one because the petrol option was way cheaper and you would have to do alot of miles on it before you could justify buying the dearer electric car.

15-20k premium for the EV. Not worth it.

ELM327

Markcheese wrote: »

You'd have to do a lot of milage to compensate for the price, but you would probably have the residual value to make up the difference...
There can also be choice, up to now if you wanted a small car, it was a Zoe or a Zoe,.(and many on here advise against a zoe as being overpriced).
Itll be interesting next year to see the "new crop", of the 208/corsa, (surprised there's not noise about a weird and wacky Citroën too), new zoe, Honda, maybe even fiat 500 coming in...

lots of miles = lower residual value

Littlehorny

It looks like the price of electric is going to have to get more in line with petrol options if they are going to be considered by a lot of folk.
If your only spending 30 euro a week on petrol and the electric option is 15k dearer, then the car is going to be 10 years old before you see your extra outlay back.
I know its very simple maths on this, but thats the way some buyers will look at it.

Gumbo

Littlehorny wrote: »

It looks like the price of electric is going to have to get more in line with petrol options if they are going to be considered by a lot of folk.
If your only spending 30 euro a week on petrol and the electric option is 15k dearer, then the car is going to be 10 years old before you see your extra outlay back.
I know its very simple maths on this, but thats the way some buyers will look at it.

It will over time in my opinion.

Old diesel

It's too easy if you are into cars to underestimate how hard it is for non car people to adapt to new car stuff.

Even something like driving an auto when you always drove manuals.

EVs are easier to drive - if FAMILIAR with how they drive.

Talk of things like full whack torque from 0 RPM can actually be a turn off if unfamiliar as a driver could feel the car will take off too quick for them.

Now when they actually drive the car they may well have some fears allayed - but if you can have "safe familiar" petrol - you may just not bother.

This should become less of an issue the more EVs that are bought - as you are more likely then to know someone with an EV.