Would a hybrid or fully electric car suit me?

TripleSSS

I currently drive a diesel car 2.0 TDI.
My daily commute is 12km (6km each way) urban / city roads normally during rush hour so fairly slow moving.

I travel home on the weekends which is about 160km (80km each way) on N roads that usually moves at about 60-100 kmph and also travel home at least once a week during the week for training - another 160km same N road.

I'm thinking of spending between 15-20K Euro just wondering what peoples experience in the past may have been. Will a hyrbid suit me, if so what can people recommend? I'm looking for something sporty like the Lexus IS 250H, (don't like the leaf, Kona, iqoniq, prius!) should I go fully electric? (I have my own house so could install a charge port no problem)

I'm pretty open to idea's about options about what is out there. Also are hybrids any good for towing?

Thanks for any help

unkel

I would definitely go full EV

All new EVs can do that trip no problem all year round. Problem is, your budget is not big enough for a new EV.

Second hand EVs within budget are the Leaf 30kWh, BMW i3, eGolf. None of these can make that trip without a top up on a cold day in winter, but you could hook up your car for a few hours with a granny cable at your destination, it plugs into any domestic socket

Or you could up your budget and buy a new EV. You will likely save a few grand a year on fuel alone. To give you an idea, some people have bought a 191 Ioniq for €26k on the road. A 2 year old Ioniq sells privately for about €22k at the moment, so very low depreciation can be expected if you buy well.

TripleSSS

unkel wrote: »

I would definitely go full EV

All new EVs can do that trip no problem all year round. Problem is, your budget is not big enough for a new EV.

Second hand EVs within budget are the Leaf 30kWh, BMW i3, eGolf. None of these can make that trip without a top up on a cold day in winter, but you could hook up your car for a few hours with a granny cable at your destination, it plugs into any domestic socket

Or you could up your budget and buy a new EV. You will likely save a few grand a year on fuel alone. To give you an idea, some people have bought a 191 Ioniq for €26k on the road. A 2 year old Ioniq sells privately for about €22k at the moment, so very low depreciation can be expected if you buy well.

What price range would I need to be in to get a decent new or just used EV? I was looking at the eGolf but they are a bit small for what I need. I would like something bigger like a saloon type. I was looking into the BMW 330e they seem nice but are pricey.

unkel

BMW 330e is a great car, but it is a plug in hybrid (PHEV) and the range on electric only is very small. It was made as a compliance car to show low CO2 figures (on paper). Great value to be had on importing one second hand from the UK though and you would qualify for €600 subsidy on a home charge point install

You don't seem to like most EVs that are in your budget and the ones you might like are way outside of your budget (like Tesla Model 3 / Model S / Model X, Audi eTron, Mercedes EQB, Jaguar iPace)

PaulRyan97

You might be better off looking at PHEVs like the Mitsubishi Outlander or the Hyundai Ioniq. You should be able the find used ones within your price range.

Black_Knight

unkel wrote: »

You don't seem to like most EVs that are in your budget and the ones you might like are way outside of your budget (like Tesla Model 3 / Model S / Model X, Audi eTron, Mercedes EQB, Jaguar iPace)

This stood out to me as the biggest blocker for the OP. If style is what you're after, EVs have it in limited supply, even if you want to spend loads!

Personally I'd of always gone for a stylish car (then again ICE cars have lots of options available in the 2nd hand market), but I've zero regrets after a month owning my ioniq EV

Nikki Sixx

I’d buy a hybrid and wait for electric cars with better batteries further down the line.

...Ghost...

Going for a hybrid is like filling a bucket with a hole in the bottom. You won't see any savings. If you want a stylish saloon, keep your diesel. If you're open to change, full EV will suit.

Before going EV just over 2 years ago, I loved stylish cars. I hated diesels, but I like to think I drove a few semi-desirable cars. My most recent 3 cars were a 3 Series, an E200K and an FTO.

I considered an Outlander PHEV because I think they look great. I ruled out the Leaf because I thought it was fugly. For my driving, the Outlander would have covered about 80-90% on battery alone, but it was outside what I wanted to spend. I had budgeted for €15k and went with what made the most sense. A 24kWh Leaf imported from the UK. I got a 2014 Tekna (top spec) with under 30k miles for £11k. Today, it's worth the same as when I bought it.

I don't care what the car looks like. The moment I drove it, I loved it. Test drive one to see what I mean. Would I prefer the newer 40kWh Leaf....hell yeah! It has more range, more power and it's actually nice to look at too.

We had a 7 seater family car which we got rid of in favour of a 2012 Leaf less than 2 months after buying the first Leaf. Neither myself or my wife wanted to drive the 7 seater. It felt awful to drive compared to the Leaf. So we are now a 2 BEV family and loving it.

1 year later, my MIL and FIL wanted an EV. I picked up a 2014 Leaf Acenta (mid spec) in the UK for them. Prices had risen a little, but we got great value and they love it. Last week, we picked up a 30kWh Leaf Acenta from NI for my SIL.

If I were you, with a budget of 15-20, I would get a 30kWh Leaf. Pushing for the newer version brings you into €25k territory and all for the sake of styling. A 30 Leaf will serve you very well.

Happy Hunting.

Hurrache

OP, sacrilegious I know, but why not keep what you have and get a new bike? 6km is about a 20 minute saunter on bike, and a lot less hassle than sitting in stop/start traffic which I guess based on your description is taking longer than that?

TripleSSS

Black_Knight wrote: »

This stood out to me as the biggest blocker for the OP. If style is what you're after, EVs have it in limited supply, even if you want to spend loads!

Personally I'd of always gone for a stylish car (then again ICE cars have lots of options available in the 2nd hand market), but I've zero regrets after a month owning my ioniq EV

Yeah I do think this is one of the blocking points for me. I would love to get a Tesla, my brother actually works in the gigafactory and said they are a dream to drive. But they are way outside of my budget. Does anyone know approx what it is to import a Telsa from the UK, I'm guessing around €50k?

I do like the Outlander PHEV, does anyone know if they are good for towing - I sometimes tow a horsebox also. Also what is the best way to work out how much mileage the battery will cover?

I also forgot to mention in my OP, that most weekends I would make a trip for a match which again would be at least 100km trip minimum (the joys of being from the west coast)!

With regards to the bike, yeah that is sacrilegious It is something I have considered but the constant rain in Galway seems to put me off!

Thanks for all the reply's it has definitely given me food for thought

biko

For towing you should definitely consider Outlander. It's also in your budget.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zCZvSjWVZQ

Hurrache

TripleSSS wrote: »

With regards to the bike, yeah that is sacrilegious It is something I have considered but the constant rain in Galway seems to put me off!

Ha, although Galway is the worse for driving in, unless you like roundabouts.

Alkers

Have a look at a Vauxhall Ampera also, 50-60km on battery which would do all of your commuting and a good chunk of your spin home.
They're rare over here but do come up for sale or look at bringing over from UK.
It's a stylish car and great to drive but it may not suit you as only has 4 seats and is not type approved to tow.
You should be able to get one for about 9k-12k depending on year and mileage. Top spec electron model is the one to go for. Under four hours charging on granny cable (10A domestic 4-pin plug) so no point in even getting a home charger installed (but do make sure you have an external socket that is good for the continuous load).

unkel

Fully electric cars are rather good at towing. Look it's a MINI Electric towing a Boeing 777

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viYcGcFfmGQ

kanuseeme

the towing ability of a outlander phev is lower than the diesel,
The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV has a 1500kg towing limit. There are two ways of looking at that figure. The glass-half-full perspective is that it’s enough to make it a suitable match for a wide range of caravans. The glass-half-empty view is that the tow limit is well below 85% of the kerbweight – so the Mitsubishi cannot legally pull a tourer that's more than an 80% match – and some 500kg less than the Outlander diesel’s maximum.
I have heard the same about honda hybrid also. you would really need to check into it.

Black_Knight

unkel wrote: »

Fully electric cars are rather good at towing. Look it's a MINI Electric towing a Boeing 777

Towing is no problem, but don't forget you need to be able to stop what you're towing also.

zilog_jones

TripleSSS wrote: »

I'm thinking of spending between 15-20K Euro just wondering what peoples experience in the past may have been. Will a hyrbid suit me, if so what can people recommend? I'm looking for something sporty like the Lexus IS 250H, (don't like the leaf, Kona, iqoniq, prius!) should I go fully electric? (I have my own house so could install a charge port no problem)

So you know the Lexus IS is not a plug-in hybrid? Fuel costs will most certainly be higher than your current diesel, though maintenance will cost less and it'll probably be more reliable. There are currently no Lexus PHEVs.

There are certainly many PHEVs which will cover your commute so you would save significantly on fuel costs, but nowhere near as much as a full EV. And if a towbar is a hard requirement, your choice is significantly limited.