Leaf or Zoe

Doff

I'm going to get an EV as my next car. I've read through multiple threads here so I have a rough idea on the process of getting a charger installed and what the different EV's are on offer.


The use case for the EV is commuting to work daily which is under 20km and in rare cases going to North/South Dublin via M50, starting from the Tallaght area. Along with that, the usual shopping trips and basically anything within range.


I'm stuck on getting a Leaf or a Zoe, or even a different model I may have overlooked that is better recommended. When I spoke to dealers at both Nissan & Renault they didn't give me much information, just some leaflets while trying to get me to sign up for a test drive.



Pricewise the Zoe seems better, especially with the new Zoe coming out soon the price should drop on the current model. I was unable to get a tangible answer on how much servicing costs on average, but Nissan are offering a payment plan where you pay monthly installments and that covers the servicing, so its making think the cost of servicing is huge but hopefully someone here can set me straight on that.


Another thing I haven't been able to get much information on is the ownership of the battery, what is the benefit of you owning the battery as opposed to Renault/Nissan owning the battery?


Lastly, between the Zoe S Edition & Leaf 40Kwh, which provides the best value for money overall in your opinion?

Mickeroo

Monthly payment to cover servicing sounds like a money racket to me. Servicing on EVs is cheap from what I've read on this forum.

Also battery lease isn't an option anymore (and it was never a good option to begin with).

Personally if you can get your hands on the Zoe refresh that's just been announced it's a no btainer over the Leaf provided it being a much smaller car than the leaf isn't an issue for you. Pricing hasn't been announced yet though that I'm aware of.

unkel

It sounds like you would be perfectly fine too with a second hand EV, or are you keen to get a new car?

ELM327

The current Zoe is old hat and has been around since 2012, the new leaf is a fancy frock over a drivetrain that has been around since 2011.

Would you not consider others (i3, egolf, kona etc)

Doff

Thanks for the replies. I'd be happy enough with a second hand one, however I am very wary of the battery usage and deprecation it may have and I don't feel knowledgeable enough on the subject to commit right now. I understand most of the stories I have read would relate to the earlier model EV's though and I will definitely look into it more. For the cost I've seen some second hand ones going for I'd rather spend the extra money on a new one for warranty etc.

I had a look at the likes of Kona etc but it they seem to be much pricier and I doubt I would need such a high range for what I would be using it for.

unkel

You can get a perfectly fine Leaf 24 on 141 plates for €10k. Out of warranty for sure, the battery warranty it had was only 5 years. The battery will degrade, but this is a slow process. At 5.5 years old, it probably still has 85% or so capacity, maybe even more. Its range will be fine if you rarely drive more than 100km around Dublin city and county

A lot more choice second hand if you up your budget a bit, BMW i3, eGolf, Zoe, Ioniq, Leaf30 (that came with a 8 year battery warranty, like most other EVs), 2016/2017 Leaf24, all of these should still have battery warranty, but check before you buy

And buying new, Zoe starts at €25k, Ioniq at €26k, Leaf at about €28k

Pretty much all EVs depreciate less than petrol / diesel cars. New or second hand.

fguinan

unkel wrote: »

And buying new, Zoe starts at €25k, Ioniq at €26k, Leaf at about €28k

Where can you buy a new Ioniq for €26k?

unkel

Several regulars on this forum got a white 191 Ioniq on the road for €26k all in.

Mickeroo

It was 26k with scrappage. The scrappage hasn't been available for months so an Ioniq is 31k on the road before trade ins etc (the white might be 30k on the road).

Zenith74

For your range requirements (very similar to mine) it would be well worth considering something secondhand. It will allow you try an EV (you’re going to love it!) without committing too much. There’s little to worry about in-terms of battery etc, it’s easy to take a reading, lots of help available on here about what is ‘good’. Other than the battery, just need to watch the usual secondhand car stuff - not previously written off, no finance, tyres, brakes and pads.

The Leaf is quite a bit bigger than the Zoe and the Tekna/SVE spec is quite plush. FWIW 18 months ago I bought a 142 Leaf Tekna for €11k ish just to try out EVs, assuming I’d be bored of it and want to change after a few months. Absolutely love it and wife has one now as well!

Drop in to one of the Nissan garages and try to test drive a 2015/2016 and make sure it’s an SVE/Tekna so you feel the nice interior and see the fun tech. FWIW the Leaf guy in Nissan Swords is great, really honest and enthusiastic.

unkel

Zenith74 wrote: »

18 months ago I bought a 142 Leaf Tekna for €11k ish

That car is now worth more than you paid for it :cool:

NIMAN

There's a 141 Zoe for sale for just under €7500

https://www.electricautos.ie/vehicles/renault/zoe/kildare/2321267

unkel

Battery lease. You will never be able to sell it on again. And when you eventually scrap it after paying thousands and thousands in monthly leases, you have to pay Renault to recycle it.

Don't do it.

Zenith74

unkel wrote: »

That car is now worth more than you paid for it :cool:

Only had 20k km on it, have to say I really really enjoy the car, so much more than expected!

unkel

Also from electric autos, who have an excellent reputation and will give you a warranty:

Leaf 141 for just over €10k

Linky


You can't go wrong there.

Batesy

I’ll more than likely be looking to move my Black 142 Tekna / SVE on over then next 6 months. Currently 60k on the clock. Just serviced with front brake discs and pads replaced.

Thinking of asking for €11,000 ono

NIMAN

unkel wrote: »

Battery lease. You will never be able to sell it on again. And when you eventually scrap it after paying thousands and thousands in monthly leases, you have to pay Renault to recycle it.

Don't do it.

Oops.

Forgot about the battery leasing.

Doff

Thanks for the insight all, I'm definitely leaning towards second hand now. If it works, maybe the car after that will be a new one

Shefwedfan

The service plans are just a profit margin for the garage. I got extended warranty on my diesel car. One part broke, was very unlikely and I got fixed so it has paid for itself.

But two bits gone since, standard with a car of that mileage and both not covered under the warranty. Also they wanted a fortune to fix so got my mate to do it. It is especially a profit when talking about electric which has minimal warranty

If you want a new car then get a new car. Do not loan the battery, the only benefit of the battery loan is if the battery dies. Not going to happen so you could be 10 years paying a battery loan before you will get any benefit.

If going second hand then go to the expert, electric autos, next eco cars etc are the best to talk to.

If you planned on getting new then you could of course go for a better second hand car. Have a look at the eGolf. Take a Leaf/Zoe for a spin and then take an eGolf for a spin and you will notice the difference. They are beautiful car to drive.

obi604

unkel wrote: »

That car is now worth more than you paid for it :cool:

Why are these older electric cars going up in value? Just curious.

unkel

obi604 wrote: »

Why are these older electric cars going up in value? Just curious.

A year or two ago, the general population considered EV owners lunatics. All things about EVs were bad, the battery would be dead in 2 years and they would never become mainstream. That's what people said in the pub. Demand for second hand EVs was very low. A 4 year old (late 2013) Leaf (€30k new) was worth just €6-7k

Move on a bit and everyone now knows that EVs is the only way forward and that diesel and petrol cars will be banned at some stage. A lot of people want to buy a second hand EV, but supply is limited. The above Leaf, now 6 years old, is now worth €9k

Supply of brand new EVs is still very low and new prices are very high (despite our €10k subsidy). Yet they all sell out. Supply <<<< demand

The price of second hand EVs will stay strong for at least several more years, until EVs are produced in much higher numbers

Hope that explains!

n97 mini

obi604 wrote: »

Why are these older electric cars going up in value? Just curious.

To simplify unkle's post: supply and demand.

obi604

These granny chargers - are they weatherproof. I don’t mean put to submerge in a sink of water. I mean could they be left outside in the pouring rain and be ok?

KCross

obi604 wrote: »

These granny chargers - are they weatherproof. I don’t mean put to submerge in a sink of water. I mean could they be left outside in the pouring rain and be ok?

Yes and No!

Yes, the unit itself is waterproof and can be left charging in the rain but it is run off a standard 3 pin plug and that is not waterproof.

You need to ensure that wherever you plug it in is waterproof.

Caillte

Itching to buy an EV. No fecking idea where to start. Would love a new one but cash is an issue. So im looking at Leafs or Zoes... Old zoes had small battery capacity

ewj1978

whats your price range? whats your commute?

Water John

New Electric Mini out next year, for anyone interested;
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/jul/09/bmw-electric-mini-price

28/29K Sterling.

unkel

Water John wrote: »

New Electric Mini out next year, for anyone interested;
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/jul/09/bmw-electric-mini-price

28/29K Sterling.

It says GBP24,400 list price (after incentives)

That's not that bad for a premium supermini, should be about €26k here (depending on Brexit)

unkel

New electric MINI deserved its own thread anyway

Linky