Can you afford a new electric car next year?

drunkmonkey

Just trying to gauge what boardies can really buy into this brave new age of motoring. I know we need a 7 seater in the house and there are no options without spending the price of a reasonably priced house.

Gumbo

No, but we don’t have to.
The same poll could be put up to ask if I could afford a new ICE car next year, the answer will still be no for most.

drunkmonkey

kceire wrote: »

No, but we don’t have to.
The same poll could be put up to ask if I could afford a new ICE car next year, the answer will still be no for most.

You have a ton of choice with ICE both new and second hand. You don't with the EV's were being encouraged to buy. If people don't buy new ones then the governments plan falls to pieces as there's no second hand cars for the ordinary man in the street.
So yes a lot of people need to buy a new one.

mondeo

I wouldn't buy any of the electric cars currently on the market here, don't like the look of any of them. A Tesla is a different story but thats in another league in looks and performance. Can't afford one of those.

JustMe,K

kceire wrote: »

No, but we don’t have to.
The same poll could be put up to ask if I could afford a new ICE car next year, the answer will still be no for most.

Same for me. TBH if I was buying a new car I would look at an EV, but the entry price would be a barrier for me.

Gumbo

drunkmonkey wrote: »

You have a ton of choice with ICE both new and second hand. You don't with the EV's were being encouraged to buy. If people don't buy new ones then the governments plan falls to pieces as there's no second hand cars for the ordinary man in the street.
So yes a lot of people need to buy a new one.

Then people should still buy the ICE if the EV doesn’t suit them. EV’s are not being shoved down anyone’s necks despite what people think. We still have at least 10 years of new ICE coming to the market and another 20 years after that for those ICE around decay through their natural life cycle.

I’ll still see ICE on the roads for the rest of my life IMO. The shift to greener lifestyle will be a generation shift. Young kids understand EV’s are the future. It will be them that will be buying EV’s without any consideration for an ICE.

EV is encouraged but not forced, the same as home upgrades are encouraged but not forced.

amcalester

I just bought an e-Kona at the start of the month, I looked at a few ICE cars, new and second hand and was very tempted by the Model 3 but it was too expensive.

My mileage is relatively high and 1 of our 2 cars needed to be replaced (a small electrical fire killed it) so between the jigs and the reels, I could either spend big on an electric car with reduced running costs or buy a cheaper second hand car, hope it's reliable and pay the higher running costs.

It terms of cash flow I reckon the Kona is an extra €200-€250 per month extra on top of my previous running costs, money that would have been spent on a new car anyway so I figured I may as well sit in a brand new car.

Time will tell if I made the right decision.

beggars_bush

the charging of it is the issue for me

I'm not using a standard wire from the house out to the car.

I'm about 6.5km from the nearest charging station

MightyMunster

beggars_bush wrote: »

the charging of it is the issue for me

I'm not using a standard wire from the house out to the car.

I'm about 6.5km from the nearest charging station

What's a standard wire? A granny cable? Why not get a 7kw charging point installed? Charging away from home will soon be much more expensive than home charging

awec

Drive a Superb Estate at the moment.

When a car like this is an electric model at a reasonable price with reasonable performance I'll buy it.

But right now, there are no electric models that meet my needs. They are mostly too small.

biko

Can afford it - yes
Will I buy one - no

galwaytt

Poor question tbh.

But, in the spirit of Motors I'll say 'Yes'............but for the money, I'd buy this first: https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/maserati-granturismo-4-2-v8-automatic/22390790

galwaytt

mondeo wrote: »

I wouldn't buy any of the electric cars currently on the market here, don't like the look of any of them. A Tesla is a different story but thats in another league in looks and performance. Can't afford one of those.

.....indeed, I can't fathom spending 100k on a car that looks like a 10yr old Mazda 6 either..........

....and even if it didn't, I reckon the quality is a long way off what people expect from a car these days, and it'll be interesting to see what one with 10yrs of Irish roads will have it looking like........

Shefwedfan

With the planned changes really the question should be can you buy a new diesel before 2020...

I went into VW and the Tiguan Allspace is about 400-500 on PCP if you can get one in stock. If you order one it wont arrive till next year and it will be over 800 per month on PCP due to the new regulations.

If I was doing high mileage and I thought I wanted a diesel I would be doing everything to buy one now before the new tax system comes into play. Come next year your diesel car will probably increase in value and not go down....

Reasons
Well the Irish love a diesel
and they love nothing better than cheap tax

A car registered this year is not going to suddenly jump it tax band next year. The same as 2008, a car bought in 2007 didnt increase or decrease, it just stayed the same. The 2008 model had to use the new system.....

You won't get a 7 seater BEV. If you could I would have one, VW will be the first to bring it out by the looks of it and it will be 2023 before we see here.....

Lofidelity

Here's another question-


Can you afford to hang around while your electric car charges up?

MightyMunster

Lofidelity wrote: »

Here's another question-


Can you afford to hang around while your electric car charges up?

Maybe just plug it in before you go to bed? Depending on the car you should get 30-50km of charge per hour.

Or if you drive 24hrs a day you can use a fast charger where you can get up to 200km of charge in less time than filling a diesel and going to the toilet.

Shefwedfan

Lofidelity wrote: »

Here's another question-


Can you afford to hang around while your electric car charges up?

zilog_jones

kceire wrote: »

The shift to greener lifestyle will be a generation shift. Young kids understand EV’s are the future. It will be them that will be buying EV’s without any consideration for an ICE.

Never mind kids, many young adults today couldn't care less about car ownership at all. Most of my elder Millennial friends (mid-30s at this stage) do not own cars. I only have one because I want one, I could live without it.

My next car may be an EV, but not new.

tossy

There isn't an EV in the price range i'm shopping in that would come close to what i want from a car in terms of build quality, tech, performance , looks etc.

As was said by another poster, we don't have to (yet) so why would we.

reg114

If i could afford a hyundai kona electric or even a tesla I would buy either in the morning. While I believe more and more people will become EV owners I foresee the car companies being slow to pass on price drops through economies of scale. I also foresee the Irish gov ramp up costs / taxes on EVs as more people adopt the technology.

Gumbo

beggars_bush wrote: »

the charging of it is the issue for me

I'm not using a standard wire from the house out to the car.

I'm about 6.5km from the nearest charging station

You shouldn’t buy an EV based around public charging. You should be charging at home over night while your in bed at around 8c per kWh. A fully filled 40 kWh Leaf will cost €3.20 to fill and get you 250km. If that’s not enough the. EV not for you. (Loads of other examples like 64 kWh cars with 450km range but I used the leaf).

Lofidelity wrote: »

Here's another question-


Can you afford to hang around while your electric car charges up?

Why would you hang around? Do you hang around your washing machine waiting for it to finish a spin? Put it on charge and go to bed. Unplug in the morning with a full battery. Simples.

zilog_jones wrote: »

Never mind kids, many young adults today couldn't care less about car ownership at all. Most of my elder Millennial friends (mid-30s at this stage) do not own cars. I only have one because I want one, I could live without it.

My next car may be an EV, but not new.

This is true and I’m noticing it a lot these days also. Many are cycling I’ve noticed too or getting an electric scooter or similar.

tossy

kceire wrote: »

Why would you hang around? Do you hang around your washing machine waiting for it to finish a spin? Put it on charge and go to bed. Unplug in the morning with a full battery. Simples.

On this, lets say you drive an EV to and from work, you know when you get home you'll have a pretty low percentage but that's ok as you charge at home overnight and it's always fully charged in the morning. Lets say 20 mins after getting home you have a family emergency and for whatever reason you have to drive 40/50 miles to Hospital - Elderly relative whatever. What do you do then.

Shefwedfan

tossy wrote: »

On this, lets say you drive an EV to and from work, you know when you get home you'll have a pretty low percentage but that's ok as you charge at home overnight and it's always fully charged in the morning. Lets say 20 mins after getting home you have a family emergency and for whatever reason you have to drive 40/50 miles to Hospital - Elderly relative whatever. What do you do then.

Why would the car be low after you come home from work?

I can go to/back from work, also do a couple of visits to customers during the day, pick up kids on way as well

Still have enough if I want to do anything in the evening....

Dreaming up random reasons why you might in a 0.00000001% have an issue is hard to buy a car for....same as saying for that emergent you want 100% guarantee from manufacturer the car won’t be broken, it’s impossible.....

marketty

tossy wrote:

On this, lets say you drive an EV to and from work, you know when you get home you'll have a pretty low percentage but that's ok as you charge at home overnight and it's always fully charged in the morning. Lets say 20 mins after getting home you have a family emergency and for whatever reason you have to drive 40/50 miles to Hospital - Elderly relative whatever. What do you do then.

Let's say you get home in the diesel wagon after work with the red light on. 'May fill that in the morning' you say. Woken in the middle of the night, you have a family emergency and for whatever reason you have to drive 40/50 miles to Hospital - Elderly relative whatever. No 24hr diesel station in the area. What do you do then?

Black_Knight

tossy wrote: »

On this, lets say you drive an EV to and from work, you know when you get home you'll have a pretty low percentage but that's ok as you charge at home overnight and it's always fully charged in the morning. Lets say 20 mins after getting home you have a family emergency and for whatever reason you have to drive 40/50 miles to Hospital - Elderly relative whatever. What do you do then.

As many have said, EVs are not for everyone. Your scenario, for example, doesn't apply to me, or many others. My commute is <10km each way, and the hospital is about 2km away from me. I'd probably drive. :pac: I only charge my car maybe twice a week depending on after work activities.

But, if i've low battery, and I need to drive 80km away, i'd nip down to the fast charger for 20 minutes and be on my way. An EV suits my lifestyle and my location.

As mentioned, there's countless scenarios you can come up with that make having an EV a pain, but again, EVs are not for all, hence why lots have them as their 2nd car, rather than their primary. Each to their own, my EV is our primary car. If i've zero battery and I need to drive 80km NOW, i'll take my wifes petrol car.

Black_Knight

marketty wrote: »

Let's say you get home in the diesel wagon after work with the red light on. 'May fill that in the morning' you say. Woken in the middle of the night, you have a family emergency and for whatever reason you have to drive 40/50 miles to Hospital - Elderly relative whatever. No 24hr diesel station in the area. What do you do then?

Wow! I think we've found a scenario where an EV would have a better range than an ICE car! 4am in the middle of nowhere! Honestly never thought of that.

Shefwedfan

Black_Knight wrote: »

Wow! I think we've found a scenario where an EV would have a better range than an ICE car! 4am in the middle of nowhere! Honestly never thought of that.

If we are coming up with "What if" situations. Then a combustion engine car has a lot more moving parts, the % risk of the car not starting for this emergency is a lot higher than an electric car.



So not only could the electric have more range, it will actual start while your combustion engine could have any number of issues which could stop it starting......

Black_Knight

amcalester wrote: »

I just bought an e-Kona at the start of the month, I looked at a few ICE cars, new and second hand and was very tempted by the Model 3 but it was too expensive.

My mileage is relatively high and 1 of our 2 cars needed to be replaced (a small electrical fire killed it) so between the jigs and the reels, I could either spend big on an electric car with reduced running costs or buy a cheaper second hand car, hope it's reliable and pay the higher running costs.

Had a little giggle at the irony here.

Bummer of a situation though, no offense intended.

tossy

Shefwedfan wrote: »

Why would the car be low after you come home from work?

I can go to/back from work, also do a couple of visits to customers during the day, pick up kids on way as well

Still have enough if I want to do anything in the evening....

Dreaming up random reasons why you might in a 0.00000001% have an issue is hard to buy a car for....same as saying for that emergent you want 100% guarantee from manufacturer the car won’t be broken, it’s impossible.....

Not everyones commute/range is exactly like yours - there are situations where a person may charge once every day or other day and have enough to just commute with a little change.

marketty wrote: »

Let's say you get home in the diesel wagon after work with the red light on. 'May fill that in the morning' you say. Woken in the middle of the night, you have a family emergency and for whatever reason you have to drive 40/50 miles to Hospital - Elderly relative whatever. No 24hr diesel station in the area. What do you do then?

But sure it's diesel - red light will get you 40/50 miles to the hospital no bothers -there's bound to be filling station en route - 2 mins with the devils mickey in your hand and you'll have enough juice to out range any EV. I'd hate to be standing around waiting for my Milk float to charge while Grand dad jimmy was in dire straits

ednwireland

id love one - my driving habits are pretty much perfect for an EV

can i see myself affording one in the next 10 years - no

hard enough buying my 131

galwaytt

kceire wrote: »

You shouldn’t buy an EV based around public charging. You should be charging at home over night while your in bed at around 8c per kWh. A fully filled 40 kWh Leaf will cost €3.20 to fill and get you 250km. If that’s not enough the. EV not for you. (Loads of other examples like 64 kWh cars with 450km range but I used the leaf).

Speaking of Leafs (Leaves ??) - a colleague got a 6 month old one, in 2013.

Here we are, a mere 6 years later, and it will barely do 60 miles on a full charge.

ICE cars suffer from neither range anxiety nor depleting range due to age. My 2001 Audi's range is the same now as it was in...........2001.

Anything with a battery in it suffers the same ultimate fate: phones, laptops, power tools, and yes, even a PowerWall suffer it eventually.

Gumbo

tossy wrote: »

On this, lets say you drive an EV to and from work, you know when you get home you'll have a pretty low percentage but that's ok as you charge at home overnight and it's always fully charged in the morning. Lets say 20 mins after getting home you have a family emergency and for whatever reason you have to drive 40/50 miles to Hospital - Elderly relative whatever. What do you do then.

My car at 100% will give in theory 260km of city driving in this weather so one charge nearly does me a week but I still charge back to 100% in work as we have the access.

If an emergency like that popped up, it would depend to be honest. My relatives all live in Dublin/Ashbourne so I wouldn’t have to travel far and never beyond the range of the i3. (Yet).

Gumbo

galwaytt wrote: »

Speaking of Leafs (Leaves ??) - a colleague got a 6 month old one, in 2013.

Here we are, a mere 6 years later, and it will barely do 60 miles on a full charge.

ICE cars suffer from neither range anxiety nor depleting range due to age. My 2001 Audi's range is the same now as it was in...........2001.

Anything with a battery in it suffers the same ultimate fate: phones, laptops, power tools, and yes, even a PowerWall suffer it eventually.

100km for a first gen Leaf is quite good. As long as it suits his present needs then it’s perfect. I like the ICE, his car will Co. Tonite to be cheaper to run, cheaper to insure and cheaper to maintain so maybe the pros offset the negatives in this senario.

elperello

The poll result may be a bit biased against EVs.

I voted yes because I can afford an EV.
Problem is the vehicle I'm due to replace next year can't be replaced by an EV and the one that can be is not due for replacement.

So the fact of being able to afford an EV is only part of the picture.
People have complex vehicle requirements and it's not a one size fits all situation.

Third_Echelon

Currently living in California and got myself an eGolf 4 months ago for my work commute and a bit around town at the weekends. I have a 16 mile round trip commute to work 4 days per week and a bit of usage outside of that. Works perfectly for a second car for us and I only need to charge it once per week really. Could probably get 9/10 days out of it, but why bother going to near zero charge.

Primary family car is an ICE SUV, which we need for the longer journeys and boot capacity etc for kid's buggy, airport runs for relatives as well.... so the eGolf fits perfectly as a second car.

In saying that, the cost here is a lot less than in Ireland. Brand new 2019 that I got here was ~$30K, which on today's rate is ~EUR 27K. To buy the same car in Ireland is EUR 38K brand new. Both figures there include government incentives on price already included.... so ballpark a EUR 11K difference in price.

Needs to be more in that ballpark to make adoption easier, which will then filter into the second hand market. If nobody buys new, there are no second hand cars. VRT is the killer in Ireland. Always has been and always will be.

We plan to move back to Ireland in a few years and I'll definitely buy an EV if the price is right as they are a great car to drive. So much fun compared to ICE! Our family car is a Hyundai Santa Fe 3.4 L petrol, 290 BHP. So a fairly nippy motor... it's fast. When I get back into it after driving the EV, it feels so sluggish when accelerating. I think if most people took a test drive in an EV, they wouldn't look back (obviously range issues don't suit everyone's lifestyle or profession). If it works for you, I would recommend to do it.

Shefwedfan

galwaytt wrote: »

Speaking of Leafs (Leaves ??) - a colleague got a 6 month old one, in 2013.

Here we are, a mere 6 years later, and it will barely do 60 miles on a full charge.

ICE cars suffer from neither range anxiety nor depleting range due to age. My 2001 Audi's range is the same now as it was in...........2001.

Anything with a battery in it suffers the same ultimate fate: phones, laptops, power tools, and yes, even a PowerWall suffer it eventually.

Hate to tell you but the range is not the same and that Audi is no where near the same car that was sold in 2001.....

L1011

HP/PCP/personal loan I could buy one no problem. Will probably still buy a petrol

Very few people can afford to buy ICE outright either. The delta that can buy ice but not EV outright is tiny

Yes but there is a very long list of cars I’d be buying before even considering an electric car.

Wailin

Can i afford one next year? Yes. Would I want one? No chance. I won't switch to EV until I have absolutely no choice.

There's not a nice looking EV out yet either.

DaveyDave

My comfortable budget is €30-35k so I couldn't afford an eGolf at €39k. Even if I could I'd prefer a demo model GTI or something at that price.

Shefwedfan

DaveyDave wrote: »

My comfortable budget is €30-35k so I couldn't afford an eGolf at €39k. Even if I could I'd prefer a demo model GTI or something at that price.

eGolf do sell at less than 39k

InTheShadows

Won't be buying one on principle alone.

Black_Knight

InTheShadows wrote: »

Won't be buying one on principle alone.

Of course you wouldn't.

amcalester

Black_Knight wrote: »

Had a little giggle at the irony here.

Bummer of a situation though, no offense intended.

Hopefully the Hyundai’s electrics are more reliable than an 07 Megane.

Shouldn’t be too much to ask.

Cee-Jay-Cee

I drive a 9 year old petrol car. I’ll have it for another 3 or 4 years at least. I have never been and most likely never will be able to afford a new car or any type let alone afford the ridiculous price of EV’s.

Poorly thought out poll is poorly thought out

DaveyDave

Shefwedfan wrote: »

eGolf do sell at less than 39k

True but that's one with spec to match my Highline. Reversing camera, winter pack, digital dash etc. I'd be interested to know if there's much discount on them. I've definitely seen a good few of them around in recent months.

Nice car to drive and fairly stylish too.

Atlantic Dawn

What we really need is a proper calculator where you put in your current vehicle and useage details and you get a proper calculation of what you is the best choice for you. Most of the manufacturers use zero % depreciation in their calculations.

It's funny reading EV preachers talking about them saving €3k a year in fuel/tax savings but forgetting their car is losing €5k plus a year in depreciation and they have been completely brainwashed like fools in to thinking the car grew on a tree at the bottom of their garden.

lalababa

EV cars are a step in the right direction. A trend towards more sustainable and less polluting personal transportation. A direction subsidised by government at the behest of a European Union wide policy of reducing pollution and promoting sustainability.
Just a step mind you, a teeny tiny stepeen of a movement that's set to grow expodentially, changing the way we do almost everything, from what we wear, to what we eat, how we wash, go to the toilet, how many kids we have, how our homes are built, where we go on holiday, what drugs I am prescribed, you name it and it's gonna change baby.

Black_Knight

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

What we really need is a proper calculator where you put in your current vehicle and useage details and you get a proper calculation of what you is the best choice for you. Most of the manufacturers use zero % depreciation in their calculations.

It's funny reading EV preachers talking about them saving €3k a year in fuel/tax savings but forgetting their car is losing €5k plus a year in depreciation and they have been completely brainwashed like fools in to thinking the car grew on a tree at the bottom of their garden.

But isn't this is the case for all cars, no? The depreciation, not the fuel savings.

Gumbo

E

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

It's funny reading ICE preachers talking about them saving €3k a year in fuel/tax savings but forgetting their car is losing €5k plus a year in depreciation and they have been completely brainwashed like fools in to thinking the car grew on a tree at the bottom of their garden.

This argument is the same for all cars, EV, ICE or other. Generally EV’s have appreciated at the lower end but as with any car, I wouldn’t expect to buy a brand new car today and for it not to depreciate.

But, there are many cases of buying second hand cars that have appreciated. I could list out every car I’ve owned and 90% of them have appreciated in value before I sold them or I bought cheap. That list includes patrols, diesels and EV.