Some Help Please - EV Newbie

Blub123

Looking for some guidance here - current situation below - am I doing the right thing. Many thanks in advance.

• Wife does the "big" daily mileage in the house - 2600KM per month
• I do 160KM per month - I drive an old F11 5 series
• She currently drives an S class
• We worked out we are currently paying an avg. of €550 PM in fuel into this vehicle
• We currently have a solar panel install and Eddi in place.
• No EV vehicle in the house
• No o/s loans on either vehicle (if that makes a difference)
• Based in Kildare

Given the above I am looking at bringing in either a Tesla S, Audi Etron or Merc EQC from the UK and spending approx. €27K on same. For example I see plenty of 2020 /21 Etrons with approx. 20K miles that I could land for the above money. On same am I right in calculating that there is no VRT or Vat payable on importing this type of vehicle at the moment.

I would plan on my wife taking the new vehicle and I would use the S Class.

I am originally from the North West so would feel more comfortable using diesel car for long trips home etc.

We would dispose of the BMW.

Is there any online calculator etc. whereby I can calculate approx. monthly costs of running the new EV so that I can put savings on diesel against same and cost of financing the new vehicle?

Is there a certain Electricity plan I should be on in such circumstances ? - house is empty from 9 to 5 , 5 days a week.

Any other advise, things to consider on the above and possible vehicle choices etc. would be gratefully received.

Many thanks.

User1998

There is most definitely VAT and customs to be paid unless buying a NI registered car. There is a €5,000 VRT grant which may cover the VRT bill.

User1998

Audi E Tron is quite inefficient, and I’d imagine so is the EQC being an SUV. Would you consider an EQE saloon?

Blub123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122708172#Comment_122708172

yes sorry, should have bee clearer.. no vat or customs after the 5K is allowed. appreciated. thanks

Blub123

EQE is outside of the budget I'm afraid. appreciated.

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122709111#Comment_122709111

What? There is still VAT and customs regardless of any VRT grants.

hero25

Was in a similar position recently and went with 55 etron. Might be inefficient, but very comfy and good value (atm!) would do your daily commute no hassle. A fundamental is option to charge at home and a cheap night rate or cheap window.

See below for my crude figures, rounded up, if they're of any help. The 320km is a slightly pessimistic Summer view,

Elec cost @ day: 0.291cent/unit
Elec cost @ night: 0.143cent/unit

SUMMER:

km per fill: 320km
night fill: 14e
day fill: 28e

RUN COST IF CHARGE @ DAY RATE:
12 Km per euro
116 Km per 10e

RUN COST IF CHARGE @ NIGHT RATE:
24 Km per euro
236 Km per 10e

WINTER:

km per fill: 290km
night fill: 14e
day fill: 28e

RUN COST IF CHARGE @ DAY RATE:
10 Km per euro
105 Km per 10e

RUN COST IF CHARGE @ NIGHT RATE:
21 Km per euro
213 Km per 10e

Buddy Bubs

Is the 2600kms spread throughout the month, like 100kms a day?

Are there many 300km + journeys in a day? If there are she will be doing at least some public charging

Changes the cost a good bit

Make sure with the Etron you know the difference between 50 and 55 and how that will affect your charging habits.

As above, there is vat and customs except for certain conditions for northern Ireland cars (be very careful with this). I have found theres not much savings to be made buying in UK.

drunkmonkey

Are either of you vat registered?

An S class is a pretty comfy car, she'd probably like something just as comfortable, I'd question you keeping it to do160km a month, depends on tax and what you'd sell it for really.

She'll need something with a big battery and reliable.

Here's roughly what 3600km cost me in an eqe for June mainly motorways. That's paying a 24hr rate of .27c. PSO levy etc isn't in that figure.

I'd imagine were going back to 0% interest deals shortly. So it's not so much the upfront cost, it's can you handle the repayments with the savings.

Depreciation is really finger in the air stuff, some will do better than others in the long run.

Blub123

Hi

The monthly is spread out evenly weekdays..All journeys under 150km a day.. Same location every day. No longer trips.

I went on to the vrt calculator and am showing zero vrt... Am I doing something incorrect here?

Appreciate your help here.

Blub123

Thanks for this. Great help.

Buddy Bubs

No, but you will still have VAT@23% and customs@10% on top of UK purchase price

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122710578#Comment_122710578

As I’ve stated twice already ..

Buddy Bubs

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122710726#Comment_122710726

If only you were wrong the motoring buying world would be a better place

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122710852#Comment_122710852

We can only dream!

drunkmonkey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122710578#Comment_122710578

Isn't there some clause that if the car was built in Europe and it's under 3yrs old you don't have to pay the vat. Can't remember exactly what it was any of the car importers should know but it was a thing when I was looking at a taycan earlier in the year, it's probably in that thread somewhere.

There was also some change in vrt mentioned in the budget for used ev's and hybrids, can't remember that either, I'm a bit ropey this morning.

65535

Why is there this clamour to import a vehicle from another country - I can understand that there is a price differential - but until people start buying here from dealers here then it's unlikey that those price differences will change - Is this just an east coast thing ?

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122711257#Comment_122711257

The export date needs to be within 3 years of the build date in Europe in order to get the 23% VAT removed. So a 3 year old car won’t qualify, a 2.5 year old might

fits

OP we would do similar enough mileage in an EV. Replaced an old c class merc with a VW id.3 in 2021 and now have a model y.

You’ll need to move to an electricity plan with at least a four hour cheap rate. We are currently with energia day night ( not smart) and paying 23 cents daytime and 12.5 cents at night. The night rate runs from 12 -9 ( or 11-8 in winter).

You can run calculations based on an average efficiency of 17 kWh per 100 km and compare that with your diesel cost.

I haven’t looked at figures recently but reckon we are saving about 3000 a year on fuel.

Bigus

Notwithstanding, coming out of an S-class , if I were you, I’d simply buy a base NEW Model 3 , put down a big lump and pay the balance on almost zero Tesla finance . I say this because the Model 3 is so far ahead of everything else in all respects. I have put a Taycan through my hands along with later Diesel modern S class , yet I still prefer a model 3 .

So unless status is an issue , buy a model 3

I have also used an electric EQE for a week and just found up it frustrating compared to an up to date Tesla .

The only issue I have against Tesla is that yahoo Elon , supporting that absolute tool Trump. But when it comes to electric cars they can’t be equalled, even at double the price .

Firblog

You might be better looking on

Used 2020-2024 electric cars for sale in Northern Ireland | UsedCarsNI.com

for used NI cars. Just make sure that car has been used in NI for 6? months or more, then there will be no VAT or customs charge.

Buddy Bubs

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122714199#Comment_122714199

Oh I don't know if any Tesla is going to match up to an etron as a car to sit in and spend time in, I drove a model Y about 500kms last month, the supercharger network is good but I never had a problem with the etron or born on same journey. Nowhere near as comfortable as etron and the born is sportier.

Other journeys may be different depending on location of chargers.

Model Y slightly better efficiency than born and defo better than the etron but it's unbelievably dull inside and it's the same as model 3. Model 3 better looking exterior though it's not bad.

As EVs, they are very good but they are marmite cars. Absolutely zero effort to the interior design which absolutely rules them out for me.

fits

I thought the ID.7 was a super nice car to drive. Might be worth a look too.

Buddy Bubs

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122715095#Comment_122715095

Sat in one yesterday while car shopping with my mother, it's a serious car. So far ahead of the rest of the ID range. Saw both body versions equally impressive.

allinthehead

VW’s used to be budget Audi's. It's a fine car, but €56,500-€74,290 is nuts. Heat pump is an extra on that €74,290 btw.

Firblog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122715095#Comment_122715095

OP has budget of €27K?

Buddy Bubs

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122715233#Comment_122715233

The dearest one at 75k doesn't touch the cheapest A6 etron coming out just around now.

Theres a good 20k in the price difference between them at bottom of range and 30k plus at the top.

That said, I think either car will have to be heavily discounted to sell any. Salesman yesterday told me the biggest problem is people come in to look at id7 and end up buying id4 for way cheaper.

allinthehead

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122715305#Comment_122715305

That's mad too, I know things have changed, but my brother bought a new A6 Avant in 2014, for about 50k. Great car, he still has it.

Buddy Bubs

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122715332#Comment_122715332

I bought a 2014 A6 S Line in 2018 for 24k with only 36k Kms on it....only sold it in 2022.

Similar car new now is about 75k and it's a 6 year old design at this stage, although like everything in that price range today, I reckon there's serious discounts happening to actually sell.

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122715342#Comment_122715342

Mad, you’d pay about €18k for that same car today 10 years later. Only €6k depreciation in 10 years is nuts.

Buddy Bubs

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122715475#Comment_122715475

6k in 6 years you mean, car was already 4 years old when I bought it.

I sold it privately in 2022 so it was 6k depreciation for me in 4 years having put another 90k Kms on it myself.

However to replace it would have cost me a lot, luckily I was able to buy an EV through the company so it didn't matter too much to me personally, even if that EV was overpriced a bit in 2022

fits

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122715268#Comment_122715268

well I suppose I was trying to think of something approaching an s class for comfort.

allinthehead

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122715617#Comment_122715617

Had the same depreciation with a Lexus IS300H that I sold last year. Best car I've ever owned.