What EV to get next

Mark Hamill

I have a Peugeot e208 and am considering trading in. I bought it new in 2020 and it has 110,000 km on the clock. I am not informed with the current selection of EV cars so hope I can get some help.

What I want:

• New because I want a good warranty with it.
• Max budget of around 30-35k, after grants (if they are even still around), but obviously would like around 25k or less if possible if it satisfied my other criteria.
• At least as good of a range as the Peugeot. Most journeys are within 10km of home, with 1-2 a month being up to 60km away. I do want the option of further journeys though and do not want a poorer range than the Peugeot (250km+)
• Similar size is fine. I would go a bit bigger if there was a jump in range, but not interested in SUV sized cars.
• I imagine my budget excludes them anyway, but no Teslas.

What I would like but will compromise if worth it :

• Physical dashboard buttons rather than touchscreen.
• Compatible with my Zappi 2 charger.

If there is anything possibly good releasing soon then I may be convinced to wait until January 2026.

User1998

Hyundai Inster, Dacia Spring, Renault 5

Buddy Bubs

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123610107#Comment_123610107

Good options.

Towards top of your budget and a little bit bigger add VW ID3 and Cupra Born.

galvo_clare

spring doesn’t have the range or decent fast charging.

joe1303l

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058418887/what-ev-to-get-next

Consider keeping what you have, you’ll not get much for it to trade it or sell it.

the_amazing_raisin

I think the e208 got a few upgrades a couple of years back, slightly larger battery and faster charging. Would it be worth checking your trade in against a newer one?

If you want something bigger there's the e308

If you're okay with a boxier SUV shape then there's the Kia EV3 which has a 7 year warranty

AMKC

Renault 5. An excellent little car and it has everything you want.

Basq

Myself and the missus took the Puma Gen-E and Cupra Born for test drive's yesterday.. the Cupra is an absolutely beautiful drive.

Maybe the higher end of your budget but I do think it's both a gorgeous car and smooth drive.

Not an EV owner myself, but definitely considering it also.

...Ghost...

Opel Astra. Around 32k. Stellantis family and about as far from Tesla as you can get. Definitely not an SUV. Range is OK, no worse than what you have. Your Zappi fits. Software has similar lag to the Peugeot. Looks nice, but it felt a bit cramped for me...I'm 6ft.

Mark Hamill

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123610175#Comment_123610175

I'll get less if I keep to end of life and just scrap it.

Sure I save money in that I wont be buying a new car, but it would likely mean spending money over the next few years, maintaining it as it exists the warranty.

It still runs fine, so I wont sell if it doesn't make sense.

Mark Hamill

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123610875#Comment_123610875

I'm only 5ft 6, so that may not be a problem for me (the e208 is quite small but suited me well). I'll look into it.

SteelyDanJalapeno

I would keep it, put the money aside in an interest savings account to have ready maybe when the car starts giving issues for a new one, but I reckon you'll get very little for it now and that could easily keep you going for another 5 years id imagine if looked after.

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123613182#Comment_123613182

You do realise that the car you buy will depreciate by thousands upon thousands, more than any potential repair costs in keeping your current car long term. You will soon find out when you go to get some trade in offers that you have probably lost close to €20k in depreciation on your current car since the price of EV’s have come down so much in recent years.

MojoMaker

The chap wants something new and shiny, what's wrong with that? 🤷‍♂️

As a car seller you should in theory be encouraging this practice 🙂

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123613802#Comment_123613802

Absolutely nothing wrong with buying a new car. But the notion that it will cost them less in the long run is completely false.

And I don’t sell new cars btw😉

MojoMaker

Ahh yes, but his old car is yours to move on at some stage - the great circle of metal 😅

Mad_Lad

I wouldn't consider any new car again, Depreciation + the price of them now is ridiculous and when you add up what the Government get it makes even less sense, why should I hand over so much of my hard earned to the Government for free for a new car ? no.

MojoMaker

Depreciation is driven by second hand buyers demanding better value, so in most senses we are feeding this monster ourselves.

You can have one, or you can have the other, choose….

What we should be demanding is lower overall new prices, and I think that is what happened coming out of 2022/23 where average cars were at sky high prices because they were new and shiny and we'd been cooped up with nowhere to go for 18 months.

reaction238

The reluctance to buy a 2nd hand EV too. I think, quite rightly, the default assumption is that the car will not have been taken care of. The majority of Irish people do not take care of their cars.

But, there should be no reason to assume this. All you have to do is ask for proof. A healthy battery can be proven with a battery test. A service history can be provided for the parts that need servicing, such as tyres and erm....yeah tyres. Condition of the car is also good proof of a loved for car.

But what we see in the 2nd hand EV market is the base price regardless of how well the car has been taken care of. The narrative is that the 2nd hand market is really bad. There's no reason it should be.

For the OP for example, with 35k you can get a good 2nd hand Tesla, ID.4, Enyaq etc. But there is this unsubstantiated fear that comes with it.

My car comes with an 8 year warranty on the battery. I assume many others are the same.

dsandson

VW ID3 is just a little bigger. If you go for the 52kWh Match trim you still get a bump in range versus your current e-208. Plus its got a new infotainment system. DC charging is up to 145kW. Rear wheel drive so a very nice drive.

Your current e-208 has been updated a few times and a new spec now does 435 kms. Same with the Opel Corsa-e. Astra has some great offers too, drives well and has the same range.

Renault 5 is a little smaller, has lots of character and is a great drive. Has a great infotainment system, plus lots of buttons. The Megane e-Tech is also a great car, more Golf sized. Base trim may work for you.

MG4 is rear wheel drive, apparently good to drive. Maybe not enough buttons.

BYD Dolphin has a lovely interior but no buttons at all.

Hyundai Inster is a great wee car as well. Its quite narrow, but has a good range and a high quality interior.

Citroen e-C3 is also an option. The range will be lower though.

Mad_Lad

One Mistake I made getting the id3 apart from getting the id3 was getting the 77 Kwh and while it was nice to have extra range it was a pain knowing I was carrying around around 10 Kwh of battery I could use + it was worth nothing over the 58 Kwh + the sheer weight really killed the driving experience.

A lesson for others who are perhaps considering larger battery options.

Mad_Lad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123616456#Comment_123616456

There's no way car prices will come down any time soon because PCP appears to be driving manufacturers to only produce expensive SUV, they know the cheap credit is out there and no longer do many people buy with common sense and only consider the deposit + monthly payments and not the total cost of the car. PCP offers the lowest of all car financing per month until the balloon eventually comes back to bite them possibly after several years of car payments, I'm not judging, I did it myself but realise now it was really a stupid way to spend money.

There are still the likes of Dacia and one or two others still making much more sensibly priced cars.

The Id3 was basically worthless unless I was buying a brand new car there was nobody going to take it as trade in and believe me I spent long enough calling dealers all over the Island. Not even the dealer I bought it off would take it back.

MarkN

Can you name the dealer that wouldn’t take an ID3 as a trade in?

joe1303l

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123624981#Comment_123624981

What a crock, weight difference is only 160Kg. The equivalent of an extra 2 adult passengers in the car !!

Mad_Lad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123625358#Comment_123625358

Weight makes a difference, 2000 kg weight of a small hatch is a joke, it was instantly noticeable going to the Cee'd , the difference in driving dynamics was very noticeable. I get it though, a lot of people wouldn't notice or care.

EV01

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123625358#Comment_123625358

I was thinking the same about the Inster - a very worthy successor to a Peugeot e208 I would suggest, in terms of everything really, although only a 4 seater

Compare the top spec 02/‘Elegance’ (49kWh) and the smaller battery version (42kWh) and the ‘Kerb Weight’ difference is listed by Hyundai as a mere 30kg - the weight of a family dog

15:3:25 Inster Specs + prices.pdf

joe1303l

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123625682#Comment_123625682

Your earlier post referred to the weight difference between 2 different ID.3 models. I’m not sure what a KIA Ceed has to do with EV battery sizes ?

Mad_Lad

The range though is very limiting, lets be honest and it's a lot of money as a 2nd car. Yes, I started off with 21 Kwh but I had a completely different mindset then.

41 Kwh 227 Kms to empty @ 18 Kwh/100 Km , arrive at charger after 200 Kms max ?

49 Kwh 272 Kms to empty @ 18 Kwh/100 Km arrive at charger 250 Kms max ?

That's probably not too far off realistic range figures, especially in Summer but 120 Km/hr could be a fair bit higher especially in winter, wind, wet roads etc could be as high as 22 Kwh/100 Km.

I suppose, the 41 Kw could get me to work and back with a bit to spare which is about 185 Kms but I'm not so sure there's be a lot to spare come winter and 120 Km/hr.

I do still have free work charging and I'm not required to be on site every day with this job but longer trips would be a pain , even in the 77 Kwh id3 we just couldn't be arsed any more and took the diesel.

Mad_Lad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123625735#Comment_123625735

I said the weight really dulls the experience and it does.

...Ghost...

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123625749#Comment_123625749

I think what really dulls the experience is a need to charge. I remember the excitement when you posted about that first Grey Leaf you got. I thought it was pig ugly, but it was catching and helped steer me toward the same car, bypassing an outlander phev and going straight to BEV, saving me a fortune over the next few years.

I saw how you became fed up with waiting for a charge on your way home when you only needed a topup and the locals and taxi men were incessantly hogging the free leccy. In came the i3 rex and the reliance on the network was gone, but so was that spark for BEV. I was surprised you went BEV again for a while. Unless I thinking of someone else?

My own experience has been different. I've rarely required public charging and so only had to wait a handful of times when charging was free. Our house went from 2 petrols to 2 BEVs (Leafs) within weeks. I couldn't go back to ICE for daily driving. I find them dull and leggy and I have come from a some nimble petrols. I hate driving abroad for work, because it almost always means I'm in a diesel. Compared to an EV, it feels like the car is packed with bodies and luggage.

Mad_Lad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123626182#Comment_123626182

Well there you go, people change, I've change, EV was a radical experience from years driving ICE, then the charging, the driving experience all got boring, yeah woo hoo, can accelerate fast but it was all EV offered and an appliance like experience, so after I took the rose tinted glasses off , all the tech and o noise , the charging and the resale value just got boring and I lost interest.

Getting back to ICE with so much more range and super fast fill up times was like going back to the future.

I have a motorbike now too and cars will never be the same after that and it highlights just how ultra incredibly boring an experience modern cars are compared to bikes so I don't care really about cars one way or another any more.

I like being able to park anywhere for free.