Interesting article on EVs

Buffman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123717011#Comment_123717011

Ye, that's why I wouldn't even waste a pinch of salt on this 'article', months are a long time in EV technology, never mind years.

To correct the OP:

it's a rag, the guy didn't know what he was doing,

It's a rag, the guy couldn't be bothered doing it properly.

A proper comparison article about the differences between 2021 and 2025 in a comparably priced new car on an identical journey could have been very easily done and been far more informative.

Tenzor07

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123717282#Comment_123717282

Ah the old Daysil 3-Series! I'm sure that on a long clean UK motorway run you might squeeze 55 mpg if you drive at night time, but with traffic, congestion/stop start driving, lights, heating, hills, headwinds, and then your average drops closer to 40 mpg, not 55. So unless you’re hypermiling in a tailwind, that marathon 1,200-km range is more fairy tale than fact.

Flinty997

There isn't even a new diesel car that will beat a old banger for bangernomics.

Buddy Bubs

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123717335#Comment_123717335

I used to get between 800 and 900kms in the last diesel car i had between fills, A6 automatic. Suppose Id fill up when light came on, like EVs you wouldnt run until empty.

7 litres per 100km average mixed driving (40mpg) according to computer, not sure how accurate it was. Could possibly squeeze 1000kms if I really wanted but thats it. I was never getting 1200 in any type of driving.

That's 2 weeks driving for me.

In EV its about half that range but its still grand. Overall plugging in once a week or thereabouts is fine, I dont mind a short fast charge to give me an extra 100kms or so if I need it.

Neither car was hassle. I drive EVs now because I prefer the drive feeling and I like that I think theres nothing to go wrong in them!!

Tenzor07

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123717645#Comment_123717645

Yeap sure on calm/steady motorway drivers in the 2l petrol I could get around 6.7/l 100km but that went to shite once you included stop/start driving and short journeys, just where the EV excels and can't be beat…

BrianD3

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123717137#Comment_123717137

Cheapest night rate I can find online is Yuno at 9.9 cent plus VAT per kWh, applicable from 2am - 6am. 30 cent plus VAT per kWh outside of that I'm not having a go here but I've seen plenty of claims on here of very low unit rates where posters "forget" to mention that that is for part of the night. And unless they are on 3 phase, they are charging at around 7 kW.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123717183#Comment_123717183

No, 60 litres would do it which is the size of the tank in my car.

if you don't believe that a modernish diesel car can do 1200 km well you don't know much. Evidence, the Skoda Octavia 2.0 TDI Combi with DSG has a piddly little 45 litre tank, yet range at 100 km/h is 1500 km, range at 120 km/h is 1125 km. The hatchback would do better as it has lower drag. and the manual would probably do better than the DSG.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0OPl5gSYWg

Flinty997

My 2L petrol showed about 40mpg on a long run at 100. But around town I would see 17-18 mpg.

I'm not buying another diesel until it does 2500km on a single tank.

Tenzor07

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123717732#Comment_123717732

I don't know much yea apart from having owned a 2022 Octavia Diesel, 1500km me hole! Lucky to get half that in mixed driving..! You must be crawling along drafting the back bumper of articulated lorries and driving at night to get the moon distance you're on about..

So in the real world most owners report 6–7 L/100 km, giving you only 650–750 km on that tank. Even pushing ultra-efficient lab numbers of 4 L/100 km, you're still looking at just 1125 km—not the 1500 km claimed.

But continue on to tell us how the fanasty Diesel miles are better for the majority of Irish drivers..

GPoint

I was getting 4.9 l / 100 km average in 318d so some 1150km and fill it up when there’s reserve for another 80 km. I had ECU remapped for efficiency though and driving in post Covid traffic with very few stops on each run. In heavy traffic it was not much worse 5.4 max that I saw.

Flinty997

318d 57 liters

Peugeot 508 SW 72-litre tank.

Hyundai i40 Estate 70 litres

Passat is around 70 Litres

A Volkswagen Passat BlueMotion has set a new Guinness World Record for the longest distance travelled by a standard production passenger car on a single tank of fuel.

The attempt, carried out by a team from The Sunday Times, involved driving from Maidstone in Kent to the South of France and back.  The Passat BlueMotion finally ran out of fuel close to Calais after completing a distance of 1,526.63 miles.

The route mainly followed French autoroutes, but included some town driving, resulting in an average speed of just over 45 mph.

Gavin Conway, for The Sunday Times, drove the Passat BlueMotion during the three-day record-breaking trip, accompanied by a navigator and video crew.  Two AA patrolmen followed the entire attempt in their van to witness the journey independently for the Guinness World Records organisation, which accredited the record.

Powered by a Volkswagen 1.6-litre common rail TDI engine developing 105 PS, the Passat BlueMotion used for the record attempt was a standard production model.  In common with the Polo and Golf BlueMotion models, the Passat is fitted with aerodynamic modifications to the bodywork, a lower ride height, Stop/Start, programmed battery charging, longer gearing and low rolling resistance tyres.  The result is a vehicle that is completely conventional to drive, service and maintain yet among the most efficient vehicles on the road today.

The greatest distance driven on a single tank of fuel is 2,831 km (1,759 mi) and was achieved by Miko Marczyk (Poland) from 5 to 7 March 2025. Miko is a professional rally driver “However, it was not cruise control-enabled, sleepy driving. I was constantly monitoring fuel consumption, weather conditions.

“On the highway in Germany, I had as much as 150 km/h on the counter when going downhill. It was necessary to drive in such a way as to burn as little fuel as possible,” said Marczyk. He drove a fourth generation Škoda Superb car, which, due to its aerodynamics, helped save fuel. He also had optimum tires fitted, he said.

Seems you can do it, with a professional driver, team and eco driving and such. Or some one in Ireland can do it normal traffic without any of that messing. Foot down full car, flat out in traffic.

Large bottle small glass

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123715801#Comment_123715801

That's from today and it's extreme but I'm routinely getting 63mpg on clock which is about 58/59mpg in reality.

That's in a 2.0 TDI Skoda superb estate. Routinely getting 1200km before reserve light comes on.

I'll do at least one trip every month over 600km and will often go over..890km in a day is the most I've done during COVID

Ran the numbers on changing to EV last month, (and before adding in having to stop and limiting speed to 100km/h or whatever to extend the range etc ) it makes no sense financially.

To get something with a large range, internal space for family, work and hobbies my capital spend and the resultant deprecation is going to eat up any saving on fuel. Spend 60k or whatever to save 3.5k per year doesn't make any sense to me. I have infrastructure in house following a renovation to use home charging but the time isn't ready yet for me.

As for maintenance, other than tyres and brakes I do my own servicing for tiny money, with no engine issues with last three cars. My neighbour is driving my 09 Octavia with 500k km on clock, my sister driving my 12 C Class with 450k km, my superb is heading to 320k km. All engines running like the day I bought them, all second hand

Flinty997

What annual Mileage are ye doing. Thats taxi mileage.

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123717335#Comment_123717335

I drove from Manchester to Dublin a few weeks ago in a 320d and I got 55 MPG. Wasn’t night time. Didn’t get stuck in traffic. A lot of road works meant a few sections of 50mph roads with average speed cameras so that probably helped with the fuel economy

Gumbo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123717839#Comment_123717839

Ain’t nobody gona tell you to buy an EV with that mileage. It’s a fuel choice. Pick what suits you and not some angry petrol heads on the internet.

_Kaiser_

Pre-Covid I used to do 1300km a week in a 3.0 TDI A6. Got usually 7.something l/100 out of her with mostly motorway driving.

Nowadays it's more like 400km most weeks with about the same again on top of that every few weeks. 3.0 TDI A7 now which is more efficient than it's older predecessor, but still 6.something l/100 most of the time (very occasionally 5.9/5.8)

That's at motorway speeds as much as possible, and none of this dawdling at 20km/h less than the limit to extend range. That would frustrate me no end, as would sitting around petrol stations for half an hour upwards waiting for the car to "refuel"/recharge (home charging wouldn't be an option).

Currently the diesel bill is working out about 350 a month at recent prices. Expensive but I'm lucky enough to be able to afford it

Electrics have their place for short urban runs and that's fair enough, but if you value your time and sanity when doing distance, diesel remains the best option.

Gumbo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123718000#Comment_123718000

You ain’t doing any distance at 400km a week. Thats buttons. Most new EV’s do that on one charge but it’s only a fuel choice. Not a religion.

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123718000#Comment_123718000

1,300km a week is less than 200km a day? That’s perfectly doable for any decent sized modern EV and would result in over €10k a year in fuel savings I think?

Even doing 400km a week you’d save about 4 grand a year in fuel and you’d never even have to think about public charging?

_Kaiser_

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123718013#Comment_123718013

When EVs get to the point where they can be filled in the same 2/3 mins as a diesel, can be bought with the range of a used diesel for used car money, and don't look like some sort of reject from Back to the Future II, I'll consider one.

But spending 40/60k and still having to deal with all the compromises of owning one isn't for me.

Gumbo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123718031#Comment_123718031

Agh ok. You should have just posted that first instead of the nonsense about 400km a week being too much for an EV.

I bought 2 EV’s that can do your weekly mileage on one charge for €15k each in recent months. Kona from Hyundai. Also eNiro from Kia.

_Kaiser_

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123718037#Comment_123718037

They're still not suitable for anyone who doesn't have home charging (apartment occupants for example), or who values their time over watching the range meter and drafting trucks to try and extend it.

If you live in a city and only do small runs from your house with its charger, I'm sure they're great - but if you want or need to go anywhere further than that without having to plan the trip or build in charging stops, I'd stick with a diesel.

But EV ownership is like a fashion/identity statement as well. That would put me off as well.

_Kaiser_

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123718037#Comment_123718037

How much for something equivalent to my current 3.0 TDI S-line A7?

Gumbo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123718046#Comment_123718046

Apartment living is a different argument which nobody can argue with.

The rest of your post is nonsense.

Gumbo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123718050#Comment_123718050

What year A7?

Do you have the 272 bhp twin turbo version?

_Kaiser_

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123718053#Comment_123718053

2012 currently (245bhp version but UK import so lots of extras), but I've been eyeing up a replacement in a 2016+ A8 or Q7 so let's use that as a baseline.

I'm on my third Audi and for me there's very little as comfortable and well wearing with all the toys in the right spec. I paid 18k for my A7 4 years ago with 120k km on it.

Even allowing for the ridiculous price of used cars generally now, I can't imagine the equivalent EV versions being anywhere near that.

Buddy Bubs

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123718050#Comment_123718050

1 year old bmw i5 at about 55k

BMW i4 a little cheaper

A6 etron next year 1 year old will be same as the i5 pricing id imagine

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123718031#Comment_123718031

Ah to be fair, once you have home charging there are plenty of EV’s that are capable of 350km+. For example that is Swords to Belfast daily and then some. With absolutely no public charging necessary.

_Kaiser_

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123718060#Comment_123718060

I really can't see the discounts on "fuel" lasting - they've already been eroding the benefits of public charging, grants etc.

Motor tax will be next and we have among the highest electricity costs in Europe already.

Before long it'll be no cheaper to run than ICE, but still with the compromises... Not to mention that from what I've seen/read, no one wants them in the used market.

Gumbo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123718058#Comment_123718058

How much you planning on spending n the new car?

User1998

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123718066#Comment_123718066

I sold 3 Tesla’s last month. I think people are warming to used EV’s now

_Kaiser_

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123718067#Comment_123718067

As a random example..

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/audi-a8-2017-3-0l-tdi-262bhp-quattro/40171283

There's a private sale one even cheaper (but a year older and an L reg!)

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/audi-a8-2016-3-0tdi-quattro/39797063

There's no way I'd get an EV like that for that kinda money!