EV as primary family car?

murt101 · 01-03-2021 2:48pm #1

I've been reading great reviews on the Hyundai Kona but when I stopped at a local garage to have a look I realised it's too small for my needs.
Are there any EVs that can easily fit a family of 5 (older kids)?
Range is important, I may need to do about 2/3 trips per week with a 110km range (will encounter heavy traffic on this route).
I'd also need to be able to drive 220km to visit elderly parents at least once a month(when Covid eases)... I can stay overnight so could recharge before driving home...
Any recommendations?.

Thanks.

mcsean2163 · 01-03-2021 2:53pm

murt101 wrote: »

I've been reading great reviews on the Hyundai Kona but when I stopped at a local garage to have a look I realised it's too small for my needs.
Are there any EVs that can easily fit a family of 5 (older kids)?
Range is important, I may need to do about 2/3 trips per week with a 110km range (will encounter heavy traffic on this route).
I'd also need to be able to drive 220km to visit elderly parents at least once a month(when Covid eases)... I can stay overnight so could recharge before driving home...
Any recommendations?.

Thanks.

Are you looking for a 7 seater or 5 seater?

Mercedes 8 seater looks good but a bit pricey..

https://www.mercedes-benz.ie/passengercars/mercedes-benz-cars/models/eqv/explore/footer.module.html

murt101 · 01-03-2021 2:56pm

Looking for a 5 seater.

slave1 · 01-03-2021 3:02pm

Kia eNiro would suit you, cousin of the Kona and slightly larger all around.
You never mentioned budget

murt101 · 01-03-2021 3:10pm

Thanks I'll take a look at the eNiro online.
Budget max of €50k.

declan123 · 01-03-2021 3:12pm

Have a look at VW Id.4 and Shoda Enyaq also, both are built on the same platform. Big range and big enough for most families

biko · 01-03-2021 3:14pm

If you consider PHEV as well then Outlander might fit. It has the added benefit of switching to petrol if needed.

AndyBoBandy · 01-03-2021 3:23pm

These are well within your budget, and will comfortably hold a family of 5, and easily do your trips, with range to spare.....

They'll also all outperform almost every other car on the roads in Ireland today if you like an enthusiastic drive.

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/tesla-s-75kw-dual-motor-2017/23889728

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/tesla-model-s-75kwh-automatic-frank-keane-volks/26072275

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/tesla-model-s-e-75d-dual-motor-awd-auto/26984686

slave1 · 01-03-2021 4:41pm

murt101 wrote: »

Thanks I'll take a look at the eNiro online.
Budget max of €50k.

Well in that case, a used Tesla Model S, buckets of room and ticks all your boxes

Calahonda52 · 01-03-2021 5:36pm

220 km = approx 36kW of gross energy minimum so a granny cable, at 2kW/hr will need c 18 hrs so you may need a CP at the folks house

AndyBoBandy · 01-03-2021 5:41pm

Calahonda52 wrote: »

220 km = approx 36kW of gross energy minimum so a granny cable, at 2kW/hr will need c 18 hrs so you may need a CP at the folks house

that's assuming OP arrives there empty...

A full 50kWh battery means arrival with 14kWh remaining, meaning only 22kWh needed for the return journey the following day, so 11 house of charging..

Sabre Man · 01-03-2021 5:45pm

A Tesla Model 3 is also within your budget.

monseiur · 01-03-2021 6:02pm

Considering the load you carry and monthly mileage etc. for peace of mind get yourself a diesel Toyota Rav4 / VW Tiguan or similar - by the time it's due to upgrade again the kids will have grown up and doing their own thing so a standard electric saloon car will do.
Electric cars will be more advanced, tried and tested, they'll be a much better selection and with mass production prices may drop.....but don't hold your breath on that one !

sebdavis · 01-03-2021 6:04pm

What car do you currently have that will fit the 5 people comfortable? give better idea of size requirement

graememk · 01-03-2021 6:07pm

Going on your budget I would suggest the kia e niro and vw id4 both has lots of range.

The VW would be the bigger ones of the 2 and there should be some in dealerships.. soon?

Gile_na_gile · 01-03-2021 6:41pm

For practicality with your larger budget in mind, I agree that if buying new your best all-electric choices are eNiro and VW ID.4. For SH, Model S has loads of room but it is a large car for shuffling around small lanes - buy hey it is a Tesla and in a league of its own. Personally, for three tall kids I would go for the ID.4 as a safer bet in relation to reliability and size (has a 500+ litre boot).
There is also the Leaf 62kWh (58 usable) but given it is end of line with a different connector and no BMS, it might not hold up as well as the others - but it also has space in back seat and boot and costs a lot less. Model 3 might be less practical given saloon boot and space as the sole family car - most owners here seem to have it as 'his' car to be fair. For acceleration, ID.4 is the slowest to 100km/h at 8.5 sec, but good enough and RWD unlike eNiro and LEAF.

murt101 · 01-03-2021 8:18pm

Calahonda52 wrote: »

220 km = approx 36kW of gross energy minimum so a granny cable, at 2kW/hr will need c 18 hrs so you may need a CP at the folks house

Local town has type 2 charge points..22.1kw/h, can I factor that in?

murt101 · 01-03-2021 8:23pm

sebdavis wrote: »

What car do you currently have that will fit the 5 people comfortable? give better idea of size requirement

Currently drive a 7 seat kodiaq (rarely use the 7 seats), but now have the option of getting a company car for a couple of years with 0% bik, so hoping to avail of that until end of 2022.

Patser · 01-03-2021 8:33pm

Of what's available now:

E Niro - Well inside price range

Model s - unreal performance, Tesla factor, big

Jaguar I Pace - beautiful car, great performance, for €50k you'll be getting bottom spec so missing out on glass roof etc

Coming soon -

id4 - VW reliability
Enyaq - VW reliability, but bigger and with Skoda badge
Ioniq 5 - newly unveiled for later in the year, stunning looks (looks like an Audi S3, actually bigger than a Tucson), hard to tell when they will ve available though, or whether Ireland will get best specs
Tesla model Y - bigger than 3, shorter than s, probably a bit above €50k

AndyBoBandy · 01-03-2021 9:08pm

murt101 wrote: »

Local town has type 2 charge points..22.1kw/h, can I factor that in?

This depends on what car you have.... (AC charging is limited to the car's onboard charger)

For example, a Tesla Model 3 can only take 11kW from one of these charge points. A Renault Zoe can take the full 22kW. A VW e-Golf can only take 7kW...

I believe 11kW is the (will be the) minimum standard soon, ID.4 and so on...

Smck1983 · 01-03-2021 9:34pm

Be careful on the BIK as it takes the value new. That pretty much rules out a SH Model S as original values were around 100K Mark meaning big hit for tax.

murt101 wrote: »

Currently drive a 7 seat kodiaq (rarely use the 7 seats), but now have the option of getting a company car for a couple of years with 0% bik, so hoping to avail of that until end of 2022.

unkel · 01-03-2021 9:43pm

AndyBoBandy wrote: »

This depends on what car you have.... (AC charging is limited to the car's onboard charger)

For example, a Tesla Model 3 can only take 11kW from one of these charge points. A Renault Zoe can take the full 22kW. A VW e-Golf can only take 7kW...

I believe 11kW is the (will be the) minimum standard soon, ID.4 and so on...

Indeed, but many Tesla Model S within budget do have a dual AC charger, so they actually can charge at the full 22kW of these local chargers and there are many many hundreds of these in Ireland and these are now rarely in use as you have to pay for the ESB ones. Also there are the ones at pretty much all new Lidls, which are free to use

sebdavis · 01-03-2021 9:48pm

murt101 wrote: »

Currently drive a 7 seat kodiaq (rarely use the 7 seats), but now have the option of getting a company car for a couple of years with 0% bik, so hoping to avail of that until end of 2022.

Check your company car scheme, I doubt they will want to go near a Tesla.

The VW ID.4 would be similar in size in the interior to the Kodiaq without using the back 2 seats. Also you are staying with a VW

MightyMunster · 02-03-2021 11:42am

Tesla Model 3 has plenty of space for 5 I'd say, it's perfect for a family of 4 anyway.

Try and get a few test drives and see what you think but as listed there are the ID4, Skoda Enyaq, Leaf, E-Niro or Soul as other options. Also MG have an SUV and estate option.

murt101 · 02-03-2021 7:08pm

Thanks for the helpful input, I'll start booking test drives as soon as I can.

ELM327 · 02-03-2021 7:14pm

Go with the model 3.

unkel · 02-03-2021 10:15pm

MightyMunster wrote: »

Tesla Model 3 has plenty of space for 5 I'd say, it's perfect for a family of 4 anyway.

It's a D-segment car and a small one at that, comparable to BMW 3-series. It sits 3 people in the back, but 3 teenagers / adults would not be very happy there for more than a short journey. Also it's a sedan, not a hatchback, so that severely limits the practicalities

And I know what I'm talking about, for many years, all my cars were older bigger sedans while my 3 kids were younger (none as small as the Tesla Model 3 / BMW 3-series though)

These days a sedan would no longer be a viable option for me as our family car. We have a dog and I regularly load big loads into the car, like full size solar panels, electric bikes and scooters, etc.

AndyBoBandy · 02-03-2021 10:35pm

unkel wrote: »

It's a D-segment car and a small one at that, comparable to BMW 3-Series

Just on this, I have a Model 3 and a 2006 e90 3 Series and the Model 3 feels a lot bigger inside compared to the BMW.

My OH went to Galway & back today for an essential trip and took the BMW as didn’t want to do any charging stops, so being the gentleman I am, I took it for a 15 minute spin to warm it up for her...

Definitely a tighter cabin than the Model 3.

unkel · 02-03-2021 11:38pm

Your 3 series is 15 years old though!

Back then a Golf was smaller than a Polo is today

My best mate has the Model 3 and I think it is comparable in the back with other small D-segment and large C-segment cars. OK for 3 kids without car seats, but very tight for 3 average size adults on a long journey. But obviously YMMV, anyone interested should take a car for a test drive (preferably for 24h particularly if you're not used to EVs) and see if all fits.

[Deleted User] · 02-03-2021 11:40pm

MightyMunster wrote: »

Tesla Model 3 has plenty of space for 5 I'd say, it's perfect for a family of 4 anyway.

Try and get a few test drives and see what you think but as listed there are the ID4, Skoda Enyaq, Leaf, E-Niro or Soul as other options. Also MG have an SUV and estate option.

Pity for sitting on the bench back seat

[Deleted User] · 02-03-2021 11:41pm

unkel wrote: »

It's a D-segment car and a small one at that, comparable to BMW 3-series. It sits 3 people in the back, but 3 teenagers / adults would not be very happy there for more than a short journey. Also it's a sedan, not a hatchback, so that severely limits the practicalities

And I know what I'm talking about, for many years, all my cars were older bigger sedans while my 3 kids were younger (none as small as the Tesla Model 3 / BMW 3-series though)

These days a sedan would no longer be a viable option for me as our family car. We have a dog and I regularly load big loads into the car, like full size solar panels, electric bikes and scooters, etc.

We call them saloon in the neck of this wood.

EV as primary family car?

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