Considering an electric car

Cluedo Monopoly · 19-08-2023 12:24pm #1

Hi, I have a 10 year old diesel and I am looking to get a new car. Electric ones seems all the rage.

I have 2 questions -

1. Do EVs lose their resale value quicker than non EV cars? And if so, why?

2. Are charge points free or what does it cost to fill an EV?

SteM · 19-08-2023 12:33pm

Public charge points are not free, don't consider getting an electric car unless you can get a charge point installed at home or have access to one in work. Cost to fill up? Depends on the capacity of the battery in the car you buy.

alan partridge aha · 19-08-2023 1:07pm

It would certainly appear as if they lose more compared to other vehicles.

I'll give you one instance, someone on here was offered €5000 on a Nissan Leaf 2016 with 100k km against a new ID3.

I was offered €4500 on a 2012 tdi Octavia against a 2016 tdi Octavia. Sold it private for 5500.

I think that there is a glut of 2020 evs on forecourt because the 3 year pcp is up.

alan partridge aha · 19-08-2023 1:09pm

Maybe you should look at a 2020 or perhaps a new Chinese ev. As someone else said make sure you have your own charge point at home.

the_amazing_raisin · 19-08-2023 2:00pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058309961/considering-an-electric-car

Some EVs bought in the past year probably lost value fast than normal depreciation, but in general they follow the same deprecation as ICE cars

Cost to fill, might as well ask how long a piece of string is. It varies wildly depending on the car, where you charge it and your electricity rate (if charging at home)

Cost per kilometre is probably an easier way to compare different cars and fuel types. Typically an EV charged at home on the cheapest night rate available will be considerably less than a petrol car

If you're reliant on public charging it'll be more expensive, but can still be cheaper than diesel

If you're willing to give us an idea of your driving needs then there's plenty of people here who can help find suitable vehicles

My general advice is to do your research, do the sums on running costs and lifetime cost of ownership, test drive some cars and use a route planner to check out what some longer journeys would be like

The sites below can help with this

https://abetterrouteplanner.com/

https://www.plugshare.com/

Check out the second hand market as well, lots of modern EVs with plenty of range for sale at a reasonable price

Don't buy an EV because it's fashionable, buy one because they're cheaper to run, better for the environment and more fun to drive

crl84 · 19-08-2023 6:22pm

- No-one really knows. The vast majority of EVs have been sold in the last 4 years, and we're in a bit of a strange time for second hand sales. I bought an MG4 new, as it was only a small bit more than the second hand ICE cars I was looking at. Depreciation on cars in general is all over the place post-Brexit/covid. If you're worried aobut depreciation, then you should probably stick with a second hand, 5+ year old car.
- Well, how much does it cost to fill an ICE car? It depends on the size of the battery/tank. In general, it's significantly cheaper to go 100km in an Ev than it is with petrol/diesel, assuming you can install a charger at home and select an electricity plan that takes advantage of that (eg cheap night rates/ free weekend day), or have workplace charging. If you're relying on public charging points, it won't be much cheaper than petrol/diesel yet.

How may KMs do you do a year? I'd say EVs are most suited to people doing 50km-300km a day. Doing less, and the initial outlay on an EV probably isn't worth it. Doing more, and you get into issues with range, although you can still make significant savings if you have free charing somewhere during the day (eg workplace) or are happy/able to do a quick fast charge top-up somewhere to get you home.

Cluedo Monopoly · 20-08-2023 8:35am

I'd probably do less than 10,000 km a year now. Working from home mainly.

Thanks for all the replies, very interesting.

the_amazing_raisin · 20-08-2023 10:15am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121002770#Comment_121002770

I'm mainly WFH myself and I've an ID.4, there's genuinely never been any inconvenience with using it compared to an ICE car

The 77kWh probably considerable overkill for my driving, but it is the main car so if we're doing long tips then it's needed

Since you've mentioned WFH, I'd recommend looking at solar panels if you're considering an EV. They're a big investment but they're absolutely worthwhile, probably even easier to justify than an EV

One of the biggest advantages is you can charge your car from excess solar power for free (and clean) driving

In June for example I managed to drive entirely for free, and even in rainy July I managed around 60% driving on solar

It's something to factor in at any rate

...Ghost... · 20-08-2023 2:00pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058309961/considering-an-electric-car

On average, EVs will lose value a the same rate as a petrol or diesel. Anyone suggesting otherwise with outlier examples is talking out of their hoop. EVs were appreciating for s couple of years and now the market is normalising.

There are a few free charge points around, but these are slower chargers and are usually privately operated by hotels and some supermarkets. The cost to refill depends on the battery capacity and cost per unit of electricity. In general, its much cheaper than diesel.

Some cars are more efficient than others. I charge my cars on night rate electric. Costs 25c pe unit. My Tesla Model 3 will cost about €12.50 to fill and will give me an average of 350km. So, roughly €3.60 per 100km. My Nissan Leaf 24 will take about €5 to fill and gives me 100km of range unless I us the motorway, then Iose about 30% range. The Tesla is considerably more efficient.

Whatever you pick, my advice is to pick an EV with twice the range you need for a return journey. If your return commute is 100km, get a car with 200km range.

Being able to charge at home is important.

Considering an electric car

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