Electric Vehicles

I suspect the reality is that you get the 'feelgood factor' of contributing to the environmental cause and the sense of adventure in trying something new. I am looking for an EV but mine seems to be caught up in a geopolitical intrigue.

I am looking at the electric Micra (which is retro style based on my existing Micra K14). I understand it is/was due to be built by Renault in France as a joint venture with Nissan. However, reports suggest that the Nissan Renault partnership has ended and Nissan has fallen out with the French government. Meantime, Nissan and Honda entered talks about a possible merger, but Nissan has walked out as Honda wanted Nissan to be a subsidiary, not a true merger. Maybe they need Mr Trump to chair the negotiation! To confuse matters further, the former Nissan CEO allegedly embezzled money from Nissan, an arrest warrant was granted in Japan and he arranged to be airfreighted in a double bass case to a country with no extradition treaty (allegedly) to live in a Nissan house he bought while CEO. Is there any realistic prospect of this vehicle being built in the near future?

I guess it depends on how much you value your independence. Don't forget that you'll have to add insurance to the cost of the EV, and no doubt road tax in the not-too-distant future. Also add - eventually - servicing costs and MOT.

What would it cost to get a taxi to take you to the 15 miles and back? If you assume it's £100 return (I had no idea but just checked a 2 x 16 mile - ie return journey - at

Have you considered a 2- to 4-year old VW e-ep!?

These will have the 36kWh battery and a range of goodies, from about £11k. The battery capacity should easily be enough for you to do the return trip in winter (heaters, headlights, wipers, six-speaker stereo all going).

For £20 VW can offer a collect-and-deliver service for servicing and MoT, so that saves a lot of hassle.

Downside is said to be ‘dated’ display and the crude phone cradle; I don’t know if any vital info or controls are via the phone.

I believe they have a max 7kW AC input, but given your limited use charging at home from a 10A supply will keep the battery topped up between trips.

It’s said there’s an app that lets you defrost the car and heat the interior ready for when you want to go out, or cool it on a summer’s day.

A review here:

I am surprised there does not seem to be any market for refurbising EVs in the way that trains can have a mid-life refurbishment.

You moved there fairly 'recently'. Did you not check out bus routes and railway lines first ?.

When you get to a certain age, the ability, ease, and cost of getting to and from decent shops and NHS facilities should be top of your list when looking at somewhere new to move to.

No, don't use them.

How on earth do you know what should be at the top of my list?

First UK Ami buyer

Game over two years later

If you haven’t already looked at it then the Dorset Community Transport page gives details for where you live.

I have a feeling that either now or very soon they will no longer be totally free to holders of he National Bus Pass .

GH

Dacia Spring £15k

The Spring is actually cheaper.

TBH the best value is to buy slightly used. EVs have favourable tax treatment as company cars, so after 2-4 years they get auctioned off. The leasing company takes the depreciation hit (rhey probably got a bulk deal to begin with) and you can buy them from a dealer for ~40% of the new price. Most of them have long warranties so you're covered for issues other than regular msintenance (tyres etc) and servicing (which is minimal).

Jonathan Porterfield:

Buying used, various models like the Fiat 500e, Mini, etc might fit your garage.

Theo

On Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:17:18 +0000, Scott snipped-for-privacy@gefion.myzen.co.uk> wrote: [snip]

Now in the latest twist Honda may be willing to continue talks if the Nissan CEO steps down. Very Trumpian.

A new Financial Times report, citing “people with knowledge of the deliberations,” says Honda is open to resuming merger discussions with Nissan if its CEO, Makoto Uchida, steps down. And Honda might get its wish.

If you don't need too much range, the Dacia Spring is fairly basic and well under £20k.

Why not? Have you something against them?

In my case the fact that they are simply not there has a large deal to do with it

Journeys involving buses and trains end up taking /much/ longer

Yes. My journey to a previous workplace took 20 minutes by car, but an hour by bus - and then you've got to add on up to half an hour each way, because the bus doesn't arrive or leave in line with your start of finish times.

Yes, but of course the counter-argument is that the time can be spent productively.

The last time I went on a bus I was travelling to school. I love trains, best breakfast I ever had was on a train, but there is nowhere I need to go on one and I would need to get to Salisbury or (I think) Brockenhurst to catch one.

Busses will be devoid of passengers then.