Swap GTi plus for an electric VW

[Andy Beats]

Another unknown factor is Brexit.
Porsche have announced that even for ordered cars the price may rise by 10% after Brexit so if that happens all German cars could be increasing in price? Or not!

I really can't see it.
I'm in the shipping industry, have been for 35 years.
The 'gut feeling' is that 99.9% of imports from the EU will still be duty free.

[silverhairs]

I also note you're in Cumbria.
That's frustratingly close to Scotland, where the government provides 6 years 0% interest loans to buy EVs.
And free charging (for now).

Until they run out of money!

Until England ends the "Barnett formula"

[Andy Beats]

Until England ends the "Barnett formula"

No point you being in a thread about electric vehicles.
You've never driven one, you've said you're not open to them at all.
That's fine, but please leave this thread.

[Andy Beats]

Reading about the crozz last night, it says the battery pack is modular.
They don't usually bother doing that if they're not going to offer different range models.
So a smaller range but cheaper version may well become available.
TBH, although more range is great, the need for 300+ miles in one go just isn't necessary for 99% of people, especially when rapid charging would have you back to 80% charge in 30 mins.

[barrywi]

But that is assuming there is a rapid charge point somewhere close. Do not forget we live nowhere near cities of any size. I believe that the maximum charge box available at home would be 7 Kw or 22 Kw if we had 3 phase electrickery which I do not think we have( Mr sparky is coming to check) The off peak electricity at home overnight would also be cheaper than any charging point, unless , as has been suggested, Asda provide charging points free for half an hour then paid after that. The nearest supermarket is a 24 mile round trip so I would think the free half hour would pay for the trip, depending on their charging rate. I cannot see the 150 kw fast chargers arriving here for a while which charge to 80 per cent ish very quickly.
The real unknown information is what these charging points are costing or will cost per Kw hour. It is not like a petrol stations where you can instantly see what you are paying. The other unknown is how the government are going to tax electricity or what road tax fully electric cars will pay. They have to replace the petrol/ diesel tax revenue in some way to pay for the aid we send to India and other countries despite them having a space programme! ( sorry I am drifting off topic here)
From what I have learnt so far about the subject I will have to continue with my research on here and elsewhere, and not make a rash decision.
Battery technology is moving on quickly as well with “Solid state” batteries on the near horizon to replace lithium ion which are expensive. I wonder if cars could be made with slide in batteries, I remember reading about a Chinese company promising that.
Also try googling Rivian , an American start up truck and suv maker with a 400 mile range electric vehicle...yee hah.

[barrywi]

This is it , I bet they are expensive.
https://electrek.co/2018/11/26/rivian-r ... kup-specs/

[Andy Beats]

But that is assuming there is a rapid charge point somewhere close.

When I mentioned rapid charging, I was referring to charging away from home, during a journey or at destination.
Have you actually checked to see how many rapids are near you?
I'm hardly in a metropolis, I live in a village 5 miles out of a city that only has 205000 people.
But I still have 4-5 rapid chargers within a 3 mile radius.
Most major cities also have mutiple rapid chargers at their Park and ride facilties.
Also bear in mind that more and more public chargers are being installed on a daily basis, Dundee recently opened an impressive charging station with multiple chargers of all types.
They also patrol it and the rapid chargers are restricted to 30 minutes, which stops selfish pricks.
My home charger is 7KW, but my Leaf could only accept 3.3KW - I wanted to future proof myself for when I inevitably get another EV that can take 7KW.
I agree it's inevitable electric cars will pay VED in future, especially as uptake increases and revenue from VED decreases.
Nothing you can do about that, so no point worrying about it.

[barrywi]

Thanks for the useful lnfo Andy I will do a search for charging points.

[Andy Beats]

Thanks for the useful lnfo Andy I will do a search for charging points.

Hopefully you'll be surprised as to how common they are around you and you're not even aware.
Your local council should also have a sustainable transport team that will tell you of future plans.
There's no doubt, as things stand, long journeys in an EV require more planning than an ICE, in that it needs some planning instead of none.
But that's applied to transport since the dawn of time, horses needed fed and cars needed petrol long before refuelling points were commonplace.

[silverhairs]

Until England ends the "Barnett formula"

No point you being in a thread about electric vehicles.
You've never driven one, you've said you're not open to them at all.
That's fine, but please leave this thread.

Mum, Dad, I've got another bite

[barrywi]

Thanks for the useful lnfo Andy I will do a search for charging points.

Hopefully you'll be surprised as to how common they are around you and you're not even aware.
Your local council should also have a sustainable transport team that will tell you of future plans.
There's no doubt, as things stand, long journeys in an EV require more planning than an ICE, in that it needs some planning instead of none.
But that's applied to transport since the dawn of time, horses needed fed and cars needed petrol long before refuelling points were commonplace.

[barrywi]

I have looked and there are more than I thought though it is the convenience of time that is the main factor. Motorway services is a good place and supermarkets providing they are reasonably priced and not broken or occupied. Having said that I was on about 30 miles range on petrol and was relying on Asda for a fill up only to find when I got there it was shut due to a petrol leak. Cost me 6p a litre more at the next nearest garage.
The VW garage literally a mile away where I got my Polo has two charging points for customers, I wonder if they would let me use them to charge up overnight??

[Andy Beats]

I have looked and there are more than I thought though it is the convenience of time that is the main factor. Motorway services is a good place and supermarkets providing they are reasonably priced and not broken or occupied.

As I said, I didn't use the various charge-point apps as my car was never taken out of my town, but I believe all/most will show you if a point is broken or occupied, so it's not a 'surprise' when you get there.
And EV owners are perfectly fine with you unplugging their car if it's fully charged, at which point the plug will unlock.
Some owners also leave their mobile numbers on their dash so that if you call them and expain you need a charge 'now, they can remotely end their session and allow you to unplug them.
Of course, this feeling of being in an exclusive club with friendly members is bound to end when more and more people come on board, sadly.

[Leif]

Until England ends the "Barnett formula"

No point you being in a thread about electric vehicles.
You've never driven one, you've said you're not open to them at all.
That's fine, but please leave this thread.

Mum, Dad, I've got another bite

[Leif]

Early days yet but as we get older we make very few long journeys. We have a big boys toy car in the garage suitable for long trips so I am in the early stages of potentially swapping the Gti for one of VWs electric cars possibly available later this year or early next. There is the iD , a golf sized car and an iD Crozz which is an electric Tiguan equivalent. The Golf sized one has 180 bhp with one motor but the Crozz has two motors with a total of 300 bhp and 4WD. My dealer says VW are trying to make these cars mass market price wise. Range has been announced( depending on battery pack size) of around 300 miles per charge.
The reason I am examining this subject so early is to see if it is worth getting an order in as soon as the books open to try and avoid the delay of six months I had when buying the Polo. I believe the new cars will not be built in South Africa thus avoiding the 8 week transport delay. I know it is early to be thinking of swapping but at the moment my Gti is the only one my dealer has sold or even had for demo so the part ex/ private sale could be generous.
Most of our journeys are less than 12 miles. We are on economy seven for electricity so overnight charges would be low.
Any comments or suggestions?

I’m struggling to see how you would benefit from an EV. Firstly you will lose money by trading in a GTI. At present an EV commands a premium due to the cost of batteries. Secondly it will take many miles before you save on petrol. I believe the Honest John web site has a page that lets you work out the cost of an EV compared to an ICE car, and for most people the EV loses. If you deliver milk, then without doubt an EV was. (And of course if you do similar driving, the EV wins.) However, a friend says his BMW EV ‘goes like stink’ and that is certainly a plus. As for feeling eco, most of our electricity is not green. But you do export the pollutants to the areas surrounding power stations where poorer people live, which for some people is a plus. (Irony alert.) And batteries are made with/from lots of toxic chemicals. So the green aspect is debatable.