Electric Vehicles
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@mariner4life said in Electric Vehicles:
@nostrildamus said in Electric Vehicles:
@jc said in Electric Vehicles:
Just saw the Audi e-tron GT ad. If I buy one will I be as cool as Tom Hardy?
is Tom Hardy cool?
@mariner4life I think you've confused TSF with your Tinder profile.
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@majorrage said in Electric Vehicles:
@jc No, but you’ll be the guy who bought the wrong car.
So you've driven a few of these now, what's the right car? Don't quibble about 30kms of range or $10k, what would you get from cars available today?
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@voodoo said in Electric Vehicles:
@majorrage said in Electric Vehicles:
@jc No, but you’ll be the guy who bought the wrong car.
So you've driven a few of these now, what's the right car? Don't quibble about 30kms of range or $10k, what would you get from cars available today?
It really depends on what you want it for. I've driven and been in most, the only one I think I haven't is the original Audi E-Tron, which are basically impossible to get hold of around here. But here's my summary
If your a driver - Porsche Taycan. By a freaking mile. Best driving experience, best handling, best car. Pricey, but it is a Porsche.
If you want an SUV - BMW iX3. Drives like a car, good space, good practicality. Bit pricey for what it is tho.
IF you want a car - Tesla Model 3. Tech in it is awesome, class leading. Not the quality of BMW / Audi and not cheaper tho. BMW i4 really close here.
If you want a runner- Mini. Has mini handling, a bit of street cred. Range is not great tho.Others I've driven / Seen
Volvo XC40. Looks great I reckon and has good practicality.
Mercedes EQC - absolutely stunning inside, and drives well. But looks very American / Cheap and there is better value to be add. Mercedes pricing doesn't make any sense to me.
Mercedes EQA is a better proposition, but simplyisnt' very big inside.
BMW i4. Basically an electric 3-series. In Gran coupe mode, I think it's a great proposition. Not driven though, but it's a BMW so it will drive well. It's probably what I would buy if could only have one car.
Jaguar I-Pace also goes really well and looks great. But the support infrastructure in the UK is really weak (and it's JLR so it won't be reliable),
Audi E-Tron GT. Cannot see why you'd buy one over a Taycan.
Audi Q4. Not fast, not premium feel, not large range, not worth it.Other Comments
If you want an SUV, the BMW iX could be well worth waiting for
I really like the Hyundai Ioniq, but my wife is a car snob, so there is zero point me looking at it
Same goes for Volkswagen ID-4. Q4 platform, but much cheaper.
Mustang E-Mach, I have the wife car snob issue again so not seen. But I think it could be brilliant. Looks great, but has the wrong name. It's not a fucking mustang.Avoid at All Costs
Tesla Model X. Extremely ugly and far far too expensive.
BMW i3. It's a statement car, not a real proposition
Anything Chinese - DS / Great Wall / MG. Poor quality and bullshit range.There's a few others floating around, but thats the extent of my research.
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@majorrage said in Electric Vehicles:
Mustang E-Mach, I have the wife car snob issue again so not seen. But I think it could be brilliant. Looks great, but has the wrong name. It's not a fucking mustang
Dunno, I like the name...
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There's a video in this article, but basically it is describing a process Nissan and a Japanese university have been working on to recover rare earth elements from electric motors. They reckon they can get 98% of REE back. More efficient that the present method as well.
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@majorrage said in Electric Vehicles:
@gt12 yeah see the second line!
It’s great. But it’s 60k for an x3.
Oops, reading posts and the fern, yeah right.
I can't see us being in the market for one with no AWD, but the PHEV version is looking more and more likely. We went to look at the Outlander and my wife took one look at the interior build quality and went 'nope' (although that was not the 2022, so it still might be possible). If we end up going to NZ, I assume that having a JP car will be significantly better than something European. Anyone local who can give any thoughts on that?
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@majorrage said in Electric Vehicles:
Audi E-Tron GT. Cannot see why you'd buy one over a Taycan.
Not trying to wind you up genuinely interested coz the respective sites here in NZ give the Audi more range, power and acceleration for a comparable price. Of course you can go all out on the Porsche but that really comes with a hefty premium.
The reviews I've read of the Audi have all been very positive while acknowledging it's not in the same league as a top of the range Taycan.
Maybe the pricings different in UK.
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@dogmeat Yeah, it could be a pricing thing.
It really is each to their own, for those who love the feel of the Audi, they may well think it's superior to the Porsche. Yes, I'm a Porsche guy through and through (I currently run a 911) so I'm biased, but I just felt like the Porsche was the superior car. My mate who I drove it with has absolutely no commitment to Porsche, but agreed with me entirely.
We drove the E-Tron GT RS - the fast one. 120k base, I think it was 125 as tested. Then for the Taycan, we drove the base model - the 2WD Taycan. 81k base, 95k as tested (Porsche options are freaking expensive).
Yes, the E-Tron GT RS had the faster acceleration, but there is more to performance than that. Once you've rammed it home a couple of time and had a laugh at it, who knows how often you'll use it. But basic driving dynamics are there 100% of the time. And you really feel the difference in the Porsche. It drives, feels and handles like a proper sorted performance / high spec car. The E-Tron GT feels like an Audi A5. And there's nothing wrong with that, but you feel al little short changed at the price.
Honestly mate if you are potentially interested, you should drive them both. I probably wouldn't recommend anybody buying one without driving the other. But in my situation, I'd buy the slower, cheaper, bottom of the range Taycan, over the faster top of the range E-Tron GT, every day of the week.
BTW, you mention Range ... same platform, same batteries ... difference won't be enough IMHO to really be worth worrying about.
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@nta said in Electric Vehicles:
Polestar 2 landing here in Australia for under $60k apparently.
if it hits the market here under 60k, Im going to suggest they might have a lot of success and may force the existing EV brands into re thinking their entry price
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@bayimports said in Electric Vehicles:
@nta said in Electric Vehicles:
Polestar 2 landing here in Australia for under $60k apparently.
if it hits the market here under 60k, Im going to suggest they might have a lot of success and may force the existing EV brands into re thinking their entry price
A lot of ICEV manufacturers are going to find themselves up against it TBH. BMW especially given the Teslas and other sedans are going to hit their market share.
I was looking at the Volvo XC40 Recharge as a replacement for my X-Trail but it'll be north of $80K when it lands so fuck that.
With Nissan already having the Leaf+ here, and their Ariya SUV landing some time next year, I'm thinking I might start hitting up the local Nissan dealership for a package deal. The wife's Kia Cerato is only 2.5 years old, but if we hang onto both cars too long they'll be worth squat as EVs take over.
Either that or I wait for the Rivian R1T. Start this video at 3:20 to skip the bullshit. Will probably land here for over $100k tho it will absolutely smash @mariner4life 's Ford Ranger for torque
EDIT: worth noting he says over 8000lbs curb weight but that was a mistake:
Side note: the 8,500 lbs number I threw out is the GVWR. The curb rate is obviously going to be a lot less. Rivian wouldn’t tell me exactly (idk why) but when I asked if 6,000 lbs was in the ballpark, an engineer told me yes.
So around 2.7 tonnes I guess - not light but fark... what a beast.
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@nta said in Electric Vehicles:
If it hits the market here under 60k, Im going to suggest they might have a lot of success and may force the existing EV brands into re thinking their entry price
There are a few polestars starting to float around here. I'll be honest, I don't like them. I think they look poorly designed and interior looks on par with Dacia & other cheap Chinese brands. Having said that, I only know of one person that owns one, and he really enjoys it.
A lot of ICEV manufacturers are going to find themselves up against it TBH. BMW especially given the Teslas and other sedans are going to hit their market share.
I dunno, I used to think that. But car sales figures aren't really representing that. BMW as an example, fully electric offering now includes 2 sizes of SUV, a large car & a city car. A good buddy of mine currently runs a Q5 and a Tesla. He's just ordered his Q5 replacement to be the Q4 (electric Audi), so they will be a fully electric family. He raves about the tesla tech, but said it's already starting to feel really worn inside & it's only 2 years / 15,000 miles old. Doubts they will get another one.
I was looking at the Volvo XC40 Recharge as a replacement for my X-Trail but it'll be north of $80K when it lands so fuck that.
Lots of these floating about now. They look really good IMHO. And I'm pretty much so as anti-Volvo as you can get. It's a bit of a yummy-mummy school run car though ...
In other news, got inside a BMW iX a couple of weeks ago, the new BMW Electric flagship. It's pretty impressive inside, feels very concept car in it's minimalist design with massive screen going across the width of the car. Looks really nice. But the boot is utter crap. Seriously crap. One of the main reasons people buy these cars is the boot space. Think that's going to really work against it.
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@nta I've been watching the Rivian with interest, especially once FoMoCo invested in them. This review really makes me want one, considering the F150 Lightning probably won't be sold outside of the States (and the wife said I could have one).
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@antipodean that review was next on my list. Hopefully less talking, more action.
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@majorrage said in Electric Vehicles:
He raves about the tesla tech, but said it's already starting to feel really worn inside & it's only 2 years / 15,000 miles old. Doubts they will get another one.
I've heard the Chinese built Teslas are superior to the Yank built gear.
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@majorrage said in Electric Vehicles:
I dunno, I used to think that. But car sales figures aren't really representing that.
Agreed - it isn't exactly a landslide due to the premium nature of a lot of the EVs. From what I'm seeing on YouTube, another 20ish cars have come out over the last 12 months that offer a bit more in the lower price ranges, so they'll start finding their way into the market.
Here in NSW the government fleet is mandating a minimum percentage of electric so they'll hit the market in a few years, and start the traction for fully serviced second hand BEVs rather than grey imports where you're on your own, practically.
The risk for a lot of people in urban areas is getting stranded with an oil burner that is worth nothing on the second hand market, and the inequality that rural people face with the potential rise in fuel costs as demand starts to decline and BEV range and infrastructure isn't quite there yet. When you've got a diesel Land Cruiser (the real one, not the Prado ) that can do 1000km out on the flat it is a tough sell.
You've got a lot more choice over there of course, and a more friendly incentive system. Here we are starting to show signs of take up, but we've only got a handful of models so it is still well under the "enthusiast" radar. Models are sold in waves as they become available e.g. Model 3s land here in fits and starts.
It is quite interesting the PHEV numbers have stayed fairly flat, but need to remember Toyota don't do plug in. piston wristed gibbons.
BMW as an example,
Having read your feedback on various cars in this thread, I don't think I'm stretching it to say you've probably bought one car in your life worth the combined value of every car I've ever owned
e.g. when you talk abut BMWs, that is a car I'd never even considered ten years ago, because a 3 Series here starts at about AUD$70k (~38k GBP) before on roads*. That's more than the median income here. I wouldn't consider one now because I don't like the prospect of the EOL being in the next 7-10 years, and having a second hand oil burner worth nothing. Lease, maybe?
*In part due to bullshit tariffs designed to protect an industry we don't have any more
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@nta There are a lot of differences between the land make up in Australia & UK though which make a colossal difference to thinking when it comes to cars. Although I note that average milage on cars isn't that different (around 14,500 km per year UK vs 15k Aus) I would think there is a start difference in the way they are completed. Australia more likely to be distances (commuting, holidaying) whereas UK more likely to be frequent short trips (school run, pop to the shops, pop to the neighbours because it's fucking raining again) .... Thus EV make a huge amount of sense as you can charge 99% of your journeys at home. Not sure thats the same in Oz.
Govt here has also set an aggressive target of no carbon fuel only based cars sold by 2030. And have set encouraging tax breaks to meet that target. Thus people, like me, are signing up in droves. The current fuel mullarky I suspect will entice even more.
Having read your feedback on various cars in this thread, I don't think I'm stretching it to say you've probably bought one car in your life worth the combined value of every car I've ever owned 🙂
If you surround yourself by people who spend more ... or spend stupider, it doesn't seem as bad ... Yes my outlays are pretty ropey, but I have in-laws who just spanked 275k on a 488 Pista & a friends with sod all assets but ok jobs driving new M3's ... They make me feel modest.
Also worth remembering that BMW's are not overly expensive here. Yes, they are more than your comparable Ford / Vauxhall, but lease/ HP / PCP schemes turn a 10k difference into an 80 GBP a month difference ... Much easier to get your head around.
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@majorrage said in Electric Vehicles:
Australia more likely to be distances (commuting, holidaying) whereas UK more likely to be frequent short trips (school run, pop to the shops, pop to the neighbours because it's fucking raining again) .... Thus EV make a huge amount of sense as you can charge 99% of your journeys at home. Not sure thats the same in Oz.
More distances to cover but only occasionally. Most people before COVID were lucky to drive 30km a day in the vast majority of the urban population that commute - the extra bits to get to ~15,000km is holidays and road trips. Even if you had a 100km round trip, charging at home every night on an off peak tariff surely beats petrol in Australia in both cost and convenience.
The up front cost will be the real issue - there are some who don't see it as an obstacle, and want us all to focus on after-purchase cost e.g. some nutter tweeted how a Model 3 was less than a tradie would spend on a ute so there was no excuse for anyone. I foolishly engaged with "A Model 3 isn't a suitable vehicle for a tradie, and I can get a medium sized hatch or sedan for 40% of the cost of an EV, so it isn't that simple". Discussion went downhill from there
I think "Australia Tax" plays a massive part in that gap left behind when our domestic auto industry shit the bed, particularly for performance vehicles.
An M3 here is AUD$145K Might as well get the Rivian for that money. It is faster, after all