5.4L supercharged V8 vs EQC running costs

[markjay]

BTW.... my trip computer shows 4,506.50 miles covered since new (just over 2 years ago), and an overall average of 3.7m/kWh.

That's an average overall all conditions and situations - city driving, motorway driving, laden/unladen, summer/winter, with/without aircon/heating, uphill/downhill, etc etc.

This means that - assuming that my use profile and driving style remain the same - the average range with my 74kWh battery is 274 miles. More in summer and when unladen etc, less in winter with a full car etc etc. The WLTP figure for my car is 285 miles BTW, so not that far off.

The lowest average consumption that I've seen for a single journey was 2m/kWh (in particularly unfavourable conditions), and the highest I've seen was 7.7kWh (city driving in summer with lots of regenerative braking). So the car's range is between 148 miles in a worst-case scenario and 570 miles in a best-case scenario.

I can't work out the historic cost per mile, because I don't have an exact log covering the electricity price changes. But based on the current price at the charger that I used mostly, my average cost - if the price doesn't change in future - is 10p per mile. The worst-case cost is 18.5p per mile, the best-case cost is 5p per mile. But, again, this is all assuming (without any particular reason) that electricity prices won't go up or down in future.

And - this is the case for my particular car, particular driving history, and the particular charger that I use mostly. It's the best I can do in terms of calculating real-life figures, and as you can see there's still quite a lot of difference between the best-case and the worst-case costs.

This is the main issue with working-out the cost per mile for an EV - the range fluctuates considerably depending on very many variables, and the electricity cost can vary from 9.5p at home to 75p on a Motorway supercharger. Anyone coming-up with a single figure, simply haven't done their homework correctly.

 

[markjay]

I’m guessing you don’t drive much on smart motorways?

And manage to avoid all Motorways with average-speed cameras......

 

[Bellow]

We've now learned that EVs are too slow for those prone to prolixity who need all their time to write lengthy posts about not doing something.

 

[markjay]

You stop 3 times to recharge to go 500 miles. Nothing wrong with that if you're happy to dawdle. I'm not knocking it, it's just not for me.

So you’d drive 500 miles without stopping? If true, then I salute you, you're a better man than I am... But if it's yet another bravado aimed at making EVs look impractical, then good luck to you Sir - and just buy the effing AMG and leave us in peace - we like them too, you know

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

There’s little point in quoting facts.

Someone’s not listening.

Some get the subtlety of the differences, some don’t.

Presumably because they stood in a petrol station so often (thirty times a year), filling up at 30p a mile.

But fair enough, if someone’s happy with steam trains, typewriters, a phone on a hall table, a set of encyclopaedias in the dining room, ITV and Saturday night at The Pictures, why consider anything different?

 

[philnewmerc]

So you’d drive 500 miles without stopping? If true, then I salute you, you're a better man than I am... But if it's yet another bravado aimed at making EVs look impractical, then good luck to you Sir - and just buy the effing AMG and leave us in peace - we like them too, you know

Lol, perhaps you forgot this is a pro supercharged v8 forum post started by me and not a pro EV penny snaffling lorry slip streaming one? You leave me alone ! But no I would stop once, but my bladder is still elastic. Maybe they should advertise EVs at the gynecologist's waiting room *

*I am actually going to start browsing Autotrader for EVs now

 

[philnewmerc]

There’s little point in quoting facts.

Someone’s not listening.

Some get the subtlety of the differences, some don’t.

Presumably because they stood in a petrol station so often (thirty times a year), filling up at 30p a mile.

But fair enough, if someone’s happy with steam trains, typewriters, a phone on a hall table, ITV and Saturday night at The Pictures, why consider anything different?

You don't seem to be seeing or hearing.
Spec Savers do ear aids too
Actually the "steam trains, typewriters, a phone on a hall table, ITV and Saturday night at The Pictures" does sound better tbh (well apart from ITV) but EVs are nice in lots of ways i grant you (again), so don't worry. Anyway, your hypermiling is offsetting my growler miling co2

 

[BTB 500]

So you’d drive 500 miles without stopping?

It's a bit over 450 miles from the Eurotunnel at Calais to the in-laws in the south of Germany, and we generally do that non-stop with the cruise control at 125 kph / 77 mph. That's after filling the tank at the last motorway services and a longer break on the train. Total distance is usually just under 700 miles ... the average speed is reduced by the slow driving in/around the Eurotunnel terminals:

 

[markjay]

It's a bit over 450 miles from the Eurotunnel at Calais to the in-laws in the south of Germany, and we generally do that non-stop with the cruise control at 125 kph / 77 mph. That's after filling the tank at the last motorway services and a longer break on the train. Total distance is usually just under 700 miles ... the average speed is reduced by the slow driving in/around the Eurotunnel terminals:

View attachment 146280

That's 6 hours driving without a stop.... wow. I know fighter pilots use a urine bag... but I'm not going to ask you any personal questions!

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

It's a bit over 450 miles from the Eurotunnel at Calais to the in-laws in the south of Germany, and we generally do that non-stop with the cruise control at 125 kph / 77 mph. That's after filling the tank at the last motorway services and a longer break on the train. Total distance is usually just under 700 miles ... the average speed is reduced by the slow driving in/around the Eurotunnel terminals:

View attachment 146280

Can you drop me a PM with the name of your Urologist ?

If you can recommend a Chiropractor for my wife, she'd love a good name because she can't sit in my E500 for 400 miles from Calais to Beaune without a break.

 

[as400]

Just back from a long weekend wedding anniversary in the Lake District. Just me and the bride, we took the SLK55AMG. Perfect car for the trip. Nice mix of relaxed touring (75%) and a bit of hooning (25%). Honestly, £ per grin you are going to struggle to beat this, and if you are talking electric it’s never going to cut it for me…

The sound of the exhaust reverberating from the canyon sides down the Honister pass… orgasmatron. Matron.

Something of a bonus too!

 

[philnewmerc]

I would just like to say thank you to all the commentators, even the petrol bashers . Even before I started the thread, which was only a silly comparison between V8 supercharger and posh(ish) EV (ie ridiculous but interesting), I did have a lot of admiration for the newest EVs, my favourite being the Taycan, twin with the e-tron which I have briefly been a passenger in and was astounded by. But from this thread I have been forced to research more and more the EV situation, and have read (sadly) hundreds of EV forum posts now. I'm not trying to do down EVs, this is just an observation, but the reoccurring theme in EV forums is hypermiling. From discussions about the dangers of running the cabin heater, to the ideal speed of 40 mph for max miles per kilowatt hour. And if it's not hypermiling EV converts talking about keeping a hat on and using the heated seats instead, it's newbies complaining about range because rather like people reading manufacturers MPG figures, they're disappointed (often unreasonably so: "My brand new long-range Tesla will only do 300 miles!"). The one thing I have never managed to find though is typical miles per kilowatt hour for high speed driving, let's say 75 mph (slow to me, but apparently fast as f in mbclub forum speak: just observing my recent 6-hour drive home, there weren't many EVs on the motorway and the ones that were were going 55-65ish I'd say). I would guess that the M / KWH at 75 mph is going to be something like 1 to 1.5 miles/KWH - can any of the EV drivers here confirm/deny or do an experiment to check please?

What I was also going to say about forums for EVs is that Teslas seem to be far more efficient than any other manufacturer - so for me as a committed high speed motorway driver, perhaps that would be the model to look for in the future (assuming I find a way to charge it overnight). And it makes me wonder why anyone buys anything else.

 

[markjay]

...What I was also going to say about forums for EVs is that Teslas seem to be far more efficient than any other manufacturer - so for me as a committed high speed motorway driver, perhaps that would be the model to look for in the future (assuming I find a way to charge it overnight). And it makes me wonder why anyone buys anything else.

I fully agree that Tesla's tech is the best, however you have to also buy into the marque, and not everyone does.

My view is the Elon Musk and Tesla are akin to Steve Jobs and Apple* - a brilliant brand led by a genius who pretty much tells you what you need and dictates what you'll have - and they are right some - or even most - of the time, which still leaves people who just don't see the product as right for them.

I got a Hyundai IONIQ 5, which I think is a brilliant design with amazing built quality, even if it's nowhere near as clever as my work colleague's Teslas (Model-X then Model-Y).

* Before anyone says anything, I started my IT career with the Apple II in 1982, been supporting and selling Apple products for the past 40 years, and I know a thing or two about the company and its products....

 

[BTB 500]

That's 6 hours driving without a stop.... wow. I know fighter pilots use a urine bag... but I'm not going to ask you any personal questions!

Can you drop me a PM with the name of your Urologist ?

If you can recommend a Chiropractor for my wife, she'd love a good name because she can't sit in my E500 for 400 miles from Calais to Beaune without a break.

Haha! We can both go 6 hours ... when the kids were little we either stopped halfway or drove through the night while they were asleep. The latter is really tough though, particularly on unlit motorways.

On the seats ... weirdly I find our 2007 Vito better than our 2019 C Class for long runs (we've used both to do the trip to Germany). When I go to see my mum (who is in a care home down south) it's around 3.5 hours each way and in the C Class I'm in some discomfort by the time I arrive:



I have no problems in the Vito though. It does have optional 'comfort' seating but it's more basic than the C Class.

 

[markjay]

@BTB 500, in relation to you driving with the CC set to 77km/h, my point was that the OP's assumption of '85mph' for calculating energy consumption was totally unrealistic.

Firstly, adaptive CC will slow you down as needed when there's traffic ahead. Then, you might get the odd stretch of not-busy road where you can go at the CC speed for 6 hours in a row, at a specific time of day (perhaps late at night or early morning), without encountering any temporary speed limits or roadworks etc, or speed cameras and police cars that you'll need to slow down for - but to base a buying decision on the assumption that the OP will be driving 500 miles at a constant 85mph at any time of day, on any road (on UK Motorways!), without slowing down, is totally unrealistic.

Having said that, the OP already posted that the thread "was only a silly comparison between V8 supercharger and posh(ish) EV (ie ridiculous but interesting)", so we can leave it at that...

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

* Before anyone says anything, I started my IT career with the Apple II in 1982, been supporting and selling Apple products for the past 40 years, and I know a thing or two about the company and its products....

Let's hope Tesla doesn't go the way of DEC, WANG and Compaq.... as the underlying tech improves in leaps and bounds.

Apple II: clever product 4k memory, BASIC, and black and white monitor. Storage only via tape, floppy disks were a later upgrade.

The pace of change is fast.

 

[BTB 500]

@BTB 500, in relation to you driving with the CC set to 77km/h, my point was that the OP's assumption of '85mph' for calculating energy consumption was totally unrealistic.

Firstly, adaptive CC will slow you down as needed when there's traffic ahead. Then, you might get the odd stretch of not-busy road where you can go at the CC speed for 6 hours in a row, at a specific time of day (perhaps late at night or early morning), without encountering any temporary speed limits or roadworks etc, or speed cameras and police cars that you'll need to slow down for - but to base a buying decision on the assumption that the OP will be driving 500 miles at a constant 85mph at any time of day, on any road (on UK Motorways!), without slowing down, is totally unrealistic.

Having said that, the OP already posted that the thread "was only a silly comparison between V8 supercharger and posh(ish) EV (ie ridiculous but interesting)", so we can leave it at that...

We do maintain 77 mph (125 kph) on cruise control much of the time on the run to/from Germany. Neither of our vehicles have adaptive CC (but of course new EVs almost certainly would).

The average speed for the whole trip is usually knocked down to a little over 60 mph by very slow driving within the Eurotunnel terminals and car parks (including boarding/leaving the train).

 

[markjay]

We do maintain 77 mph (125 kph) on cruise control much of the time on the run to/from Germany. Neither of our vehicles have adaptive CC (but of course new EVs almost certainly would).

Not on the UK side, presumably....?

 

[ALFAitalia]

Why not?.........you would need a very miserable copper to nick you at any less than 80 mph (10% plus 2....so 79 mph being there usual tolerance point).......unless they are having one of their zero tolerance purges.....but thats usually Wales!! And if you are using the speedo to set the cruise 77 is usually only about 73 or 74 mph in the real world....which is why I always set mine to 50mph in the average speed zones using the sat nav speed rather than the speedo......that way you can creep past all of those just relying on their under reading speedos!!!

 

[markjay]

Why not?.........you would need a very miserable copper to nick you at any less than 80 mph (10% plus 2....so 79 mph being there usual tolerance point).......unless they are having one of their zero tolerance purges.....but thats usually Wales!! And if you are using the speedo to set the cruise 77 is usually only about 73 or 74 mph in the real world....which is why I always set mine to 50mph in the average speed zones using the sat nav speed rather than the speedo......that way you can creep past all of those just relying on their under reading speedos!!!

I wasn't referring to the police... I have yet to drive on a UK motorway that has no traffic hold-ups, no slow traffic, not temporary speed limits, no average speed cameras, no variable speed limit, and no roadworks... certainly not on a 400-mile stretch! If you know of such a motorway in the UK, do share...