Merc has gone, EV has come

[Smart320]

Very interesting, wish I could afford one at present. I must start saving so that when the SLK has to go I can buy a sensible car more in keeping with my advancing years

 

[grober]

This newest generation is at the point where they are now truly useable, especially in comparison to the earlier cars. For example, a friend's 2015 Leaf took 11 hours to do a 300 mile trip recently, that would take 5-6 in a "normal" car. That's a very long time hanging around waiting for charging points.

Nissan Leaf 2015 ---------- 24kWh battery pack
Tesla 3 P model 2019------- 75kWh battery pack

Couple this to a car's onboard ability to accept fast charge and the difference becomes apparent.

 

[SmartAmg]

Epic right up, very interesting.

 

[Bluegnomes]

Very interesting post and Tesla are certainly having to up their game as other manufacturers catch up in terms of power train / batteries. Did they fix the boot leak (I expect a little water ingress in the Elise but not a Tesla)

I was speaking to a friend yesterday who has a Jag PACE EV and they “got it wrong” on their first long journey and ended up taking 4 hours on their normal 2.5hr journey. As you say journeys take more forward planning and a change of mindset with an EV.

I could certainly see our next car purchase being an EV. Although probably a Zoe or something smaller since we need a hatchback for dogs not a saloon.

It’s a pity (the way the car market is going) nobody seems like they will make a EV estate that I want. Maybe a Taycan Sport Tourismo.

 

[ringway]

I was speaking to a friend yesterday who has a Jag PACE EV and they “got it wrong” on their first long journey and ended up taking 4 hours on their normal 2.5hr journey. As you say journeys take more forward planning and a change of mindset with an EV.

I'm a fan of JLR.
I wonder if the Jag PACE has the same sort of range reminder (surely!) and re-route to a charger that PWX mentions?
Also, perhaps the Jag doesn't have the same rapid charging rate as a Tesla on dedicated Tesla charger?

 

[PaulXC]

Thanks for the write-up & info, PWX. I'm thinking when we no longer need the estate car in a year or so a Tesla 3 is a strong candidate as car for us.

I saw a few on the roads over the weekend in Holland and rather liked the look and the idea of them.

What's the boots space like - any idea if you could get a mountain bike with the wheels off in there?

 

[st13phil]

Thanks for the comprehensive and informative write-up. Looking forward to the next one, once you've lived with the Tesla for a few months

 

[PXW]

What's the boots space like - any idea if you could get a mountain bike with the wheels off in there?

The rear seats split/fold so it would definitely go in that way. The boot is a decent size but I suspect it might be a bit tight without the rear seats down. There are (inevitably!) YouTube vids showing the boot/trunk, and the measurements come up at 94cm between the wheel arches (wider further back), 107cm deep and 46cm high. If bike transport does prove to be an issue, the car does take a roof rack, or can be specified with a tow bar for a rear mounted rack. The towing capacity isn't massive (up to about 950kg, iirc) but plenty for a box trailer or bike carrier.

 

[grober]

Possibly have to remove the front wheel?

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

 

[bigcarpchaser]

Tesla missed a trick not making this model a hatchback I reckon.
VW might clean up in the “affordable” EV market when the i-thing eventually turns up.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[PaulXC]

The rear seats split/fold so it would definitely go in that way. The boot is a decent size but I suspect it might be a bit tight without the rear seats down. There are (inevitably!) YouTube vids showing the boot/trunk, and the measurements come up at 94cm between the wheel arches (wider further back), 107cm deep and 46cm high. If bike transport does prove to be an issue, the car does take a roof rack, or can be specified with a tow bar for a rear mounted rack. The towing capacity isn't massive (up to about 950kg, iirc) but plenty for a box trailer or bike carrier.

Very useful - thanks!

 

[Benzmanc]

Tesla missed a trick not making this model a hatchback I reckon.
VW might clean up in the “affordable” EV market when the i-thing eventually turns up.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

They're already ahead on that one, the forthcoming Model Y is a hatchback based on the same platform as the Model 3

 

[C43AMG]

Many thanks for taking the trouble. Look forward to the next one

 

[tbourner]

This is a physical effect that actually applies to all vehicles, whether EV or ICE. However, a lot of the energy produced by an ICE vehicle generates heat and noise, so you might find that of the total fuel consumption, perhaps 35% goes to produce forward motion. In an EV, the conversions rate is much higher - probably 90%+ - so a weather impact of 20% on the energy needed for motion has a near 20% impact on range, where as in an ICE the effect is less noticeable - on the figures above, it would be 20% of 35% , so an extra 7% - and that would be the impact on fuel economy in the same conditions. Sorry for the maths, but it really helped me to understand this - I couldn't initially work out why my EV would be more affected by wet roads than an ICE! Other issues that are often quoted, like heaters, use of aircon, lights, wipers, etc - these don't really add up to anything significant.

Of course! I'd said to someone at work that the Zoe has about 110 miles in summer and 85 in winter, but that all cars would have similar range loss due to all the things you do in winter, but they argued that they don't spend any more on fuel in winter - I hadn't considered the efficiency of ICE compared to BEV but it's pretty obvious that you wouldn't notice it as much.

 

[gaz_l]

I was out today in my newly acquired M140i, driving across country on fast A and B roads - the sort of thing it thrives on, it seems. At one point I spent a few miles behind a model 3, I'm not up on Teslas so I couldn't guess at what spec. or whatever it was, other than it was white . Neither of us were being silly, but let's just say we were making excellent progress. That's one of the most enjoyable drives I've had in a long time, and I'm very impressed with the Tesla's ability to cover the ground. Quite a tool.

Cheers,

Gaz

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

Very helpful. Would appreciate your thoughts on cost of ownership at some point in the future.

I struggle to come to terms with the depreciation / running cost numbers - from the top end Tesla to the basic Volt.

3p a mile is an obvious saving compared to 20p / mile that so many petrolheads are paying,

but does maybe £1700 a year on fuel offset the higher cost of purchase and (risk of high) depreciation ?

"Keep going well, keep going.... coal-generated electricity...."

 

[Benzmanc]

Had a test drive today and was very very impressed, for a car manufacturer this young i think they're superb. Can't wait for mine to arrive

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Had a test drive today and was very very impressed, for a car manufacturer this young i think they're superb. Can't wait for mine to arrive

Congratulations on your new car. Apologies if I’ve missed it, what have you ordered?

 

[MrRight]

I was out today in my newly acquired M140i, driving across country on fast A and B roads - the sort of thing it thrives on, it seems. At one point I spent a few miles behind a model 3, I'm not up on Teslas so I couldn't guess at what spec. or whatever it was, other than it was white . Neither of us were being silly, but let's just say we were making excellent progress. That's one of the most enjoyable drives I've had in a long time, and I'm very impressed with the Tesla's ability to cover the ground. Quite a tool.

Cheers,

Gaz

I've been unlucky enough to see two teslas driving really fast coming up in my rear view mirror on narrow windy roads and each time i just stopped at the next passing lane to let them go past, there's no catching a Tesla in a straight line !

 

[PXW]

If anyone is seriously considering going Tesla then PM me for a referral code - gives us both 1000 free supercharger miles.

Re cost of ownership - I’ll update more as time goes by. It’s quite hard to gauge depreciation as yet though early indications are not bad for the Model 3. The problem is that the demand for EVs generally is growing very rapidly so there will inevitably be some distortions as these cars filter into the secondhand market as demand/supply won’t be well balanced for a few years yet.

Source of power is an interesting one. As I type this, 35% of the UK’s electricity is being generated by wind, 25% each by nuclear and combined cycle gas turbine and less than 5% by dirty old coal. Some European countries have a far less favourable mix though of course some are better. The studies you see on t’internet “proving” that EVs merely move the pollution always make unrealistically high assumptions about coal fired generation.