Possible EV 🙄🙂

[MikeInWimbledon]

FTFY

See also:

London ranked seventh worst city in the world for traffic jams

The UK is ranked the third worst traffic congestion country in Europe.

metro.co.uk

What freedom?

Of course that is a seven year old report, and since then we've elected Mayor Khan and enjoyed both Covid and the WfM revolution.

So Central London isn't what it was.

Don't have traffic volumes to hand but Central London is visibly quieter, both from vehicle commuting AND from public transport commuting. (Waterloo now handling less than half the footfall that it saw back in 2019)

 

[markjay]

If they thought the alternative was better they would mostly be on public transport.....that fact that they would all rather sit there kinda tells you all you need to know about what people think of our train and bus services!!!!

It tells you all you need to know about human (it)rational behaviour....... People also smoke in spite of the health warning printed on cigarette packs, and drink their liver to death (twice, in the case of George Best).

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

Back from the Tesla Model 3 Performance, test drive.
Got there early before it opened, had a really good look around it, car was lovely, panel gaps, great.
Inside the car, again was lovely. The actual test drive was great, a good half an hour again. Thought the acceleration on the MG 4 X Power was mind boggling, but the Tesla is something else again, staggering.
Pics of the actual car. £34,000 - 17,000 miles.
View attachment 145891
View attachment 145892View attachment 145893

For what it's worth, my call report from my test drive of the Tesla 3 this morning.

Essentially everything I expected, in both directions. Much improved on the two Tesla S test drives I've driven before. (An early launch car and then the facelift.)

Well built now, with less of the laughable quality of the earlier models, but still that feeling of high tech Mondeo. I'll continue with a 48 hour test drive and longer rental, but it's hard to see that this an EV equivalent of the fabulous BMW 3 series.

Lovely tech that's not that difficult to master, if you're that way inclined. Which I am, but many won't be.

But still a heavy and crashy urban ride, suited to those lovely countries like Germany which have excellent roads. Over the longer term, for me it's probably a deal breaker.

But an EV is still 2p a mile to fuel from home. (If you can fuel from home, and if the Government doesn't start taxing electricity for EV's.... )

Which is comfortably less than a 10th of the cost of putting fuel into a BMW 340i or even a BMW 320i

For poor people, there's even 0% finance. (For those daft enough to use finance, who don't realise that vehicles depreciate like a falling stone)

And we voted for European and British regulators who have already passed the laws that make EV's the way forward. Primarily because of CO2, and only vaguely also because of urban pollution.

 

[markjay]

Of course that is a seven year old report, and since then we've elected Mayor Khan and enjoyed both Covid and the WfM revolution.

So Central London isn't what it was.

Don't have traffic volumes to hand but Central London is visibly quieter, both from vehicle commuting AND from public transport commuting. (Waterloo now handling less than half the footfall that it saw back in 2019)

That's from 8 months ago:

https://www.itv.com/news/london/2023-01-10/london-tops-global-congestion-as-drivers-spend-a-week-each-year-in-traffic

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

I test drove the Hyundai and the ID.4 and they were both unaccompanied. I also drove the Model X and I asked for the salesperson to come with us, but it would have been unaccompanied otherwise. Also, MB used to offer a 24 hour test drive, not sure if they still do though.

Yes, it’s not a Tesla thing, it’s just a practice which is becoming more popular. I have an almost 100% track record in buying cars I test drive unaccompanied.

The exception was 8 years ago (I think) this week, when Hyundai or Kia set up test drives around Woburn Safari Park, and quite a few MBClubbers attended!

The handover area was littered with Mercedes!

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Back from the Tesla Model 3 Performance, test drive.
Got there early before it opened, had a really good look around it, car was lovely, panel gaps, great.
Inside the car, again was lovely. The actual test drive was great, a good half an hour again. Thought the acceleration on the MG 4 X Power was mind boggling, but the Tesla is something else again, staggering.
Pics of the actual car. £34,000 - 17,000 miles.
View attachment 145891
View attachment 145892View attachment 145893

Looks like a corker. Too sooner to make a decision?

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Public transport only works on big cities........there is physically no direct link from where I live to were I work. Nearest trains are 4 miles away (by the time I driven there are paid to park I might as well have driven to work!).....then its a mile walk from the station to work....nice in winter! No direct buses....so I'd have to take one into Chichester bus station and then another into work.....and they are slow and take ages to get anywhere.....might be something to do with the drivers habit of annoyingly stopping even few hundred yards!!! No matter how good it gets (and it wont get better with next to zero investment) public transport will NEVER replace a car when it comes to getting from door to door at exactly the time I want, at the temperature I want, with the music I want.....and be able to pop me to the garden centre/bank/post office in my lunch hour. When public transport can do all that and as a sensible price, the vast majority MIGHT be interested....but not until then. People who live in large towns or cities completely forget how rubbish public transport is everywhere else.

Thinking like a car owner from the past and present, rather than how we might adapt in the future.

 

[ALFAitalia]

I'm not one to adapt!!.....unless I'm financially forced too then I will be sticking to ICE until I can no longer drive.......probably 20 to 30 years if I'm lucky.....there will be plenty of used ICE still in the system by then. With current sales projections EV are unlikely to account for much more than 25% of the UKs car by 1 Jan 2030.......so its not like there suddenly wont be any ICE car for sale. I just enjoy engines too much (and fixing and tuning them and the sound/feel of them) to ever get excited about EVs.....Due to my job (nad the previous one) I've been lucky enough to drive a few...Tesla included.....if you want to accelerate very fast I can see the appeal.......but with no sound all all that extra weight to corner (the New T3 weighs at 1831kg....that's about 300kg more than my derv....and the S weighs in at 2170kg.....more that the porky new C63....even with all the power you cant beat physics!) its just not for me.......Not knocking them or anyone who want to buy one....they are just not for me.

 

[clk320x]

I'm not one to adapt!!.....unless I'm financially forced too then I will be sticking to ICE until I can no longer drive.......probably 20 to 30 years if I'm lucky.....there will be plenty of used ICE still in the system by then. With current sales projections EV are unlikely to account for much more than 25% of the UKs car by 1 Jan 2030.......so it’s not like there suddenly wont be any ICE car for sale. I just enjoy engines too much (and fixing and tuning them and the sound/feel of them) to ever get excited about EVs.....Due to my job (nad the previous one) I've been lucky enough to drive a few...Tesla included.....if you want to accelerate very fast I can see the appeal.......but with no sound all all that extra weight to corner (the New T3 weighs at 1831kg....that's about 300kg more than my derv....and the S weighs in at 2170kg.....more that the porky new C63....even with all the power you cant beat physics!) its just not for me.......Not knocking them or anyone who want to buy one....they are just not for me.

Thats great for you, continue enjoying your engines, is anyone on here saying that YOU in particular have got to buy one?

This was started as a positive thread but as usual people who don’t want to own an EV always feel the need to come onto these threads and spout the same crap.

 

[markjay]

....unless I'm financially forced too then I will be sticking to ICE...

That's exactly what the UK government has been doing for the past 5 years, in case you haven't noticed, and will keep doing...

 

[ALFAitalia]

Other people view points are not crap.....even when I completely disagree, they are just different to mine...which is fine......but I take your point about the OP and will leave there.

 

[ALFAitalia]

That's exactly what the UK government has been doing for the past 5 years, in case you haven't noticed, and will keep doing...

Nothing that's affected me....yet!!

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Yes, it’s not a Tesla thing, it’s just a practice which is becoming more popular. I have an almost 100% track record in buying cars I test drive unaccompanied.

The exception was 8 years ago (I think) this week, when Hyundai or Kia set up test drives around Woburn Safari Park, and quite a few MBClubbers attended!

The handover area was littered with Mercedes!

I saw a memory on my phone which reminded me of the Woburn test drive. A quick search on MBClub yielded the very thread:

Hyundai offer. Might be fun if you have kids. | General Discussion

Received a flyer today. Book a free day at a safari park with kids and drive a Hyundai i40 tourer. Not for me but if you're looking for a day out with kids in summer might be an idea. Explore More | Hyundai i40 for more details and to book a place. Hope it's not a waste if time. So...

forums.mbclub.co.uk

Not sure how many sales came from it but it changed the perception of the brand for me and others which was quite different back then.

 

[markjay]

Nothing that's affected me....yet!!

It depends how you see it.

EV drivers do not pay VED, or Congestion Charge (in London), and effectively reduce their tax bill by 40% for the monthly lease cost. In addition they get to pay pittance-per-mile and no fuel duty while you buy petrol at £1+ per Litre. Ultimately all these tax breakes come out of your pockets in one way or another (unless you're not a tax payer).

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Back from the Tesla Model 3 Performance, test drive.
Got there early before it opened, had a really good look around it, car was lovely, panel gaps, great.
Inside the car, again was lovely. The actual test drive was great, a good half an hour again. Thought the acceleration on the MG 4 X Power was mind boggling, but the Tesla is something else again, staggering.
Pics of the actual car. £34,000 - 17,000 miles.
View attachment 145891
View attachment 145892View attachment 145893

Are you tempted to try any EV models from other brands?

I suspect that you may have peaked with the Model 3 in terms of the balance of brand, reputation, performance, value and future depreciation. They’re popular for a reason

Might be fun to try a few more though

 

[markjay]

Some alternatives:

Hyundai IONIQ 5
Kia EV6
VW ID.4

All are great cars and well below the Tesla/e-Pace/EQx/BMW price range.

 

[ALFAitalia]

Last comment! Not all of us drive company cars any more (my pickup aside and that's not taxable) so much of that does not apply.

EV drivers do not pay VED

They will from 1st April 2025.

 

[markjay]

Last comment! Not all of us drive company cars any more (my pickup aside and that's not taxable) so much of that does not apply.

They will from 1st April 2025.

It's only temporary relief...

And, it's not just the government - you're paying for annual servicing for your ICE car, and even if you do it yourself, you still need to buy engine oil, ATF, filters, discs and pads.... doesn't that affect you?

Or, in other words, at what point would you consider the price you pay for driving an ICE car, too high?

 

[SmartAmg]

Are you tempted to try any EV models from other brands?

I suspect that you may have peaked with the Model 3 in terms of the balance of brand, reputation, performance, value and future depreciation. They’re popular for a reason

Might be fun to try a few more though

Pretty much decided it's got to be the Tesla Model 3 Performance.

 

[SmartAmg]

Just back from looking at another Tesla Model 3 Performance, purely to look at the White interior, which was stunning. So looking now for my perfect Tesla. Up to 35 grand, White with
White interior, up to 25,000 miles, preferably no more than Two owners and goes without saying must be Mint. Must be one out there somewhere?
Here's the White interior.