The EV fact thread

[Bellow]

Will be interesting to see how that's worked out.

Maybe easier than first appears. Amnesty International study the environmental impacts of EV manufacturing and publish reports. Maybe the data from there is usable. If so, the European manufacturers will fare better than the Chinese and Korean.

If people can potentially get the larger saving on cheap cars that will make a difference.

Something about giving grants to those in a position to stump up nearly £40k for a new car rankles me. Presumably, the grant is available for lease deals too?

MSN

From the article:
''Last week, the DfT announced that road signs for electric vehicle charging hubs would be introduced on major A roads in England.''

With EVs so connected to the 'net - what's the need for physical road signs? Other than advertising/propaganda ('look, there are charging points') for those driving ICE?

 

[Skd884]

More info here -

EV grants are back: UK government to offer £3750 discount on new electric cars | Autocar

Electric Car Grant will provide discounts on cars priced below £37k – subject to sustainability criteria

www.autocar.co.uk

 

[SmartAmg]

Something about giving grants to those in a position to stump up nearly £40k for a new car rankles me.

Is that because you won't be entitled to it
coz you don't like EVs.
Or just the fact, it's an EV.

 

[Bellow]

Is that because you won't be entitled to it
coz you don't like EVs.
Or just the fact, it's an EV.

None of the above.

 

[ALFAitalia]

Something about giving grants to those in a position to stump up nearly £40k for a new car rankles me.

Next to no one can or does stump up 40k for any new car...ICE or EV... over 90 percent are bought on PCP. I could not afford to spend 40k on a car....but I could drive one on PCP not problems.....but I wouldn't!

 

[markjay]

Maybe easier than first appears. Amnesty International study the environmental impacts of EV manufacturing and publish reports. Maybe the data from there is usable. If so, the European manufacturers will fare better than the Chinese and Korean.

I fully agree. Having the words 'Car' and 'Green' in the same sentence is a contradiction in term. No form of 4-wheels-based personal transport will even be 'Green'. The only way forward is public transport. The idea that each person uses energy to mobilise a metal box that is 10 times their own body weight (or more) is extremely wasteful, and that's even before considering the manufacturing, shipping, and recycling of private vehicles. EV do only one thing - and they do it well - they remove harmful exhaust emissions from city centres, which is where the majority of the population live and work. But no private vehicle - however powered - can ever be considered 'Green'.

Something about giving grants to those in a position to stump up nearly £40k for a new car rankles me. Presumably, the grant is available for lease deals too?

The previous grant was available also for lease deals, and so I imagine that this one will be as well.

From the article:
''Last week, the DfT announced that road signs for electric vehicle charging hubs would be introduced on major A roads in England.''

With EVs so connected to the 'net - what's the need for physical road signs? Other than advertising/propaganda ('look, there are charging points') for those driving ICE?

Happy to explain how it works.

All modern cars - EVs or ICE - have a built-in GSM modem with an e-sim, that connects to the car's manufacturer's network. This e-sim is used to automatically call the emergency services in the event of a crash. It's an EU directive that has been adopted in the UK. See also:

eCall 112-based emergency assistance from your vehicle - Your Europe

eCall is an automated 112-based emergency assistance from your vehicle in case of serious accident. EU-wide 112 emergency assistance mandatory for all new car models approved for manufacture after 31 March 2018.

europa.eu

The same technology can also be used for optional subscription-based services offered by the car manufacturer. This is known as the 'connected car'. Real-time traffic and real-time charger information (for EVs and PHEV) are included in these services. Most manufacturers include an initial free subscription period, after which the car owner needs to pay in order to continue and receive the 'connected car' services. Many owners choose to not renew the 'connected car' services after the original free subscription expires. Some will use their mobile phones (via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto), but some will use neither.

In short, the real-time charger info is a technology available to EV owners, however not everyone will be making use of it. The signage will help those EV drivers - especially older vehicles - who do not want to pay for subscription-based services.

 

[markjay]

Next to no one can or does stump up 40k for any new car...ICE or EV... over 90 percent are bought on PCP. I could not afford to spend 40k on a car....but I could drive one on PCP not problems.....but I wouldn't!

Indeed.

Car finance mis-selling investigation: what you need to know - Which?

FCA says it is 'likely to consult on a redress scheme' if Supreme Court upholds ruling

www.which.co.uk

"Car finance is a £40bn industry in the UK, with more than 90% of new cars bought on finance, according to The Car Expert"

No need to be rankled

 

[markjay]

As I said early my son has a Buzz so I see one often. But they are not common. UK sales for the first quarter of 2025 amount to 417 units compared with

1831 ID 3's
2966 ID4's
1216 ID5's
2344 ID7's

Seems SUV stylings must be preferred to the retro styled Buzz.

ICE VW's still trump the EV's by a big margin. VW's best seller is the Golf at 10749 units

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

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

As I said early my son has a Buzz so I see one often. But they are not common. UK sales for the first quarter of 2025 amount to 417 units compared with

1831 ID 3's
2966 ID4's
1216 ID5's
2344 ID7's

Seems SUV stylings must be preferred to the retro styled Buzz.

ICE VW's still trump the EV's by a big margin. VW's best seller is the Golf at 10749 units

Rachel tells me that ICE outsells EV three to one.

I’m amazed that that ID.3 number is so low considering its price point.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

I'll be driving to the Switzerland again next week.

The new IONIQ 5 has a larger battery and faster charging than the outgoing model. Let's see if it makes a difference - the breaks that I need to take will likely be more frequent and longer than what the car needs......

Leo is a Catholic

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

Indeed.

Car finance mis-selling investigation: what you need to know - Which?

FCA says it is 'likely to consult on a redress scheme' if Supreme Court upholds ruling

www.which.co.uk

"Car finance is a £40bn industry in the UK, with more than 90% of new cars bought on finance, according to The Car Expert"

No need to be rankled

Got any numbers on what percentage of homes are bought on Finance?

Not “owned,” as that’s a small number, but purchased.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

With EVs so connected to the 'net - what's the need for physical road signs? Other than advertising/propaganda ('look, there are charging points') for those driving ICE?

The net connection is just a new-ish car thing. It’s not just EV

90+% of vehicles still aren’t capable of reaching the net, and the net isn’t 100% available real time all over the UK anyway

 

[markjay]

Leo is a Catholic

View attachment 175727

What I meant to say is that the car's tech may have already surpassed my own physical endurance, to a point where increasing the range between charging and increasing the charging speed will make little difference to my journeys.

Of course, for the younger 'drive 8 hours nonstop' brigade, these technological advances will certainly shorten their overall journey time (if they ever get an EV, that is).

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

What I meant to say is that the car's tech may have already surpassed my own physical endurance, to a point where increasing the range between charging and increasing the charging speed will make little difference to my journeys.

Of course, for the younger 'drive 8 hours nonstop' brigade, these technological advances will certainly shorten their overall journey time (if they ever get an EV, that is).

Agreed. But even the inevitable kicking of heels for 30 minutes at Eurotunnel plus a motorway stop to pick up rolls from “Paul” is enough to make a 400 mile journey easily achievable with the new EV’s.

Not that it’s a safe way to drive, according to the motorway signs which say stop every couple of hours for your own safety

 

[Bellow]

All modern cars - EVs or ICE - have a built-in GSM modem with an e-sim, that connects to the car's manufacturer's network. This e-sim is used to automatically call the emergency services in the event of a crash. It's an EU directive that has been adopted in the UK. See also:

eCall 112-based emergency assistance from your vehicle - Your Europe

eCall is an automated 112-based emergency assistance from your vehicle in case of serious accident. EU-wide 112 emergency assistance mandatory for all new car models approved for manufacture after 31 March 2018.

europa.eu

The same technology can also be used for optional subscription-based services offered by the car manufacturer. This is known as the 'connected car'. Real-time traffic and real-time charger information (for EVs and PHEV) are included in these services. Most manufacturers include an initial free subscription period, after which the car owner needs to pay in order to continue and receive the 'connected car' services. Many owners choose to not renew the 'connected car' services after the original free subscription expires. Some will use their mobile phones (via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto), but some will use neither.

In short, the real-time charger info is a technology available to EV owners, however not everyone will be making use of it. The signage will help those EV drivers - especially older vehicles - who do not want to pay for subscription-based services.

The net connection is just a new-ish car thing. It’s not just EV

90+% of vehicles still aren’t capable of reaching the net, and the net isn’t 100% available real time all over the UK anyway

Is the travel writer who had difficulties recharging the VW Buzz still wrong?

 

[markjay]

Is the travel writer who had difficulties recharging the VW Buzz still wrong?

Not more wrong than any novice ICE driver who has issues refuelling their car. Managing a vehicle is a skill that you learn, and the skills for running an EV only partially overlap with the skills for running an ICE car. Planes have known to crash because pilots were familiar with a different type of aircraft to the one they were flying and didn't have the proper training for the type - luckily, when it comes to cars, the consequences are far less severe.

 

[markjay]

That's one of the local cars:

It's on 24 plates, and so about a year old - I guess the driver must have figured out how to charge it by now

 

[markjay]

The net connection is just a new-ish car thing. It’s not just EV

90+% of vehicles still aren’t capable of reaching the net, and the net isn’t 100% available real time all over the UK anyway

I am assuming that you are referring to 4g/5g coverage in the UK? Keeping in mind that 'connected cars' don't actually connect to the Internet (some can, but it's optional) - instead, the cars connect directly to the manufacturer's servers over GSM, no Internet connection is involved (or required) in the process.

 

[Steveml63]

I am assuming that you are referring to 4g/5g coverage in the UK? Keeping in mind that 'connected cars' don't actually connect to the Internet (some can, but it's optional) - instead, the cars connect directly to the manufacturer's servers over GSM, no Internet connection is involved (or required) in the process.

Agreed - but it is the same cell towers that provide the 4G/5G connection that the car connects to - as the means of your phone connecting to the internet or all the internet services like web browser, Spotify, internet radio, YouTube etc. that is bundled into the car’s onboard software

 

[SmartAmg]

Not more wrong than any novice ICE driver who has issues refuelling their car. Managing a vehicle is a skill that you learn, and the skills for running an EV only partially overlap with the skills for running an ICE car. Planes have known to crash because pilots were familiar with a different type of aircraft to the one they were flying and didn't have the proper training for the type - luckily, when it comes to cars, the consequences are far less severe.

Agree, it seems like he's just jumped in an EV, with his thumb stuck firmly up his @rse. Not trying to familiarise himself with EVs, at all. They are different. You can't just jump in an EV for the first time and drive off, on a long trip. But once your used to them, they are great. Seems to me from the offset, he set off, to slate them. Brilliant informative reporting!