The EV fact thread

[190]

Would you not have been able to get the dealer to through these in as extras, if you were paying cash and not taking finance?

No I tried that and they wanted something ridiculous like £1000 for those extras.

VW had just switched from 2 years warranty to 1 year on approved used cars and the only cheap way to get the 2nd year was to take out some form of finance and that also included a very cheap deal on 2 services. I was upfront with them and said I wanted to borrow the minimum amount possible to get the deal and I would definitely be paying the loan off early. I even asked them to calculate what it would cost me so they were under no illusions.

First time I've borrowed money to buy a car since 1983.

 

[Will]

Just a thought - goods bought on finance include some additional consumer rights/protections. How do you stand if you have settled the finance and something goes wrong following this?

Obviously for things like a CC transaction you can settle the balance straight away - but for a car with finance attached to it, I wonder how it may or may not work?

 

[SmartAmg]

Just a thought - goods bought on finance include some additional consumer rights/protections. How do you stand if you have settled the finance and something goes wrong following this?

Obviously for things like a CC transaction you can settle the balance straight away - but for a car with finance attached to it, I wonder how it may or may not work?

Why would it matter, the car is still warranted, for 3/4/5/6/7 years depending on manufacturer, if bought new. Or whatever the warranty is on a used car.
In my case a Merc bought form Merc. Still had the 2 years warranty, even though I'd cancelled the finance.

 

[Will]

Why would it matter, the car is still warranted, for 3/4/5/6/7 years depending on manufacturer, if bought new. Or whatever the warranty is on a used car.
In my case a Merc bought form Merc. Still had the 2 years warranty, even though I'd cancelled the finance.

Yes warranties are what they are, but sometimes disputes happen - and it can be useful having legislation in place that potentially protects your interests in situations like that

 

[ToeKnee]

Drove alongside a Kia EV9 gt-line SUV earlier, never seen one before and it was effing HUGE!

 

[BTB 500]

Drove alongside a Kia EV9 gt-line SUV earlier, never seen one before and it was effing HUGE!

Over 2.6 tonnes empty ... up to 3.2 tonnes gross weight. That's heavier than many vans.

 

[Will]

Over 2.6 tonnes empty ... up to 3.2 tonnes gross weight. That's heavier than many vans.

About the same as my GL63 then?

 

[markjay]

Over 2.6 tonnes empty ... up to 3.2 tonnes gross weight. That's heavier than many vans.

The EV9 has been on our short list for a few months now - we went to see it at the Kia dealership a couple of weeks ago, but they didn't have one for a test drive. In the end we didn't go for it because it is too big.... the EV5 looks like a good fit for us, but it won't arrive in the UK before October, and we did not want to wait. Impressive car and impressive tech, though. And yes the thing is massive and weighs like a Range Rover....

 

[SmartAmg]

The EV9 has been on our short list for a few months now - we went to see it at the Kia dealership a couple of weeks ago, but they didn't have one for a test drive. In the end we didn't go for it because it is too big.... the EV5 looks like a good fit for us, but it won't arrive in the UK before October, and we did not want to wait. Impressive car and impressive tech, though. And yes the thing is massive and weighs like a Range Rover....

But a lot more reliable than a Range Rover.

 

[ALFAitalia]

What isn't!!!???

 

[Trickythemerc]

Royal Mail tracked delivery 48 hours only took them 8 days

 

[SmartAmg]

What isn't!!!???

Good point!

 

[BTB 500]

About the same as my GL63 then?

Pretty close! From a quick Google the dual motor version of the Kia is about 100 kg heavier when empty (kerbweight), but GL63's maximum gross weight is 10 kg higher

 

[markjay]

Pretty close! From a quick Google the dual motor version of the Kia is about 100 kg heavier when empty (kerbweight), but GL63's maximum gross weight is 10 kg higher

You have to wonder how a car with a 100kWh battery weighs roughly the same as a Range Rover or a G-Wagon? My guess is that Kia/Hyundai use very light materials for the car itself.

 

[Will]

Pretty close! From a quick Google the dual motor version of the Kia is about 100 kg heavier when empty (kerbweight), but GL63's maximum gross weight is 10 kg higher

So overall difference is about the weight of one heavy passenger (or a full tank of fuel) or something
(or less)

In other words words, it’s just an other large 7-seater SUV of similar size/weight to what has been around for decades prior

 

[BTB 500]

So overall difference is about the weight of one heavy passenger (or a full tank of fuel) or something
(or less)

Absolutely, that's why I said "pretty close"

 

[BTB 500]

Useful article today summarising how EV rollout plans have changed across different manufacturers:

The great EV U-turn: Brands that have delayed electric car plans

Since the start of 2024, a number of auto brands have announced delays or a watering down of battery car strategies due to a lack of demand. Here's every manufacturer that's performed a U-turn.

www.thisismoney.co.uk

 

[BTB 500]

So Tesla's woes continue ... wonder what would happen to the European charging network if Musk ever decided to call it a day? Would it be financially viable as a standalone business (which somebody else could take on)??

Tesla's sales in Europe have plummeted for the fifth consecutive month, with new figures revealing a significant 28 per cent drop in May.

The downturn, reported by the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association, saw Tesla's performance falter across 30 European countries. This stark decline comes despite a robust expansion in the overall electric vehicle market across the continent, highlighting a growing challenge for the US carmaker.

The poor showing is a considerable setback for investors, particularly as it follows Tesla's billionaire CEO, Elon Musk, having previously promised a "major rebound" was imminent. That assurance had recently fuelled a buying frenzy among shareholders.

However, those hopes were dashed on Wednesday, as Tesla's stock price fell by more than 4 per cent in early afternoon trading, reflecting widespread investor disappointment and raising questions about the company's immediate future in a key global market.

The Elon Musk effect continues as Europe’s Tesla sales drop for fifth month in a row

Tesla's stock price fell by more than 4 per cent in early afternoon trading

www.independent.co.uk

 

[ALFAitalia]

I could just be that people have got much more choice or EV now, mainly from China, with styling that does not look like it was done by a 5 year old and left to melt a bit (except the truck that has yet to start melting!).....and by and large those alternatives are rather cheaper.

 

[BTB 500]

I could just be that people have got much more choice or EV now, mainly from China, with styling that does not look like it was done by a 5 year old and left to melt a bit (except the truck that has yet to start melting!).....and by and large those alternatives are rather cheaper.

Yes for sure:

China’s SAIC Motor was the big winner for the month with its European sales of EVs and other kinds of cars jumping 38%. That has allowed the company to leapfrog Tesla, which a year ago was selling more cars in the region.

SAIC sold 18,716 vehicles last month versus Tesla’s 8,729.

My point was just that the Supercharger network seems to be a fairly significant part of the UK/Europe EV infrastructure. I don't know how it works financially, but it's feasible that Tesla have run it at a loss in order to encourage sales of their vehicles (which would have made sense when they were a market leader with little realistic competition). So if Tesla ever decided to pull out of Europe (or less likely, the whole company folded), would their charging sites continue to operate?