Electric cars

[Threviel]

Going back to work has been rough on my petrol expenses, with the post-covid prices skyrocketing. I'm spending about 350-450€ a month on petrol alone and that is not very fun.

So I've been calculating. I'm usually buying cars for around 10' €, for me a car is just a tool that takes me to places, it's not a status thing or a fun thing. But I do want a good car since I spend quite a lot of time in it going quite fast. So far electric vehicles have been too expensive for me, there's barely any second hand market and what's there can't handle my daily 130 km highway commute. The cars costs me something like 500 € a month just driving and owning and over time about 650-700€ a month when including purchase price.

For an electric car to be profitable it needs to cost me about 500€ a month or less, since my present car is bought and paid for. It needs to have a range above 400 km. Calculation there is that I can only use 60% of the battery, since battery degrades when charging above 80% and going below 20%. I also go mostly on the highway in 120 km/h so the range decreases rapidly. 60% of 400km gives me 240 km daily range, which should be about 180 km highway range. We are a two car household and we have a motorhome, so long range travel does not factor at all.

I have a few options, prices are quickly going down.

Hyundai Kona/Kia e-soul costs about 450'€, but they are very plastic and low quality.

VW ID3 and ID4 are about 500'€ and even though they have the quality, it's too expensive. Also I don't want a car built by cheaters.

Tesla Model S used has also been going down, but then I'll buy a 2014 or so and the doubts about automotive quality are too big.

Tesla model 3 likewise too expensive both used and new.

But the Chinese have been building cars. MG ZS EV is a small electric SUV with a 440 km range that costs about 390'€. It seems to be light years ahead of Hyundai/Kia in quality and much cheaper. Putting that 390' in my calculation gives me a monthly cost, over 5 years, of about 480€. After that, when it's paid I more or less have a free car.

Any electric drivers here? Anyone driving a Chinese MG?

[grumbler]

There's a review here https://www.whatcar.com/mg-motor-uk/zs-ev/hatchback/used-review/n22835 that implies the MG ZS EV range isn't what you need.

[Threviel]

There's a review here https://www.whatcar.com/mg-motor-uk/zs-ev/hatchback/used-review/n22835 that implies the MG ZS EV range isn't what you need.

That's the previous model, or rather the present model but with the old battery. For model year 2022 they've increased battery capacity (and price, from 34' to 39').

[Josquius]

Which.co.uk ranks a Kia (e-niro) second of all electric cars.
Interestingly they rank the mini in their top 5 too- I do like the look of them. Volkswagen is not massively far behind and the Nissan Leaf behind that.

My only electric car experience was a small BMW owned by work which was...interesting. Really good acceleration. Didn't feel like actually driving.

On Tesla its reliability is apparently shit as well as being expensive.

[Admiral Yi]

Definitely the Tesla.  No brainer.

[Threviel]

Definitely the Tesla.  No brainer.

Why? Tesla model 3 LR is 62k in Sweden, that's a steep price increase from 39k. Cheapest Tesla 3 is 55k.

We also get a 7k environment bonus from the government on every electric car, so in practice it's 55k against 32k, almost double the cost.

[HVC]

Because he has skin in the game hah

One thing tesla really has going for it in NA is filling stations (don't thnk that's the proper term), but I do t know about Europe. However, since you said no long travel that doesn't really pertain to you anyway.

[mongers]

Obligatory post: .....

[The Brain]

Voiceover: -But it wasn't obligatory...

[Threviel]

Because he has skin in the game hah

One thing tesla really has going for it in NA is filling stations (don't thnk that's the proper term), but I do t know about Europe. However, since you said no long travel that doesn't really pertain to you anyway.

There's a Tesla supercharger half-way between my work an my home, but I imagine that I'll never use it.

I've driven a Model 3 and it's a very nice car. Great software, great design, perfect for me. The automotive reputation is bad, but if I could get one of the ones they build in China instead of the US the quality is reputedly going straight up. But it is out of my economical envelope, too expensive.

[Grey Fox]

Hyundai sell its Ioniq out there?

Ford offering is getting good too.

All electric cars are too expensive. Also don't buy Tesla. Tesla is shit quality and owned by a Zuckerberg like persona.

[Threviel]

Ioniq also looks nice, but is also in the 50k range rather than the 40k range.

https://alltomelbil.se/jamfor-elbilar/ are the available cars in Sweden. Sorting by "Pris/Räckvidd" sorts by price/range, how many SEK you have to spend for every km of range. 10 SEK is almost exactly 1€. The competition seems to be between Kona, E-soul and ZS EV.

[Berkut]

You should definitely make sure to consider the persona of the person who manages the company you purchase a new car from, for sure.

[Tamas]

Teslas look like their outside is made of some cheap plastic.

[grumbler]

You should definitely make sure to consider the persona of the person who manages the company you purchase a new car from, for sure.

Yes.  Plus, you need to avoid the safest cars, the best-selling ones, and the highest-rated ones, all of which can be avoided by not buying Tesla.