Electric cars

[Caliga]

C300... so, not an electric at all.

I figure I'll hang on to this car for five years or so and then get an electric, when there are tons more options.

 

6 to 8 more weeks and I'll have my new ICE car. 

I will note my C300 does shut the engine off at stoplights and stuff.  So I consider it to be environmentally friendly.

[crazy canuck]

Seeing a lot more Ioniq 5 cars around now - deliveries are obviously happening.  But not for me.  Latest update is delivery in July.  So more than a year later than initially promised.

The cars I am seeing are the base model.  I would have thought they would have given priority to the higher end models because presumably there is more profit margin there.  But I still wait.

I enjoyed test driving the Ioniq but the look doesn't appeal to me too much... it somehow looks '80s' to me.  Also apparently the windshield issue I wrote about earlier is pretty common, for some reason (maybe something about the design of the front of the car?) so just be careful about that, dude.

Its got two things that are most important to me.  Lots of interior space (and leg room) and good suspension.  I get the comparison with 80's design.  But I can't fit into sporty looking cars. 

[HVC]

Just remove the front seat and sit in the back

[crazy canuck]

Just remove the front seat and sit in the back

Many sports cars don't have backseats.   

[HVC]

Just remove the front seat and sit in the back

Many sports cars don't have backseats.   

Fair point  

I kind of like the way the car looks, btw. Cars look so much alike that I'm car blind. can't tell makes and models apart. Not being a car guy probably makes it worse.

[Grey Fox]

Just remove the front seat and sit in the back

Many sports cars don't have backseats. 

Fair point  

I kind of like the way the car looks, btw. Cars look so much alike that I'm car blind. can't tell makes and models apart. Not being a car guy probably makes it worse.

Look up the Subaru Solterra, Toyota BZ4X and Lexus RZ450e and play spot the difference.

Spoiler : Same base all made in the same factory.

[Caliga]

Its got two things that are most important to me.  Lots of interior space (and leg room) and good suspension.  I get the comparison with 80's design.  But I can't fit into sporty looking cars. 

Yep, I would agree that it is incredibly roomy and comfortable.

[Josquius]

Reviving as I really need to get a move on with this awful task of getting a larger car.

Some have said hybrids are bad. Though on "which" their top rated cars are by lexus, BMW, and...
This.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202304136241313?advertising-location=at_cars&fuel-type=Petrol%20Plug-in%20Hybrid&include-delivery-option=on&make=Volkswagen&model=Golf&page=2&postcode=NE64YA&price-to=25000&radius=30&sort=relevance&fromsra

I do like the thought of a car which is electric for most conceivable daily use (more than 30 mile a day and something is wrong) but has the backup for the handful of times we go further or forget to charge.

Thoughts?

[Tamas]

I have a C300e plugin hybrid and the 90km electric range is sufficient for my daily driving.

So with the way Germany is generating power right now, you have a petrol-coal hybrid, then. :p

[DGuller]

What is the objection to plug-in hybrids?  From a pragmatic perspective, it seems like the best solution at the moment on a global scale.  You still have the range and the relatively robust infrastructure of the ICE engine, but still spend most of the time using only electric engine.  You also don't have to waste as many resources on large battery packs, because for most people's use case only a fraction of Tesla's range will suffice, and you've got fallback option if it doesn't.

[Zanza]

So with the way Germany is generating power right now, you have a petrol-coal hybrid, then. :p

The renewables share in the last 30 days in Germany was 60%. The place where I charge usually has 100% renewable energy.

[Jacob]

A couple of guys at my work have the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV and they both really like it. Listening to them, the plug-in hybrid makes a lot of sense. You've got electric for all your running around town stuff - getting your kids around, shopping, commuting - but you have a combustion engine so you can still do road trips (and, I suppose, so you can still drive even if it gets so cold it impacts the batteries).

I don't know how it rates in terms of environmental impact, but in terms of fuel economy and on a purely practical level it seems pretty sensible.

[Zanza]

What is the objection to plug-in hybrids?  From a pragmatic perspective, it seems like the best solution at the moment on a global scale.  You still have the range and the relatively robust infrastructure of the ICE engine, but still spend most of the time using only electric engine.  You also don't have to waste as many resources on large battery packs, because for most people's use case only a fraction of Tesla's range will suffice, and you've got fallback option if it doesn't.

Plugin hybrids can make sense as a bridge technology depending on driving profile and energy mix, but often they do not, especially if drivers are not incentivized towards charging. But they have significant disadvantages: mainly their weight and cost. That makes the technology inefficient. 

[Jacob]

Locally there's plenty of incentive towards charging - electricity is significantly cheaper than gasoline. Anecdotally driving electric is also more pleasant than using the combustion engine.

I'd also be a bit surprised at someone buying a PHEV and then not using the EV capability, but I suppose people can be weird that way.

[Iormlund]

If you don't use the EV bits you're just hauling a lot of weight around for no reason (AFAIK 500kg for the C300e)