Forgotten but recent EV cars from major manufacturers

[mikeyr]

Test drove an MX-30 a couple of years back. Lovely car, terrible range seemed to stymie sales. Barely seen one since on the road since but spotted a parked up one yesterday.

Any other cars that didn't capture the market?

[MisterBigglesworth]

Mercedes EQS / EQE

Given they are supposed to be the EV replacement for their profit centre S class and E class the complete tumbleweed surrounding them suggests Mercedes are in major trouble for f Tesla ever hire Pininfarina to replace their American rental car spec designs and low rent interiors.

[John87]

The Peugeot Ion was apparently on sale for 7 years but I've never seen one

[mikeyr]

Me either, think I've seen the Mitsubishi version about? (if that was the same car rebadged?)

[tvrfan007]

MisterBigglesworth said:

Mercedes EQS / EQE

Given they are supposed to be the EV replacement for their profit centre S class and E class the complete tumbleweed surrounding them suggests Mercedes are in major trouble for f Tesla ever hire Pininfarina to replace their American rental car spec designs and low rent interiors.

I see a eqs every day and it’s lovely but that price….100k? That’s why you don’t see many…

[joropug]

mikeyr said:

Test drove an MX-30 a couple of years back. Lovely car, terrible range seemed to stymie sales. Barely seen one since on the road since but spotted a parked up one yesterday.

Any other cars that didn't capture the market?

Believe the Mx30 was designed to have a rotary generator application but it didn’t materialise, hence the poor range. That version is going to come though I believe?

They are relatively cheap it seems used.

[ScoobyChris]

mikeyr said:

Test drove an MX-30 a couple of years back. Lovely car, terrible range seemed to stymie sales. Barely seen one since on the road since but spotted a parked up one yesterday.

The local Mazda dealer has taken out an annoying ad on Heart Radio where they are really pushing the MX-30. Don't think I've ever seen one in the wild!

Chris

[SWoll]

MisterBigglesworth said:

Mercedes EQS / EQE

Given they are supposed to be the EV replacement for their profit centre S class and E class the complete tumbleweed surrounding them suggests Mercedes are in major trouble for f Tesla ever hire Pininfarina to replace their American rental car spec designs and low rent interiors.

Not seen a single example of either in the flesh.

[TheDeuce]

MisterBigglesworth said:

Mercedes EQS / EQE

Given they are supposed to be the EV replacement for their profit centre S class and E class the complete tumbleweed surrounding them suggests Mercedes are in major trouble for f Tesla ever hire Pininfarina to replace their American rental car spec designs and low rent interiors.

As of last year their were 708 EQS on the road in the UK, and 502 EQE. So you may have a point..

I don't really get why they're not selling tbh. Clearly a car aimed at those that own their own business(s) and as a company car they're actually really cheap (1% BIK) compared to less rrp expensive ICE equivalents.

Further down the range the EQC is getting trounced by BMW EV offerings too. The IX and i4 are looking really strong in 2022 and I bet more will be sold this year now the supply chain issues are largely resolved.

[samoht]

Mercedes B250e
SsangYong Korando e-Motion
Lexus UX
Subaru Solterra
Opel Ampera-e (cheating a bit as never came to UK)

Edited by samoht on Friday 18th August 16:17

[TheDeuce]

Tesla:

Cyber truck
Roadster
Semi truck

[Bannock]

Ssangyong Korando E-motion

[mikeyr]

Just found out there was a Ford Focus Electric! Now that is a car I never knew existed. Although not sure I've ever spotted a Golf e either but maybe that's because they look edlike a normal ICE car?

[plfrench]

mikeyr said:

Just found out there was a Ford Focus Electric! Now that is a car I never knew existed. Although not sure I've ever spotted a Golf e either but maybe that's because they look edlike a normal ICE car?

Yes, quite a few around, but look very much like the GTE at a glance.

[joropug]

Reminds me I was looking at the old Peugeot 106 brochure and had no idea an electric version of any car existed then!

[FeelingLucky]

TheDeuce said:

Tesla:

Cyber truck
Roadster
Semi truck

Cyber Truck: So recent it's not yet on sale, it is however in production.
Roadster: All sold and now appreciating rapidly.
Semi Truck: Pepsi currently running a sizeable fleet.

[sixor8]

Just had a quick look, 2021 MX-30 £15k.

My sister has an E-Niro through work and at the end of 2022, a 2 year old one with reasonable mileage was nearly £30k. Ridic... I ditched the idea of buying it if she gets offered it at the end of the lease period. However, the same cars are now £18k ish, and further to drop methinks....

[Jimbo.]

joropug said:

mikeyr said:

Test drove an MX-30 a couple of years back. Lovely car, terrible range seemed to stymie sales. Barely seen one since on the road since but spotted a parked up one yesterday.

Any other cars that didn't capture the market?

Believe the Mx30 was designed to have a rotary generator application but it didn’t materialise, hence the poor range. That version is going to come though I believe?

They are relatively cheap it seems used.

Mazda originally went down the road of “no-one ever drives a small city car that far, that often, so let’s keep it cheap(er), light(er) and small(er) than other EVs and fit a small battery”

Which _kind_ of makes sense. However, with cars of any energy source becoming persona non grata in an every increasing number of city centres, it was a small and ever decreasing market. That, and everyone’s concerns about range: suddenly everyone _needs_ 600 miles range, despite only ever driving <20 miles a day…

The range extender is coming, however the thermal inefficiency and emissions of the rotary will hamper it somewhat.

[The Rotrex Kid]

Renault Fluence. Yes, you could get them in the UK.



A Megane saloon with the battery behind the rear seats, terrible range and poor performance. Less than 100 registered in the UK

[samoht]

The Rotrex Kid said:

Renault Fluence. Yes, you could get them in the UK.



A Megane saloon with the battery behind the rear seats, terrible range and poor performance. Less than 100 registered in the UK

Back in 2007, Carlos Ghosn signed a deal with an Israeli start-up called Better Place whose business model was to run a battery swap service.

Thus Renault had to rush out an EV with a swappable battery pack, within the compressed timelines of a funding-constrained start-up. They had to adapt an existing Renault model and find somewhere to cram in a battery such that it could be swapped from below the car, hence it being behind the rear wheels.

David Twohig said:

This layout basically killed the trunk space, filling it instead with batteries. The balance of the car was also horrible - there was so much mass behind the rear axle that it handled like an early Porsche 911 - just not in a good way. But ... our hands were tied by the ill-fated and short-lived liaison with Better Place.

(from his fascinating book Inside the Machine)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Inside-machine-engineers-...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Better_Place_(compan...