What they don't tell you about electric cars

[M4cruiser]

1. They are cheap to run until something breaks, then they cost a lot.

Example: Changing your old petrol hatchback for a second-hand EV like a Leaf/Zoe/Corsa/208/Niro/E-Up etc:-
Saves you up to £300 per year road tax;
Saves you up to 20p per mile on "fuel" (depends a lot on previous mpg and electric supplier deal)
Saves you maintenance like oil changes, cambelt changes etc .
But:-
When the battery goes wrong it costs at least £3,000 to repair. Expect 1 repair on average in 10 years.


2. There aren't enough qualified mechanics to cope with the current repair demand.

When the HV system goes wrong, you may find a 3-month wait to book it in.

So: Ask questions on the above things before you buy.
There are examples on the internet, just use Google.

[stuartmmcfc]

Surely you mean “if” not “when”?
A friend has had a leaf for over 7 years and so far, rather annoyingly, nothing gone wrong.

[Murph7355]

This part of the forum must be what it would have been like a couple of hundred years ago if social media and the Daily Mail existed.

The really enlightening thing is though that there are examples on the internet PEOPLE!

SAVE YOURSELVES FFS.

(Because ICE cars never, ever incur large bills. No sir. Never).

[timbo999]

Put the £300/annum you're not paying in VED into a high interest account and use it to buy a new battery every 10 years... and you're ahead 'cos you've earned interest on your savings...

What have I missed?

[Discombobulate]

M4cruiser said:

1. They are cheap to run until something breaks, then they cost a lot.

Example: Changing your old petrol hatchback for a second-hand EV like a Leaf/Zoe/Corsa/208/Niro/E-Up etc:-
Saves you up to £300 per year road tax;
Saves you up to 20p per mile on "fuel" (depends a lot on previous mpg and electric supplier deal)
Saves you maintenance like oil changes, cambelt changes etc .
But:-
When the battery goes wrong it costs at least £3,000 to repair. Expect 1 repair on average in 10 years.


2. There aren't enough qualified mechanics to cope with the current repair demand.

When the HV system goes wrong, you may find a 3-month wait to book it in.

So: Ask questions on the above things before you buy.
There are examples on the internet, just use Google.

Where did that 3k battery repair bill every 10 years (on average) come from? I struggle to believe that.
You know they are nearly all warranted for 8 years so any repairs are free? Unlike the engines in most ICE cars after 3 years.

[Muzzer79]

M4cruiser said:

1. They are cheap to run until something breaks, then they cost a lot.

Example: Changing your old petrol hatchback for a second-hand EV like a Leaf/Zoe/Corsa/208/Niro/E-Up etc:-
Saves you up to £300 per year road tax;
Saves you up to 20p per mile on "fuel" (depends a lot on previous mpg and electric supplier deal)
Saves you maintenance like oil changes, cambelt changes etc .
But:-
When the battery goes wrong it costs at least £3,000 to repair. Expect 1 repair on average in 10 years.


2. There aren't enough qualified mechanics to cope with the current repair demand.

When the HV system goes wrong, you may find a 3-month wait to book it in.

So: Ask questions on the above things before you buy.
There are examples on the internet, just use Google.

Won’t somebody think of the children?!?!

[Monkeylegend]

timbo999 said:

Put the £300/annum you're not paying in VED into a high interest account and use it to buy a new battery every 10 years... and you're ahead 'cos you've earned interest on your savings...

What have I missed?

The 20p per mile saving on fuel and the cost of oil changes, cambelts etc.

Quite a bit in fact over 10 years at say 10k miles per annum.

[dvs_dave]

M4cruiser said:

1. They are cheap to run until something breaks, then they cost a lot.

Example: Changing your old petrol hatchback for a second-hand EV like a Leaf/Zoe/Corsa/208/Niro/E-Up etc:-
Saves you up to £300 per year road tax;
Saves you up to 20p per mile on "fuel" (depends a lot on previous mpg and electric supplier deal)
Saves you maintenance like oil changes, cambelt changes etc .
But:-
When the battery goes wrong it costs at least £3,000 to repair. Expect 1 repair on average in 10 years.


2. There aren't enough qualified mechanics to cope with the current repair demand.

When the HV system goes wrong, you may find a 3-month wait to book it in.

So: Ask questions on the above things before you buy.
There are examples on the internet, just use Google.

It said so on the internet, must be true.
Cute

[WonkeyDonkey]

I don't own an EV but all the anti ev stuff is nauseating.

[moktabe]

WonkeyDonkey said:

I don't own an EV but all the anti ev stuff is nauseating.

Almost as much as the endless stream of EV stuff.

[MajorStare]

Neighbour has a Model S Tesla which is 10yrs old and 120K milles, not a single problem.
Current Kia EV is 6yres old, no battery deg and been faultless.

How much is a 10yr old ICE engine to change for a brand new engine?

[nick1871]

moktabe said:

Almost as much as the endless stream of EV stuff.

You know you’re reading the EV section, right?

[moktabe]

nick1871 said:

moktabe said:

Almost as much as the endless stream of EV stuff.

You know you’re reading the EV section, right?

And?

Even ICE threads get the constant guff.

Right?

[GT9]

Based on the other bizarre thread the OP also just started, I'm surprised he hasn't included in his list 'that the sun doesn't shine at night'.
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
As far as I know, they don't tell you that either when you buy an electric car.
bds.

[Rough101]

I think they tell you everything, the drawbacks are

Elon Musk
Iffy residuals

Battery borkage is a similar risk to that of ICE cars.

[ATG]

moktabe said:

nick1871 said:

moktabe said:

Almost as much as the endless stream of EV stuff.

You know you’re reading the EV section, right?

And?

Even ICE threads get the constant guff.

Right?

Except they don't. But apart from that ...

[stevemcs]

Monkeylegend said:

The 20p per mile saving on fuel and the cost of oil changes, cambelts etc.

Quite a bit in fact over 10 years at say 10k miles per annum.

On most cars you would only need 1 belt change in 10 years, yes you have an oil service but don’t electric cars need servicing too ? So in reality the running costs are not that massively different

[dvs_dave]

stevemcs said:

On most cars you would only need 1 belt change in 10 years, yes you have an oil service but don’t electric cars need servicing too ? So in reality the running costs are not that massively different

EV’s require way less maintenance. Brake fluid changes, and tyres about the only regular maintenance items they have in common with ICE. Oh, and cabin air filters.

So in reality EV running costs are massively cheaper to run than ICE, not to mention “fuel” costs.

[moktabe]

ATG said:

moktabe said:

nick1871 said:

moktabe said:

Almost as much as the endless stream of EV stuff.

You know you’re reading the EV section, right?

And?

Even ICE threads get the constant guff.

Right?

Except they don't. But apart from that ...

But apart from that....

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

[GT9]

moktabe said:

But apart from that....

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

That’s not a thread about ICEs.

Sure, there are ICE threads where EV discussion takes over.

It invariably starts with someone posting along the lines of:

‘What a shame this is the last ICE version before evil, boring, heavy, soulless EVs arrive. And what’s the point anyway when they just move emissions elsewhere, don’t reduce lifetime carbon, kill children in far off lands and are part of a grand plan by lizard overlords to control people. Etc.’

For added spice we will often get something about Chinese coal and the poster claiming they have the world’s strongest bladder.

Brandolini’s Law strikes again and we go round the houses.