Tempted by EVs, advice please
Discussion
My current household fleet is:
1. 2004 Honda CR-V (useful for dump runs, moving kids into and out of university etc but mostly used by Mrs U for local trips)
2. My 2003 Alfa Romeo 156. Like any Alfa this is a hobby but it’s also my daily, I commute about 30 miles a day in it and we use it for longer trips but very rarely longer than 100 miles.
Fuel consumption on both is poor by modern standards, and the Alfa is now using so much oil it’s a non-negligible monthly expense. I reckon I’m spending around £400 per month on fuel, tax and oil (very rough figures, I should probably refine these). Plus, as they’re old cars there are the usual maintenance expenses - suspension components etc. Mrs U is also keen to have something with modern conveniences that looks a bit better at the tennis club!
Im thinking of replacing Mrs U’s CRV with something like a Renault Zoe, and my Alfa with something like a Kia Soul. I know it won’t be as fun to drive but I’ll get my jollies on my motorbike instead. I’m put off Leafs because of the reputedly older battery technology.
However I’d be looking at EVs that are 6-10 years old. Would these be a sensible buy? I’ve read comments saying that batteries seem to be lasting longer than was originally expected.
For my current monthly outlay on petrol & tax I’d be able to borrow about £13k over 3 years. I know I’ll have to factor in the cost of a charger and installation. What combination of EVs would you recommend (one big, one small) for this budget?
Thanks in advance, any other advice from seasoned EV users appreciated!
1. 2004 Honda CR-V (useful for dump runs, moving kids into and out of university etc but mostly used by Mrs U for local trips)
2. My 2003 Alfa Romeo 156. Like any Alfa this is a hobby but it’s also my daily, I commute about 30 miles a day in it and we use it for longer trips but very rarely longer than 100 miles.
Fuel consumption on both is poor by modern standards, and the Alfa is now using so much oil it’s a non-negligible monthly expense. I reckon I’m spending around £400 per month on fuel, tax and oil (very rough figures, I should probably refine these). Plus, as they’re old cars there are the usual maintenance expenses - suspension components etc. Mrs U is also keen to have something with modern conveniences that looks a bit better at the tennis club!
Im thinking of replacing Mrs U’s CRV with something like a Renault Zoe, and my Alfa with something like a Kia Soul. I know it won’t be as fun to drive but I’ll get my jollies on my motorbike instead. I’m put off Leafs because of the reputedly older battery technology.
However I’d be looking at EVs that are 6-10 years old. Would these be a sensible buy? I’ve read comments saying that batteries seem to be lasting longer than was originally expected.
For my current monthly outlay on petrol & tax I’d be able to borrow about £13k over 3 years. I know I’ll have to factor in the cost of a charger and installation. What combination of EVs would you recommend (one big, one small) for this budget?
Thanks in advance, any other advice from seasoned EV users appreciated!
Thanks all for the replies, lots of useful advice here. I agree £13k for two EVs is optimistic/foolhardy, that’s just the ballpark I arrived at if I spent my current fuel & tax budget in monthly loan repayments over 3 years. I could possibly go higher although sadly I think a Taycan is out of reach 
I think I’ll look at replacing the CRV first with something in the 10k range - that Ioniq looks tempting. Maybe I’ll look at replacing the Alfa in a year or so. In the meantime the kids will have to travel lighter when moving into and out of university (fat chance, I’ll probably end up hiring a van!)
Again, thanks for all the replies.
I think I’ll look at replacing the CRV first with something in the 10k range - that Ioniq looks tempting. Maybe I’ll look at replacing the Alfa in a year or so. In the meantime the kids will have to travel lighter when moving into and out of university (fat chance, I’ll probably end up hiring a van!)
Again, thanks for all the replies.
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