EV or another runaround
Discussion
Our 2003 Civic is on its last legs. We use it and really abuse it. Fill it up with petrol and it doubles in value!
So its time to look for its replacement.
It does around 3/4k miles a year, hardly any over 50 miles per trip, closer to 20. The seats are always folded down to take large boxes to the UPS depot and for transporting stuff. We have the use of a petrol SUV for longer journeys with a bit more comfort... if we need to which we rarely do. Maybe 3 times a year we will do a 400 round trip.
This will be a forever car....the Civic has been in use with us since 2009. Its now got 90k on the clock
Should we just replace it with another petrol small hatchback....around the £5k mark. OR now that EV's are sub £10k go for one. A Leaf/Golf maybe??
We do have solar for home charging and off street private parking. Can fix a Zappi easily.
Petrol at £1.5 x 4000 miles = £675 pa. ish. Tax is £200 pa. (But EV's are going to be taxed soon I read).
Saw this on fleabay.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/116176264993
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/116163999659?itmmeta=01...
As an example.....Thoughts!
So its time to look for its replacement.
It does around 3/4k miles a year, hardly any over 50 miles per trip, closer to 20. The seats are always folded down to take large boxes to the UPS depot and for transporting stuff. We have the use of a petrol SUV for longer journeys with a bit more comfort... if we need to which we rarely do. Maybe 3 times a year we will do a 400 round trip.
This will be a forever car....the Civic has been in use with us since 2009. Its now got 90k on the clock
Should we just replace it with another petrol small hatchback....around the £5k mark. OR now that EV's are sub £10k go for one. A Leaf/Golf maybe??
We do have solar for home charging and off street private parking. Can fix a Zappi easily.
Petrol at £1.5 x 4000 miles = £675 pa. ish. Tax is £200 pa. (But EV's are going to be taxed soon I read).
Saw this on fleabay.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/116176264993
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/116163999659?itmmeta=01...
As an example.....Thoughts!
Edited by romft123 on Monday 3rd June 10:37
If you're looking to save money, then you should consider how much of the other car's mileage can be shuffled on to an EV.
Mate of mine bought a £5k leaf some years ago, it really paid for itself because he racked up a lot of daily miles and saved a lot of diesel.
Also, a paid-for EV means the cost of driving anywhere in range is virtually zero, so going to see people 50 miles away or a trip to the coast or whatever extra journey is suddenly almost free.
If the mileage is sub 5k, it takes a long time to pay back and you might do better waiting a year in the hope EVs will continue to get cheaper, or better ones come on the market in your price bracket.
Get some insurance quotes, I found quotes for EVs were £200-300 higher than my diesel tank.
The other thing is, a petrol car can do a long trip, if your main car is being mended, or you're 'between cars'.
If you never do long trips where charging would be a pain, that's not an issue of course.
If you can find a good cheap petrol shed, that may still be the cheapest way, but there are a lot of lemons about and shed-o-nomics is not what it was!
Look at used cars and estimate their remaining life.
Divide purchase cost by life.
Mate of mine bought a £5k leaf some years ago, it really paid for itself because he racked up a lot of daily miles and saved a lot of diesel.
Also, a paid-for EV means the cost of driving anywhere in range is virtually zero, so going to see people 50 miles away or a trip to the coast or whatever extra journey is suddenly almost free.
If the mileage is sub 5k, it takes a long time to pay back and you might do better waiting a year in the hope EVs will continue to get cheaper, or better ones come on the market in your price bracket.
Get some insurance quotes, I found quotes for EVs were £200-300 higher than my diesel tank.
The other thing is, a petrol car can do a long trip, if your main car is being mended, or you're 'between cars'.
If you never do long trips where charging would be a pain, that's not an issue of course.
If you can find a good cheap petrol shed, that may still be the cheapest way, but there are a lot of lemons about and shed-o-nomics is not what it was!
Look at used cars and estimate their remaining life.
Divide purchase cost by life.
It will be a cash buy of course as we have saved £10k to buy.
Its not really about "saving money", tho of course, there's nothing wrong with that...LOL. BUT if it was just money, I would run the civic into the ground and then continue to buy a £1000 heap o s
te every other year....
I appreciate the thoughts re mileage VS petrol usage etc. But we will keep the car for many many years as we have the Civic....and we do have 2 other cars, both ICE that we keep as well! So no probs re a breakdown etc.
And having solar as well is one of the main reasons. At the mo we are getting 12p per Kwh exported, BG are paying 15p so will be transferring to them when the current pay period ends.
Looking at the downside....Less ££ from exporting power BUT of course thats "fuel" for the car instead of petrol.....
The Civic was bought way back and has served well, but its getting on a bit , clonks a lot, engine management light is on, then off, then on...again. I do my own servicing now, but last year had new bushes, tie rods etc and THAT MOT came to £350! This years cheaper @ £50. So its only a matter of time before even more expensive st will need doing.
Leafs etc are now well below £10k. Autoexpress rates them better than the e-golf and the Zoe is too small really. Mileage isnt really a problem on the car as we only do 3/4K a year so after 3/4 years of ownership it will average out. AND we would do less miles on the SUV as we would use the EV more I guess.
Its not really about "saving money", tho of course, there's nothing wrong with that...LOL. BUT if it was just money, I would run the civic into the ground and then continue to buy a £1000 heap o s
te every other year.... I appreciate the thoughts re mileage VS petrol usage etc. But we will keep the car for many many years as we have the Civic....and we do have 2 other cars, both ICE that we keep as well! So no probs re a breakdown etc.
And having solar as well is one of the main reasons. At the mo we are getting 12p per Kwh exported, BG are paying 15p so will be transferring to them when the current pay period ends.
Looking at the downside....Less ££ from exporting power BUT of course thats "fuel" for the car instead of petrol.....
The Civic was bought way back and has served well, but its getting on a bit , clonks a lot, engine management light is on, then off, then on...again. I do my own servicing now, but last year had new bushes, tie rods etc and THAT MOT came to £350! This years cheaper @ £50. So its only a matter of time before even more expensive s
t will need doing. Leafs etc are now well below £10k. Autoexpress rates them better than the e-golf and the Zoe is too small really. Mileage isnt really a problem on the car as we only do 3/4K a year so after 3/4 years of ownership it will average out. AND we would do less miles on the SUV as we would use the EV more I guess.
Edited by romft123 on Monday 3rd June 12:41
2013 facelift gave more boot space, charger at front, more brake regen and a heat pump (I think?).
If you get one registered before 1/4/17, it's still £0 VED at the moment, but £20 p.a. from 1/4/25. For a car registered after 1/4/17, it'll be the same as all other cars, £190 p.a. a the moment.
If you get one registered before 1/4/17, it's still £0 VED at the moment, but £20 p.a. from 1/4/25. For a car registered after 1/4/17, it'll be the same as all other cars, £190 p.a. a the moment.
Save a few quid and go for the original shape with the 30kWh motor.
Will do 100 miles on a charge, 100% reliable (I ran one for 90k miles over 3 years and it was still on original brake pads. Nothing went wrong) and it's a comfortable car with leather, climate, cruise, 360 degree camera etc..
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202405099...
Will do 100 miles on a charge, 100% reliable (I ran one for 90k miles over 3 years and it was still on original brake pads. Nothing went wrong) and it's a comfortable car with leather, climate, cruise, 360 degree camera etc..
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202405099...
If you get a Leaf then you'll have to really plan any journey above it's range. You'll be stopping much more regular than you're use to which you might find annoying.
Also using a 3 pin to charge up will take far longer than an actual charging point so if you are going EV, get a proper point installed. Personally if you had 10k and was going to be my forever car, I'd look at getting a better range EV.
What you need need to work out is how long would you need to own a petrol car before you start to see any savings. Are you borrowing any money if you spend over £5000? So working out your monthly and yearly cost is what it comes down to. If its £5000 cash you have saved up, then I'd buy the most reliable petrol you can and getting a Leaf at £5000 is possible but they have a bad range which day to day might not be an issue, until you want to do a long trip. That's when it will kill you having to wait 3 hours to fully charge up.
I'm in a similar situation with my partner. Wants a new car even though the current car is working. Basically pays out petrol and then the running costs which is hardly anything. Over the year its probably around £700. So unless we get an EV which costs less than that, it's not really worth the change unless the car become uneconomical to repair.
Also using a 3 pin to charge up will take far longer than an actual charging point so if you are going EV, get a proper point installed. Personally if you had 10k and was going to be my forever car, I'd look at getting a better range EV.
What you need need to work out is how long would you need to own a petrol car before you start to see any savings. Are you borrowing any money if you spend over £5000? So working out your monthly and yearly cost is what it comes down to. If its £5000 cash you have saved up, then I'd buy the most reliable petrol you can and getting a Leaf at £5000 is possible but they have a bad range which day to day might not be an issue, until you want to do a long trip. That's when it will kill you having to wait 3 hours to fully charge up.
I'm in a similar situation with my partner. Wants a new car even though the current car is working. Basically pays out petrol and then the running costs which is hardly anything. Over the year its probably around £700. So unless we get an EV which costs less than that, it's not really worth the change unless the car become uneconomical to repair.
EV alternatives to the MK2 Leaf
2020 Hyundai Ioniq
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202405089...
2020 MG ZS
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202405310...
2018 Kia Soul
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202405270...
2020 Hyundai Ioniq
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202405089...
2020 MG ZS
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202405310...
2018 Kia Soul
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202405270...
said:
Maybe 3 times a year we will do a 400 round trip.
Yes I read what he put. Stated 3 times a year this 400 mile round trip. So getting an older Leaf would be a massive pain doing that trip, lots of stops and lots of time sat around. Granted he has another car but the EV would be cheaper to do that trip if charged up at home wouldn't it. Saves paying out for the other car to do that trip.
Ankh87 said:
said:
Maybe 3 times a year we will do a 400 round trip.
Yes I read what he put. Stated 3 times a year this 400 mile round trip. So getting an older Leaf would be a massive pain doing that trip, lots of stops and lots of time sat around. Granted he has another car but the EV would be cheaper to do that trip if charged up at home wouldn't it. Saves paying out for the other car to do that trip.
romft123 said:
We have the use of a petrol SUV for longer journeys with a bit more comfort... if we need to which we rarely do. Maybe 3 times a year we will do a 400 round trip.
The cost saving is not worth worrying about for 3 trips a year.Edited by SWoll on Monday 3rd June 15:41
Ankh87 said:
said:
Maybe 3 times a year we will do a 400 round trip.
Yes I read what he put. Stated 3 times a year this 400 mile round trip. So getting an older Leaf would be a massive pain doing that trip, lots of stops and lots of time sat around. Granted he has another car but the EV would be cheaper to do that trip if charged up at home wouldn't it. Saves paying out for the other car to do that trip.
SWoll said:
EV alternatives to the MK2 Leaf
2020 Hyundai Ioniq
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202405089...
2020 MG ZS
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202405310...
2018 Kia Soul
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202405270...
Nice big boot in the Ioniq. MG as earlier comment, Soul, boot size maybe but wife might like the "funky" styling. And by far a longer range.... 2020 Hyundai Ioniq
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202405089...
2020 MG ZS
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202405310...
2018 Kia Soul
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202405270...
Edited by romft123 on Monday 3rd June 17:44
For the use you describe, OP, a Leaf on a 3-pin plug would be fine. It's exactly what we have for the same sort of use.
The economics work well enough anyway, but we also all need to be trying to decarbonise and this is an obvious step in that direction. I put this in the same category as "not trying to dodge VAT", i.e. nothing to be proud of.
The economics work well enough anyway, but we also all need to be trying to decarbonise and this is an obvious step in that direction. I put this in the same category as "not trying to dodge VAT", i.e. nothing to be proud of.
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