Used EV Car for the wife
Discussion
I'm currently looking (very casually at this stage) for an EV car for my wife. Her commute is around 40miles per day to a fixed address and any family activites are generally done in my car so it's usage would be 95% travelling to work and back. After running some calculations an EV looks like the most attractive option but a part of me is sceptical about buying a used EV.
We have a budget of around £10-£12K which throws up cars like
VW Golf e
DS3 E Tense
Citroen eC4
Vauxhall Mokka e
We're not really interested in anything smaller than the above as we have 2 children and a medium sized dog. Does anyone have experience with any on the list above or can you suggest a suitable alternative / cars to avoid? Her commute is mainly motorway (2 junctions of the M1 during rush hour both ways). Looking ideally at 2020 onwards.
We have a budget of around £10-£12K which throws up cars like
VW Golf e
DS3 E Tense
Citroen eC4
Vauxhall Mokka e
We're not really interested in anything smaller than the above as we have 2 children and a medium sized dog. Does anyone have experience with any on the list above or can you suggest a suitable alternative / cars to avoid? Her commute is mainly motorway (2 junctions of the M1 during rush hour both ways). Looking ideally at 2020 onwards.
You could get a Kona for under £12K or for a bit more, a Kia eNiro which would have some warranty left on it. I'd trust the reliability of the Koreans more than the French/Stellantis
e.g. https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202409164...
e.g. https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202409164...
Edited by gmaz on Friday 27th September 15:20
We currently have a 2016 e-golf with approx 45k miles on it and have had it for 5years. It gets used every day in a pretty extreme climate by euro standards (Chicago) with summer and winter temps often in the -20C and +35C ranges. It’s been absolutely faultless and appears to have retained its full battery capacity. I think these early Li-ion EV batteries were pretty overbuilt and they were very conservative with the usable capacity vs actual capacity, meaning the batteries have a pretty easy life.
It gets charged at home on a 7kW charger to 90% nominal capacity which is the equivalent 80% of the battery’s true capacity, as recommended for longevity.
Overall a great city/commuter car with all the benefits of the golf platform and the electric powertrain.
My recommendation would be to get a 2017 and up as they have a bigger battery and a little bit more power. One with the heat pump fitted would also be desirable.
It gets charged at home on a 7kW charger to 90% nominal capacity which is the equivalent 80% of the battery’s true capacity, as recommended for longevity.
Overall a great city/commuter car with all the benefits of the golf platform and the electric powertrain.
My recommendation would be to get a 2017 and up as they have a bigger battery and a little bit more power. One with the heat pump fitted would also be desirable.
We have just replaced an aging and getting costly to repair Seat Diesel for an EV as the wifes car.
As I already have an EV (Company Car, 320+ range ideal conditions) a smaller battery EV was a perfect fit. Already have a charge point at home.
Not a fan of the stellantis offerings (Peugeot, Citreon, Corsa) as app is very poor, range is diabolical and not the best put together looking at various forums.
We ended up with a 21 Hyundai Ioniq 38kw - smaller battery than what you have suggested but has a better range as more efficient.
12,000 recorded miles and in as new condition. Range is showing as 190 miles on the GoM (Guess 'o meter) which is around the as new WLTP figure. Some forumites are getting 230+ miles in summer - they are very very efficient - heat pump standard in the UK and are, even in 'base' Premium guise, very well specified. Ours was £13k.
Heated seats, heated wheel, reverse camera and sensors, heat pump, adaptive cruise, puddle lights, keyless entry, LED headlights. Premium SE adds cooled seats, tinted rear glass, front sensors and lane centering (I think).
Boot is a decent size as well. Lane keep assist thing can be switched off with a button. The entertainment system is a decent system, incl a subwoofer. Satnav will find chargers and has live status.
They are not the fastest to charge on DC (around 50kw I think) but I doubt if ours will ever be fast charged - previous owner only ever fast charged it once as well.
The Bluelink App is far better than my 24 plate VW and is showing efficiency on these cold mornings at 4m/KW but we have been getting 6+ during the day - not as the small difference matters on a city car, its still less than 2p per mile to run on a good overnight charging tariff.
As I already have an EV (Company Car, 320+ range ideal conditions) a smaller battery EV was a perfect fit. Already have a charge point at home.
Not a fan of the stellantis offerings (Peugeot, Citreon, Corsa) as app is very poor, range is diabolical and not the best put together looking at various forums.
We ended up with a 21 Hyundai Ioniq 38kw - smaller battery than what you have suggested but has a better range as more efficient.
12,000 recorded miles and in as new condition. Range is showing as 190 miles on the GoM (Guess 'o meter) which is around the as new WLTP figure. Some forumites are getting 230+ miles in summer - they are very very efficient - heat pump standard in the UK and are, even in 'base' Premium guise, very well specified. Ours was £13k.
Heated seats, heated wheel, reverse camera and sensors, heat pump, adaptive cruise, puddle lights, keyless entry, LED headlights. Premium SE adds cooled seats, tinted rear glass, front sensors and lane centering (I think).
Boot is a decent size as well. Lane keep assist thing can be switched off with a button. The entertainment system is a decent system, incl a subwoofer. Satnav will find chargers and has live status.
They are not the fastest to charge on DC (around 50kw I think) but I doubt if ours will ever be fast charged - previous owner only ever fast charged it once as well.
The Bluelink App is far better than my 24 plate VW and is showing efficiency on these cold mornings at 4m/KW but we have been getting 6+ during the day - not as the small difference matters on a city car, its still less than 2p per mile to run on a good overnight charging tariff.
I'm just coming up to a year with a 21 plate e-C4. Its USP is that Citroen have doubled down on refinement, working to suppress wind and road noise to complement the lack of engine racket. Combined with fairly soft suspension, 60 profile tyres, and comfy seats and it's like driving a cloud. IMO this plays to the strengths of electric drive, it's definitely more refined than a Leaf and I think also than the Ioniq.
The range isn't great, but you can count on a bare minimum of 100 miles in winter at 70mph, so ample for your needs. Actual range turns out about 120-160 miles depending on weather and cruising speed. It charges at 100kW, so just a quick coffee stop on the few occasions I've taken it for a longer trip.
The e-C4 is bigger than Stellantis platform mates the DS3 and Mokka (length and wheelbase), so probably better suited for your 2+2+1 family.
I've come to use the adaptive cruise with lane following a lot, it takes quite a bit of stress out of motorway driving.
Reliability - the app can frustrate but it usually works for me, bar one two week period when it mysteriously wouldn't connect. Pre-conditioning is magic in winter!
When I bought the car it had a recall due to avoid the Electric Traction Fault problem, doing this borked the cruise control so it had to go back to have that re-initialised.
This summer the A/C failed, the dealer identified it as a known manufacturing fault and fixed it (replaced the compressor) for free inside a week.
The bottom of three doors are rusting, after some back and forth with Citroen Customer Care they've agreed to replace the doors for free, it's going in tomorrow.
(The above were after the expiry of the 3 yr warranty)
The above are all known issues, fortunately my local Citroen dealer is the only good franchised dealer I've ever known and have been great about resolving things.
I would _like_ more power, I would _like_ rwd so it doesn't get torque steer and TC intervention when I floor it on an uneven B road, but I don't _need_ those things in a daily, and I'd be loathe to give up the comfort and smart cruise.
Overall I think they're a good bet, the range is mediocre but plenty for your needs, they're cheap, and they're nicely relaxing to drive.
Mine is a Shine Plus so has heated leather seats, heated steering wheel, lane following and a few other things.
I wouldn't worry about buying a used EV, just make sure it has full service history so the battery warranty is valid. A 2021 car will have battery warranty until 2029, leaving you with less to go wrong than a petrol or (especially) diesel alternative. They're much nicer to drive than a small engined ICE car and charged at home, one fifth the cost.
The range isn't great, but you can count on a bare minimum of 100 miles in winter at 70mph, so ample for your needs. Actual range turns out about 120-160 miles depending on weather and cruising speed. It charges at 100kW, so just a quick coffee stop on the few occasions I've taken it for a longer trip.
The e-C4 is bigger than Stellantis platform mates the DS3 and Mokka (length and wheelbase), so probably better suited for your 2+2+1 family.
I've come to use the adaptive cruise with lane following a lot, it takes quite a bit of stress out of motorway driving.
Reliability - the app can frustrate but it usually works for me, bar one two week period when it mysteriously wouldn't connect. Pre-conditioning is magic in winter!
When I bought the car it had a recall due to avoid the Electric Traction Fault problem, doing this borked the cruise control so it had to go back to have that re-initialised.
This summer the A/C failed, the dealer identified it as a known manufacturing fault and fixed it (replaced the compressor) for free inside a week.
The bottom of three doors are rusting, after some back and forth with Citroen Customer Care they've agreed to replace the doors for free, it's going in tomorrow.
(The above were after the expiry of the 3 yr warranty)
The above are all known issues, fortunately my local Citroen dealer is the only good franchised dealer I've ever known and have been great about resolving things.
I would _like_ more power, I would _like_ rwd so it doesn't get torque steer and TC intervention when I floor it on an uneven B road, but I don't _need_ those things in a daily, and I'd be loathe to give up the comfort and smart cruise.
Overall I think they're a good bet, the range is mediocre but plenty for your needs, they're cheap, and they're nicely relaxing to drive.
Mine is a Shine Plus so has heated leather seats, heated steering wheel, lane following and a few other things.
I wouldn't worry about buying a used EV, just make sure it has full service history so the battery warranty is valid. A 2021 car will have battery warranty until 2029, leaving you with less to go wrong than a petrol or (especially) diesel alternative. They're much nicer to drive than a small engined ICE car and charged at home, one fifth the cost.
Literally just made a purchase for the same reasons two weeks ago.
As a long term Tesla Model S owner I'm a bit critical of other EV's, however we picked up a 3 year old Nissan Leaf+ (the one with the bigger battery) for £12k from a main dealer.
They're giving them away at the moment.
I'm seriously impressed, its tight as a drum, is superbly equipped, does a genuine 220 miles and seems to be more efficient than the Tesla!
They're really colour specific though, only seem to look right in white or grey.
My wife and I love it.
You should check one out, a bargain!
As a long term Tesla Model S owner I'm a bit critical of other EV's, however we picked up a 3 year old Nissan Leaf+ (the one with the bigger battery) for £12k from a main dealer.
They're giving them away at the moment.
I'm seriously impressed, its tight as a drum, is superbly equipped, does a genuine 220 miles and seems to be more efficient than the Tesla!
They're really colour specific though, only seem to look right in white or grey.
My wife and I love it.
You should check one out, a bargain!
knebworth01 said:
Literally just made a purchase for the same reasons two weeks ago.
As a long term Tesla Model S owner I'm a bit critical of other EV's, however we picked up a 3 year old Nissan Leaf+ (the one with the bigger battery) for £12k from a main dealer.
They're giving them away at the moment.
I'm seriously impressed, its tight as a drum, is superbly equipped, does a genuine 220 miles and seems to be more efficient than the Tesla!
They're really colour specific though, only seem to look right in white or grey.
My wife and I love it.
You should check one out, a bargain!
Can't fault this, but as a response to the post above about used EV prices being as low as they'll ever be, I think that's wrong. I think they are already creeping up. Certainly the case with Leafs as I browse the adverts for them quite a lot.As a long term Tesla Model S owner I'm a bit critical of other EV's, however we picked up a 3 year old Nissan Leaf+ (the one with the bigger battery) for £12k from a main dealer.
They're giving them away at the moment.
I'm seriously impressed, its tight as a drum, is superbly equipped, does a genuine 220 miles and seems to be more efficient than the Tesla!
They're really colour specific though, only seem to look right in white or grey.
My wife and I love it.
You should check one out, a bargain!
gmaz said:
You could get a Kona for under £12K or for a bit more, a Kia eNiro which would have some warranty left on it. I'd trust the reliability of the Koreans more than the French/Stellantis
e.g. https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202409164...
That 21 Kona is a bit of an outlier with 70K miles - I guess they must have been Motability as most have mileages that don’t make any sense for an EV purchase from new.e.g. https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202409164...
OP mentions a couple of kids and a dog - Gen 1 Kona is pretty tight in the back and boot.
They (both Kona and e-Niro) apparently have an issue with the reduction gearbox eating its bearings. The factory fix is to change both the motor and gearbox which costs a fortune. I’ve seen suggestions that there are are after-market kits being developed to replace the bearings but the design means they can fail again.
If you get a Kona under 3yrs old from a Hyundai dealer then it gets a new 5 yr warranty - that strikes me as pretty attractive even though the price will be higher. There’s just not many sub-3yr old cars around now - one dealer salesman told me they stopped making then in 21, but then the new Kona was delayed.
e-Niro is quite a lot bigger in back and boot, and, if you can be sure of service history, has 7 yr warranty from new.
knebworth01 said:
Literally just made a purchase for the same reasons two weeks ago.
As a long term Tesla Model S owner I'm a bit critical of other EV's, however we picked up a 3 year old Nissan Leaf+ (the one with the bigger battery) for £12k from a main dealer.
They're giving them away at the moment.
I'm seriously impressed, its tight as a drum, is superbly equipped, does a genuine 220 miles and seems to be more efficient than the Tesla!
They're really colour specific though, only seem to look right in white or grey.
My wife and I love it.
You should check one out, a bargain!
We did exactly the same thing back in April - Leaf e+ TeknaAs a long term Tesla Model S owner I'm a bit critical of other EV's, however we picked up a 3 year old Nissan Leaf+ (the one with the bigger battery) for £12k from a main dealer.
They're giving them away at the moment.
I'm seriously impressed, its tight as a drum, is superbly equipped, does a genuine 220 miles and seems to be more efficient than the Tesla!
They're really colour specific though, only seem to look right in white or grey.
My wife and I love it.
You should check one out, a bargain!
Loads of kit, 3 years old, 17k miles and it was less than £15k to purchase and I think its costing £20/month in electricity on our home charger.
58kWh battery might get about 210 miles or so, its not fantastic at motorways, but its fitted into our motoring requirements perfectly
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