Which EV brands do you prefer?
Discussion
So in the EV age, which car brands can you relate to the most? For me it’s Tesla, Polestar, Volvo, Kia and the French brands. In the ICE age I was very much a Porsche, BMW, Volvo and VW fan. The latter I’ve really fallen out of love with their boring EV line-up.
So a big change for me, but curious how other EV owners feel about electric car brands. Did you stick with your favoured ICE brands or jump ship?
Note: ICE diehards need not apply here!
So a big change for me, but curious how other EV owners feel about electric car brands. Did you stick with your favoured ICE brands or jump ship?
Note: ICE diehards need not apply here!
sixor8 said:
There'll be very few people who've even been in more than one, let alone owned, so not much to compare with, really.
I like my Honda eNy1, I liked my sister's E-Niro, as did she, her VW iD4 (since Oct 2024), not so much.
I like the 'look' of the Fiat 500e and the Mini varieties.
Sure, it can be just about what brands attract you with their EV line-up. For example I think Kia have quite an interesting EV range. I like my Honda eNy1, I liked my sister's E-Niro, as did she, her VW iD4 (since Oct 2024), not so much.
I like the 'look' of the Fiat 500e and the Mini varieties.
andrewpandrew said:
Polestar tick all the boxes for me. Great product design, innovative use of recycled/recyclable materials, responsible sourcing, and transparency when it comes to sustainability and circularity. I know it s not fashionable on this forum, but those things matter to me.
I totally agree. Definitely my kind of style. I really admire all 3 of their full EVs. I really like the more 'extreme' things that Hyundai are playing around with. I've got an Ioniq 5N, and it must be my inner 80's kid, but I really like the whole pixel/future retro aesthetic. Plus, it's fairly bonkers.
Also really REALLY like their Insteroid concept; I'd get one of those in a heartbeat if they looked exactly like the do in the concept stage. Although I appreciate that's probably a minority view
Also really REALLY like their Insteroid concept; I'd get one of those in a heartbeat if they looked exactly like the do in the concept stage. Although I appreciate that's probably a minority view
Sebbak said:
I really like the more 'extreme' things that Hyundai are playing around with. I've got an Ioniq 5N, and it must be my inner 80's kid, but I really like the whole pixel/future retro aesthetic. Plus, it's fairly bonkers.
Also really REALLY like their Insteroid concept; I'd get one of those in a heartbeat if they looked exactly like the do in the concept stage. Although I appreciate that's probably a minority view
The Ioniq 5N is pretty nuts and yet practical at the same time. It’s one of the great things about EVs. We will hopefully see more of these quirky designs.Also really REALLY like their Insteroid concept; I'd get one of those in a heartbeat if they looked exactly like the do in the concept stage. Although I appreciate that's probably a minority view
CLK-GTR said:
Love my i3 despite hating the design and image of BMWs in general. BYD intrigues me and the Taycan was a brilliant first go for Porsche.
On the other hand had a rental Polestar and found it very uncomfortable.
I like the i3 too. BMW put a lot of dedicated EV design effort in there, but then bottled out with their later ICE/hybrid/EV in one platforms. I quite like the Taycan too. A friend of mine has a Gen 1 Turbo S. On the other hand had a rental Polestar and found it very uncomfortable.
I’m not a fan of BYD though. Lots of hype, but they are heavy and relatively inefficient. Not keen on the interior styling either. It will be interesting to see how they get on long term in the UK market.
I was perfectly happy taking my 2022 Model 3 Performance over the i4 back in 2022. BMWs modern styling does nothing for me at all. I wouldn’t however buy a new Model 3 (or Y) to replace it. Even ignoring the way Elon has melted down over the last 2 years, the technical decisions (like removing ultrasonic parking sensors, indicator stalks, etc) and the design language changes have put me off hugely.
I’d love to be happy with a BYD, but I simply do not trust that the cars are free of spyware, happy to be proven wrong though. Same goes for Xaomi.
I’d probably go for a Taycan or eTron GT.
Really want an EV estate to replace the wife’s Passat GTE, but the ID.7 is an ID car from VW so the whole infotainment system is godawful, as is the phone app. The A6 is too expensive for the small premium it offers. So there aren’t really any options, might have to go for one last round of PHEV with the current Skoda Superb as it’s battery range is more than adequate for day-to-day driving
I’d love to be happy with a BYD, but I simply do not trust that the cars are free of spyware, happy to be proven wrong though. Same goes for Xaomi.
I’d probably go for a Taycan or eTron GT.
Really want an EV estate to replace the wife’s Passat GTE, but the ID.7 is an ID car from VW so the whole infotainment system is godawful, as is the phone app. The A6 is too expensive for the small premium it offers. So there aren’t really any options, might have to go for one last round of PHEV with the current Skoda Superb as it’s battery range is more than adequate for day-to-day driving
For me, Tesla is still the EV precedent and model. So tech forward. Highly integrated app. Software defined, computer on wheels vibe.
The only brands at that level that I ve seen are Tesla and Xpeng.
I think there are various Chinese manufacturers running Huawei s Harmony OS in China, but doubt that system is coming to the UK.
Perhaps Rivian and Lucid, but haven’t poked around those.
The legacy manufacturers, that I have poked around at any rate, they don’t seem to fully flex the possibilities of EV platforms. Infotainment is just like what they stick on their ICE platforms. Apps are sparse.
Not that it’s an essential feature, but even the likes of Kia are only just offering native youtube and netflix integrations for instance.
The only brands at that level that I ve seen are Tesla and Xpeng.
I think there are various Chinese manufacturers running Huawei s Harmony OS in China, but doubt that system is coming to the UK.
Perhaps Rivian and Lucid, but haven’t poked around those.
The legacy manufacturers, that I have poked around at any rate, they don’t seem to fully flex the possibilities of EV platforms. Infotainment is just like what they stick on their ICE platforms. Apps are sparse.
Not that it’s an essential feature, but even the likes of Kia are only just offering native youtube and netflix integrations for instance.
Edited by wyson on Thursday 10th July 07:34
I have to say BMW for me now as they make their electric cars look like ICE cars. I don’t want them to look weird and quirky. Also think they offer decent mileage range and prices are a bit more sensible for cars like the i4 now which if I had to get an electric car would be the one I’d choose on design
I had a Tesla 2 years ago and after that a Polestar and prefer the latter for many reasons.I don't have a EV at present but would never own another Tesla even if it was given to me.
I would have another Polestar over any other brand but would have a Toyota if the Corrolla was a EV.
I would have another Polestar over any other brand but would have a Toyota if the Corrolla was a EV.
Edited by A.Norton on Thursday 10th July 07:37
My 2018 Kona is the only EV I've owned but I do keep a close watch on engineering-level teardowns on Munro Live and other sites.
Hyundai (and Kia) have made some isolated boneheaded mistakes in earlier models (gear reducer and motor bearing problems) but rather than own up to them they wait until the next refresh to fix them, leaving owners of outgoing models in the lurch. But fundamentally their quality of engineering design is quite good throughout. The current range I'd consider very good EVs, save that ongoing ICCU problem in the EV3.
Tesla's quality varies and they are the kings of cost-cutting sometimes to the point of being cheap. Generally that's what engineering is all about but the customer is not supposed to notice this. Although the drive units appear well designed (starting with the Model 3) the battery packs that specifically use the cylindrical cells focus entirely on thermal performance at the expense of any hint of professional design quality, nevermind serviceability. The glued-together design reminds me of a high school science project you would throw together in a garage to prove a theory. The BYD LFE packs they use in some versions are constructed more like you'd see from the other manufacturers.
No Tesla models that I'm aware have regen-blended foot braking and so rely on OPD. Other missing controls and knobs are all about cutting tooling costs rather than 'tech'. But those items can also be passed off as personal preference.
When looking for a new EV be sure the battery pack coolant is not plumbed inside the pack because there is a risk in doing that. At minimum Hyundai-Kia and VW use external cooling starting from the first Ioniq 5 and iDx range (respectively). It's not easy to determine this without seeing a teardown video but if you can see the coolant connections to the pack it will be clear as they connect to the underside panel. I think I'd go for an LFE pack these days if that was an option.
Another good design feature but even harder to pin down is that the motor is a 'wet' design which means it's oil cooled. All H-Y, VW and Tesla do this now because it resolves bearing failures and coolant leakage issues. It's nothing new, Toyota did this 2 decades ago in the Prius. VW's latest motor is both oil and coolant-cooled.
One more thing I'm seeing that's also not new are field-excited motors rather than PM or induction. Later BMWs and Nissan's Ariya have this. It reduces the rare-earth content and allows for more efficient coasting in AWD setups. I wouldn't consider it a must-have but it's good to be aware of that feature.
As for more consumer-level features I'd always go for V2L and RWD (or AWD) if possible. If I needed very fast charging I'd tend to go more for an 800V design than one using cylindrical cells, but both strategies work effectively.
Hyundai (and Kia) have made some isolated boneheaded mistakes in earlier models (gear reducer and motor bearing problems) but rather than own up to them they wait until the next refresh to fix them, leaving owners of outgoing models in the lurch. But fundamentally their quality of engineering design is quite good throughout. The current range I'd consider very good EVs, save that ongoing ICCU problem in the EV3.
Tesla's quality varies and they are the kings of cost-cutting sometimes to the point of being cheap. Generally that's what engineering is all about but the customer is not supposed to notice this. Although the drive units appear well designed (starting with the Model 3) the battery packs that specifically use the cylindrical cells focus entirely on thermal performance at the expense of any hint of professional design quality, nevermind serviceability. The glued-together design reminds me of a high school science project you would throw together in a garage to prove a theory. The BYD LFE packs they use in some versions are constructed more like you'd see from the other manufacturers.
No Tesla models that I'm aware have regen-blended foot braking and so rely on OPD. Other missing controls and knobs are all about cutting tooling costs rather than 'tech'. But those items can also be passed off as personal preference.
When looking for a new EV be sure the battery pack coolant is not plumbed inside the pack because there is a risk in doing that. At minimum Hyundai-Kia and VW use external cooling starting from the first Ioniq 5 and iDx range (respectively). It's not easy to determine this without seeing a teardown video but if you can see the coolant connections to the pack it will be clear as they connect to the underside panel. I think I'd go for an LFE pack these days if that was an option.
Another good design feature but even harder to pin down is that the motor is a 'wet' design which means it's oil cooled. All H-Y, VW and Tesla do this now because it resolves bearing failures and coolant leakage issues. It's nothing new, Toyota did this 2 decades ago in the Prius. VW's latest motor is both oil and coolant-cooled.
One more thing I'm seeing that's also not new are field-excited motors rather than PM or induction. Later BMWs and Nissan's Ariya have this. It reduces the rare-earth content and allows for more efficient coasting in AWD setups. I wouldn't consider it a must-have but it's good to be aware of that feature.
As for more consumer-level features I'd always go for V2L and RWD (or AWD) if possible. If I needed very fast charging I'd tend to go more for an 800V design than one using cylindrical cells, but both strategies work effectively.
uktrailmonster said:
....I like French cars in general, but haven t really looked at Renault EVs yet.
I think they've been clever with the retro styling of the R4 and R5 and made something that isn't just a generic supermini with an EV motor instead or yet another massive SUV with 500bhp.Gassing Station | EV and Alternative Fuels | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff