Choosing a new electric car

[redsturgeon]

The quote is from Leasing.com see: https://leasing.com/car-leasing/bmw/3-series/ The broker GB.com is quoting £326.58 a month for the terms I entered (10k mileage per year, 35+6 months). It doesn't include a maintenance package which will cost a little more per month.

Out of interest, I looked up the BIK allowance for the 330e and the following quote was interesting:

"If you’re looking to treat yourself to a premium executive saloon, the BMW 3 Series is the best in the business, and has been for a wee while now."

"The battery assisted engine has an all-electric driving range of 37 miles when fully charged. This helps the 330e produce a miniscule 37g/km Co2 emissions, which in turn, places the 330e in the lowest BIK bracket and paying a BIK rate of 16%."

See: https://www.leasefetcher.co.uk/lists/best-company-cars.

To be honest, I haven't looked at the BIK costs in fine detail as I am retired. As you know from a previous post elsewhere, I have a friend who has just got a Tesla Model 3 and, as a company director, he is amazed how cheap it will be to run, taking into account the government subsidies. However, he preferred his previous Merc from a driving viewpoint. It's early days, it will be interesting to see if the Tesla service is ok as he will be a demanding customer and will not be amused if the car lets him down.

regards

Howard

Thanks Howard

That's a good price.

"The battery assisted engine has an all-electric driving range of 37 miles when fully charged. This helps the 330e produce a miniscule 37g/km Co2 emissions, which in turn, places the 330e in the lowest BIK bracket and paying a BIK rate of 16%."

This is a little disingenuous though. The BIK rate for a BEV over the next 3 years will be 0%, 1% and 2% respectively. So on a £40k car at 40% tax rate saving over £2000 per year of post tax income vs 16%.

Thanks for the thoughts though, very helpful to consider all options.

John

[Sobraon]

My twopenn'orth -I hadn't looked at the interiors before, but why has somebody super-glued a laptop to the air vents in the Tesla ? - I think the term is 'fugly'.

Also what happening with the bit on the Tesla where the front grill should be? Looks like it's wearing a gag.

Looking at the i-pace interior I think the term that springs to mind is quality.

So if it was me I would look at the Tesla and probably try to test drive it but on the figures the OP has given (for me) it has to be the Jaaaag .

[Watis]

My twopenn'orth -I hadn't looked at the interiors before, but why has somebody super-glued a laptop to the air vents in the Tesla ? - I think the term is 'fugly'.

Also what happening with the bit on the Tesla where the front grill should be? Looks like it's wearing a gag.

Looking at the i-pace interior I think the term that springs to mind is quality.

So if it was me I would look at the Tesla and probably try to test drive it but on the figures the OP has given (for me) it has to be the Jaaaag .

I call this 'design inertia'.

By that I mean that the Teslas still look like internal combustion engined cars, even though there's no engine to house.

It was the same 100 years ago: the earliest cars looked like horse drawn carriages - without the horses! It took a few decades before cars looked more like the ones we recognise today.

Watis

[Mike88]

Given the original poster is mainly interested in either a Jaguar or Tesla he may find the comparison between the two cars of interest:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ariBwkoMeFo

[dspp]

Given the original poster is mainly interested in either a Jaguar or Tesla he may find the comparison between the two cars of interest:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ariBwkoMeFo

So too are the comments below the video, mostly from Tesla owners.

regards, dspp

[DrFfybes]

I call this 'design inertia'.

By that I mean that the Teslas still look like internal combustion engined cars, even though there's no engine to house.

It was the same 100 years ago: the earliest cars looked like horse drawn carriages - without the horses! It took a few decades before cars looked more like the ones we recognise today.

Watis

You mean like moving the occupat protecting pebbledashboard from the floor up to shoulder level and there were no hooves kicking pebbles up any more

I have a few friends in the motoring design/manufature business, and the consensus is that the Tesla is a car designed by a tech company, and is best purchased with the same approach as if you were buying a laptop. The build quality isn't up there with conventional manufacturers and real world testing not to the same levels, however tech levels are more up to date.

Paul

[Urbandreamer]

It was the same 100 years ago: the earliest cars looked like horse drawn carriages - without the horses! It took a few decades before cars looked more like the ones we recognise today.

Watis

You mean like moving the occupat protecting pebbledashboard from the floor up to shoulder level and there were no hooves kicking pebbles up any more

The build quality isn't up there with conventional manufacturers and real world testing not to the same levels, however tech levels are more up to date.

Paul

Or actually reflect the technology available and used?

Historically there HAVE been many cars that didn't have a grille. OK some liked a huge expanse of chrome, but cars that didn't have the petrol engine in the front didn't ususally fit a fake grille, though some did. If you search you will find that menufacturers of petrol cars fitted "shutters" to close the gap outlined by the grill if the air wasn't needed. Doing so they increased the MPG!
ie
https://eu.usatoday.com/story/tech/2013 ... y/3637645/

Now just a quick re-cap, wasn't the OP interested in the range?

You might like this drift though the history of the front of cars including many with no grille and others with a mass of chrome.
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/automot ... t-grilles/

However given the likes on the post complaining of the lack of a grille, clearly we should understand why fake grilles have been added int the past and that there is an argument that Tesla should do so.

[Watis]

However given the likes on the post complaining of the lack of a grille, clearly we should understand why fake grilles have been added int the past and that there is an argument that Tesla should do so.

I don't have a problem with the lack of a false radiator grille where none is needed - whether that's on an electric car or a rear engined ICE car - e.g. the venerable Hillman Imp. Having a false grille is another example of 'design inertia' I'm afraid . . .

My point is more that the Tesla, and others, haven't reimagined car design to take advantage of the fact that they no longer need to fit an engine in somewhere. I don't know, but I'm going to assume that the Tesla has a second, huge boot in front of the passenger compartment. I doubt it's full of batteries.

By way of example, one direction that mid to large electric car design could go is to have three forward facing rows of seats, with the cabin extending further towards the front of the car.

Watis

[Urbandreamer]

My point is more that the Tesla, and others, haven't reimagined car design to take advantage of the fact that they no longer need to fit an engine in somewhere. I don't know, but I'm going to assume that the Tesla has a second, huge boot in front of the passenger compartment. I doubt it's full of batteries.
Watis

According to the video both cars do have a "boot" in the front. The Tesla has more storage over all (the Tesla can take a small suitcase in the front while the jag definatly can't) , though less height in the storage than the jag at the back. It also has a higher floor pan in the rear, presumably where that car puts the batteries, while I suspect the poor storage at the front of the jag is caused by batteries. After all they do have to put the batteries somewhere and the Jag has more.

Thanks for posting the link to the vid Mike88.

[redsturgeon]

My point is more that the Tesla, and others, haven't reimagined car design to take advantage of the fact that they no longer need to fit an engine in somewhere. I don't know, but I'm going to assume that the Tesla has a second, huge boot in front of the passenger compartment. I doubt it's full of batteries.
Watis

According to the video both cars do have a "boot" in the front. The Tesla has more storage over all (the Tesla can take a small suitcase in the front while the jag definatly can't) , though less height in the storage than the jag at the back. It also has a higher floor pan in the rear, presumably where that car puts the batteries, while I suspect the poor storage at the front of the jag is caused by batteries. After all they do have to put the batteries somewhere and the Jag has more.

Thanks for posting the link to the vid Mike88.

In practically all electric cars today the batteries are placed in a low tray along the bottom of the car between the axles. This is done to keep the centre of gravity low and the help the balance of the car for handling purposes.

John

[scrumpyjack]

You need a 'crumple' zone in the front of the car anyway for safety reasons and also it helps for the car shape to be aerodynamic, so I don't think it is fair to say they have not re thought the design.

[Watis]

You need a 'crumple' zone in the front of the car anyway for safety reasons and also it helps for the car shape to be aerodynamic, so I don't think it is fair to say they have not re thought the design.

These are both good points that I didn't mention.

The Toyota Previa & Renault Espace are the sort of body style I had in mind.

Watis

[dspp]

According to the video both cars do have a "boot" in the front. The Tesla has more storage over all (the Tesla can take a small suitcase in the front while the jag definatly can't) , though less height in the storage than the jag at the back. It also has a higher floor pan in the rear, presumably where that car puts the batteries, while I suspect the poor storage at the front of the jag is caused by batteries. After all they do have to put the batteries somewhere and the Jag has more.

Thanks for posting the link to the vid Mike88.

In practically all electric cars today the batteries are placed in a low tray along the bottom of the car between the axles. This is done to keep the centre of gravity low and the help the balance of the car for handling purposes.

John

The Jaguar i-pace appears to be in mid-design-transition from a legacy vehicle to an unconstrained BEV, hence the smaller frunk that the Tesla etc.It is very much a, let's learn on the job and get this contract made in Austria whilst we do so. I wonder how much profit JLR are actually making on them ?

https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=ht ... t=c&ictx=1

regards, dspp