Dod101 wrote:Arborbridge wrote:Dod101 wrote:IT is clearly useful to have an idea of the comparison but surely the thing that matters is that an electric car, almost any electric car will be much cheaper to run on a day to day basis than a petrol one. That is really all that we need to know. However it is the capital costs that are so very much different, including the cost of whatever home charger you need.
Dod
Unfortunately, that is exactly what we do not know: refer to the first post in this thread.
Various people come up with different numbers, and when we hear people talking about this in the media, I get the impression the overall running costs of electric vehicles is not yet on a par with petrol ones.
There is a lot of confusion and uncertainty out there - and you cannot ignore the capital costs which seem pretty gross.
When you bear in mind the limitations of electric mileage, the possible risk of not being able to recharge, the length of charging, the cost of and longevity or otherwise of batteries and the doubt about their green credentials - it all adds to the doubt and will slow down adoption. There's no convincing reason to replace one's petrol of diesel car at present, apart from pressure to become more "green" - even if that's true.
It still seems like early very days to me. Hopefully, things will clarify over the next two years, especially when we see VW and others launch new models. Maybe at that time, people like me will look more seriously at the possibilities.
Arb.
I am likely to replace my current petrol driven Q5 with another in the next few months. I am not prepared to be a trail blazer, but despite your scepticism, it seems fairly obvious to me that day to day running costs for electric cars are cheaper than for a petrol one.. I however could not be bothered with all the faffing about that an electric car, unless a non plug in hybrid, would bring. And then I would probably just use it as a petrol car anyway. I am in a semi rural location, do not take my car into the city and most of my trips are in the 50/100 mile range. When I go into the city I take the train, so polish my green credentials that way.
Dod
I'm not seeking to persuade you to buy an electric car but the driving parameters you describe would make you an ideal candidate for a totally electric car. Our BEV has a range of 250 - 300 miles depending on the weather conditions. In Scotland in sub zero temperatures and howling winds perhaps it might be safe to assume just over 200 miles because you'd need to use the heater more.
It's much more convenient than a petrol car. It's easy to plug in and every morning it's full with a maximum range, if you choose this. No visits to petrol stations ever again. The car and battery are guaranteed for 7 years which would see out your normal replacement cycle.
The advantage in the winter is that a few minutes before you leave you can warm the interior of the car using the mains electricity so not affecting your range and wonderfully comfortable. (We did this often with our previous EV and it is a nice feature).
The cost per mile is low as described in my previous post.
However, it must be admitted that there are two major problems with BEVs as described by previous posters. One is the £500 + cost of installing a fast charger. Generally speaking, there is no hassle apart from the cost, in getting this installed as it takes about three hours for a specialist.
The second problem is, as you and others have described, to replace your Audi with a similar Audi BEV replacement will probably cost you significantly more. And this is a very significant drawback I agree.
I don't want to take the discussion away from the OP, but I was happy to pay a premium for a BEV and have been delighted with the KIA we drive (and in the past I have owned two Audis and other nice cars). To be honest, I now lease our cars as I am convinced that it is a better way to own a brand new car. As in all car purchases, I watched the leasing rates for the KIA I wanted (rated by "Which" as the second best BEV available in the UK, only beaten by a £90,000 Porsche!) and when they were favourable took advantage of a three year deal. I see some compelling Audi BEV deals occasionally but admittedly they are pretty expensive.
In summary, you would probably be delighted with an Audi BEV which would exceed all your motoring requirements. But it would be an expensive luxury.
regards
Howard
(The KIA is a second car so it's unlikely to be used for journeys over 250 miles.)