EV Buyers Guide – choosing an EV type that suits you

Open for any sort of non-technical discussion regarding EVs
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Bryce
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EV Buyers Guide – choosing an EV type that suits you

Post by Bryce »

Hi all - as per my promise in EVNews - here is the thread for discussing the criteria for choosing an EV type that suits you ....

So what do people think are the defining criteria for choosing between an EV type to buy? I tried my best to define some parameters - but there will be issues and experiences that bolster or detract from the ones offered in the the article -
so now: the floor is now yours :D

Cheers
Bryce
Current EV drive: 2019 Kona electric, 2010 iMiEV
Also in family: 2019 Renault Zoe
Past drives: 2011 Blade Getz, 2011 Leaf, 2001 Citroen Berlingo conversion
Past Conversions: DC Berlingo, AC Berlingo, AC Sprinter
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jonescg
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Re: EV Buyers Guide – choosing an EV type that suits you

Post by jonescg »

In order of importance:

1. Available.
2. Affordable.
3. 200-250 km range on the highway (any more would be a waste)
4. Blue.
AEVA National President, WA branch director.
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Bryce
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Re: EV Buyers Guide – choosing an EV type that suits you

Post by Bryce »

Was driving it yesterday - a blue Zoe.
Was hard to give it back after our AEVA display weekend!
Pity it doesn't have DC fast-charge (my 5th item to your 4 item list) or I'd order one. (Now waiting to look at the Kona EV when it arrives).
Cheers
Bryce
Current EV drive: 2019 Kona electric, 2010 iMiEV
Also in family: 2019 Renault Zoe
Past drives: 2011 Blade Getz, 2011 Leaf, 2001 Citroen Berlingo conversion
Past Conversions: DC Berlingo, AC Berlingo, AC Sprinter
mikedufty
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Re: EV Buyers Guide – choosing an EV type that suits you

Post by mikedufty »

We currently have 2 cars, so one only needs to drive around town. Key requirements for that one are
-Price under $15000
-Range around 100km
-Reliable
-easy to park
-Take at least 4 people
Overriding this is that my wife needs to like it, since she is the main driver, currently says no more EVs until they are mainstream due to dramas getting i-MiEV repaired (5 months and counting).
Second car is harder. This one should have.
- 4WD and enough clearance for rough tracks
- to be able to drive twice as far in a day in the wheatbelt as I can fly a paraglider, plus Perth to York return ie about 500km (until there are fast chargers east of perth).
- enough space for 4 people and 2 dogs and camping gear.
- can carry bikes and canoes.
- price around $20,000

I think there is small prospect of the second one being an EV in the near future, price is based on my prefernence for about 5 years old, so would consider doubling for a newer one since there will not be many 5 year old EVs around in the next 5-10 years. Outlander PHEV seems like the closest thing to viable, but need to be convinced it doesn't have the same reliability/repair issue as the i-MiEV. May have to compromise on a bunch of other stuff as well ie most of the off road stuff can be replaced by walking/getting a lift with someone else, but it is nice to have so makes getting an EV harder if you have to give it up.
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LouB
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Re: EV Buyers Guide – choosing an EV type that suits you

Post by LouB »

We have a Renault Zoe and a Subaru XV. The Zoe is mainly driven by my wife (was an easy way to convince her that we absolutely 'needed' an BEV. Since it arrived I hardly ever get to play with it. The Zoe has been quickly promoted from second car to main vehicle; it is now getting used for 90% of all trips. It's not the fastest, longest range or best appointed EV available. Nor does it support fast DC charging. But, it suits us because: it's not the most expensive, has better than average range and charging at home, at 7kWh, is quite adequate to meet our leisurely retirement lifestyle.

For the time being we will be keeping our ICE vehicle but not for reasons of range anxiety. The small SUV has the road clearance and AWD traction that gets me to my favourite fishing spots. Moreover, it has a tow bar for my box trailer and inbuilt roof racks to carry long pipes, timbers etc.

Owning both an EV and an ICE appears to be a very common arrangement with others on this forum.

It would be interesting to know if anyone has totally ditched ICE vehicles for BEV and how they are managing.

Cheers
Lou
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Re: EV Buyers Guide – choosing an EV type that suits you

Post by mikedufty »

I forgot to mention my 3rd motor vehicle. I would really like to have an electric motorbike.
This only needs about 50km range but needs to do that at 100kph as it would mainly be used for a freeway commute.
Also needs to be fun to ride and accellerate similar to KTM 390 in the 0-60kph range.
This seems more likely achievable than the others, but still nothing on the market that is quite there, and price would probably still be an issue if something new comes up, I'd want to keep it under about $10k.
antiscab
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Re: EV Buyers Guide – choosing an EV type that suits you

Post by antiscab »

Between my partner and I

Main vehicle is a zoe. Needed to have a good safety rating. Needs more than 200km range and Fast ac charging to allow trips down south. I also wanted temp controlled battery, for longevity.

Second vehicle is a vectrix for my commute to and from work. Needed 100km range at 100kmh. Really only needs to transport me.
Matt
2023 BYD Atto 3 - 21k km
2017 Renault zoe - 147'000km
2012 Leaf - 101'000km - soon to be trialing a booster battery
2007 Vectrix - 197'000km (retired)
2007 Vectrix - 50k km
T1 Terry
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Re: EV Buyers Guide – choosing an EV type that suits you

Post by T1 Terry »

Are plug in hybrids being considered in this buyers guide? Until the range on a single charge exceeds 400km highway driving with hills included and recharging for the next 400km in an hr or less, a pure EV can only really be the second car.

Since we purchased the plug in 2006 Prius a mth ago, it has very quickly become the primary vehicle. The ex taxi orange 2008 Prius was the primary vehicle but now it's dropped to the second vehicle because it doesn't have all the luxuries of the 2006 model nor the fuel economy because it doesn't have the big battery pack. The ICE fleet sits collecting spiders at the moment, a '74 VW Kombi, '85 Mazda 3500 motorhome, '86 Hino RB145 motorhome and a Suzuki Jimny.
For the money involved in buying a new BEV I'd prefer to spend it converting each of the vehicles I already have.

T1 Terry
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PiMan
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Re: EV Buyers Guide – choosing an EV type that suits you

Post by PiMan »

Plug-in Prius? I thought that Toyota hadn't brought the plug-in model to Aus?
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brendon_m
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Re: EV Buyers Guide – choosing an EV type that suits you

Post by brendon_m »

I think its a conversion.
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g4qber
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Re: EV Buyers Guide – choosing an EV type that suits you

Post by g4qber »

Trusty imiev has survived 155k kms so far.
Had a preloved 2006 Prius originally.
Then had golf 2.0 Tdi for long range and 2011 imiev
Then 2012 volt for Long range and imiev
Then i3 Rex added
Sold volt
Crashed i3
Reserved model 3
Impulse bought Tesla 85 as karaoke vehicle with i3 writeoff funds
Crashed Tesla
Back to imiev
Tango being assembled hopefully before model 3 arrives in 2020
2021 Model 3 PW MIC RWD FSD - Mon 28 Jun ‘21 -
k kms 17x
2009 Tango - http://www.evalbum.com/211
Aptera
Cybertruck
On order

Past EVs
2011 i-MiEV
2012 Volt
2014 i3 REx
2014 Model S
2020 FRERWD
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