I've been super into E-bikes since buying one 3 months ago and love them to bits! I honestly think they are the best way to get around!

 

But!! The main issue I have had with people is people calling me a cheater. I know it sounds silly but it makes me really angry. I've had maybe 10/15 random people over the last few months say things along the lines of "isn't that cheating? That's cheating, cheat"

 

I'm not sure if it just my town as I've only ever seen 2 other e bikes in the whole time on the road but there are a LOT of standard cyclists. I use the bike racks in town all the time so I speak to cyclists all the time but I'm starting to get very aggressive with people who keep saying I'm cheating! Who the hell am I cheating? I'm going to the bloody coffee shop lol

 

I think a big part of this could be that people do not know what an Ebike is in England. 90% of my friends and family thought an Ebike is just a slow moped with a throttle. I'm getting bored of explaining to people that throttle controlled Ebikes are illegal in the UK and you HAVE to cycle to make the bike move.

 

I've traveled the world and seen Ebikes all over the place and they are a standard form of transport in many parts of the world but we are very behind the market over here.

 

I look forward to the day where I see e bikes everywhere lol

 

I don't want this post to be a negative one but I'm sure I'm not alone here! I've just gone from cannot shut up about them to not really wanting to tell anyone that I ride one!

couple of years back In Sheringham I was approached by a bloke of approx 45 yrs of age,,,25 plus stone and wheezing like a steam train while puffing on a roll up....''Thats not proper cycling thats cheating '' he said....''So you do lot of cycling do you?'' I replied ....He walked away looking very sheepish !!

Come to think of it.. I dont see many cyclists of any persuasion stopped for a fag, whereas I see motorcyclists aplenty puffing away. A friend from work used to say he was sneaking outside to clear his lungs and after a few puffs and a really good cough he would red facedly say better out than in!

couple of years back In Sheringham I was approached by a bloke of approx 45 yrs of age,,,25 plus stone and wheezing like a steam train while puffing on a roll up....''Thats not proper cycling thats cheating '' he said....''So you do lot of cycling do you?'' I replied ....He walked away looking very sheepish !!

LMAO!!

this would be the future......the number of cars sold with automatic has risen over 70% since in the last 10 years . . .

 

But those of us with electric cars have smugly done away with the need for a gear changing box. That's the future.

.

But those of us with electric cars have smugly done away with the need for a gear changing box. That's the future.

.

I agree with you completely, that will be the future for cars, but it is not the present.

The few buying them are really the "testers", as most of the electric cars today, even for me as a pensioner, are useless as the distance covered per charge is still not enough and the heating in winter empties the battery too quickly, and the manufacturers don't tell you that.

The Air Conditioning does the same in summer...

The life and cost of the batteries is too short and too expensive. A car over 5 years old MAY need a battery replacement, that costs more than the car is worth at 5 years, if you are unlucky!

The present carbon footprint for the construction and usage, assuming oil and electricity, makes them still environmentally a bad choice. Some countries, Germany for example, are stopping Nuclear electricity generation, which to me is just plain stupid. I would not be surprised if they reverse themselves on that point!

Some very potent chemicals are in the cars, and the battery can explode or burn in an accident situation. Our e-bike batteries are similar, but they are far smaller and we are "ON" not "IN" and the speeds are far, far lower...

Today, a good hybrid gives range and comparatively cheaper costs overall, plus a plug in hybrid can be recharged for short journeys, saving on fuel costs.

But it is as you say, the electric car is the future.

regards to all

Andy

I agree with you completely, that will be the future for cars, but it is not the present.

 

I agree with much of what you've posted, particularly on nuclear generation. However I think you are not fully up to speed with the latest cars so add these comments.

 

useless as the distance covered per charge is still not enough

 

The "on the run" 160 miles Summer and 130 miles winter from my 2018 Leaf is not only plenty for my purposes and for a huge proportion of drivers. In the crowded south east where I live it can often mean over four hours driving! Many never make a journey anywhere near those distances, especially in the numerous two car families where one never goes very far. Next year's Leaf has an over 50% battery increase enabling a true 240 miles, enough to look after the majority.

 

After six months with the Leaf my only car, I've yet to use a public charging point, all charges from my home point.

 

and the heating in winter empties the battery too quickly, and the manufacturers don't tell you that.

The Air Conditioning does the same in summer...

 

Not true now, heat pumps have transformed that. Most of my range loss in cold weather is due to my version not having active battery temperature control, the cold battery not performing quite as well. My car gets an overnight parked 4 degrees up to 21 degrees in minutes within a half mile at 1.5 kW consumption rate per hour and then maintains the 21 degrees using about 260 watts per hour. I can get all that dynamic consumption per item up on the info screen and the lowest forecast I've seen is a 9 miles range reduction on the forecast range, a real world reduction of 7 miles from the actual range. Those figures are peanuts from the 40 kWh battery and next years upgrade is to 63 kWh.

 

The life and cost of the batteries is too short and too expensive. A car over 5 years old MAY need a battery replacement, that costs more than the car is worth at 5 years, if you are unlucky!

 

Again not up to date, my battery warranty like most now is 8 years and I'll be using it beyond that knowing my own circumstances, which will be true for many others.

 

In London my Leaf for a commuter into town is a no-brainer. The cost of the congestion charge over the 8 years for a five day week plus holidays worker is £24,000, the price of a new Leaf. No VED (road tax) and the fuel cost saving more than pays for insurance. There's even free charging points and free parking places in town. So it's a completely free car to add to one's i.c car which can be kept for the odd long run.

 

The present carbon footprint for the construction and usage, assuming oil and electricity, makes them still environmentally a bad choice.

 

Not really, one can offset that as I do using a supplier who only buys renewables, Bulb Energy in my case. That encourages the expansion of such generation

 

Some very potent chemicals are in the cars, and the battery can explode or burn in an accident situation.

 

This is just not an issue. The batteries are in the base between front and rear wheels, protected by all the built in crumpability. Almost all i.c cars are far more dangerous with fuel tanks at the rear and vulnerable to crash damage. The crash fire burnouts they suffer bear witness to that and many i.c. cars are also destroyed by their own small battery fires.

.

Edited November 6, 20187 yr by flecc

On one charge?

Possibly, my Giant road-E + 1 when using eco mode and pedalling well on flat roads will only use 1% of battery per mile.

I agree with much of what you've posted, particularly on nuclear generation. However I think you are not fully up to speed with the latest cars so add these comments.

 

 

 

The "on the run" 160 miles Summer and 130 miles winter from my 2018 Leaf is not only plenty for my purposes and for a huge proportion of drivers. In the crowded south east where I live it can often mean over four hours driving! Many never make a journey anywhere near those distances, especially in the numerous two car families where one never goes very far. Next year's Leaf has an over 50% battery increase enabling a true 240 miles, enough to look after the majority.

 

After six months with the Leaf my only car, I've yet to use a public charging point, all charges from my home point.

 

 

 

Not true now, heat pumps have transformed that. Most of my range loss in cold weather is due to my version not having active battery temperature control, the cold battery not performing quite as well. My car gets an overnight parked 4 degrees up to 21 degrees in minutes within a half mile at 1.5 kW consumption rate per hour and then maintains the 21 degrees using about 260 watts per hour. I can get all that dynamic consumption per item up on the info screen and the lowest forecast I've seen is a 9 miles range reduction on the forecast range, a real world reduction of 7 miles from the actual range. Those figures are peanuts from the 40 kWh battery and next years upgrade is to 63 kWh.

 

 

 

Again not up to date, my battery warranty like most now is 8 years and I'll be using it beyond that knowing my own circumstances, which will be true for many others.

 

In London my Leaf for a commuter into town is a no-brainer. The cost of the congestion charge over the 8 years for a five day week plus holidays worker is £24,000, the price of a new Leaf. No VED (road tax) and the fuel cost saving more than pays for insurance. There's even free charging points and free parking places in town. So it's a completely free car to add to one's i.c car which can be kept for the odd long run.

 

 

 

Not really, one can offset that as I do using a supplier who only buys renewables, Bulb Energy in my case. That encourages the expansion of such generation

 

 

 

This is just not an issue. The batteries are in the base between front and rear wheels, protected by all the built in crumpability. Almost all i.c cars are far more dangerous with fuel tanks at the rear and vulnerable to crash damage. The crash fire burnouts they suffer bear witness to that and many i.c. cars are also destroyed by their own small battery fires.

.

Great and interesting reply, but I need a minimum of 1,000 miles before a recharge that takes longer than a fill up.

My wife needs cold in the summer and heat in the winter, especially on long runs....

A recent 2018 article in a german newspaper quoted an electric car needs to run well over 100,000 miles before it is "cleaner" than a modern diesel! Taking manufacturing in the loop as well.....and some well over 200,000 miles before it came to actual payback time. I was shocked. The article was in the Bild am Sonntag in spring.....Very revealing....

Regards

Andy

Great and interesting reply, but I need a minimum of 1,000 miles before a recharge that takes longer than a fill up.

 

Come on! You can do overnight charges and you're not doing 1000 miles a day! I bet 90% of drivers never need more than a 240 mile range and that's increasingly available.

 

My wife needs cold in the summer and heat in the winter, especially on long runs....

 

She's like me then, I have Raynaud's syndrome, losing all circulation in fingers, toes and ears in low temperatures, and that's got worse over the years. It can happen as high as 15 degrees now. This was the final decider in my buyimg the Leaf, the misery of coping with a freezing car last winter. As I've shown, no Winter problem now and in one of the hottest days this summer I was enjoying a constant climate controlled 20 degrees with 162 miles on one long run.

 

Finland has the highest proportion of e-car sales now, over 50% of registrations, and that's a very cold country. Denmark is on their heels and it's nippy there too

 

A recent 2018 article in a german newspaper quoted an electric car needs to run well over 100,000 miles before it is "cleaner" than a modern diesel! Taking manufacturing in the loop as well.....and some well over 200,000 miles before it came to actual payback time. I was shocked. The article was in the Bild am Sonntag in spring.....Very revealing....

 

I've read similar before, but frankly think the argument loaded. Remember, theirs was the industry that led in fiddling the pollution and consumption figures. Germany is very dependent on it's car industry which is well behind the curve on electric cars. They are catching up slowly now, so I bet we'll see this story changing over time!

 

Anyway, I'm a very happy user and like so many e-car users, I won't be going back to i.c. and losing all the many current benefits.

.

Edited November 7, 20187 yr by flecc

Seeing as how this thread has been hijacked a bit Flec, what's you view on low usage? As a low user I don't contribute much in the way of exhaust gasses but suffer massive depreciation if measured by the mile..

Current car is just 2 years old with 9000 on the clock with just four long runs of 400+ miles.

Seeing as how this thread has been hijacked a bit Flec, what's you view on low usage? As a low user I don't contribute much in the way of exhaust gasses but suffer massive depreciation if measured by the mile..

Current car is just 2 years old with 9000 on the clock with just four long runs of 400+ miles.

 

I'm a very low user in retirement, 8000 miles in seven years on my last car, so obviously an e-car isn't an economic choice. As I posted to Andy, the instant heating, a pre-heating timer, heated steering wheel and heated seats were important factors for me, making the Leaf a comfort choice. Depreciation isn't a problem since it could well be my final car that I run all the way out.

 

The environmental issue far less important since it scarcely exists for me, but from previously trying the Leaf's twice and a Chloe there are other things I wanted. I like the relative silence, like a Rolls at a tenth of the price, but most of all the way they are to drive in the sort of heavy traffic I have in the south east. It's difficult to exactly define, but the silky smooth controllability can actually make heavy traffic and stop-start driving more enjoyable. And this car has had a marked effect on the speeds I drive at, I'm no longer pushing at the higher speeds I usually drove at, enjoying much more the refinement instead. How much I like the Leaf is shown by the usage, in the first seven weeks I equalled the whole of last year's mileage!

 

None of those benefits justified the cost of circa £29,000, including getting electricity laid on to my garage for a charge point. But I could afford it and at 82 I might as well conclude my driving days in the most likeable and comfortable way.

 

I have an insanely jealous ex RAF pilot brother in law now. Although a sports car and motorbike enthusiast who does track days, he loves electric cars having driven a few, but can't afford one.

.

Edited November 6, 20187 yr by flecc

Just to throw in an on topic hint. I have a friend who takes his emtb on a towball mounted carrier to trial centres and the like and whist browsing for a new e.v. he asked can you fit a towing bracket? This question wasnt received well and he got the distinct impression that e.v's weren't for towing with.

Just to throw in an on topic hint. I have a friend who takes his emtb on a towball mounted carrier to trial centres and the like and whist browsing for a new e.v. he asked can you fit a towing bracket? This question wasnt received well and he got the distinct impression that e.v's weren't for towing with.

 

That's correct, towing is out and no towbars are made for them. It's a matter of design for load and weight with a single gear covering the whole speed range. With their immense torque from zero revs they can definitely tow easily, but at the huge cost of rapid battery drain during the much slower acceleration phase towing a heavy weight. The much wider "throttle opening" to pull the weight off the mark presents a near dead short though the motor windings at low revs, not only draining the battery rapidly but overheating the motor.

 

Pulling a caravan on mixed roads my 160 mile range would drop to a third or quarter of that.

 

In an e-car future there will be no caravans, replaced by electric motor caravans designed for the load. Electric pickups, vans and estate cars probably doing away with car trailers too.

.

Just to throw in an on topic hint. I have a friend who takes his emtb on a towball mounted carrier to trial centres and the like and whist browsing for a new e.v. he asked can you fit a towing bracket? This question wasnt received well and he got the distinct impression that e.v's weren't for towing with.

 

I think the only battery ev which can tow is the Tesla Model X, a good few hybrid SUVs such as the Outlander can also tow.

 

wheeler

I think the only battery ev which can tow is the Tesla Model X, a good few hybrid SUVs such as the Outlander can also tow.

 

wheeler

Instead of getting mad you should be saying or at least thinking at least I'm not the one all sweaty with a sore arse. E biking lets me appreciate the scenery, not that there is much with all the beer cans, graffiti, dog shit and broken glass, along with the idiots that produce such "scenery" hogging the bike paths and not moving when you ask lol

Instead of getting mad you should be saying or at least thinking at least I'm not the one all sweaty with a sore arse. E biking lets me appreciate the scenery, not that there is much with all the beer cans, graffiti, dog **** and broken glass, along with the idiots that produce such "scenery" hogging the bike paths and not moving when you ask lol

Come on! You can do overnight charges and you're not doing 1000 miles a day! I bet 90% of drivers never need more than a 240 mile range and that's increasingly available.

 

 

 

She's like me then, I have Raynaud's syndrome, losing all circulation in fingers, toes and ears in low temperatures, and that's got worse over the years. It can happen as high as 15 degrees now. This was the final decider in my buyimg the Leaf, the misery of coping with a freezing car last winter. As I've shown, no Winter problem now and in one of the hottest days this summer I was enjoying a constant climate controlled 20 degrees with 162 miles on one long run.

 

Finland has the highest proportion of e-car sales now, over 50% of registrations, and that's a very cold country. Denmark is on their heels and it's nippy there too

 

 

 

I've read similar before, but frankly think the argument loaded. Remember, theirs was the industry that led in fiddling the pollution and consumption figures. Germany is very dependent on it's car industry which is well behind the curve on electric cars. They are catching up slowly now, so I bet we'll see this story changing over time!

 

Anyway, I'm a a very happy user and like so many e-car users, I won't be going back to i.c. and losing all the many current benefits.

.

I am a Brit, who lives in Germany, who still takes holidays in the UK, sometimes towing a caravan. Yes, even at my age I need that sort of range, For me as a younger man, even more important, I needed to drive such distances around Europe for my job!! Too much test equipment to take flights each and every time...

Plus, I have many friends around the world, the general rule is that until an electric car can be recharged in say less than 30 minutes, even if it means a battery pack has to be replaced, they have no interest at all....

As I previously said, the people with such cars today are the "Testers" for us all, I would like to thank them all, but modern electric cars suffer from too many problems at this time....Sorry.

Regards

Andy

I am a Brit, who lives in Germany, who still takes holidays in the UK, sometimes towing a caravan. Yes, even at my age I need that sort of range, For me as a younger man, even more important, I needed to drive such distances around Europe for my job!! Too much test equipment to take flights each and every time...

Plus, I have many friends around the world, the general rule is that until an electric car can be recharged in say less than 30 minutes, even if it means a battery pack has to be replaced, they have no interest at all....

As I previously said, the people with such cars today are the "Testers" for us all, I would like to thank them all, but modern electric cars suffer from too many problems at this time....Sorry.

Regards

Andy

Hey Andy,

Although I don't do many miles I tend to agree with most of what you say. Do you think it's likely most folks will end up running 2 cars, one electric and one petrol? As I have found out caravan towing isn't an option but a caravanette/motor home being a much larger vehicle could be fitted with a much larger battery and might fill the gap for some.

My worry, which according to those more informed than I is unfounded, is that a new battery technology would make them all obsolete overnight.

Hey Andy,

Although I don't do many miles I tend to agree with most of what you say. Do you think it's likely most folks will end up running 2 cars, one electric and one petrol? As I have found out caravan towing isn't an option but a caravanette/motor home being a much larger vehicle could be fitted with a much larger battery and might fill the gap for some.

My worry, which according to those more informed than I is unfounded, is that a new battery technology would make them all obsolete overnight.

You bring up an interesting few points, which I will answer from my point of view:-

Being a pensioner, two cars would be simply a waste of money. Pensioners will form a larger and larger part of the population over the next 20 years or so, an important market.

As to a caravanette/motor home, they are a lot less practical, especially with children (except tiny ones), unless possibly you are a boat owner as well.

Why? Well of all the people I have known over the last 50 years or so who buy one, often sell it after around 12-18 months. Sometimes with a large financial loss....as being too impractical....

The reasons being that in many countries, parking for such vehicles, in towns and cities, simply for shopping trips, can either be impossible or expensive. Finding a place even to empty the chemical toilet can also be very difficult.

You go on a camping site with it. maybe miles from the next town, you are stuck there, or you have to pack everything up, pay the site fees, come back later and your lovely spot has been taken!!

Furthermore, such vehicles are sometimes not allowed on many lovely camping sites as they are simply too big or heavy - or both!!

With a caravan, the initial cost is minor in comparison to a caravanette/motor home, you only need to have one car that is good enough to tow it legally, you park the caravan on a caravan site and have your car free to travel around the area......With the children even!

As a camper since I was less than 2 years old, first with tents all over europe in the 50's, later with caravans, I have a lot of personal experience.

Caravanette/motor homes are OK for families with small children, where the whole holiday is on one site and all needed amenities are available, Italy has a lot of such sites as does what used to be Yugoslavia....But they are not for me, my wife or our dog!! Mostly they are also too loud!! For that reason, my wife and I call them "Hulley Gulley" sites, and the ADAC Camping Guide shows a beach ball. The more beach balls shown in the guide, the less likely that we will even look at it!!

At best, a single night and back on the road!!

The owners of caravanette/motor homes, will never admit they spent $100,000 and regret every penny! So they stick it out for a few holidays and then sell.....The people who use them for year after year, sadly I find to be boring people, my opinion only!!

regards

Andy

I am a Brit, who lives in Germany, who still takes holidays in the UK, sometimes towing a caravan. Yes, even at my age I need that sort of range, For me as a younger man, even more important, I needed to drive such distances around Europe for my job!! Too much test equipment to take flights each and every time...

Plus, I have many friends around the world, the general rule is that until an electric car can be recharged in say less than 30 minutes, even if it means a battery pack has to be replaced, they have no interest at all....

As I previously said, the people with such cars today are the "Testers" for us all, I would like to thank them all, but modern electric cars suffer from too many problems at this time....Sorry.

Regards

Andy

 

Fully understood Andy, your circumstances are very different from the majority of drivers. Which is just as well of course, we couldn't cope with very large numbers switching even though so many could, since we haven't the capacity to supply their electricity needs.

 

But we who use them aren't "testers" and their only problems are operational, such as range for some, charge point deficiencies and the things you mention that affect a minority. The cars themselves put i.c. cars to shame where reliability, service needs and running costs are concerned.

.

Edited November 7, 20187 yr by flecc

The cars themselves put i.c cars to shame where reliability, service needs and running costs are concerned.

.

I sort of agree but only in the short term

I can’t see electric cars still going well on there original batteries at 10 yrs and 200,000 plus miles which I see a lot of Internal combustion engines still on there original running gear doing regular

I can’t see them doing 100k plus

I hope to be proved wrong because we do need something as a replacement for fossil fuels but it’s not going to be a viable financial option for many people let alone the range issues for a long time

I sort of agree but only in the short term

I can’t see electric cars still going well on there original batteries at 10 yrs and 200,000 plus miles which I see a lot of Internal combustion engines still on there original running gear doing regular

I can’t see them doing 100k plus

I hope to be proved wrong because we do need something as a replacement for fossil fuels but it’s not going to be a viable financial option for many people let alone the range issues for a long time

 

I find this all the time with this subject, too much negativity.

 

One Leaf has already done over 100,000 miles in 6 years! Bought as a West of Engand taxi, it's operated continuously ever since for that and is still using the original battery, the owner claiming little loss of range.

 

There'll be plenty more like that since e-cars are inherently much more able than i.c cars to do very high trouble free mileages. The simple fact is that there's so little to go wrong or wear out.

 

Take my Leaf as an example. There's a controller and an electric motor driving the front wheels directly through a simple reduction gearbox. Those are never remotely near stressed since flat out continuous driving is simply impossible in today's road traffic. There's no radiator, water pump, alternator, starter motor, clutch, gearchanging box, camshaft drive belt or chain.

 

There's not even brakes wearing out, since like most I'm now flipping to Eco in urban driving since the motor regen does all the in-town braking for me. I'm informed that brake pad replacements on Leafs are very rare.

 

The service schedule is a joke, it's just looking to see if anything is falling off! The first actual action is at 18,000 miles and once again just looking, this time checking the oil level in the reduction gearbox and checking other fluids as usual.

 

The battery like most e-cars now is warrantied to 8 years for 75% remaining capacity. It will then cost circa £5000 to replace, but so what when the running costs have been so low. Go with GreenEnergy's extra low late night rate of 4.99 pence per kW and that's equal to 400 miles per gallon cost. The saving on fuel and very low service and repair costs over 8 years will look after battery replacement.

 

As for financial viability, I don't see a problem since their prices have been continuously falling. Eight years ago the basic Leaf was launched at £32,000, replacement battery at 5 years £16,000.

 

My vastly superior model cost £24,000 (excluding my extra cost of getting electricity to the garage), and the replacement battery cost has plunged and is forecast to drop further. The Leaf is the size of a Focus and if you check the equivalent top of the range Focus you'll find its costs about the same.

 

As for range, I think there's huge exaggeration about drivers needs. The great majority of all drivers needs are met with an over 150 mile range, and that's here now. As usual it's the media wittering on about range anxiety that's created unnecessary fears.

 

One of my neighbours for example, says he couldn't buy one due to range anxiety. It turns out the longest run return trip he ever does is two thirds of my range, and he only does that in the warmer months of the year when the range is at its highest. So his range anxiety exists only in his imagination.

 

There are things wrong about electric cars and here's the list:

 

A quarter of people nationally and a third in London have no home electricity access for a charge point.

 

The public charging point network is far from satisfactory. There's plenty of them, but the way they are run and used is not good enough.

 

Electric cars in general can't tow anything, so no caravans or car trailers.

 

For a minority the range is insufficient.

 

The reliability and very low needs of electric cars mean they are very bad news for the motor trade and the petroleum industry.

 

They are also turning out to be bad news for the manufacturers, since they end the days of changing the car every three years, most keeping them very long term.

.

Edited November 7, 20187 yr by flecc

I find this all the time with this subject, too much negativity.

 

One Leaf has already done over 100,000 miles in 6 years! Bought as a West of Engand taxi, it's operated continuously ever since for that and is still using the original battery, the owner claiming little loss of range.

 

There'll be plenty more like that since e-cars are inherently much more able than i.c cars to do very high trouble free mileages. The simple fact is that there's so little to go wrong or wear out.

 

Take my Leaf as an example. There's a controller and an electric motor driving the front wheels directly through a simple reduction gearbox. Those are never remotely near stressed since flat out continuous driving is simply impossible in today's road traffic. There's no radiator, water pump, alternator, starter motor, clutch, gearchanging box, camshaft drive belt or chain.

 

There's not even brakes wearing out, since like most I'm now flipping to Eco in urban driving since the motor regen does all the in-town braking for me. I'm informed that brake pad replacements on Leafs are very rare.

 

The service schedule is a joke, it's just looking to see if anything is falling off! The first actual action is at 18,000 miles and once again just looking, this time checking the oil level in the reduction gearbox and checking other fluids as usual.

 

The battery like most e-cars now is warrantied to 8 years for 75% remaining capacity. It will then cost circa £5000 to replace, but so what when the running costs have been so low. Go with GreenEnergy's extra low late night rate of 4.99 pence per kW and that's equal to 400 miles per gallon cost. The saving on fuel and very low service and repair costs over 8 years will look after battery replacement.

 

As for financial viability, I don't see a problem since their prices have been continuously falling. Eight years ago the basic Leaf was launched at £32,000, replacement battery at 5 years £16,000.

 

My vastly superior model cost £24,000 (excluding my extra cost of getting electricity to the garage), and the replacement battery cost has plunged and is forecast to drop further. The Leaf is the size of a Focus and if you check the equivalent top of the range Focus you'll find its costs about the same.

 

As for range, I think there's huge exaggeration about drivers needs. Thr great majority of all drivers needs are met with an over 150 mile range, and that's here now. As usual it's the media wittering on about range anxiety that's created unnecessary fears.

 

One of my neighbours for example, says he couldn't buy one due to range anxiety. It turns out the longest run return trip he ever does is two thirds of my range, and he only does that in the warmer months of the year when the range is at its highest. So his range anxiety exists only in his imagination.

 

There are things wrong about electric cars and here's the list:

 

A quarter of people nationally and a third in London have no home electricity access for a charge point.

 

The public charging point network is far from satisfactory. There's plenty of them, but the way they are run and used is not good enough.

 

Electric cars in general can't tow anything, so no caravans or car trailers.

 

The reliability and very low needs of electric cars mean they are very bad news for the motor trade and the petroleum industry.

 

They are also turning out to be bad news for the manufacturers, since they end the days of changing the car every three years, most keeping them very long term.

.

I here all of what your saying but money wise i have run a 2k car for 5 yrs and only serviced it with no other failures and 60k as been put on by myself

electric cars are going to have to come on a long way to match that outlay

I personally cant comprehend 24k on a car of any type with depreciation being a major factor in all vehicles

And as for range its fine if your running around town or a city but I travel to Scotland quite a few times a year and at 500mls one way batteries are out when I get 650mls out of one tank of fuel and don't have to stop to recharge the car

Again I understand its all got to change but for now I don't see it myself for a while for mile munchers

A long time ago I sat down in front of a spreadsheet and ran the numbers. Result?

 

- we sold the family sized car that spent most of the week parked in front of the house

- we bought a Smart for town use

- we had a budget rental place nearby where we rented larger cars for family trips about twice a month. After a while we were almost always upgraded to the class above for free. Once or twice a year we were given a luxury model for a free weekend rental.

 

The result was a car budget identical to our original budget but with more flexibility and comfort. An electric assisted cargo bike would replace the Smart as my city vehicle of choice these days and would result in a substantial saving.