Electric Vehicles EVs

Right, looks like we're replacing the 14 year old Ford Focus with an EV. Choice is narrowed down currently to an MG4, an VW ID.3 or, possibly, a Volvo EC30.

I'm clueless on cars generally, but know pretty much nothing about EVs (I mainly come in this thread to wind @Soul up), so what do I need to know and should I be looking at anything else? And no Tesla recommendations please, because as we've known for some time, Musk is a cunt.

I had an id.3 for 4 months and hated it. The controls are a stupid touch screen type thing that doesn’t work, and the sideways visibility (looking left and right at junctions or ped crossings) was dangerously poor.

My vote would be the MG4

Generally I think the European manufacturers loaded their EVs with gimmicks (Tesla style) to justify high prices and margins, and are now hamstrung as the Chinese EVs are cheaper and better.

Budget? Usage in terms of distance etc? Assume you’ll have a home charger?

I'm getting it through a company scheme run by Octopus, so it's a lease package basically. We get a home charger installed for free as part of that package.

We do under 5k miles a year in the current car, but the other half has her test at the end of this month, so that might go up a bit. It's mostly shorter, local journeys, with the odd longer trip to see ageing parents in Norwich and Hampshire, plus a holiday or two a year (Devon and Brittany this year).

I would add the Hyundai Kona to your consideration list.

You definitely can’t argue with value for money on the MG4 and it drives fine and fits people in fine but the software is total shit and there are currently no OTA updates.

I don’t regret buying it but would consider other options with what I know now.

@mashton has one too I think. Maybe he has had a better experience…

Be prepared to plan the longer trips a little more carefully than you would in a Tesla (no charge stop integration in software) but other than that, they’re fine for infrequent long journeys.

Sometimes some cars are better value on lease despite their higher price due to better residual pricing.

Any chance you can stretch to the hilarious MG Xpower variant?
Its essentially a fully specced MG4 thats 429hp, for essentially the starting price of either the VW ID3, or EX30.

A very quick search through some leasing websites suggest that a high spec MG4 is loads cheaper than a similar price Volvo at the moment.

Another option, that I'd discounted originally, is a Polestar 2. I thought it had a separate, and enclosed, boot, but it looks like it doesn't.

They’re nice.

Getting in the realm of big cars though, they’re 4.6m long, 40cm longer than the MG4 which is already a pretty big car compared to your average run around.

If you don’t care about that, it’s leagues ahead of the MG4 in terms of quality.

Go for a test drive! They give you 90mins as standard from beneath Battersea Power Station.

Keep an eye on the offers here:
https://www.polestar.com/uk/offers/

If you're looking at a Hyundai Kona, check out the ioniq 5. It's barely larger externally and way bigger inside, especially rear leg room and boot, and has comfier seats.
Not much price difference. I like our Kona but find the seats really uncomfortable on trips over 2 hours or so. The kona feels like a regular car with a battery (because it is), so a minimum of touch screen business.
I'm 6'1 and my partner is 5'3 and we both hate the seats on long trips.

I have an MG4, which overall I really like apart from one massive thing.

The dealership support is totally shit.

I am currently in Costa coffee across the road from the dealership in Croydon, hoping that when I pick up the car later today it will be the end of a six month saga to get the faulty touch screen on the main centre console replaced.

cunts

Thanks Matt. Hope it gets sorted. Might ping you a PM with some questions later.

It’s leagues ahead in terms of cost too, so I think we’ve ruled it out. Looks like the MG4 is the one, just got to get the kids on board now (eldest will just shrug, youngest will resist with every fibre of her being as she hates change).

For the amount of miles you're doing and types of journeys, it'll be more than enough.

Software aside, we really like ours.

Ignore the comments up thread re: the XPower one, it's daft, unnecessary and expensive. I would either go with the trophy long range (what we have) or the extended range if budget allows.

Do I remember right that you're near Cambridge now or have I made that up? You're more than welcome to come and drive ours in Royston. It's a company car so anyone with a driving licence can have a go.

Are tyres an unexpected extra cost for EV cars in the UK, when doing a yearly expence excel? It is in Denmark.

It's mostly shorter, local journeys

Electric cargo bike. Rent a car for holidays/longer journeys

Electric cargo bike

Bike! Are you mad?

Not sure a family of 4 fits on a cargo bike.

I'd love to, but I'm in a minority on this one. We didn't own a car for years, and just used to rent one when it was needed, but we were thinking we'd move out of London, bought my in-laws old car off them for cheap, and now I've got other members of the family who think a car is essential.

If space is a key point the Kia Niro is about the best we could find for storage and room around legs/heads without being a huge car, I think the Kona is about the same too. Not as fancy as a Polestar though.

I have actually seen it done in Copenhagen, albeit with small kids. If the kids get too big to fit then just get them their own bike 🤷

One other thing to note with the MG4, no roof rack rails, and not vast interior space. So options for bike transportation are limited to a rear rack.

Feel free to ping me Qs or even arrange to see mine. It's very orange. Which I enjoy.

Have you test driven the MG4? What did you think of the creep/auto vibe and handling?

For ~25% more money I'd go for the PS2 every time, but I'm bias (as I work there) and I hate tall-handling vehicles... the RWD single motor variant is especially fun!

Polestar can go fuck themselves.

We tried to buy one on their finance deals and they wouldn't sell it to us since I would be the main driver and my wife would be footing the bill.

They claimed that they would also make the same call if it was a man paying for a car that their wife would be driving. Bullshit.

I was super close to suing them for discrimination, but couldn't be bothered in the end. Obviously.