Is Living With an EV Worth it? My Honest Thoughts.

I've been living with electric vehicles for almost a year now, and it's time to give you my honest thoughts on what they're like to drive, the charging situation, maintenance and costs, and of course - road trips.
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[@JoeTourist]

I've driven electric vehicles since 2014, when I purchased my first Tesla Model S. I agree with you that pretty well any EV will be a good choice for commuting, and in fact, will save significantly on operating costs. When government incentives are factored in, the payback period can be very attractive for commuters. I have also taken my Model S on several road trips over the years, and found it to be much lower stress than when I owned a gasoline vehicle. The key to that enjoyment is the Tesla Supercharger network. It's essential to have a reliable and complete charging network when road tripping, and to choose accommodation that offers overnight charging. Yes, it takes a bit of planning, but it's something that most people quickly get the hang of. Knowing your EV's capabilities means range anxiety is no longer a factor, even in winter.

[@trucksanddirt1506]

You spend 40k+ to save 200 a year? And electricity is no more that cheap. Superchargers are becoming more expensive than gas. And when they start increasing taxes, it will be 5 times more expensive. Also the residual values, cost of battery, and cost of repairs. Herz is putting a break on their EV experience because of all these reasons. EV at this time is really a very bad choice.

[@B08Y]

I think you hit the nail on the head when you said "WHEN" we all know when this government says "when" it means " never"

[@m.b5777]

You are sitting on a giant battery for years and no one knows the long term health implications

[@trucksanddirt1506]

@@m.b5777 Goog point.

[@davecolgan442]

@@trucksanddirt1506 Your handle has 'trucks' in the name and many pickups are far above 40k, many cars on the road are above 40k so I'm not sure that is the best metric to be evaluating. Speaking about cost of energy an EV (3.1 kW/mile) for 12,000 miles could cost 265 dollars and a 23 MPG vehicle could cost 2087 dollars which is a 1,822 dollar difference. I've driven 3 different EVs over 170,000 miles combined and haven't had to replace a battery. My cost of repairs so far has been two 12V batteries for about 200 dollars. Yes, the cars are more expensive, but my used cars will go on the used car market for people like me that didn't buy new cars until I was nearly 60. I don't have a second car and have driven from Reno Nevada to Austin, TX, San Diego, Portland, OR, Idaho Falls, Moro Bay, CA, and several other long but shorter trips.

[@Anothernerdyloser314]

I just wanted to say that I really appreciated the way you did your ad break. 100% relevant to the video and it didn't feel like an ad break.

[@pictsidhe6471]

I too have an SE. Mine turned a year old a few days back. She's done 13,320 miles in thay year. Mostly commuting. About 2000 miles of road trips. Two of 700 miles. Electricity cost of $331.53 at home. No worrying about getting to work when there's a gas shortage. The reviewer nails it when he days the SE is a fantastic commuter and back road car, but a lousy roadtrip car. I bought mine for commuting. I still have my R53, but havent used it much since I got the SE. The SE is also a fun car to autocross.

[@ariv8585]

I love my SE, best car I’ve ever owned

[@bengordon7635]

what if there is a storm ,, or hurricane and no power for 3 weeks h,mmmmmm

[@ccroy2001]

Since I only have 1 car for everything I bought a hybrid. Basically I've cut my gasoline usage in half, saving money and emissions. Much like an electric car a hybrid uses the electric motors to generate power fo the battery while coasting and I can come to planned stops w/o the friction brakes saving wear and reducing maintenance costs. My next car will probably be a PHEV.

[@Lou_Mansfield]

I've owned a plug-in hybrid, and now an EV. Charging at home is super easy, no wall box needed. For yearly road trips, i'll simply rent a gas car. Most americans drive under 40 miles daily.

[@FutureNow]

Your thoughts on roadtripping is why I'm considering getting a PHEV instead of going for a full-on EV when the lease on by Subaru Outback runs out next year. I really wish Subaru still made Outback hybrids but they don't so I'm scoping out other models. For my daily driving, it'll basically only be using electric, but when I'm doing a road trip, I know I'll be able to use gas and not have to worry about managing charging. We only have one car so it's what is probably best for us right now until the charging network improves.

[@ZE4MC]

100% perfect review- My wife and I live North of San Antonio and we go to Austin and into San Antonio daily. We BOTH have Mini SE's and absolutely love them- they are ONLY fo daily driving and they are the BEST at daily driving- very fast very smooth easy to park front wheel drive but really hold the road and even on 110v charging we wake up at 80% charged and over the weekend we start Monday AM with 100%. BUT we have Gas cars for longer drives (Houston Dallas) so realistically we have no range anxiety ever. Some quick hits and misses. AWESOME interiors- BMW qulaity one of a kind experience. Drives better than any GTI or "hot hatch". Yes if this had 160 mile range it would be PERFECT- the new one will but not a fan of the interior. Misses- 1> No AM radio- Im a talk radio guy and all EV's are doing this not just Mini and 2> It is quiet but since they have thin windows could be quieter. I am going to get some sound deadening put under the carpet- most owners could care less and is NOT a deal breaker 3> In cars with larger batteries it is 100% known to not charge to 100% all the time (Maybe on road trips) but Mini is all over the map on that- I have asked the dealer and other owners- some do some dont- my wifes is 10 months old and I do think that we have lost a little bit of range charging it to 100% everyday. again, not a deal breaker but wish they were more exact. 4> Lower trims dont get the better (Not great but good enough) HK sound system. But this thing is so solidly built (One of BMWs best cars?) and just puts a smile on my face every time I drive it. I am old and have had MANY great cars (My weekender is a Mercedes SL550- last of the v8's lol) but I will put the Mini against it or any other car for driving dynamics. Seriously excellent car and again great on point review.

[@tomigresz2024]

I also own a Mini Cooper SE. I bought it with the same mindset, as a 2nd car, for city driving and daily commute (which btw makes probably at least 80% of my driving). In that way it makes a ton of sense. I also own a diesel Mercedes V-Class, which I use for long journeys, roadtrips and camping (this car makes also sense just as a 2nd car). So i guess the 2 are supplementing each other quite well. But if I had only one car, I wouldn’t have bought an electric car. Not even a Tesla Model 3 just because for now the situation is much too problematic for long journeys or road-trips

[@newagain9964]

why not buy a 3rd or 4th car?

[@RWAquariumPages]

great video! i wish the petro canada ev charging network was better back west. love watching your videos and the charging east series. Still 4-6 more weeks wait till mine and im stoked! keep up the great work!

[@ih8whatuchoose2b]

I picked up my Chevy Bolt EUV back in August. Driven so far: 7,400 miles. Location ~ Western New York (Buffalo / Niagara Falls / Rochester) area. Estimated range ~ 247 miles a charge. The driving experience is unmatched. The instant torque, on demand. Even when going 60 and want to pass someone. The one pedal driving experience. Almost never using my brakes for the entirety of my daily commute. (50 miles round trip). It’s literally fun to drive again! Oh, and the super cruise feature is really nice! Hands free, baby!!! Charging experience: I have been charging almost exclusively from home. Chevy had a third party install my level two station at home. I did have to pay several hundred dollars out of pocket, though, very worth it. It took about two months, after picking up the car, before the level 2 was installed at my house. However, I was able to maintain almost just on a wall outlet alone. I was getting about 4 miles of range, per hour. I did this until mid October, lowest temps were in the high 40s / lower 50s. Prior to the level 2 install. At home it costs me .10 cents a kilowatt hour. It is a 65 kilowatt hour battery. On several occasions I used a public, paid level 2 charging station 1/5 of a mile from my place, to top off my charge. That charging station cost .15 cents a kilowatt. My electric bill went up 40-60 bucks a month. I have only ever used a level three charging station once, just to experience it. Farthest round trip I took so far: 138 miles on the thruway going about 75 mile average, speed. I took this in December following Christmas. I did follow at couple tractor trailers. It does help. I did plug in at the house I was visiting. Gained 20 miles of range while I was there. I had 83 miles left, when I got back home. You do lose about a 1/5 of your range, in the winter. That is with temps below 40. Not having a Tesla, what I found best is just downloading every style charging station app on my phone. The Chevy app is the best out of all, for all around amount of charging stations it can find. However, having the actual specific brand of the stations, (which you will need anyways to use them) makes finding extra stations, really nice. Previous vehicle: 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee. I have roughly saved 1200 so far in gas vs electric bill costs, since ownership. I can see how longer road trips could be a little bit of a struggle. Only because mine does charge slower than most other EVs. However, with proper planning, it would take a lot of stress away. I feel it’s mainly learning your vehicles limits. With range. Just like any ICE vehicle. However, I knew about the potential challenges before I ordered it. It can get me city to city, in the winter, on a single charge. That is all I need. If I did anything more than one state over, I would just rent an ICE vehicle, or even another EV with better range / faster charging. I’ll personally never go back to a full time ICE vehicle. They’re so loud after being in a EV.

[@bdtang]

I drove across country in our Tesla model y - no preplanning except booking hotels around 600 ~ 800 miles apart close to the highway (total trip was 3000 miles). I plugged in the next hotel destination and the Tesla calculated the trip and told me where I should charge and for how long. I highly recommend trying a Tesla on a road trip and compare it to any other EV. We now have switched to 2 Teslas and haven’t run into any issues on any road trips.

[@wzDH106]

Aside from weekend getaways, I've done a single long road trip in an EV, a VW ID4. While trip planning was most definitely required, I found the drive far less fatiguing over the competition, most likely attributed to the shorter legs, about 100 to 150 miles between stops. I wouldn't say I was waiting for the car to charge, the vehicle was ready after a quick coffee, bathroom, or Walmart stop. I noticed to pass the same semi trucks repeatedly which was an interesting observation.

[@KeepieUppie10]

Range anxiety would worry me a lot. I know how I am with phone batteries! 😂 We can only afford one car and I like the idea of charging it at home. However, we do several long family trips during the warmer months (Spring, Summer, Autumn) in the UK. The planning that needs to be done beforehand and then not knowing for certain if you'll have a working charging station or an available charging station, it's too much of a hassle especially when you have your wife and kids to worry about too. Maybe we'll have portable chargers in the boot one day. Thanks for the balanced thoughts. Enjoying the channel.

[@Anothernerdyloser314]

The UK is small enough that you could easily travel from Glasgow to London with one or two charges depending on the EV. Most Brits that I know don't travel that far. The UK seems like the ideal place for an EV. The Ioniq 6 can do Glasgow to London with a single 25 minute charge in Manchester.

[@pictsidhe6471]

I left the UK in 2015, so I'm a little out of date. I did see chargers popping up in service stations before I left. If you stick to big roads, I doubt it will be much of an issue. The middle of nowhere is where you will have problems. I carry an EVSE in the back of my SE. It is useful for trips, it can be plugged into a range of US outlets. When I find a 230v 50A outlet, a 0-100% charge in 4 1/2 hours. I've done this a half dozen times in the last year. Having an EVSE with a 13A plug would be essential in the UK. That would be about 12 hours for a full SE charge. Fine if you you are staying the night somewhere.

[@Yeahyeah-ic8xm]

Just a thought, but could you take the train for your family trips inthe UK? Or if not just rent a car or swap with a friend or family member? There’s still planning with the train but it’s more relaxing than driving.

[@eleazargarza8841]

I bought a bolt EV to commute to work. I have a long commute but am able to charge at home and at work for similar costs (about 10 cent per kWh). It has significantly saved money on my commute. However, I wouldn't have bought it if I didn't have a place to charge at home until range gets way better.

[@newagain9964]

10 cents/ kWh...but how many kWh are used per day?

[@Anothernerdyloser314]

@@newagain9964 That depends on your commute. The Bolt gets around 3.5-4 miles per kWh. So a 40 mile commute would cost around $1.

[@CaptDnaDonut]

I got a Mustang Mach-E for two main reasons. 1. Route Planning and 2. Plug & Charge. Makes road trips I take every day of the week easy (I don't roadtrip that oftern, virtually no one does unless they drive a bus everyday). I didn't even realise until I was about 2 hours into a roadtrip that all I did was type in the address and go. Didn't plan where I needed to charge or anything. Got to an EA station, plugged in, and went to the bathroom. I do wish EVgo had corridor charging because I find their stations more reliable.

[@slmn999]

Straightforward and honest take on this improving reality

[@dayoadeosun1520]

Lovely and honest review abt EV. These factors highlighted are the reasons why I would continue with my prius phev.

[@13noman1]

Thanks for sharing. I came across what I think is an apt analogy for EVs -- and that is PC's in the 80's/ early 90's: cool, could do stuff even with a lowly 8086 processor...that became the 286 chip, the 386...finally settling in as a commodity with the Pentium chip. I think we're solidly past the earliest stages of EVs so maybe a lot of 286 and 386's out there....but, but, but..as you noted, if it's your ONLY car, maybe wait.

[@CoolTatts]

Not good for road trips? Then rent a car for driving those 1% occasions. I don't daily drive a "moving van" because I might need to move furniture one day.

[@utopaline9491]

I'm in a similar situation. We have an ICE vehicle for long trips or big shopping trips, but my 2020 e-Golf is a fantastic commuter vehicle that costs me pennies a day for my 65km commute. Since buying the Golf 2 months ago we have put 2 tanks of gas in our ICE vehicle vs twice a week.

[@NateBraska]

2:49 "48 Amps of power" lol. I know what you mean. Love your reviews! I think i watched your content on the Ioniq 5, but I did you have the AWD version? And why swap to the mini? I'd sure love the RWD for 300 miles (Texas) but still value the AWD down there. Rented a Mach-E through Turo for a day which was fun, but even super new had to low of a range. Their hands free driving was fun. Currently have a 2018 Model X 75D. It's a great commuter with kids but it's limited (and depreciated) range has us longing for a larger range model. Have deposits for R1S and EX90. Really interested in the EV9 too. Really high prices though.

[@weekendwarrior8179]

Have a Chevy bolt 2023 as a 2nd vehicle. And only after my condo got their own private charges did we buy it. You need a "home" charger.

[@HugoParedes]

I think it’s 2 asterisks, not only 1: if you can have your own wall box. If you rely on the public charging, it’s not as good. I live in the Netherlands and I bought a Tucson Hybrid because charging an EV in the public charging would have been more expensive. And I’m not counting the road trips.

[@leonchen89]

Public charging cost is on par with gasoline cost of a hybrid car. Level 3 is $0.5/min, while level 2 is around $2/hour. Canadian prices. If you can’t charge at home, forget about it.

[@justing1810]

🤔 interesting video. Thank you for the video. Ive been thinking about going this route but I can see that it just isn't for me. Maybe I will look into hybrids.

[@alainpaquin627]

I'm the owner of a 2023 Mazda MX-30 GS as my first EV because I like the look & finish and the way it handles. Price wise, it's pretty good as Mazda offers a 4000$ rebate and another 12000$ in rebates from the federal & provincial governments (Quebec, Canada). I have to say I use it as my primary vehicle to do all my shopping/groceries/meetings etc... all within 40 km from my house and I won't use it during winter time (October 31 to may 01). I have a level 2 charger at home. I understand the range is said to be 160 km but I've done more than 180 km on rural roads & city roads and it was showing15% left. ***I have a compact SUV AWD for longer trips (maybe 12 times/year) and for winter driving! If you're looking for a primary vehicle EV for all year around including long trips, you should consider an EV with a 360 km minimum range knowing that in winter time when it's really cold (-20c +), you'll be using "heating/heated seats/heated streering etc..." which will have a negative impact on the range (minus 40% +) and it will take longer to charge. 😊 I forgot to mention, my average is 16 kwh/100 km.

[@MediaAceStar]

I have a Mini Cooper SE and it is a perfect second car. I have a longer range Volvo XC40 EV for road trips. Solar panels on my roof, make the “gas” free for both.

[@daverichards1990]

What is the insurance cost? Cost to replace the battery? How much will an electric car depreciate in 2,3,4 year?

[@diegoterneus2250]

I'm sure that in the early days of gas vehicles, owners also had "range anxiety", since gas stations were few and far between.

[@aacmove]

About think the majority of people live in houses with access to home charging. Not in Europe.

[@mrd5024]

this is why i got a Volt. 99% of the time, I am using the battery. but if i want to go on a road trip, off I go. no thinking about charging.

[@HNRichard]

I agree, an electric car is very convenient for daily commute and not for road trips. Also its best to have somewhere to charge at home or near your home because it can get a nuisance when you "have" to go somewhere in a hurry and you have to charge the car the night before.

[@arlyndesilva6522]

🔥🔥🔥

[@oj9886]

Thank you for being honest

[@Allister2000]

Agreed. I would not buy an EV if I didn't have another car for road trip. I currently have a PHEV which does the job for daily and road trip.

[@NoName-fn6ee]

What is an PHEV, I do this sound when I am exhausted or lifted something heavy😂

[@Slayyyter_bitxh]

Why not? The ioniq 6 gets 360+ miles of range and 18min fast charging? This guy own a mini cooper with 100miles of range...

[@michaelcarson8375]

You didn't explain the cost of charging your car for the duration you owned it. Also something to consider is the increasing cost to charge EVs in the EU and since Canada loves to copy the EU that is something you should look into. Have you paid off the car already?

[@steveyoung8376]

the cold is the car battery is cold not the charger, tesla and some other modern EVs allow you to rpe condition the battery to get the optimum charging speed.

[@danryan4137]

I am seriously looking at a Mini Cooper s EV 2020-21 as a second car.I currently own the 2018 Honda pilot. My question is can it be charged and parked I’m my garage. Lots of stories about fires in general.

[@MarkSpurrell]

I've owned mine for the past two years and I routinely park and charge it in my garage. Most of the stories you're hearing are likely just propaganda from oil/gas companies that don't want you to buy an EV.

[@danryan4137]

@@MarkSpurrell Agree on that. Owned a 2012 Mini, sold it during Covid. Moved to a small town and feel this is the right fun car for me. Enjoy yours in good health.

[@eliot0ald273]

Please do more tech rewind 🙏

[@cosmokenney]

IMO, for what they charge for EVs today, the charging box should come with them.

[@videogamenoob100]

I wish you luck my friend. I really hope the electric Mini Coopers are more reliable than their gas counterparts

[@MarkSpurrell]

Gas coopers from the past decade or so have been pretty reliable actually. The early north american coopers gave them a bad rep.

[@vulpixelful]

The difference between EV reviewers and owners 😂 I only use level 1 charging at home and it suits my needs, no need for a wall box (level 2 charger). It's different when you just need a car for everyday use, not to film 🤷🏾‍♀️

[@donthompson7889]

Why does nobody ever include the cost of financing an additional $20k when talking about ownership costs? Even if you pay cash, there is still the lost opportunity cost. Installing a wall charger at home is not free, either. I have owned an 2023 VW GTI about the same length of time as you have owed your Mini. Like you, I have spent nothing on maintenance and it has not been back to the dealer for any issues. Consumers Reports uses large population surveys to determine reliability (not individual anecdotal reports) and has found that EVs are much less reliable than ICE vehicles. Finally, who wants to be constantly monitoring their vehicle to determine whether or not you can reach your destination? Gas stations are everywhere and they all work.

[@Sherble_Incarnate]

I think the housing problem needs to be fixed before EV's csn be taken seriously.. For now it's only above average/rich people that can even think about it. The rest of us can barely think about getting a newer car in general.

[@theraven8371]

The money you save on fuel & EV maintenance you can use to start purchasing a new battery after 8 years

[@Anothernerdyloser314]

There are plenty of EVs on the road that are older than 8 years, and very few of them have needed battery replacements.

[@Mark-mq2fv]

The Mini uses the same battery as the i3 so it's tried and tested and shown itself to comfortably outlast its warranty. But I would probably sell one before the 8 years came around anyway (with some warranty left for the next owner). Therefore during my ownership it would make perfect sense economically as a second car. Depreciation is not too bad in the Uk either as these cars are iconic, desirable and not purchased with long range in mind So they're ideally suited as a cheap to turn, climate friendly commuter with way lower servicing costs during those 8 years too. @@Anothernerdyloser314

[@isaachunt5799]

@@Anothernerdyloser314 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 would u purchase an 8 year old ev? i wouldn't have one for free

[@aliendroneservices6621]

In a pure-plug-in vehicle, the battery is the fuel.

[@timallison8560]

i've driven an ev now for 4 months. not one issue. zero. none. i do not expect the car to drive itself. i am perfectly capable.

[@isaachunt5799]

make sure u have 30k put by for a new battery lol

[@timallison8560]

hahahahaha not even close@@isaachunt5799

[@jjolla6391]

you may have glossed over the fact that it's fine if you have as many garage spots as you have EVs - so a couple would need two-car garage - teen child needs another spot. Whilst many americans have plenty of space, the rest of the world tend to live more cosily.

[@jamesm654]

I drive less than 150 miles a month. Even this car is more than I need.

[@od5699]

There are 1,841Tesla supercharge stations in the U.S. with California having the most with 363. and seeing that the U.K. is 1.7 times smaller than California this would mean that the equivalent superchargers in the UK would be around 242. At present there is about 115,000 gas stations in the U.S. However, at these supercharge stations their charging output is reduced when more than one vehicle is charging so it takes longer. If all petrol stations reverted to superchargers, most would be turned off since the load would exceed the grid capacity very quickly. The average UK house consumes around 3500 kWh per year, these superchargers dish out up to 250kWh per charge which means that charging 42 Teslas at the same time with an average charging time of 15 minutes uses up the amount of energy of the average household in the UK in one year. There are about 30 million cars on British roads, imagine what would happen if they decided to charge their cars at the same time and even if restrictions are introduced at hourly times it would still mean that over 1.3 million cars charging per hour is the equivalent consumption of 30,000 houses in one year and that is just for one hour of charging. But there are also around 7 million commercial vehicles and some of their batteries are significantly bigger. When are people going to realise that EVs will be unsubstainable when a saturation point is reached, you can work out how many EVs would do this, it's not very large.

[@charleshicks9685]

So just rent a car for road trips

[@B08Y]

What you're all forgetting to mention is the big fat elephant sat in the middle of the room, COST EFFICIENCY. Eg. Insurance if you can get it, a lot of insurance companies are now refusing to insure EVs, due to their tendency to spontaneously combust, the cost of a new battery which under law now has to be replaced in the event of a bump. The cost of charging now supercedes that of petrol, curently at the moment it's on par with diesel. At 70mph, you can get to London and back none stop on the motorway from Manchester, in half a day, on a cold winter's day or hot summers day, day or night. on a full tank of diesel, just. I have a KIA Venga 1.6 CDI ECO. It does 45mpg urban and town, 70mpg at 70/80mph motorway, it costs me £30 per year to tax, due to it's very low almost insignificant carbo imissions, half of which as a Blue Badge holder I can claim back. My total running cost minus fuel for the year is just under £400. What's yours?

[@jimf4748]

Two points is your car really only £30 to insure that seems impossibly cheap. Where do you get the information about EV'sspontaneosly combusting? Ive never seen an EV on fire have you? I've had EV's for over 5 years with no issues but my son's two year old petrol car went on fire at 4:00 am one morning due to an electrical fault. My total running cost for a year INCLUDING fuel is £369, £302 insurance and the rest for charging.

[@B08Y]

@jimf4748 KIA Venga 1.6 diesel eco, check the insurance and road tax out yourself. Yes, I've seen EVs spontaneously combust. There's plenty of footage of EVs spontaneously combustion, many of them burning down the house they're parked next to. I think you will be in for a nasty shock next time you go to insure your EV if you can find an insurer. Lots of insurance companies have increased their policies for EVs by 75%, and some are now refusing to insure EVs after all these issues of spontaneous combustion, eg, the car transport boat, where one EV spontaneously combusted spreading to all the other EVs weeks later and I still think that fires burning, the Manchester Airport incident which has now been proved that it was a Land Rover EV that spontaneously combusted and set fire to all the other vehicles. KZbins full of EVs spontaneously combusting, not many petrol cars spontaneously combusting though, certainly not any diesels, as diesel doesn't combust on it's own untill it reaches 120c or its soaked in an inhibitor such as a rag even then it takes some lighting. Hydro chlorine batteries are used in EVs. When they go into what's called melt down, the chemicals inside the battery run away with itself and produce masses of hydrogen gas and heat till it reaches the point that it spontaneously combust. Due to the fact that it's producing its own gas, its impossible to smother and put out, even the Fire Brigade can't extinguish them, all they cam do is throw a fireproof blanket specially made for EVs over the car and leaveit till it's burnt itself out, even if you submerged it under water, it would still burn with such an intense heat that is caperble of melting steel. whereas petrol or diesel cars burn at a low temperature and are easily put out. If I were you, I'd seriously consider selling your EV. If you can get anybody to buy it, if not, I'd just cut my losses and trade it in against a ECO low emission car, those diesel minis are good, give good milage, cheap to insure and zero tax. If you've had yours for 5yrs it's more than likely getting towards the point of requiring a new battery anyway, and £14,000 a lot of cash to cough out, you could buy a virtually new diesel eco car for that. Think of the money you would save. Sorry to hear your sons car spontaneously combust. As a mechanic myself, I can tell you that it's very, very rare that petrol, especially diesel cars, spontaneously combust. There was a bit of an electrical fault issue in the heating fan setting on fire with VW and some Vauxhall models. But even then, it was rare that they actually burst into flames, and when they did, they were soon put out by the Fire Brigade. Sorry, this is so long, but I thought you needed to know all this. If you think I'm full of it, check these facts out for yourself, they're all here on KZbin.

[@jimf4748]

@@B08Y Thanks for your reply. I think you are too saavy to believe everything on KZbin!! When you say you have seen EV's on fire you mean in your street/area. EV's are 20 times less likely to go on fire than petrol or dlesel. I've not had the same EV for 5 years and my current one has an 8 year warranty and I won't have it as long as that.When I traded my last one in after 2 years it only lost £2000. I have just renewd my insurance at £32.00 more than last year and EV's are selling quickly. My son has just bought one and it was fifth time lucky as the previous 4 were all sold before he got to the garages. I would never go back EV's are so smooth quiet, fast and cheap to run. I still have free chargers in my home town. It has only cost me £9.02 on charging since June to do 5000 miles. Glad you are happy with your car and I am equally happy with mine.

[@B08Y]

@@jimf4748 As I've already stated, I'm a fully qualified mechanic. At the moment, I have three burnt out EV shells that were towed into my scrap pile. No burnt out petrol or diesel cars. I also buy and trade second-hand cars through the auctions, and nobody is buying EVS, no body wants them. I won't evenalloww them on my forcour, let alone in the garage. So yes, i am savy when it comes to the cost of insurance and the running costs of an EV, and I think you're ether telling me porkies over your running costs, or your ignorant to the running costs because you don't even own a EV. As for seeing burning EVs on KZbin, yes I am "SAVY" enough to believe these footages especially when some are backed up by the MSM news, don't you watch the news? Didn't you see the out of controle burning EVS melting the sides of the boat in the North Sea. Or the Luton Airport fire caused by a Land rover EV going into a uncontrollable meltdown etc. As I've told you, and the reason why even the Fire bregade can't extinguish them, all they can do is watch and try their best to controle and stop the fire from spreading, and wait for it to burn itself out. You don't have to believe me, personally, I don't care. I'm just giving you the facts, if you choose to ignore them that's your outlook. If you enjoy your EV, can aford the running costs and it suits you, that OK by me. But just be weary and stay safe.

[@jimf4748]

@@B08Y Thanks I lost all respect when you said I don't own an EV when I've had 2 just to fit your agenda.

[@Mark-mq2fv]

Reading some of these comments there will always be those who look for a reason not to move with the times. The same could probably be said of those who were resistant and concerned their horse wouldn't get any exercise when Henry Ford built the Model-T. :) A car run on renewably sourced electricity, charged overnight at a fraction of the cost of a petrol/diesel car makes perfect sense for many of us. Most journeys are local and well within range. Even more so in UK and much of Europe cities and towns are closer. I will do 80% of my driving with an electric mini and then probably just hire a larger can when needed for camping trip and trips to friends and family x number of times per year. Cheaper than owning a car and paying tax, insurance and watching it depreciate on the drive. How many of us actually use all the space in our vehicles most of the time. Probably, for most of us, quite rarely if we're honest ...

[@Bambotb]

NO

[@traveltheworld886]

First

[@MarkSpurrell]

true

[@abinmathew7574]

Mark, Did anything happen to your nose, Cause it look kind of fake ??????

[@paulpichler]

Now that you mention it! I think it’s just the shadow from his glasses.😂

[@1878EFC]

on the issue of range, you are making incredible excuses for a product (an EV) that isn't reliable... better to stick with a petrol car

[@bengordon7635]

the real ? is after living with one what do you do with it when it dies on the side of the street .. most people abandon them hmmm my 1997 Ice car is worth more now then I paid for it a limited sports car form the 90s hmm most parts that fail on my old car are under a $100 hmmm ,, then what happens when your EV dies ,, over 57 new ev's abandon at a Tesla mechanics shop insanity thats just 1 shop all that money lost ,, a battery is 17k the car is 20k new now insanity ,, so as your ev ages it becomes worth less than the battery is worth hahhahaagagahhagaagahah,,, . I do not know where you people get so much money to go and buy new cars like its nothing ,, meanwhile elon is getting rich from people having to buy new cars every 10 years with NO trade in value hmmmmm he is a scam artist ,, fires all his people to get a 57 billion dollar bonus for space x hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Space x will milk every penny it can out of tesla owners

[@chubbyjohnson5480]

Living in a rural area with extended work commuting hell no. Not for me. They need to make these as an OPTION for people and not try to force everyone to buy one. EVs are absolutely no better for the environment.

[@karakumgaming386]

Except for the fact that they are. EVs and ICE cars do take a similar amount of CO2 to produce, but with an ICE car you're burning CO2 for the entire lifetime of the vehicle. Now currently, the energy for EVs is not perfectly clean but in 5 to 10 years it'll be a lot clearer than it is making EVs essentially zero emissions after production. And most of these restrictions on only EVs are going into place for 10 to 15 years. So they are better for the environment.

[@pictsidhe6471]

Yes, they are better. Well, quite a bit less bad. If you can charge at home and your daily drive is within your car's range, they are much less hassle and expense than an ICE car.

[@od5699]

@@karakumgaming386 When you charge your EV the electricity is supplied from gas, oil and coal powered stations so the comment you made about internal combustion engines burning CO2 (which we need more of not less) for their lifetime apples to EVs also unless nuclear power is used that uses water as its fuel.

[@pachy444]

​ That's just not true, my electricity supply is from 100% renewable, it's not from coal oil or gas If you don't believe me look for yourself, the company is called Eon Next So stop lying just because you don't like EVs

[@cheesepuffo9]

@@pachy444However, not all electricity is sourced from solar panels ( for example) and in other countries as of right now most of the electricity is coming from coal or gas. However considering that you are using 100% renewable energy to charge.e your EV than that’s good but not everyone can access that.

[@walid6329]

EV are still far from the convenience of a gas car.

[@pictsidhe6471]

Mine is more convenient than my ICE cars. Less maintenance. I plug in every few days when I get home. No worrying about fuel panics. Being able to start climate control 5-10 minutes before I drive off is absolutely wonderful when it is bloody freezing or too damn hot.

[@walid6329]

@@pictsidhe6471 maybe idk I've never owned a car LMAO

[@pictsidhe6471]

@@walid6329 That explains a lot.