Have any of you got all electric cars? Pros and cons please.

Robun - you say Toyota has refused to make them...
If so, why and how are they selling them? www.toyota.co.uk/electrification

NotSpaghetti

Robun - you say Toyota has refused to make them...
If so, why and how are they selling them? www.toyota.co.uk/electrification

Toyota foresaw hydrogen infrastructure expanding, it hasn’t and won’t quickly, everyone else has backed EV and the infrastructure for charging is expanding fast. Probably it won’t prove to be a disadvantage because the cars built in China are undercutting other brands.

Green Hydrogen is produced from non fossil electricity and needs a large infrastructure to cool and compress the gas to liquify it for transport use. You can imagine how much electricity needs to be generated to power a container ship or an aircraft using hydrogen.

The other way hydrogen was going to be used was in the gas grid, there are a lot of problems to be overcome to do that, there is currently a trial town using hydrogen to determine if it is practical, or wether all electric would be more economic for domestic use.

There needs to be a quantum leap in electricity generation to produce green hydrogen on the scale needed, part renewable, part nuclear, it could be done in 25 yrs, more likely it will be 50plus so we are going to need oil and gas for a long time.

My husband had one until September of last year. He had it on PCP(?) on a three year contract. This ran out just at the same time as his work contract ended, thankfully, as it's taken until now for him to find a new job.

He had a Kia e-Niro, and it was a lovely car. We have a home charger, and we have solar panels and batteries, so it was very cheap to run.

We only once had a battery near-death experience, when I think we got down to 3%. We had to stop at a motorway service station and charge there.

That was the only downside for me - the waiting time to get the car charged to a reasonable amount. Unless you can find a fast charger, it's a slow process.

Now that he's got a new job, he's looking into another contract EV. He glares at me when I say "what have you got to show for the £40,000 you spent on the EV over those years?". He can only cite that it was cheaper than petrol and servicing costs.

I'll stick to my 10 year old petrol car, that I will own outright when the finance is paid off in two years' time.

I'm sorry that I can't afford an electric car and like others, my petrol car costs me very little now that I have paid off the loan.

I would prefer to drive a nice clean non polluting car and several of my friends have gone electric and love their purchases. No complaints.

Maybe Scotland is a bit ahead of the rest of the UK in having lots of charging points.

I only wish there were as many public toilets as there are charging points.
Sorry, wrong thread! 🤣

Maybe where you live in Scotland has lots of charging points Grammaretto but they certainly don't have them near us.

What I am noticing, (from the map that Mamie suggested), is that in my neck of the words the EV charging points are situated at holiday parks and hotels. So can I use them or do I have to be staying as a guest? I've seen several holiday properties with them, even saw a car plugged in yesterday probably after its Saturday journey down here, so I assume their fee is included in the rental? I'm not really asking, just thinking aloud!

*woods not words

I had this conversation about charging points with my BIL in Brisbane Australia, he’s a petrol head with a massive V8, he claimed there were no charging points. So I just googled “EV charging Brisbane” and there were dozens of chargers, 3 within a couple of miles, none so blind as those that don’t want to see.
Obviously you’re not likely to want an EV if you live in the Outback but that’s no reason to deny the use for 95% of urban drivers where most charging is going to be at home anyway.

Aveline

Maybe where you live in Scotland has lots of charging points Grammaretto but they certainly don't have them near us.

I live approx 12 miles south of Edinburgh. There are 4 charging stations within 5 miles of me. One is across the road. Whereas we have only one petrol station. (which also has an EV charging point)

4 charging stations aren't enough at all given your local population. Petrol can be bought at a whole host of petrol stations which don't have to be near one's home. People often fill up at one near work or at a supermarket or even shop around for the cheapest place. It's a matter of moments to fill up, pay and go.

Aveline

4 charging stations aren't enough at all given your local population. Petrol can be bought at a whole host of petrol stations which don't have to be near one's home. People often fill up at one near work or at a supermarket or even shop around for the cheapest place. It's a matter of moments to fill up, pay and go.

It rather depends on how many chargers there are at the charging station. Might be six, might be 40.
This is from ZapMap a UK charging app.

"At the end of March 2024, there were 59,590 electric vehicle charging points across the UK, across 32,322 charging locations. This represents a 47% increase in the total number of charging devices since March 2023."

There are charging points at Tesco, at the Straiton park & ride, at the Midlothian Science Park, in Penicuik High St etc. I am sure if I had an ev I would quickly work out where they are, how much they cost and how long they take.

Two of my friends are unable to charge at their own homes so rely on a weekly charge. They both seem quite happy at present.

I think that fear of the new gets in the way of innovation.

There are two near us but they've been out of order since they were set up. They're just used as parking spaces for cars these days.

That's a shame Aveline.
My only petrol station was closed on Thursday when I went fill up. I must try again

Electric cars will be fine once you can charge them up as quickly as you can fill up with diesel until then they can keep them

Rosie Don't the fact that they are non polluting, and quiet make up for being a bit slower to charge up?
The moral superiority that you experience while you drink your coffee and watch your car charging must be a good feeling too 😅😂

I don’t ever want an electric car. Apart from the charging issues, to some extent solved if a charger is installed at home, electric cars have an unfortunate ability to burst into flames apparently. Obviously whilst this is comparatively rare, it most certainly does happen.
I bought myself a new i20 last October. It was my second i20, I kept my first eleven years. It’s a petrol car. Petrol is much cleaner now as is diesel, although I think diesel will be phased out. If we go into London we use my car as it’s ULEZ compliant.
It’s absolutely nothing to do with fear of the unknown, it’s the initial expense, it’s lack of charging facilities when on longer journeys, it’s the running down of the battery when crawling in a traffic jam, and it’s the possibility of the car bursting into flames.

the moral superiority that you experience

What utter rubbish.

Grammaretto

Rosie Don't the fact that they are non polluting, and quiet make up for being a bit slower to charge up?
The moral superiority that you experience while you drink your coffee and watch your car charging must be a good feeling too 😅😂

Lol that's if you can find a charging point that is working and doesn't have a line of cars waiting to charge. Its not my car that's being changed but my husbands don't think he would feel any moral superiority if he's got to faff about charging when he is in a hurry. He would consider a hybrid but they are expensive so it looks like a F pace diesel 3ltr

I do completely understand that it is harder for people who can't install chargers (though judging from this thread there are people who manage perfectly well), but I have just gone out of my back door to plug in the car for an overnight full charge. It really is much easier than going to a petrol station to fill up.
I think the figure of a 47% increase in UK public chargers in 12 months is impressive. I do know from family and friends in the UK that it has all got much easier and the charging stations with high-speed chargers, loos and cafés are much appreciated.
The Guardian evidence de-bunking the myths is also helpful to the bigger picture.

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Only the Guardian?

Aveline

Only the Guardian?

No, plenty of evidence if you look for it, but the series of Guardian EV Mythbusters articles are strong on evidence and do address both sides of the discussion. I have posted some of the links on here, but I think there are about six in all. The SpeakEV forum is good for evidence too.

The moral superiority that you experience while you drink your coffee and watch your car charging must be a good feeling too 😅😂 all the while not giving one thought to those, often children, who suffer great harm to their health from the necessary cobalt mining.

Rosie51

^The moral superiority that you experience while you drink your coffee and watch your car charging must be a good feeling too 😅😂^ all the while not giving one thought to those, often children, who suffer great harm to their health from the necessary cobalt mining.

When it comes to exploitation there is plenty producing oil, or textiles and many other products we all use.