Walked into VW dealer, and was surrounded by Vauxhalls

[symonh2000]

The main problem is the ZEV mandate.

The demand for petrol and diesel cars is there, but they are not allowed to sell them because otherwise they won't meet targets for selling a high enough percentage of EV's.

The EV's meanwhile are being sold at huge discounts and next to no profit, but that is better than paying a £15k fine for each ICE car over the limit.

They have to make savings or increase prices where they can.

[fredgroves]

High cost socially responsible economy meets Chinese manufacturing methods... As I said before it's only what's been happening elsewhere in manufacturing. Germans somehow thought they were immune to it...

[Yusee]

 Worth watching this..

Harry’s garage - fascinating summary on the politics behind the push for EVs, and where he thinks it’s going..

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Vhi7zldGjBo

[fredgroves]

I'm not sure he's entirely talking about the real world there. Seems a little bit fixated on the super luxury end of the scale.

His comments about terrible depreciation don't add up really either as looking at the current top ten UK bad buys it looks very little different to days gone by :

https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/best-cars-vans/94305/fastest-depreciating-cars-top-10-worst-motoring-money-pits

In that list are citreon, Peugeot, massarati and jags... All the usual suspects.

If anything was wrong with ev strategy it's the bit where first and foremost it should have started at the bottom of the market not top.

VW and others have only just realised this when it was stupidity to have done it the other way around from day one...

[GolfTi]

My perfect car is the car that I've already got.

I know it won't last forever and I am dreading the day I have to replace it.

For what?

Nothing out there that I would want, I'll keep mine going as long as possible. Still love it to bits.

[Exonian]

Worth watching this..

Harry’s garage - fascinating summary on the politics behind the push for EVs, and where he thinks it’s going..

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Vhi7zldGjBo

I started watching that last weekend, got so far in and switched off after deciding I had nothing to relate to wealthy car collectors running £80k PHEV’s as family runabouts even if it is Harry whom I respect massively.

Read your post mid-week so decided to watch the whole vid when I had time.

Having properly watched it now, there are some really good points raised, particularly how disharmonious the rules are globally as regards to EV transition.
I’m certainly not one of those car lovers that derides EV’s. In fact I’d be keen to try one, so long as it fitted my needs and budget and wasn’t a jelly mould saloon or sodding SUV.

I have to agree with fredgroves, it’s all arse about face. Instead of focus on £100k cars only bought by MD’s to avoid tax and subsequently halving in value almost immediately as no private buyer would touch one with a barge pole, it should be smaller more affordable mass transport that real people can buy, which will actually have enough take up to make a difference to local emissions in built up areas.
Manufacturers should have hit the market with Renault 5 size cars (and very slightly larger) from the off, at Renault 5 type pricing, then there would never have been any need for manufacturers to have to buy credits or risk huge fines. That way the company director size and price cars could have stayed ICE without risking the annual zero emission % targets too.

[jv]

Like a Nissan Leaf maybe?

[Exonian]

Like a Nissan Leaf maybe?

The perfect car. Just unfortunately so dull nobody knows if it’s a current model or went out of production five years ago.

[SRGTD]

Like a Nissan Leaf maybe?

The perfect car. Just unfortunately so dull nobody knows if it’s a current model or went out of production five years ago.

If I was in the market for a small EV in the next few months, it’d be the new Renault 5. Competitively priced, it’s getting very good reviews, and IMHO the design is a really successful modern interpretation of the original R5. Renault aren’t afraid to be bold with their colour choices either with a bright green and yellow being offered - a refreshing change from the typical shades of blandness offered by most car manufacturers.

[Yusee]

Worth watching this..

Harry’s garage - fascinating summary on the politics behind the push for EVs, and where he thinks it’s going..

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Vhi7zldGjBo

I started watching that last weekend, got so far in and switched off after deciding I had nothing to relate to wealthy car collectors running £80k PHEV’s as family runabouts even if it is Harry whom I respect massively.

Read your post mid-week so decided to watch the whole vid when I had time.

Having properly watched it now, there are some really good points raised, particularly how disharmonious the rules are globally as regards to EV transition.
I’m certainly not one of those car lovers that derides EV’s. In fact I’d be keen to try one, so long as it fitted my needs and budget and wasn’t a jelly mould saloon or sodding SUV.

I have to agree with fredgroves, it’s all arse about face. Instead of focus on £100k cars only bought by MD’s to avoid tax and subsequently halving in value almost immediately as no private buyer would touch one with a barge pole, it should be smaller more affordable mass transport that real people can buy, which will actually have enough take up to make a difference to local emissions in built up areas.
Manufacturers should have hit the market with Renault 5 size cars (and very slightly larger) from the off, at Renault 5 type pricing, then there would never have been any need for manufacturers to have to buy credits or risk huge fines. That way the company director size and price cars could have stayed ICE without risking the annual zero emission % targets too.

Have a watch of his annual video where he goes through the costs of running his 30 odd vehicles- he very obviously doesn’t live in the real world.

But he does know the industry as well as anyone.

The interesting bit for me was his prediction as to when we’ll get to 100% participation in EVs- “ an awful long time “- 2050 he thinks- because much of the world isn’t playing and there’s consumer resistance.

He says people will be slower to change cars ( there’s already good evidence that is happening).

Agree with the comments on smaller, cheaper cars being more appropriate for electric ( as long as they become cheap enough)- that’s what I would like- a small, cheap electric car as a means of transport around town. But still enjoying the combustion engine on the open roads.