Mk7 end of life age poll

[P6GTD]

As the first to post my vote this morning, I am moved to comment now. Interesting results already and I’m prepared to bet most owners in the new or nearly new category are repeat customers, some indeed serial repeaters. I worked my way up to new via a few used models ( this is my second new GTI, I got one of the last Mk7s).
I assumed my March 19 car would be one of the last built! It’s an extraordinary testament to the 7/7.5 that sales have remained strong to the end and buyers have shown enough faith to still be spending a lot of dosh on a new performance Golf given the impending change (or maybe because of the impending change!).
I will watch progress of the poll with interest.

[dean5125]

As the first to post my vote this morning, I am moved to comment now. Interesting results already and I’m prepared to bet most owners in the new or nearly new category are repeat customers, some indeed serial repeaters. I worked my way up to new via a few used models ( this is my second new GTI, I got one of the last Mk7s).
I assumed my March 19 car would be one of the last built! It’s an extraordinary testament to the 7/7.5 that sales have remained strong to the end and buyers have shown enough faith to still be spending a lot of dosh on a new performance Golf given the impending change (or maybe because of the impending change!).
I will watch progress of the poll with interest.

Indeed a repeat customer for me..... well an R and then GTI but in 25 years of driving I've always had to put running costs to the top of the list until a few years ago and now a nice short commute and the one car I never owned was a fast Golf, that itch had to be scratched and I honestly wish i'd done it sooner!! I know they are an expensive car but you get what you pay for and I love them!!!

[Sootchucker]

There's been a huge amount of chatter recently at work due to the changes to the P11D from the new tax year for 100% pure electric vehicles essentially being a tax free benefit.

As such there's been a large increase at our company in hybrids and especially the pure electric (we have a Jag I-Pace, several E-Golf's, and a couple of Audi E-Tron's on order).

Whilst I think it's clear that the grim reaper is now circling ICE cars, my question (which no one so far has been able to answer) is where does the "spare" electricity in the national grid come from for charging all these new electric or hybrid vehicles. I remember reading a couple of years ago that the UK was up to about 98% capacity at peak times for electrical demand (and that's before even hybrids really took off). AFAIK, there's no plans in the UK to build any new power stations, at least in the short term (in fact the one near me which is coal fired is actually being decommissioned later this year.

What happens when we all want to charge our cars and demand outstrips supply ?

[dean5125]

There's been a huge amount of chatter recently at work due to the changes to the P11D from the new tax year for 100% pure electric vehicles essentially being a tax free benefit.

As such there's been a large increase at our company in hybrids and especially the pure electric (we have a Jag I-Pace, several E-Golf's, and a couple of Audi E-Tron's on order).

Whilst I think it's clear that the grim reaper is now circling ICE cars, my question (which no one so far has been able to answer) is where does the "spare" electricity in the national grid come from for charging all these new electric or hybrid vehicles. I remember reading a couple of years ago that the UK was up to about 98% capacity at peak times for electrical demand (and that's before even hybrids really took off). AFAIK, there's no plans in the UK to build any new power stations, at least in the short term (in fact the one near me which is coal fired is actually being decommissioned later this year.

What happens when we all want to charge our cars and demand outstrips supply ?

That's when the government steps in again and finds a way to force us back in to diesels..... the circle of life!!! well the tax circle of life!!

joking apart it is a very good point..... maybe they'll ban kettles in the home to counteract the increase in demand for electric cars?!?!

[jv]

Solar panels on your home roof, battery storage of energy created, smart home/vehicle energy management

[dean5125]

Solar panels on your home roof, battery storage of energy created, smart home/vehicle energy management

At what cost on top of an already expensive car?!?!

[rajb]

My GTI was only bought in summer last year and was bought for daily duties. It's nearly 6 years old now and won't be going anywhere till it falls apart. I'm a diehard ICE fan and still can't bring myself to the EV fold. After owning an E60 M5 with that lovely V10 engine and I still have a 4.8is X5 I'm not too worried about fuel costs  .
But even once the GTI has to be replaced I'd still have to consider a used petrol of some sort but who knows what that will be or that's on offer.

As has been mentioned the biggest issue for me with EV is the charging times and range.

[Hertsman]

Just 3 months with present but this my 7th year with the MK7/7.5 (GTD/R/TCR)

[fredgroves]

There's been a huge amount of chatter recently at work due to the changes to the P11D from the new tax year for 100% pure electric vehicles essentially being a tax free benefit.

Like everything it will have distinct phases:

1) Government subsidies to kickstart take-up
2) Removal of government subsidies just as the industry staggers to its feet
3) Taxation of whatever it is - reverse subsidy.

As I've said on here over the years, its only a matter of time before domestic electricity for charging vehicles attracts some sort of fuel duty somehow.

They'll probably tell you its to pay for more powerstations, because everyone is causing a brownout.

[fredgroves]

I’m prepared to bet most owners in the new or nearly new category are repeat customers, some indeed serial repeaters.

This is almost certainly true amongst the regulars on here.

Thing is, for the 7 years of its production, the Mk7 was really the class leader. It was had to find a better car in its size and one which had such low depreciation. VW utterly smashed it, I'd go as far as to say it had the same impact as the Mk1 did when it launched.

I ordered my second Mk7 GTD virtually the same as my first. Ok, it was a Mk7.5 vs a Mk7 but that didn't actually matter to me much - if the timing had been different, I'd have been happy with another Mk7. As it turned out, the 7.5 was better, but I'd not have noticed without having one.

Anyway, the poll was really more to see what the audience was here now rather than anything else but the discussion has already become interesting in ways I never anticipated when I started this thread.

I do really enjoy this forum!