Anyone Want an EV Golf GTI?

[monkeyhanger]

Interesting experience notes there MH.

I'm not quite sure how EV gets out of that rut. It seems the uptake of EV is far faster than the infra can cope and its not even those peak events like first day of school holidays or Christmas.

I guess its faster for a factory to turn out thousands of EV's and sell them than it is to install dozens of megawatt power supplies to a motorway services. Its also a bit chicken and egg...

I'm still in the market for a BEV but only to replace Mrs G's current Mini - we only use that for short runs and it does make sense for that.

My business trips... less sense.

While I keep reading about amazing new breakthroughs in battery tech it doesn't seem to be coming soon enough.

It's a tricky one with public charging. Everyone with a BEV right now has a home charger, so destination chargers needn't be rapids, but you definitely want rapids on the motorway, and lots of them. 2 years ago, I never waited for a charger or had to move on, now it seems 60% likely to have a wait or move on. With 65-75p per kWh at motorway rapids (most non-motorway rapids are no cheaper, so no point diverting to a nearby town/city as you would for petrol/diesel), and Winter efficiency taking a real hit, the BEV ends up costing 20-25p a mile.

Motorway efficiencies (72mph indicated):-

0C ambient with 16C heating is about 2.8 miles per kWh
5C ambient, 16C heating is 3.1.
12C ambient (the threshold for no battery heating), no cabin heating is about 3.7 miles per kWh.

20C+ with aircon to 18C and you're up at 4 miles per kWh.

Around the doors on short trips you'll do about 20% higher than those figures in the Summer. When they can build these things with a genuine 350 mile motorway range as light as a Golf, and fast charging takes 10 mins with lots of chargers where you need them, everyone will want one.

So shorter range second car, its great - want to buy my Cupra Born for the missus? 

[fredgroves]

With 65-75p per kWh at motorway rapids (most non-motorway rapids are no cheaper, so no point diverting to a nearby town/city as you would for petrol/diesel), and Winter efficiency taking a real hit, the BEV ends up costing 20-25p a mile.

Motorway efficiencies (72mph indicated):-

0C ambient with 16C heating is about 2.8 miles per kWh
5C ambient, 16C heating is 3.1.
12C ambient (the threshold for no battery heating), no cabin heating is about 3.7 miles per kWh.

20C+ with aircon to 18C and you're up at 4 miles per kWh.

woah! 20-25p per mile?!

Thats Range Rover V8 petrol territory.

Bonkers.

[monkeyhanger]

With 65-75p per kWh at motorway rapids (most non-motorway rapids are no cheaper, so no point diverting to a nearby town/city as you would for petrol/diesel), and Winter efficiency taking a real hit, the BEV ends up costing 20-25p a mile.

Motorway efficiencies (72mph indicated):-

0C ambient with 16C heating is about 2.8 miles per kWh
5C ambient, 16C heating is 3.1.
12C ambient (the threshold for no battery heating), no cabin heating is about 3.7 miles per kWh.

20C+ with aircon to 18C and you're up at 4 miles per kWh.

woah! 20-25p per mile?!

Thats Range Rover V8 petrol territory.

Bonkers.

Bonkers in Winter, where your 65p kWh may only get you 2.8 miles. I have paid 75p per kWh at an Osprey charger. At home though, my overnight kWh costs me 5p (most paying 10-12p right now.

[monkeyhanger]

Made enquiries about the white S3. The lass didn't suddenly start laughing down the phone for matching the DTD price, which is £3k deposit contribution and a modest £1858 off their margin. Waiting for her to call me back, she has a 3pm appointment.

Looking to get clarity on a few items of spec too - not sure if standard spec votes with front parking sensors or just rear. Audi website says standard spec get heated seats, but then one of the equipment packs says heated seats are in the pack. Wouldn't be the first time we see such an anomaly on a VAG website!

[ar899]

A bit like some Carwow descriptions where 'Additional Options' include 'Front windscreen washers and wipers....' 

I mean, who writes/checks these things?!

[Ceefeesh]

That's good to know, thanks. The 2 they have are probably least popular of my pick of the 4, being the most expensive (19" wheels. Red calipers, Comfort and sound pack, metallic paint as extras), but maybe with 2 in stock, there may be some better price reductions. I'll be trying my luck with all 4 shortly to see how the land lies.

My wife has bought from them a couple of times. She can negotiate better than I can. On the most recent occasion in November, she had to haggle on and off for a week to agree a deal. If you do go back to them, I can give you the name of who she dealt with. He’s a petrolhead and took me for a run in a RS3. Good Luck!

[monkeyhanger]

That's good to know, thanks. The 2 they have are probably least popular of my pick of the 4, being the most expensive (19" wheels. Red calipers, Comfort and sound pack, metallic paint as extras), but maybe with 2 in stock, there may be some better price reductions. I'll be trying my luck with all 4 shortly to see how the land lies.

My wife has bought from them a couple of times. She can negotiate better than I can. On the most recent occasion in November, she had to haggle on and off for a week to agree a deal. If you do go back to them, I can give you the name of who she dealt with. He’s a petrolhead and took me for a run in a RS3. Good Luck!

The white one in Cooventry sold today, she left it so long to get back to me, I made a quick enquiry for the Turbo blue one at Tamworth - they'll get back to me tomorrow. Also waiting for a callback on the 2 at Belfast. Might have a better chance of a deal at Belfast as they have 2 there, one in Navarro Blue, one in Mythos Black, with 19" wheels (not bothered) comfort and Sound pack (OK, would go without to get out if luxury VED), (red calipers - really not bothered) and the paint.

Tamworth just rang me back, someone has held it for 2 hours, but might not commit. Sounds like I won't get any discount there beyond the £3k deposit contribution.

[Ceefeesh]

I know they are currently working 9am - 5pm. I’ll PM you with his name, number and email. Just in case. I found him to be good enough. He did take me for a spin in the RS3.   

[Exonian]

They look a lot better with the 19’s than the 18’s.

Having an in stock section on a manufacturer website is a good idea, it saves a potentially long fruitless phoning around session.

An email would be a handy move as sales people often check them out of business hours.

[monkeyhanger]

They look a lot better with the 19’s than the 18’s.

Having an in stock section on a manufacturer website is a good idea, it saves a potentially long fruitless phoning around session.

An email would be a handy move as sales people often check them out of business hours.

That feature of the Audi website is a good one. 18" in a style I like, or 19" in a style i'm not fussed on, i'd probably rather not pay the extra I like the simplicity of the 18" 10 spoke star wheels - and they're painted, so no white worm. The 19" Trapezoids (the dearer of the 2 19" choices) look like a fussy version of Austins IMO.

So current standings are:-

White one with no luxury VED is out of contention.

Turbo Blue one in Tamworth with the 18s, red calipers and comfort/sound pack may or may not be sold, it was held for 2 hours. Seemingly no chance of a discount beyond the deposit contribution.

Belfast Audi has not 2, but 3 x S3s, the incoming Daytona Grey one was not on the Audi website. Daytona or Turbo blue are my favourite colours in the A3 range - Daytona's purple hues are a lot like the Pewter Grey I had on my 2009 Scirocco. I believe they're all the same spec - comfort/sound pack, red calipers and 19" trapezoid wheels. Would pick the Daytona grey over Nevarro Blue or Mythos black in a heartbeat.

The guy at Belfast doesn't hold out much hope for a meaningful discount beyond an amount that would cover getting to NI without a car and getting home on the ferry with it, despite having 3 x S3s. He said he'd ask his boss for me anyway. Maybe travelling to NI for one would put a lot of us in the GB off. If I thought they'd hang around a good while in NI, i'd hold out.

Either way, the DTD discount only extends another £1800ish beyond the £3k deposit contribution, and if I wait much longer, I bet the incoming VAG price rises in April will swallow half, if not most of that up.