Discounts available on BEVs

[Stinsy]

Today I received a promotional email from a car broker I've used previously. There are some tasty discounts available on iD3s/id4s and even a sliver off the newly-launched Q4 eTron.

[GarethC]

Which one was that, if you don't mind my asking?

Interesting thing, we went to look at the Enyaq, but there were no discounts available, so still looking at £42k for the spec we'd want, which is a bit too steep for us currently, and also the waiting list was about 20 weeks, and my wife needed something sooner for a potential winter commute to her new job (so went for a £10k Euro 6 Octavia estate 1.6L diesel as a stop gap, with a bit of a heavy heart).

Interestingly, the Edinburgh Skoda dealer said that Enyaqs are selling like hot cakes, and that the Edinburgh dealership is leading sales in the UK. But what was really fascinating was that he said sales of the Enyaq did NOT contribute to their quarterly sales targets, and therefore related bonuses. Legacy manufacturers still don't really want to push EV sales more than they have to I think...

[Stinsy]

I don't mind you asking. I wanted to show the sort of prices that are available rather than promote a particular broker. Those prices are from "Drivethedeal". I ordered my iD4 through them, and although it hasn't come yet, the people I dealt with, both DTD and the dealer, were professional, well-informed, and courteous. I did a lot of research and couldn't get close to DTD's price anywhere else.

You can normally expect great discounts on a Skoda, 20% or more on all models is normal, but I'm yet to see a bean off the Enyaq. You must have thrown the kitchen sink at the Enyaq to get it to £42k! The base model Q4 eTron and the GTX iD4 are cheaper than that!

[GarethC]

We wanted the 82kWh version, which has base list price of £39,365 iirc, then £2.5k of options (including of course a few hundred quid so as not to have the nonsensical 50kW basic charging rate).

Are the similar range versions of iD4 and eTron really similar to that!? In that case I'll have a look.

[Tinbum]

I'd love to buy a new BEV but I struggle to find justification. I've had new cars in the past but you loose so much money on them I decided never to do it again. (I know BEV's tend to be a bit different to that at the moment). I now drive a 2011 Skoda Octavia 4x4, ex police, that cost me £3500 and has 205,000 miles on it. It had about 150,000 when I bought it direct from auction, it's cost nothing in repairs, and only tyres and brake disks. To replace it would involve a lot of energy and materials in production of a new car and for the mileage we do I'd prefer to run this into the ground. I do also love the car. I also never worry about parking it in public places.

[Stinsy]

I chose to always refer to "usable" capacity rather than total. It doesn't matter which you use so long as you're consistent! The MEB platform has 3 battery sizes: 45, 58, and 77kWh (usable). So you want the 77kWh version (82kWh total). I wouldn't buy a BEV with 50kW charging either so I'm with you on that one! But do you really need the 77kWh battery? Here is a video where Bjorn drives 1000km (c. 620miles) in one day in a 45kWh iD3 (he uses total rather than usable kWh):



Obviously the journey would have been more relaxing with fewer stops, so if you're doing that kind of trip a few times a month then you definitely need a bigger battery. But for the vast majority of people 58kWh is plenty.

To drive 1000km (c. 620 miles) in the iD3 Bjorn took (including driving and charging time):

• 11hrs 5min in the 45kwh

• 10hrs 45mins in the 58kWh

• 10hrs 20 min in the 77kWh

The cheapest Q4 with the 77kWh battery is £42.2k (DTD)
The cheapest iD4 with the 77kWh battery is £38.2k (DTD)

But like I say. Are you sure you need the big battery?

[Andy]

Well, I'm not sure how he achieved that. I did 660 miles in 17 1/2 hours in my MG 5 during the summer. Perfect temperature for the range. The problems on the journey included

• lack of chargers

• lack of chargers dolling out more than 37 kw

• other people using the only charger

• other people jumping the queue whilst waiting for charger

• chargers not working

• chargers not taking payment

• chargers locking the cable in for 20 minutes whilst not charging

• companies not answering their phones for broken chargers

• 150kW fast charger charging at 80p/kWh. ( I couldn't bring myself to submit to daylight robbery)

• No chargers advertised above 60kW (the 60s only gave 40odd kW as the cables supply hadn't been uprated) on the route apart from the single one mentioned above.

• Chargers in isolated locations meaning more stops required for feeding/comfort breaks

The majority of chargers advertised as more than 50kW maxed out at 37kW. It wasn't a problem with the car as the Podpoint network worked fine until it decided not to at midnight on the return journey. Suffice to say I won't be doing that journey again in the electric car until I have one with at least 500 mile range. I read somewhere stating people didn't really require more than 200 mile range in an electric car. Complete bull. Its fine for local driving. Anything more needs decent range as the infrastructure isn't there and never will be with the current technology. Most service stations were lucky to have one charger. Exeter had 3 and that serviced both directions. It was rammed with frustrated drivers.

[Mart]

Hi Andy. Firstly, if this reads like gloating, or bragging, or anything like that, then please believe me it's not meant that way. I totally agree with you that the UK charging infrastructure is behind the curve, and I also fear that whilst it will be ramped up quickly, it might not be ramped up faster than the roll out BEV's, so it will remain behind the curve.

However, you don't need a 500 mile BEV, what you need is a Tesla. Their supercharger network is incredible, reliable and simple. It's probably a major reason behind the Hertz purchase in the US, since renting out any other make/model would be a nightmare, as their charging infrastructure shares similar issues to the UK.

Again, not being provocative, just saying that it is possible, when done right, probably a great example of putting the cart before the horse, only this time you do need carts full of chargers, ahead of the horse.

I'm still amazed that the other companies haven't gotten together 'properly' to build out a system as good, or better than Tesla, but perhaps they are still floundering somewhat, or they don't want BEV's to be 'perfect' yet, as they are dependant on ICEV cashflow to fund the transition.

[Joeboy]

Hi Andy. Firstly, if this reads like gloating, or bragging, or anything like that, then please believe me it's not meant that way. I totally agree with you that the UK charging infrastructure is behind the curve, and I also fear that whilst it will be ramped up quickly, it might not be ramped up faster than the roll out BEV's, so it will remain behind the curve.

However, you don't need a 500 mile BEV, what you need is a Tesla. Their supercharger network is incredible, reliable and simple. It's probably a major reason behind the Hertz purchase in the US, since renting out any other make/model would be a nightmare, as their charging infrastructure shares similar issues to the UK.

Again, not being provocative, just saying that it is possible, when done right, probably a great example of putting the cart before the horse, only this time you do need carts full of chargers, ahead of the horse.

I'm still amazed that the other companies haven't gotten together 'properly' to build out a system as good, or better than Tesla, but perhaps they are still floundering somewhat, or they don't want BEV's to be 'perfect' yet, as they are dependant on ICEV cashflow to fund the transition.

Of a similar thought here, All the EV X'overs I have seen just look like more of the same old. same old. At least the M3 & Y look that little bit different and are designed from the ground up. I had not given that much though to the supercharger Network but SWMBO & myself are off to Southern France next June for a couple a few weeks and we'll be going confidently in the Y now that i've looked into it.

[Andy]

However, you don't need a 500 mile BEV, what you need is a Tesla. Their supercharger network is incredible, reliable and simple. It's probably a major reason behind the Hertz purchase in the US, since renting out any other make/model would be a nightmare, as their charging infrastructure shares similar issues to the UK.

I did rant a bit there it was not a pleasant experience and I’ve been electric since 2017. As I drove down I did notice the Tesla chargers were very well spaced out on zap map and did experience a pang of jealousy. They did get the right idea by investing heavily I do hear they are maybe being opened up to non-Tesla owners but as uptake increases even they may run into problems until numbers are increased again.

I have tried the long journey twice now. Once in a 30kWh leaf in 2018 and again in the 48kWh Mg5 more recently. What struck me was how the network had hardly improved in the intervening period. Leaving it to the individual companies is not working. I’m not sure is wrong with the chargers. I went to a park and ride with 10 or so bp pulse chargers and it took me 4 attempts to get a working charger. I was spitting by then. Reliability seems to be a big issue.