Are manufacturers going down the wrong road?

[Mikeg1]

Ours is a townhouse (posh name for a terrace). A home charging point would involve significant building work, on top of the sparky stuff. My sil in Leeds has a charging point for his Volvo, but my daughter in her terrace in W London doesn't. And she's just produced a grandson for us so we're up and down the M1 like nobody's business.

As things stand we might squeeze 1 more petrol car in, then

Have to say, reports like this don't fill me with confidence.

[Deleted User 4296]

This is the reason why, if you fancy a dabble into EV's, it's probably better for now to take your electric generator with you in the form of self-charging hybrids - no cables, no distance anxiety, no planning to find the limited charging stations along the way, no rip-off price per Kwh. Just visit the petrol garage as usual, fill-up and continue on for another 500-miles at 60-70 mpg, relaxing whilst the technology evolves

[JFDIT]

I'm with the author of that article. I'm buying a new Petrol vehicle whilst I still can and will keep it running for as long as possible or until I'm offered a viable alternative.

[eugen61]

Excellent article Mike, thanks for sharing.

[Mikeg1]

Excellent article Mike, thanks for sharing.

[ChrisLF]

No doubt there are plenty of happy BEV owners out there but that article encapsulates the negative and frightening side of ownership. Are smaller/ cheaper BEVs more reliable?

The second-hand car market in a few years time looks like being a real mess. The worry initially with BEV was about the life and replacement cost of batteries but it seems that software issues could be trumping that? Who in their right mind would buy a second-hand BEV that had just come out of its manufacturers warranty? And no doubt third party warranties will be very expensive. And you'd be crazy to buy your car outright or like I'm planning to do with my existing XC40, pay off the balance in a few months time and keep it for a few years as I only do low mileage nowadays. Guess it will only make sense to lease but many second-hand buyers won't be able to do this or won't want to. Leasing could get very expensive as well as manufacturers will need to cover themselves for serious and maybe repeat breakdowns (due to software failures) and the plumetting value of the car. Great scenario! Unless the manufacturers get their act together with regards to the software.

[ChrisLF]

Read a post by James May on the web the other day. He said that he embraces electric vehicles and has no concerns travelling between his two homes as he can charge his Tesla at both. He is only too aware of the problems with public charging points though and their too slow roll out.

On a business appointment some distance away he had concerns over being able to charge his car there or at the hotel so decided to take his Porsche 911 instead.

[balmoral]

Have to say, reports like this don't fill me with confidence.
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I wonder if Giles Coren was offered a replacement Jag after writing that article! Maybe that what he was after!

[ChrisLF]

I doubt it after that article!

[Deleted User 4296]

Again, this is why I keep saying Toyota's 10-year 100k warranty is ground breaking stuff, and needed - many are perhaps saying, oh no not the Toyota scenario again?? but please forget the Toyota bit and let's focus on whats on offer - with all the problems, faults etc. new technology brings - and like ChrisLF says, who in there right mind would buy a secondhand car, or buy new out right - we need all manufacturers to support us in this new technology with long warranties, 36-months is just not long enough, and if they don't the secondhand market could become a very un-trusted market and even collapse - and what happens then, PCP's at a monthly cost that recovers the whole cost of the car within 3-years? We should be saying well done Toyota now come on the rest, do the same - and if not, cars like Toyota will be the only ones folk will have any trust to buy secondhand?