EV Owners Thread

[icowden]

I've been given the chance to choose an EV for my use as a company car, for me to have as a Benefit In Kind. Because the BiK tax rate is just 2% at the moment, that means the annual cost to me (as a 20% taxpayer) for a car with a £35,000 P11D value (list price) would be just £140, increasing to £350 by 2028. We have 22kW chargers at the office where I work on Mondays and Tuesdays, which would be free for me to use. There'd be no VED, insurance, servicing costs or repairs to pay... so I'm not quite sure whether there's a snag!

Check what the arrangement is with tyres. For me, they get replaced for free but you have to do it in advance when they are below 2.5mm tread, unless there is a puncture - but if there is, you still have to wait 48 hours for a slot (although when I called ATS, they ignored this and booked me same day - so worth contacting the centre if you get that puncture!). In an emergency, I have to pay for tyres though. Tyres have been my biggest point of failure with 3 punctures in 2 years and all 4 tyres needing replacing at 17,000 miles.

 

[figbat]

Also check VED. The scheme I used at work locked the VED into the lease at the beginning, but if it went up during the course of the lease I had to pay the extra. Not a big issue if it's a tenner here or there but as you know EV VED is suddenly going up a lot next year.

 

[BrumJim]

I've been given the chance to choose an EV for my use as a company car, for me to have as a Benefit In Kind. Because the BiK tax rate is just 2% at the moment, that means the annual cost to me (as a 20% taxpayer) for a car with a £35,000 P11D value (list price) would be just £140, increasing to £350 by 2028. We have 22kW chargers at the office where I work on Mondays and Tuesdays, which would be free for me to use. There'd be no VED, insurance, servicing costs or repairs to pay... so I'm not quite sure whether there's a snag!

My Director is keen to get something with a 250-300 mile nominal range (like a long-range MG4, a BYD Atto 3 or a Hyundai Kona) so most of the time I'd do all my charging at work, but we'd also get a charger installed at home for topping-up and extra use at weekends, or when I need to do site visits further afield and work charging won't get me through the week.

Test-driving a BYD and an MG4 this weekend...

Remember that the range for an electric car doesn't need to match your aspirations for an ICE car. You can charge every night (or at work, in your case), so there is no need to head off to fill up, or stop on the way home. The only issue is long distance driving. Of course you can fill up easily every time you stop for a comfort break or snack, and you don't have to hang around the car when this is happening (although very strangely, some do).

Given my driving, I would say that a useable 200 mile range is adequate for me. Just a pity that my car only does 140 miles!

 

[Legs]

Remember that the range for an electric car doesn't need to match your aspirations for an ICE car. You can charge every night (or at work, in your case), so there is no need to head off to fill up, or stop on the way home. The only issue is long distance driving. Of course you can fill up easily every time you stop for a comfort break or snack, and you don't have to hang around the car when this is happening (although very strangely, some do).

Given my driving, I would say that a useable 200 mile range is adequate for me. Just a pity that my car only does 140 miles!

We've still got a diesel Kia Cee'd that would probably be used for longer journeys anyway.

 

[CXRAndy]

Tim check out 'EV database'. This website will give you far more real world range figures for all available UK cars.

Genuine 250+ mile range EVs are becoming more common.

We run Tesla, they have very cheap business contracts. Whether this falls into your budget??

There are very few downsides to owning an EV, especially if you can get free charging. You will be amazed how cheap they are to run

 

[icowden]

We run Tesla, they have very cheap business contracts. Whether this falls into your budget??

They might do, but a lot of fleets are excluding them due to the ludicrous insurance costs and excess. It was up to £1200 excess when they removed them from our fleet.

 

[CXRAndy]

Daughter collected her car, there were many collections arranged for the day

I do really like this new colour

 

[Gillstay]

Daughter collected her car, there were many collections arranged for the day

View attachment 745365

View attachment 745366

View attachment 745367

I do really like this new colour

View attachment 745368

I do wonder if the things Mr Musk keeps saying are affecting sales. For an intelligent man he does seem to be able to do maximum damage to his prestige and is so closely linked to the car.

 

[Legs]

I plumped for a 64kWh MG4 Trophy edition (black), which I think is going to be arriving later this week. Very exciting. Need to get installing a home charger sorted now!

 

[Beebo]

I plumped for a 64kWh MG4 Trophy edition (black), which I think is going to be arriving later this week. Very exciting. Need to get installing a home charger sorted now!

It took me 3 months to sort this out as i live in a semi detached with a shared incoming mains cable.

 

[CXRAndy]

It took me 3 months to sort this out as i live in a semi detached with a shared incoming mains cable.

I/we take a different approach, install the charger, coz we need it from day 1. Then apply for permission which always comes.

As long as the job is correctly and safely done, no worries

 

[icowden]

I/we take a different approach, install the charger, coz we need it from day 1. Then apply for permission which always comes.
As long as the job is correctly and safely done, no worries

Does that work with looped electricity supplies? My neighbours have the same issue. We are in an 1980s build close and all of the terraced houses have looped electricity supplies.

 

[figbat]

Does that work with looped electricity supplies? My neighbours have the same issue. We are in an 1980s build close and all of the terraced houses have looped electricity supplies.

https://support.myenergi.com/hc/en-...ped-supply-and-can-you-connect-a-zappi-to-one

 

[Beebo]

Does that work with looped electricity supplies? My neighbours have the same issue. We are in an 1980s build close and all of the terraced houses have looped electricity supplies.

Any sensible electrician will want to see approval from National Power before they fit it, the risk is that the system gets overwhelmed and either you or your neighbour loses power.
The stipulation of fitting our charger is that we have to install a restrictor in case the we are overloading the system. This would only happen if next door where using loads of power hungry devices at the same time as we were charging the car and also using loads of devices.
If you charge at night it will probably never be an issue.

 

[icowden]

Any sensible electrician will want to see approval from National Power before they fit it, the risk is that the system gets overwhelmed and either you or your neighbour loses power.

Hence two of my neighbours are waiting to be unlooped.