[Jimlad]

Is anyone else out there getting frustrated with the lack of even a rumour of an electric estate? All im seeing is SUV's and super minis!

Our second car is a Diesel Leon Estate which we use for family trips with our 2 kids and I get very guilty when i drive it! Every couple of months i have a look and see nothing but expensive PHEVS from volvo and the like. I dont want to remortage my house thanks!

Please someone tell me Skoda are making an Electric Octavia estate or something?

 

[srichards]

There was the Plug in Optima from Kia. They've just dropped the Optima all together though. Might be able to pick up an ex demo if you're lucky,

 

[Jimlad]

There was the Plug in Optima from Kia. They've just dropped the Optima all together though. Might be able to pick up an ex demo if you're lucky,

Good shout i will get an alert set on autotrader. Would prefer a fully electric one though!

 

[srichards]

At the moment it's the only vaguely electric estate there is.

 

[Jimlad]

At the moment it's the only vaguely electric estate there is.

I see the odd Passat GTE estate floating about but they are silly money

 

[srichards]

I keep forgetting about the Passat. With the Optima having a 7 year warranty I'd be all over one of those rather than a GTE if it were my money.

 

[UniqueGeorge]

A bit in the eye of the beholder, but the Kia e-niro is fairly estate like, although good luck actually finding one to buy.

 

[Orrery]

+1

If I could find an estate EV, I'd buy it.

 

[[email protected]]

It's a shame but I think you are stuck with existing PHEV estates. I'd place a good bet on Skoda doing one first but it looks like its electric line-up isn't due until 2021.

 

[HandyAndy]

If you have the cash, there's a team in Norfolk I think who convert Tesla S to an estate.

 

[G.a.r.y]

Nissan do a passenger version of the env200, it is really a van with seats though rather than an estate car. 24kwh versions are now fairly reasonably priced, 40kwh has only been out since 2018 and is expensive.

 

[proddick]

The issue is that "station wagons" are not popular in many countries - certainly not in USA (less than 2% of market) so are likely to be one of the last types of vehicle to be electric.

Most buyers who need space tend to buy large SUVs now, which ironically are more difficult to make efficient as an EV than a lower riding estate would be. However, the Rivian R1S is billed as an SUV but is really a jacked up estate - price is a tad high though

 

[Thomas carter]

The issue is that "station wagons" are not popular in many countries - certainly not in USA (less than 2% of market) so are likely to be one of the last types of vehicle to be electric.

Most buyers who need space tend to buy large SUVs now, which ironically are more difficult to make efficient as an EV than a lower riding estate would be. However, the Rivian R1S is billed as an SUV but is really a jacked up estate - price is a tad high though

Exactly this, sadly for those of us who love the estate/shooting break shape the popularity for SUV's has meant companies are focusing on those instead.

Id hoped that Volvo would do us proud with a good estate but they've gone the SUV route too...the only option may have to be hoping conversion prices go low enough so we can convert one ourselves

 

[philsuarez]

The Kia Niro EV is a reasonable size

 

[SHL-Kelso]

The Kia Niro EV is a reasonable size

Not in terms of a “proper” size estate cars! For example, I play a tuba, and one of my sons is a percussionist who mostly plays the drum kit. I’m not sure I could get my tuba in it’s hard case into the boot of a Niro EV, or get a full drum kit in transport cases plus my tuba in a Niro with the seats down. I base this on only just managing to get these into an Outlander PHEV which is significantly bigger. I often need to transport 4 people (including me) with my tuba plus other brass instruments, so need to have all seats available and space to carry the instruments in the boot.

Right now there is little available (or even planned based on current future launch details) of this size as a BEV unless you have the money for a Tesla X. Cars like the iPace and eTron with their sloping rear hatch just do not have the practical load space because of their shape. Most manufacturers bringing out SUV-style BEVs in the next 12-18 months are still looking at the smaller body sized models.

So a “proper” BEV estate would be useful (more efficient so greater range for a given battery capacity) but I’d also happily consider a large BEV SUV if it was not Tesla X money! I wonder how long it will be before either of these types become available?

 

[E7EV]

If you have the cash, there's a team in Norfolk I think who convert Tesla S to an estate.

 

[UniqueGeorge]

I’m not sure I could get my tuba in it’s hard case into the boot of a Niro EV,

I'd be slightly surprised if you couldn't, admittedly I have just had to Google the dimensions of a tuba hard case, And I don't own a niro but the niro phev taxi that transported me from linate airport earlier this year seemed to have an impressive amount of boot space.

 

[The Witchfinder]

Volvo are planning to launch five new full-BEVs in the next five years. That will almost certainly include an estate.

 

[SHL-Kelso]

I'd be slightly surprised if you couldn't, admittedly I have just had to Google the dimensions of a tuba hard case, And I don't own a niro but the niro phev taxi that transported me from linate airport earlier this year seemed to have an impressive amount of boot space.

Rough dimensions are 1100x600x720 (LxWxH) for the case. Thankfully this is an Eb tuba, the Bb is quite a bit larger!

In my PHEV it fits neatly between the wheel arches in an upright position across the width of the boot thanks to the fairly square rear tailgate. A sloping tailgate would require the case to be laid flat, taking up more room. I’d prefer enough length in the boot to allow the tuna to load along the length of the boot - there was just enough length in a Kia Sorento that I owned before the PHEV, but it seems there’s even less chance if finding a BEV with boot space on its scale.

 

[Ian McVey]

View attachment 123976

Herse