[AndyG]

We have just returned from our annual holiday to Lake Guarda in Northern Italy, a trip of about 2500 miles including driving whilst there. We always go in our Transporter as being a family of Celiacs we bring home a years supply of pasta etc so need a the space.

In the 7 years we have driven, we have never seen an EV, not one! until this year.
In England both ends of the trip where too dark so don't know what we passed.
In France, Switzerland and Italy however we spotted…….
1 Zoe
1 Tesla Roadster
2 Amperas
5 Model S's
and 11 Outlanders.

IMO Tesla and Mitsubishi seem to have got the pricing and products that we want. When will others follow suit and give us cars that compete with an ICE on a like for like basis?
If the Outlander in particular continues to sell as it has in the last few months I think that the mistic tipping point might actually be in sight

 

[AndyG]

Audi A3 e-Tron plug-in hybrid should be out soon. I'm sure those will sell.

The eGolf goes on sale soon and the Mercedes comes to the UK early next year.

Were all the outlanders you spotted PHEVs??? Mitsubishi has been selling the non-ev version for years. There are a few on Anglesey.

VW Audi too expencive when compaired with their ICE brothers.

Yep every one an EV, the big EV on the front wings is easy to spot even at an combined speed of 170 MPH, if I could not spot it I didnt count it so you could say at least 11, and over half of them I saw in towns or parked up.

 

[AndyG]

IMO we are no where near any kind of tipping point yet. EVs and PHEVs are certainly becoming more popular and more common but it is still such a small percentage of total car sales that it is still almost insignificant in the scale of things overall.

The tipping point is still a long way off IMO but I am still convinced it will happen... just more slowly than most people expect.

I am not thinking that it will be here tomorrow, but in 1 year to go from 0 to 20 to me means that there is a very small dot on the horizon that was not there last year.

 

[AndyG]

I could see PHEVs becoming quite popular though.

I have to say I take anything with a plug as an EV and therefore the Outlander is the car that IMO is making the most progress towards changing peoples opinions.
Mitsibushi have got the price correct and given the choice, for most peoples driving requirement why would they pay the same money for a diesel when the EV is cheaper and better to drive.

The most important thing is its a car first and an EV second.

 

[AndyG]

Hmmm. The Outlander PHEV is £28,250 to about £35,000 after the PICG. I need to drive one, but I have sat in one. Looked as overpriced as any EV to me.


Maybe it is the same price as the diesel but the price range is well above Zoe, Leaf, eNV200, and Kangoo Z.E. The Outlander is more expensive than an eGolf. About the only EV out there that matches it for price is the i3.

I haven't heard anything about pricing on the A3 e-tron. Do you have source?

How can it be overpriced when as I understood it the price of the Mitsibushi PHEV was very much the same as a diesel, this IMO make's the Outlander a real competitor to its main rivals.
If you want a small/medium sized car then you won't be looking at a 4x4.

The cost of the E.Up is miles from the Up. My guess is the cost of the Golf GTe will be miles higher than the Golf GTI/D and the Audi is going to be a little bit more again.

 

[AndyG]

~ £30,000 is far too much money for an Outlander diesel. 30 grand is well in to BMW X3 territory.

I've sat in both and I've driven the BMW. The X3 is a much better car.

But that is like saying a Discovery cost more than a Mini. You can't compare cars just because they have the same power source it much more compicated than that.
An i3 is a 4 seat city car (BMW's own description) the Outlander a 4x4 large family car. I saw at least 11 Outlanders on my trip to Italy and back and not one i3. A friend of mine has an i3 Rex and a 4x4, when they go on holiday they take the 4x4.

 

[AndyG]

I sense that since the i3 (and James May buying one) and Model S that people no longer ridicule EVs and are now slightly more open-minded, looking for the positives.

If the i3 rex had a 4 gallon petrol tank I would take the financial hit and order one, if the Outlander had a larger electric range same again……….if I won the lottery it would be a Model S,

 

[AndyG]

So we have just returned from the same 2500 mile trip to Lake Guards as last year but this time through France. This year the Ev's spotted were as follow
1X Golf GTE
1X Zoe
1X Volt
2X Ampera
7X model S
15X Outlander

It seems PHEV and long range BEV's are starting to make in roads