[A900ss]

Hi,

VERY new to EV’s so please be gentle!!!

My wife wrote off her car today and we both feel an EV is to replace it.
She drives 55 miles each day but also regularly does a 150 mile daily drive.

The budget is around 14k so we are looking at an early i3 Rex or 30kw Leafs.

we have read issues on early Rex’s that are expensive to repair.
What’s the leaf like for reliability, range (especially in winter on A roads) and speed of charging.
Thanks

 

[A900ss]

PS - is a normal secondhand purchase of a lease include the battery or do I also need to add a battery lease cost? Thanks.

 

[Hermit Dave]

A Leaf30 is a decent car.
A 55 mile daily usage is a breeze. For 150 mile drive you'll need to factor on a charge.

Rapid charging on Leaf30 isn't too bad. 30 mins gives you 15-90% charge.

In summer, Leaf30 can manage 100 miles at decent speed - 60mph. Winter range is more like 85-90 miles.

Above 70mph you see a drop in efficiency and 70-80 miles would be realistic range.

- Leaf 30 kWh
Sent from mobile phone so please mind the typos

 

[Hitstirrer]

A Leaf 30 has a good battery guarantee which takes away some of the concern when moving to an EV. Both a Leaf and an i3 would be expensive to repair if things go wrong so perhaps an aftermarket warranty would be wise to investigate. Having said that the Leaf 30 has proved to be pretty bulletproof. As to range, both would be more than adequate for the daily commute. Interestingly, both would probably also require a stop somewhere to complete the regular 150 trips because the i3 Rex only has a tiny petrol tank giving a nominal total range of 160 miles when new and before any battery degradation seen in older cars. Of course, a 5-minute pit stop to pump 2 gallons into the i3 would be quicker than a 10 minute stop to load another 10kWh's in a Leaf 30 to get home. But if that stop could be organised whilst the days business during the 150 miles day proceeded, then the car would fill itself without supervision once plugged in. Which means that filling an EV can sometimes be less time consuming than a petrol tank.

The big question here is whether you have the ability to get off-road at home and charge overnight there. And also, whether it is possible to charge at the destination of those regular 150 mile days.

 

[Hermit Dave]

PS - is a normal secondhand purchase of a lease include the battery or do I also need to add a battery lease cost? Thanks.

Acenta and Tekna models are battery owned. We pay £ 40 (electricity costs) for avg 1900 miles a month.

- Leaf 30 kWh
Sent from mobile phone so please mind the typos

 

[andydsmith]

For the 150 mile trip check Zap Map to see which chargers you could use and how reliable they are. I think the leaf would be ideal provided you had reliable charging for this.

 

[dk6780]

The i3 is a good car, but the 2014 REx is one to avoid - if you want an i3 REx then buy a 2015 onwards but expect to pay £18k or more. For that money you are close to a LEAF 40 which is an altogether better car than the 30.

 

[Hermit Dave]

The i3 is a good car, but the 2014 REx is one to avoid - if you want an i3 REx then buy a 2015 onwards but expect to pay £18k or more. For that money you are close to a LEAF 40 which is an altogether better car than the 30.

I think Leaf40 being between Leaf30 is questionable.

- Leaf 30 kWh
Sent from mobile phone so please mind the typos

 

[ElectricIan]

I think Leaf40 being between Leaf30 is questionable.

- Leaf 30 kWh
Sent from mobile phone so please mind the typos

Having owned both I'm afraid it is night and day. 40 is a vastly superior car. Don't get me wrong, loved all my gen 1's, but the 40 is a big step up.

 

[Hermit Dave]

Having owned both I'm afraid it is night and day. 40 is a vastly superior car. Don't get me wrong, loved all my gen 1's, but the 40 is a big step up.

Still is that better car worth 10k more?

- Leaf 30 kWh
Sent from mobile phone so please mind the typos

 

[ElectricIan]

Still is that better car worth 10k more?

- Leaf 30 kWh
Sent from mobile phone so please mind the typos

From memory I sold my one year old 30 Tekna for 17K and got a brand new 2 Zero for 23K. So a 6K premium but a new car.
I wish I could recall what I paid for my 30? Maybe high 19s. So in reality a 3Kish premium.

Plus your original statement was " I think Leaf40 being between Leaf30 is questionable." I am guessing you meant better? Simply put, Yes! much better! However is it worth the extra? I guess I believe so otherwise I wouldn't have changed.

I really am not after an argument but if someone new to EVs has a budget for either a 30 or an I3 with their usage profile then as @dk6780 then it might be worth seeing if they can stretch to a 40. It will make the transition so much easier. IMHO.

 

[Hermit Dave]

From memory I sold my one year old 30 Tekna for 17K and got a brand new 2 Zero for 23K. So a 6K premium but a new car.
I wish I could recall what I paid for my 30? Maybe high 19s. So in reality a 3Kish premium.

Plus your original statement was " I think Leaf40 being between Leaf30 is questionable." I am guessing you meant better? Simply put, Yes! much better! However is it worth the extra? I guess I believe so otherwise I wouldn't have changed.

I really am not after an argument but if someone new to EVs has a budget for either a 30 or an I3 with their usage profile then as @dk6780 then it might be worth seeing if they can stretch to a 40. It will make the transition so much easier. IMHO.

No worries. I'm hesitant on 40kWh because having 30 paid off, I can't get myself to finance again .

I am hoping to convince my boss to get me a company car (Tesla) to replace diesel second car.

- Leaf 30 kWh
Sent from mobile phone so please mind the typos

 

[ElectricIan]

@A900ss I do hope your wife is ok after the crash.
As to your original question, I cant speak for an i3. I did consider a pre owned one instead of my new Leaf 40 but the BMW possible associated costs concerned me. New Leaf with a long warranty won out.
Leaf 30s are very competent cars, actually quite roomy, especially compared to an i3.
It will cover the regular commute easily.
It will cover the longer trips with one charge.
Presently Chademo are most reliable and available (but will probably change over time).

They are other worthy contenders. The Ioniq is a cracker but not sure on price. I a=imagine within budget.

 

[ElectricIan]

No worries. I'm hesitant on 40kWh because having 30 paid off, I can't get myself to finance again .

I am hoping to convince my boss to get me a company car (Tesla) to replace diesel second car.

- Leaf 30 kWh
Sent from mobile phone so please mind the typos

I totally get that, but I just think of trying to keep ahead of the wave and swap regularly. Hence switching my 2 Zero at 16 months.

The Tesla company car sounds perfect but will never be on the cards for me.
I hope you get your wish.

 

[i-s]

No worries. I'm hesitant on 40kWh because having 30 paid off, I can't get myself to finance again .

I am hoping to convince my boss to get me a company car (Tesla) to replace diesel second car.

That doesn't have a bearing on the 40 being better. The 40 is in reality a further developed and updated leaf (still the same body shell and suspension design as the earlier leaf, but with some tweaks to spring and damper rates). The updates are fairly significant (more powerful motor, new infotainment, 7kW AC type 2 charging). However, by all means sticking with what you have while it fits your needs is eminently sensible, but the op's needs would be better met by a 40 I would think, but £14k is nowhere near buying one.

@A900ss - if your £14k budget is based upon cash write-off of your previous vehicle, would you consider taking a loan for £200 per month to stretch your EV budget, on the basis that with a 55 mile daily commute your wife is spending close to that in fuel costs most of which you will save with a EV.

@Hermit Dave have you or your boss considered a salary sacrifice scheme? Ie the company pays for the car, it is issued to you as a company car, your salary is reduced by the cost of the car. That way you don't pay income tax on the car lease, your ni payments are reduced, as are those of the company. With 0% bik from April, that could be a very attractive option. Such deals tend to include insurance, maintenance and tyres, yet can come in under £400pcm for a model 3 SR+.

 

[A900ss]

Thanks all. We got a 2017 30kw Leaf Tekna (posted on a different thread). Wife and kid both fine in crash. Old Car now scrap.