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Only thing that would put me off is the likely NCAP rating. The previous generation Spring had a rating of 1, and the current Duster is at 3. Hopefully the new Spring will be a step up from the last one.
EDIT: just seen it’s a brand new platform, so fingers crossed.
Can't remember the specifics, but I think it was mentioned in this video and wasn't good news on the NCAP front.
yeah its a 1 star ncap car
pretty damning, but I guess better than the quadrocycle things that are the alternatives at this price point?
a brand new leaf @ £20k is a much better buy, but they won't be around forever
VW iD2, Tesla Model 2 and other will be along soon.
Nice Andy. Was very tempted to get one of those, was between that and the Audi Q4 Quattro. Went with the Audi just because I need the room in the back for carrying bikes inside the car.
Is it brand new? What was the lead time like?
@w00dster, yep it's new. I was 'downsizing' from my Ateca and chose it based on the €€'s savings. I am in Ireland and with recent discounts/grants and 0% it was only €36k book price. I bought in mid January (apparently it was on a boat due to dock) from stock but told dealer I was in no rush to collect as I had to get charger installed and a long trip in Feb planned (wanted to put the miles on the old car and didn't fancy experiencing public charging/ferry etc in an unfamiliar car).
Went with the Audi just because I need the room in the back for carrying bikes inside the car.
what's it like for bikes inside ? I had one on order for a long time, though ended up cancelling about this time last year and swopped order (Tusker) to a BMW i4 with a towball for a rear bike rack.
5lab
Full Memberyeah its a 1 star ncap car
pretty damning, but I guess better than the quadrocycle things that are the alternatives at this price point?
970KG though, wow! That's lighter than a petrol Aygo X.
Remember the bloke in the jag with the failed brakes...
Remember the bloke in the jag with the failed brakes…
Good.
I just joined this club!
Following the leasing bargain thread on pistonheads - we got one of the bargain Honda eny1's (£179x24). Problem is I have to collect it from Surrey. And drive it to Edinburgh. In one day. Due to Easter / holidays etc 🙂 and 🙁 all in one transaction.
Anyway: as an EV newbie - what do I need to know about one big trip. Do I need to preregister for certain charging apps? Already on Octopus for home sparks - so signed up for Electroverve. What else along those grounds ? What have I not thought about?
I believe the car comes with 13A and a type 2 cables.
btw - funnily the Honda dealer voice will stick with me - not sure what the panic is to get them off the lot: It HAS TO BE COLLECTED BEFORE END OF MARCH!!!
Remember NCAP is based on all the idiot driver assist kit these days
Anyway: as an EV newbie – what do I need to know about one big trip. Do I need to preregister for certain charging apps?
It is worth looking at the route you want to drive then find out where the DC fast chargers are along the route.
Then see which providers require pre registration.
Check out where the Tesla open for all chargers are. They are usually cheaper than others.
Don't leave your charging until you are close to empty.
Don't bother charging above 80% as the input power will probably drop off.
20 minutes per stop is probably ok depending on how fast your car can charge.
Kneed,
5 mins on Zap map to plan route with filters on for >50kw and multiple chargers. - Most of the rapids are contactless now, although some apps perhaps give you a discount. I generally avoid motorway service stations and aim for a nice pub / diner / garden centre. I always aim to arrive with circa 25 miles range left (unless it's Banbury where there are 30+ chargers). Charge above 80% and for as long as required if it gives you the juice to get to your destination. There's a good argument for heading to the most expensive chargers as they are more likely to be empty. In 3 years of EV ownership, I've never had to wait for more than 5 minutes to plug in.
What's the true story with the dude in the Jag with "failed brakes" then....?
That article just says he was charged...but... WHY??
Does he just like driving fast, and pretending he's stuck on full gas??
DrP
Thanks: zapmap installed and looks useful! Interesting about the 80% thing: which means the 2nd leg will be shorter than the first (will be 100% collected).
Does he just like driving fast, and pretending he’s stuck on full gas??
I'd guess he's some sort of an attention seeking prick.
Or needs cash (from JLR or his insurance, or from the daily mail)
For brakes to actually fail like that requires almost total failure of a couple of systems. Both of which have backups and high integrity levels.
JLR might have a lot of issues, but they aren't idiots.
he had 'similar' happen several months earlier too...
I reckon it's attention seeking/cash scam like you say!
DrP
Was it a typo and he was charging (his EV)?
Do I need to preregister for certain charging apps?
Not really. The major rapid charger networks - which are the ones you'll find on motorways - take contactless or app payment. Watch out though as some chargers have two readers - one for your app/membership card and a different one with a different symbol on it for your debit card. I've thought some chargers were broken before when I was just using the wrong beeper. The only places I've found that were app-only were 'fast' (i.e. slow) chargers installed at independent venues from small or local networks. On major routes it's just beep and go. That said, if you've got Electroverse that should be your first option since you automatically get a discount if you're on an EV tariff - although you might not be yet.
Since you'll be on motorways, you're better off looking for the charging hubs with many chargers as they are much more likely to be free. But use Zap Map or the car's satnav to tell you which ones are free. The former if you have a passenger. Also, Zap Map is available on Android Auto so that might be worth looking at.
Remember you don't need to be at 0% to charge, so consider aiming for an early stop, then if there's a problem you have one or two backup options in-hand. And don't be afraid to leave the motorway if you need to - if you aim for a service station and it's busy, you might find a charger a few miles off-route that is a better option than pressing on for 30 more miles.
Also, if you find you are worrying about range don't be afraid to slow down a bit. Dropping to lorry speed and staying in lane 1 is pretty pretty chill, it only adds something like 12% to your journey time (despite what it feels like) and saves loads of energy. You might find it better to slow down at the end of your journey rather than stop to add ten more miles of range.
Whilst it's not a bad rule of thumb you don't have to stop at 80% charge. I hit 80% one time and I was still happily chilling, drinking my coffee, listening to the radio, there was a spare charger next to me and no-one queuing, so I let it continue.
Anyway: as an EV newbie – what do I need to know about one big trip. Do I need to preregister for certain charging apps?
As you seem to be based in Scotland I'd recommend setting up a ChargePlace Scotland account and getting their RFID card. Its the biggest network in Scotland but lots of legacy chargers without contactless located in dodgy mobile reception areas.
Check out where the Tesla open for all chargers are. They are usually cheaper than others.
Yes you can but be aware that unless the Supercharger uses the new V4 chargers with the longer cable you'll have difficulty plugging in the Honda using V2 or V3 chargers which have very short cables designed for Teslas which have the charge port on the left rear.
thanks both - that is very useful!
12% to your journey time (despite what it feels like) and saves loads of energy.
45 minutes over 220 miles - in any car that has fast DC charging of more than 130kW or so you’ll be better time-wise if you keep the speed up and stop to charge.
Caveat here is if you pull off the motorway and discover a queue for chargers the whole system falls apart, and you may need some extra time for your bank to approve the new mortgage for using Gridserve or Ionity.
Caveat here is if you pull off the motorway and discover a queue for chargers
Yes, personally I wouldn't drive slow the entire trip, it's just something to consider if you get caught out or you just want to get home and don't want to stop 20 miles out.
I am considering the trip to my local office, it's 109 miles in the shortest route. The normal range of my car is 190, so could I manage without a charge if I slow down? I'd need to do something like 5.8 m/kWh! That shortest route is A roads and goes through towns, and my best trip on roads like that, albeit without trying, is 5.2 but that has about 25% dual carriageway. I have never tried lorry speed on motorways, but the motorway route is 120 miles.
That said, if you’ve got Electroverse that should be your first option since you automatically get a discount if you’re on an EV tariff
I didn't know that, I wonder if it includes Agile Octopus
Re long distance driving for the first time, my advice is much like others, plan your stops beforehand, have a plan A and plan B/C, plan to stop somewhere with Plan B and C chargers reasonably close. I think it's still fair to say the most reliable options are Osprey, instavolt, MFG and Tesla Public. Geniepoint are improving as they replace the old Engie chargers. I have no experience of Gridserve, as I tend to assume they'll be full and aim for other options. Use the Zap Map info for the chargers you intend to use, you'll be able to check there are no problems. I also tend to aim for chargers, close to, but off the motorway ie Tebay and Gretna green seem to always be full, so maybe I've used chargers nr Penrith or Carlisle, but often depends on time of day/week. As I think someone has said, probably best stopping more frequently and taking your time on your first journey, rather than running the gauntlet. These days you probably just need The octopus card, a Tesla account set up (simple plug and charge) and Charge Place Scotland Account/card
Saw a Fisker Ocean on the A1 the other day. It looked really good, but looking at some of the reviews (carwow & Marques Brownlee) showed a lot of idiosyncracies and non-functional bits that would make me nervous about considering one at the moment, if I was in the market.
On the topic of "seeing a car and it looking really good". I had the direct opposite yesterday, an IONIQ 6 drove past me yesterday and I don't think I've seen a more hideous car ever. I'm sure the designers thought they were making the perfect love child of a swoopy Merc CLS + a 911 rear, but dear god what a horrible thing.
I didn’t know that, I wonder if it includes Agile Octopus
Download the app, log in with your normal Octopus credentials. Filter by 'partnered with Electroverse' or whatever it is then select a charger. If it says 'includes 8% discount for Octopus customers' then you're golden.
dear god what a horrible thing
I really like it. Firstly it looks (and is) aero which is functional, and it's far better than box standard SUV boxes everywhere.
Don't get me wrong, I'm always glad to see a non-SUV being released these days but sadly I'm with @timmys on this, they're not lookers. Shame they couldn't get it a little closer to the 'streamliner' concept they came out with originally.
Ok then, you can all make fun, that'll depress the used prices and I'll snap one up. I see that lease prices are already tumbling.
Shame they couldn’t get it a little closer to the ‘streamliner’ concept they came out with originally.
Oh I dunno, given how concepts usually turn out I think they've got quite close:
I think they’ve got quite close:
Just personal taste, innit.
Looking at the two pictures I can't even really narrow down on what's wrong with the production car (something around the rear quarter panel), but to me somehow the design has gone from what you'd get if you asked somebody to draw a "streamlined 911" to something that brings to mind an Audi TT mixed with a shitting dog.
The Ioniq 5 is growing on me however!
The Ioniq 5 is growing on me however!
The reverse for me. I like them less. I sat in one and the interior, at least with cloth seats, was a bit meh - perhaps because I've seen the design a lot now. I'm not usually a fan of leather but the cloth Hyundai seem to use on that and our older Ioniq Electric is really just simple hard wearing cloth, no texture to it at all, which I dislike. The leather on my new Premium SE model is sooo much nicer.
The 6 is a lot nicer inside IMO.
Yeah the 5 I sat in had a light cloth interior, which i really liked for the sort of 'airyness' it gave the car, but it would be ruined in minutes with my two kids in the back wiping their dirty shoes on it. 🤦♂️
Shame you can't get the alcantara trimmed seats from the N on the normal model (AFAIK).
I’ve got ‘normal’ dark leather in the Ioniq5 (kids=non negotiable) and it looks pretty good. Other lighter colours look great but as above would look hideous within minutes of my children getting near it.
WTF is it with concept cars? @mert is the expert here, no? What is the reason that concept cars look monumentally badass every single time yet the result is an Ioniq 6 which looks wrong in more than 3 dimensions. Is it safety?
WTF is it with concept cars?
They don’t need to comply with any sort of safety or environmental regulation and dont need to be practical to mass produce.
Once they get passed through all those filters the more generic production car emerges
I went to Llandegla today in the eqc, it turns out that Llandegla is further away than I thought (it didn't help that I went 15 miles further than I should because I missed a junction) , so when I fired up the sat nav to get me home it was saying I would run out of charge about 5 miles away from home.
On the way there the average economy was 2.3mpkwh, it's a mostly motorway and dual carriageway run from Manchester, about 60 miles.
On the way back I put the car into max range mode, which limits acceleration to quite a gentle rate, and limits speed to the max for each road, it must do other things too, but I'm not aware of the specifics. Anyway I got home with 25 miles to spare and the car managed 3.4mpkwh, which is surprisingly good for a mostly motorway drive of about 60 miles, and is notably better than wltp. I've never tried it before but max range mode does seem to make a meaningful improvement on economy at the expense of acceleration.
I was doing 70mph on the mway and dual carriageway bits, and wasn't especially trying to be efficient aside from using max range mode. Cabin temp was set to 21c as usual.
Good work Julians. The downhill aspect to leaving Llandegla for most of the country tends to help a lot, and it sounds like you were driving with more thought to range too - both of those things make a lot of difference. Speed does too - if struggling to get somewhere then dropping speed by 5 or 10mph on motorways makes a massive difference
I’ve never tried it before but max range mode does seem to make a meaningful improvement on economy at the expense of acceleration.
That seems odd to me, since your car always uses a certain amount of power to accelerate a certain amount. To see savings like that from limiting acceleration you'd have to have been accelerating wildly all over the place, like smashing it along a windy road, or weaving in and out of traffic at high speed on a motorway I reckon.
Eco/max range mode probably also limits the aircon, but that's really a small amount of total power. My guess is that you were driving into the wind on the way there and with it on the way back. Met Office reckons there's a reasonable westerly today in NE Wales.
Reduced acceleration will probably result in a slightly lower average speed on any reasonably challenging road. As well as the obvious of taking longer to get up to speed every time you slow (for a corner, say) it probably reduces the frequency of "oh I'm going a bit quicker than I meant to".
I'm a bit puzzled by the media comments about how EVs never meet the official figures. Ours seems to do ok, certainly comfortably exceeded spec over last summer when I first got it, though it's not been quite so good in the colder winter temps.
I’m a bit puzzled by the media comments about how EVs never meet the official figures.
As I think I said before, the WTLP range includes mostly town or lower speed driving, where you don't really get to test maximum range since not many people are driving 250 miles in town without charging up. On the motorway your efficiency is bound to be lower and therefore range shorter than WTLP since unlike ICEVs your efficiency is worse on the motorway, which is where you are doing your long journeys and consequently where you're paying attention to your range.
My guess is that you were driving into the wind on the way there and with it on the way back. Met Office reckons there’s a reasonable westerly today in NE Wales.
I could have been with the wind on the way back, but the figures for the way there (2.3mkwh, 2.4mpkwh)are typically what I see on a mostly motorway trip on every other similar trip I've done, eg manc to bham, manc to north Yorkshire etc, I have never seen 3.4mpkwh on a trip like that before, Its so much higher than normal which is why I'm commenting on it.
I've seen 3.7mpkwh on shorter trips that don't involve motorways or dual carriageways.
Maybe it's because it was warmer on the way back? it was about 5c warmer,but I've driven this kind of trip in this kind of temp before and never seen those efficiency numbers
Im guessing max range mode does limit the power to the heating/aircon also, but I couldn't feel any difference in the car.
I dunno definitively what caused it but I was impressed,given the wltp figures.
Reduced acceleration will probably result in a slightly lower average speed on any reasonably challenging road.
Average speed was definitely lower,because max range mode puts a speed limiter on, set to the limit of the road. Avg was 54mph on the way there, and 48mph on the way back, but like I said up there, I've never seen anywhere near to those figures on a mostly motorway trip before even though some trips have had a lower average speed than today's.
Eco/max range mode probably also limits the aircon,
The car has a separate eco mode 'above' max range mode, but eco mode doesn't seem make much difference to efficiency when I've used it in the past.
Average speed was definitely lower,because max range mode puts a speed limiter on, set to the limit of the road
So you were speeding on the way out? 🙂
Maybe it’s because it was warmer on the way back? it was about 5c warmer,but I’ve driven this kind of trip in this kind of temp before and never seen those efficiency numbers
Unlikely, especially as you're on a motorway so you're using a fair amount of power and that does warm up the battery after a while. That said, if you left early in the AM (which you probably did since you're already home) the battery would still be at its cold overnight temps at least to start with. Did you precondition it?