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I don’t think a £15k polestar 2 is going to get 300+ miles without the Canoe, let alone with it. You’d be looking at a leggy smaller battery single motor with possibly 10-15% battery degradation for that money.
Think about the range requirement. 300 miles is neither realistic or necessary.
A Hyundai ionic might make the budget, but some compromise is likely to be needed.
I'm not expecting full range with canoe on!
Range reason: we've both got aging parents (Huddersfield and Doncatser) plus my job is likely to have a few jaunts down to northern England (Manchester and Leeds) over the next few years, plus I already roam central Scotland at times. I'm looking for a car that we can do those kind of single journeys with only a single stop for a 'top up'. It's going to be often enough to justify. Plus it's year round, plus older battery, so looking at @300 miles stated new might get me 200 miles in winter second hand....?
A bit leggy but might work
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202511228069285
There are more options for the 58kw version under budget
Something like this - with three years/25k more warranty:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/20251202828745
What's the concern with mileage? I thought electric cars were a lot less to go wrong, better battery if used well etc?
Battery cycles / degradation and wear in the usual components.
My P2 Dual Motor performs OK, will do about 220 in close to 0 temps at a mix of say 40% 70MPH, 40% 60MPH and 20% urban driving.
Would think you'd easily get a single motor long range for less than £15k - there are quite a few available near that and obviously list price doesn't equal sale price. Bear in mind the dual motor is more common and IIRC was always with plus and pilot packs in the early days. Single motor much slower but you get 20-30 miles more range.
Don't know if a Megane would suit as might be a bit small for you - but that should be newer and less miles for the same budget.
Bought a sirrka green 52kwh GT line e rifter for our family car in the end. Knowing we have a 10year old /100k miles diesel partner to run into the ground for any long trips.
Looking forward to it as 80% of our trips are kid based -schools/nursary/swimming lessons/rainbows etc where the low range won't be an issue - but we are burning 170 quid month on average in diesel -my little 108s using 35 quid in petrol each month due to low use so I'll sell that and assume the partner till it's end of life then we might look at a longer range electric IF the Peugeot's working for us
I'm sure it'll be shit but I'm also sure it'll meet our needs of an electric car.
Wasn't on my 2025 calender of things to do but the availability of low interest loan made it palatable over the astronomic cost of car finance. -Essentially the cost of the diesel covers 80% of the cost of the car each month not something that added up on any version of car finance I saw.
My Skoda Enyaq claims 224 miles in spring and autumn, 260 miles in summer and I'm getting less than 180 miles just now - and the last 2 days with temps below zero, the range have been about 160 miles.
Sidetracking a bit, but i can confirm an EV completely loses it's $hit if the 12v battery goes below voltage!
The 12v in my OH's leaf (which was my leaf) is about 7 years old now, and she's ran it flat a few times....sigh. Well in teh cold, it dropped to 11.3v (checked with multimeter) whilst she was in a carpark about 20 min from home.. It flashes up all sorts of worrying messages - EV powertrain failure... systems not working..
Simple 40 quid battery swap and all happy again!
DrP
my P2 battery died and I can confirm all manor of wideness goes on.
always worth sticking on a battery monitor to keep an eye on it.
Sidetracking a bit, but i can confirm an EV completely loses it's $hit if the 12v battery goes below voltage!
The 12v in my OH's leaf (which was my leaf) is about 7 years old now, and she's ran it flat a few times....sigh. Well in teh cold, it dropped to 11.3v (checked with multimeter) whilst she was in a carpark about 20 min from home.. It flashes up all sorts of worrying messages - EV powertrain failure... systems not working..Simple 40 quid battery swap and all happy again!
Exactly the same on the Zoe. Not the sort of message you want to read until you understand what's causing it.
I'm driving a Kona and a Polestar 2 today with Arnold Shark. The defining factor on a change is cost.
Talk to me about servicing costs on an EV?
So far on paper I can swap current car for EV on same monthly cost. Charging at home will be a lot cheaper than petrol. Insurance is more. I'm assuming (other than the 40k Kona service) servicing is less...?
I also note that the Polestar takes some expensive sized tyres... 🙁
Kona seems the sensible choice...?
Minimal so far on my Kona, needs brakes checked but because a lot of the time it uses regen braking, doesnt seem to use much pad - recommended to do brake fluid change at 20k, but otherwise there's no oil, filters, all those bits. So about £100ish each time, a bit more for a BF interval.
Until the next, due shortly at 40k that includes a battery coolant change as well and is £500+. A bit confused on this, some Kona's had a recall for this and so should be done under warranty so not sure if mine's been done or if not if I get that bill.
Exactly the same on the Zoe. Not the sort of message you want to read until you understand what's causing it.
"Check electric system" or similar isn't it. Ours has been displaying that recently when it's cold. Time for a new 12v battery.
Charging at home will be a lot cheaper than petrol.
Don't forget to factor in the £1000-1500 cost of the charger!
I would have thought the only real difference is no fuel filter and oil/filter to change
Beside pads will last longer but I don't know about the disks as quite often the killer for them is corrosion through lack of use.
they still get used, just not as much. I just had to nip out to get sth from the car and had a look, no corrosion to speak of on the discs
Sidetracking a bit, but i can confirm an EV completely loses it's $hit if the 12v battery goes below voltage!
Doesn't the 12v battery get charged up from the big battery? (That's an actual question, not contradiction dressed up :-). )
Talk to me about servicing costs on an EV?
Aside from new tyres and washer fluid I’ve had no service charges for our Teslas since 2019. No scheduled servicing. No ‘service plans’ to buy. I believe any service needs are ‘on demand’. So far this has been ‘washer fluid low’ and ‘rear tyre wear greater than front, rotate tyres’ (or something like that).
My first EV, Model S which I had 2018 - 2022, had a scheduled 1-year battery coolant change at £750. Later that year Tesla abandoned these as they were found unnecessarily cautious. £750 seemed a fair amount, but was a fraction of what I paid for MB servicing on previous cars.
Doesn't the 12v battery get charged up from the big battery?
Not 100% sure but think it gets charged when the traction battery is charged though would make sense for it to be topped up when the traction battery is active. Think they get a bit of a hammering running the connected elements when the car is parked so discharge quicker than on older vehicles.
Duplicate
Not 100% sure but think it gets charged when the traction battery is charged though would make sense for it to be topped up when the traction battery is active. Think they get a bit of a hammering running the connected elements when the car is parked so discharge quicker than on older vehicles.Anything decent will charge when
a) the traction battery charges
b) when the traction battery is active. Most sensible/modern cars provide the 12v supply direct from the converter/powerbox/DCDC to the rest of the car, so the 12v battery won't be doing much except acting as a buffer, older ones don't like the expense of having all sorts of extra switched supplies, so charge the 12v battery and then let that supply the rest of the car, keeps commonality with other ICE cars using similar hardware.
c) if the car detects a low 12v while doing it's regular status checks (less common).
Talk to me about servicing costs on an EV?
Aside from new tyres and washer fluid I’ve had no service charges for our Teslas since 2019. No scheduled servicing. No ‘service plans’ to buy. I believe any service needs are ‘on demand’. So far this has been ‘washer fluid low’ and ‘rear tyre wear greater than front, rotate tyres’ (or something like that).
My first EV, Model S which I had 2018 - 2022, had a scheduled 1-year battery coolant change at £750. Later that year Tesla abandoned these as they were found unnecessarily cautious. £750 seemed a fair amount, but was a fraction of what I paid for MB servicing on previous cars.
No brake fluid servicing seems odd. 7 years on the same fluid?
My Enyaq seems to be a 2 year service...due in about 60 days so I'll be flagging the headlight adjustment doesn't work (apparently a common issue but needs something replaced)...haven't been flashed for headlights being too bright but I suspect that'll be due to them being so low as driving at night isn't a great experience due to lack of light ahead of the car.
No brake fluid servicing seems odd. 7 years on the same fluid?
It seems that tesla say to charge the brake fluid every 4 years, which is quite a long interval.
After driving a Kona and a Polestar today.... And then having a real good look online.
Kona: the boot is so small, small backseat, and while perfectly functional inside just feels quite plastic and uninspiring...Cheap ones are lower spec or small battery. Really solid car.
The Polestar just feels a league better in atmosphere and to drive. Bigger boot than expected. Cost £2k-4k+ more for similar age and miles.
What we missed was that you can get a Kia Niro EV (not eNiro) at the budget we're at. It might split the difference between meh Kona and plush Polestar... So anyone got one? Trim level 3 to get heated seats...
No interest in the Ioniq 5? Would appear to be in your budget?
The EV3 is what the Kona could be..
I have Niro EV 4 trim
Ioniq 5 = too big. Like so many cars, just seems bloated.
The Kona or Niro feel relatively compact.
EV3 = just to expensive at the moment...
vauxhall have a reputation for making extremely fast heating vehicles...
Are you referring to the original Zaphira? Yes, they definitely had some issues with the wiring on those, but later models had no issues with the wiring, and neither did any others in their range.
The only problem I had with Zaphies was the clutch in the manual version - the return spring on the clutch pedal was ridiculously over strong, and when in slow traffic I had to push my knee down with my left hand in order to keep the clutch depressed, it was incredibly hard to hold the pedal down for more than a few seconds at a time! An arthritic knee didn’t help, mind.
Shame, they were great fun to drive, with bags of room inside. Always fancied a VXR Zaphie… 😎
I always rather liked the Frontera, properly kitted out with decent tyres, etc, I thought they were a more capable car than most gave them credit for.
I’m sure I remember a team took a pair of Fronteras from Russia to Alaska, or vice versa, across the Bering Strait when it was fully frozen over, and did it successfully, but I can’t find any internet reference to it.
Got my folks to go and sit in a Frontera the other day. Liked it but it's all about getting in and out now and they found the door step too wide. It's a big small SUV if you know what I mean.
Sits very high too.
So in my hypothetical musings about replacing the ioinic 5 (which I still really like) at some stage I think I've finally found a contender based on my filter criteria of:
Not a Tesla. Affordable (I'm not into paying >£55k that BMW, Audi, Merc want even via a lease), mid sized, attractive to look at, range > 230m real world, DC charging rate >200KW and decent charge curve (i.e. doesn't fall off a cliff at 60% like some of the VAG products), battery preconditioning, decent handling and ride
Zeekr 7GT - seems to hit all the right notes. Part of Geely so polestar cousin. Designed in scandinavia and to my eyes, it shows compared to a lot of the chinese designed EVs. Only unknowns are when does it become available in UK and some UK reviews and ideally a test drive to understand the ride-handling a bit.
I have Niro EV 4 trim
Tell me more - what is it like to live with?
For us it will be 90% around town or local countryside and sub 1-hour motorway or a-road journeys. Once a fortnight it will go a bit further, and monthly/10 times a year much longer trips to see family or similar. Needs to take a roof rack for canoe. Ideally 200 mile plus range on a good day. Usually one or two passengers, once a week a third passenger, once a week a baby seat, every so often (like this week) running elderly parents around. The Fabia estate works for this, and so no need for anything much larger.
A Niro sounds like a good fit for your use case. I have the older model and have been very pleased with it. Worst motorway economy to date, during the cold snap and into a headwind, was 3.6 mi/kWh, which gives about 230 miles. Long term average is 4.3 which is 275 miles. My car has a heat pump which I assume improves the efficiency a little on a longer run.
It has plenty of room for our family of four, and the boot will take a retriever and a weekend's worth of luggage.
But note that a roof load will hammer economy.
A Niro sounds like a good fit for your use case. I have the older model and have been very pleased with it. Worst motorway economy to date, during the cold snap and into a headwind, was 3.6 mi/kWh, which gives about 230 miles. Long term average is 4.3 which is 275 miles. My car has a heat pump which I assume improves the efficiency a little on a longer run.
It has plenty of room for our family of four, and the boot will take a retriever and a weekend's worth of luggage.
But note that a roof load will hammer economy.
Needs to take a roof rack for canoe.
I carry either kayaks or a canoe on local journeys in my Leaf. Kayaks are usually in J-Bars, Canoe flat. Also carry a proper (not inflatable) paddle board in a bag and windsurfing kit. They all knock off about 30% range when travelling 40 mph plus. Consequently, I've decided EVs are unworkable as a long distance vehicle for carrying roofloads, especially at motorway speeds.
I have Niro EV 4 trim
Tell me more - what is it like to live with?
Bit of a brain dump following...
We have a now 5.5 year old eNiro 4 (pre-facelift of the Niro EV4). We've had it 3.5 years now.
I read lots of folk in message boards claiming 5+ miles/kWh in summer and 4.5+ miles/kWh in winter at motorway speeds. This is not our experience in Glasgow weather at all. We are on a long term average of 4 miles/kWh, I would estimate that 75%+ of our driving is <= 20mph average.
With the current weather on local drives (10 miles local roads, heat on) I've often seen < 3 miles/kWh.
We rarely drive above 60mph as the impact on range is pretty big.
Normal times we do 20% min and charge to 80% max. On long journeys we do 0 - 100% but only a few times a year. We're currently at 57k miles driven and haven't noticed any impact on range.
The car is generally fine, heated seats and steering wheel are useful as the heating is pretty poor. Our car has a heat pump, on short journeys (as above) the impact of the heating can be huge. In cold weather (<0C) the heat pump only seems able to get the cabin up to 16C. To heat above 16C you need to set the air circulation to recycle internal air rather than pull air from the outside. Depending on the weather and number of people in the car this doesn't work very well as the windows can quickly steam up.
It would be useful to have heated seats in the back, we don't. On the eNiro this comes on the 4+ trim.
The speedo over-reads around 10% across the range (22->20, 65->60 etc).
On the eNiro the boot is petty small for no good reason. Kia decided to put a massive foam insert beneath the false boot floor just to hold the charging cable. At a guess this eats up 70L of boot space. I've fixed this with a bit of ply covered with rubber matting. The boot is now a decent size but I can't really understand why kia shipped it like this in the first place. The eNiro doesn't ship with a spare tyre. There is space for a 17" space saver in the wheel well (beneath the ply that I have fitted).
Our previous car was a high spec Volvo s40. It was 19 years old when we switched to the Niro. For me, the old Volvo seats were more comfortable.
Kia servicing in Glasgow is pretty frustrating, long waits to get anything done. We've had a few problems over the years, notably the compressor had to be changed. This took many months of back and forward. Ultimately though every problem we've had has been fixed under warranty.
Up to now we have be getting the car serviced with kia to maintain the warranty (I understand that this is not strictly necessary). We've paid for this using Kia service plans. The eNiro needs services every year/10k miles. For the eNiro the battery coolant needs to be flushed every 3 years. This is an expensive service. Normal services are on the order of 150-200, every 3rd is 350 - 450.
We're still on the 1st set of replacement tyres (originally it had Michelin primacy) we changed the fronts a 22K and the backs at 30K, to Goodyear Vectors. We're close to needing new tyres all round by now.
Overall we like the car, would probably buy again though the time taken to get anything done by Kia would be the thing most likely to count against this.
Zeekr 7GT - seems to hit all the right notes. Part of Geely so polestar cousin. Designed in scandinavia and to my eyes, it shows compared to a lot of the chinese designed EVs. Only unknowns are when does it become available in UK and some UK reviews and ideally a test drive to understand the ride-handling a bit.
I like that, it's quick as well. Shame you only appear to be able to get it in greyscale paint though!
Plus it's year round, plus older battery, so looking at@300miles stated new might get me 200 miles in winter second hand....?
Battery degradation isn't much of a thing with modern cars. It doesn't seem like range really drops much in the first 100-150k miles. Mine's on 92k and still has the same indicated range as the brand new one we had.
Similarly, I don't see a big drop in range in winter. Wind and rain make a difference, but temperature not so much on a long trip. Short local trips affect your stats greatly in the winter, because the cost of warming up the car is relatively high compared to the small amount of energy you use to drive a local trip; but once you're on the open road and everything's warmed up it makes little difference in the cars I've had (Leaf, Ioniq). I suspect people are doing their daily commute and looking at the range number on the dash, but this is an average over the most recent journeys and if they are short, it'll look far worse.
I'm not sure the Ioniq 5 is big compared to a Polestar 2, although it might feel it, but you could try an Ioniq 6. They're more expensive but more premium than the 5. They charge so quickly that you barely have time to walk to the toilets and pee. On the other hand, there are questions over the ICCU that can fail. It might be more of an issue in the US where they charge with higher current and lower voltage, but I can't find a definitive answer.
but you could try an Ioniq 6.
The Ioniq 6 doesn't take a roofrack. There are some 'universal' options which don't really fit but none of the reputable brands make a footpack. Also, its a boot rather than a hatchback which is fine for golfers but not anyone who kayaks!