I have owned several cars in my life though unlike one of my best mates, I haven't got photographs of them all.
It all began with a Morris 1000 Traveller that was over ten years old when it came into my possession. That's a car that I should have died in but the gods were looking down on me that particular night. Go here.
The first car I ever bought with my own money was a dark green Hillman Avenger. I needed it to get to work out in the sticks of South Yorkshire. At the time, it felt as though I was driving to work to earn money to pay for the maintenance of that knackered vehicle with its rusting belly.
When Shirley and I first got together we drove around in her old cream coloured Mini. Then my brother Paul sold us his "reliable" light blue FIat 127 that turned out to be not so "reliable" after all. It inspired us to splash out on a half decent motor - a five year old red Ford Fiesta that never let us down.
We upgraded to a Ford Escort - the first of three. It was red, followed by blue and then silver. We tended to keep them for four or five years. They were great cars and generally trustworthy. You didn't put the ignition key in its slot thinking, "I wonder if this bastard will start today?"
It was probably around 1995 that we bought our first "new" car - a dark blue 1.6 Fiat Brava that had been what they call a "demo" or "showroom" model. I loved that car but its time ran out and we moved on with a silvery blue Ford Focus that was broken into at least three times by scumbags in search of Ford CD/radio players. Only for that reason, it was a relief to part exchange that car for a metallic light green Seat Ibiza.
Finally in March 2016 I bought Clint the sleek silver Hyundai i20. He was new at the time but I only paid £10,500 for him. Car prices have gone up a lot in the past seven years. The Brexit Disaster has not helped in that regard. However, my instincts are now telling me that it is nigh time to part ways with Clint and put him up for adoption.
For environmental reasons and because the western world is moving that way, I fancy an electric vehicle. We could have a charging point set up on our little driveway and we would probably be able to acquire a car that can manage 200 miles on a full charge. However, in the north of England the charging infrastructure is very limited and there would surely be occasions when we would be panicking.
Another negative is that electric cars are all very pricey. Even for the most basic KIA you are looking at £24,000.And yet another negative is that the technology behind electric cars is advancing all the time. The vehicle that you buy for £24,000 today could be very undesirable in five years time, overtaken by the improved technology and range of fresher models.
The dilemma I find myself in is one that thousands of car owners must be experiencing right now. We accept that electric vehicles are the way forward but is this the right time to make that move? I am not convinced.
We happily install solar panels on our roof for electricity generation (we have this phenomenon called sun here downunder) but we are not installing batteries yet as we feel the technology has a bit of a way to go. I feel the same about electric vehicles. Although I do have an e-bike.
ReplyDeleteSun? What's that? There seems to be a lot of persuasive language around solar panels and electric vehicles when we need facts and certainty.
DeleteFrom my admittedly biased perspective, I would say - look at the reasons that the electric car in your image could not compete with the internal combustion engines of the time - lack of range, long refuel time. These have not gone away despite the massive investment by manufacturers over recent years. Half an hour to add 100-150 miles range to your car at a super charger (if you can find one free and working) doesn't really compare to less than 5 minutes to refuel an ICE almost anywhere, that will get you anything up to 600+ miles of range. Add to that the £10k price premium for and the likelyhood of an insurance write off after even minor accidents because of doubt over continued battery integrity and they don't look so good as ones only means of transport. And, of course, the electricity will likely have come from burning fossil fuels because the wind doesn't always blow, and the sun goes down at night, and what have you gained except an expensive virtue signalling toy?
ReplyDeleteYou articulate so well Will. Thank you.
DeleteI think the electric cars still have a way to go as far as technological development is concerned.
ReplyDeleteYes. Perhaps they are still at the infant stage.
DeleteThe thing I can't reconcile is that at least for the next few years (the amount of time I would keep my next vehicle for), the electricity used to power an electric car will still be produced by coal-fired power plants, at least here in Nova Scotia. When electricity is eventually being produced by wind, sun, or hydro means, I think investing in an electric car may be worth the downsides that you mentioned.
ReplyDeleteYou have had a lot of cars through the years.
I would say nine or ten in forty five years.
DeleteYes, when you put it like that, maybe not so many. If I listed all the vehicles we had, it would be similar.
DeleteElectric cars frighten me in carpark s because you can't hear them passing you. They should have some sensor like dustbin wagons that make reversing noises.
ReplyDeleteSilence may be golden but it can also be deadly.
DeleteNo good asking me, I have never owned a car. I do worry about the electric ones though, how much electricity will you have added to your regular bill for charging it at home and what happens if ypu need to charge away from home and there is a line of cars already waiting? And who pays for THAT electricity? Will it be a pay as you go thing? All of that on top of the original cost of the car.
ReplyDeletePublic charging points are indeed an issue. They might malfunction and they are not all the same - sometimes with different plugs. Often you pay for that electricity with a mobile phone app and I don't have such a thing.
DeleteWe don't have a home charging point, so an electric car is not for us yet. You travel fairly limited distances, so charging would not normally be a problem. There are enough charging points in Australia now to be able to travel the country but it does require planning and could be a disaster if a crucial point was not working. Yes, I'd be thinking rather hard about it. You could delay buying for a couple of years and see what happens. But as you suggest, technology now moves so fast, there may never be a right time to buy.
ReplyDeleteYou are right - for most of my journeys there would be no problem but once in a while I might be driving far from home. I may consider leasing an electric car for three years.
DeleteWell, that's some lateral thinking.
DeleteWell not to put a dampener on your forthcoming purchase, there was a photo yesterday of a Chinese graveyard of electric cars. I expect the expense is putting people off. I started with a Ford Prefect, and then like Shirley bought minis. Then a sports car - then I had a baby and could not fit in! My last car a KIA went for a good price secondhand.
ReplyDeleteAre your driving days over now Thelma - as you no longer have a car?
DeleteYes, don't trust my eyesight for a start and having moved into a town with shops on hand, don't really need one. Except, I would dearly love to be able to drive around here and explore the back lanes.
DeleteMy first car was a 12 year old Hillman Imp. I’ll leave you to imagine how reliable that was.
ReplyDeleteThey had a certain warranted reputation didn't they?
DeleteI love my i20, it's a year older than yours, had it since new, brilliant car, we are at the same point as you, we should upgrade, but electric cars at our level are not easy choosing, getting a second hand car with old technology, nope, we are going to wait for a bit longer.
ReplyDeleteWe should be in an i20 drivers club. What is yours called Poppy?
DeleteOur son was considering an i20 self-charging hybrid. They charge themselves and automatically switch to electric at low speeds, e.g. in built up areas, although you can control it. So, essentially, they run on petrol and carry 2 engines, but the consumption is good. He bought something smaller in the end, but it was a difficult decision. It has got us thinking.
ReplyDeleteMaybe that is the way to go even though sales of new hybrids will also be banned from 2030 onward if the British government stick to the switchover plan.
DeleteHybrids are 2035.
DeleteI meant to add, with the new i20 you practically need a Masters course to learn how to operate it.
ReplyDeleteWe're also trying to make a decision about buying a car. My poor husband has been driving an old, old truck since the first year we were married, and aside from actually still running, not much works on it. And we can't trust it more than a few miles (to his work and back). The new cars we've bought have always been for me, and it's time for him to have something good too! But cars have gone up so much in price in the past year or two. And we'd love an electric car, but have the same reservations as you about buying one right now. So we're kind of in limbo about what to do.
ReplyDeleteWe can get another ten years out of what we are driving, maybe by then. We seldom drive more than 100 miles in a day. I don't know what I would buy if I needed to buy a car today.
ReplyDeleteI bought my first ever brand new car three years ago- a little Hyundai i10 and petrol-driven. I have no desire to buy an electric car as I think it will all die a death in the next few years and we will revert to something else quite what I don't know- but there are certainly not enough charging points around to stop you panicking if you run out of electric power. We also have the ULEZ problem here in London which again is another flash in the pan and I think once we get a new mayor next year that will all change too. So I'm sitting pretty for the moment until I know which way things are going. If I were you I would stick with Clint as he has served you well.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I've read, the largest market sector for EVs is company cars, driven by the ridiculously low Benefit In Kind tax treatment. This means that poor taxpayers are funding much better paid individuals lifestyles. Also, I see reports that VW has curtailed some EV production as a result of poor sales, and Vertu is reporting increasing unsold stocks at their dealerships. All in all, EVs to me look like a niche product that would probably have a small market share in a free market, but many countries governments are trying to force-feed the public into buying what for many us an unsuitable and expensive luxury. And how do high-rise flat dwellers charge their cars?
ReplyDeleteI was about to suggest a hybrid but I see may not be ideal. Maybe hang onto Clint a bit longer. Things may become clearer as you wait.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was replacing my car I was so keen to get a hybrid but my budget just couldn't justify it.
Reading all the comments, it does seem that there are a great number of reservations about buying electric cars. My thoughts are the same as most of the bloggers. In the past we've not had the choice between electric or petrol, just diesel or petrol.
ReplyDeleteIn idle moments I consider changing my car, but really can't be bothered with the hassle of test drives and the sales spiel. Last time my car went in for it's ITV (MOT) I looked around the showroom at what was available and they were all electric so decided I'd hang onto what I know and what I've found reliable. I got the impression I would have been thrown out if I'd asked about buying a new petrol engine model! These days I rarely travel more than the 10 minute journey to the supermarket or the 5 minutes to the beach. My days of long-distance car driving are over, and I really don't fancy an electric car anyway. I read recently that many are being abandoned after a very short time.
For us, electric vehicles won't make sense for a long time to come. There just isn't the infrastructure and the distances are too far. So we have compromised and own a hybrid, sort of the best of both worlds. It reduces our fuel consumption by half, we don't need to worry about charging and we can still drive long distances though the shorter ones through town are the most efficient drives.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter Jessie and her husband bought an electric vehicle. Don't ask me what kind. I have no idea. They like it very much. They have driven to North Carolina and back several times in it and have found charging stations. I think the car itself tells them where the nearest ones are and of course there are apps for their phones to help them with this. But of course you don't have a cell phone so I'm not sure how that would work. But your country is not very large and it seems to me that you are a resourceful man and could figure it out.
ReplyDeleteI have a hybrid and I do love it.
My brother-in-law and one of my sons have Teslas but I wouldn't want one even if I could afford it. You have to plan your trips to make sure you have charging stops and you have to sit for 20 or 30 minutes while it charges (or longer if the charging station is already in use).
ReplyDeleteI have a 2007 Hyundai Elantra so I have been thinking about a newer car. Maybe a hybrid? I wish I knew how long I will be able to drive or how long I will live so I could figure out what I should get...
I'd need to KNOW that there are more charging stations available before I think of going full-on electric.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe you're kicking faithful Clint to the curb! It's like losing a blog friend!
ReplyDeleteIs leasing a car an option? That way you'd avoid the depreciation and being stuck with an outmoded or problematic vehicle, but the downside is you're basically just paying "rent" on it. Or maybe a gas/electric hybrid?
I hope to live in a place where I never need a car for the rest of my life.
In our town of some 30K people I only know of 4 charging points....whether or not they actually work all the time I know not! I shall stick with my faithful petrol KIA for the time being, though we could easily charge a car at home.
ReplyDelete