Why I won’t be buying an EV anytime soon...

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mik
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Why I won’t be buying an EV anytime soon...

Post by mik »

Because we just bought one for mrs mik of course. You may stand down @ZedLeg


Preamble

So she’s fancied an EV for some time. Not interested in a hybrid or plug-in-hybrid. Full EV only. We very rarely travel with the full family in the car now – sproglets are now young men - but although we don’t therefore have to have roomy in the back, we do need canine-transport capability. So something with a decent boot including decent doggy-headroom is needed. Whether 4WD is needed or not, it’s wanted, so that became an essential box tick.

She was originally very interested in the new XC40 Recharge “P8”. Full EV. 300kW (402 bhp), pretty funky looks, and with only the “Launch Edition” available for the March-2021 release – a strong spec. All option packs included in the (admittedly rather expensive) list price. In fact I went through CarWow and was happy with an 8.2% discount offer from the Perth stealership, despite a slightly stronger offer from Volvo Oxford. Perth kept me hanging for a week to finalise the order and take my deposit, before advising that they had actually reached their dealership allocation of Launch Editions, and they couldn’t sell us one after all. So sorry sir. FFS. I flipped to Oxford Volvo – we agreed all the details and they sent me a completed order form. All looked appropriate, so I agreed to proceed with a deposit. Instead of this yielding a phone call to TAKE MY MONEY, they came back with an email advising CarWow had actually made a terrible mistake, and despite sending me an order form including the 8.6% discount – they could in fact only offer me 0% discount. Sorries. Not us – CarWow bad. FFS FFS. Absolute dogshit, and the response from CarWow was…..is…. still pending. One is not very impressed. :evil:

Since only an idiot pays full list for a car (unless it is an instant-resale-moneyspin like a GT3RS) – it was time to look elsewhere. Mr @scotta suggested the Audi E-Tron, which hadn’t really been on the radar. Ground-up EV design sitting between the Q5 and Q7 size-wise, it is clearly a bigger and more expensive car than the XC40, but good discounts on new (one dealer offered 12.2% on a new order) and quite a few low mileage literally brand new demonstrators around with even tastier savings. Mr ScottA even sent links to some nice mid-range but still pretty well specced year-old cars around his east-coast locale. But our local Glasgow dealer demonstrator was a well specced “Launch Edition” E-Tron with again – a very high level of standard equip. Plus some extra options. Uh-Oh.

With Covid restrictions in place we were waved off with a “bring it back in about an hour” request. No fuss or hard sell. I like this process.

The test drive

So it rides extremely well on air suspension. Like really well. Very well damped and lumps and bumps are soaked up silently. Air sus means you can also adjust the ride height. Wind noise is barely there, undoubtedly assisted by the virtual wing mirrors. A conversation between front seat passengers at 80mph requires zero raising of the voice. Coincidentally the Audi (in “55” as opposed to “50” spec) produces the same 300kW / 402bhp as the XC40. Higher peak torque at 490 lbs.ft. Twin motor 4WD (fixed 40% front, 60% rear torque split), but its a fair bit bigger than an XC40 – so for EV this means it is pushing more than 2.5tonnes. That’s more than a body-on-frame Disco4. Wows. Performance therefore won’t worry the brisker Tesla variants, but 5.7 to 62mph (or 5.5 to 60mph on independent tests) is plenty quick for a chunky SUV IMHO.

The level of regen is easily adjusted via paddles behind the steering wheel that look like gear shifters, without any need to enter menus. Maximum regen didn’t feel as extreme as the Tesla S I drove last year, but it is still quite significant and something you need to adapt to. One-pedal control feels eerily natural after a while. Steering feedback is pretty fuzzy , but mrs mik doesn’t notice, and since this won’t be the car whose key I will grab when aiming for tactility thrills – it’s doesn’t really matter. Playing with full power happened quite a bit, but I didn’t really hussle it on roads I know, but it seemed to corner pretty flat. 5th gear did a head to head test against a ModelX which was marginally faster in a straight line, but VBH banged the E-Tron round consistently 6 secs faster per lap. (1m04 vs 1m10), so the chassis has some ability/grip. Again – this is probably of close to zero relevance – I don’t expect many maximum-attack sessions in this.

We didn’t buy the Glasgow demonstrator, but another pre-reg demo Launch Edition was available at a southern Ingerland stealership with a marginally less loaded spec (no HUD or 4-zone climate) for a good bit less. Being able to negotiate with both dealerships on v similar cars (both <2 months old) really helped drive the discussion though.

< intermission for negotiation >



Arrival

So a metallic black E-Tron has now arrived at Chez Mik. 2 months old with 1.5k miles on it. Very impressed with the materials and finish. Black leather with Alcantara door cards and other interior elements. First Audi we’ve owned. Ours has optional 21” 15-spokes which are approximately one billionty times nicer than the std (also 21”) blade” 5-spokes (my name – I have no idea what they are officially called). Lovely seats (heated and ventilated). As noted on the test drive, the virtual mirrors do take a bit of getting used to – the inboard passenger side screen isn’t a million miles from where you expect an external mirror to be, so no biggy. The drivers side definitely isn’t though, and the viewing angle reduces the visible screen image size. Like the regen braking – after 10-15mins driving it feels totally natural to look where the interior vents are before changing lane. At night you can clearly see what is behind with zero glare. It appears the little Honda-e virtual mirror system may offer a better design solution though.

Particular highlights include the 705w Bang & Olufsen stereo. This is one of the upgrades over the std Launch Edition spec. Seriously immersive, clear mids and highs with thumping bass (inc 10” sub in the boot) yet - crucially - not a rattle or buzz from anything inside. It’s really easy to pick out details in the music – partly ‘cos the background noise is so quiet – but it is the best in-car system I have personally experienced by quite some margin.

This option is overshadowed by the Matrix LED lights for me though. The latest E-Tron S (the stoopid fastback version) has even fancier ones apparently, but whilst I have driven cars with excellent LEDs (the latest Leon for example) I haven’t experienced anything like these before. Smart “black holes” created real-time around approaching cars on country roads – everything else remains lit up like daylight. Eerily efficient and just wonderful.

Need to get a proper 7.4kW (or possibly an 11kW) charger installed inside the garage at home. Until that happens, we will cope with a 13A plug-in trickle charge adding some juice overnight, with proper DC charging available a couple of miles from the house. Or I will when they send the charger that should have been inside. It’s only 4 miles to a free rapid-charge 50kW charger so we are OK. The e-tron won’t take the same kind of ampage as a Tesla plugged into one of their SuperChargers (although I have seen suggestions Tesla are throttling these back due to issues), but it can take a faster charge than competitors like the iPace – able to make full use of the 150kW Ionic units appearing today, and greater as and when they become available.

More updates as they happen…. and maybe some decent pics too.

Image
Last edited by mik on Wed Nov 25, 2020 9:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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McSwede
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Re: Why I won’t be buying an EV anytime soon...

Post by McSwede »

Nice one Mik. Looks lovely.
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Jobbo
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Re: Why I won’t be buying an EV anytime soon...

Post by Jobbo »

On those wheels in black, I’d probably have identified it as a Q8 rather than an E-Tron. Looks very nice.

You need to get the home charger sorted though.
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mik
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Re: Why I won’t be buying an EV anytime soon...

Post by mik »

Yeah - Covid restrictions don’t help, but garage separate from the house also requires a survey before finalising the quote. And they want to attach a cable from the house consumer unit to the outside of the property to get to the garage. Nope.
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Barry
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Re: Why I won’t be buying an EV anytime soon...

Post by Barry »

Home 7kw charger makes huge difference over the 2kw 3pin plugs yeah, fine for home charging IMO as its rare that you'll run it down to 20% and need an immediate full charge again, I would imagine. Fast public charging will cover the bigger runs just fine.

I assume you're au fait with Fully Charged on YT, loads of useful info on their library of vids, including a test of your lovely new motta.

As for performance, mine has none so its not an issue for me, I just cruise about in relaxed comfort and don't give it much thought (occasionally give it a burst to wind up someone at the lights). I find the whole driving experience one of relaxed Christian motoring, and I keep the "EVO" stuff for the Civic or the bikes.

You'll also start to see all the utter nonsense the majority of the public spout about EVs, the ignorance is off the charts. I try to stay out of it, like banging you head against a wall. EV isn't going to save the world, but you're in denial if you don't admit its the immediate future of motoring for the masses.
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Rich B
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Re: Why I won’t be buying an EV anytime soon...

Post by Rich B »

Yadda yadda, blah blah, SUV, just show us the virtual mirrors in action! 😎
mr_jon
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Re: Why I won’t be buying an EV anytime soon...

Post by mr_jon »

You clearly have too much dosh! Nice car though. 11kw is 3-phase which would be pretty rare for you to have at a uk home?
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mik
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Re: Why I won’t be buying an EV anytime soon...

Post by mik »

Barry wrote: Wed Nov 25, 2020 10:17 pm
I assume you're au fait with Fully Charged on YT, loads of useful info on their library of vids, including a test of your lovely new motta.
I wasn’t really until recently. Jonny is absolutely convinced EV are the future eh? I was absolutely aligned with his comments on the level of refinement.
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Swervin_Mervin
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Re: Why I won’t be buying an EV anytime soon...

Post by Swervin_Mervin »

Very nice mik. Seen a few of these about now and they're very smart looking things.
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Coaster1
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Re: Why I won’t be buying an EV anytime soon...

Post by Coaster1 »

Nice one Mik :)

You must enjoy cleaning car though, metallic black!?! :D
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mik
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Re: Why I won’t be buying an EV anytime soon...

Post by mik »

mr_jon wrote: Wed Nov 25, 2020 10:33 pm 11kw is 3-phase which would be pretty rare for you to have at a uk home?
I knew 22KW was 3P, but for some reason hadn’t noticed 11KW was too. 7.4kW it is then!
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Broccers
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Re: Why I won’t be buying an EV anytime soon...

Post by Broccers »

Looks good at the mo. Stock up on snow foam :D

Quick innit.
V8Granite
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Re: Why I won’t be buying an EV anytime soon...

Post by V8Granite »

I insist on a review on the mirrors. A family friend drives a truck with them and absokuteky hates them as he said your focus is never right.

I don’t know if he is being like me and a Luddite or it’s like the heated screen thing which some people can’t get past and others don’t notice.

Dave!
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Gavin
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Re: Why I won’t be buying an EV anytime soon...

Post by Gavin »

That looks like what happens some months after an A4/6 Avant got rear-ended by a Juke. :shock:

I haven't seen one in the metal so it probably looks completely different. Will be good to see how you early adopters get on as I guess we will all be in them, just about in our life times.
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Holley
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Re: Why I won’t be buying an EV anytime soon...

Post by Holley »

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Holley
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Re: Why I won’t be buying an EV anytime soon...

Post by Holley »

Awesome motor Mik! Went for an andersen charge point as I'm a bit of a tart and wanted something that went with the house. 3 month wait for pretty much everything I looked for, so I would start looking around now. I didn't get one until nearly a year of EV ownership, wish I'd done it sooner tbh, so much easier
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ZedLeg
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Re: Why I won’t be buying an EV anytime soon...

Post by ZedLeg »

Looks good Mik, Audi are doing the best looking big SUVs just now imo.

Your Green Party membership is in the post btw ;)
An absolute unit
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GG.
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Re: Why I won’t be buying an EV anytime soon...

Post by GG. »

Very smart looking ve-hickle mik.

For that sort of car, assuming a decent range, I think EV's make a lot of sense. All the things you'd worry about as a petrolhead (heavier weight, loss of ICE noise, no gearchange, etc.) are all less of an issue in an SUV.
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GG.
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Re: Why I won’t be buying an EV anytime soon...

Post by GG. »

ZedLeg wrote: Thu Nov 26, 2020 9:19 am Your Green Party membership is in the post btw ;)
Is the Green party sponsored by Albemarle these days?
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Simon
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Re: Why I won’t be buying an EV anytime soon...

Post by Simon »

Won't someone think of the Elon.
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