ᐅ BEV – Battery Electric Vehicle Experiences and Recommendations

Allthewayup schrieb:

In summer, we always use a BEV (large photovoltaic system) plus my Mercedes and then switch to two winter cars (combustion engines) in winter because the electricity powers the heat pump.

You actually have two extra cars just so you don't have to charge the electric vehicles from the grid in winter? :0 Whoever can, can.

CC35BS38 schrieb:

You have two extra cars just so you don’t have to charge the electrics from the grid in winter? :0 Whoever can, can.

I think that’s crazy. When the battery is empty, you just lease a new car with a full battery…

CC35BS38 schrieb:

You have two extra cars so you don’t have to charge the electric ones from the grid during winter? :0 Whoever can, can.

Over 30% of households in Germany have two or more cars. Just look at how much value home builders here place on double garages and driveways. When children are adults and live longer in the parents’ house, having three cars in a household with homeownership is not uncommon. So I’m not surprised.
Electric cars are not a problem during winter either, they just don’t get their energy from the photovoltaic system and use grid electricity instead. The cost advantage compared to combustion engines is then smaller. So what.

Arauki11 schrieb:

What is the current lease payment, or what could the new maximum be?

At the moment, I am paying 150 EUR. However, this is from a low-interest period, and I want to improve it a bit. So I understand that it will most likely have to increase now.

I had mentioned it somewhat indirectly in a previous reply. The new rate should be allowed to be around 200 EUR (and if it’s a very good deal, I’d be okay with 20-30 EUR more).

Arauki11 schrieb:

Several examples have already been mentioned, maybe you could say something about them?

I thought I already had. Many here are simply too large and too expensive, but that was clear to those who posted, so that’s fine.

I’ve already listed MG4, R5, Corsa e, Hyundai Kona, and ID.3 myself and I check them regularly. Rate-wise, the Corsa e is of course the most attractive, but it is also the oldest model and its test results were not great. I am also keeping an eye on the C3 and Fiat 600e, but here, too, there don’t seem to be any attractive deals.

I excluded the Spring because I miss the performance especially. Range is of course also an issue, but if I can cover 90% of my trips, that’s acceptable.

I might actually treat myself to the i3, but for such old technology, paying over 300 EUR for the lease? No, thanks.

Arauki11 schrieb:

From when is a car actually considered an SUV, and what exactly would bother you about choosing such a car with a higher entry point if the price fits, if I may ask?

I don’t think there is a fixed standard for that; once the manufacturer markets it as an SUV, it probably is or is meant to be one.

For me, it’s more a matter of personal taste or, to put it more formally, conviction.

I see SUVs as an annoying trend, symbolizing a shift from social responsibility toward individualism. On average, SUVs have worse efficiency because of higher air resistance and weight, as well as more negative pedestrian safety outcomes.

They are usually not even truly off-road capable and generally aren’t necessarily safer for occupants compared to well-designed sedans or station wagons. Families have always been served by minivans when it comes to space and easier entry.

SUVs are associated in my mind with bulky vehicles often driven by inconsiderate drivers who behave as if they have built-in right of way and don’t need to signal. Yes, that’s a prejudice, but my experience has confirmed it quite often.

To me, they are unnecessary and clearly a product of successful, manipulative marketing.

I grew up in the 1980s and was very interested in cars throughout the late ’80s and ’90s. About 10 different car card games in my collection today still testify to this passion (which has waned somewhat with age but still counts as an interest).

Back then, car designers mainly aimed to build more aerodynamic cars. In automotive magazines, the drag coefficient (c_w value) was often mentioned even before horsepower or trunk volume.

When Opel released the Calibra, which set a record at the time for production cars with a drag coefficient of 0.26 (and my English and Latin teacher drove it in bright red to school), both the car and my teacher became my quiet heroes.

SUVs are basically the opposite of this youthful and naive self-image, which might be somewhat irrational for me.

Very small SUVs like the Renault 4 or Duster (Inster) don’t have many of the technical downsides mentioned above, but their shape unfortunately still triggers similar associations.

That said, in the end, I would drive such a “devil’s car from hell” myself if the overall deal was unbeatable.

wiltshire schrieb:

Over 30% of households in Germany own two or more cars. Just look at how much importance homebuilders here place on double garages and driveways. When children reach adulthood and continue living in the family home, having three cars in a household among homeowners is not uncommon. So I’m not surprised.
Electric cars are also not a problem in winter, but they don’t get their energy from the photovoltaic system and instead run on grid electricity rather than the cheapest power. The cost advantage compared to combustion engines is then smaller. So what.

I don’t know if you read the original text carefully. The author says he already owns two cars and drives two additional ones in winter (presumably combustion engines) because the heat pump consumes all the photovoltaic electricity. Honestly, I first thought it was satire. I’m happy he can afford it, but I find this attitude almost obscene. In that case, buying a diesel generator to charge the cars in winter might be more economical and sustainable.

Please do not take my earlier image of the typical SUV driver personally. I am of course not referring to any individual members of this forum, but rather describing a stereotype that, unfortunately, has been confirmed by my personal experiences.