Travelling On

greent

Nissan leaf? - always seem highly recommended from my (limited) research into EVs

themadvix

A Leaf is quite large - I'd go for a Renault Zoe instead if that's what you're after. Bear in mind that EVs/hybrids are more expensive than petrol/diesel cars to buy (but cheaper to run).

Karmacat

That's interesting, thanks both - Nissan Leaf is the name I've always heard, but Renault Zoe is the one bruv is recommending to me, especially when I mentioned wanting as small a car as possible.

Right, I'm hiding from the sun for a few hours yet, so this is the shape of my day:
- open up Asda order on my browser - can't seem to cancel a few things on the app, and it's coming tomorrow.
- clear the porch for the Asda order, oops.
- check autotrader.
- have a look at listings of local driving instructors, though I'm not ready to contact them yet.

In the evening:
- check plants in containers in this sun.
- ring nephew who's selling his car.  

badmemory

I agree definitely get home start.  Preferably unlimited call outs.  I have had issues in this heat with the flat tyre thingy going off.  Get a refresher lesson that includes motorways as once you are comfortable on them they are a lot easier than ordinary roads.  Before you even start check your eyesight (distance particularly).  Also have a read through the highway code as some things have changed.  Mind you I did have to remind my friend who has been driving for almost 60 years that the speed limit on derestricted dual carriageways went back to 70mph after the petrol shortage.  Big mistake on my part, I should have let him think it was still 60.  I never did learn when to keep my mouth shut.

themadvix

Ooh, another thought about cars - a Leaf has a Chademo connector, which is almost unique to Nissans and likely to be harder to find when out and about. Zoes use a Type 2 connector (fast becoming the standard). Another thing to think about. 

The channel Fully Charged on Youtube has some excellent videos about getting an EV, especially the ones with Maddie Moat as she goes through the process of getting one - might be a good introduction for you Karma.

beanielou

I would also think of a Toyota Yaris or my second favourite ever car an i.q.
Loved tese cars so much. Think a wee Smart.

beanielou

A friend has a Zoe & loves it.
On her third!

edwink

We have a Hybrid Toyota Auris and it is worked out so economical for us not forgetting it is zero tax too. Our previous car was a Hyundai Matrix with nearly £400pa tax and although we don't do a lot of mileage it seemed we were always filling the blooming thing up with petrol. If we do take our car out it is normally a mix of town and motorways and we get just over 500 miles out of a £40 tank of fuel.

Our friends bought the Toyota Yaris, also Zero tax and they love it. They do quite a bit of mileage as their village is a bit more remote than ours and they have said they have never looked back since buying it. She has said that she finds it so easy to drive especially for things like supermarket shopping with their cramped parking bays. It is a small car and has plenty of space in it. 

I think you will need to do your homework on the hybrid cars to find out which are zero tax because I don't think all of them are now but I might be wrong. I was pretty up on this subject when we were buying ours but this can and does change rapidly. It is always worth asking a seller what the tax is on any car you are interested in.

We would definitely get a hybrid again should we decide to change our car.  It is the self-charging that we like about them.

Edwink x

Cheery_Daff

All this car talk is very interesting. We're aiming to go electric in the future so useful to hear people's experiences. Hadn't really thought of a hybrid - we've always had diesels and that's what we went for this time (a Yaris, but I'm not going to say a good word about it because while yes, it's small, ours struggles to get up a hill in anything other than 1st gear which is quite vexing round here! I might be because it's old and tired, but I'd probably not have another one at this point because of that - our old Panda was older and had done 180,000 miles (the Yaris has done 130k) and had no trouble with hills).

But all that is probably irrelevant anyway as electric/hybrid are rather different, so I will read and learn!

Karmacat

This is brilliant - I knew mse was the right place to check out people's experiences, thank you all.  They're all names I've heard of, too.  And I always remember James May back in the day on Top Gear, talking about the self charging function of a hybrid - really excellent.

I'm so hot!  Supermarket delivery has been and gone - they've run out of ant killer, which doesn't bode well, but I've found a website that has info, and I might actually go into a shop on Thursday to buy some - have to get the Mountain Warehouse sliders refunded, so I need to go in anyway.

And in the spirit of the poem "Today We Have Naming Of Parts" - today we have Washing The Shopping, even though it's now being said it's not much use.  But this kind of statement changes every so often, so I'm continuing to wash.