EV Discussion thread

JKenH

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81899429#Comment_81899429

Yes, that an interesting observation about a battery only set up which will become increasingly relevant as more V2G cars hit the road.

I have been thinking about getting an EV again for a while but am really happy with my current (2020] 1.0L VW Golf. I only do around 5500 miles a year in the car and my daughter when visiting from abroad adds another 2500 miles or so, visiting friends all round the country. I could save around £500/year on fuel but my daughter would probably be spending £300 or so on public charging (say 1250 miles/400 kWh of public charging@80p/kWh) so the net fuel savings are minimal. A PHEV would make most sense for us from a fuel point of view but the cost of changing is prohibitive. My Golf has so far cost me around £6k in depreciation (purchase cost less current WEBUYANYCAR valuation) over 3.5 years, just over £2,000 in fuel and £200 in servicing (2 years free) and £350 on MOTs and 2 tyres, £1k in insurance and £650 or so in road tax, so around £2,600 p.a or 38p/mile. (That includes my daughter’s usage). That’s for a decent sized family estate car. The killer with EVs is depreciation, even if you buy used.

I am really tempted by the Renault 5 as a runabout (£5k off list price at the moment) but what will that be worth in 3 years time?

edit: …and I would still need to keep the Golf.

JKenH

Apologies if everyone was aware of this already, but I was just reading a review of the latest “cheap” (£37,990) Tesla Model 3 and I see indicator stalks are back.

noitsnotme

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81900080#Comment_81900080

The newer Model Y "Juniper" had them from launch (early 2025) and then they started adding them to the Model 3 later (not sure when). I test drove a Model Y recently as my older model lease will be ending soon. The indicator stalk (and it is just indicators) feels a bit cheap/tacky compared to the rest of the car but I'm glad it's there rather than a button on the steering wheel. Having to select gear on the screen will take a little bit of getting used to but it's not as bad as I imagined. Windscreen wiper and headlight flash are now buttons on the wheel which I didn't find to be an issue.

JKenH

VAT on electric car charging should be cut to 5pc, tribunal rules

The first-tier tribunal ruled that drivers should only be paying 5pc VAT when charging away from home.

It noted existing VAT rules which state that suppliers of electricity can qualify for a reduced rate, as long as the amount supplied to each driver does not exceed 1,000 kWh per month.

A driver travelling around 720 miles per month would use just 200kWh, so the vast majority of motorists would not breach the threshold.

As a result, the tribunal ruled against HMRC and found that public charging rates should stand at 5pc.

HMRC told The Telegraph that it was “considering the decision” and its next steps. It has 56 days to appeal the decision.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/net-zero/vat-on-ev-charging-should-be-cut-5pc-tribunal-rules/

I wonder if this will actually result in a lowering of public charging costs. The price for most goods and services is set in the market place (supply and demand). It is simplistic to assume that cutting VAT by 15 per cent will result in the typical rate for public charging dropping from 80p to 70p/kWh.

NedS

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81902861#Comment_81902861

The Government will need to recoup the lost tax revenue from somewhere, so prepare for the pay per mile eVED tax to increase to make up the difference.