Advice needed

timbertime

Am i mad. Currently own a 07 Alfa GT. no finance/repayments. however tax is 710 and is due shortly. Timing belt needs replacing, handbreak is starting to creak and radio doesn't work. I'm moving to Co Clare soon and will have to commute to Dublin city centre 2/3times a week so 350km round trip. I'm considering an ID3 but think it could be a heart v head situation. Won't have access to a home charger when we move initially as will be renting and house is on the street but free charging available in work(Dublin) and will be near Birdhill if i need a topup. The second option is to buy an ICE for around €10k with a credit union loan. I've never had a span new car but the current 0%apr deal on the ID3 has peaked my interest. Currently saving for a mortgage so really don't want to be over doing it but i think the fuel savings will off set the higher repayments. Had initially considered a secondhand Ioniq but don't think I could get Dublin-Clare-Dublin on one charge especially when the journey is 90% motorway. So like i said, am i mad!!? Or has anyone been in a similar situation.

silver_sky

I don't think you're mad, but I'd certainly suggest to work out the finer details before going ahead.

Is there a driveway on the rented house? Maybe you can use a granny (3-pin) charger.

timbertime

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117663100#Comment_117663100

No driveway unfortunately. Directly onto the public footpath.

eagerv

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058200785/advice-needed

Yes, you are mad considering an EV. 🙂. Without home charging I certainly wouldn't consider it. Unless I owned a Tesla and lived very close to a supercharger. (And had lifetime free charging😀)

silver_sky

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117663404#Comment_117663404

Yeah that's a difficult one. Depending on your mileage and driving pattern, an EV without a home charge point can work but it takes some work. I've been doing it for a few years, but I'm in a location with a good spread of public charge points. If you do consider I would say-

• don't rely on that Applegreen as it's regularly not working. I think it's out right now actually!
• get the biggest battery version.
• Is there a family member that lives nearby that could get one in perhaps?
• check for charge points in the area on Plugshare. There may be some you're unaware of.

Black_Knight

350km will be your full battery gone. Work charging is nice, but those 2-3 times you drive up you'll need to leave with 50% battery to get there and then charge to 100% to get home with 50%. Where are you charging every other night/the night before you make the drive up?

If the rental place is temporary and you can look at other charge from home rentals it's worth doing the math, but the lack of home charger is a big blocker imo. Birdhill is out on it's own too. No backup if/when it goes down.

The reality I can see is you having to drive to source a local charger 2-3 times a week, and/or topping up on your commute back to Clare so you arrive home with more like 70% battery.

Find your local chargers, so is that doable. Don't forget weekend trips etc. Where's that energy coming from?

Do the math on fuel savings given 50% of your charging is free.

Go from there... Or give us more detail

timbertime

Thanks so much for the feedback, I think I knew deep down it was going to be a struggle but just needed final confirmation! 😅. I downloaded plugshare and Birdhill is the only charge point within view nearest after that is Nenagh or Limerick City. It was a pipedream I enjoyed for a while but it may have to wait until we get more settled. I think the bigger battery would just push finances too much at the moment. Thanks again.

To be honest the mortgage is the priority though personally I think we're nearing another bust in the housing market because prices are going up and up, the price of a 3 bed semi especially in Dublin is unsustainable and my guess is that when more and more houses become available house prices will go up and up as greedy land owners and developers try make as much as they can before the next bust. In the West prices are cheaper of course but still much higher than they should be.

Back to the car, you're talking 41k for the tour 5 which is the largest battery, 350 kms is doable at 120 I believe but you might be looking at stopping for 10 mins if you can find a 150 Kw charger even better buy from experience, never rely on public charging for commuting, the public fast charging infrastructure is diabolic.

Depreciation will be massive and forget PCP at your mileage.

Don't rely on work charging either because there might be people who live 5 kms down the road who insist on keeping their car plugged in all day because it's a handy parking spot and they will tell you it's your problem your commute is so long and complaining to management might make them remove access or remove chargers altogether. Employers put charge points in to be seen as green but they don't care whether you have access to it or not or if it's broken might take months to get it fixed if at all, it looks good there and that matters more. If you're on a site that your company doesn't own then at any moment your access to the charge point can be removed, relying on work charging is a big mistake in my opinion.

That's some serious commute.

At 350 kms x 3 times a week - 1,050 Kms and at 50 imp MPG or 5.5 L/100 kms you will need 59 litres of fuel @ what 150 per litre ? = 88.5 Euros a week or 354 a month, buy a Toyota Prius for 10K if you have the cash even better though I'd be inclined to keep it towards Mortgage, solicitor fees or towards doing up the house, towards kitchen or bathrooms etc and if you can find a cheap interest loan then that's the way I'd go.

A car loan from an post is 315 PM for 10K + 354 PM = 669 a month but if you have cash it will only cost you maintenance and fuel and depreciation will be much less than on a new id3.

You could keep the alfa but the prius is going to be a lot better on fuel, I assume the alfa is petrol. The Prius is also well proven and ultra reliable.

A new id3 @ 41 K is probably going to cost around 700 a month anyway excluding electricity just for the car, and public charging costs are not too cheap compared to night rate electricity at home, now you could spread that out over 5 years at higher interest but the banks will be watching all your expenses so I wouldn't do this until you have the mortgage and home charging unless you have a pretty hefty deposit in which case I wouldn't put it down on a highly depreciating asset like a new car.

timbertime

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117680114#Comment_117680114

Thanks a million for the detailed response, i appreciate it.

I think I've ruled the electric route out until I can home charge or even have a more reliable charger plan. The commute is all pending on a transfer which being a civil servant could be today or next year. I absolutely love the Alfa, its a GT 1.9 Diesel but i just don't trust it do the journey long term and I don't think I can sink more money into it. I'm after coming across a 172 Megane diesel with 38k on the clock for €14k ish so hoping that will see me thought the next few years.

monseiur

Forget the EV lad for at least another 5 to 10 years. Based on your regular commute to Dublin consider a diesel Audi A4 or Skoda Suburb they are reliable, comfortable, safe and cheap to run - well over 50mpg on motorway. Why deny yourself the comfort of being able to drive anywhere at any time in the country or abroad without this range anxiety needlessly hanging over you.......and as you'll well aware EV's don't come cheap

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117681855#Comment_117681855

If I were you looking to change I'd seriously consider a Prius, decent size, decent power and good on petrol especially for an automatic, the automatic is dead handy too. they are ultra reliable and no belts to change what-so-ever.

Electric is definitely out without home charging and public charging will be expensive and just treat work charging as if it's not there because of all the hassles it can bring, you could be very fortunate like I was in my previous job but you might not especially if there are other colleagues with electrics.