Around what year or period do you plan on buying your first electric car (either new or used)?
Obviously based on your own preference, prediction of prices, suitability for your usage, and the timeline by which you actually turnover your car.
Personally will be buying around 2037.
Interesting in hearing other people's plans!
I think I was 5 when I got my first BEV. Took a 9v battery and the range was about few hundred meters circling around the lounge room till the battery died.
Got my first ICE at ten.
Put some fuel and flew for about 7 minutes.
And then landed.
Bloody boring flying in circles.
I'm onto my 3rd ute. When I finish needing a ute I'll buy a Tesla - can't give a date for your poll.
Trade it up and get a Rivian or a F150 Lightening
Is the latter lighter than the F150 Lightning?
The former maybe?
It's more a dig at what it will do to your wallet being both electric AND an F series truck.
I'd consider it at the cyber truck but I think I would do one more conventional vehicle cycle then the cyber truck
I wonder if anyone is going to build an Aussie sized ute or are they all going to be American sized?
Rivian, F150 lightning and cybertruck all look too big.
It’s only a matter of time, I think we have a pretty decently sized Ute market. I agree the American size is just way too much. It will be exciting to see what the first iteration of a suitably mainstream EV ute to hit Australia will be.
It's kind of hard to choose some arbitrary year in which you'll buy an electrical vehicle.
I think a better question would have been "When do you expect to buy an electrical vehicle?" with poll options giving rough time frames, for example:
Agree. While some people buy a new car every xx years, there a lot that only update when situation changes or a vehicle is written off or becomes unreliable. That’s where I fit, run it into the ground is the first principle, then change of circumstance follows.
Not sure who negged you, so have a +. I'm basically in the same boat as you. Don't plan on upgrading until one is no longer fit for purpose for some reason. I imagine there are quite a few Ozbargainers like that.
Yep. Our 2 vehicles are well suited to purpose and reliable. Only reason to upgrade is being written off at this point, or perhaps after a lotto win. Of course, we may need to change due to circumstances that are currently unforeseen.
IF we get the EV6 AND it's reasonably priced, I'll take a pretty good look at it. Nothing else really fits my budget vs needs
When it is going to recharge the car for another 500 kilometers in a few minutes like you can with a petrol car.
How often do you need to actually do that? I’d be happier with a full tank every morning even if it takes 6hrs to fill up.
Righto, who's gonna build all those chargers for every street and every car where people only have on-street parking (like me)? One petrol station can service thousands of cars everyday, and not just a local area. And, like you said, if you don't travel 500 kilometers a day, you only need to visit the petrol station (for a few minutes!) only once a week or two or even month.
A single charger can only service one car and it takes hours.
It seems really impractical at this point, I am not interested a single bit. Petrol cars are superior for practical usage.
Many current EVs have fast charging. They allow something like 80% charge in 30-40min and faster. If you can’t work that into whatever you do once a week, eg get a charge at a shopping centre or at work I’d be surprised. As for long trips, if I’ve driven for a few hours I’m happy to stop for 30min for lunch etc.
Yes, it’s true there went enough chargers available yet, but it’s supply and demand. Early days meant the infrastructure isn’t there yet, but it’s coming.
I’ll agree, not practical for everyone yet, but it will be at some stage. EVs are far more energy efficient and you can generate electricity in many different ways. It makes sense that they will be the dominant form in the future, just not now because we haven’t got infrastructure where it needs to be.
@Euphemistic: Super inconvenient. Tesla should have done what china is doing now, building quick battery swapping stations instead of super chargers.
@mrvaluepack: Why? Fast charging is a thing. Under 10min for 80% charge is probably just as quick as a battery swap.
Super capacitors and solid state batteries will make even faster charging possible.
For the rare occasion you dont want to spend half an hour doing something else while batteries charge it’d hardly be worth it. Most charging will be opportunistic, rather than essential when the battery is empty.
Sounds similar to a conversation 120 years ago.
"Who is going to cart all that petrol and diesel all over the country and build a whole network of filling stations? It's totally impractical - these combustion engine cars are never going to take off.
I'm going to stick with my horse and buggy - I can refuel the horses in any paddock or even on the side of the road."
@turbochris: Was that a conversation really though? A horse & buggy weren't as fast as a car so it was compelling to upgrade to a car if you wanted to get anywhere quickly.
@Rockets84: At least in the UK early cars were speed limited to walking pace until the late 1800's so would have had no inherent speed advantage over horses initially. The obvious advantage would have come from vehicles not being subject to fatigue like horses.
When it is going to recharge the car for another 500 kilometers in a few minutes like you can with a petrol car
Petrol cars dont "recharge". Refuel yes, recharge nope.
Is batter swapping refuling or recharging? Either way batter swap technology is here and it's been effectively utilised in China. This also means you no longer need to worry about the longevity of the battery. A battery can be swapped in about 5 minutes.
Obviously based on your own preference, prediction of prices, suitability for your usage, and the timeline by which you actually turnover your car.
Too many factors and don't think just voting would be a good indicator.
Some people buy an EV for the image. Some buy it because they think they will help save the world. Some buy it for the cost savings.
I've got a 16 year old car. Recently needed a second car for the family and bought a hybrid. Given we don't drive that often buying a Tesla model 3 is probably having $30k sitting there doing nothing (drive low kilometres annually).
Just waiting for my CT delivery 😂🤣😷
not until the government force us or car manufactures only make EV vehicles
I’m waiting on pneumatic vehicles to become mainstream…
The more I check them out the more reasons i find i dont want one.
At the moment they suit zipping around the cbd but not much past that. Seem overpriced also.
Probably never. My current car will most likely last me until I can no longer drive.
You have hit on the thing that we’re missing here. Self drive is going to be the key factor for me. The range, charging will sort out in the next few years. Self drive means that you may no longer need to drive.
If it keeps my personal mobility going and out of the creepy embrace of aged ‘care’ I’ll get a self drive…..
I would consider replacing my Prius C with a Subaru AWD ev as long as it doesn't suck and it doesn't cost more than 50k
Just waiting on Ford to announce they'll start selling the Mach E here - I'll put my name down for the GT the minute they do!
Current range is a bit limited. I’d prefer to run an EV around town, as a second car. Much more energy efficient than fossil fuel powered.
Not a specific year but:
1st EV: When you can buy an off road 4wd dual cab ute for $15k-$20k with around 300km of range. More range would be better, but not necessary for 99% of my usage.
2nd EV: 600km range 4wd 7 seat. 3tonne towing with 3-400km range, 30min charge AND enough chargers for touring Aus with a caravan.
Alternatively when I can convert my diesel ute to run on sparks for around $15-20k.
So I'm sure you mean second hand? Because there aren't any 4wd on the market for $15-20k brand new.
Correct. Unfortunately my budget is going to be even longer than when the actual vehicle is available new.
Waiting for conversion to 3-phase power, then solar, and then EV (maybe).
When they start running on Eneloops so that I can justify the purchase of Eneloops and the car at the same time with one logic.
No option for building your own?
I'm building a 1951 Ford pickup with Tesla Model S drive unit. That'll be my first electric car.
Once that's built we'll probably sell both our ICE cars and buy a second EV.
Nice. What sort of range are you looking at?
Wish I had enough time to build my own classic too. Be perfect for running to and from work
Do you have a build blog at all? I’d be interested in following.
Will target 300km real world range.
I don't have much time either, hence why no build blog, haha. We're building a new house with more shed space early next year, that will be the opportunity to really get stuck into it.
Don't forget to take into Consideration our Government doing a cash grab if you drive a lot, I am looking but also am factoring in the per km cost the government is to add:
VIC already does a Per km charge and NSW will as well later
The NSW government will impose road-user charge of 2.5 cents a kilometre by 2027, or once electric vehicles make up 30 per cent of new car sales - whichever comes first. (They currently make up less than one per cent of new car sales in NSW)
This is to offset the the Fuel tax used to fund road and infrastructure spending even though we see to be getting more and more toll roads go figure :S
Pick mine up next Monday as it happens,
Make & Model?
Can’t be a Tesla. Would have told us up front.
Tesla Model 3 Long Range
Next city based car will be an EV, and we’ll just keep the current ice car going until we find something we want to buy. We want something reliable, quiet, comfy and cruisy and don’t really care about range.
One of the key things for us is not range, it’s how far down the self drive we can go with it.
Waiting to see if Tesla are like Beta video in that regard. The next 3 to 5 years will be interesting…….
Not living in the city, I suspect never.
Range would need to be >600km real world for me to consider it, >1000 would be pore realistic. Will also need to have a range >400km towing 3.5ton.
Somehow, I have my doubts. Though would love to own one. One day. Per km tax would suck balls.
Death and taxes. Only things guaranteed.
Price is definitely key to EV adoption if your decisions are financial rather than altruistic or emotional.
I purchased my first EV in 2015 for $15k 2nd hand with 21Kkm on the odo, sold it 5 years later for $15k with 87Kkm on the odo. Charging overnight was about $1 per 100km and no servicing required, just new tyres as brakes don't wear out either. Only sold because I could see all the new EV flooding the market.
Bought a PHEV in 2016 for $43k new, sold last week for $26.5k with 110Kkm on the odo. 80% EV km and 2.2 litres/100km petrol use.
Now waiting for my new diesel Triton (for towing). I guess I'm going in the opposite direction!
Same here, was definitely going for EV next car. COVID brought forward a towing phase. Now have a V8 Patrol and loving it! Next car will be EV though….
It's not a question of when but cost and infrastructure. At the moment one is too high and the other lacking.
Was a bit horrified to learn that with the latest pork barreling for Car Parks no electric charging spots or infrastructure was included.
The current morons can’t even do corruption properly……!
This is exactly it. We won’t have the infrastructure because the current mob are climate and technology deniers which means they can’t be seen to support anything progressive.
If it were up to them, women would still be stay at home mums and mostly in the kitchen
Big Oil would not stand for it.
I’m confused, I thought ScoMo was big coal, is he big oil too? 🤠
@saltypete: oil gas coal anything fossil fuels
obvious playbook of any murdoch fed conservative group
We do a bit of country driving as we go to my wife's home town numerous times a year. It's a 800Km drive. So for us we might change over 1 car to a EV, for a city run around car, if the prices come down to an affordable level. The last thing I want to do is have to spend 40 minutes in tiny country town half way to my destination waiting for a battery charge. A hybrid makes much more sense in that scenario. However most of the hybrids I've driven are gutless and I can't imagine trying to overtake a road train in one. Plus we'd want a hybrid people mover for our family and not a SUV. None of those exist for Australia yet. Maybe Toyota will come to it's senses at some point and make the Sienna for right hand drive.
Also having recently seen some articles and videos on getting EV's like a Tesla repaired, the cost is horrendous. I saw a video where a guys battery coolant system broke on his Model 3 after he hit some debris on the road in the US. Tesla quoted him $16K USD to replace the whole battery pack. He went to one of the few 3rd party repair people for Tesla's three states away. Turned out the cooling problem was just a plastic nozzle that was broken in-between a coolant hose and the car's body. The guys repaired it with a $10 part. It ended up costing him $700 for the whole repair including car transport to & from his home state.
Tesla quoted him $16K USD to …. repaired it with a $10 part
It’s not unusual for a dealer to not bother trying to work out what is really the problem. They just replace whatever the computer says to replace. There will always be repairers out there that will be able to diagnose and repair cheaper than a dealer. The more EVs we have, and the more EV conversion businesses that spring up the more experience and knowledge will be out there.
I support the transition to EVs. However, prices need to come down to match or close to ICE vehicles in the type I need.
There’s no point in virtue signalling wealthy inner city greens voters demanding all or nothing. There needs to be nuanced transition that leaves no one behind.
For me my next will be ice or hybrid and then hopefully ev.
Not sure really. I like going on road trips and I also drive interstate semi regularly so an EV really wouldn’t be best for my use case as they just don’t have the range there yet. Once they can get the range to 1000km at least then maybe I’ll consider it.
ICE cars are just quicker to fill up and keep going on with, that is a huge advantage for me and I can’t justify EV pricing without that convenience.
It’ll just be a change in thinking for a lot of people. The opportunity to stretch your legs and grab a drink while your car charges would be a welcome break for many. As a family we generally stop for 10-30mins a couple of times during a days drive anyway.
Fast charging is improving. When they get solid state batteries or super capacitors working you’ll be able to charge in the time it takes to fuel up an ICE before too long.
That’s true and a longer stop would be nice for lunch, but having to do that twice on, for example, a trip from Syd to Mel when you just want to get to your destination is a waste of time.
Pay more for a vehicle that's less convenient? That's not change of thinking, that's gullible. Choose the right tool for the job. I've owned an EV, a PHEV and about to own a diesel again. They all made financial sense at the time, however I don't consider fast charging convenient, especially when you are locked into a pre-planned road trip A Better Routeplanner (ABRP) is there for a reason!
Just wait till you have a car with a genuine long range tank. 2000+km between fills will change the way you look at things. Plus, the advantage of stopping anywhere rather than at a servo/charge point.
My current car will be due for replacement in the next 2-4 years.
I use cars until they are absolutely stuffed.
When I believe I can get reliable, cheap usage is when I'll swap over. Hopefully it will be with my next car, because I don't want to be paying through the nose for fuel either.
When the infrastructure makes it convenient to own one, and when they don't cost more than the equivalent ICE model.
If you have a garage with a power point the infrastructure for most city driving is already here. You start each and every day with a full tank. My current ice only gets a refill every couple of weeks when around town, doesn’t do more than 100km daily in most cases.
It may be worth it if I lived in a standalone home to recharge at night.
However apartment living stops this, being no charging points available, and if there was, it would be difficult to queue for the few charging stations.
Unless this can be done in other places under 10 minutes. I'm sure the geniuses are working on this for the future.
Many apartments have parking with power points.
I would respectfully disagree. Some apartments but not "many" at all.
There's a lot of apartments that number 100+ and have covered car spaces that would be a logistical nightmare to run power for all.
In Parramatta 100 units in a block isnt even classed as big any more.
when i feel like it
I'd probably buy a Tesla or another EV if it was round $40k mark. Anything higher than that doesn't seem worth it at the moment.
When price is competitive and cars have enough autonomy to drive around without worrying about recharging, and/or when recharging is widely available and fast.
Already got it in 2015 - no poll option, but had to sell it.
That was $15,000 but only 100km range.
Don't drive to work so next car needs to be capable of country use, and light off road/tracks, probably need to wait for the 2022 models to be available second hand to get to my preferred price (under 30k), so maybe 2025.
I like to keep cars 10 years from new, so I guess I'd get an EV around 2026 or so. I'm really hoping they're under $40k with a 500km range by then. The current ~250km range under good conditions for the Hyundai Ioniq just isn't enough for me.
In 4 years I'll get whatever the model3 is called at that point
Already have 2 (neither of them are Tesla). Bought them both second hand. One is a short range for around town and another is capable of longer trips. However mostly I use my electric pushbike and walking/public transport.
There is a good number of used electric cars around, depending on what your needs are. You can get a cheap one or a luxury one. The charging infrastructure is getting better. Next year or two could be the point when it will no longer make sense to buy petrol cars, due to the BYD and others coming to the market.
As a current user, could you enlighten us to your re-charging situation; are you on solar power, or how much does it cost to re-charge those three vehicles?
I do have solar panels, purchased under the old scheme, back in 2010. This means all my solar output goes to the grid. So technically all my charging comes from the grid. I pay ~$100 a quarter in winter for electricity and in summer I get that back and then some. So technically I don't pay for electricity at all.
In reality both the cars cost around $1,000 each year to charge. The split is $400 for the smaller one and $600 for the bigger one. They both drive around 10,000 km each year.
I didn't find the need to install fast chargers yet. I just plug the car in the standard power points @10Amp. Overnight charging is more then enough for my travels. One car lives in the garage and the other is parked outside. There are no issues with charging in the rain. The only problem I found was charging while using the heaters at home at the same time (winter only issue). All of that was solved by using $20 smart sockets and setting the charging timers.
Presumption
Probably around the time a Labor federal govt gets voted in and the infrastructure, and benefits make it worth while.
So, never by the looks of it unfortunately.
Never
I've been keen to get one for ages but really don't want a Tesla (not looking to pick a fight, just not into their style or brand). Sadly our federal government neanderthal stance means we're just not getting many other options nor a particularly appealing price. Don't mind a bit of a premium given the long term savings, but there's still a bit too much of a gap.
Had registered interest for the VW ID3/ID4 but they've basically said hard pass on Australia for the short term. Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6 both seem ok but they're far bigger than what I wanted. So while I'd love to say this year or next, may end up being 3-4 years away.
Sadly our federal government neanderthal stance means we're just not getting many other options nor a particularly appealing price.
It’s frustrating. We are lagging behind the rest of the world. There are plenty of people who want to buy but can’t get more than a couple of models here. There are more and more models becoming available.
Even the manufacturers hardly advertise what they do have.
Poll needs an option for "already have one", and "this year".
Already have one, and it's fantastic. Costs me practically nothing to run, significantly cheaper than the (new-ish) diesel SUV I had before. Going to be swapping my wifes car over to one before the end of the year.
Which car?
Do a mini review pls
when: $39,990 drive away, 500km range, 0-100 in 5s.
What petrol cars can do 0-100kmh in 5 seconds for under $40k?
I don’t know. What’s your point ?
My point is your expectations are unrealistic. An EV which costs more to produce than an ICE car, (but has lower running costs), is not going to cost less than an ICE car upfront.
@[Deactivated]: I personally don't think EVs cost significantly more than ICE cars to produce. They have less parts and are simpler to design, batteries are a huge expense but even that cost have more than halved in the last 5 years. I think a big portion of high EV costs is that alot of governments are subsiding the technology, allowing for people in quite a few countries to pay the same or less than the ICE equivalent. This allows manufacturers to charge significantly more for the vehicle while the tax payers bolsters these companies profits.
@Yawhae: See the thing about accountancy is it doesn't take your personal opinion into account, luckily.
@[Deactivated]: I don't know why that's lucky. How can the Hyundai Ionic cost twice as much as the ICE equivalent?
@Yawhae: economies of scale
the ICE industry is has 100yrs to get petrol cars made efficiently so they can make 16 mil a year for this price
EV cars sell small and batteries are expensive so they have less parts but the parts and knowledge to make it is more expensive.
the EV industry is what? 25yrs old at best???
GM killed the EV1 30yrs ago? They partly dont want the EV to succeed becuase they make so much money from ICE.
I'm waiting for a van ala Caddy, Berlingo, APV, Kangoo.
A small city-centric electric work van could be a game changer.
i'm doing similar with a new GPU and CPU. bought AMD stock instead.