Cheap finance and the move to EV

[Zeb]

China sets new electric car sales record with 700,000 sold in only 1 month

 

[Butch]

12 hours ago, Zeb said:

lol - In another life I also used to torture statistics for a living 😋 Risk management, compliance etc etc.

I will just add this and then move on, a bit -

....

How safe is flying?

Statistically speaking, flying on a commercial airliner is the safest form of transport there is, according to the US National Safety Council.

There are a range of estimates out there, but based on its analysis of US Census data, it puts the odds of dying as a plane passenger at 1 in 205,552.

That compares with odds of 1 in 4,050 for dying as a cyclist; 1 in 1,086 for drowning, and 1 in 102 for a car crash.

That’s because alongside technological improvements to aircraft over the decades, the whole system of international air travel is carefully regulated.

.....

Moving on then, I have more years behind me then in front of me, like many others on here, so the thing that impresses me about my MG4 EV is – it is FUN to drive and be in.

In the following days I will be doing my first battery recharge.

The battery capacity is 51 KwH. 

Say I recharge when it is down to say 16 KwH's - leaving 35 KwH to "fill up"

Charging costs vary depending on location, speed of recharge, the time of day/ night it is done and market in general etc, but a cost AuD$ 0.29 a KwH is indicative.

35 x 0.29 = $10.15 (plus 10% GST) to "top-off" my tank. (Only charging 35 KwH in this example)

The manufacturer says a Full Charge will give a range of 350 km according to the WLTP standard driving test. Real world will be less, but still.

Charging off peak costs much less and the happiest campers are those who have gone solar to one extent or another - viable options in Australia.

So a nifty city runabout with plenty of bells n whistles, easily able to do runs around regional Australia costing just over US $25,000 and able to "fill its tank" for US $9.60.

But did I mention – it is FUN to drive and be in. Of course I did 😋

"Do not go gently into that good night - Rage, Rage against the closing of the light"

YOLO indeed - as in You Only Live Once - so fill your boots while we can 😋

 

https://mgmotor.com.au/models/mg-mg4/

https://www.drive.com.au/reviews/2024-mg-4-review/

I've driven an EV, and to be honest it was a bit surreal jumping out of a regular run of the mill Mazda into it (Polestar - no idea of model though).

This particular EV's had 4WD (all wheels driven by the two motors, but I;m not sure how it works) and instant maximum torque as soon as you put your foot down. It's really hard not to like the power delivery - I had a smile on my face from the word "go".

It just felt so eerie though, the silence and also the car was heavy, but still managed a 50/50 weight distribution, but I couldn't get over the sheer amount of immediate power that was available, because in a regular engined car, there's always sound associated with an increase in speed and load on the drivetrain.

I don't recall what the range of it was either, but I'd definitely have one over a Tesla, the build quality was very good indeed, and it was super comfy to drive. The MG's haven't made an appearance in any local dealerships to me, but when they do, I think I'll go along and check one out, purely out of curiosity.

That said, i'm still not sold on EV's. Then again I wasn't sold on mobile phones when they first appeared either lol!.

[Zeb]

6 hours ago, Butch said:

I've driven an EV..... and instant maximum torque as soon as you put your foot down. It's really hard not to like the power delivery - I had a smile on my face from the word "go".

The MG's haven't made an appearance in any local dealerships to me, but when they do, I think I'll go along and check one out, purely out of curiosity.

The instant availability of a huge surge of torque (even in my base model) is utter joy, plus it also sets me back in my seat.

Do test drive the MG when available and let us know how it goes.

Yesterday was a stunning early spring day in Sydney, so I was out clocking up the K's in the MG 😋

 

[Pumpuynarak]

Well i won't be rushing out to buy an EV. For me the sound of a performance engine was/is one of the primary reasons for buying a car, i can't quite get my head around a silent car.

My TVR Chimera 500 had one of the best sounding V8's ever, you did'nt need an ICE system just listen to the engine/exhaust lol

 

Edited September 11, 2023 by Pumpuynarak

[Zeb]

Why the Tesla Model Y is the best selling car in the WORLD !

 

Tesla Model X Long Range now costs only $72,500 - reduced nearly $30,000 -

 

[Pumpuynarak]

4 hours ago, Zeb said:

Why the Tesla Model Y is the best selling car in the WORLD !

 

Tesla Model X Long Range now costs only $72,500 - reduced nearly $30,000 -

 

I watched the first vid in its entirety and found it very interesting. That performance of 0 - 60 mph in 3.5 seconds is fantastic. I would say that operating the car is a bit of a minefield imo with all the controls on a touchscreen other than the windows, how would the elderly cope with that ?

Thanks for posting @Zeb

[Zeb]

A Thai review "involving" the MG4 -

 

[Zeb]

Zero Input Drive on Tesla Full Self-Driving -

 

[forcebwithu]

25 minutes ago, Zeb said:

A Thai review "involving" the MG4 -

 

Appreciate you queing the video to start at the most visually appealing part of the video. Excellent camera work zooming in to the stearing wheel. 

[tommy dee]

10 hours ago, Zeb said:

Why the Tesla Model Y is the best selling car in the WORLD !

 

Tesla Model X Long Range now costs only $72,500 - reduced nearly $30,000 -

 

I PRESUME YOU KNOW, that these are all paid sponsored ads.. so if you trust them I have some land for sale, and crypto too

[tommy dee]

when someone sets fire to a battery  and shows how to put the fire ut, i would start looking 🙂  sorry, a while ago we worked with a fired retarding product co.  for a presentation to the thai authorities.  it was plain scary.  and n number of paid yt promos will fix that.  next move, n 5 yrs, h2..

[Jambo]

There is a guy on U-Tube who posts regularly about his EV Porsche. He went over some uneven ground and holed the underside of the vehicle. It was feared he had holed the battery which meant a new battery replacement at a horrendous cost. He was fortunate to get away with that but he absolutely hates the vehicle.

He did long journeys and it was a constant problem of finding places to recharge the battery. Go into a filling station for petrol and you are in and out in less than 5 minutes. For EV vehicles you have to plan for long journeys to find a charging point, hope it is working, wait your turn and go and have a coffee or two whilst it gets on with the recharge. f**k that for two soldiers!

I think he has got rid of it now but thanks to the immediate deterioration in value he is left owing I think he said 30K in finance.

More than a little "off topic" but I am seriously considering getting an e-cycle because I like cycling but at my age the assistance of battery power is very attractive.

Then I read about the number of batteries that have apparently self combusted on recharge. I was thinking of recharging the battery in house so to speak which becomes alarming.

The other consideration is that they are three times as heavy as a normal cycle so people fall off them more often at slow speeds.

[Jambo]

3 hours ago, Zeb said:

A Thai review "involving" the MG4 -

 

Nice headlamps.

[coxyhog]

1 hour ago, Jambo said:

More than a little "off topic" but I am seriously considering getting an e-cycle because I like cycling but at my age the assistance of battery power is very attractive.

 

My best mate here has an e bike & he loves it.

The only times he's fallen off it has been when he's been pissed.

[Butch]

On 9/11/2023 at 1:16 AM, Pumpuynarak said:

Well i won't be rushing out to buy an EV. For me the sound of a performance engine was/is one of the primary reasons for buying a car, i can't quite get my head around a silent car.

My TVR Chimera 500 had one of the best sounding V8's ever, you did'nt need an ICE system just listen to the engine/exhaust lol

 

I finished helping restore a Chimera last year. All went very well apart from the Brake servo rebuild (which he did but swore about - a lot) and replacement and the bonnet refit.

Frightening performance. It's also worth noting that no one, anywhere, will produce and affordable performance V8 Convertible coupe ever again. Well worth holding onto.

I always wanted a Taimar Turbo, but they're hard to find. Again, missed the boat on that one :(

 

[Butch]

On 9/10/2023 at 8:35 PM, Zeb said:

The instant availability of a huge surge of torque (even in my base model) is utter joy, plus it also sets me back in my seat.

Do test drive the MG when available and let us know how it goes.

Yesterday was a stunning early spring day in Sydney, so I was out clocking up the K's in the MG 😋

 

Yep, the torque curve is...well, not much of a curve to be honest, or not when compared to a combustion engine. It does taper off as revs get higher though,due to the back EMF being proportional to speed.

I'm not ready for an EV just yet. I'll keep my classic and will probably switch to a BMW X Drive or maybe even a newish Ford Ranger in due course, which might well be my final car here in the UK, so I need something with a half decent residual value and low running costs without a massive financial outlay to begin with.

As much as I'd like to bring the Hako to the Philippines, I won't. It'll be sold and the money will fund part of my retirement, as Cars are not liable to Capital Gains Tax, thank god.

[Jambo]

13 hours ago, Butch said:

Yep, the torque curve is...well, not much of a curve to be honest, or not when compared to a combustion engine. It does taper off as revs get higher though,due to the back EMF being proportional to speed.

I'm not ready for an EV just yet. I'll keep my classic and will probably switch to a BMW X Drive or maybe even a newish Ford Ranger in due course, which might well be my final car here in the UK, so I need something with a half decent residual value and low running costs without a massive financial outlay to begin with.

As much as I'd like to bring the Hako to the Philippines, I won't. It'll be sold and the money will fund part of my retirement, as Cars are not liable to Capital Gains Tax, thank god.

There is a car dealer quite close to me that sells nothing but second hand Ford Rangers. I cannot believe how expensive they are or how anyone can afford them.

[Butch]

16 minutes ago, Jambo said:

There is a car dealer quite close to me that sells nothing but second hand Ford Rangers. I cannot believe how expensive they are or how anyone can afford them.

Yes mate, they are expensive, and tend to hold their money, that's the problem.

There are a few cheaper ones what are not ULEZ friendly down London way, but again, not the cheapest of vehicles in the first place.

Edited September 13, 2023 by Butch

[Jambo]

6 minutes ago, Butch said:

Yes mate, they are expensive, and tend to hold their money, that's the problem.

I'd probably opt for an earlier model anyway but I'll need a double cab (which fetches a premium 😞  )

Aged 17, my first car was a "sit up and beg" Ford Popular. It cost me 25 pounds and was written off on Boxing Day by a drunk driver whilst parked round the corner from my house.

I passed my driving test in it having put the L Plates on it outside the test center.

The Policeman who told me the good news offered me a tenner for the wheels/tires.

A month later I received 35 pounds as full settlement of my insurance claim.

Those were the days.

[lazarus]

[maipenrai]

6 hours ago, Jambo said:

There is a car dealer quite close to me that sells nothing but second hand Ford Rangers. I cannot believe how expensive they are or how anyone can afford them.

I have to admit that the new Ford Rangers really don't do anything for me - all the manufacturers seemed to follow a trend where they'd take small pickups that were relatively cheap and simple, small and maneuverable and generally very popular, and morph them into much bigger, more complicated and much more expensive versions - my 1996 Ford Ranger 4x4 bears little resemblance to its modern counterpart but suits my needs perfectly. 

[Mrmango]

3 hours ago, maipenrai said:

I have to admit that the new Ford Rangers really don't do anything for me - all the manufacturers seemed to follow a trend where they'd take small pickups that were relatively cheap and simple, small and maneuverable and generally very popular, and morph them into much bigger, more complicated and much more expensive versions - my 1996 Ford Ranger 4x4 bears little resemblance to its modern counterpart but suits my needs perfectly. 

 

I had the same experience. I bought a new 2006 Mazda which is identical to the Ranger and it was fine, but old!

So I opted to buy a Ford Maverick Hybrid. It was the cheapest vehicle that Ford sells but it took 1 year for delivery.

A great truck! 4 doors 4 1/2 foot bed and it gets 45 MPH in the US.

Plus plenty of power off the line.  

[Zeb]

5 hours ago, maipenrai said:

all the manufacturers seemed to follow a trend where they'd take small pickups that were relatively cheap and simple, small and maneuverable and generally very popular, and morph them into much bigger, more complicated and much more expensive versions 

Yep and many of the huge utes (ie pickups) drive around most of the time empty.

[Mrmango]

And of course, most cars do not need a back seat as they very seldom use it. 

[Zeb]

Tesla Semi tested at highway speeds - REAL world range shocks rivals