Best EV for short commuting

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cremeegg

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Currently I am driving an old Passat which I am considering giving to my son. I commute 20km to work, after that I do very little other motoring. My wife has a Suzuki Vitara which we use for occasional trips to Dublin etc. My son lives at home and will do for at least 3 years, so I would have access to the Passat and its tow bar whenever needed.

My question is what is the best EV for my situation. It would have to be a better deal than a 2021 1.4 ltr Suzuki for €17,500 which is my comparator.
 
What do you mean by best?

Cheapest is probably a gen 1 Nissan Leaf. Likely around 100km range. Can be got as little as €3k nowadays. Literally any EV is going to manage a 20km commute, when you have an alternate car available for longer trips.

The less mileage you do, the less you save compared to using a petrol car.

If you want to spend around €17,500 you can get a 2022 ID3 for sub €20k on Donedeal, plenty of bargains at the moment it's a buyers market.

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/tesla-model-3-performance/37313530 is better in almost ever aspect but expensive for your use case!
 
As Alkers said, for that commute you certainly don’t need to spend €17k but it will get you a newer higher spec cleaner car.

So how about something like this mid-2022 Nissan Leaf. Very low mileage, top spec so includes leather all around, heated seats/steering, self driving (steering and adaptive cruise control), cameras all around. 40kWh battery so it will do 200km at motorway speeds. €0 import from Northern Ireland. https://www.usedcarsni.com/2022-Nissan-LEAF-110Kw-Tekna-39Kwh-5Dr-Auto-345482179

We’ve had three Leafs, they’re great cars, much bigger than people think, super reliable and cheap to run. Drop in to any Nissan dealer and test drive one, think you’ll be won over instantly.
 
assuming you're not interested in the suggestion of an eBike?

is it a rural or urban commute?
 
We use a 10 year old Nissan leaf to do all local trips( 80% of our driving), shopping, sports, work, school runs, . Still drives like new after 10 years. They can be got for very little money.
 
second hand Leaf seems to be the cheapo runaround of choice if you have another car for long journeys. Install a home charger and plug it in each night to charge up on cheap night rate leccy (we're charging for 7c a unit with Bord Gais). The fuel savings will pay for the charger in a year.
 
2019 VW e-Golf in Executive Edition spec is also a very nice place to sit for a short commute. Much better put together than the ID3, but cheap due to small battery and low charging speeds (50kW max). I went for this in similar situation to yourself (early 2024), have zero regrets.
 
conor_mc said:
2019 VW e-Golf in Executive Edition spec is also a very nice place to sit for a short commute. Much better put together than the ID3, but cheap due to small battery and low charging speeds (50kW max). I went for this in similar situation to yourself (early 2024), have zero regrets.
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We also got the same as a 2nd car. But like it so much it's become the main car.

Leaf would have been the other option, but just much preferred the Golf and CCS charging.

We got it while before the ID3 dropped in price. What we didn't like on the ID3 was lack of buttons and buggy software, interior not as nice. Golf better to drive.

If I was doing it now I'd say I might flip to the ID3. Much faster charging, twice the range. Even though we don't need the range or the charging it makes it more versatile. It's also connected to the internet, updated apps, whereas the eGolf is effectively cut off unless you use your phone and it's clunky. That said used as city local car, none of this is an issue.

The Ionic is another option. Or the Kia Soul. Even a BMW I3 . Be aware of the mileage and age limit of the battery. Some of the cheaper high mileage ID3 for example are out of battery warranty.
 
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cremeegg said:
Currently I am driving an old Passat which I am considering giving to my son. I commute 20km to work, after that I do very little other motoring. My wife has a Suzuki Vitara which we use for occasional trips to Dublin etc. My son lives at home and will do for at least 3 years, so I would have access to the Passat and its tow bar whenever needed.

My question is what is the best EV for my situation. It would have to be a better deal than a 2021 1.4 ltr Suzuki for €17,500 which is my comparator.
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I think the question I have is why EV. You need to factor in a home charger costs. The govt is not penalising anyone for having petrol or diesel. An EV might be cheaper to run depending on your use. Much nicer to drive. But you have to be willing to change your habits. If not stick to ICE.
 
I’m just starting the hunt.

I have a very old, but perfect nick, Mini Cooper, sad to see it go but the parents need transporting and getting a 90 year old with bad knees in and out of the mini is not practical. Actually it’s quite scary, plus the mini hasnt got space for the 2 zimmer frames

So short trips, I can install a home charger. Budget of €10-12k plus whatever I get for trade in. So I’m thinking EV for a few years.

Or maybe I sell the mini and add to the cash but that’s a bit more work than I have headspace for.

I looked at finance options and they are attractive, but since I’ve got cash doing nothing it seems poor economics to go that route. It would mean a shiny new car but TBH that’s not important.
 
Something with more vertical seating and wide opening doors. SUV like.

PCP protects you from depreciation is one thing if going new.

I would go sit in the rear of a few cars at your budget. Aren't to many older EVs with roomy back seats.
 
E niro 64kwh battery should be a few around 4 / 5 years old with remainder of 7 year warranty so some peace of mind.

Decent size decent range and the more popular ccs charging for the odd public charge.

A little higher without being suv size so good for access.
 
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