very short journeys

[Dusz]

Austen
Please post the results of your review as I am on the same tariff wit EDF. I also have solar panels on a south facing roof. Over the past year not only have I increased my electricity usage with the car but last October we also converted from oil-fired CH to an air source heat pump.

 

[Austen]

Austen
Please post the results of your review as I am on the same tariff wit EDF. I also have solar panels on a south facing roof. Over the past year not only have I increased my electricity usage with the car but last October we also converted from oil-fired CH to an air source heat pump.

I am with British Gas for gas. Strangely BG are cheaper for electricity est. £548 pa compared to 628pa withEDF whereas EDF are cheaper for gas est. £727pa against £879pa with BG. I will probably switch accordingly.

I still can't decide on an Outlander though, I have a 1 year old RAV4 hybrid doing 45mpg average and on a run when it can use the battery a lot it will go to 50+mpg however once I start doing the very short journeys to the park with the dog I think the consumption will go through the floor as the ICE will be on more.

There are 2 things holding me back;

1) It's probably financial madness as I could buy a lot of petrol for the cost of changing...............but what the heck it's only money.

2) On the technical side as I would have to keep it for a few years ( I can't keep changing cars!!) so will the battery hold out?

I would have to get a pre April 2017 model as paying VED makes even less financial sense (£20 pa on the RAV)

I just don't know.

 

[gobiman]

Austen,
My tuppence -
1. You are right. A few mpg difference will be immaterial, unless you are doing galactic mileage, compared to the cost to change. Depreciation is the major cost in cars.
2. On the battery, I have a 3 year old car and have looked at this issue closely. All the evidence suggests that they are robust and last well. However do look carefully when buying second hand. I had a Hertz Hire PHEV last year (which I'm guessing had been regularly/exclusively fast charged) and its range was about two thirds of mine.
The good news is that there seems to be a glut of 2016 cars with 5-15k in the dealerships so plenty to get a good deal on.
You sound like the optimal user - short trips predominantly and charge at home.
Good luck

 

[jaapv]

Austen
Please post the results of your review as I am on the same tariff wit EDF. I also have solar panels on a south facing roof. Over the past year not only have I increased my electricity usage with the car but last October we also converted from oil-fired CH to an air source heat pump.

I am with British Gas for gas. Strangely BG are cheaper for electricity est. £548 pa compared to 628pa withEDF whereas EDF are cheaper for gas est. £727pa against £879pa with BG. I will probably switch accordingly.

I still can't decide on an Outlander though, I have a 1 year old RAV4 hybrid doing 45mpg average and on a run when it can use the battery a lot it will go to 50+mpg however once I start doing the very short journeys to the park with the dog I think the consumption will go through the floor as the ICE will be on more.

There are 2 things holding me back;

1) It's probably financial madness as I could buy a lot of petrol for the cost of changing...............but what the heck it's only money.

2) On the technical side as I would have to keep it for a few years ( I can't keep changing cars!!) so will the battery hold out?

I would have to get a pre April 2017 model as paying VED makes even less financial sense (£20 pa on the RAV)

I just don't know.

Obviously the financials are different for each individual situation, but in general charging at home is 4-6 times cheaper than using petrol. You can get the cost down even more if you should decide to switch to solar.
I would not worry too much about the battery. It appears that Mitsubishi's expectation of it being good/acceptable for ten years at least will be met. Just make sure that you get a car that has not been on rapid chargers.
You should ask for a battery condition test before buying. If it is refused, walk away.

 

[Austen]

"I would not worry too much about the battery. It appears that Mitsubishi's expectation of it being good/acceptable for ten years at least will be met. Just make sure that you get a car that has not been on rapid chargers.
You should ask for a battery condition test before buying. If it is refused, walk away."

From what I have read on this forum the battery range is a computation, one of the factors being how the vehicle has been used.

Having said that, if looking at a used ( 1 year old) PHEV and asked the dealer to give a full (slow) charge before the visit (and at this time of year, Uk temperature around 16C) is there a minimum range value that might be acceptable?

Also would the battery condition test reveal numerous fast charges?

BTW thanks for all replies so far, very much appreciated.

 

[stripey]

Also, if the puppy grows into a large dog it will still fit in the PHEV.

It will be a German Shephed so I will be a bit upset if it doesn't grow

You'll even have room for a few large sacks of dog food if you push the rear seats down!

 

[gobiman]

My suggestions -
1. Not an expert on this (but others here are). There is some sort of charge retention/capacity test that a dealer with the right kit can perform. I have read posts on it. Perhaps someone can help?
2. Usual common sense - lower mileage the better (here I would avoid newer but higher mileage vehicles) and, to the extent you can check, I would favour registered addresses (on V5) which are likely to have home chargers.

 

[gobiman]

On 1. above, EVBatMon is what you need.
If it were me, I'd invest in it (with OBD lead) and use it to check any PHEV you look at.

 

[Austen]

I spoke to a dealer today who offered me a reasonable trade in for my RAV4 and I will take a PHEV test drive next week.

I asked about a battery check and he said there was no need?

Also the car I he was suggesting was a 4H that had been previously used by Mitsubishi Management - is this a good or bad thing?

I have changed my electricity supplier from EDF to British Gas, the tariff dropped from 16.04 to 12.39 per Kwh.

 

[jaapv]

I would never buy one without battery condition report.

 

[Austen]

I would never buy one without battery condition report.

Please could you tell me what are the pertinent items to look for on such a report?

 

[gwatpe]

I would be looking for the %SOH, and total battery Ah. a new battery is about 39Ah.

 

[Austen]

Thanks for the info, if I finder a dealer that will run the test I'll know what to look for.

I went for a test drive last week in a 4H, it consisted of motorway and country roads and I think it was planned to match the battery capacity.

The car performed perfectly and the ICE did not start until I provoked it at the request of the sales person.

I did question the availability of battery test data but was told this was not available (it was a main dealer).

 

[jaapv]

I would be looking for the %SOH, and total battery Ah. a new battery is about 39Ah.

More like 37, actually.

Battery test data are available at any Mitsubishi dealer. Non-disclosure is a red flag.
My 2013 model, 80.000 km (50.000 miles) has 32 Ah. I find that on the low side, but according to my dealer it is within the normal range. I charge about ten times a week.