Budget Electric Vehicles (BYD, MG, ...)

H

hys

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Sep 17, 2008
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So now with a number of options and a number of also budget options such as BYD and MG, wondering anyone had any good/bad experiences with them
 
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My FIL is happy with his BYD atto3.
I paid for it with my amex in full so I'm happy too, to earn the points :D
 
At the start of the year we got a MG ZS EV Essence and we are very happy with it. It was meant to be a second car to our plug-in hybrid Volvo XC90. We now drive the MG in preference to the Volvo as a general rule.

We test drove the Tesla 3, Polestar2, and electric version of the Volvo XC40. We also looked at the Kona and Ioniq (the old one) but decided not to test drive. Shortlisted the XC40 and the MG, but in the end the MG just stacked up really well and we were impressed by how it drove. The finish internally wasn't quite as schmick as the XC40, but it was surprisingly decent given the relative price points and the brand expectations.

It's weakness is range (I think the FY24 model has a longer range than the FY23 one we got), but it's still plenty good for what we use it for - primarily short trips in the city - we'll do a couple of hundred kms and then recharge at home every four or five days. But we can also run up to the Sunshine Coast for a week and get back (we're in Brisbane) without any fear of range anxiety at all.

The MG Pilot is very good. It holds your target speed far better than our Volvo's Pilot Assist does, although the MG Pilot steering is slightly jerkier than the Volvo's. When driving it without MG Pilot, I find it precise in its steering and with good power when you need it. I don't drive it in Economy mode as I find it a little underpowered, but Normal is perfectly fine. The regenerative braking took a little bit of getting used to, but now that I've got the hang of it I love it.

So unless you're a brand snob, you should definitely consider it.
 
I'm looking to get an EV once I retire in a couple of years, and it's likely my 22 year old BMW will also want a rest then. I've seen a lot of Atto 3 in and around Canberra, and joined one of the Facebook groups to see what the chatter was like about the vehicles, and any tips and tricks. So far, the feedback is very positive, especially the pricing and the new models coming out, but I suppose they would say that wouldn't they. I'd be interested too in anyone's experiences.
 
kookaburra75 said:
I'm looking to get an EV once I retire in a couple of years, and it's likely my 22 year old BMW will also want a rest then. I've seen a lot of Atto 3 in and around Canberra, and joined one of the Facebook groups to see what the chatter was like about the vehicles, and any tips and tricks. So far, the feedback is very positive, especially the pricing and the new models coming out, but I suppose they would say that wouldn't they. I'd be interested too in anyone's experiences.
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My nephew has a BYD Atto. Has done over 30,000 km, lives in regional NSW & is happy. I haven't heard of any problems & I quite like the look of it as a future option
 
The zero Fringe Benefits Tax on certain electric cars has many more buyers considering electric cars in their salary packaging. A friend‘s daughter loves her BYD which came with lots of bells and whistles. I want one that does not give me range anxiety and that means a wait of about 12 months from now. We will extend our home solar system.
 
cove said:
The zero Fringe Benefits Tax on certain electric cars has many more buyers considering electric cars in their salary packaging. A friend‘s daughter loves her BYD which came with lots of bells and whistles. I want one that does not give me range anxiety and that means a wait of about 12 months from now. We will extend our home solar system.
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That's where I'm tossing up options. Do I salary package an Atto 3 now as it's exempt from FBT and Stamp Duty in the ACT? Or do I wait for two years as I get to retirement (or very close to) and pick up one from the leasing companies as they roll off a leasing packages, at a lesser cost?

I have been checking out charging systems that can tie into our solar system, as we need to do some rewiring in the house anyway. I'm leaning towards the latter option to give us the time to get everything done. I'm not worried about 2-3 years of use before I get one, as the new systems don't seem to 'age' that much.
 
cove said:
The zero Fringe Benefits Tax on certain electric cars has many more buyers considering electric cars in their salary packaging.
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Absolutely this.

Our office has been forced to put in more chargers in our car park (we provide free EV charging for employees). Since it came in, of new cars bought by our team 75% are EV!
 
Interesting approach by your employer @jakeseven7. i do like what you said.
What States does the firm operate in?
I see Perth and Adelaide as being ideal for this and we have had big success with solar nationally to cut our business electricity cost.
 
kookaburra75 said:
That's where I'm tossing up options. Do I salary package an Atto 3 now as it's exempt from FBT and Stamp Duty in the ACT? Or do I wait for two years as I get to retirement (or very close to) and pick up one from the leasing companies as they roll off a leasing packages, at a lesser cost?

I have been checking out charging systems that can tie into our solar system, as we need to do some rewiring in the house anyway. I'm leaning towards the latter option to give us the time to get everything done. I'm not worried about 2-3 years of use before I get one, as the new systems don't seem to 'age' that much.
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Personally, if you don't need to change your vehicle today, Id consider waiting. Right now everyone (manufacturers) are in a massive race to catch Tesla and are throwing lots of R&D at EVs. I

'd like to think of it as the smartphone race, At the start there was the iPhone and then everyone scrambling to catch up to Apple. Then when it started to catch up in terms of parity, there were loads of very fast year by year improvements. Now the market is matured and even your average budget phone is quite capable.

I suspect we'll see something similar in the EV space with Tesla instead of iPhone.
 
cove said:
The zero Fringe Benefits Tax on certain electric cars has many more buyers considering electric cars in their salary packaging. A friend‘s daughter loves her BYD which came with lots of bells and whistles. I want one that does not give me range anxiety and that means a wait of about 12 months from now. We will extend our home solar system.
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What capacity do you have at the moment? what do you plan to upgrade to?

We've just installed an 11 kW system, providing about 40 - 45 kWh on a good day
 
elanshin said:
Personally, if you don't need to change your vehicle today, Id consider waiting. Right now everyone (manufacturers) are in a massive race to catch Tesla and are throwing lots of R&D at EVs. I

'd like to think of it as the smartphone race, At the start there was the iPhone and then everyone scrambling to catch up to Apple. Then when it started to catch up in terms of parity, there were loads of very fast year by year improvements. Now the market is matured and even your average budget phone is quite capable.

I suspect we'll see something similar in the EV space with Tesla instead of iPhone.
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I agree - even with BYD, they have two new models, the Dolphin & Seal for release later this year, and a couple more that have been released in other parts of Asia that I suspect will be out here soon. And, then there is all the rest.

We're also keeping an eye on Solar Battery set ups and prices - we have a set of solar panels giving us more than enough for the two of us. I don't think batteries are quite there yet in terms of price and function, but in 2-3 years, they should be. That will make it better for at home charging.

It will be interesting to see what happens.
 
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I'm afraid I can't bring myself to buy a Chinese EV (or car) like an MG. MGs seem to have taken over from the ah, um, ah, Volvo driver stereotype. :D:D:eek::D:D
 

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