Agree 100%. The Volvo I purchased is now almost 3 years old and it drives magnificently. My son just purchased a BYD Seal; much cheaper, similar range, good, though not great performance.
I’ll keep the Volvo until it dies. Heck, I might buy a used one for the better half. No regrets whatsoever.
My thinking is purely around convenience.
EVs are terribly inconvenient for me now because I live in strata where there is no option for at home charging. I think if you don’t have at home charging - don’t buy an EV.
I’m really bemused at people who buy one and then surprise suprise hate it because of that.
My next vehicle will most likely be hybrid based on that.
The fuel efficiency is incredible in some hybrids now.
If a good value plug in hybrid version is available I might consider it(as public charging would be very quick and cater for most run about trips).
But otherwise something very light on fuel I can run the car into the ground.
I mean you can get credible figures of <4 litres per 100km. That’s say 8-12 dollars worth of fuel.
I’d be lucky to use 20 dollars in a week if that.
Battery tech is like all new tech. Always coming around.
Talking on Teslas, have you seen the depreciation on them?
(I think mainly because of ex lease vehicles)
And they are one car company that is actually cutting new car prices.
Definetly a used car bargain - better than chasing the latest battery tech
Good points, the thing I would be cautious about is Hybrids. Not a fan myself. There are 2 types a hybrid and a plug in hybrids. The standard hybrid imo is a wast of money, only uses electric engine at slow speeds. A plug in hybrid is better as it has a bigger battery which will run the car. More expensive and more complex though. My reason for not liking hybrids is thay are more expensive and complex than ICE cars, more maintenace, more to go wrong. You can get some very fuel effecient ICE cars now and you need to copnsider if the extra fuel efficiency is worth the extra cost, complexity and maintenance. It may be worth waiting untiil there are more longer range EV’s and more charging stations. When this happens which at the current rate of EV development won’t be long, the arse is really going to fall out of the ICE and hybrid market.
Nearly all of Toyotas cars(not hilux/landcruisers/GR sports) are going hybrid.
I don’t know about that reliability concern.
For example Prius has been around for years now. Are older ones any more expensive to service?
In fact Toyota was rated recently on reliability and it was their EV models which dragged down their score.
Their hybrid vehicles had above average reliability.
The new Camry is hybrid only and it’s a taxi/uber workhorse. Toyota wouldn’t be selling it hybrid only if reliability was a concern
It’s not about using electric at low speeds with the hybrids, it’s about using the different power sources in their most efficient way. They will use the electric motor at high speeds when you put your foot down for overtaking as that’s the most efficient way to provide the instant acceleration. The little petrol engine just runs in its sweet spot (think cruising) at all times rather than going up and down to the edges of the rev range in response to driving.
It’s a pretty sensible piece of tech for when a full electric makes no sense, and these things have 20 years of learning behind them, with the bugs having been ironed out.
Oh yeah and it’s not just Toyota.
Honda are doing the same thing.
It does for me. Mrs Ace loves her car but it’s overdue to be replaced and she will be going the EV option.
I’m going to hold off a bit longer and hope the European manufacturers can get sorted as that will be my strong preference
Toyota have had the same Hybrid system for over a decade. They are now going to put the BYD system into their cars. It is true that their EV is a piece of junk. Toyota quality has been getting worse as demonstrated by the increasing number of recalls they have. I think they are OK for reliabilty, it is just that it is getting worse. The point I was making was not that they are not reliable, it is that they are more expense to maintain. They have 2 engines and systems to drive the car, gotta cost more. My other point is that Hybrids are a transition vehicle. If you are travelling regular long didstances then yes it would probably be suited for you. Most people are just driving around town and therefore a EV would suit best. Horses for courses. The thing I will say is EV’s are getting huge improvemets all the time and it will be only a short time till people won’t want a Hybrid and they will devalue quickly. Thius is purely my opinion.
I can’t charge at home. Unless that changes a hybrid around town is perfect.
Regenerative braking just like EVs
Low fuel costs.
And flexibility that it will be useful on a long road trip.
I reckon EVs hit the sweet spot for the suburban person who drives maybe 80km a day every day and can plug in and charge from their solar for free a couple of days a week.
Maybe top up with off peak grid power at night if they need too.
They would save a packet in fuel and maintenance costs.
I agree that in your circumstance a Hybrid would suit. The only thing I would say is that we are very near tipping point for EV’s, this will result imo a quick devaluation of ICE and Hybrid cars. Not sure when it will come but it will come. I don’t think we are really that far apart. This is all just my unifomred opinion
There’s a very rapid devaluation in electric vehicles.
Take a look at the used prices for a Tesla 3.
And it will only get worse. You don’t buy an EV to save on depreciation.
I do agree though there are classes of regular old ICE vehicles that won’t find a home or if they do it will be dirt cheap
I think the devaluation of EV’s is more to do with the fact new ones are rapidly getting much much cheaper. It is a risk for sure, you have to decide if you will keep it for a long time or not. I have a friend who just purchased a KIA EV and decided to lease it instead of buy it for this reason. I will qualify this by say I am not an expert in the market and It is just based on my uniformed observations
Cheap leases too cause depreciation. That would be part of it.
But you can get a 3 year old long range Tesla 3 at just over 50% its value. Plenty of life left in the battery.
If I could pop a home charger in and was going to chalk up the kms with it, well I think it makes a pretty sensible used car buy.(ie drive it into the dirt instead of flip it)
I believe we agree Hanypoint. Not often this happens to me with other Blitzers so I am very happy.
I have a 2019 RAV4 hybrid. It gets over 700km per 50L tank, and that’s consistent in city or country or mixed driving. I’ve never had any work on it other than the one yearly (capped price so far, though that’s run out now) service; the car has done 78K km; and it still looks like new. I paid $45K for it in 2021 and it’s worth $35K now.
I don’t have concerns about economy or running costs.
I think this is a great result. What is your next purchase likely to be and when? I think when you buy next it might be a different world or it might not. I am now just raving lol
Quite possibly the same again, but the Cruiser rather than the base model, which is what I have now. I live in Melbourne and home charging there would be fine, but I spend a fair amount of time in Beech Forest and home charging there is not an option. Last time I looked there was one public charger in Colac. I might think about a plug in version if there is one by then. I’ll probably hang on to this one for another couple of years.
Just for you Tesla owners in here. 
Always amuses me that people get cars with white or cream leather seats.
I have friends in Cairns who got Tesla Y with white seats. They have two dogs so they paid heaps for dark leather seat covers.
Or a bike?