Three months in with an EV

[X5Sport]

I’ve had my M50 (i4 version of the M4 ~well nearly) for three months now and so far I’m very impressed.

The running costs are the biggest thing. In a normal 3 month period, my diesel costs were around £850. I’m still using about 1/2 tank/month but that is because of the mileage limits on my BMW PCP (15,000/yr).

Charging costs for the car over the same period has been £262 (2,760 miles), so even with adding the purchase of diesel (£140) that still more than halves my fuel bills. I don’t need to use public charging as I have my own connection. BMW do provide subsidised public power for the first year which would help if I’d needed it.

About 90% of my annual mileage is commuting and in these cost conscious times that saving is significant.

Driving wise, electric cars are really simple. Power delivery in normal use (Eco Pro) is incredible smooth and completely silent. The car has external noise generators front and rear to warn of its approach, a kind of low hum that stops above 20mph, but you don’t hear that in the cabin. Select Sport mode and 475 horses are available instantly. Select Sport Boost and that increases to 544bhp for 10 seconds - enough to cover 1/4 mile in less than 12 seconds.

But that’s not what EVs are about really. Sure, everyone likes to bandy figures about for bragging rights, but it’s not what I bought the car for. I wanted the 300-mile range (which it will get to, just), comfort and lower running costs. I’m not an eco-warrior, but even I can see there’s trouble brewing. The recent scenes from around the Med, Canada and parts of the Far East are showing that something has to be done and soon.

If you had asked me a couple of years back about going to an EV, I would have said that the tech isn’t there. Actually I was wrong, the tech is absolutely there - though hydrogen may be the longer term future - EVs are very easy to live with and drive. The i4 being based upon the G26 4-series platform looks like any standard 4-series. Same body, same interior, same looks, just no exhaust pipes or IL6 engine. It drives just like the BMWs we’re all used to, and to me that’s important. I’ve owned BMWs for 20-years now and even though I’ve tried other marques, I keep gravitating back to BMW.

If you get the chance, go and try an EV, you might be very surprised. I’m keeping the X6, but that is for very long journeys. Not because of the range limit of the i4, but because of the charging infrastructure where I go in Wales. That’s a specific use case. For the rest of the time the i4 is a fantastic car.

[Leslie]

Interesting update I thought you were not doing many miles now but sounds like you are doing near 20k a year Ev is most definitely here for the future now as the government is planning to ban everything else to make it so I'm sure you are glad you kept the x6 as it's still a nice old bus and we do love our toys . I mostly only see Teslas round here and very few at that so far but things are certainly starting to change which will rapidly affect the government tax take when it happens with the loss of fuel revenue and they road price per mile is likely I do wonder how that will work when say 50% electric and 50 % fuel cars on the road

[X5Sport]

When I changed jobs 8 years ago I went from full-time WFH to 5-days in the office and 30 miles away, hence my mileage jumping up again, Retirement (for me) is now less than 4-years off so the i4 will likely be our last lease/PCP. Road Tax for EVs starts in 2025 as HMG have picked up in the fact that the switch means less revenue from that source.

[Xman]

With EV, the running costs are certainly the biggest thing but I am not seeing myself having an EV anytime soon

[X5Sport]

If I was looking now, then I would have looked at something very different and cheaper. The cars need to come down a lot further than they are at present, as does insurance. My M50 has gone from £68k to over £80k now, and would be well out of my comfort zone. I was very lucky that the 14 month delivery delay allowed me to scratch much more savings together to keep the cost down.

The mass market EVs are coming (mostly from China) but cost of living pressures are hurting demand. There is also a lot of misinformation about batteries, tyres, servicing etc etc.

[Wayfarer]

My x5 was in for service last week and was lent an i4 for the day, my first experience of an all electric car, had a tootle around the Grassington, Hebden Bridge and Bolton Abbey area, very impressed with comfort and drivability, not so convinced about the wide screen info system to do just about everything, had to pull over and stop a couple of times to explore the menus, so not ideal and potentially dangerous in my view although I suppose one would get used to it. Impressed with the performance and range but on one of the lay-by stops to adjust air con, and take a few quick photos, noticed it was an M50, which explained the performance.
But can now see the potential of all electric for a future car, although suspect I’ll keep the X5 as long as possible to tow the caravan and for those longer trips.

A few photos

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[X5Sport]

I originally ordered that colour - Brooklyn Grey - but then so did everyone else! I went for Sunset Orange.

If you’d had it longer, you may well have discovered the key menu controls are all on the steering wheel, and selected from there.

Interestingly the EU have just started discussion with the industry about mandating the bringing physical buttons for key functions back in. As you rightly state, faffing around on a touch screen is dangerous when driving, and the EU thinks the same.