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This topic has 62 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 2 years, 10 months ago by PlaneMan.

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September 8, 2022 at 9:22 am #69923
Ed P
Participant
@edps
Forumite Points: 39
Our e-Niro is going in for its first 12 month service. So far both SWMBO and I are very pleased with the car. It gives a very pleasant drive with lots of reserve power if needed.

We have only had one minor problem with the car during the first year. The Android powered central control hub went scatty and once triggered, started displaying the rear-view camera picture continuously. It needed a car power on-off to reset it which was a bit of a pain as it takes maybe ten seconds to go through this cycle. Although this situation gives a much better rear view coverage than the rear view mirror, the idiot law-makers classify it as a TV and it is illegal to drive with it on in the UK! So it needed fixing pdq. (Apparently a known issue)
September 30, 2022 at 7:41 pm #70013
Drezha
Participant
@drezha
Forumite Points: 0
So it’s been a few weeks since it arrived. We’ve done over 500 miles in it now, across country down to Devon. On the motorway, it was fantastic – far more power than then Yaris, even with it’s 1L engine. MPG was about equal to the Yaris as we’d normally fit the roof box to the Yaris to visit my parents for a week, and we didn’t have to. To early to tell standard MPG around the town etc, but Fuelio will give us that data over time.

Adaptive cruise control is fantastic – I’ve missed that. Spent 6 hours travelling today on the motorway and rarely had to touch the brake or accelerator. Far more comfortable over the distance as well. The lane assist (or whatever the function is that keeps you in the lane), as that turned on with the cruise control was almost like self driving!

Will see how it gets on with local town driving over the next couple of weeks – we had it for week before going to Devon, but I’ll need some more time to see how I feel in the town with it.

"Everything looks interesting until you do it. Then you find it’s just another job" - Terry Pratchett
October 1, 2022 at 7:30 am #70014
Ed P
Participant
@edps
Forumite Points: 39
Nice looking car. What is your experience in using the brakes?

On our old Toyota Auris hybrid SWMBO found that there was only a very slight difference in foot pressure between low speed gentle braking and the car slamming on the anchors as the electric motor braking cut it. It caused her to get rear-ended twice at different junctions by drivers behind not leaving enough space!
October 1, 2022 at 1:16 pm #70015
PlaneMan
Participant
@planeman
Forumite Points: 196
Ed, Can’t speak for Drez but the feel of the brakes on my car is superb. I have mine set to the most aggressive regeneration level.

It’s like giving the brakes a firm but not panicky shove.

Drez, have you tried the cruise control in different driving modes yet? The graphic when there’s a car in front of you changes with the mode. In sport you get a Mustang, can’t remember what the others are.

Currently have a issue with one of my wheels, keeps losing air, even with a new tyre on. Wheel is being inspected Tuesday. Pain in the arse. Have to inflate it at least once a day, twice if I’m driving late afternoon /evening.
October 1, 2022 at 3:47 pm #70016
Ed P
Participant
@edps
Forumite Points: 39
@PM As it is a pretty new car, it probably is fitted with TPMS. You have eliminated tyre/valve problems by changing the tyre, so I’d guess that you have a TPMS sensor problem rather than a puncture or valve problem..

I wondered how my car ‘knew’ whether a specific tyre had too little air in it so I did an online search. This YouTube has the best explanation of TPMS that I could find, and how a mechanic can fix tyre sensor problems.
October 1, 2022 at 6:17 pm #70017
PlaneMan
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@planeman
Forumite Points: 196
Ed, unfortunately my compressors agree with what the car reports, within 1psi.

It’s definitely losing air.
October 1, 2022 at 7:46 pm #70018
Drezha
Participant
@drezha
Forumite Points: 0
Ed P wrote:

Drez, have you tried the cruise control in different driving modes yet?

I’ve not tried the different driving modes yet! Its on my plan to do, but I just got in and drove.

Wasn’t aware I could change the braking regen – I might have further look at the settings!

Only thing I do miss is auto handbrake. I also find it a bit odd that the auto start/stop only works when I hold the brake pedal down, so if I pull up at lights, put the handbrake on and then take my foot off the brake, the engine starts again.

"Everything looks interesting until you do it. Then you find it’s just another job" - Terry Pratchett
October 1, 2022 at 8:12 pm #70019
PlaneMan
Participant
@planeman
Forumite Points: 196
Yours is an auto as far as I can remember.

In my manual if I put it in neutral at roughly 14 mph the engine cuts off.

I’ve literally coasted for 100s of meters on my trips around the M25.
October 2, 2022 at 7:02 am #70020
Drezha
Participant
@drezha
Forumite Points: 0
It is auto – and it does cut out at lower speeds if my foot’s on the brake.

Benefit of auto was the traffic jam assist whilst I was stuck on the M42 on Friday. Car would basically drive itself through the jam, starting and stopping as needed. Impressive technology these days!

"Everything looks interesting until you do it. Then you find it’s just another job" - Terry Pratchett
October 2, 2022 at 7:31 am #70021
PlaneMan
Participant
@planeman
Forumite Points: 196
If you drive in heavy traffic a lot then an auto makes sense.

Even in my car the radar cruise control is handy at low speed in traffic. On the M25 if it’s bad I generally leave it in second and set top speed to 16mph. That works well mostly.
October 2, 2022 at 6:57 pm #70022
Ed P
Participant
@edps
Forumite Points: 39
PlaneMan wrote:

It’s definitely losing air.

As you have changed the tyre, that sounds rather like a valve stem problem. I hope that it is something just as cheap and simple.
October 2, 2022 at 7:10 pm #70024
PlaneMan
Participant
@planeman
Forumite Points: 196
I hope it’s simple.

The cost isn’t an issue for me, Motability pick up the tab.

Ford told me that if it’s the wheel, could be 3 weeks until they can get one. And then supply it to Kwik Fit. 😕
October 2, 2022 at 7:25 pm #70025
Ed P
Participant
@edps
Forumite Points: 39
Drezha wrote:

starting and stopping

Does it use the main big hybrid battery to do the starting and stopping, or a poxy little 12v lead-acid thing?

Toyota had a REALLY irritating design (which saved them peanuts in the cost of an extra inverter) and used a 12v auxiliary battery to run all the electronics, engine management etc. Unlike the big hybrid battery the cheap 12v battery typically only lasted 12-24 months and left the car dead in the water when it failed. Even worse, the 12v thing only had a 12 month warranty. BAH!

Although I rant at Toyota for this carp design, it was a common car manufacturing cost cutting trick at the time we bought the Auris. Even our e-Niro still has the same irritating issue.

Tesla has now recognised that this design is deeply unpopular with many drivers, and now somehow use part of their main battery pack to run the 12v electronics.
October 4, 2022 at 6:57 am #70046
PlaneMan
Participant
@planeman
Forumite Points: 196
It uses the hybrid battery and the regen motor.

I’m almost certain there is no stand alone starter motor.
April 21, 2023 at 6:09 am #70613
PlaneMan
Participant
@planeman
Forumite Points: 196
25 months and over 30,000 miles so far and I still love this car.

Only had minor problems, bad luck or daft passengers were the cause in all cases.

Had to have another 2 new tyres because of slow punctures.

One caused by a pothole and another caused by wire, possibly from a lorry blowout.

The fuse panel cover in the passenger footwell was removed by my brother and his clumsy feet. 10 minutes and some new plastic clips and the local Ford dealer fixed it.

I love the way you can throw it down a backroad, park easily, get loads in the boot and cruise at motorway speeds with power to spare. The seat massage has been amazing on my sometimes 5 or more hours one way trips into England. Being stuck in traffic on the M25 is a bit more bearable knowing that my back won’t be in bits when I get out.
April 26, 2023 at 7:03 pm #70614
Ed P
Participant
@edps
Forumite Points: 39
This Spring has been the coldest I remember for years (apparently have to go back some 40 years to find one nearly as cold). Unfortunately it has brought out one large downside to a full EV – all car heating comes from the battery, which of course brings with it big range issues. We did however find out why EVs have heated car seats. Heated seats are actually nicer and more comfortable than heating the whole car, and they just sip battery life. As a result the air in the Kia is really chilly but we are very comfotable with no range concerns. In fact the wife had her seat set to max heating then quickly found out she was no longer capable of wearing ‘hot pants’!
April 26, 2023 at 8:32 pm #70615
PlaneMan
Participant
@planeman
Forumite Points: 196
I’d love to go full electric for my next Motability car, need to order roughly December for March odd delivery (in theory).

I now do anywhere from 400 to 600 miles on a long weekend to see my girlfriend. Which is on average every 3-4 weeks

Can’t charge at home, can’t charge at her place. From all the actual, real world range tests I’ve seen the motorway speed, cold weather range drops off a cliff for full EVs.

I despise motorway services, even the well looked after ones.

My Puma has done over 450 miles on almost a full tank of petrol, I don’t hang about but I don’t drive like a lunatic either.
April 27, 2023 at 7:18 pm #70617
Ed P
Participant
@edps
Forumite Points: 39
Currently we don’t do much long distance driving, in fact the longest trip we take is a round trip of about 160 miles, and we would find your mileage a bit of a challenge without using one of the motorway charging points (I say that as even high speed charging needs a coffee break or something to pass the time). We are fairly fortunate in have a lot of charging outlets in our area (check out the Zap-Map app to see how your area is served as Wales and the West Country seems to have relatively few outlets).

Because our weekly mileage is modest most of our charging is done over-night using a 13 amp socket in the garage. The cheap rate time is just about enough to add 15% to the battery(< two overnights to cover a 160mile trip). The relatively long time to recharge is due to charging rates dropping like a stone above 80%, for which reason we normally only charge to the 80% level.
April 27, 2023 at 7:58 pm #70618
PlaneMan
Participant
@planeman
Forumite Points: 196
Ed, the chargers around here are mainly fairly slow ones.

The ones that work, that is.

Motorway charging is, from what I’ve seen at the services, at best hit and miss. Frequently lots of people waiting to charge.

It’s a shame because when I’m home a EV would mostly work, I could have a 11kw charger installed at mum’s place and there are some brilliant EVs available on the Motability scheme for up front payments I could afford.
April 27, 2023 at 10:23 pm #70619
JayCeeDee
Participant
@jayceedee
Forumite Points: 228
Ed P wrote:

The relatively long time to recharge is due to charging rates dropping like a stone above 80%, for which reason we normally only charge to the 80% level.

EV Batteries will also last longer if you stop at 80%, less stress on the battery and electrics. Great info HERE.

PM – There are some chargers at local IKEA’s – Cardiff, Reading and Lakeside, if they’re anywhere near your route to the girlfriend.
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