Are smaller wheels now the more expensive option? Used to be the other way round.
They’re typically only available on the absolute poverty spec models and even then they’re still going to be something like 18".
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18" I can live with, but the skinnier the tyres the more exponentially expensive they become and less comfortable.
It’s too expensive for the amount of money I’m willing to spend on it. For me, a car is first and foremost a practical means of getting from A to B. I do care about its looks and colour, but at a lower price!
Just back from a 3 day trip to the south of France, what I noticed on the motorway was that EV drivers tend to drive slower that ICE drivers, is that because they are looking at the battery or just not bother with time?
Probably a bit of both. I read somewhere that 110 km/h was the max recommended speed for the R5 for battery usage.
I definitely slowed down when I bought my EV. It was more a psychological thing than any conscious effort to save battery. Driving an EV is a quieter calming experience.
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Back when I first got one I tended to run at 110 rather than 130 to conserve range. Now I just run as I used to do in an ICE unless I’ve worked out some cunning time saving plan. I find I do keep an eye on % left and distance to charger and to destination to see if I can out-optimise the SatNav. It’s fun 
Still haven’t heard from BMW or Bilbao about what’s happening to mine. However kitchen renovations progressing on schedule with unheard of levels of connectivity to the appliances. Can turn them on and off from anywhere in the World now. Progress 
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Only hiring an EV, I also agree, do people think the quieter vehicle makes you relax a bit and drive slower? In the same way that fast food restaurants use faster music to get people to push their crap done quickly.
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Slower? Yes, mostly because it’s more difficult to drown out the speed limit observer in the passenger seat.
More relaxed? Not really, see above.
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Has Sir contacted Martin Baker to see if they make a model that would fit his vehicle?
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We fairly regularly do a round trip to Caen or Ouistreham, a round trip of up to 165km. We’ve done similar trip many, many times over the years. About half the trip is on an autoroute.
Even before having EVs I found that keeping at 110km/h didn’t make the trip noticeably slower but it did make it less stressful &, of course, it used less fuel.
What I have noticed is that an EV’s lower centre of gravity (due to the weight of the traction battery under the floor) makes for faster cornering on N & D roads.
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The trick for a comfortable ride is to try and keep the change in rate of radial acceleration to a minimum. This is done on motorways using specific geometry for a given speed. On minor roads your only option is to vary your speed.
I agree with Badger … The very first thing I noticed with my VW ID3 was it was glued to the road ..no body roll and it went exactly where it was pointed .It and they are heavy cars My preferred travel speed is about 100 km/hr . The loudest sound on my journey back Friday of (370 +85 ) km was the air con keeping the car cool . Started with 100% charge on the granny charger and topped up at Aire Mont San Michael to 91% and that brought us to our ferry and then to home.. Average consumption over that was 15.3Kw per 100 Km.
Interesting wrinkle at the Aire was that since the chargers were very busy , they had a young guy directing traffic and ensuring people charged in order … We had a 5 minute wait before he gestured us into a bay.
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I find it a bit strange that EV drivers are more energy consumption aware than petrol drivers, who pay 2-3 times more for their energy. Yes, in the beginning the charger networks were not that developed, but nowadays finding a charger is not a problem.
I suspect it’s range anxiety, just trying to squeeze a few more km out of the battery at a more efficient speed.
One thing I have noticed, driving slowly in a quieter vehicle is how much harder it is to maintain concentration. When you’re pushing on a bit it demands your attention, but being sat quietly with ‘nothing’ to do makes me feel tired much sooner.
Not in my case ..lack of anxiety is worth the extra few minutes … And surprisingly I find very little difference in the range between 100 and 110 . Now the side roads wherever go to coastal areas ..getting above 50 can be a challenge ..and that does increase range.
Exactly.
I would suggest that EV drivers are possibly more climate aware.
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Pedant mode…
What you meant to say was…..
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