EVs - Test Drives and Impressions of NZ Available Models

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Master Geek

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#2995007 12-Nov-2022 08:52

Did a short test drive of an EV6. Most disappointing thing was the main display which puts the speed off to the left in quite small figures where it is partially hidden by the steering wheel. The speed limit notification is on the right. A vehicle graphic takes centre stage? Overall too busy and chaotic.

Anyway, it proved to be just too long for the garage so is out of contention.

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Batman

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#2995047 12-Nov-2022 09:50

Agree the screen display is one of the most stupid around, makes no sense

dklong

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#2995108 12-Nov-2022 14:34

Scotdownunder:

Did a short test drive of an EV6. Most disappointing thing was the main display which puts the speed off to the left in quite small figures where it is partially hidden by the steering wheel. The speed limit notification is on the right. A vehicle graphic takes centre stage? Overall too busy and chaotic.

Anyway, it proved to be just too long for the garage so is out of contention.

The 'Vehicle Graphic' in the centre can be changed to a number of different things, depending on your preference. Mine tends to be left on trip details. The main details on the right are the range and power/regen details.

I agree completely that the actual speed tends to be covered by the steering wheel or, in my seating position, my left thumb! However, I've got quite used to swinging my thumb up a bit to check my speed and this isn't a big enough issue to override the other good points of this car for my use case.

My wife took a Peugeot 2008 EV for a test drive recently and, in her seating position, the top of the rather small diameter steering wheel cut complete through the middle of the dash/main display making it completely unusable! :-)

Dingbatt

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#3012507 20-Dec-2022 19:00

I had the opportunity to drive a Mercedes GLE 400 for a couple of days. While it is an oil burner and doesn’t belong in this thread, its level of appointment and luxurious ride quality got me wondering what an electrified Mercedes might be like. So I recently took a

Mercedes EQC 400

for a test drive. As driven $155000.

Unlike a lot of other European sellers, Mercedes doesn’t offer a “poverty pack” version of the EQC in NZ that you then need to up spec with “packs”to get all the features. Things like the sunroof, TPS, HUD and heated front seats come as standard with the model sold here. Things like ventilated seats, heated rear seats, aluminium running boards, rear roller blinds and different alloy wheels can be optioned individually.

It has a 80kWh battery (not sure if that is total or useable) and I assume it is NCA chemistry, so normal daily charging to 80% and occasional 100% for trips. It is 400V, hence the 400 in its name. It is only available in dual motor configuration. My standard test drive course, driven conservatively, produced figures of about 195Wh/km (which was very similar to the EV6 and better than the i4 - both dual motor). So I reckon 350-380km on a full charge (WLTP 420km).

The interior lining is black and the rear passenger windows and the rear window are not huge, so with the sunroof shade closed, the rear is quite cavern like. The multi-colour ambient lighting system does ‘lift’ the interior a bit and the front seats in particular are pleasant to occupy. They are real leather and fully electrically adjustable, with memory function that includes steering wheel position. That is selectable via door button but I’m not sure if your profile is also linked to your phone like my TM3 is. Seats are firm but have good adjustment and lumbar support (important to me). Luggage area is pretty generous, with underfloor big enough for granny charger and puncture repair kit (no spare wheel).

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are wired. The “Basic Sound System” is pretty impressive. The driver’s display is quite ‘flat’ looking but is configurable to display navigation, economy, media, etc and controllable by a touch pad on the right spoke of the steering wheel. A similar touch pad on the left spoke can be used to control the centre infotainment screen, which can also be controlled by direct touch or the touchpad on the centre console. The screen is quite hi res and the MUx interface seems relatively intuitive, and of course there voice control that seems to be as good at deciphering my kiwi accent as most other (ie not great).

For the drive, the first thing I noticed was the EQC did not ride as smoothly as the GLE. But I think that is an engineering decision that most EVs are stuck with. A combination of battery weight and low rolling resistance wheels means a slightly harsher ride. Sound damping is on a par with the i4 I drove and better than all the ‘consumer grade’ EVs I have tested. If it had a pedestrian safe noise generator I couldn’t hear it. The vehicle didn’t feel as heavy on the road as the EV6 did.

Visibility to the rear and rear quarters (ie shoulder check) is not great due to the small rear window and large B and C pillars, you need to rely on the blind spot monitoring (which works well). Adaptive cruise and lane keeping also works well. It has a 360 birdseye parking display and good reversing camera, although the indication which ultrasonic sensor is sounding is quite small.

It is not rated to tow in NZ. When I quizzed the salesman about it, when it does have a tow rating in the UK, he said it was much more difficult to get a rating in Australia (and consequently NZ) than in the UK or Europe. So they don’t bother.

It is certainly a pleasant car to drive. Especially considering you’ll need to stop every 3.5 hrs to recharge. It is not as commanding a driving position or quite as comfortable as the GLE but it definitely fits into the luxury EV bracket.

I hopped back into my TM3, I was immediately happier with better visibility and lighter, more responsive feel on the road (at half the price).

@davidcole Hope this suffices for part of the request you made way back in July(?).

“We’ve arranged a society based on science and technology, in which nobody understands anything about science technology. Carl Sagan 1996

Dingbatt

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#3022898 17-Jan-2023 18:19

LDV eT60 Ute ($79990)

For the TL:DR geekzoners amongst you: In summary, yeah, nah.

Review
Proudly proclaiming to be NZ’s first electric ute, the eT60 is the pure electric version of LDV’s T60 dual cab diesel workhorse. To be fair, I drove both the diesel and electric versions on the same day on the same roads. Having only a modest amount of experience in the high riding utes (as differentiated from the old Holden and Falcon utes) I thought it would be useful to separate what was ‘Ute behaviour’ vs the electric side of things.

Firstly, the bi-turbo diesel was truly awful in its power delivery, not at all smooth, with sudden surges of power. So I thought the EV would be much better. It was smoother, but that was about it. The power delivery was positively anaemic for an EV and there was a constant whine from the rear mounted single motor that was audible over the road noise at anything over 80km/h. There was certainly no “punch in the back” during acceleration that I have got from every other EV I have tested. The eT60 felt more planted on the road, which I put down to the weight and position of the battery, but it also felt like it had more inertia when turning.

The level of appointment in the eT60 was disappointing for a $80K automobile. Apart from faux leather (manual) seats it really is the ‘poverty pack’ version akin to the base model T60 (elite - $46K). It has a key that needs to be inserted in the the steering column lock and turned to activate like a base model ICE vehicle. No fancy proximity key push button start here! Likewise, no keyless entry. On the steering wheel there is a blank plate where the cruise control switches are on the ICE versions. Rear parking sensors only. No wheel arch trims. It really gave me the impression that LDV had a bunch of chassis sitting around and they bunged a battery and electric motor into.

Tech-wise, there is no wireless phone charger. The centre display was clear and of a reasonable resolution and the UI was relatively intuitive. It has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (wired) which seemed to work okay and are required as there is no native Nav in the vehicle. The low speed pedestrian warning is clearly audible inside the vehicle and is like the annoying eeeeeeeeeeeee made famous in the movie Dumb and Dumber.
Capability-wise the eT60 can tow 1500kg braked (750 unbraked) and has a WLTP range of 330km from a 78kWh battery. It has an NCA chemistry, so 80% charging will be normal and therefore a day to day range of 240km (using 80% of WLTP-10%). And I would suggest halving that when towing a trailer. It has a payload capability of 750kg (GVM-Kerb Weight) or can tow up to its max (GCM-Kerb Weight) but not at the same time. There is a reason the ad on TV shows it towing a tiny dinghy out of the water OR carrying 4 people OR carrying supplies in the tray.

I came away from this test drive quite disappointed. I wanted it to be good. But since “ute” is short for “utility” I think it falls short. It may suit the construction boss who travels from site to site but does carry any loads. Or the government department that is required to have a certain proportion of “Clean”. Vehicles even if they aren’t suited to the role.

Hopefully there will be more capable EVs coming in this vehicle class.

“We’ve arranged a society based on science and technology, in which nobody understands anything about science technology. Carl Sagan 1996

lchiu7

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#3023163 18-Jan-2023 11:08

Batman:

BYD

tl;dr - all i'd say is it drives better than most ICE cars i've driven

road noise - one of the worst. i qualify that with blind perception and also with a SPL dB meter (not a phone app). could be due to the Batman tyres (sorry I need to talk to Alfred)

wind noise - really noticable. not even windy today.

boot space - below average for an ICE car, about average for an EV. didn't measure but looks about the same as Leaf 40kwh

steering wheel - a bit tight but it goes where you point it

handling - handles better than most ICE cars

max acceleration when pointing straight - the car does not track straight, it's everywhere. a bit worse than high powered ICE cars but luckily you're saved by the 160kW ceiling

corners - better than most ICE cars but about average for an EV. not much road lean.

turn circle - exactly the same as Nissan Leaf 24kwh

sound system - from 40 Hz all the way, above average, probably good for a car.

range - drive like mad man - 2.4wh/km drive without caring 1.6wh/km. i'd say very good.

Just a few observations as a 4 month BYD owner.

Rear trunk space is okay but I wish when you folded down the seats it provided a lie flat area. The other day I had to transport an old drier for recycling folded down both rear seats and then had to lift over a hump to get it over the rear seats.

Regen is a bit modest. Even on max, it's hardly noticeable. While one pedal driving would be nice (I tested the M3, EV6, new Leaf and Polestar 2 before buying the BYD) and all had better regen.

Haven't noticed the wind noise. The tyres could be better as I do notice some roll as you turn corners as slightly higher speeds, but that is not annoying enough for me to replace all tyres.

The car has a NFC reader on the right wing mirror that you can use a card to unlock the car and then drive it. The trouble is, if you are sitting in the car waiting for somebody so you switch the engine off, you cannot unlock the car using the card from inside the car as there is no NFC reader in the car. You have to step out and tag it again on the wing mirror. That is mildly annoying and might be evn more so if it's raining hard. Of course this issue does not occur if you have the physical key or as people are mentioning, when BYD finally release their app.

Batman

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#3059164 4-Apr-2023 20:46

Atto 3 tear down

https://carnewschina.com/2023/04/03/byd-atto-3-yuan-plus-teardown-revealed-a-lot-of-high-end-tech-on-board/

Dingbatt

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#3059201 5-Apr-2023 06:10

Batman:

Atto 3 tear down

…..snip….

So not an EV Test Drive then?

Please don’t pollute this thread with articles and videos people can find for themselves. I started it to give GZers the opportunity to provide their impressions of vehicles they have tried, to help others.

I note you posted the same link in the BYD thread, where it belongs.

“We’ve arranged a society based on science and technology, in which nobody understands anything about science technology. Carl Sagan 1996

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#3059206 5-Apr-2023 07:04

tested 2015 Nissan Leaf

it's like a electric go kart

corners well

low noise

heated steering and seats perfect for south island

love the Bose

Batman

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#3059207 5-Apr-2023 07:06

tested a 2013 Leaf

brakes were on or off, almost got rear ended

very strange

Batman

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#3059208 5-Apr-2023 07:07

unfortunately no way to test a Tesla in Dunedin, if only they had a showroom here

RunningMan

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#3059367 5-Apr-2023 14:28

Batman:

tested a 2013 Leaf

brakes were on or off, almost got rear ended

very strange

Off topic, but there's firmware updates to address this issue I think. Go check the LEAF thread.

billgates

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#3064058 15-Apr-2023 20:45

BMW iX1 xDrive30 M Sport Package

RRP $105k as specified in demo car. My ideal spec for this model is $101k RRP which includes the $2500 towbar. All iX1 models in NZ also come supplied with both the granny and 22kW wall charger. The AC charger inside NZ models supports 22kW AC charging which is optional in Europe as it comes with 11kW there.

I did a 2.5hour test ride today on the M spec iX1 with 19" wheels. I reset the journey data before leaving the dealership. IIRC it was 98% charged with 328KM or 348KM showing in the range. The car had already done 1300km of test rides before and consumption average was 22.8kWh when I started my test ride. I expected consumption average to be high because anyone test riding these will always over speed. I drove a mix of 50kmh, 80kmh, 100kmh, 110kmh and few much higher speeds around town and Waikato expressway. The dealer had set adaptive brake regenrartion on the test car instead of one pedal mode. Weather was warm around 23 degrees, roads dry but very windy.

Driving to the dealership, I went in my 2021 Mazda CX-5 Turbo Takami petrol and sound decibel meter was reading 80dbB on Waikato expressway traveling at 110km/h. The iX1 on same expressway at 110km/h was a reading 60dB. There was still wind noise coming through but it was noticeable quieter than CX-5 and the super windy day did not help.

To my surprise the adaptive regeneration break recouped 7.7kWh which calculated to be 38.5KM returned to battery on 125KM of driving. The ride was extremely comfortable and the car gripped so well around tight corners at high speeds. The adaptive suspension in the BMW is miles ahead of my CX-5. It also passed the wife test. Both kids seats on ISO fix points in the back left both me and wife's front seats witth plenty of leg room adjustability for front seats which is not possible with CX-5. The lumbar massages running on the both front seats were awesome and you can change both the speed and level of massages individually for front seats. The demo car was equipped with real leather Vernesca without any perforations and it was warm inside the car so my back did get a little sweaty. If we go ahead with the BMW, I would spec them with Sensatec Vinyl leather which has perforations and is $2800 cheaper.

The AR navigation during turns are awesome. The cameras are of high quality prob 4K? They are very clear. You can record previous 20 seconds and next 20 seconds by holding a physical button on the armrest for 2 seconds and export it to USB or view it on the infotainment screen. It automatically records the previous 20 seconds and next 20 seconds in the event of a crash. My wife tried the automatic reverse from car park feature and it self indicated and pulled out of carpark without any user intervention. The Harmon Kardon speakers were loud and very clear vocals.

The parcel tray cover is basic and feels cheap compared to the CX-5 which is the best I have seen so far. The tow bar comes out and hides very quickly on demand underneath the rear of the car with the press of a button. My Thule twin ebike rack holder with 50mm coupler node to my surprise fitted just fine with no give on the 47mm to bar ball.

The tech inside is very impressive and the ride quality is excellent. I like the M spec now over X-line. The best little feature which is a big bear in both our CX-5 and Kia Seltos is you need to press the Auto Hold button every time you turn ON the car. The iX1 remember the turn ON setting forever. Auto Hold was now enabled every time I turned OFF and ON the car.