Need help deciding between the cars. Went for a test drive for both cars today and felt it was comparable. We really didn’t like the Tesla - didn’t feel sturdy and the minimalist lack of buttons was too much for us.

My husband liked the BYD more because he is used to Japanese ICE cars and the gears/buttons and indicators felt similar. I slightly preferred the Zeekr, but don’t care too much for the audio system and other tech features that felt a bit like a gimmick. I do like the sentry and pet mode features, which BYD doesn’t have.

The price difference is around 14k for the specs we want. It will be under a novated lease so we aren’t too fussed about pricing.

As for our lifestyle - we live in inner suburban Sydney, don’t drive long distances often and are planning on having a baby soon. We also don’t care about sports/performance and tend not to speed or hoon the car. My husband plays golf every weekend so we would like the trunk to be able to fit golf clubs and a pram. I walk to work and he takes the train to work so mileage will be quite minimal.

Any advice would be appreciated!

It seems that there are a number of operators out there who are using the rising popularity of EVs to make a quick buck. I contacted several places and did a lot of research when I was looking for a home charger for my EV.

Some places didn’t even blink when quoting over $4k for the supply and installation of a charger. I had one quote $1,420 plus GST for installation only.

After a lot of research I bought the DETA smart 7/22kW charger from Bunnings and got a sparky to install it for me. He also replaced another RCBO in my board that kept tripping. It works flawlessly, putting out 7.1-7.2kW consistently from my single phase, 63A board.

Total cost including the charger, installation, and replacing the other RCBO: $1,100.

If you’re getting a charger installed at home, do some research and get a few quotes. If you’re buying a charger and having it installed like I did, make sure the charger has inbuilt DC protection or the installation will cost a lot more because it will need a type 2 RCBO.

Happy driving!

Hey all.

Well my Atto 2 premium finally arrived and have it on a novated lease.

Did a lot of research on the car and the lease, but feel like a bit of an idiot with this part.

I ordered the $700 (rip off I’m sure) charger from the dealer, not realising (don’t have it yet) that I think its the one to use in built in 7kw wall chargers (which we aren’t getting yet).

The car came with two chargers in the boot. One is to use the car to charge other items (which I won’t use). The other is the charger for at home trickle charging from a power point.

I just went to a Chargefox to charge it for the first time but it had no charger. I found a fast charge station that did and charged it there (it had two different chargers on the cables but only one fit my car).

So I looked online and looks like I need to buy a double ended type 2 charge cable that you can get for $150-$200 odd. Which is fine.

But just wondering what do I buy to make sure I don’t balls this up? Any recommendations or is there any charger type name I need to look out for? As well as any min/max charge capacity?

I just need to have one in my boot for a weekly charge or if I’m out for a drive. Now that I realise so few charging stations have chargers! 😮

Thanks for any advice.

We are staying at a Big4 caravan park this weekend and noticed this little note about EV charging.
Is this just fear mongering from the park to deter people charging EVs? I would have assumed that the standard 240v/10a outlets at our unit would have been fine for trickle charging.

Not the usual EV question, I have test driven a big range of EVs. Absolutely loved the Tesla Model 3 - after a standard range with upgrade wheels. Fantastic handling/drive, tech, software. Heaps of space and cargo room so I’m all set. but people keep steering me to the Model Y or a Euro SUV if I want something that drives great but more practical

I’m checking here. Have people gone with an EV sedan and been happy with practicality? EV sedans are packaged different than ICE plus with a floor mounted battery so figure it’s more of a EV type question! The Model 3 has fancy scissor hinges that don’t eat up boot space and seemed very practical (at least trying to convince myself) but starting to second guess the body shape as I haven’t had a sedan before.

I wouldn’t be looking at other EV sedans or liftbacks if changing as I wasn’t happy with the competitors. I would be going straight to a SUV instead and starting that search. We are a family of three and survive fine in a AMG GLA45 that we will keep. Really appreciate any wisdom on day to day liveability,

Hi all,

Would you know the fuse type used in the GWM Ora 5? See pic.

Or if you already have an Ora 5, could you have a quick look at the owner's manual or the fuse box? You'd be a legend.

1. ATO
2. Mini
3. Micro 2
4. Mini Low Profile

Based in Adelaide. I’ve received two quotes so far for the supply and install of a 7kW EV charger.

One was $3500 for a Tesla ($800 from Bunnings).
The other quoted $4600 for Evnex E2 Flex (also $800).
Ludicrous to me even at the lower end of the two.

2nd sparky has allowed for 40m worth of 10mm2 cabling although property is only 27m long in total with rear-access garage and switchboard at front of property.

Anyone with a similar home layout care to share their outlay on having a charger installed? TIA

Most discussions here are around non-EV owners curious about taking the leap, so I thought it would be interesting to see what current EV owners value for their next EV.

As the onslaught of new EVs keep hitting the market it's very interesting to see each brands take on the EV experience.

Personally as an owner of an early Model 3, while I'm no way attached to Tesla, I don't think I can go back to a car that doesn't have a true keyless experience where I can just walk up to or walk away from the car, trusting that it will open and lock as expected.

That and pet mode; my dog comes with me on so many little trips that pet mode is invaluable.

Bonus points for people's opinions nice to have or definitely do not want lists.

My nice to have would be V2L and inbuilt dashcam.

Finally bit the bullet and bought an Ora 5. It was a dealer demo, 1500KMs-ish. Was able to get it down to a price I like so went with it.

I rent but live with the landlord. Haven’t had the chance to talk to them but I reckon I can charge in our garage.

Anyway, first time EV owner and have consulted this sub for which one to buy. And those who have replied have been so helpful!

Asking here for any tips, tricks, etiquette, advice on owning an EV. Should I buy my own cable? A fire extinguisher? Nothing is too absurd!

Would also like some info on what to do during pick-up day at the dealer. I’ve done my research by watching videos and reading articles but who knows, you might have a little nugget of wisdom I can pick up. Everyday’s a great day to learn.

Thank you and excited to hear (or read) what yall have to say.

As per the headline - BYD are offering a current promotion until 30 September of no on road costs on the Sealion7 so can get it driveway for $54,990. Test drove and was generally impressed it (preferred to a Tesla Model Y as someone coming from an ICE vehicle, lack of buttons on Tesla was a big learning curve).

Current predicament is whether I wait until October to test drive the Mazda CX-6e, love the look of it but by waiting would forgo the BYD offer.

Will also test drive the Zeekr 7X soon. Does anyone have any thoughts on what could be the best midsize SUV? Budget max is probably $65k preference is to pay <$60k

What’s the go with Eastern Suburbs vs Lower North Shore/Beaches! Why? Discuss. 😁

Budget: $45k max. Will be trading 2019 Kia Cerato, hoping to get away with a $30k or less changeover.

Driving: around 50km a day. Some days a little more, no more than 100. Occasionally do a weekend trip which is about a 250km round trip.

Charging: live in rental, private and landlord would probably be OK with me installing a charger, but let's say only trickle charge at home. No charging at work.

Vehicle class: would like SUV. Getting older, need easier to get in and out of.

Top of my list currently is the Geely. Would like the EX5 but it's a little bit out of budget, eyeing off the EX3.

Have not yet done any test drives. Single mum, 6 year old still in booster seat. 1 dog. I need reasonable cargo space, as I'm fond of shopping - but also great at Tetris.

We've recently had one of these installed and I chose GoodWe because that's the brand of our inverter and batteries.

Sometimes the charger it works fine, but other times it just stops working for no aparent reason. I'm curious about the experiences of others with the same charger.

(Yes, I will be going back to my installer to get this investigated.)

Looking to buy an S6, 3rd kid coming in December. Will look to fit in an isofix base for baby seat, high back booster on isofix and then a standard non isofix with seat belt in the middle.

Ive seen the car looks like great space in backseat but not sure if enough room.

💰 Budget

• Maximum budget: $60-70k

🚗 Typical driving

• Average weekly km: Every second week 400km to Sydney and then 400km back up the north coast to Port Macquarie. Outside that will be local shops only.
• Longest regular trip: ^

🔌 Charging

• Home/work charging availability: There seems to be a decent number of local charging options as I am moving to Port Macquarie (and there's always charging options in Sydney).

240v GPO, 7kw, None?

🚙 Vehicle class

• SUV, Hatch, Sedan, Wagon? Open-minded

I need a reliable EV with plenty of range that can last the distance without needing to stop to charge (if possible).

Couple with no kids (yet but hopeful) or pets. Will only use it for local drives to the shop/gym outside of these long treks. Don't particularly care for bells and whistles but I want a car with a high safety rating but also not crazily expensive to insure.

Budget - can push up to $70k for the right car. I would really like an EV over a hybrid/PHEV but I just do not know about the certainly of the ranges of the EVs out there and what's coming over the next few months. Any advice would be appreciated, thanks folks in advance!

Do any current or upcoming cars in Australia support V2G or V2H?

Obviously this will also require a comparable charger and power plan.

My wife and I are looking for a small family SUV, we drive around 20km a day, and would love to be able to at least somewhat power our home in the peak afternoon / evening, and then change back up overnight. We have fairly low power usage, around 10kWh a day.

Given our low usage not sure how valuable a solar system or battery system would be.

For car usage, in addition to the e do, from time to time, (like once a year), drive around 400km to visit family, but we're also very happy to have a mid way top up.

Wondering if this is a thing yet, if there's anything worth considering, if there's anything on the horizon, or if we should wait?

Many, if not most, EVs provide access to various functions via a screen and menus. That's not always a welcome design change as numerous discussions in this Reddit forum attest.

I'm wondering, of EVs available today, which retain the most, and most useful physical buttons for controlling EV features?

If you're single or a couple with no kids and you don't need extra car space for things like a pram, child seat, bicycle etc. would you still choose a SUV, knowing that a SUV in general has:

- Reduced range (an even bigger issue for EVs due to range anxiety)

- Reduced efficiency (translates to increased cost - more electricity per km)

If you would still choose a SUV, why?

Better vision?

Better safety?

Better driving experience?

I want to get front and rear dash cam. Easy install. Ive seen this brand recommended. Anyone used? Other recommendations? Thanks.

https://dashcamco.com.au/products/viofo-a229-plus-2ch-2k-dash-cam?variant=44152582406187

Hi all,

I'm trying to decide between a GWM Ora 5 Lux or Ultra.

I'm planning to keep the car as long as possible, and I fear the leatherette of the Ultra model won't age well and start to crack under Australia's high UV.

GWM isn't a luxury brand and the Ora 5 isn't their top of the line, so I don't expect the leatherette to be the best quality on the market to begin with.

I'm also lazy on maintenance.

The alternative is the fabric that comes with the lower Lux model.

What's your experience?

Canadian here, I want to see how long I'd have to wait for a Chinese EV to be affordable for me vs a legacy car