Don Fry Posted October 11, 2022 Share Posted October 11, 2022 Ron, these cars mimic where we were with electric models back then. and then the motor glider displaces small IC motors, and it moves up the ladder. If it suits, it’s good enough, if it does not suit, next year you might be happy. I take an agnostic view, I’ve not yet seen any reason to replace my worthless diesel box. Mind it’s 14 years old, still good, but I hope they get there, don’t actually want to spend out on an uncertain mid technology change dog. Ford did it with the Fiesta, Escort, Cortina, Transit. Still waiting for electric wake ups. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Gray Posted October 11, 2022 Share Posted October 11, 2022 Too true Don, my 3 year old 2 litre Toyota Corolla Estate hybrid returns 62 mpg which can be quite easily pushed to 72 mpg and given that my annual mileage is no more than 8K there is no pressing need to change other than to move away from petrol! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john davidson 1 Posted October 11, 2022 Share Posted October 11, 2022 3 hours ago, Ron Gray said: Took an MG 4 Trophy out for a test drive yesterday, I was very, very impressed. Build quality and standard of finish far better than I expected (OK there were a few cheapish plasticky bits in a couple of places but nothing major). Ride quality / comfort was excellent and both wind and road noise lower than I expected. Plenty of room inside, in fact the rear passengers are spoilt for space. Decent load size for a hatchback, might just get the Hurri's 82" wing in there! Range, for the Trophy circa 270 miles (the SE is 280) and interesting that it uses its 12v battery for heated screens etc, which is topped up from the main batteries, so for shortish journeys on cold, damp winter days should not see a detrimental effect on range. Performance was sparkling and regeneration settings gave it nearly one pedal driving (depending on which setting chosen). Also it creeps in at just under £32K (for some colours) so gets the £1500 gov allowance which has been reintroduced. So, all in all a brilliant EV which I would buy apart from............ The towbar has a 50Kg rating which means that it is a non starter for me as me and the wife have lecky 'bikes which weigh it at just under 25Kg each and when you add the bike carrier @18Kg the towbar weight is just too much. I guess the low weight carrying capacity (max towing weight is 500Kg!) is down to the car being a rear engined, rear wheel drive configuration. It's a great shame, however, next year will see 2 new versions of the 4, a twin motor 460 bhp (wow!!) sport model and an extra range version which may have a greater lugging capacity due to a heavier body weight. Could you use a strap or straps from the hatch top to support the weight? that is how my bike carrier is attached Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trevor Crook Posted October 11, 2022 Share Posted October 11, 2022 Ron, I think the reinstated plug in car grant is only being applied to cars that were ordered before it was taken away, as lead times are so long. The MG4 looks a seriously impressive car, all reviews I've seen have been very good. The interior in particular looks much nicer than an ID3. The £31k model you mention is the top spec Trophy long range, which is still several thousands less than an entry level ID3 too. If you can live with a range of around 200 miles and less goodies, the SE trim starts at £26k, with the long range in that trim adding about £2k. 7 year warranty too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul De Tourtoulon Posted October 12, 2022 Share Posted October 12, 2022 Roughly how the french system cons ev owners,,, so many different electric company's and contracts with car builders, If you don't understand I will translate,, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattyB Posted October 12, 2022 Share Posted October 12, 2022 14 hours ago, john davidson 1 said: Could you use a strap or straps from the hatch top to support the weight? that is how my bike carrier is attached The strap attached carriers are horrible things which stop you opening the boot, wobble about loads and have far lower max carrying weights than the towbar mounted ones. You also generallyhave to lift the bike up very high, not easy with 20kg+ ebikes. I hate mine ever since I nearly lost a brand new ~£2k mountain bike on the way back from picking it up from the bike shop!. I only ever use it if I need to carry the whole families bikes in one go (for two or less I use some very sturdy roof mounted carriers that are far more secure and easy enough to load for a non-e-bike). If I ever get a full fat ~EMTB I will definitely choose a car that can take a tow bar mount, though as has been pointed out that make get increasingly difficult to find... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Gray Posted October 12, 2022 Share Posted October 12, 2022 (edited) My carrier is tow bar mounted and has a load rating of 60Kg, necessary for 2x ebikes. It also pivots back to the horizontal, even with the ‘bikes on it, allowing me to get into the boot. I guess that I could also attach straps to it to the top hinge line of the hatch but that load is still on the rear of the car. Wifey has suggested waiting for a couple of years which, for once, isn’t a bad one! PS buying ebikes has been the best buy of the year (yes, even better than my Laser purchases!) Edited October 12, 2022 by Ron Gray 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john davidson 1 Posted October 12, 2022 Share Posted October 12, 2022 Thinking of selling my Triumph Tiger Cub and buying an E-bike ( should get around £2,000) ,or getting a front wheel conversion. Probably too attached to the Cub to sell it so might go for a kit, anyone done it? I have a nice mountain bike, ideal for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel R Posted October 12, 2022 Share Posted October 12, 2022 2 hours ago, MattyB said: for two or less I use some very sturdy roof mounted carriers that are far more secure and easy enough to load for a non-e-bike The boot lid mounted carriers are disastrous rubbish. I have Atera roof bars and carriers where the fork mounts direct to the carrier, they are excellent bits of kit. Rock solid. I sometimes use a 'standard' Thule carrier for bikes without easily removable wheel, which is also excellent. Can even get a couple of bikes up top alongside the roofbox (well, bag in my case) for trips away (kids, dogs, bikes, luggage, kitchen sink). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Gray Posted October 12, 2022 Share Posted October 12, 2022 I wouldn’t like trying to lift a 25Kg ebike onto a roof rack! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattyB Posted October 12, 2022 Share Posted October 12, 2022 1 hour ago, Nigel R said: The boot lid mounted carriers are disastrous rubbish. I have Atera roof bars and carriers where the fork mounts direct to the carrier, they are excellent bits of kit. Rock solid. I sometimes use a 'standard' Thule carrier for bikes without easily removable wheel, which is also excellent. Can even get a couple of bikes up top alongside the roofbox (well, bag in my case) for trips away (kids, dogs, bikes, luggage, kitchen sink). Yeah, my roof ones are Thule, they even have a torque limit on the arm that grabs the downtube to stop delicate frames getting crushed. Expensive but so good, and as you say two bikes go alongside a roof box easily, three if one is a kids bike. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Harris - Moderator Posted October 12, 2022 Share Posted October 12, 2022 I know nothing about ebikes but would removing the batteries for transport make the use of these holders more practical? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattyB Posted October 12, 2022 Share Posted October 12, 2022 1 hour ago, john davidson 1 said: Thinking of selling my Triumph Tiger Cub and buying an E-bike ( should get around £2,000) ,or getting a front wheel conversion. Probably too attached to the Cub to sell it so might go for a kit, anyone done it? I have a nice mountain bike, ideal for it. If all you do is ride on roads or gentle trails and your bike is a hardtail, a conversion is fine, though I far prefer the rear wheel hubs to the front. If you actually want to properly mountain bike (either in bike parks of more testing natural trails with proper descents that require decent full suspension) don't go there - hub motors add too much unsprung weight, and really affect the steering when added to the front. They also give a very unnatural riding feel compared to the best crank mounted systems from Bosch, Shimano etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattyB Posted October 12, 2022 Share Posted October 12, 2022 (edited) 6 minutes ago, Martin Harris - Moderator said: I know nothing about ebikes but would removing the batteries for transport make the use of these holders more practical? Ebikes have moved on from the "box stuck to the downtube" of old, and are often now highly integrated. As a result removing the battery is often not easy - sometimes you need to remove the BB to do so. They do look a whole lot slinkier though; some of the most recent lightweight ones you'd barely guess they were powered, at least until you saw the price tag...! Edited October 12, 2022 by MattyB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Gray Posted October 12, 2022 Share Posted October 12, 2022 (edited) My Scott, which is a crank motor (Bosch) hybrid (my days of mountain biking are long since gone!) has a removable battery mounted in the downtube so could be removed for travel purposes, my wife's Bergamont is the same. Each battery (625 Wh)weighs circa 3.5Kg so it still doesn't make enough difference for me. BTW, having said that my mountain biking days are a thing of the past, during a few days away last week we 'cycled' mainly off road and included one section that was decidedly rocky, tree stumpy and quite steep, the Scott made short work of that. But the best bit was a long gradual 3 mile uphill drag against 25mph winds, what a joy it was to have e assist! Edited October 12, 2022 by Ron Gray 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattyB Posted October 13, 2022 Share Posted October 13, 2022 16 hours ago, Ron Gray said: My Scott, which is a crank motor (Bosch) hybrid (my days of mountain biking are long since gone!) has a removable battery mounted in the downtube so could be removed for travel purposes, my wife's Bergamont is the same. Each battery (625 Wh)weighs circa 3.5Kg so it still doesn't make enough difference for me. Yes, removeable batteries are much more common in the hybrid market. For reasons of strength, lighter weight and aesthetics the lightweight eMTBs and e-road bikes are increasingly coming with batteries that slide into the downtube from the bottom - sometimes you can get them out just in front of the BB (as in the Trek Fuel EXE pictured), at other times you have to remove the BB entirely to get at them. If I had infinite funds an EXE or owne of the other new breed of lightweight eMTBs would definitely be on my list, but unfortunately the prices have just gone crazy in recent years - £10k is now not uncommon for the higher specced bikes, with £5-6k being very common. We did recently buy a Ribble e-hybrid for my wife though; it's a great bike for her, and being a hub motor and having no suspension they is a lot more affordable a e-mountain bikes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Gray Posted October 13, 2022 Share Posted October 13, 2022 My Scott 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trevor Posted October 13, 2022 Share Posted October 13, 2022 I’m getting old and my short term memory is not what it was, but wasn’t this thread once about electric cars 😇 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul De Tourtoulon Posted October 13, 2022 Share Posted October 13, 2022 (edited) 17 minutes ago, Trevor said: I’m getting old and my short term memory is not what it was, but wasn’t this thread once about electric cars 😇 Yes 10 reasons why not to buy one,,,😉 Edited October 13, 2022 by Paul De Tourtoulon why Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel R Posted October 13, 2022 Share Posted October 13, 2022 Emtb prices are crazy. Can't help thinking many folk would be better off with a 250cc scrambler... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul De Tourtoulon Posted October 13, 2022 Share Posted October 13, 2022 What's a emtb ?. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad_flyer Posted October 13, 2022 Share Posted October 13, 2022 I got an electric bike (Scott/Bosch) 10 years ago for getting to work up a steep hill. I have not used my car for the journey more than a handful of times since. After some intermittent problems with the motor a few years ago I started using my ordinary bike while getting the electric sorted. I would not have done that before, but the regular habit of getting the bike out and going up the hill was ingrained by then. It takes a little longer than electric, that is all. It took ages to work out the issue with the electric - water in the circuit board under a connector - and I have actually not used it again. I have saved a lot of time over the years as well compared to driving. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Fry Posted October 13, 2022 Share Posted October 13, 2022 32 minutes ago, Paul De Tourtoulon said: What's a emtb ?. Electric mountain bike. Hunks use them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip Lewis 3 Posted October 13, 2022 Share Posted October 13, 2022 57 minutes ago, Nigel R said: Emtb prices are crazy. Can't help thinking many folk would be better off with a 250cc scrambler... Susuki RM400 for me please, fond memories indeed, it kicked back like a mule and didn't so much accelerate as reverse the earth! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul De Tourtoulon Posted October 14, 2022 Share Posted October 14, 2022 KTM 240 MC5 was enough for me but that was around 1978. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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