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My rather cynical nature thinks the whole reason behind the BS rises this quarter includes a large dose of “we were right” when the prices drop next quarter.
Unfortunately I suspect the 100% lift could well be met with a 70% drop in July and an announcement of success at keeping prices low despite a 30% lift in 6 months. (All number guesswork but the general gyst works).
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Firstly, I’ve read complaints on Facebook and I’d be surprised if all complaining were ‘good drivers’. It makes me wonder just how many who have been removed from the Scheme were legitimately removed because their driving was, frankly, dangerous. We’ve all seen them, people who drive like they’re entitled to all the road and to go at whatever speed suits them.
Then there’s the real case scenarios that I can guarantee I will face and would result in a red day despite my driving being rather safe. Firstly, to take my wife to work, there’s about a mile up to her work that is single land and has a number of sharp bends. I tend to slow for the predictable areas where I’d be expecting to have to stop for someone already in the narrow roads but today’s trip to collect her I encountered 2 horse boxes, one that was nearly HGV sized and occupied almost all the road in the wider sections. I stopped at the junction to let it through as there was no other choice but that stop was still rather sudden even if from a relatively low speed, the next one was as I navigated the rather bendy section where I found a 4×4 with single horse trailer on my side of the road passing pedestrians. Again I stopped rather urgently from a low speed. That’s two urgent stops in less than 3 minutes which were negotiated safely but I’d very much doubt the black box would accept.
Then there’s the journey count. Here’s a shopping trip I’ve got to face in the next few weeks, new shoes.
Home to Truro, normal journey, parking on street close to one of the shoe shops. Then, having visited that shop I get back in the car drive into the middle of the city for on street parking near other shops. After the shops near where I’ve parked the second time, I’m off to a car park, near the last shops I may need. Seeing as we only go shopping rarely, I can guarantee one of the family wanting to come with me, which means I may well have to park in all these, even if I find my shoes at the first stop. Finally, I’m going home. That’s 4 journeys just to go shopping. It could be possible that I’m taking my mum shopping, it’s nice for her to get out, but that adds 2 more journeys as I go to hers, turn the car off to go in and collect her, then the same to get her and her shopping home. Do that on a day where I’m taking my wife to work, mum to an appointment or even just having to get something from a shop at a different time, then I’m at or beyond 6 trips easily. Even a typical Friday will push my luck, drop Mrs F to work (1) later, pick mum up for weekly shop (2) go to Tesco (3) from Tesco to another shop (4) from that shop to mum’s (5) on to pick up lunch (I’ve been shopping I’m not making lunch today, it’s pasty day 😀 ) (6) Home with lunch and shopping (7) Pick Mrs F up from work (8). That’s one red day pretty much every week. I would very much doubt I’d be able to stay on the scheme beyond a month once they’ve realised I have at least one day every week where I’m making too many journeys and have potential for sudden stops every time I’m either taking Mrs F to or from work.
I can’t guarantee that everyone with a problem with the system are good drivers who have come foul of one or more of the metrics but I can say for certain that I would struggle to keep the car for 3 years with Drive Smart in use.
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@Phaedra we have a similar shortlist, equally affected by the desperate hope that prices improve before change time appears whilst also hoping they keep Drive Smart away.
I think I’m now looking at what next quarter brings whilst keeping half an eye on cars available elsewhere.
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I’m glad you’re doing better. Unlike the money grabbing ones above, my dodgy advice comes free of charge.😂
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Those who are in a position to walk will look outside the scheme, then there are those with no, limit finances or poor credit history, they will be entitled and looking for a grant, previously this would have been funded with the reserves, I can see the scheme eventually closing or seriously being revamped.
You’re not wrong. I know there will be thousands thinking about how to manage outside of the scheme using the mobility payment to get a car elsewhere. Even with bad credit there could be options, it just takes someone with a level of expertise to find that solution.
I watch those planning purchases either financed or available through savings and there’s a certain pang of what if. I can, currently, live with the mileage restrictions and the other announced changes but Drive Smart hangs menacingly over our heads and that will, eventually and inevitably become the Scheme’s future. Although the next election could well see the wrong party winning followed closely by that final nail in the coffin.
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Q1 BYD had 5 or 6 models to choose from, now theres only the Sealion 5 option left, which seems the trend this quarter across the board.
Don’t go stomping over my hopes😳😂
To be fair, with just the EV5 and the EX5, we’d have a very good car for 3 years.
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I believe you could look at last years insurance cost on the statement of income and expenditure then add 12%. It’ll be a little bit short as I’m sure the premium for Motability fleet hasn’t stayed the same.
I think I read somewhere in Motability’s press releases that they estimate a cost of around £600,000 for IPT. Which suggests an insurance premium of £5m which feels light for a fleet of 900k vehicles+
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I’ve now found 2 cars where Mrs F is excited about the car and colour🙄 which is much better than just about every search to date.
So I have whole family excited about the EV5 and Mrs F also excited about the Geely and daughter yet to see it. EV5 in red and Geely in green. Both cars review well but I’d say the Geely feels like it’s put together better.
Running order seems to be:
Geely EX5 Max
EV5 Air
BYD Atto 3 Evo*
Enyaq SEL Plus
*depending upon what price it appears on the scheme at when it’s released. My current guess is that the Atto 3 was removed as the Evo will be launched within 2 weeks. I’d be surprised if it’s not added by May but given how Motability have gone with APs I’m almost scared to see how much.
I still think the ideal measure for BEVs should be miles per kWh, that drives away the nonsense of a family SUV that accelerates to 62 in less than 5 seconds but you’ll find that the same car with a motor that gives 8. something seconds would also return 4-5 miles per kWh instead of 2.5 – 4.
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KIA are kind enough to have tailgates that are really light to open and close. Even opening an electric EV9 tailgate manually wasn’t even remotely hard work and that’s as big as they get.
Like many others my Ohme charger has been perfectly functioning even through all the recent storms.
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AP is £2999 for the mid range and £3999 for the range topping Max. 200 miles isn’t an issue, when we go anywhere it’s usually 110 miles to the nearest service station at Exeter, where we have traditionally stopped no matter where we’re going. The winter range at speed is, however, rather close to that at 145 according to our favourite site. I guess a lot of my hesitancy around that is that the MG I had claimed 165 miles and only delivered 110 on a run in summer (Exeter services and a mild sweat for getting there without running out) but in winter we’d not get out of the county and there’s no fun in knowing you’re pretty much unable to go anywhere outside of the immediate area. That said, 145 realistic miles in winter should be fine for most traveling we do, at least as a first stage of any journey.
The interior build quality and feel of the materials where you readily would be touching was much better than a lot of the cars the scheme offers. The boot is an odd size, it’s another one of those with the ‘under floor’ boxes where you could easily put a lot of stuff in there and have some space above the floor BUT that space will be challenging if you need a walker or folding chair. There’s little chance you’d get a hoist of any great weight in there.
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Well, an unexpected update.
Going to our butchers/farm shop for the month’s meat we passed a dealership that has Renault, Cupra and Suzuki which had a sign stating Geely was here!! Having explained the whole Geely heritage/Volvo thing to the Mrs she suggested popping in on the way back, so we did.
The EX5 is bigger than I thought it would be. We sat in and those chairs are so comfortable, it’s incredible. So, with an apology to @kezo who suggested them several pages ago, we have a very significant contender. The range is a slight issue but with a heat pump as standard it’s got enough to get where we need to get in Winter.
The Max has everything on the wish list and so much more. The fact so much works through the menu system should be off putting but press 2 buttons and I could open/close the sunroof, open the boot and shut windows. Plus it’s voice activated, so menus aren’t a problem.
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I think I am inevitably looking for my next and final car on the scheme. I can survive the mileage cuts, we’ve yet to break 15,000 miles on a car we got Feb 1st ‘23. With 60,000 miles allowed Europe wasn’t in our thoughts, I really can’t see that changing when we’re limited to 10k annually. We’re still on the original tyres and I can’t see us suddenly going through a full set plus extras before next Feb.
My problem sits singularly with a faulty tracker that also wants to work when I’m a passenger in any car. I’m happy that I can drive within the criteria as long as the roads are suitably maintained. My issue is that as soon as that box is installed, I’m risking it throwing false data resulting in withdrawal of insurance that sticks with me into the next car and, potentially beyond.
I will be whinging really hard at my MP, he will be aware of the impact the current choices both his Chancellor and Motability are making and just how difficult it makes life for us.
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I'll try to give my honest opinion but am always open to learning.Mark
I feel if money is tight the EV 5 wouldn’t be a good idea, the Air is too expensive to make it worth while. Especially with the Enyaq which is £1999 and has more miles too. If miles arent a factor the ID.4 is £1249. You can also get an electric tailgate itted as an option on it through most specialists. If you can manage with a bit smaller of a boot, the EV3 is a fantastic deal right now. I should mention the EV3 with seats up fit a self propelled wheelchair standing up with the boot floor at the lowest level so its pretty good.
Thank you for your suggestions. The EV5 has space, which is my biggest thing. The EV3 is a very nice car but I don’t quite fit. The Enyaq is definitely a contender but with a more diminutive wife and daughter they have a small issue with the shape of the base seat cushion, but they’ll have to get used to it if we go that way.
I’ve not looked at the latest ID4 but the last one I sat in was full of horrid scratchy plastic.
There’s the new BYD Atto 3 Evo due out imminently, I’m hoping its predecessor was removed because we’re just a couple of weeks away from releasing the new version. There’s also the new Leaf waiting for dealers to get stock. If that happens it’ll be one of a few British built cars on the Scheme.
@kezo, yeah it seems they’ll be doing whatever they can to prevent existing customers from jumping early and taking advantage of current terms. I suspect you’d need a doctors letter just to get out of a car and be allowed to reorder. Their current position is that if you terminate early your next lease is considered a new customer because you didn’t complete the last lease. It’s dodgy as hell and not in our interests. I’m not sure what would come of complaining but I’ve a meeting with my MP to whinge at him about this and the disgraceful way we’ve been treated. I wish there was a way I could get a private pcp deal.I'm Autistic, if I say something you find offensive, please let me know, I can guarantee it was unintentional.
I'll try to give my honest opinion but am always open to learning.Mark
Well, Q2 has arrived and thrown the shortlist in a different direction. The EV5 Air is now under £3k the EV5 GT Line is £5999. The BYD Atto 3 Evo hasn’t joined yet, which isn’t a surprise as it’s not released for a couple of weeks.
Motability have confirmed that if you terminate early to take advantage of the current conditions but with the existing APs, you have until April 13th to get the car cancelled and the new order placed. After that, you will be considered a new customer and have Smart Drive inflicted upon you. So, you’ve effectively just less that a fortnight to avoid either the Rock or Hardplace problem.
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BEVs are perfect for those short trips where the engine wouldn’t have gotten close to warm.
Charging at home has always been the cheapest option even if you just use the granny charger over an extended period of time. If you have destination (7kW) chargers near home they’ll still be cheaper than paying for rapid or ultra rapid chargers. You can also plug the car in then go home, if you can.
Depending upon the local geography you may be able to run a charger from home to the car without crossing a path.
You may be able to get a subscription for the local chargers which will help with costs but it’s got to be worth the monthly cost.
Given your low mileage, an EV would be an idea option for you.
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Firstly, thank you @wmcforum for all the effort you put in to getting the quarter changes done in as timely a manner as possible.
Secondly, I do wonder if this is the pain so that they can say the new measures worked? If they drop prices in July by 75% of what they put them up by this quarter, that’ll be a massive saving thanks to the measures they inflicted upon us. I don’t know if I’m just overly cynical?
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Standouts for me are the AP’s for WPMS customers for the Mini Countryman. Made my mind up for me! No IM5 though.
The IM5 has been out for quite some time, I very much doubt it’s going to join the scheme, either because of shape or power. There again looking at how they’ve priced the S6, the IM5 would break the £8k limit anyway.
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Judging by the amount of people leaving the scheme, us included at lease end, if I worked for Motability I don’t think I’d be buying a new house or car.
I would guess in the next 3 years 880,000 customers will become a rather grumpy 200,000 at best.
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Nice comparison, I’ve sat in the majority of those and I can’t see how the Born is in the same list as all the rest. It’s the Tavascan that’s a better size but with the AP and shape, I doubt it’ll be a contender for you.
The space difference between the EV3 and EV5 is massive, I really can’t see the EV5 being able to hold a hoist smaller than the 3, so I’d start there and expect it to potentially increase.
Without a change in AP, there’s a straight choice now between the well equipped but spacially challenged EV3 and the less well equipped but cavernous EV5 Air, both at £2999. Given the “base” model EV5 comes with heated seats and steering wheel, it’s got a few things that most brands will make you move up the spec list to have.
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@MFillingham I ordered an Enyaq Sportline Maxx in Q1, but now my other car has come on the EV5 GT Line S. I may have to go and test drive it. Although, it’s a £1k more than the Enyaq, I do like a cooled seat for my hot flushes.
It’s got to be worth a look. The seats are the full relaxation seats, which are massively comfortable, even for my back. It’ll handle very differently from the Enyaq but the space internally will be notable in the 5. Have a chat with the salesperson about the fingerprint stuff, ideal if you’ve several people who drive the car.
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It’s insane what’s around at the prices being asked. A few have lost the top end while the majority of EVs seem to have gone up considerably.
This is NOT the quarter to be ordering a car, which might have been Motability’s plan. The only upside is that the EV5, which is a good choice in the £2999 AIR spec has been joined by the well equipped GT Line S at the same price as the GT Line was last quarter (£6999 and £5999 for the GT Line). If anyone was thinking about the Enyaq Sportline MAXX then it might be worth having a look at the EV5 GT Line S.
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If you want a bigger boot, the obvious step would be the Jaecoo 7 but with no dealer, it’s a ferry and driving to pick one up and get it serviced. Not my choice.
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Some good news, although it’s a rarity this quarter, the EV5 has come down AND the GT Line S has appeared with all the unnecessary luxuries.
Other than that the rest of my list has either gone or gone up massively. It can’t be a coincidence that the rises have been loosely around the £1500 figure for many of the EVs?
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It’s definitely progressing. Good news indeed.
The top of the range EV4 is now on scheme, although at a price that’s instantly dismissive.
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No 1 on my list Down from £999 EV3 ‘Air’ 81.4kWh 201bhp 1-Speed Auto (FWD) £299
EV 3 GT Line £799
EV5 Air now the same AP as the EV3 GT LineS £2,999 both have reduced by £1,000 and £300 respectively. EV5 GT Line now £5,999 which makes cheaper than the MGS6 Trophy.
https://www.kia.com/uk/new-cars/offers/motability-scheme/full-price-guide/
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