Electric Van vs Diesel Van

[Master Jedi Alejandro]

The wife's Citroën Xsara diesel is nearly 21 years old. It runs fine. All we are doing is the usual maintenance stuff, and it loves breaking front coil springs. Apart from that, I hope to keep it for another 10 years, if I last that long. It has 108k on the clock.
I had a 2004 Xsara estate diesel a few years back, which son now has. He took it on 5 years ago with 80k on the clock as I wasn't using it much. It now has 180k and still running fine. It failed MOT a week ago on rear brake balance and 2 bald tyres. So mileage wise, the wife's Xsara still has many miles left in it.

2 bald tyres? Man, I wouldn’t want him behind me if I needed to suddenly stop ?

 

[ched999uk]

The wife's Citroën Xsara diesel is nearly 21 years old. It runs fine. All we are doing is the usual maintenance stuff, and it loves breaking front coil springs. Apart from that, I hope to keep it for another 10 years, if I last that long. It has 108k on the clock.
I had a 2004 Xsara estate diesel a few years back, which son now has. He took it on 5 years ago with 80k on the clock as I wasn't using it much. It now has 180k and still running fine. It failed MOT a week ago on rear brake balance and 2 bald tyres. So mileage wise, the wife's Xsara still has many miles left in it.

I wasn't worried about the engine as I have run diesels to over 240k miles. Generally the problems I have had are with the electrical systems and suspension components. Cars these days do go on and on quite happily as long as you change the oil and filter at regular intervals.
We had the car for 8 years and the one before for about 8 years so it's not like we chop and change. My partner wanted a big sunroof and a higher seating position plus I quite fancied an ev after driving a few, instant torque is quit addictive . We did test drive diesels and petrols but I wasn't impressed by them.

Only reason I mentioned it was to be open and honest about my replies.

 

[spruce]

I wasn't worried about the engine as I have run diesels to over 240k miles. Generally the problems I have had are with the electrical systems and suspension components. Cars these days do go on and on quite happily as long as you change the oil and filter at regular intervals.
We had the car for 8 years and the one before for about 8 years so it's not like we chop and change. My partner wanted a big sunroof and a higher seating position plus I quite fancied an ev after driving a few, instant torque is quit addictive . We did test drive diesels and petrols but I wasn't impressed by them.

Only reason I mentioned it was to be open and honest about my replies.

All I'm saying is that we will try to keep our car going for as long as we can. Electrical problems can be an issue, agreed. So far the wife's car has been pretty reliable, so let's hope it stays that way.

I definitely wasn't criticising you for buying an EV or deciding to replace your old car with a new one. Sorry if I gave you that impression. That was never my intention.

People decide to replace their current vehicle for a variety of reasons. One issue we have is getting out of it as it is so low to the ground. As we get older, we might be forced to buy an SUV in time to come, as it's higher off the ground. ATM I'm not worried about her car not passing its annual MOT. When I was in the trade, the number of people who replaced their cars at 3 years of age because of it being due its first MOT surprised me.

 

[steve garwood]

All I'm saying is that we will try to keep our car going for as long as we can. Electrical problems can be an issue, agreed. So far the wife's car has been pretty reliable, so let's hope it stays that way.

I definitely wasn't criticising you for buying an EV or deciding to replace your old car with a new one. Sorry if I gave you that impression. That was never my intention.

People decide to replace their current vehicle for a variety of reasons. One issue we have is getting out of it as it is so low to the ground. As we get older, we might be forced to buy an SUV in time to come, as it's higher off the ground. ATM I'm not worried about her car not passing its annual MOT. When I was in the trade, the number of people who replaced their cars at 3 years of age because of it being due its first MOT surprised me.

Just don’t make them like they used to.
My van is 7 years old, serviced every year and has just reached 32,000 miles, yet Ford are advising me to change the wet belt as it should be changed after 6 years!!

 

[PC]

Just don’t make them like they used to.
My van is 7 years old, serviced every year and has just reached 32,000 miles, yet Ford are advising me to change the wet belt as it should be changed after 6 years!!

Change it as soon as you can mate
I’m saying this from experience. Driving one day and vacuum pump went and then the brakes went rock hard. Only just managed to stop myself going in the back of a truck by stamping on brakes and using handbrake. Proper scary! Engine was then completely gone and had to have new engine and gearbox. Ford did it as it was on a recall. Though interestingly the recall wasn’t mentioned anywhere. It was only my local garage ringing Ford that we found out. May be worth giving Ford a ring direct and see if yours should be on a recall. Mine is a 2017 plate

 

[steve garwood]

Change it as soon as you can mate
I’m saying this from experience. Driving one day and vacuum pump went and then the brakes went rock hard. Only just managed to stop myself going in the back of a truck by stamping on brakes and using handbrake. Proper scary! Engine was then completely gone and had to have new engine and gearbox. Ford did it as it was on a recall. Though interestingly the recall wasn’t mentioned anywhere. It was only my local garage ringing Ford that we found out. May be worth giving Ford a ring direct and see if yours should be on a recall. Mine is a 2017 plate

Thanks. Mine is also the 17 plate.
It’s being done next Saturday

 

[PC]

Just to add mate. I missed you had only done 32000. I had done 100k. Though I’m now changing oil at 10k latest. Sooner if possible. And I’m getting the garage to keep an eye on the new ‘improved wet belt’ (whatever that means) every time they service it. Something to do with lamination!!

 

[ched999uk]

Just don’t make them like they used to.
My van is 7 years old, serviced every year and has just reached 32,000 miles, yet Ford are advising me to change the wet belt as it should be changed after 6 years!!

Change it as the cost of it snapping is massive!

 

[Crystalalan]

The wife's Citroën Xsara diesel is nearly 21 years old. It runs fine. All we are doing is the usual maintenance stuff, and it loves breaking front coil springs. Apart from that, I hope to keep it for another 10 years, if I last that long. It has 108k on the clock.
I had a 2004 Xsara estate diesel a few years back, which son now has. He took it on 5 years ago with 80k on the clock as I wasn't using it much. It now has 180k and still running fine. It failed MOT a week ago on rear brake balance and 2 bald tyres. So mileage wise, the wife's Xsara still has many miles left in it.

I know french motors can be a little hit and miss sometimes but I personally love them. They are just so damn comfortable. They might have the odd squeak and rattle but they tend to last for ages, the parts are cheap and the engines are really strong. Always fancied a Citroen BX gti myself.

 

[Jaigox]

Hi all, just thought I would give everyone an update here. After much discussion between our team we have decided against EV and I shall explain below.

The EV infrastructure is simply not there. The UK government needs to do more especially if they want to ban diesel/petrol cars/van in 2030. Also the rate at which EV cars improve is massive, it would just mean a van we get in 2024 and by 2030 would be render below par. We would rather buy a diesel car now and hope that by 2030 there is some scrappage incentive scheme. Even in London it simply is not good enough. Every rapid charging point near our site is always full or not working.

We have decided to buy a vauxhall vivaro 2022 LWB. It comes with ad blue and we also checked with halfords where we can use their services for £85 to clean the dpf filter. I am hoping we scale up our busines in 6 months so we don't have the ad blue issues.

 

[THL4KEL]

One of my wife's workmates has an EV. A few weeks back it crashed it's self into a wall not at high speed luckily. It just stopped responding.

 

[spruce]

I know french motors can be a little hit and miss sometimes but I personally love them. They are just so damn comfortable. They might have the odd squeak and rattle but they tend to last for ages, the parts are cheap and the engines are really strong. Always fancied a Citroen BX gti myself.

The most comfortable Citroen I ever owned was the Citroen DS20. It eventually had to go as it made my 2 year old daughter car sick.

18 years later I had a Citroen Xantia 2.0hdi as a company car. My daughter still got car sick in that as well.

Later I got a C5. She didn't feel as car sick in that, but she didn't like it, none the less.

I loved the comfort of the seats and suspension of a Renault 16 TS I had back in the late 1970's.

The old Citroen C15 vans also had really comfortable seats.

 

[Crystalalan]

The most comfortable Citroen I ever owned was the Citroen DS20. It eventually had to go as it made my 2 year old daughter car sick.

18 years later I had a Citroen Xantia 2.0hdi as a company car. My daughter still got car sick in that as well.

Later I got a C5. She didn't feel as car sick in that, but she didn't like it, none the less.

I loved the comfort of the seats and suspension of a Renault 16 TS I had back in the late 1970's.

The old Citroen C15 vans also had really comfortable seats.

I love the ds`s. Beautiful old things. Quite like the traction avant before it as well.

 

[dazmond]

Thanks. Mine is also the 17 plate.
It’s being done next Saturday

What van have you got Steve?

I've got a Ford connect L2 240 .1.5 limited with 22k on the clock.(no ad blue).I've no idea whether mine has a wet belt or not.its also 7 years old now.....

 

[steve garwood]

What van have you got Steve?

I've got a Ford connect L2 240 .1.5 limited with 22k on the clock.(no ad blue).I've no idea whether mine has a wet belt or not.its also 7 years old now.....

Transit custom 2.0. Ford have recently changed their recommendation of 10 years for changing the belt to 6 years

 

[dazmond]

Transit custom 2.0. Ford have recently changed their recommendation of 10 years for changing the belt to 6 years

Cheers Steve.ive found out i haven't got a wet belt.it only applies to the ecoblue Ford engines.?

 

[Part Timer]

What we should all wait for, you'll need to be on LinkedIn to watch it

Nicholas Nouri on LinkedIn: #innovation #tech #future #sustainability | 230 comments

ððð¦ð & ðð¢ð§ð¢ð§ððð«ð¢ð§ð: ðð«ð¢ð¯ð¢ð§ð ðð¡ð ðð®ðð®ð«ð ð°ð¢ðð¡ ðð²ðð«ð¨ð ðð§ ððð¢ð¥ð¢ðð² ððð¡ð¢ðð¥ðð¬ ð Set to be released by the⦠| 230 comments on LinkedIn

www.linkedin.com

 

[Pjj]

What we should all wait for, you'll need to be on LinkedIn to watch it

Nicholas Nouri on LinkedIn: #innovation #tech #future #sustainability | 230 comments

ððð¦ð & ðð¢ð§ð¢ð§ððð«ð¢ð§ð: ðð«ð¢ð¯ð¢ð§ð ðð¡ð ðð®ðð®ð«ð ð°ð¢ðð¡ ðð²ðð«ð¨ð ðð§ ððð¢ð¥ð¢ðð² ððð¡ð¢ðð¥ðð¬ ð Set to be released by the⦠| 230 comments on LinkedIn

www.linkedin.com

Can’t watch it but I agree hydrogen is the way forward long term, it’s expensive at the moment around £30 a kg but that would come down dramatically if everyone started using it

 

[Extremecleansussex]

I have been using an env200 for the last nine years. I’m now on my second van because my first van was written off (shunted from the rear whilst parked) at the start of Covid.

My van has the small 24kwhr battery with a summer range of about 55 miles and around 45 in the winter. It’s sufficient for all but two days a month cleaning when I have to stop at a rapid charger.

When I started, there was one suitable rapid but I had to go out of the way to get to it. Today, on those routes there are at least five without having to detour.

Rapid charging is expensive (85p per kwhr) but I only ever put in enough to get me home so spend maybe £6 per month on rapid charging.

I have my purification system at home and a 400l tank in the van along with a pump, leisure battery, solar charger and poles. The weight is near the 703kg limit at the start of the day but reduces during the day obviously. I get an average of 3 miles per kwhr.

In 2020 when my van was written off, I chose to replace like for like with a 24kwhr van even though the longer range 40kwhr van was available by then.

Overall, I’m very happy driving electric and really wouldn’t want to go back to diesel or petrol.

There are now so many vans available with larger payloads and batteries so there will definitely be something suitable out there for most people.

 

[Jaigox]

I have been using an env200 for the last nine years. I’m now on my second van because my first van was written off (shunted from the rear whilst parked) at the start of Covid.

My van has the small 24kwhr battery with a summer range of about 55 miles and around 45 in the winter. It’s sufficient for all but two days a month cleaning when I have to stop at a rapid charger.

When I started, there was one suitable rapid but I had to go out of the way to get to it. Today, on those routes there are at least five without having to detour.

Rapid charging is expensive (85p per kwhr) but I only ever put in enough to get me home so spend maybe £6 per month on rapid charging.

I have my purification system at home and a 400l tank in the van along with a pump, leisure battery, solar charger and poles. The weight is near the 703kg limit at the start of the day but reduces during the day obviously. I get an average of 3 miles per kwhr.

In 2020 when my van was written off, I chose to replace like for like with a 24kwhr van even though the longer range 40kwhr van was available by then.

Overall, I’m very happy driving electric and really wouldn’t want to go back to diesel or petrol.

There are now so many vans available with larger payloads and batteries so there will definitely be something suitable out there for most people.

Thanks buddy for letting us know your experience