For me a reliable vehicle is an absolute must have. We live in a rural location, so work, shopping, school run, and so on, all have to be completed by car. The wife and I have a car each, not new by any means, even they newest (the wife's A5 convertible) is now 10 years old, but as they are vital for the reasons mentioned above, I maintain them to exacting standards, so they have the best chance to give the best possible reliability.
If one of the vehicles breaks, we can juggle things about for a few days, but it's inconvenient to do so.
As for maintenance costs, luckily we're not in the situation where we struggle at the moment, although we have felt the price rises like everyone else.
However if things were desperate, I'd put vehicle maintenance above that of household heating, as without the car, getting to work would become an issue, which obviously affects income. Hyundai Ioniq 5 Ultimate. The family car.
2009 Rimini Red SE TD4. Gone.
2006 Tonga Green i6 HSE. Gone.
Audi A5 convertible, my daily driver.
1972 Hillman Avenger GT, the project.

"Ban on petrol and diesel cars due in 2030 may have to be scrapped because of a lack of charging points for electric vehicles, industry experts claim"


https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/market...fears.html Jules

Nodge68 wrote:

For me a reliable vehicle is an absolute must have.

jules wrote:

"Ban on petrol and diesel cars due in 2030 may have to be scrapped because of a lack of charging points for electric vehicles, industry experts claim"


https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/market...fears.html

jules wrote:

"Ban on petrol and diesel cars due in 2030 may have to be scrapped because of a lack of charging points for electric vehicles, industry experts claim"


https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/market...fears.html

IanMetro wrote:

Nodge68 wrote:

For me a reliable vehicle is an absolute must have.

Although I have long ago retired, the need to have a reliable vehicle available is ingrained in me from my working life.

This has become my base expectation of any car I have owned since.

It's worth remembering that in today's fast moving traffic your life depends on having a safe car.

IanMetro wrote:

jules wrote:

"Ban on petrol and diesel cars due in 2030 may have to be scrapped because of a lack of charging points for electric vehicles, industry experts claim"


https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/market...fears.html

Jules I saw this, and it is most likely true, but I am beginning to think that, after talking to a few salesmen, that the franchised garages are pushing private buyers towards diesel or petrol models anyway.

I do wonder if EV's are still expensive and harder to make, and ICE cars are making the most profit.

My local village garage says they have no intention of getting involved with BEV cars. The boss reckons there will be enough old ICE cars around to keep him going until he retires in a few years. He's probably right - this is not affluent area - you dont see many Teslas about. In fact, I know of only one out of a population of 3700.

Ive seen a Polestar about as well. Jules

Does the MOT for EV's check that the Batteries and Covers are Waterproof and/or Undamaged.

These Porsche EVs have been recalled to check Battery Cover sealing, I wonder if this sort of 'dangerous' problem will be picked up by MOTs in the future.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/cars/news/urgent...&ei=26 FL2 XS SD4 Auto 2010 2012-2017 (21k - 91k miles) (MY2011)
FL2 Metropolis SD4 Auto 2014 2017- (16k - 77k+ miles) (MY2015)
Metro in its 11th Year of (Extended) LR Warranty / Full LR Service History
(Expensive, but Trouble/Worry free - hopefully?)

From my interpretation of the MOT guidelines, is the HV cables have to be secure to the vehicle, with no evidence of damage to the protection or insulation.
Much the same as fuel lines on a regular ICE vehicle. Hyundai Ioniq 5 Ultimate. The family car.
2009 Rimini Red SE TD4. Gone.
2006 Tonga Green i6 HSE. Gone.
Audi A5 convertible, my daily driver.
1972 Hillman Avenger GT, the project.

Just hanging about waiting for someone to post about the large car park fire at Luton airport!

You’re not intimating that it might have been started by a failure in one of those environmentally sound electrical vehicles. What a good job it’s done ridding the planet of a car park full of fossil fuel burning vehicles!

9:35
Fire likely started in a diesel car - fire chief
Fire chief Andy Hopkinson says it is thought the fire started with a diesel car, and then spread through the car park.

He said up to 1,500 vehicles could have been in the car park, which has a capacity of 1,900, at the time of the fire.

https://www.bbc.com/news/live/uk-england-b...s-67075159

Looks like it's not an EV (this time), although I did wonder. FL2 XS SD4 Auto 2010 2012-2017 (21k - 91k miles) (MY2011)
FL2 Metropolis SD4 Auto 2014 2017- (16k - 77k+ miles) (MY2015)
Metro in its 11th Year of (Extended) LR Warranty / Full LR Service History
(Expensive, but Trouble/Worry free - hopefully?)

Looks like the fire started at the front of a RR Evoque (alternator wiring or arson?). However I suspect that there were a few EVs caught up in the fire.
I suspect my first EV will have LFP batteries, not that I'm overly bothered by NMC batteries catching on fire. I just like the longer life of the LFP chemistry battery pack. Hyundai Ioniq 5 Ultimate. The family car.
2009 Rimini Red SE TD4. Gone.
2006 Tonga Green i6 HSE. Gone.
Audi A5 convertible, my daily driver.
1972 Hillman Avenger GT, the project.

A lot of conjecture about it being a diesel RR.
"Thought to have" and "Likely" are not absolute proof.
The very short video of the RR tells me one thing. It wasn't parked in a bay, but left in the driving area. So, presuming that IS the vehicle that caused it, where is the owner to confirm 100% it was their vehicle , as they obviously abandoned it at haste - rather than leaving it parked before it "self combusted" without their knowledge ?
That owner could put an end to all doubts once and for all.......................