The Age of Electric Vehicles is here - or is it?

Firstly, I'll describe myself as a mature Mr Average and a layman when it comes to anything about EVs. Here's my own thoughts and opinion on a much debated subject. 

At the time of writing this I'm still driving my trusty 17 year old Audi A3 Sportback 1.6 petrol. However, over the last two years I've been contemplating changing it.

Unfortunately for me, during that time my gearbox failed and I was left with the decision of whether to repair or scrap. As much as I wanted a newer car, I decided to breath life back into the Audi and have a used gearbox fitted. That in itself was rather long-winded and expensive ordeal but that's another story. The Audi lives on - Vorsprung Durch Technik.

I recently test drove a few nearly new Audi A3 'mild hybrid' petrol cars. I wasn't blown away and left feeling that spending tens of thousands on a petrol car just now might not be a sensible move. Yes, maybe there could be more 'end of line' bargains coming as makers start to offload their stock to make way for EVs. 

There's no doubt that opinion is split on EVs. It seems the more depth you look into the environmental credentials the harder it becomes to draw a conclusion. Some say the future should be Hydrogen. However, one thing is clear is that it will reduce the CO2 emissions and other pollutants into the atmosphere which has to be a good thing in anyones book. 

Still, it's early days and I'd rather company car drivers take the 'hit' on these new EVs as test drivers. After all, a company car driver has no worries if something breaks or need fixing the company pays. For the driver it's just the inconvenience of the car being offroad. 

EVs are going to be our future whether we like it or not. The ball is rolling and it's not stopping.  

When I was a child, electric vehicles were Co-op or Unigate milk delivery vans. Anything else was in a science fiction film. These were seen wooshing along effortlessly in films as diverse as Woody Allen's hilarious 'Sleeper', Blade Runner and many many more. 

The reality is that Mr and Mrs Average are unlikely to afford an electric vehicle, or even have somewhere they could charge it. What about all the people who live in high rise apartments? It will be years before the infrastructre can even make it an option for many. 

I don't think we'll see a big shift for the masses until we start to see cars like the new VW Golf EV which I believe will arrive around 2028. I've read that it might even look like a Golf which would be a huge bonus. Most people will want an affordable electric family car that doesn't look like something from Buck Rogers in the 21st Century. 

But we're moving into some unknown territory in more ways than one. For example, what about future resale values. Technology seems to be evolving fast and this means battery performance on older EVs will become outdated and inferior as new ones get better. This is inevitable but it seems to be happening over a short period. 

Tesla Time

We can't talk about EVs without mentioning Tesla. Tesla has certainly been a 'game changer' and appear to dominate the market just now. However, I think we'll see things change when the big German makers catch up. I'm sure they're working hard behind the scenes to bring us something rather special. 

I live in Europe and during my short 20 minute commute to work I usually see several Tesla cars. Tesla has done extreemly well. Perhaps mostly because they took a huge risk and got there first. It's unusual for an American styled car to become so popular in Europe. The external styling and interiors look quite impressive. Even reminicesnt of concept cars from the 1990's. 

Just now I would say a majority are company cars, which is a good testing ground. 

But for Mr and Mrs Average, I think the Tesla is currently beyond their grasp. 

I think lots of the appeal of Teslas among male drivers is the performance more than the cost saving. These cars are super quick. Tesla owners seem to have adopted a certain driving style. I often see Teslas fly past in the 'fast lane' and then cut in further up to miss any queue. Lets face it, it's a huge toy for the younger generation who love gadgets. 

Well, there's no conclusion here other than time to reflect on the inevitable change and see what that brings. I’ll edit and update this post as and when something springs to mind. 

I would recommend watching this Youtube video:

Update April 2024

My old Audi failed it's annual vehicle inspection and required work to the front suspension. I'd previously said to myself that if I was faced with another hefty bill that would be the time I would change my car. Well, that happened and I finally took the plunge into a new car. 

I decided now was the time if the terms were reasonable. Following some quick internet searches to see what was currently available, I found an Audi A3 saloon unused ex-demonstrator with no mileage and not yet registered from an Audi dealer. 

I decided if I could get the terms I wanted then I would go for it. This included the same trade in value I was offered for my car during December last year and that it would be taken unrepaired. They agreed to this along with free delivery to my nearest Audi dealer, full tank of fuel on collection, rubber winter mats and 'touch-up' paint pen. 

Whilst any electric car or plug-in was not an option for me, I was happy it was a 'mild hybrid' 1 litre engine making it very fuel efficient. 

I've only been using the car for several days with about 260 km on the clock. I'm more than happy with my purchase. My plan is to keep the car for as long as possible.  

Update 2026

I'm still enjoying my new Audi A3 saloon after two years of ownership. The average long term fuel consumption is 6.0L per 100km (47 mpg). Short term is between 5L to 6L (47mpg-56mpg). I do mostly short journey's which is why it's closer to 6L than 5L per 100km. I've had no issues with the car. 

There's been lots of new EV's hit the market over the last two years and Chinese car makers have began to make their mark. Kia has also done well in making their cars more appealing to the European market. 

As I predicted, the German car makers are starting to make their presence known in the EV sector. The new VW ID Polo has been revealed this year. This certainly looks like a car that people will want to buy. Nice modern styling without going too far, like most EV's have in my opinion. A compact, practical car that will be more affordable. Despite carrying the Polo name forward, which I think is the correct decision, the size is very spacious. The boot size is an impressive 435 litres compared to 420 in my Audi A3 saloon. To me, everything about the ID Polo looks good, both exterior and exterior. 

Whilst I'm currently planning to keep my Audi A3 long term, I might consider changing to an EV if Audi were to produce something along the lines of the new VW ID Polo in hatchback form.