Which Car Would You Pick out of This FBT Exempt EV List?

RickyPoontang on 08/01/2024 - 12:03

I have an opportunity to get an FBT exempt EV from this list - am after something that's convenient more than anything else.

I'm not a huge car nuffy so don't know the ins and outs of a lot of these cars. A couple of friends have Tesla's and a Telsa would be overkill for me. An imaginary dream car would be a Corolla that's fully EV for $30K or under haha - so you get the gist of what I'm after.

I've heard people mention BYD Seagull which is not available in Australia - this would have been amazing.

Keen to hear people's thoughts on what the best purchase would be.

Automotive Electric Vehicle

Comments

  • DingoBilly on 08/01/2024 - 18:26
    -7

    Avoid Tesla like the plague. Just overpriced car at this stage and you'll get better build quality from others.

    Otherwise I'd go the Ioniq for a more premium car or a Byd if you want a cheaper but still good ride.

    • Brick Tamland on 08/01/2024 - 18:41
      -6

      Yeah, the only reason to go Tesla is if you needed the Supercharger network or you desperately needed a humongous screen in your car for whatever reasons.

  • RickyPoontang on 08/01/2024 - 19:20

    The apartment complex I live in doesn't have a charger. Could that be an issue with aby of these?

    Plenty of shopping centres nearby with chargers.

    • spackbace on 08/01/2024 - 20:04
      +1

      Lol so you're not going to overnight charge…? How are you planning to do a long charge?

    • Brick Tamland on 08/01/2024 - 21:17
      +10

      Geeze. I’d just get a Hybrid or PHEV then. Too much a pain to go EV without a charger at home.

    • Nickels n Dimes on 08/01/2024 - 21:56
      +2

      If you can cover your weekly driving needs on 1-2 charges that's pretty reasonable to use shopping centre chargers, if you are looking at a car with a smaller battery, and driving a lot every day, you would need to stick with a PHEV.

    • Tommyaka on 09/01/2024 - 07:58
      +3

      Nah you'll be fine… Just slap a few solar panels on the roof of the car and park it in the sun during the day.

    • trankillity on 09/01/2024 - 08:47

      If there's power points in the car park, that should be all you need unless you drive a lot. Granny charge overnight should fill you up a decent chunk.

      • WhyAmICommenting on 09/01/2024 - 12:15
        +1

        And free haha, until someone complains and they lock them for the cleaners only etc.

    • Odin on 09/01/2024 - 09:10

      You don't need a charger specifically. Just a plug. Get your complex to put a normal plug in. That will work fine

    • RickyPoontang on 09/01/2024 - 09:11

      hey why am I being negged for this haha. And normally I'd only drive max 5 times (to sports and back which is both very close by). But thanks for all of the info because I'm starting to get a better idea of what's needed.

      • microsnot on 09/01/2024 - 11:44
        +1

        Have you thought about cycling there or catching a taxi/Uber? Seems crazy to spend $45K+ to save some money on tax just to get somewhere close by.

        If you're granny charging then are you happy to lose an expensive cable since it's not secured in a garage? This includes some chargers that are bring your own cables.

        What are you going to do when some loser unplugs your car from the charger?

        • RickyPoontang on 09/01/2024 - 12:27
          +1

          Yeah it's a good point you raise. hmm questions and more questions :(

    • seannami on 10/01/2024 - 09:05

      Do you have access to any destination charging (AC type 2 or Granny- is there a normal power point in the car park you can plug in overnight)? You'll need to do a balance charge once in a while and DC-only charging can increase degradation a bit. There are a fair few public AC chargers, but it does take a bit longer to charge. You could DC then top up on AC to balance.

    • Dsiee on 11/01/2024 - 10:01

      Is there an outdoor PowerPoint in the car park? You can charge them with a normal PowerPoint (so called granny charger which is included with the car). It will be fast enough to keep it full from daily driving (assuming you do under ~100km/day) and will take a few nights to get topped off from a longer trip if you don't go to a big charger in the way back.

    • Rally Dave on 13/01/2024 - 14:45

      Depends on many things but the biggest one is how many km a day and cac week you drive. If you're driving 20-30km mon-fri and maybe 50 over the weekend, some of the cars would only need charging every couple of weeks. If you drive 100km a day, you'd be charging a couple of times a week so would need a charger near by, preferable a slow charger you can plug it in, charge cheaply and not impact the battery, and go and pick it up in several hours. You need to look at your usage but you do not have to have a charger at home to make it work. I know people in units that don't and love their EV.

  • Nickels n Dimes on 08/01/2024 - 21:53
    +3

    If you're on a tight budget, MGZS >$40k or BYD similar price range. With more $$ Ioniq >$60k, Volvo >$70k or Polestar >$80k

  • Debaser on 09/01/2024 - 07:47
    +2

    MG4 from that list of you wanted a Corolla like vehicle. It's very well reviewed .
    If you could stretch the budget a bit the new Tesla 3 is another option. Whatever you do, arrange test drives to narrow down your short list.

  • drewbytes on 09/01/2024 - 07:54
    +2

    Tesla 3 LR or Y LR depending on whether you want sedan or SUV.

  • surg3on on 09/01/2024 - 10:12
    +1

    OK so nobody seemed to notice you said the Telsa was overkill . The atto 3 is nice. Go test drive one.

    • WhyAmICommenting on 09/01/2024 - 12:14

      Saw one up close yesterday, it does look good but have to join the SUV club 😩

      • surg3on on 18/01/2024 - 13:38
        +1

        They have a new sedan one. Seal (tesla competitor), Dolphin (itty bitty)

    • Morphio25 on 10/01/2024 - 09:35

      The interior is just weird looking in my opinion, for something that was apparently designed by BMW. Check out these door handles

      • lordriffington on 18/01/2024 - 15:00

        I have one. The interior is definitely unusual, but some of us consider that a feature, not a bug. From the inside, it doesn't look like any other car I've ever been in. Feels more like a spaceship.

        Pulling the handle when the door is locked unlocks the door. Pulling it again then opens the door. It's pretty intuitive; every person I've had in the car has figured it out without needing to be told. I've never had anyone get in a second time and not know how to open the door, even when it's locked.

  • cmyk on 09/01/2024 - 10:26
    +1

    MG4 for sure. Fun to drive and nice looking too. Go for the Excite 51 entry level with LFP battery

    • RickyPoontang on 09/01/2024 - 10:33

      Would the 350km be an issue? From memory my old Gas car only did about 300 a tank anyway so should be fine.

      • ReaperX22 on 09/01/2024 - 10:43
        +2

        If it's rated for 350km, you won't get 350km. Consider ~80% of the rated range to be standard ACTUAL range from all EVs currently.

        • RickyPoontang on 09/01/2024 - 10:49

          Does that apply for WLTP and NEDC?

        • seannami on 10/01/2024 - 09:11
          +1

          My ZSEV rated 320ish gets 340 routinely with my drives, though mostly flat city/suburban driving on Eco3

      • cmyk on 09/01/2024 - 12:47

        It depends on the use cases, for mostly city driving and the occasional long distance. It's totally fine. If they travel long distances all the time, go for the longer range Essence or Long range

      • seannami on 10/01/2024 - 09:13

        Honestly, after about a week range anxiety disappears- admittedly I can charge at home, but unless you are doing a long drive, you occasionally glance down, see you're at about 20% and go plug in somewhere. Just like you do with petrol. If you have a powerpoint you can plug into overnight, it's basically not even a consideration. Get home, plug in, set charge schedule (or just start her up) and you're set.

  • mavis30551 on 09/01/2024 - 10:45

    Whats the cheapest option on the list (be good if you could sort by price)

  • microsnot on 09/01/2024 - 11:35
    +4

    Sounds like you want a small and good value hatchback since Seagull would have been amazing and your comparison to a Corolla @ $30K. I've test driven quite a few of the sub $70K ones and I think you should probably look into these two:

    MG4 Excite 51

    Issues for me were:
    * manual seats - not a big deal if you're the only driver
    * manual steering wheel adjustment
    * no OTA updates
    * missing driver safety - blind spot monitor, rear cross traffic alert, lane change assist and a bunch of other things
    * no 360 degree camera and pretty low res reverse camera
    * no sat nav, voice control - use iPhone or Android
    * no electric or auto folding mirror and auto dipping mirror
    * not very efficient

    Good points:
    * practical size
    * LFP battery on base model so you can charge to 100% and has V2L
    * rear wheel drive and actually quite good to drive
    * servicing is every 2 years but every 4th year is expensive
    * cheap to buy and insure
    * not glass roof. I have two cars with glass roofs + sunroof and electric shades. Not sure why electric cars don't do this and you have to put a shitty manual shade up like animals.
    * can add towbar to add a bike rack or something light.
    * cloth seats - which I prefer to leather but I prefer leather to fake leather
    * 1 pedal driving - I don't personally care as I prefer using brake pedal which does regen anyway.
    * 7 year warranty on car / battery

    BYD Dolphin Premium

    Issues for me were:
    * FWD and lots of torque isn't fun. Shitty tyres.
    * Slow charge speeds
    * Fake leather
    * no tow bar option
    * no Sentry mode seems like a missed opportunity
    * yearly servicing

    Good points:
    * front and rear radar so lots of safety tech
    * 360 degree camera
    * 7 year warranty on car / 8 on battery
    * LFP battery with V2L
    * heat pump
    * lots of safety tech but some are quite intrusive
    * electric seats, mirrors, steering wheel unlike the MG4

    • RickyPoontang on 09/01/2024 - 12:27

      Tanks!

      • seannami on 09/01/2024 - 16:00
        +1

        Just be aware that, while a decent comparison, Microsnot is comparing the bottom MG4 to a higher model Dolphin- I'd go up to an MG4 64 essence and a lot of the negatives they mentioned go away. I'd generally go the MG over a BYD, but YMMV- always test drive.

        • microsnot on 09/01/2024 - 16:26
          +1

          Good point. I guess I forgot to state my preference is to LFP battery.

          I personally wouldn't buy the Essence unless they put an LFP battery into it. It would be heavier but safer and you'd get more longevity from the battery (more cycles, low degradation, deeper depth of discharge). On the Essence, you'd typically go 20% to 80% state of charge compared to 20% (or lower) to 100% state of charge for the Excite. If only they put a LFP battery into the Essence.

          • seannami on 09/01/2024 - 17:03

            @microsnot: I have an LFP (ZSEV) and don't get below 20 often before I charge anyway (it's usually the timing of the distance I have to go or the availability of free chargers at work- I try to get lower than 10-15ish if I can but sometimes free charging and cheaper parking wins ;)). You can set the car to stop charging at 80% (MG app lets you even on the LFP cars for…reasons) and degradation is probably more of a concern if you are charging primarily DC or likely to drive a metric tonne- OP did say they would have to use public chargers somewhere because they are in an apartment, though only DC charging would probably kill any battery in time. The chargers at work are AC and I have an AC wallbox so wasn't likely to be a consideration, but you are right that it might be a factor if they are charging on DC for the most part.

            I think I read somewhere that degradation is not really a major issue until (kms wise) long after most cars' life spans (600,000kms from a very very vague memory), but someone recently borked their Tesla battery DC charging twice a day doing 100,000kms/year doing Uber or something. Not sure what type they had.

            There is also the issue that, say, my ZSEV essence has a range of 330kms (give or take) and an MG4 77 has about 540, so you do go through 1.5x the battery cycles on an ZSEV for each cycle on the MG4, so it might even out.

            Not trying to argue against your preference, just adding to the discussion I hope :)

    • Oz8argain on 10/01/2024 - 10:16

      we love our MG4! we get 400km at 100% but we always get it charged before 20%.
      another downside of 51 is charging, AC charging is single phase so it's really slow. Other cars charges 3x faster. DC not an issue.

    • cmyk on 09/01/2024 - 12:53
      +3

      Would you buy Tesla, Volvo, Polestar EV?

      • Wayne7497 on 10/01/2024 - 07:39
        -6

        Nope some Tesla made in China Volvo totally chinese owned now .

        BYD have you seen the many videos of fires, airbags not deploying doors falling off rear axle falling off.?

        Not to mention the ONLY reason these chinese ev s sell is price and thats because the CCP heavily subsidises EVERY chinese ev .

        Uploaded 40 minutes ago even BYD dealerships aren't immune 4 in a month up in flames.

        https://youtu.be/DR5BOl8aglI

        • noz on 10/01/2024 - 15:04
          +3

          Wow, you really believe these videos, just like that? Do you realise there are agendas there .. e.g. the need to get clicks and subscribers. (I didn't neg you by the way).

          • Wayne7497 on 10/01/2024 - 16:53

            @noz: Absolutely there so many of them, but people are blind to the risks especially on this forum where price beats safety.

      • Rally Dave on 13/01/2024 - 14:50

        I wouldn't, that's a personal choice and my values dictate that when I have options, I do not buy things like Russian, Chinese, North Korean etc. Your values, your choice. Wayne7497 may have those type of values or seen poor quality in Chinese builds (which is still a thing). Why do you think Apple starting manufacturing in India.

    • nobro25 on 09/01/2024 - 19:09
      +1

      You do realize the Teslas that get sold in Australia are made in Shanghai(China). So there's that.

      • Wayne7497 on 10/01/2024 - 07:40

        Absolutely mine has been back to dealership so many times ive given up counting, atleast suppose as it's not usa built so it's not infested with bed bugs.

        • noz on 10/01/2024 - 15:07

          atleast suppose as it's not usa built so it's not infested with bed bugs

          Wait a sec .. so you dislike USA built Teslas even more than the China ones?

    • wal990 on 10/01/2024 - 16:18
      +1

      80% of the EVs sold in Australia are chinese made, a majority of the remaining 20% uses China made components / batteries etc…

  • pwnd on 09/01/2024 - 14:54
    +1

    My pick would be the Volvo EX30. Fantastic value for money

    • May4th on 11/01/2024 - 09:19

      Similar chinese car, for 20k more?

  • RolandWaites on 09/01/2024 - 14:55
    +2

    I too would like a Corolla full-electric under $30k.

  • SlickMick on 09/01/2024 - 16:47
    +1

    Your requirements are obviously different from mine. I would have liked a Sorento but couldn't get one, so settled for a Mazda CX-60 (for a whole pile of cash more)

  • tomlikesbeetroot on 09/01/2024 - 17:48
    +2

    Would suggest joining a few owners groups on facebook etc.
    I was particularly interested in the BYD atto as it had favorable reviews etc, but then so many complaints in the owners group that put me off.

    • RickyPoontang on 10/01/2024 - 07:42

      great idea! Thanks!

    • susu abis on 10/01/2024 - 17:56

      I've had the Atto3 for 7 months and the only issue is with OTA 1.7. I'm quite happy with the performance of the Atto3.

  • thesilverstarman on 09/01/2024 - 18:26

    You still need to pay for it, and seeing as your car expectations arent high, I would go for the GWM Ora. Its a good looking cat that rates well. And Its cheap. If the EV experience isnt what you hoped for, you arent in for a lot. Plus its uncertain times, and the cheaper you pay the better
    Spending more, the Hyundai Kona would be a good thing.

  • Oofy Doofy on 09/01/2024 - 20:42
    -2

    Nothing Chinese. That's about it.

  • casho on 09/01/2024 - 21:53
    -1

    You call everyone an idiot (nuffy) and then expect to be helped

    • RickyPoontang on 10/01/2024 - 07:41

      In sports a nuffy is something who's an obsessive fan :/ … sorry if I offended anyone

      • casho on 10/01/2024 - 07:51

        Oh then I take it back! Good luck!

  • Wilson Wallace on 10/01/2024 - 07:53
    +1

    I would recommend you go test drive the tesla model 3 RWD and the BYD Seal Dynamic or any other car you might fancy yourself in. Then make your decision. You'll have everyone giving you advice, get more confused and just makes it harder to make a choice.

    Go and test drive.

    • RickyPoontang on 10/01/2024 - 09:52

      Test driving BYD x Seal and Dolphin in a weeks time

  • Eeples on 10/01/2024 - 08:18
    +1

    You live in an apartment and can not charge at home.

    IMO you should reconsider getting an EV.

    • ReaperX22 on 10/01/2024 - 09:14

      Should definitely just get a hybrid. I think my next car will be a hybrid (renting, no guarantee of a charge port at each new place). Looking at the Honda Civic e-HEV!

      • Eeples on 10/01/2024 - 15:28

        I’m driving a 2011 veloster turbo. 0-100 in about 7sec.

        I’m finding it hard to go electric (or hybrid) at 8sec.

        However, I’m told the torque with EVs is such I won’t notice the difference.

        • drewbytes on 12/01/2024 - 07:28

          Many electric cars are much, much faster than 8 secs 0-100, it's one of the things I love about mine (0-100 in about 3.9). I don't know what car you're considering but maybe you need to widen your search.

          • UNO on 12/01/2024 - 10:03

            @drewbytes: Which car did you get?

            • drewbytes on 13/01/2024 - 07:24

              @UNO: Tesla Model 3 LR with acceleration boost.

  • dmcneice on 10/01/2024 - 10:39
    +1

    BYD Seal for me. We were looking for a Corolla and its similar in shape, looks, feels and drives amazing. We test drove it over the weekend and was seriously impressed.

    • RickyPoontang on 10/01/2024 - 11:23

      Premium?

      • dmcneice on 10/01/2024 - 11:40
        +1

        We actually test drive the Dynamic - and it was honestly great. It feels quite premium compared to say a corolla/mazda 3, which is the other sorts we were looking at. The premium looks really nice too (was in the showroom but didnt test drive that one).

        • RickyPoontang on 10/01/2024 - 11:49

          Hmm weird, they told me that they don't allow test drives with Dynamic.

          • dmcneice on 10/01/2024 - 11:51

            @RickyPoontang: We were kind of glad we got to test drive a Dynamic, as we are the kind of people who dont spruik for more premium features in cars. The thing we were most impressed with was how it drove.

  • GreenRomeo on 10/01/2024 - 17:16
    +1

    Ìf you plan to sell the car after the lease is up in 1-2 years in anticipation of something new will come in the near future that will make the current cars obsolete, would it be better to go with a PHEV or an EV? I’ve checked the prices of the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV 2022 and they seem to hold up pretty well. BYD Atto 3 on the other hand tanked like a rock. Tesla is kind of in the middle from what I’ve seen.

    • seannami on 11/01/2024 - 07:47

      Consider full EV- more sustainable if you decide to keep it instead (since 1-2 years feels a little quick to churn a car). I went for a 5 year lease for a number of reasons, but that is the absolute earliest I'd churn a car personally, but working on the assumption I'll be keeping mine, but I'll see what the state of the market (and the FBT exemption) is in 4ish years from now!

      • GreenRomeo on 11/01/2024 - 12:58

        Churning cars every 1-2 years just happens to work in my situation, and also because the EV landscape is still changing quickly, and none of the cars I considered met my requirements of reliability, low turning circle (under 11.5m) and with rear cross traffic alert, hence the question. If I was to stick with the car for 4-5 years then yeah I’ll definitely go with a reliable EV.

  • aveeno bb on 10/01/2024 - 23:19
    +1

    Depends on your budget, but BYD Seal looks like a very good product.

  • brentsbits on 11/01/2024 - 04:55
    -1

    Model Y RWD, no question. It's the best value for money. It's a lot of car for (relatively) not much.

    Had one six months, done 24k in it, still haven't found anything I don't like

    • kubrikates on 11/01/2024 - 06:15
      +1

      until you see the insurance premiums.

  • kubrikates on 11/01/2024 - 06:15

    I would definitely consider the IONIQ 5, its got the best of everything so far.

  • payless69 on 11/01/2024 - 12:41

    Yes the Cupra! Holder of 2 records.

    Most sold car to a certain age group.

    Most returned car in the shortest time frame.

  • justwii on 11/01/2024 - 13:32

    Sorry to ask my question in your post. I am thinking to get a plug in hybrid, but if you are renting an apartment, how would you do your daily overnight charging? That could be my deal breaker as plug in hybrid normaly only does 30~50km per full charge and I drive around 20km daily. Thanks

    • Euphemistic on 11/01/2024 - 13:46

      but if you are renting an apartment, how would you do your daily overnight charging?

      You need to find a parking space that has a power point nearby.

      If you can’t charge overnight you might be better off with a full EV and use a fast charger as required. Just need to make sure your usual habits can accomodate parking at a charger for long enough to charge. Kinda like a petrol car that requires a trip to a servo regularly, except while charging you can be shopping or dining out.

      • justwii on 11/01/2024 - 14:23

        Thanks, so people are doing that in their apartment carparks? Like using a common power point? I can't imagine people not getting unplugged after they go to sleep at night.

        Can those plug in hybrid use those EV charger? I think I just need to make that a daily habit instead of weekly then.

        • Euphemistic on 11/01/2024 - 14:28
          +1

          If you’re asking those sorts of questions, a plug in hybrid isn’t for you. They are for people who travel up to EV range per day and can plug in at home each night without risk of not getting the right parking spot or having someone else use the plug.

          If you can’t answer that you’d be better off without the plug in bit and just go regular hybrid or full EV.

          • justwii on 11/01/2024 - 14:37

            @Euphemistic: Yeah guess you are right. So many things to consider and worry. Too bad normal hybrid is not included in the $0 FBT scheme and EVs are more expensive than plug in hybrid.

  • gakko on 11/01/2024 - 16:37
    -1

    Atto 3 extended. Do not get the hyundai. Youtube hyundai ioniq battery replacement cost. Their corporate are total assholes and their battery cost is more than the car.

    • Euphemistic on 11/01/2024 - 19:21

      What’s the warranty on the battery? How long will OP likely keep the car if it’s on a lease? I’m gonna guess that it’ll be turned over well before the battery warranty it done.

    • kubrikates on 12/01/2024 - 07:09

      I really think you should look into what actually happened rather than just repeating click baity titles.

      • gakko on 12/01/2024 - 09:11

        I watched the videos on it. What happened outside of that? Good luck if you have the hyundai - I wouldnt touch it.

  • lunartemis on 11/01/2024 - 18:11
    +1

    We have had the MG4 for about 3 months and very happy with it. It is fun to drive and practical little hatch. There are some things we dont like such as thr car not remembering driving settings

  • aurotaro on 12/01/2024 - 13:47

    Tesla Model 3 or Y - big differentiator is their supercharger network.
    BYD Seal or Atto 3 - competitive pricing and offers.

  • Rally Dave on 13/01/2024 - 14:55

    The new 2024 Kona. A bit dearer than the Chinese stuff, but good value still when you look at the inclusions, features and quality. Prices released last week were about 5% less than expected and right in the salary sacrificing range. If your happy with the standard model, could probably get it reasonably soon, Premium apparently developing a bit of a back order.

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