First available service date

[Big H]

the high cost of key components, still somewhat unproven durability and reliability of the EV and PHEV hardware and software, etc. make the recent and current generation of offerings a bit of a risk in the medium term to second and subsequent owners, after the warranty runs out. That could have an effect on the enthusiasm for these later and that could well be reflected in residual values.

I absolutely agree with that. Those big exponents of electric vehicles are those who drive ones still in warranty - what happens to these vehicles when they hit 8 or 10 years old (the current average Irish car fleet age is around 9 years) - would you take one on that could land you with come major headaches/bills down the line unless it was particularly cheap ?

Electronic repairs/replacements always seem to be astronomically priced and need astronomically priced coding to be compatible with your vehicle of course.

The elephant in the room is actual battery longevity - there's plenty of actual & anecdotal evidence of the prices to replace these (either some/all cells) and they make taking on an older EV a real gamble. Ask any early Leaf owner and they'll tell you the range has dropped off a cliff - of course it may still suit their requirements, but for many this will be an unacceptable consequence of early adoption.

I'm out.

[Mac]

My mechanic told me of a MB E class hybrid that came in with an issue, turns out it was the starter motor. it starts on electric but petrol motor kicks in. (I'm not up to speed on the MB range)

Anyway, priced a replacement battery, €17K. Or €14K on an exchange basis.

So in this case only a matter of time that these could be beyond economical repair.