MPG vs Standard Hybrid

[Barnfather]

Considering an Outlander PHEV GX4h for my next company car (my contract runs out in Feb). Just had a GX3 - pre-Facelift - on demo and liked the car a lot, but I am a bit confused about my profile and how this would translate to rough MPG figures. I know I'm not an 'ideal' PHEV driver...

Basically I work 25miles away, so its a 50 mile round trip Mon-Fri. I don't generally do business mileage.
I would install a pod point so I could charge fully every night, so I would likely get a good portion of the journey TO work on EV only
I drive like a geriatric most of the time, preferring to cruise at 50-55mph on A-Roads and 60-70 on Dual carriageways, with cruise control on, listening to music or talking on the phone. I don't have a heavy right-foot unless running late for something!
Weekends are variable, ranging from pootling around town locally, to driving a similar 50-mile round trip if going to the football, to driving a 200m round trip if visiting friends/family in other parts of the country.

Now, I currently drive a Lexus CT200h Hybrid, and get around 50-55mpg.

If I can get a similar overall mpg from the Outlander, it will be a slam-dunk. It's hard to get a feel for this though, and as I only have the demo for 3 days over a weekend I didn't get much indication there either.

Thoughts?

 

[Neverfuel]

It really will come down to the extra space in the Outlander, on your mileage pattern it looks like you will just have the edge with the car over your Lexus. It may come down to the differences in benefits for a company car driver (for example, whether you claim mileage or get a paid fuel allowance; what the Lexus BIK level is compared to the PHEV etc.). Don't get a specific charge point installed initially though, unless you can't use the 5m cable that comes with the car - check out your pattern of usage first and make sure that the new charging point is worth the £195 + for a charge that is only 1.5 hours less than the one from a standard 13amp socket.

You should look at the new GX3+ if you are going for the base model as it has an electric heater upgrade from the previous model. That will save you £'s in fuel during the winter.

 

[westdevon]

Considering an Outlander PHEV GX4h for my next company car (my contract runs out in Feb). Just had a GX3 - pre-Facelift - on demo and liked the car a lot, but I am a bit confused about my profile and how this would translate to rough MPG figures. I know I'm not an 'ideal' PHEV driver...

Basically I work 25miles away, so its a 50 mile round trip Mon-Fri. I don't generally do business mileage.
I would install a pod point so I could charge fully every night, so I would likely get a good portion of the journey TO work on EV only
I drive like a geriatric most of the time, preferring to cruise at 50-55mph on A-Roads and 60-70 on Dual carriageways, with cruise control on, listening to music or talking on the phone. I don't have a heavy right-foot unless running late for something!
Weekends are variable, ranging from pootling around town locally, to driving a similar 50-mile round trip if going to the football, to driving a 200m round trip if visiting friends/family in other parts of the country.

Now, I currently drive a Lexus CT200h Hybrid, and get around 50-55mpg.


If I can get a similar overall mpg from the Outlander, it will be a slam-dunk. It's hard to get a feel for this though, and as I only have the demo for 3 days over a weekend I didn't get much indication there either.

Thoughts?

With your leisurely driving style you should get about 40mpg on petrol only, or 35 on the motorway.
Your commute would be half battery, half petrol =80mpg
Football trips the same.
200 mile trips from full charge about 5 gallons at 35 mpg.

If you do 2 football trips a month and 1 long trip you get this:

22 x 50 miles at 80 mpg = 1100 miles
200 miles at 40 mpg
1100/80= 13.75 gallons
200/40= 5 gallons
1300 miles / 18.75 gallons = 69.33 mpg

Plus electricity, about £1.10 a charge or 60p if you have ECO7, or less if you have solar.

These are back of an envelope figures but it sounds good to me.

PS At day rate the leccy would cost about £30 for the period. That would buy about 5.75 gallons of petrol making equivalent 25.5 gallons paid for. 1300/25.5= about 51 mpg. With ECO7 the leccy would be about £17 which buys about 3.25 gallons. That makes eq. 22 gallons. 1300/22=59mpg.

I think I've done my sums reasonably :shock:

 

[Barnfather]

Wow, thanks for such a comprehensive work-up of the numbers. That was the kind of calculation I needed to do but couldn't bring myself to fathom

So the headline is that theoretically, it will be close to the economy I get from my current car, with the only downside being the need to charge it every night but the upside being that I get to drive a decent sized SUV... (I'm quite a 'large' guy, so do feel that the CT is a bit small at times - plus I'd love to be able to get my bike in the car which I can't do at the moment).

As for the previous comment re charging point, I would definitely get a pod point fitted if I go with the Outlander as I am naturally a bit lazy, and if I had to get the supplied lead out and plug it via extension cables I will soon get out of the habit. If I have a pod point with tethered cable, this won't be such an issue.

In terms of car choice, another PHEV - a Mercedes C-Class 350e has suddenly come into my bracket on my lease site however aside from it not being an SUV, I believe the lead times are ridiculous, the insurance trade-up would be £40 per month and whilst the performance is outstanding (5.9 seconds to 60 etc), the smaller electric range would hurt my overall MPG figures too much.

Incidentally, I would go for a GX4h. Mainly because I had to make some compromises with my Lexus which I don't want to make again - DAB radio, Camera, Sat Nav etc.

Thanks again for the analysis

 

[lg1726]

Is there, or might there be an opportunity for you to charge at work? That way you could charge up and be able to make the return journey on EV as well! I know in Scotland there has been a Government drive to encourage workplace EV charging via grants etc and there may be similar schemes elsewhere that you could highlight to your employer and encourage them to consider - http://www.fleetnews.co.uk/news/env...le-for-charging-points-at-scottish-workplaces

 

[Barnfather]

Unfortunately not, although there are a few PHEV's in the fleet so they may do in the future (although getting a space will be tricky!).

However the 'overspill' car parking for my work is an arrangement they have with the local Park and Ride, which is about 5 minutes walk from the office. In this Park and Ride they have about 5 charging points, which are clearly for the use of customers of the park and ride, but presumably I would qualify based on the arrangement my work has with the council.

Although I'm not sure plugging it in and leaving it for half a day, every day, is seen as good form - although I suppose they would intend it to be left due to people using the bus service into the city (I work in Nottingham by the way).

 

[lg1726]

Check that there is a space and a socket available.
Park up, plug your cable into your car.
Touch your membership card to the yellow card reader on the top of the post (hold the card for longer if you want to use the “Type 2” socket when both sockets are free).
Follow the on screen instructions.
Plug your lead into the post socket (ensuring that the socket cover is firmly, but carefully closed over the three pin plug/socket; the seven pin “Type 2” socket hatch does not close over the plug, but the “Type 2” plug is locked into the post).
Check that your vehicle is charging (green lights on the post; please also check your vehicle before leaving to ensure that it is displaying the correct signs that it is charging).
Lock your vehicle and purchase a Park & Ride ticket on bus.
To terminate charging you will need to present the same access card (that initiated charging) to the post you are charging from. The socket cover or electromechanical locking system will disengage when the correct card is presented.

This is the detail for the charging at the park and ride locally where it suggests an expectation you will be leaving the vehicle by purchasing a ticket on the bus! Seems to me that if you have an agreement to use the park and ride as an overspill, leaving your car charging will not be out of the ordinary!

Personally, I would be inclined to investigate some sort of charging arrangement at/near your workplace if possible as that will give you battery for the return journey and no real need to do all the sums re mpg! We have had our one a couple of months now, at just under 900miles and have used about a gallon of fuel and that has only been in the last week or so!

 

[westdevon]

Any extra chargups you can get in will push up your mpg. Maybe a fast charge or 2 if you stop for a motorway coffee on your long trip?

 

[linton944]

I've had a 2016 GX3+ for about 2 weeks & had a chargepoint put in on the basis that I'm often in & out during the day at a weekend so I can top up the charge in between using the car & it will put in twice as much charge as a 3 pin socket. I'm not far from Nottingham if that's any help ( M1 J23)

 

[Estuaryview]

Hi I don't know if this will help but I have had my gx5 company car for 3 months and done 8500 miles if I do trips of less than 100 miles it is very good on fuel in the 60s. As I am quite. High mileage drive I am finding the car great it's a 35 mpg car in the real world but the tax saving makes a massive difference and taking this into account it's cheaper to run as a company vehicle than my VW Sharran. I also got a £500 tax rebate. As a company car you can't go wrong however I couldn't justify the cost of a charge point so use the cable that came with the car and a socket in the garage

 

[Barnfather]

Hi I don't know if this will help but I have had my gx5 company car for 3 months and done 8500 miles if I do trips of less than 100 miles it is very good on fuel in the 60s. As I am quite. High mileage drive I am finding the car great it's a 35 mpg car in the real world but the tax saving makes a massive difference and taking this into account it's cheaper to run as a company vehicle than my VW Sharran. I also got a £500 tax rebate. As a company car you can't go wrong however I couldn't justify the cost of a charge point so use the cable that came with the car and a socket in the garage

Thanks. Yes the tax thing is attractive for me also (although the benefit does lessen somewhat with the rising year-on-year BIK over the next few years).

We also get a £500 'bonus' for selecting a car with less than 99g CO2 although just received an email saying they are scrapping this bonus scheme from 12th November as too many cars fall into this bracket now, so have 2 weeks to get my order in

 

[lg1726]

With regard to home charging points - there are grants still available for this - https://www.gov.uk/government/uploa...charge-scheme-guidance-for-customers-2015.pdf. In Scotland this is topped up so in effect 100%, but there is a significant UK government grant still there as can be seen from the link.

 

[Barnfather]

I do wonder if the cost of charging points will reduce dramatically when the grant finishes.

I can't see many folk happy to fork out £700 for what is essentially a fancy extension socket (OK, guess there is more to it but still....)

Actually this could be an eventual issue for me. I can get one installed via the grant at my current house, but I am likely to move house in a couple of years time, so we need to install a new point. Obviously, this will be post 'grant' so could potentially cost a fortune...

 

[greendwarf]

I do wonder if the cost of charging points will reduce dramatically when the grant finishes.

I can't see many folk happy to fork out £700 for what is essentially a fancy extension socket (OK, guess there is more to it but still....)

Actually this could be an eventual issue for me. I can get one installed via the grant at my current house, but I am likely to move house in a couple of years time, so we need to install a new point. Obviously, this will be post 'grant' so could potentially cost a fortune...

Some of the current "inflated" cost will be for the inclusion of data logging & transmitting facility (Big Brother IS watching you ) Once this is dropped with the subsidy then it should be much cheaper. Also no overheads for installers in claiming money back from Govt.

 

[DazzyB]

Hi I don't know if this will help but I have had my gx5 company car for 3 months and done 8500 miles if I do trips of less than 100 miles it is very good on fuel in the 60s. As I am quite. High mileage drive I am finding the car great it's a 35 mpg car in the real world but the tax saving makes a massive difference and taking this into account it's cheaper to run as a company vehicle than my VW Sharran. I also got a £500 tax rebate. As a company car you can't go wrong however I couldn't justify the cost of a charge point so use the cable that came with the car and a socket in the garage

Sounds very similar to my own usage. I also get private fuel paid for by my employer so apart from the near-silent ride and the looks you get from people as you glide past, I have little incentive to charge it and run in EV mode. I'm therefore getting low 30's MPG driving it as a petrol car most of the time.

 

[NAPpy]

In that case I would be using the charge button all the time whilst driving at higher speeds.

 

[DazzyB]

In that case I would be using the charge button all the time whilst driving at higher speeds.

Agreed. I should have said "little incentive for me to charge it from the mains at my own cost..."

 

[anko]

Sounds very similar to my own usage. I also get private fuel paid for by my employer so apart from the near-silent ride and the looks you get from people as you glide past, I have little incentive to charge it and run in EV mode. I'm therefore getting low 30's MPG driving it as a petrol car most of the time.

Your employer pays for gas but not for electricity? Sounds like your employer is an idi...

 

[DazzyB]

Sounds like your employer is an idi...

I just don't think the issue has come up enough for it to be built into the car/fuel policy. I do intend to start the discussions with them about it. I also wouldn't pay any tax on company-paid-for electricity because the UK government do not consider it to be fuel!

 

[anko]

I do intend to start the discussions with them about it.

I also wouldn't pay any tax on company-paid-for electricity because the UK government do not consider it to be fuel!

Hmmm, I would expect that you would not pay tax if it was considered fuel (or related to the car anyway).

In the Netherlands, if you have a company car, you pay the Dutch equivalent of BIK and all costs associated with owning / driving the car are payed by the employer without you having to pax taxes on them. These items are supposed to be all-in with the BIK. But if the electricity was not considered associated with driving / owning the car (and also not with any other work related activities) , it would be a separate benefit that would be separately taxed. I assumed that next to the BIK, you would not be taxed on the company payed fuel?