New Car - Electric or Not?
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Looking to buy a new car, do I go electric or not. Anyone got experience with electric any advice would be appreciated
They are normally super reliable (maybe not Tesla's) and very easy to drive but you do need somewhere secure to park it for charging it, i.e. your own garage with mains and ideally you need to install a high current socket to minimise charge time. Obviously not the ideal vehicle if you drive long distances regularly.
Personally I don't think its quite the right time to move to an EV but its really down to your circumstances.
Wont your choice depend on the infrastructure for electric vehicles in your local area? Its poor up where I live so it would be petrol/diesel for me for the next couple of years unless we have a massive change in the infrastructure
I've always favoured diesels as I use my left over animal fat ( distilled ) to power my old Hillman Imp . It smells but it's free and sustainable so long as I remain a meat eater .. 
A Hillman Imp diesel what sort of diesel engine could you shoehorn in that, not that you have a diesel Hillman Imp of course.
I seem to remember they had a small petrol engine with a lot of aluminium parts that were very problematic with over-heating issues. I miss the Rootes group they used to do some brilliant cars.
I try to be an environmentally friendly citizen but the my driving life will be over by the time they do a complete switchover so my next car will be petrol as I really wouldn't feel safe in an electric car.
As you all know mine was written off before Xmas and I am thinking of the lower end Dacia. I don't drive powerful cars but still need to do a 300 mile round trip occasionally.
Don't those new Sandero's look great? I see it is the What Car car of the year. Amazing value and a very decent car as long as you can live without the luxuries. Renault engines are pretty solid and the Dacia's have pretty simple electrics which can be a common issue with french engineered cars. I just feel Dacia is a great choice for a new car. They aren't so good for s/hand purchases because they have very low depreciation so often you could get a Ford or Vauxhall of the same age for less strangely because of their faster depreciation. They also benefit I believe from cheaper spares. A great site here for s/hand car purchases a lot of info on what brands and models are most reliable and have the lowest repair costs. Some reliable cars have excessive repair costs and some unreliable cars have low cost repairs typically. So its good to factor in both. The Japanese still make the most reliable cars and have done so it seems for about 50 years.
https://www.reliabilityindex.com/manufacturer
Unfortunately it seems not many Dacia owners buy warranties for their cars so no real data on their cars. The same engines as some Dacia's are used in Renaults and some smaller Mercedes cars.
BonzoBanana thanks so much for your post. I can certainly live without the luxuries and extras as I have only ever driven a fairly straightforward car although my Up! had an on board computer screen with lots of things I never used!
You may have seen my posts about struggling with the 2020 fiesta courtesy car I was given after the accident when I had to text my grandson to ask how to start it and put in reverse.......yes, very embarrassing!
You can easily go into london without any hefty fees with an electric. Just food for thought
This depends on where you live and how far you drive.
For a full electric you will need a drive to park on so the car can be charged (unless you live in a very large town where electric points are available on the street)
There's still a disparity geographically for charging points (not helped by having at least five different suppliers behind them who don't work together). My nearest public charge point is 10 miles away (inside an expensive car park- you'd be paying for the parking and the charging)
The charging infra structure is currently slow.. most public charge points take 3 hours to charge (not the 40 minutes that is a common advertising slogan- except on the motorway where Tesla charge points don't play with other makes)
Electric cars tend to do around 80% of the mileage quoted as their range (much less if its cold and you're using the heater)
...and the plusses
Absolutely gorgeous to drive, quiet and comfy
Immediate performance response (electric motors are always 'full on')
Very cheap to run - around 5p /mile
Much cheaper services (not much to go wrong!)
Free Road tax
Brilliant if you only drive small distances per day
Ecologically sound (with no sound)
Remote operation of heating from inside your house on cold mornings
You can actually hear and benefit from the better sound systems.
If you drive short distances, inside an urban area with good charging infrastructure (or just from your own home point) these are a brilliant buy.
I think it will be a while until i would make the switch, not been around long enough for me yet 
I would definitely recommend buying electric because it will only be a few years before all the rules and regulations come in, and petrol and diesel things will be a thing of the past. I currently drive petrol and not looking forward to going electric but has to be done!
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