Opinion: The dilemmas of buying a new car

Electric, PHEV or ICE – the choice for a fresh car has never been wider, or trickier

Buying a new family car is never a straightforward process. For starters, there’s the dynamic of the household to consider: mum, dad and the kids rarely all want the same things for breakfast, let alone what they’ll spend hours driving around in.

Then there’s the cash to consider. Second-hand, new outright (admittedly a rare thing), new PCP, new lease etc etc. Throw in a healthy dose of all the niches that have sprung up in the past decade or so, stand back and watch endless discussions/arguments unfold. It’s an agony of choice.

Now, there’s an extra dilemma: electricity. For the lucky people working at Autocar, it’s easy to underestimate how big a deal this is for people. We’re constantly jumping in and out of different cars, so get used to adapting as required. But for the Ward family at the moment, this is proving a hard sell.

I would love an electric car next. Autocar special correspondent Jesse Crosse has just jumped into EV ownership and it would seem to make sense for us Wards as well. After all, for the vast majority of time, our family car does 30- to 40-mile trips around our home. My reasonings for the proposed switch (sorry…) are partly financial, but also because I feel like I want to do something for the planet (and, yes, I’m aware of lifetime CO2). My wife? Let’s just say she’s not convinced yet.

Her reluctance is all down to range anxiety. What happens if the battery is flat and there’s an emergency? Or she visits friends miles away and can’t charge at their house?

It’s an interesting insight into two things: that manufacturers still have a way to go to convince some of how usable these cars are; and how range anxiety/charging infrastructure remains a real concern of ‘the waverers’.

I think it’s going to take a psychological shift. Early cars weren’t any better than the horse and cart, and it feels like we’re in the same space now, at least to the doubters. I’ve been testing a Lexus UX300e this week so my wife has had a go in it as well. I thought time spent living with one, even if only for a week, might change her mind. We’ve only had to charge it once and it’s proved a reasonable runaround. Has it convinced her? Nope.

What’s the solution? Cold turkey, I think. Humans are pretty adaptable animals and we make it work if we have to. That 2030 ban will certainly crystallise a fair few thoughts. In the meantime, though, there’s just too much choice.

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