New battery-electric vehicles that will released for the model years of 2018 and 2019 could possibly shift the attention of consumers away from Tesla. Audi, Hyundai and at least a couple new manufacturers finally matured enough to make their own all-electric cars in the crossover SUV bodies. This video can serve as a quick overview of current market situation. Some cars are already on sale in the USA, Canada, Europe, Asia and China, so we were able to add prices and final technical information about them, while some are waiting for their first public debuts (companies already confirmed their production, though). Short list of things this video presentation will teach you (information about the sourced used in making this video are in the end of the presentation; image by autoblog.com/2018/02/27/hyundai-kona-electric-suv-revealed): – Porsche Mission E Cross Turismo can finally set the company to the path of electrifying their whole lineup. The 600hp E Cross Turismo SUV will be good for urban and offroad driving thanks to rugged tires and 310 miles of range; – Jaguar I-Pace is slightly bigger than most of cars on the list. Despite this, it will still show great range and be slightly cheaper than Tesla’s SUV. – Hyundai Kona is the competitor for the domination among more affordable EV options. Hyundai are known for making cars with competitive pricing and good specifications, so Kona Electric is the first long-range option to Bolt EV. – Chevrolet Bolt EV is usually described as the uncool all-electric car. Customers, who are not chasing the hype could have the time of their lives driving this car: it has the range of over 200 miles and low price compared to most of the competition. – Nio ES8 is the cheaper alternative to Model X that was created for the Chinese market. The main selling point of this big SUV is its pricing. For the smaller amount of money, you get cars that are not less advanced than ones created by Elon Musk’s company. – Audi Etron is scheduled to start rolling out of the production lines in the second half of 2018. Consumers in Europe can already place their reservations for Audi’s first long-range SUV. – Tesla Model X: no list is complete without this product. Although everyone is chasing Elon Musk, in 99% of cases Tesla remains on top. Let’s see if anything changes for them this year.
Tag Archives: BMW
3 Reasons You Should Lease Your Next Car
Image Credit: Pexels
As the technology that goes into cars gets better and better, they are also gradually increasing in price. While this is part and parcel of creating some incredible new vehicles and pushing the boundaries, it is problematic for people who are passionate about cars and love driving but simply can’t afford those prices. This means that if you are looking for a new car – hybrid, electric or otherwise – you should start considering other methods for funding your transportation.
In the future, it seems very likely that we won’t have our own cars at all. Self driving vehicles are looking increasingly viable as a wide-scale option, opening up the opportunity for people to effectively hire the nearest car rather than owning their own. This lifestyle makes a lot of sense on both an economical level and an environmental level.
But this future doesn’t have to be that far away. In recent years, car leasing has become more and more popular. You get to lease the perfect car for you and in a few years time you can switch it up for a better model, incorporating new technologies and more green credentials. While we don’t have self-driving cars just yet, we can certainly start to learn how to share assets much better and begin to let go of the notion of ownership.
So, what is so good about leasing?
Fit in With Your Monthly Expenses
Leasing is one of the best ways to get a car when you don’t quite have the money to buy one. Cars are expensive and getting more and more expensive as time goes on. This can make it quite tricky for people who require a car but aren’t earning enough just yet to acquire the savings in time, like first time car buyers.
As a good compromise, leasing allows you to figure out how much you can afford to spend out of your monthly budget on your car. With this money, you can then lease a car without having to put down a deposit to begin with. In other words you get the car you want, right now, without having to save up for one first.
Fitting any large expense into your monthly budget can be quite difficult but luckily there are a wide range of cars available to lease. At the end of your lease, you can choose to either swap your car for a new model that will suit your new needs, or you can lease your same car again. This is slightly different to paying for a car on finance as you won’t own your leased car at the end of your contract. However, the monthly payments are quite a lot cheaper so this could be a better option if you are shorter on cash. You can read a little more about the differences between leasing and financing online at www.wcvolvocars.com.
Upgrade to Enjoy a New Car at the End of Your Lease
One of the most exciting things about your lease is that once it ends you can upgrade to get a better car that will suit your needs. As technology and cars are moving along at a rapid pace, this is a really good advantage to have as in a few years time, you can’t even imagine what kinds of changes will have been made. Having the ability to join in straight away will be really very exciting!
This might sound a bit weird if you haven’t thought of leasing a car before, but think of it like a cell phone. We all know how quickly cell phones have suddenly taken off with brand new technologies seeming to appear almost every month. The car industry may be a slightly slower industry given that a car is a much larger investment for anyone to make, but it is rapidly catching up and now this attitude to leasing rather than owning is taking off. And, when you think about it that way, it makes a lot more sense.
Your Car is Protected Under Warranty
One of the biggest worries that drivers have is that should anything go wrong with their car, they will have to pay to get it fixed again. This is particularly worrying when you have already spent pretty much all you have on buying the car in the first place!
With a lease, the car you are driving will be protected and covered so that if there are any problems, this won’t be coming out of your pocket, but will be paid for by the warranty. This means that while you should certainly continue to take excellent care of your car and drive sensibly and safely at all times, if there are any problems, you won’t need to worry about covering the cost.
This is a huge bonus if you are looking for an electric car or a hybrid as these cars are generally much more expensive to fix when they go wrong as they contain specially made parts that can often only be fitted by a particular garage or technician. Knowing this will also help to bring your insurance cover down as your insurer will not be shouldering the cost of these repairs either.
Leasing a car might not sound like it’s for you, but even if you only look at these three reasons to lease your next car, it is clear that there are a few significant advantages at play as the technology in cars improves at a rapidly increasing rate, you don’t want to get left behind the times when you know that the next awesome breakthrough in efficiency is coming. Being able to change your car regularly will allow you to stay on top of the trends without breaking the bank or having to save up a ridiculous amount for a deposit.
Take control of your car and take control of the future. Leasing is a trend that will soon be working for everyone and the sooner you climb on board, the more likely it is that industries will work to develop a future where everyone has a way of travelling around easily and efficiently – where you don’t need to be wealthy to have a stake in the best of the city.
Does Fixing The Car Have To Be So Expensive?
They are one of the most expensive things we will ever own. In fact, for the majority of people, their car is the most valuable and the costliest of all their possessions except for the home. The amount they have to spend on their mechanics is a big part of that, as well. Cars are complex and fixing them isn’t easy so it’s no surprise repairs can be costly. But is there any way to at least make them more manageable? Does keeping your car in good condition always have to be so costly?
Not if you take care of it
Everyone can reduce how much they spend on repairs. The simple fact is that most drivers are too busy or simply not willing to put in the time to show their own auto a little more care. We can all do more to maintain our cars. Changing spark plugs, checking tire pressure, changing the oil when necessary. You can do all of these and more with the expensive help of a mechanic. If you own an electric car, you can still clean and polish it, lessening the risk of rust, and you can take care of the battery. The more time you put into the car, the less money you have to spend on it.
Not if you shop around
Make sure you’re not going to the most expensive garage in town. Even if they’re a legit business and not resorting to tricks, you could save money by going to their competition, especially if they’re a shorter distance away from you. Shop around when it comes to your parts and maintenance equipment as well. Suppliers like CTI Supply that sell directly to garages and other auto businesses could offer much better prices, especially if you buy in bulk. Don’t always let the garage find your replacement parts for you, either. It’s not entirely unheard of for mechanics to mark up the car parts they source and find for your vehicle. Of course, you shouldn’t try to go too cheap with replacement parts, as that can only end up making them more likely to break and need another replacement in short order.
Not if you prepare
One of the most expensive parts of car repair isn’t the bill, but how unprepared the majority of car owners are for them. If your car has a malfunction or accident and your insurance isn’t paying, you may find that you don’t have the funds readily available. A lot of businesses will let you make repairs on credit, but often with interest that marks up the overall price significantly. By putting aside a car maintenance fund as shown at The Nest, you can avoid going into debt and have the cash ready to go when you need it.
As well as the tips above, you do want to make sure you’re being taken for a ride by your mechanic. Take a closer look at your bill the next time you visit and make sure you’re not getting any extra charges you shouldn’t.
Taking Yourself From A To B: Your First Car
That means it’s time to invest! If you’re the kind of person who’s lived in a big city your whole life and never needed your own transport, or you’ve been able to depend on someone else this entire time and you know the situation needs to change, it’s time to take action. Being able to drive is a life skill a lot of people have and not a lot of people really put to good use. It can help us get jobs and support ourselves, it helps us ferry our families around and makes homelife a lot easier, and a vehicle can even be a mini home in itself when you need it to be. So if you’re on your journey to becoming a fully fledged driver, here’s some good ways to stay on top of things.
These keys are only a snatch away from you Source
Getting On With Your Lessons
Lessons aren’t always the first step in learning to drive. You need to determine first of all what kind of vehicle you’re hoping to pilot from here on out, whether it be a manual or an automatic or a car that runs on fuel or electricity. When you’re first starting your lessons, don’t be afraid to make mistakes, this is the space where it’s absolutely safe to do so.
Make sure you keep up with car control when you’re outside of the driver’s seat. If you know the routes around your town well, you can easily keep up with a Sat Nav or the instructor’s commands. Look at maps in your spare time, understand the speed limits of the common roads. Try and get some offtime practice in another car when you can, as more and more practical experience is never going to hurt anyone. With this, you’ll be studying for your theory from the get go, and still have the right amount of practical experience.
What If I Can’t Afford a Car?
Don’t worry, a lot of people are in the same situation as you. When you’re in this kind of situation, there’s a few solutions out there for you. Why not try a lease maybe? When you’re only hiring a car out for a short while, the cost is going to be dramatically lower than trying to own one outright. And hey, you might not even get enough use out of an owned car!
If someone else in your family has a car, see if you can be put on their insurance to also drive it safely when they’re not using the vehicle. Sharing the cost of running the vehicle between you is something a lot of people can manage, so don’t turn your nose up at not owning your own car. You can always move on from here after all, instead of immediately getting bogged down into debt.
Getting from A to B doesn’t have to cost the entire bank. Driving is an investment of course, but it’s worth it for living life to the full.
Common Tesla Model S Questions Answered
Since its release, the Tesla Model S has caused a lot of buzzes and even more debate than some of the most popular cars of the past century! No doubt this is due to its innovation, which makes it a whole different kettle of fish to the average car, which means that few of us really know too much about it.
Hopefully, we can change that by answering some of the most common Tesla Model S questions…
How Is It an Evo Car?
Many people are skeptical that the Model S could be described as an evo car, but anyone who’s driven the Model S P85+ will be able to tell you that this electric car can go from 0-60 mph in less than four seconds, which means it performs as fast as the average super saloon. It turns out you don’t need petrol or diesel for prompt torque delivery!
How Does She Handle?
Many people are curious what it feels like to drive a totally electric car – well in the case of the Tesla Model S, it feels pretty much like driving any over vehicle. If anything, it is perhaps a little smoother, and of course, it’s a lot quieter than your average vehicle.
How Often Does It Need Charging?
On average, you can expect to get 31 miles of travel from each hour of charging; So, if you’re planning to go on a long journey, you’re going to have to park up and charge for quite a while. This is perhaps the biggest downside of owning the vehicle, especially right now when places to charge are still few and far between. Once that issue is solved, the Tesla Model S will surely be one of the best vehicles out on the road.
Should I Book a Service?
Should I book a service? This is something that most car owners, not just those with a brand new electric car often ponder, but with the Tesla S, you don’t need to guess. The company say that you should have the vehicle serviced after every 12,5000 miles use or annually – it’s up to you which. Obviously, if you’re experiencing any issues sooner than that, you will need to have it checked out. It might be an amazing car, but it still needs to be looked after!
Will My Mechanic Know What to Do with It?
Another issue with the Tesla is that there are still far too few mechanics who know how to deal with what is basically a leap in the evolution of car technology. Unless your regular mechanic has been trained and certified as a Tesla mechanic, then chances are he won’t be able to help you if something goes wrong and you’ll have to look for someone who is certified, which might not be too easy depending on where you’re located.
I hope this helps you understand a little more about the pros and cons of owning a Tesla. If you’re interested though, it is probably a good idea to check out their official website for a more comprehensive guide to ownership, too.
On the BMW i3 Concept Coupe
BMW is finally entering the electric vehicle market with their i series after clinging to absolute confidence in clean diesel technology for years. The most promising prospect of the their concept stable is probably the BMW i3 Concept Coupe: a highway capable, two-door hatchback with a subtle futuristic style and hints of the traditional BMW heritage. The Coupe appears much closer to production design than the “Megacity Vehicle” i3 and the supercar BMW i8 seen below:
The i3 Coupe is a happy medium between the outrageously designed super hybrid i8 that is predicted to accelerate from 0-60 in less than 5 seconds, and the neighborhood electric vehicle i3, according to the specs.
The BMW i3 Coupe can drive 80 to 100 miles before requiring charging. Through optional DC fast charging, the battery can be replenished to 80% charge within less than 30 minutes. The coupe will also feature ConnectDrive, which includes a navigational panel that indicates most efficient routes, the locations of charging stations, and a remote app for your smartphone. The i3 Coupe sports a hefty 170 hp engine, which is a lot for its lightweight frame and instant max torque at the rear wheels. So it looks like BMW will maintain some of its sporting heritage with this coupe, even if it does look a lot like BMW inspired Leaf. BMW anticipates the price to be at least $40,000 before tax credits. It will be a gamble to see if BMW fans and electric car lovers will embrace a BMW at that price without the finely tuned machismo growl