Your questions answered: Why do I have to pay to test drive the Hyundai IONIQ 5?

Jul 23, 2023

It seems plenty of people are preparing for the arrival of a new electric vehicle given the questions we’re fielding around the installation of charging stations.

It can certainly seem a daunting task, although at least all EVs use exactly the same Type 2 charging plug. Next step is how much electricity you need…

We’ve also got one Holden lover wondering whether they’ll have access to parts and service in future.

Plus the usual questions about which electric cars are the best value.

Question: I was in Canberra looking for/at EV today and nobody had any EVs?! Hyundai IONIQ 5: you cannot test drive without paying a deposit. Is the only real option Tesla?! What do you think of the IONIQ 5 compared with Tesla? – Janet

Answer: You caught me out with having to pay for a Hyundai test drive. We double checked with Hyundai head office and they’ve confirmed that it’s a $2000 refundable deposit to even take an IONIQ 5 around the block for a test drive – which seems absolutely crazy to us.

We feel it would make a lot more sense to spread that IONIQ 5 love as far and wide as you could, especially when you’ve got newcomer Tesla dominating the market as it is. Surely it makes more sense to at least convince some people to dream of one day owning one of the best cars your company has ever produced – and recognised as carsales’ Car of the Year in 2021 – rather than have them scurrying off to the competition? Madness…

Assuming you do want to test drive one then, you can pop down your $2000 at about 45 of the 66 dealerships that sell the IONIQ 5 (not all do, but more are coming online).

Meanwhile, go and test drive a Tesla (it’s free and they have plenty of try). The Model Y that is the obvious rival to the IONIQ 5 is more affordable, so has access to rebates available in most parts of the country.

While Teslas are an acquired taste, they get plenty right, including unmatched ease of charging, great space utilisation and value.

Question: Would a Tesla Model Y be a good choice for a new car? What will the reduction in charge and range be after 10 years? Will there be replacement batteries available when the originals wear out?

Our context is that we have three-phase power, solar 8.8kW, drive about 15,000km per annum, including about eight trips a year of 600km including a couple of those trips where we tow a box trailer or light tinny across Tasmania and back. Rest of the time it is about town or driving journeys less than 100km. – David P

Answer: The Model Y would be a terrific choice, in part because you’ll not only have access to the regular EV charging network but also the bespoke Tesla chargers. It’ll make those 600km trips a tad easier. The Model Y is also great value, good to drive and a practical size.

Be aware that towing will require some planning, though. Depending on the weight and shape (for aerodynamics) of the trailer, you’ll use more electricity. And very few public charging stations are set up to accommodate vehicles with a trailer.

Regarding battery degradation, there have been some instances of high degradation with cars such as the original Nissan LEAF and Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. But the early evidence from most EVs suggest there will be a lot less degradation than some had initially predicted.

Tesla recently released stats on battery degradation for cars in America. It showed the average battery lost about 12 per cent of its original capacity after 200,000 miles (322,000km) of driving. The lithium-ferrous phosphate batteries used in Rear-Wheel Drive versions of the Model 3 and Model Y are expected to have even less degradation over time.

As for replacement batteries, as with engines, consider them a life-of-vehicle proposition. Sure, there may be some rare instances where they may need replacement, but you’d be unlucky – and by that time it’ll likely be cheaper to get a new car.

Question: What do you think of the new MG series? My friend Kerry wants to know about the BYD Atto 3; is there a critique of that she can look at? The choices of EV are AMAZING NOW. I am considering the MG – for the colour ORANGE!! Seriously, is it an OK buy? I have had Datsuns, Toyota, Kia petrols in my time and they all have been loyal workhorses. – Ilze

Answer: The EV market has certainly rocketed along over the past 12 months, particularly at the affordable end of the market. The BYD Atto 3 set the standard with a keenly priced SUV body, decent tech and respectable driving manners. While most people are unfamiliar with BYD, it’s a huge brand in China and the manufacturer giving Tesla the most grief globally. There’s more to come from BYD.

As for the orange MG, sounds like you’re talking about the MG4. I’ve only spent a couple of days in one but was initially impressed. The basics are terrific. It’s a ground-up EV design with fun driving manners and a cabin that makes the most of its compact exterior dimensions. It’s also relatively affordable.

However, there’s a skinny equipment list, so don’t expect to be pampered. For that you’ll have to pay more to get the Essence with more range between charges. At which point you’re into BYD territory from a pricing perspective.

Question: There is much argy bargy going on here at my house. My partner really wants to purchase a Holden station wagon model, considered 2017-2018 – six-cylinder (it’s smaller l know). We’re wondering will there be spare parts available for the distant future? I am aware parts were going to be available for up to 10 years after last Holden produced in Australia but l have read there are other companies – ACDelco, Phinnia for example, who may provide spare parts for longer. Can you shed any light on this for me please? – Amanda S

Answer: There’s a misconception in Australia that car-makers must provide spare parts for 10 years. This is not a law or requirement. Instead, the ACCC stipulates that manufacturers must “make available repair facilities or spare parts for a reasonable time”.

As for how long a “reasonable time” is will likely depend on the car and its usage. If you were buying a Ferrari, for example, then we’d expect parts to be available for much longer because those cars tend to become collectibles. A cheap city runabout might be closer to the 10 years. There could also be different expectations on different parts.

Keep in mind, too, that once cars reach 10 years of age they start ending up in wrecking yards where you can often pluck parts off them.

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Short story is we wouldn’t be too concerned about finding parts for a Commodore down the track.To some extent it depends which Commodore you’re looking at. If you’re looking at the last of the locally made ones (VF Series 2) then it ended production late in 2017.

It sounds like you may be looking at the ZB, which was available for a few years after that. We’d steer you towards the VF over the ZB. It was a more convincing model and better suited to Australia.

Question: We are purchasing an EV (maybe multiple EVs) soon and wanted to install charging points in an underground parking area in block of units. Mostly the charging would be during the day. Do we install 15A single-phase, 30A 3-phase or opt for battery-backed charger? Main concern is getting around the Strata Building rules etc and the increased insurance premiums. Please advise. – John M

Answer: What speed of charging you’d need would depend on how many kilometres the EVs will need to be driven each day. Assuming it’s less than a couple of hundred kilometres daily then you could comfortably get away with a single-phase charger. They draw up to 32A and can provide up to 7.4kW, for about 40km of range added each hour the car is charging.

How many chargers you’ll need will depend on how many cars need to be charged. But if you’re future proofing, you’d install one for each parking space. In some blocks that has the potential to overload the system, in which case you’ll need a central controller to ensure there aren’t big spikes in demand.

Even so, most people assume that every car will want to be drawing the maximum charge rate at exactly the same time. In reality that simply doesn’t happen. Consider a block of, say, 20 units, each with a car space. If each travelled the 35km that an average car travels in Australia each day then the entire block would consume something like 140kWh of electricity.

Spread that over the entire day and it can be averaged at less than 6kW at any given time for the entire block. That’s the equivalent of a toaster, a kettle and a hair dryer being used at the same time. In other words, the building’s existing wiring wouldn’t have the slightest issue supplying it.

But, again, it relies on the charging load being spread away from peak times.

Speak to a company such as Jetcharge or EVSE regarding options. They’re fielding requests like this every day and have covered off most scenarios. Strata rules will obviously differ state to state, so you’d need to check to see what the specifics are.

Question: We are hoping you could offer some advice please on our purchase of a new car. We have a couple in mind but as there are so many we would appreciate any help you may be able to offer. We have around $60-70K to spend depending on our trade-in and as we are both in our middle 60s this may be our last car. We are not big off-roaders but want to do some travelling in comfort with a little bit of get up and go and reliability is foremost.

The first is the Subaru XT turbo, but I’ve been told the CVT gearbox is no good; 2. Skoda Octavia wagon or Kodiaq Sportline, but we are worried about reliability of the Skoda; 3. Toyota Kluger Hybrid, but it didn’t seem as up to date as the others; 4. Mitsubishi Challenger, but I’ve been told they are a little out of date as well.

My wife also likes second-hand Range Rovers or Mercedes-Benz SUV. We haven’t looked at Kia or Hyundai but would also like a little room as we have grandkids. Any advice as I said would be welcome and appreciated. – Danny W

Answer: Plenty to cover here but your budget means you’ll definitely be able to get something great.

Subaru Outback XT Turbo. CVTs can be troublesome but Subarus in general are pretty hardy. The turbo Outback will be relatively thirsty, but that aside the Outback is an excellent car, even in non-turbo guise.

Skoda offers seven years’ warranty coverage now which is some peace of mind and both the Octavia and Kodiaq are fine cars with plenty of space, excellent driving manners, good performance and efficiency etc.

Toyota Kluger Hybrid is spacious and comfy and its hybrid drivetrain makes it very efficient around town. And, if reliability is your thing, they certainly have the reputation!

The Mitsubishi Challenger hasn’t been around for a while but presumably you mean the Pajero Sport which is, in effect, the same thing (an SUV version of the Triton ute). Good in its own way but it’s fairly agricultural to drive so unless you’re towing or going well off road best avoided. If you do want to look at a Mitsubishi, have a look at the Outlander.

Another car to pop on the shortlist is the Kia Sorento. It’s won our last three Best Family SUV mega-tests for a reason: it’s comfortable, spacious, drives really well, is economical as a diesel, well-equipped and has seven years of warranty coverage. Find out more about the Sorento and its main competitors.

Nissan X-TRAIL is also worth a look. Not as popular as some of the mid-size SUV nameplates but solid in its latest version and Nissan is keen to get them moving so there may be deals on the way. The e-POWER hybrid is also an excellent option.

Question: I have just one question. I am building a new home and my builder has asked me to specify the type of EV charger that I want to have installed in my garage. This is with a view to buying an EV in the future. I don’t have any experience with EVs. My home will have solar power as well as connection to the electricity grid. Can you tell me what type of charger I should specify? – Lee N

Answer: The temptation for many people building a home is to bung in three-phase power. And, sure, if it’s a minimal cost at the construction phase it could potentially be good to future-proof yourself.

But most EVs won’t accept the full 22kW that a three-phase plug can provide. And most people will never need it (or the 11kW maximum that many EVs will accept when AC charging).

A single-phase 7.4kW wallbox will do what most people want and easily provide 400km of range for an overnight charge. The Tesla wallbox is one of the cheapest and is a compact and reliable unit. Or check out Zappi or Ocular.

But rather than the cheapest, consider one that solar matches; it effectively talks to your solar system and only uses the excess solar, so as not to draw from the grid. You can override it if you absolutely need to charge now, but otherwise it’s a great way to minimise how many electrons you’re sucking down from the grid.

Got a question but don’t know where to find the information you need? Email us at [email protected]

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