Bye bye Mondeo

The 508 available as a PHEV here.

I'm kind of over EV for now. We got our letter of renewal for electricity in January. 33% increase in daily standing charge and 126% rise in kWh unit charge equates to around 140€/month rise based on current usage before the EV starts requiring more frequent charging over the winter.
I don't spend 140€/month on fossil fuel.

I quite liked the look of the 508 but the only model available in my price range as a PHEV was lower spec and I didn't add it to the list. Boot space was not reduced because of batteries. I also didn't think I'd like the silly 'i' marketing which meant you had a smaller steering wheel etc.

But I had a 208 hire car in Greece earlier this year and quite liked it. Not sure how much it was with the property torque converter this one came with but it worked well with the 1.2l turbo petrol engine. A good size for the narrower roads on Corfu.

In some respects I am glad that the days of haggling over a car purchase are gone. A car is a basic consumer purchase, the list price is public and you should simply buy what you want at a known price. If you want to pay less then do what we do for domestic appliances - go online and see who has the best price. After all, a BEV can now be considered to be a domestic appliance.

I'm watching with interest and not so sure about mobility and the greater impact on the economy. Fewer cars on the road may be considered good for the environment but reduced mobility will cause the economy to shrink - growth being based on peoples ability to move around, forcing people to work closer to home. I'm also not convinced about Government green credentials of telling motorists they are the cause of all environmental ills while selling pollution passes to industries based on the pollution reductions made by motorists. Motorists getting both ends (cost and blame) of a shitty stick and no overall improvement to the environment. Government get tax income from vehicle sales and environment passes to industries.

All cars are so much more than a domestic appliance. They are always connected.

Hang on to it for as long as you can. Once these energy price increases kick in for everyone I think it will have a significant impact in the shift to battery powered cars. Pre-COVID to today has seen an increase of 52% on the price per litre of diesel here locally, increasing that further will really hammer the economy with the choice between powering the home and feeding the people inside.
The pending energy price increases do not just affect the few with EVs. I'm keeping a spreadsheet with daily usage and outside temperatures as that appears to be a major factor in EV economy. Currently diesel is costing me 11 cents/km, the EV is costing 5 cents. With a 126% increase in the cost per unit of electricity and increased energy consumption in winter, regardless of how much energy is being consumed, EV has lost its running costs advantage and the purchase price will cause people to think long and hard about a switch.