in association with
Current fleet
Tales from the battery-powered vehicles in the EV Fleet World car park
Volvo XC40 Recharge Plus
FINAL REPORT
List Price
BiK
3.72mpkWh
Efficiency
miles (Range)
miles (On fleet)
The electric Volvo has now left the FW Fleet but not before its parting shot of a flat tyre. Said tyre, despite sustaining damage on the very middle of the tread, was unable to be repaired due to having somehow been sliced by a mysterious object. It must have happened near to where I parked the car overnight too as the tyre pressure monitoring system only alerted me when I got in the car the next morning.
And it occurred to me that I almost certainly wouldn’t have noticed this had the TPMS not chimed in, due to it being a nsr puncture, and also – given how completely flat the tyre was – there was every chance that it would have damaged one of the simply delightful 20-inch black diamond-cut alloy wheels (a £720 option on the latest EX40).
It also reminded me how disruptive – for private motorists, fleet drivers and fleet operators alike – tyre issues can be. Volvo Rescue was absolutely excellent in both its communication and efficiency but it still resulted in the vehicle’s downtime being 2-3 days. When a tyre is sufficiently lacerated that not even tyre foam will help limp the car to the (actually quite) local Volvo dealer, the XC40 Recharge had to be low-loaded onto a rescue truck and delivered to said dealer.
Typically, of course, this happened on a Friday night/Saturday morning leaving little time to order in the correct tyre, and indeed fit it, and then sort out the logistics around going from having a vehicle to not having one. All of which was surmountable, of course, and full credit has to be given to Marshall Volvo who genuinely couldn’t have made the process any easier.
I even received a courtesy call a week or so later asking if there was anything else they could do to help me.
My first instinct was to ask them to get Volvo HQ to bring the car back immediately, given that it had been collected a few hours earlier that day and I was already starting to miss it.
I said in my previous report that being behind the wheel of the XC40 (now EX40) had produced some of the most pleasant journeys of recent times and I stand by that. At £50k+, you could argue that you have a right to expect excellent build quality, an ergonomically just-right interior and great refinement, but there was something about the Volvo’s understated character that really appealed to me. And this was having come out of a couple of months behind the wheel of BMW’s equally impressive iX1.
The Fleet World-2024-award-winning new Volvo EX30 that we tested for a week or so in direct comparison showed areas of advancement compared to its slightly older bigger brother – despite being £15k less – but it also showed what a good car the XC40/EX40 is, and made us appreciate some of its strengths even more.
Of course, both EX30 and EX40 have Google Maps-based sat nav systems and it still surprises me how much more sensible its routing is than other vehicles’. There’s no denying the interface on the XC40 is a bit behind its newbie sibling but it is still incredibly clear and functional and, valedictory tyre note aside, nothing went wrong in 4,500 miles and I even eventually sussed out my own phone settings error that was causing my Volvo ID to become periodically disconnected. My fault, and certainly not the car’s.
Luke Wikner
Škoda Enyaq 85 Edition
List Price
BiK
3.5mpkWh
Efficiency
miles (Range)
miles (On fleet)
To my mind, there are two types of people in life. Those who are impressed by all-singing, all-dancing light displays in cars and those who aren’t.
I am definitely one of the former. I actually smiled when I first saw the Enyaq’s puddle lights. I still give a little smile now when the animated lights dance up when I walk past with the keys and I love the Coming/Leaving Home function. You can even change the tail-light settings. Meanwhile, the kids have pointed out the ambient lights in the cabin to friends while my mates noticed them straight away too.
The full LED Matrix headlights with variable light distribution are also amazing. I smile again when I put main beam on and the lights dance up, and it’s fascinating to watch – as much as you can while driving – how they adjust to stop dazzling other road users. The sensors picked up on a rather reflective road sign once and politely blocked it out – cause for another smile – but generally work very well.
The touch sliding functions for the panoramic sunroof and its cover have proved a party trick with the kids but I now just keep the cover open to let light flood in. It’s a roomy cabin anyway but particularly so with the roof fully uncovered.
After a fair bit of time behind the wheel, I can completely vouch for the quality of the Enyaq’s interior. The EcoSuite Design Selection on our model might not be everyone’s cup of tea, with its ‘Cognac’ leather seats, faux leather dashboard with stitching, Cognac piping on the mats and the piano black décor but personally I think it elevates the cabin and gives a very plush look, and it’s been well received by all my passengers to date.
It’s also seriously hard-wearing and robust too. After a few months with the Škoda, it’s looking every bit as premium as when it arrived (that might be tempting fate…)
The seats are really comfortable and I like the squared-off seat squabs, designed for more longer limbs, while also accommodating more average heights nicely too.
I also like the handy child lock buttons, located just by the window switches for the driver. Bit late for my kids now but they would have been hugely useful years ago.
Despite its plush look, the cabin on the Enyaq is actually really practical. Between me and my sons, we have a whole brace of accoutrements that we like handy, from my water bottle and various pairs of glasses/sunnies to their hairbrushes for the school run and travel sweets. The Enyaq’s centre console just swallows it all up. Any complaints I’ve ever had about any other car’s storage space have just melted away. The bottle holders cater for all sizes and there’s even removable cubby sections for tailored storage. There’s also a double layer underneath.
I’ve even now put the Enyaq’s centre console to the test by using it to transport an open 4-pint bottle of milk – possibly trumping editor Challen’s gravy jug that he transported in a Honda ZR-V. Said bottle of milk arrived intact at its destination.
Passenger space is also great. This is one sizeable car – and it means passengers onboard get plenty of room. I can’t imagine anyone struggling for head space. Visibility is also great – much better than I was expecting too – despite the Enyaq being rather long and having some rather thick C-pillars. Along with the front and rear parking sensors and rear-view camera, it means parking is a lot easier than I’d have thought.
I was also pleasantly surprised with a recent trip to a multi-storey in Poole where I thought the Enyaq’s bulk might prove a problem. Said car park is some 50 years old and built for the days of smaller cars, as shown by the many scrapes on the ramps. The drivers of the BMW X5 arriving before me and the Mitsubishi L200 leaving before me were clearly worried too, given their slow pace and back-and-forth manoeuvring but the Škoda was actually easier to pilot round than I’d been expecting.
The boot is definitely practical. It’s squarely shaped, completely flat and a great height for loading. It also comes with a flip-down section through to the rear seats, a plethora of pull-down hooks, a 12V socket and flippers both sides to plip down the seats – along with another one in the front door. With just days to go until the annual Middleton pilgrimage, it will be pressed into use.
Natalie Middleton
BMW i5 eDrive40 M Sport Pro
List Price
BiK
3.3mpkWh
Efficiency
miles (Range)
miles (On fleet)
While my opinion of cars I drive is valuable, I’m conscious that the views of other passengers can also be useful to get. The majority of my time spent driving is alone but, when I’ve got one or more Challens onboard, they are often quick to point out the good, bad and ugly in a car.
In the case of the i5, there is almost nothing much but praise from all of them – the odd gripe about the manual adjuster for the seat’s fore and aft movement is about as bad as it gets. Such is the love affair that, when the time comes to hand back the keys to YC73 WNU, there will be more than a hint of sadness from Mrs Challen and the juniors.
Top marks from them go to the space available in the BMW, front and rear, the infotainment display (they haven’t had to endure the intermittent Android Auto connectivity issue) and the overall high levels of quality throughout the cabin. Yes, the i5 is pushing £100k, so you would expect pretty much everything, but I’ve experienced cars for half the price that have been less than half the quality than this BMW. The company is big on sustainability through the use of its materials, for example, but there’s no drop-off in the feel of the surfaces. Apart from a slight early hiccup with the glove compartment not closing (which was quickly fixed), everything inside has been fault-free over the past six or so months.
The same can also be said in other departments. On the road, the i5 continues to impress with its performance – the boost paddle might have been used sparingly, but it’s a good weapon to have in your armoury when the situation requires it. Even without using that surge of extra oomph, there is ample acceleration and power available from what is a big (and heavy) car. That weight doesn’t affect the body control either. Dynamically, you can tell that it’s a BMW – and a very good one at that.
The other thing that a sustained period with the i5 has shown is the ease at which the shift to EV can be. I’ve got an Ohme home charger, which helps, but during a recent stay away there were Tesla-branded units, which I made the most of to top-up the miles. I’m not sure if some drivers might be put off because the charger adorned the name of a different brand, but the connectivity was seamless. A special mention must also go to the BMW app, which I find myself consulting more and more often. Again, it connects with the car every time in an instant – and is a wealth of information about energy use, previous trips and general information.
John Challen
Renault Megane E-Tech Iconic
List Price
BiK
3.6mpkWh
Efficiency
miles (Range)
miles (On fleet)
Do you prefer to stick it in the front or the rear?
Your EV’s charging point I mean. It’s a question I’ve been thinking about a lot recently, especially when publicly charging the Renault Megane E-Tech. In the two months we’ve been driving the Megane, I’ve managed to rack up just over 2,700 miles, which, considering normally I have a short commute, isn’t too bad.
That average is only going to get higher too, with more trips to Wales to continue (and finish) my Offa’s Dyke walk and two trips to Devon and Cornwall planned over the summer. And all of that is with public charging too – and I’ve already been getting familiar with the chargers on the way to North Wales.
The Megane’s charging port is on the nearside front wing meaning you often have to drive forwards into a charging space. It’s not the end of the world, but still frustrating if, like me, you prefer to back into spaces. But then, because it’s on one side – rather than centrally on the grille like a Renault Zoe or MG5 – you can end up having to drag a heavy CCS cable over the bodywork.
Interestingly, one EV Point ultra rapid charger rather helpfully got round this problem with a handy extendable supporting arm for the cable, but for other chargers it was still an issue. One on InstaVolt I ended up having to sit partly out of the parking bay to ensure the cable reached.
Renault claims up to a 130kW charging speed for the Megane E-Tech, but we’ve never seen more than 79kW from any of the ultra rapid 120kW chargers we’ve been using recently. However, it’s hard to tell if that’s the fault of the car or the chargers.
It does expose the Megane’s relatively small 60kWh battery on longer journeys though. At motorway speeds the range is closer to 180-190 miles, meaning on longer journeys by 150 miles you’re thinking about charging and by 160 it starts to become more pressing, especially if you want to find a reliable ultra-rapid.
And then for longer journeys, as I’ve been doing recently, it means you need to charge close to 100% for the return journey. As any EV driver will tell you too, any EV will rapidly charge up to 80%, but the 80-100% can be painfully slow. A larger battery such as the VW ID3’s 77kWh or even the 87kWh in the larger Scenic would help to open up your options so much more.
For the moment however, I’m just enjoying racking up the miles on the Megane in whatever way I can. So much so, that it’s just told me a service is now due, so that’s the next job on the list.
