Geely E2 Apex, pull the trigger or am I going mad?

[Steamy Tom]

You have proper solar at home that could charge it etc, right?

Interesting, sobering argument.

I do. Say you buy 400k car, then add onto it insurance and maintenance etc. assume you charge it completely free.

Compare that to buying a 200k car, with cheaper insurance and also needing maintenance, yes assume here you have no limited service plan. How many tanks/km could you do before you make up that additional 200k...

 

[Craig_]

There’s this thing called planning.

But also a “road trip” is not zooming from Cape Town to Johannesburg in one sitting, it’s an adventure across multiple days.

I pretty much never drive more than 250km in a day on any trip.

I'd love an electric car, and might actually buy one in a few years, but I've done 1 000 km a day trips many times over the last 10 years, less so now and maybe not too soon again.

So I'm not too sure this will work for me just yet, but maybe in a few years when the kids are out of the house and we have more available time I can see me doing long trips in short bursts like you. Then this will work for me.

 

[SauRoNZA]

I'd love an electric car, and might actually buy one in a few years, but I've done 1 000 km a day trips many times over the last 10 years, less so now and maybe not too soon again.

So I'm not too sure this will work for me just yet, but maybe in a few years when the kids are out of the house and we have more available time I can see me doing long trips in short bursts like you. Then this will work for me.

Yeah if you are that kind of person who wants to do a 1000km in a day it’s more tricky but not impossible either but requires a bit more route planning.

I’ve personally just never seen the value in travelling like that.

It’s not some sort of manly achievement and also means you are in a constant rush, up at all hours and don’t get to see any of the travelling you are doing.

 

[Craig_]

Yeah if you are that kind of person who wants to do a 1000km in a day it’s more tricky but not impossible either but requires a bit more route planning.

I’ve personally just never seen the value in travelling like that.

It’s not some sort of manly achievement and also means you are in a constant rush, up at all hours and don’t get to see any of the travelling you are doing.

True, but I don't like spending days on the road. I'd rather have more time at my destination.

 

[SauRoNZA]

True, but I don't like spending days on the road. I'd rather have more time at my destination.

I mean part of that is probably choosing the wrong transport in the first place.

If you are spending days on the road and seeing no point in the journey then take a plane instead.

For me I take 5-6 day bike trip once a year just to do the journey; it is the destination because it just loops back home.

 

[Craig_]

I mean part of that is probably choosing the wrong transport in the first place.

If you are spending days on the road and seeing no point in the journey then take a plane instead.

For me I take 5-6 day bike trip once a year just to do the journey; it is the destination because it just loops back home.

It works out more expensive for a family of 4 to fly, and then still get a rental. And a big chunk of the time I had products that I needed to take with me and needed a bakkie with a trailer, so flying would then have have worked even more expensive.

But yeah, in time it will work for me, now is not that time yet.

And you're traveling by bike, that probably makes the trip 10 times more fun, so then it makes sense to take your time. It's probably also very tiring driving long distance on the bike.

 

[ozziej]

Interesting to see how many don't do their research before spewing a post.

Calling the bank to see my options on financing. They also have buy back special at geely after 48m at 8.5% interest. But it has a balloon...

So, I see its what they call a GFV - which is a nice name for a balloon, HOWEVER, if they stick to what they say, essentially, they are guaranteeing that the value won't drop below that amount, so R3999 for the entry model a month is cheap.
And yeah, I wouldn't worry about spare tyres. The car comes with an inflator kit. I've had to change 3 tyres in my ~ 30 years of driving. The last one was after hitting a pothole about 8 years ago in the Drakensburg.

 

[SauRoNZA]

I do. Say you buy 400k car, then add onto it insurance and maintenance etc. assume you charge it completely free.

Compare that to buying a 200k car, with cheaper insurance and also needing maintenance, yes assume here you have no limited service plan. How many tanks/km could you do before you make up that additional 200k...

You essentially have no maintenance on an electric car.

You’ll see even the included service plans are just as long as the warranty and usually also bigger intervals.

Brakes also last four times longer.

 

[SauRoNZA]

Quite a few E2 and E5's with white interiors at dealers in the Cape. Getting a demo E5 with a white interior, against my better judgment - there will be a permanent supply of cleaning cloths in the car.

I told you this would be a mistake.

Spur of the moment popped in at Geely Tygervalley and while they didn’t have a demo on hand I sat in the car and touched all the things and fiddled around and it’s a whole different level even compared to my full spec Haval.

What is with dealers selling the demos if they don’t have another on hand yet? Could have potentially made a sale right there and then if they had one today.

Quickly looked at the E2 but didn’t get inside but also looks proper for what it is.

So now I’m going to test drive one at another branch on Friday…the entire deal with wall charger and even public charger voucher is a strong proposition to make the jump so much more easier.

Heard whispers about the sound system being good…but it’s far beyond that it’s actually phenomenal.

 

[SauRoNZA]

So, I see its what they call a GFV - which is a nice name for a balloon, HOWEVER, if they stick to what they say, essentially, they are guaranteeing that the value won't drop below that amount, so R3999 for the entry model a month is cheap.
And yeah, I wouldn't worry about spare tyres. The car comes with an inflator kit. I've had to change 3 tyres in my ~ 30 years of driving. The last one was after hitting a pothole about 8 years ago in the Drakensburg.

Yeah this whole GFV thing has got me pondering because I’ve always avoided balloons like the plague; but this seems almost like a depreciation offset if it’s as magical as they say it is.

Doesn’t the balloon itself accrue interest as well and then become payable at the end of the term? So the GFV just guarantees you won’t be out of pocket but pretty much end up with zero either way.

Interestingly the E5 comes with a spare tire kit…but it seemed very much like a local retrofit vibe. I would prefer it just had run flats and none of that because it compromises the boot heavily by the looks of it unless they just had it on top of the floor shelf for some reason and it wasn’t fully installed.

 

[kolaval]

Cape Town has some of the dodgiest roads in South Africa

Please...

 

[Steamy Tom]

You essentially have no maintenance on an electric car.

You’ll see even the included service plans are just as long as the warranty and usually also bigger intervals.

Brakes also last four times longer.

Yeah that's fair enough, so you don't need oil changes, spark plugs, air filter, maybe you need brakes less often, but you probably need tyres more often. You still should in theory need to do cabin filter, brake fluid, cooling system, AC maintenance etc. Factor it in the calculation sure. I think overall though my point still stands.

 

[Kolmogorov]

I told you this would be a mistake.

Spur of the moment popped in at Geely Tygervalley and while they didn’t have a demo on hand I sat in the car and touched all the things and fiddled around and it’s a whole different level even compared to my full spec Haval.

What is with dealers selling the demos if they don’t have another on hand yet? Could have potentially made a sale right there and then if they had one today.

Quickly looked at the E2 but didn’t get inside but also looks proper for what it is.

So now I’m going to test drive one at another branch on Friday…the entire deal with wall charger and even public charger voucher is a strong proposition to make the jump so much more easier.

Heard whispers about the sound system being good…but it’s far beyond that it’s actually phenomenal.

That's cause I'm buying their demo

 

[SauRoNZA]

Yeah that's fair enough, so you don't need oil changes, spark plugs, air filter, maybe you need brakes less often, but you probably need tyres more often. You still should in theory need to do cabin filter, brake fluid, cooling system, AC maintenance etc. Factor it in the calculation sure. I think overall though my point still stands.

Those are generally items that happen every couple of years only, not at every service.

And like I said for 7-8 years from covered entirely and then after that it’s pretty small fry in the greater scheme of things.

There is also very little that can go wrong that costs money.

Tyres somewhat depends on your foot but I’ve got 25,000km odd on my HEV newest set now which should have about the same off the line output as the full EV’s and they still look brand new so I expect an easy 50,000km on a full set.

 

[SauRoNZA]

That's cause I'm buying their demo

Ha ha ha ha.

Awesome dude. Seems you struck it lucky with the one white seat example I’ve actually managed to find.

Love that dark charcoal colour…at least in so far as all their colour choices are pretty boring.

 

[GrootBaas]

I told you this would be a mistake.

Spur of the moment popped in at Geely Tygervalley and while they didn’t have a demo on hand I sat in the car and touched all the things and fiddled around and it’s a whole different level even compared to my full spec Haval.

What is with dealers selling the demos if they don’t have another on hand yet? Could have potentially made a sale right there and then if they had one today.

Quickly looked at the E2 but didn’t get inside but also looks proper for what it is.

So now I’m going to test drive one at another branch on Friday…the entire deal with wall charger and even public charger voucher is a strong proposition to make the jump so much more easier.

Heard whispers about the sound system being good…but it’s far beyond that it’s actually phenomenal.

I told my wife last night we should go there over the weekend and test drive the E2. Good to know they don't have a demo available to do that then!

 

[konfab]

I told you this would be a mistake.

Spur of the moment popped in at Geely Tygervalley and while they didn’t have a demo on hand I sat in the car and touched all the things and fiddled around and it’s a whole different level even compared to my full spec Haval.

What is with dealers selling the demos if they don’t have another on hand yet? Could have potentially made a sale right there and then if they had one today.

Quickly looked at the E2 but didn’t get inside but also looks proper for what it is.

So now I’m going to test drive one at another branch on Friday…the entire deal with wall charger and even public charger voucher is a strong proposition to make the jump so much more easier.

Heard whispers about the sound system being good…but it’s far beyond that it’s actually phenomenal.

They are selling the things as they get shipped in. I only got mine because someone else ahead of me in the queue went on holiday for 3 months and decided to give up their position.

When you do the test drive, ensure that they show you the different driving modes as well as the different modes for regen braking.

 

[konfab]

I do. Say you buy 400k car, then add onto it insurance and maintenance etc. assume you charge it completely free.

Compare that to buying a 200k car, with cheaper insurance and also needing maintenance, yes assume here you have no limited service plan. How many tanks/km could you do before you make up that additional 200k...

If I don't charge on solar, the cost savings to my diesel van are around R23k per year with the new fuel prices . This is for roughly 1400km a month. And that van is very cheap to run as vehicles go. So it is a tough car to beat.

Assuming 50% of the charging is done on solar (and I think that is actually a bit low tbh), it is more like R28k.
So that extra 200k is roughly 8 years. Roughly the warranty on the battery. That is excluding servicing and brakes. Which will be cheaper. I don't think the Middle East is going to stabilise any time soon. So we can expect higher fuel prices, which will further shorten the payback period.

 

[Zuluzebra]

Coming back to my situation. The initial plan was to buy cash... unfortunately I had to fund a emergency surgery for someone in need so I am back to looking at financing options. I hate the balloon idea, and don't really care for the future value offer as the intention to have the car for next 8+ years. So if my bank gives me Prime -1 and 72months, the rate is almost the same as GFV Value with balloon... But the balloon is the buy back value so it gives you that piece of mind - contradicting thought process.

 

[SykomantiS]

Coming back to my situation. The initial plan was to buy cash... unfortunately I had to fund a emergency surgery for someone in need so I am back to looking at financing options. I hate the balloon idea, and don't really care for the future value offer as the intention to have the car for next 8+ years. So if my bank gives me Prime -1 and 72months, the rate is almost the same as GFV Value with balloon... But the balloon is the buy back value so it gives you that piece of mind - contradicting thought process.

What happens to the buy back value (and balloon) in the case of a small or even mild fender bender in your time of ownership?

Question is for anyone who can answer, as to me it's another reason to just avoid that path.