The update I am sure you’ve all been on the edge of your seats for….my trusty Corsa Electric “Ruby” has reached 50,000 miles. A strong milestone for a nearly 5-year-old small EV. Frankly, there’s… | Joe Tanner

The update I am sure you’ve all been on the edge of your seats for….my trusty Corsa Electric “Ruby” has reached 50,000 miles. A strong milestone for a nearly 5-year-old small EV. Frankly, there’s not a lot to report, which can only be a good thing. The only issue is an occasional refusal to work properly from the front passenger’s side window winder. A new regulator might be on the cards at some point. The car continues to be charged almost exclusively at home on Ecotricity’s overnight tariff. The lifetime number of DC fast charges now amounts to a total of four, two of which are at a local charger, the latest after an issue with our wall-box. The other two were at Stansted Airport. Servicing is being carried out to schedule, which is 2 years or 16k miles. The last service was £170 from York Ward Rowlatt in Wellingborough, including brake fluid change. As noted in the last update, earlier this year I replaced the 12v battery, as a precautionary measure. Many of those in the know suggest a replacement on an EV after maybe 5 or 6 years. The symptoms of a poor 12v battery can be odd, as many of the car’s systems do not like the voltage dropping. I decided to replace before I observed any issues. Cost of a new Eurorepar battery was £180 from YWR, fitted alongside the MOT. Last month a screw in the front passenger-side tyre necessitated a new Michelin Primacy 4 tyre. As the tyre sealant had been used this also required replacement: sourced from eBay – top tip: make sure the replacement you buy has sufficient life (but it affects the price dramatically!). Battery state-of-health is showing a strong 92.8% (down about 2% since the reading at 40,000 miles). These cars continue to offer huge value for money. The costs outlined above are much lower than those for an equivalent petrol car, and those cars do not offer the myriad benefits of driving an EV. Retail value of a car like mine, per our friends over at cap-hpi, is £8,995. Terrific value! The latest version of the Corsa Electric, now equipped with a 156PS motor and a 51kWh battery (vs my 136PS/50kWh), are now capable of 266 miles (WLTP), a 27% increase on my car. Battery technology continues to see incremental improvements, which add up significantly over time. I see Stellantis is taking some further strides developing battery technology: with a prototype e3008 running an innovative set-up which integrates the inverter and charger into the battery itself, saving not only weight and space, but also gaining both power and efficiency. More details at the link: https://lnkd.in/eP-rWhNM Exciting times ahead for Stellantis and for the industry, meanwhile I’ll be working towards the 100,000-mile goal with “Ruby”. Vauxhall Motors Ltd Stellantis EUROREPAR by Stellantis YORK WARD & ROWLATT LIMITED cap hpi Electrifying.com