| Media item | |
| | Insurance policy | Herald Sun,
Melbourne
by Iain Curry
| 29 Sep 2023 | | General News - Page 57 - 950 words - ID 1940561967 - Photo: Yes - Type: News Item - Size: 501.00cm2 | |
ROADSIDE ASSIST
Electric vehicle discussions centre on lower running costs and cheaper servicing but what about insurance? Most EVs have advanced accident avoidance technology, plus no cooling system, complex engine and gearbox to repair after an accident, so I'd hope insurance would be lower? Can you offer clarity?
Graeme Daniels, Balwyn North The experts at the Victorian Automotive Chamber of Commerce (VACC) suggest to the contrary. "Motorists regularly report to VACC that EV insurance is more expensive than for internal combustion engines," a spokesman said. "EVs are usually more expensive to buy and replace than an equivalent combustion car, and as EVs are fairly new, insurers don't yet have reliable, historical records regarding repair costs, so they hedge. There's also the issue of less technicians qualified to repair EVs." It's a crude guide, but I looked at the cost of insuring myself as the driver on a $57,400 Tesla Model 3 and $57,200 Audi A3 40 TFSI. On comparethemarket.com.au, the cheapest comprehensive Tesla premium was $1585, while the Audi was $1048.
TOURIST TRAP As with P plates, there should be a 'T' plate displayed when you're a tourist in a place. That way other drivers would understand why you're hesitant and have no clue what lane to be in.
Valda Clissold, Murrumbeena Even with your revolutionary 'T' plate, I doubt locals would have any sympathy. They'll just be more focused with their abuse. Better sign posting and parking may be a better solution.
SWITCHING SIDES Re: you advising Chris Saxby that life's too short and to get a fun car, I traded in my 10 year-old SS Commodore for a V8 Ford Mustang GT. It makes friends wherever it goes. The SS rumbled, but the Mustang growls. Enjoy, my friend.
Suzanne Sale, email Lovely letter. Will EV owners ever write with such passion about their cars, I wonder?
DATE WITH DESTINY I bought a new Toyota Camry in 2015. It's only travelled 24,000km, but when visiting a tyre shop for puncture repair, I was told he wouldn't repair it as the tyres were too old and ruined. Another tyre shop said the same, and the Toyota dealer said I must replace my eight-year old tyres as they're too old. Why do they have a use-by date? I've had cars for 55 years and never heard of this.
Graeme Slattery, email Tyres degrade with time as well as use, in the same way as other perishables such as engine oil. The consensus is that 10 years is the absolute limit for a car tyre's life as its rubber compounds break down.
For those who don't know their tyres' age, look on the sidewall.
After "DOT" you'll find four numbers in a row, such as 3519.
The first two designate the week, and the next two the year of manufacture. For the sake of $600 for a new set, you'll notice an easier, safer driving experience with fresh tyres.
HATCH SHOWDOWN I'm a 78 year-old in regional NSW. I need a car that's reasonably easy for seniors to get in and out from and a boot lid that's comfy to lift. As a gardener, I need boot depth to allow a bag of soil and a bale of mulch. I'm keen on the cheapest Hyundai i30 and Kia Cerato hatches. Which is safest and has the shortest wait for delivery?
Jillian Boyd, Armidale A Hyundai i30 auto is $28,290 drive away and the Kia Cerato S $27,890. Fuel economy's the same, size and safety are near identical, while wait times according to pricemycar.com.au are 67 days for the i30 and 100 days for the Cerato.
The Kia has a two-year longer warranty but is pricier to service.
I'd favour the Cerato. The i30 hatch is moving to European production which will complicate supply, and a facelifted model's due soon. The Cerato's boot is 428 litres vs. 395 litres for the Hyundai, its rear seats fold totally flat (unlike the Hyundai's) and it has a higher boot floor, meaning easier removal of that soil bag.
FUTURE PLANNING Last week you responded to an electric car letter saying you "don't see the point of owning an EV unless you recharge using renewables". But owning an EV offers significant environmental advantages, even when the grid isn't entirely powered by renewables. First, with no tailpipe emissions, EVs help improve urban air quality.
Secondly, over time, as the grid becomes greener, an EV will automatically become cleaner, while petrol and diesel cars will always rely on non-renewable, polluting sources.
Andy Rosenberg, Bentleigh Some good points, Andy.
Emissions simply moving from a tailpipe to a power station still doesn't sit well with me but I appreciate the urban air quality will improve. We can hope the grid becomes greener but let's not forget Australia's suffered harsh criticism this year for coalmine expansions and development approvals. Synthetic "e-fuels" for petrol cars gives some hope they'll not always rely on nonrenewables. The EV vs fossil fuel debate's a complex one, so sensible points like yours are appreciated.
OLDIE BUT A GOODIE I'm here to celebrate an old, fivespeed manual car: a 15-year-old 200,000km Hyundai Elantra.
It's needed no major repairs, its battery is six years old and I can park without a rear camera.
Would-be thieves once got hold of my keys, found my car in a shopping centre carpark but couldn't drive a manual. The discarded keys were found in bushes and returned to me. I'm 80 and think it'll do me for life.
Hazel Hillier, Springwood I'll say it again: these days a manual gearbox is the best security device! Stay loyal to your faithful Hyundai. There's no need to upgrade if it's serving you so well.
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