Fuel Up Or Plug In? Diesel Vs Electric Cost Comparison Across Ireland 

"ALSO" We need more Bob & Nobby content 👍

Simple comparison. MG ZS EV £33,395. MG ZS Petrol £18335. Petrol £1.40 litre. So I have £15060 to spend on Petrol. that is over 2300 Gallons, the car average is 49.8MPG. That is 118,000 miles of "Free" driving!

Public changing points are a rip off unfortunately, not remotely competitively priced with gas prices. There are still not enough of them and they are often not large enough either. Very enjoyable video though.

Great video lads. So if you can charge at home and travel less than 300km per day you should buy EV as your next car. Very unfair not telling Nobby charge when ye first stopped!

Said on Nobby's channel, this is a great video and nice to see a proper balanced take on things. Great work, gents!

Great video Gents, really interesting to see how the situation is in Ireland.

I wonder how much the range would have been reduced on the ID7 had this been a typical family trip, as in the extra weight of all the passengers? It's more likely that you'd do these kind of drives as a family/group. Great job lads.

Great video lads. I’ve a Skoda Enyaq 80. Board Gais do a .07cent night rate for charging 2am-5am. And a night rate of 0.21 cents We can get 6.9kwh per hour on the home charger. That’s roughly 25-30%charge for €1.50 if my numbers are right. Skoda claim 520km range. Today my Enyaq says 410km range. Still exceptionally happy with the car. Again it comes downs to horses for courses. There is a lot of misinformation out there. Keep the videos coming.

Great video guys, i have a phev but going back to diesel, its not all about climate or which fuel type (diesel, petrol, electric)....its about convenience, less stress and ultimately time. Your time is precious and you should be able to enjoy your trip without endless calculation or worry that you may or may not make it to the next charge point, or that it may or may not work. Ultimately , there are still problems with both the product and infrastructure that will be sorted in the future, i just dont think that the future is now.

Sorry but I can’t help but conclude that what I’m hearing is 2+2=4 but if if if if if if if if such and such it could equal 5.. seriously if you say you would have to stop for lunch then I would counter and say how many people would run the range down to 1% to prove they could make it. Great video and thank you but while it proves the EV can drive a distance it also proves it limits convenience, increases anxiety and the infrastructure is awful. If you have all the time in the world and only drive a fixed journey then great. If you use a car to explore and travel around in very unstructured way for then stick with the old fashioned horse and cart.

I am now 2 years into ev ownership Mustang Mach e Long range. I have driven all over the country and have only used Public charging a handfull of times and never had an issue. I just wish you could just plug in and be billed automaticaly without messing around with Apps and RFid cards. I do not mind paying over the odds for public fast charging to support the build up of the network and so long as they are available and work

QED methinks: Diesel is STILL the best choice. Spending €64k on the ID7 and not being able to turn on the heat, driving slow is just denying reality. And, when you come to sell the Audi in 3 years time, you'll be 10s of 1000s ahead as the ID7 will calve in value.

Just get a used Hybrid, a Lexus ES300h, preferably.

ah lads, 20 minutes at Tesla supercharger at Athenry and some grub and you would have come back to Dublin at the same time, and probably got home to do a home charge overnight

Should have been compared to the most economical electric car out there, Tesla model 3 , new model. lol Adding the super fast chargers

Forget EVs .they are more expensive to serve, the tyres don't last , and garage's dont want them back in trades they are too high risk .they cost a fortune too repair . Evs are way more expensive you save no money you loose a fortune deprecation ect

All the things that piss me off having an EV. I am not getting another one. It does my head, you get to an ev charger and the thing is a pain in the arse. 79p per kw now in England robbing bastards.

70k on an electric car so your feet are so cold you cannot feel them. My wife would divorce me in a heartbeat. Short journeys only for these currently and charge at home only.

Diesel is more convenient 2 minutes fill it with diesel 1200 km range drive anywhere no range anxiety no worries about charge points working

Let’s not forget that people who can afford a 70k car, is not overly concerned about charging costs or the cost of diesel 😢

I had fully electric car for only 11 months, the drop in value was astonishing, 95k new the EQE Mercedes is now less that 65k, got mine valued at 55k 😢 against new diesel eclass. Its diesel for me for foreseeable future, great to see Bob back again

Factor in also servicing costs, plus insurance , road tax etc. additionally if you can have a home charger a decent one fitted approx 1k Europe’s of pounds. The overall cost of owning electric cars becomes a no brainier if it suits your life style. And of course there’s the cost to the environment of using diesel/ petrol vehicles. It does take more energy to produce and electric car but this is payed back after approx 12k miles, then it’s all green.

I’d be interested to see what a PHEV could have done (Even an A6 PHEV compared to an A6 Diesel but keep the PHEV in hybrid mode). Yes it’s more thirsty being a petrol, but having the compromise between short EV trips and no range anxiety, I think I’d go for that next. ESB can lower the prices all they want, but if the network is unreliable, then it’s really not a viable option if you have to go somewhere far, especially if it’s an unplanned journey.

Proof again that’s it the infrastructure that’s the issue for EVs. I love the VW group strategy of let’s stick an Audi badge on it and charge you a fortune for all the extras 😅 the ID7 is great car, cheaper than the Audi, with a better spec and its rear wheel drive. I would love if Skoda did a version of it.

Super video gents and so many valid points made for two very capable cars. Interesting to see the situation in Ireland. The infrastructure needs to improve, same over here in the UK (EV owner here as well so that's an honest opinion from a happy RS e-tron GT owner). Residuals are struggling too, arguably down to the moving of the goal posts by our less than esteemed leaders regarding emissions charges. As such the economics of EV ownership are finally balanced and it'll be interesting over the next few years to see where it's all going.

Great Video Bob always loved the A6 ever since your video of the Bi-turbo Tdi when u were pulling up the tarmac!!

Well done, interesting video and some fantastic shots!

I have to say what a absolutely great video loved it 👌 so my view on this is I get the logic of electric cars but only if your charging at home and at night the infrastructure is just not out there and it only takes 5 mins max to fill a desiel car up to full so for me at present I'm a desiel car guy I just don't want that inconvenience of charging away from home as it is far to expensive and takes too long, stay safe guys 👊👍

Great video. I have an 8 year old BMW 330e PHEV with 100,000 miles which would easily have done the whole journey even with a 40 litre fuel tank. I'd be getting 55-60mpg. In a years time I'm looking to change and I'm torturing myself between going full BEV and just upgrading to a newer 330e with the bigger battery. I've almost come to the conclusion that it's still a tad early for BEV due to the infrastructure. I need to stop thinking about it for another year. Things may look a lot different then. It won't be a new car that's for sure. More like a 3 or 4 year old. I'd rather some other eejit took the big hit on depreciation lol. Thank you for your sacrifice 🙂

That’s great in a NEW electric car but I would love to see that test drive again in a 3 or 4 yr old electric car…

I love my electric cars, you have to charge at home, and then if you going on a long trip then the cost is ok? its the same as my old diesel per mile. Bob great to see you on the mend, God bless matey

Great video Bob. Electric cars are great if you can charge at home & your journeys are short. But if you do any sort of mileage & have to depend on public charge points then electric still has a fair way to go. Charging at public chargers is far too expensive & the infrastructure just isn't up to what is needed. Added to that is that the resale / trade in price on electric cars is extremely poor. If you bought a diesel / petrol car you could still be driving that car in ten years without any bother. Could you say the same if you bought an electric car ?

Great video, lads, it covered everything with brilliant drone shots, and I love the banter between the two of you.

I love the natural interface between these two. A local taxi driver I know uses a Nissan Leaf for his local taxi business (charges over his lunch break), but hires a 'fueled' car for any distance work, including holidays.

Great video lads 👍

Beautiful comparison Rob.. This video should be widely circulated..

Thanks for highlighting the sorry state of country charging options Nobby and Bob. I own an electric car and this is my experience so far with them. I charge at home for 8c/kwh (for 4 hours a night) so it's super cheap daily but driving a long distance like this with my family would a non runner on a family trip. Couldn't be dealing with down chargers, queues or the pick of options. Happened once to me and was a nightmare. Government needs to pull the finger out and get the infrastructure rollled out now.

Excellent video guys....lots to think about.

I can never understand why these tests aren’t done by the larger channels with almost identical cars. Say a kona petrol/diesel/ev.

Elephant in the room: if you're too 'poor' to own a house with an ability to charge at home - anyone in a flat/apartment or terrace, then you will have no choice but pay the ridiculously inflated public charging rates. Seems like another instance where the less well off are getting screwed, not being allowed to avail of the cheaper rates that those with bigger houses can.

That was a beautiful video, wonderful scenery. I need to watch Nobby's video for balance! Nice one Bob!

The A team fab entertaining video guys but factually 5 years out of date. Men have to stop twice for WC human factors on the way up and down. Experienced EV drivers only charge on route when they have to stop for human factors, nowadays on CCS that’s enough and involves no human time wasted waiting for charging. Great to see Bob back in the saddle, well done and best wishes. Splash’n’dash works. Unfortunately behind the entertainment value this video paints an inaccurate picture of the convenience of 4th gen BEV driving in Ireland today. Just did 500km to the west and back. No delays or waiting for the car, no silly phone apps needed it’s easy to remember where the main motorway services are and especially Ionity and Tesla SC at Athenry. Ireland is a small island and I can tell you having left a super efficient diesel for a modern BEV our milk float is more convenient than I ever thought possible. Great entertainment but factually painting a 2019 picture. Two consummate professionals. Loved the clever drone footage. Reminds me of the piece RTE did with Miriam o’Callaghan did in a leaf 5 years ago with her colleague in a golf.

Cornerstone nice spot for lunch been there many times over they years

Just Brought wife a "new" car a 2017 Renault Captur Signature, the Sat Nav has an Irish man, giving directions.

Great entertainment and really enjoyed it but factually misleading perhaps. 1. Men will have to stop anyway at least twice for human factors on each trip leg. 2. You bypassed Ionity and 15mins on CCS @150kw would have sufficed each way. 3. No EV driver bothers with old 50kw units 4. Why bypass M6 services with 5 stalls, J16, etc 5. Smart EV drivers charge when they have to stop anyway for human factors 6. Arriving Kinegad with 82% too soon to bother with CCS but if your desperate for 5mins in the restroom why not plug in anyway for even 5mins, it’s not going to cost you any time Great to see Bob back and the interaction between you both. Great piece of entertainment but. Paints a picture that was valid 5 years ago. Drone use was stellar and those cliff shots stunning. Welcome back Bob of Arabia.

Don't agree with increasing the overstay limit on 50kW chargers - at least not until there's more of them. EVs are great. Drove Dublin to Kinsale in a Megane E Tech 2 weekends ago, fully loaded car including a full 200ltr roof box. Stopped in Cashel, charged for 25 mins. Car went from 28-91%. The biggest problem is infrastructure and the fact that EV sales are increasing at a rate where infrastructure isn't keeping up. It'll make queues worse and nothing turns ICE drivers off moving to BEV more than seeing queues for a charger. Good video though.

Great Video Lads & Bob your doing well mind good luck fellow, Iam Diesel thru & thru based in the UK my 10yr old (£20 roadtax) 2lt vw group TDI will do 600+ miles on a long run & ave 58mpg Its a no brainer long since bought n paid for & only done 40000miles. Electric is an option for some but not me personally

That was very good video, I laughed out loud a couple of times. The electric did better than I expected but it's the charging infrastructure here that's the problem - why did the Lahinch charger work after 7 goes? Crazy!

Great video, enjoyable. But your statement at the 28 minute mark that the Audi was only 5 minutes ahead of you is wrong: he spent half the day hanging around keeping you company e.g. at the charer - if he'd driven just for himself he'd hours ahead of you. That and you driving slower, turning of the climate control etc - that's nothing like a comparison.

While Bob was buying sweets, you should have topped up for free. Though the who’s got the most for more, was like watching people pay Top Trumps.

All this has absolutely nothing to do with stopping for a rest or desperately needing to drive a thousand miles non stop. It’s about not being a slave to the vehicle. People will want a car they can go to work in and charge it up when they like, same as being able to go on holiday and/or tow a caravan and not bother about the range until they get back home. For all those who live in flats, for example, the only way they’ll buy one of these is when they can stop at a charging point when they like, not have to queue up and wait for hours to get their turn and be done with it in a few minutes. As I wrote over a year ago, one day, in the not too distant future, EV range will be measured in months, not miles (this is a left over from combustion days). That’s the day I’ll buy an EV. Meanwhile, all those who buy into the (expensive) idea are guinea pigs. Thank you guinea pigs …

But charging at home is going to change in eu and England comev2030, with the end of off peak time due to the swap to renewable power,so basically like octopus agile 1 hour slots or half our slots think just how much your heat pump or ev will cost then go run at peak rates it’s a rip off demand 6 hour off peak still continue by your parliament

That ID won’t do that same journey in 2 or 3 years , it’s 2024 , that video tells me I don’t ever want an electric car - the diesel was far superior 🤷‍♂️

A solution to a non-existent problem and at twice the price to purchase. When they can provide a trailer with extra capacity (for longer trips) then it might be reasonably competitive with conventional vehicles. Maybe retro-fit a caravan with a tesla size pack?

I couldn't be dealing with the range anxiety and looking for a working charger. With a small family its one stress i dont need to deal with. Petrol, Diesel or even PHEV all the way

EVs are simply inconvenient and I would be scared if two EVs crashed into each other bearing in mind the weight of both vehicles together with the real danger of Fire and severe battery damage , Gerry S

I have an adapter for Android Auto that allows you to untether. Reason I wanted it was because I didn't want my phone constantly charging all time.

A great video gents , undoubtedly EV’s won’t suit everyone, but for a lot of people they are ideal . After all we have to try something fossil fuels won’t last forever , not too mention the environment!!. Great to see you Bob , that was me in the circle k . 👍👍👍

If the charger had another car at it, you would have had to wait an extra hour or two.i would go so far to say you got extremely lucky . Imagine having 3 kids at that parking lot for 2 hours waiting to charge. Ah hell no. Lol . Not blaming the car, but the infrastructure isnt there yet.

Did u also consider the cost of tyres on an EV is roughly X3 the price of normal tyres cos their load bearing for the weight .they also wear faster. Also if you fully charge Ur battery's all the time they degrade faster.an 8 year old EV is worthless The insurance will be more on an EV due to risk of fire in an accident and if it goes like the UK any damage is a Wright off on Ur EV

Couldn't pay me to go back to petrol or diesel, I'll stick with my EV thanks.

EV will be gone in 10yrs ! trust me ! EV should only be City cars they are made for it, should not be allowed on motorway.

Good video, but not convinced, plus not everyone can afford that type of price of car. I have a 2011 honda accord diesel and it would do that trip twice on a tank, have it 7 years and it's not worth the price of the extras on either of them cars.

I have recently traded my trusty Kadjar diesel for a Toyota Corolla hybrid sport tourer and I could do that distance in it for around £40.

Electric car can do it but infrastructure isn't there and its out of my price rage, would of loved to be able to buy electric this year but only could afford 20k loan

How much does it cost full service on the VW !! AND find out price of a new batterys for it as it has 2 i think the audi has 1 😂

Look at resale value of a 5 year old VW electric versus a tdi VW and that is the clincher.. as long as new electric continue to improve the used electric ones are worthless.

Charging issues and range anxiety drove me mad. Sold the EV after only 10 months. Thankfully that was before the horrific depreciation hit EV prices. With the savage depreciation and more expensive charging, they don’t even make financial sense to me now.

Why is the guy in the Audi so difficult to understand what he’s saying?

Great video Lads I really enjoyed it. I recollect Bob doing that trip a few years and had a fish and chips at the same spot.

The Diesel car will still do the same range to a tank in 20 years time, will the electric 🤔

Good video bit not every one can buy new . I'd like to see it done in a 6 year old diesel and a 6 year old electric car and see how ye get on.

Good video, shows EVs can do it.

Why on earth didn’t mark charge at Tesla SC athenry for 15mins on the way down and 15mins on the way home? Sorry lads it seems like you picked the wrong route to favour the diesel. 8 stalls there beside hotel on M6 no queuing and 150kw charging adds 260km in only 15mins. You paint a 2019 picture. Things have moved on. And only 55c

Great Video, looking good Bob

To be realistic, of course the id7 should have been charged at 8:30. How much do you need to stack this in favour of the diesel?

Well Bob I have been following you for years and it is great to see you still broadcasting. Some years ago I said that I put a Subaru engine in a 1984 VW t25 and you dismissed it as why would someone want to do that. Well it is simple. The emissions are minimal. It is a flat 4 cylinder engine which fits perfectly to replace the VW boxer engine. The reliability is superb and when engines are extracted they use them in monoplanes. Then you have to look at the cost you take a 2l modern engine and put it into a vintage van taking it from 80 hp. to 135hp which allows you to keep up with modern traffic and keeps you safer. Motor tax 50 euro if it was still in the Subaru motor tax would be touching 1K. It is a no brainer. I look at electric and say just recycle it has less impact on the environment

great show Bob mate

I charge at 7c a night between 2-5am - it has cost me €85 to travel 5,316km The few times a year I’ll need to fast charge will be shockingly expensive but also completely irrelevant to the huge savings I’m making otherwise.

What is he saying?

It’s exactly as Bob said regards whether EV’s are a viable option for people “it depends”. It really does depend on your daily/weekly/monthly driving commute etc. for vast amount of people it’s a very viable option but you will have to plan more for longer journeys. It’s defo not an option for everyone currently with the biggest problem for journeys like the lads did is the current infrastructure which they highlighted brilliantly. I do short range 90% of my yearly commuting, have an EV and saving a few quid every month compared to my previous petrol car but I wouldn’t push the EV life on others as it really depends. Great content lads and brilliant comparisons at the end.

The infrastructure expansion is going to be a slow process, why. Well the only people buying EV'S are those that have the option to charge them at home. Why would any retailer invest in charging stations for a small percentage of the market. The other issue is trade in values, serious depreciation from what I've seen online. Early adopters might not be so keen to buy another one. If you can charge at home, don't do long journeys to often, and can stomach the depreciation, then by all means. Not for me thought, a EV would be like me putting 1/3 of a tank of diesel in my car each time, and waiting 45 minutes for it to fill. No thanks.

I charge at night time for 8c. The window is 4hrs from 2-6am. What you must understand is it is not like petrol or diesel where you wait until your tank is empty. You simply top up charge every night to 80% or to 100% if you plan on longer journeys. And you may not be charging from 0%. More like 20%. That is my experience so far.

I live in the countryside in Sweden and I've had an I'd.3 - and it didn't work for me. I drove it for 72000 km before I returned it - I was not satisfied. Now I drive a Skoda Fabia IV petrol and its much more satisfying and I get a range over 1000 km when it's full. Never got more then 320 km with the I'd.3. I'll never have an electric car again.

Great video guys. Great to see you back Bob making videos. A really interesting comparison. Have driven all around Ireland in an EV. Agree with most of what you say. A little more planning and it can be mostly done with not too much stress. But the network and especially the cost is driving people away from EVs. An EV is ideal for most commuter driving but if you are doing multiple long journeys per month then it’s still hard to beat diesel. For me I’ll be sticking with the EV as it suits my general driving and its emission free. Don’t forget about the podcast guys.

Brilliant video. Whilst a long run like this naturally favours the Diesel, you should do a similar video going from say Howth to Dun Laoighaire through the city and then back via the M50 and measure the cost differences in each just to give that idea of how cheap the EV CAN be on a short city run

Great video guys. Next one to do from Malin head to Mizen head. Diesel will win. Nobby that’s no way to live turning off heat, radio.

2 of the Nicest motoring RU-vidrs, and I subscribe to both, and more vids of you working together😊👍🏻

Just went from diesle to second hand id3. 50 euros a week diesle. Vs 8euros electric at home. 30k km a year approx. .

I would choose in the middle . A well sorted DIESEL/HYBRID . The best of two worlds .

In my Skoda Superb diesel I will think at 200 range left its time to top up, can't imagine how these EV drivers feel if they are doing long journeys and yes the average journey is less for most people but I don't think I could manage with these EVs and this test is when the Battery is new so how about doing a similar test on two five year old cars as the majority of people are in that category if buying unless they are in the PCP eternal payment system designed for repeat purchases... Great to see Bob back in action and calling out things that as far as I can see others are not reporting on or are keeping close to particular car brands and going on the manufacturers sales pitch only....

Great video! I'm curious about how the trip would have changed if Mark was allowed to charge at the first toilet break. If he charged there, would he have been able to make it to the fast charger in Athlone? As an EV owner, the one rule of thumb is if you're stopping you're charging.

Thanks lads , good test but not surprising. first off, I couldn't afford 60k plus vehicle so id 7 and Audi vehicles you tested are out so I wouldn't be able to afford 77kw id 7. some can get ev to work for them , fair play but the rest, ev no where near where it needs to be and the big drop in value in ev market is a bit of a shock if buying second hand ev. ev are in early stages and next chapter hopefully will address a lot of issues like range, cost and public charging, even if you charge from home. think there more changes ahead that will give people more choices with better tech in future. hopefully in next few years. in current world , all types of fuelled vehicles have a place as everyone has different needs . for me, ev wouldn't work. we see what happens in next 2 to 5 years, tech changes fast. good review lads ,good to see you working together , these reviews help people who can't decide. Keep up good work 👍👍

Great video. Electric for daily trips but for longer journeys no way.

The real shocker is the massive deprecation the electric car has after 3 years. And if your a professional chargering for your labour add that up per year, when your sitting waiting to charge when you can be working.

Great video gents. Plenty of info there.

Great video, good to see Bob having fun (at Mark's expense). Keep up the videos guys.

Horses%^t!!! The whole beauty of the electric car is that you can have it charging when you don't need it. If taking a nature break on a road trip, you should plug in...absolutely!!

The two hour stop bong is a bit short. HGV by legislation are allowed to do two lots of 4.5 hours with a 45min break

An other super and very realistic video. Results not too surprising. The only challenge is the paucity of charging infrastructure and the occasional hiccups that arise with charging. the need to add more time to charge largely dependent on the charger output. Begs the question also whether electric cars have better specifications and options as standard.