Adam drives a CUPRA Born V1 58kWh 2022.
This is Adam’s first electric car, he’s owned the CUPRA Born from new and drives 5,000-10,000 miles annually. The current mileage of the car is between 1,000-5,000 miles and he achieves 210 miles from a full charge.
Why did you choose the CUPRA Born?
Was in the market for an electric car for a while, had a PHEV on order but found the Born in stock. Purchased the Born as IMO the looks of the Born are significantly better than its VW cousin, the ID.3. The interior is a lot more modern with a larger screen & nicer materials. Also, the Born is running the newer ID software (3.0) which at the time of collection was higher than other VW group EVs.
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Positives – List 3 or more reasons why you love this electric car
- The looks
- interior layout & technology within
- the colour scheme – aurora blue & copper.
Negatives – List 3 or more things that you really don’t like about this electric car
- The CUPRA app – very problematic, has no really useful features e.g. locking car
- the ID software is buggy – continuous pop-ups of new user settings, which then resets any saved user settings
- charging speeds – car can charge at 130kW but I’ve only ever seen over 100kW at 2% SOC in the middle of the summer when we had very hot weather. Average speeds of 70kW otherwise.
Have you experienced any faults with the car? If so, what have they been?
The dashboard has raised a week after purchasing, still waiting for it to be rectified. But that appears to be a dealer issue as others have had this sorted. Still waiting for a software update OTA too. Some newer Borns run ID 3.1 software but not been released yet OTA.
What are the standout technological features of the car?
CUPRA’s first EV, wireless Apple CarPlay is useful along with the wireless charging pad. Standard tech like heated steering wheel & reversing camera is nice too.
What electric car(s) are you interested in next and why?
Skoda ENYAQ Coupe with the 77kWh battery for more range & I like the look of the ENYAQ too. Also like the IONIQ 6, the looks & the battery architecture with the high charging speeds is appealing. Or when released maybe the VW ID.7 or a Skoda variant e.g. Superb EV, as more of a family-sized vehicle.
Home charging unit – outline both positive & negative elements
I have a Wallbox Pulsar Plus home charging unit – the main positive of home charging is I can charge when I want & when I’m asleep which means I’m wasting no time. Being on a fixed tariff also helps as a full charge at home still only costs £6 on average for over 250 miles of range in the summer or 210 miles in winter.
What public charging networks would you recommend to others and why?
The public chargers I’ve mainly used are IONITY, Osprey, InstaVolt & GRIDSERVE. On our trip to Cornwall from North West England, all chargers & networks worked flawlessly with no queues or issues. I’d recommend signing up to Octopus Electric Universe or Bonnet, primarily to keep down the amount of apps needed. Also, you get cheaper prices than the suppliers themselves which I’ve found in both apps.
Insurer – outline both positive & negative elements
Aviva:
- Positive – they actually insure EVs as I know some don’t
- Negative – high excess as it’s an EV.
Please itemise where you’re saving money owning & running an electric car
The main saving points for me as an individual is the cost to fuel the vehicle. I can get away with charging the car once every two weeks if not three in summer. At an average of £6, I’m saving over £100 from filling my old Skoda Superb with a full tank. Car tax I save £155 a year as currently it’s nothing being an EV.
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