Following its victory last year, Renault ZOE has put in yet another remarkable performance at the 2015 ZENN Monte-Carlo Rally with four ZOE models taking the top four places.
In its second appearance in the prestigious international competition, Renault ZOE led the field:
First in the overall standings of the ZENN Rally
Four ZOE in the top four places in the overall standings
First in the consumption standings
Five ZOE in the top five places in the consumption standings
First in the regularity standings
Four ZOE in the top four places in the regularity standings
With eight racing zones punctuated with five regularity tests in this year’s ZENN Monte-Carlo Rally (ZENN standing for “zero emissions, zero noise”), the competitors drove a total of 130 miles over seven and a half hours. Renault entered four teams, including a press car and a blogger car. A team of individuals also took part in the rally on an individual initiative alongside the competing brands.
At the conclusion of the two-day race, these five ZOE finished in first, second, third, fourth and seventh place. The “individual” team finished fourth. Renault applauds this non-professional team and is delighted to see that the electric hatchback brought it every chance of competing strongly in an event as demanding as the ZENN Rally.
Renault ZOE had already been acclaimed by 98% of its customers for its design, performance, best-in-class range, driving pleasure and exclusive technologies. With this array of victories, Renault ZOE is once again demonstrating its unrivalled performances in the world of electric vehicles.
With some 22,000 registrations worldwide since launch, the Renault ZOE adventure continues.
The University of St Andrews, together with Transport Scotland and E-Car Club have launched Scotland’s largest all electric, community car club.
St Andrews now has a fleet of 10 electric vehicles (8x Renault ZOE hatchbacks and 2x Renault Kangoo vans) which residents, businesses and visitors can hire by the hour; making the it Scotland’s most densely populated EV town.
The launch, hosted in the town’s central Church Square, gave residents and visitors the opportunity to meet with representatives from E-Car Club, the University of St Andrews, Renault and Carplus.
The E-Car Club represents a positive step in reducing the towns’ emissions from transport and towards the University of St Andrews’ goal of becoming the UK’s first carbon-neutral university.
For as little as an hour, or for several days, members can collect zero-emission vehicles from three locations; Agnes Blackadder Halls, The Gateway at North Haugh, and David Russell Apartments.
E-Car Club members will pay a £50 one-off joining fee for access to the scheme (£25 until 31 July) — with rental prices starting at £4.50 per hour or £35 per day (24 hours), including power and insurance.
Members will be supplied with a membership card and pin number which they can use to book the vehicles; either online or by phone. Once the vehicle is booked, the membership card can be swiped on the windscreen-mounted reader to unlock the vehicle.
The cars can generally travel around 65-90 miles on a single charge; putting Dundee and Edinburgh within easy reach, with their fantastic infrastructure of rapid charging units making even longer journeys an option.
Scottish Minister for Transport and Islands, Derek Mackay said:
“It is really exciting to see the nation’s first all EV car club launch in St Andrews, funded in part by the £1 million announced last summer for EVs in car clubs through the ‘Developing Car Clubs in Scotland’ programme.
“The Scottish Government is committed to achieving the target of almost total decarbonisation of road transport by 2050 because of the numerous benefits this will bring.”
Chris Morris, Managing Director of E-Car Club said:
“I’m delighted to be able to officially announce the launch of E-Car Club in St Andrews. This is particularly significant to us as our first scheme in Scotland – once home to many of the E-Car team including myself – and our largest single deployment of vehicles to date.”
Electric Cars Are City Cars? Not In U.S.: They’re Suburb Cars Here
Automotive journalists who write about electric cars hear the phrase “city car” a lot.
As in, “Battery-electric cars are perfect city cars, but [fill in different powertrain] is required for other uses.”
There’s just one problem: No one in the U.S. has ever turned to their better half and said, “Honey, let’s go buy a city car.”
A recent blog post by electric-car advocate and restauranteur Tom Moloughney points out that, in fact, electric cars are largely used in the suburbs here in the U.S.
His article expands on comments to trade journal Automotive News by BMW’s U.S. CEO, Ludwig Willisch, that the company’s BMW i3 battery-electric car has not caught on in the “big urban centers in the Northeast,”
Instead, BMW sells the largest numbers of i3s in areas of California, Texas, and southern Florida.
2014 BMW i3 REx vs Chevrolet Volt (Vauxhall Ampera) comparison (Image: D Noland/T Moloughney)
(Willisch also then suggests that Northeasterners aren’t particularly concerned about the environment and sustainability–conflating desire for electric cars with solely environmental concerns, while overlooking the practical challenges of owning and recharging them in city centers.)
Moloughney notes that dense urban centers–like those of Boston, Manhattan, and San Francisco–are some of the most challenging places to own any car, let alone a plug-in electric car that requires a charging station.
The BMW i3 Moloughney drives was originally developed as the “Megacity Car,” intended for use in future cities of 15 million or more people that are even more densely packed than today.
But his arguments underscore a unique challenge to selling electric cars with ranges of 62 to 100 miles to U.S. drivers: We don’t buy “city cars.” We just buy cars.
In Western Europe, where local, regional, and long-distance mass transit is common, clean, punctual, and a regular part of travel patterns, a much smaller car for short local trips can make sense.
That was the idea behind the 8-foot-8-inch-long Smart ForTwo (which has been completely redesigned for the first time since the late 1990s for the 2016 model year).
You see Smarts all over Amsterdam, London, Paris, and Rome, sometimes parked end-in at the curb.
In the U.S., not so much. They’re no cheaper than larger subcompact cars, so they’re almost entirely restricted to those same dense urban centers where minimal length is a huge advantage for street parking, but recharging is scarce and expensive.
In fact, very small cars of any kind have largely been a sales flop in this country. Toyota’s Smart competitor, the Scion iQ “3+1-seat” minicar, has now been pulled off sale.
Moloughney’s post is worth reading because it underscores the challenges facing all automakers as their executives grapple with the very real challenges of understanding who buys electric cars, how they use them, and what specific challenges they face in making them practical.
Upcoming longer-range battery electric cars–including the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt, for which 200 miles of range has been promised, and the second-generation Nissan Leaf–may make electric cars more broadly palatable to buyers for whom a range of less than 100 miles is a dealbreaker.
But for North American marketing, we’d suggest that automakers simply eradicate the phrase “city car” from their lexicon.
Thus far, electric cars are largely bought by relatively affluent suburban buyers for whom off-street charging at their homes is possible.
Urban dwellers, meanwhile, are starting to participate in car-sharing programs that eliminate the need for them to pay for and store a vehicle they may not use for commuting.
And until there are far more publicly-available plug-in vehicle charging stations–and most likely the far faster DC quick-charging stations–the city centers of Boston, San Francisco, and so forth will remain a far more challenging place to own electric cars.
Because I live in California, it seemed only fitting that my first taste of the new Golf arrived in electric form: the 2015 VW e-Golf. (Why e-Golf? Because “Golfe” just sounded silly.) The Golf isn’t just the first Volkswagen EV in the US, it’s also the first VW built on the new MQB platform which promises reduced weight and lower development costs. While MQB isn’t a dedicated EV platform like Nissan’s LEAF, it was designed to support electrification from the start rather than being converted like the Fiat 500e. While that may sound like a quibble, the difference is noticeable as the e-Golf feels like a regular VW that happens to be electric. The e-Golf also demonstrates just how rapidly EVs have evolved since the LEAF launched in 2010.
Exterior
Volkswagen has always been a company that prefers restrained elegance when it comes to design and the new Golf is no different. While some described the look as boring, I generally appreciate design evolution more than design revolution because the latter leads to products like the Aztek. The downside to VW’s design evolution is that the Golf doesn’t look all that different from the last Golf, but VW owners tell me that’s how they like it. Park it next to the last VW hatch and you will notice a difference. The 2015 model is longer, wider and lower than its predecessor with a longer hood and a shorter front overhang. The result is a more grown-up hatch than ever before that also schleps more stuff than ever before.
For EV duty, VW swaps in their first US-bound LED headlamps, and (according to a product announcement released when we had the e-Golf) will swap them back out if you opt for the new starting trim of the e-Golf which is coming soon. We also get a revised DRL strip of LEDs curving around the front bumper that gives the electric version a distinctive look in your rear-view mirror. Finishing off the transformation are blue accents here and there, EV specific wheels and unique badging. From a functional standpoint, the electrically heated windshield (ala Volvo and Land Rover) helps reduce energy consumption by heating the glass directly instead of heating the air and blowing it on the glass.
Interior
Changes to the new interior are as subtle as the exterior. It was only after sitting in a 2012 Golf that I realized that parts sharing appears to be somewhere near zero. Although the shapes are similar, everything has been tweaked to look more cohesive and more up-scale. The console flows better from the climate controls, infotainment screen and knick-knack storage all the way to the armrest. The dashboard design is smoother and more Audiesque and the door panels have improved fit and finish with slightly nicer plastics. Keeping in mind that the Golf competes with the Hyundai Elantra GT, Ford Focus, Mazda3, Chevy Sonic, and Fiat 500L, this is easily the best interior in this class.
When it comes to the e-Golf things get murky. Since most auto companies have just one EV model, the electric Golf competes with a more varied competitive set spanning from the Spark EV and 500e to the BMW i3 and Mercedes B-Class Electric. In this competitive set, the VW still shines with an interior that isn’t that far off the B-Class or the i3 in real terms. The only oddity here is that the e-Golf does not offer leather in any configuration. The new base model gets cloth seats which are comfortable and attractive but the top end trim we tested uses leatherette which is attractive but doesn’t breathe as well as leather or cloth. Breathability is a problem the Spark’s leatherette seats also suffer from and is especially important in an EV where you frequently limit AC usage to improve range. Kia’s Soul EV is a stand-out in this area by offering real leather and ventilated seats which consume less power than running the AC.
In Geneva, Switzerland, the EVTEC company has introduced a new generation of quick charger, AC / DC, capable of operating at a maximum power of 180 kW.
[Translation by Google] Welcoming 4 connectors load, three in rapid charge and a AC 22 kW the “Espresso & charge” terminal of EVTEC meets the standard Combo, CHAdeMO and AC with a maximum load of 180 kW. Depending on the number of supported vehicles, power is automatically regulated between takes with a maximum of 120 kilowatts and 43 kilowatts DC side AC side.
In Geneva, the terminal was presented alongside a Kia Soul EV. A choice that is not trivial since the electric crossover Korean manufacturer is the first model to bear charging CHAdeMO 100 kW.
EVTEC 180kW rapid charger and Kia Soul EV (Image: Automobile-Propre)
According to the information we have collected from the manufacturer’s stand, the first terminal is expected to be deployed this year in Switzerland as part of the project AVOIDED.
Towards a new generation of “superchargers”?
If EVTEC is perhaps now the only company to offer this type of charger, you imagine that other manufacturers quickly follow the trend since the load capability of 100 kW and over become widespread among manufacturers.
Especially, the transition to faster charging powers will better meet the needs of future generations of electric cars, expected for 2016-2017, the capacity of batteries should be around 40 to 50 kWh.
One of the best benefits available for drivers of electric cars is that London Midland provides free car parking at its railway stations.
This is particularly attractive at two of its stations, Milton Keynes and Watford, as they have very high parking charges (an annual season ticket at these stations costs £1200 and £1093 respectively).
Fuel Included ‘pop-up shop’ outside Milton Keynes Central railway station (Image: T. Larkum)
The deal is that London Midland provides a discount off a car parking permit at its station car parks for what it calls an “ECO friendly vehicle”. The discounts are as follows:
50% discount on monthly, quarterly and annual parking permits if the vehicle emits no more than 120g of carbon dioxide every kilometre (120g/km).
100% discount on monthly, quarterly and annual parking permit, if the vehicle is registered with the DVLA and has “Electric” fuel type. This can be checked on the vehicle registration document (V5C) sent by the DVLA.
Full details are given on the London Midland website for the parking permits and their associated discounts; they are very generous. Clearly if someone pays £200 per month to lease one of our electric cars, for example, they can get back half that money just from savings in parking charges.
Rapid Chargers next to Milton Keynes Central railway station parking (Image: T. Larkum)
We used this idea recently as the basis for a marketing campaign, in two parts. Firstly we set up a small ‘pop-up shop’ outside Milton Keynes Central station. This was done in a similar way to the school event we did late last year, with the ZOE on display and me chatting to passers-by. It ran for a couple of hours in the early evening to catch commuters on their way home.
Renault ZOE in Milton Keynes Central railway station multi-storey (Image: T. Larkum)
Secondly, we did a pass through the station car park a couple of days later, putting fliers under the wipers of cars with season tickets in the windscreen to give information on the discount and our offers. While there I noticed there was a new pair of rapid chargers installed outside and awaiting commissioning, so it definitely looks like a welcoming location for electric cars.
Vauxhall Ampera in Milton Keynes Central railway station multi-storey (Image: T. Larkum)
Inside the multi-storey part of the car park there were already a couple of EVs in residence, a Renault ZOE and a Vauxhall Ampera. With a bit of luck there will be a lot more soon.
Car review: The Tesla Model S P85D is seriously fast, with an “Insane” mode to scare off its rivals
Tesla, the darling of the alternative-power car makers, has made more progress in a few short years than the likes of Ford, General Motors and even Toyota when it comes to electric cars.
The American firm, co-founded by Elon Musk of PayPal fame, has not only made great strides technology-wise, but has also achieved much in terms of brand awareness. But Tesla is a fraction of the size of a traditional car maker, and it’s this that’s likely to have enabled the bullish firm to outmanoeuvre the lumbering giants who still have one foot in the previous century.
While the current focus is on Tesla’s premium market Model S, the firm’s original foray into electric was with Lotus Elise. The car’s 200-ish mile range and rapid acceleration were ample trade-offs for the patience required for charging the car.
Tesla’s moved on from the Roadster to the Model S, an altogether more upmarket and refined proposition, that’s not really a saloon but a large five-door hatchback. The car’s appearance is risk averse when viewed from a more adventurous European perspective, but that’s where the comparisons end.
The car’s voluminous hatchback boot, which is big enough to accommodate two rear-facing child seats if desired, is bookended by an impressively capacious front boot like what you’d find with Porsche’s Boxster, Cayman and 911 family.
Even the car’s cabin trumps many of its rivals. There are no bulky oily bits underneath to impact on cabin space, which is why the big Tesla offers its occupants a near flat floor, a generous amount of legroom and, upfront, oddment storage space where you’d normally find the gearlever and handbrake.
Where the Model S really differs from the usual premium suspects is in the ownership proposition and how it drives. And remember Tesla’s first model, the sporty Roadster? The firm has well and truly nailed its colours to the performance saloon mast with a supercar-baiting variant boasting two electric motors.
Heading up Tesla’s admittedly modest Model S line-up is the P85D, an all-wheel drive model complete with a similar electric range to the lesser variants and a zero to 60mph sprint time of 3.2 seconds. To put that into perspective that’s Porsche 911 Turbo territory. Not bad for a five-seat car positioned size-wise between BMW’s 5 and 7 Series.
The key to this performance is Tesla’s use of twin motors – one at each axle – producing a combined 682bhp and a similar amount of torque. And it’s the latter’s “twist action” that has the wow factor, as even the best supercar in the world can’t spin up its turbos fast enough to match the P85D’s rocketship-like acceleration.
We think seeing is believing. That’s why we gave eight families – a mix of petrol-heads, gadget fans, commuters and school-runners – a week with the all-electric Renault ZOE. They all recorded their experiences with the help of a professional video crew, as well as dashboard-mounted cameras and a nightly video diary. And our users’ no-holds-barred reviews say more than we ever could…
The only region where diesel passenger cars sell in equal numbers to gasoline-powered vehicles is Europe.
And until the advent this year of tougher Euro 6 emission standards, new European diesel cars were significantly dirtier than those sold since 2008 in North America.
But one European transport analysis group suggests that the newest European “clean diesels” actually emit far higher levels of nitrous oxides (NOx) than the legally permitted limits.
A report issued last October by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) showed that real-world emissions were far higher than the new Euro 6 emission standards and the U.S. Tier 2, Bin 5 limits would allow.
As the ICCT wrote in a summary, “On average, real-world NOx emissions from the tested vehicles were about seven times higher than the limits set by the Euro 6 standard.”
It said the excess emissions “could not be attributed to ‘extreme’ or ‘untypical’ driving.”
“Instead,” it concluded, “they were due to transient increases in engine load typical of everyday driving (e.g., going up a slight incline), or to normal regeneration events in the normal diesel exhaust aftertreatment systems.”
