Monthly Archives: April 2016

Tesla unveils Model 3

April 10, 2016Electric Cars, Model 3, News, Reviews and Comment, TeslaTrevor Larkum

Tesla has unveiled its highly anticipated Model 3 at a launch event in California overnight, with the new entry level model set to start at $35,000 (£24,000) when it goes on sale at the end of 2017.

The affordable model 3 is expected to shake up the established compact executive market

Pitched against the likes of BMW’s 3 Series, the Audi A4, Jaguar’s XE and the Mercedes C Class, Tesla’s most affordable model is predicted to shake up the market when it arrives next year.

One of the most important elements of the Model 3 is its range, with the all-electric model quoted at offering a minimum 215 miles per charge thanks to Tesla’s use of advanced lithium ion batteries. Performance is expected to be brisk with a 0-60mph time of less than six seconds – slow for a Tesla but faster than most cars on the road, which is testament to Tesla’s quickly established reputation for speed.

Leeds City Council to introduce free parking for electric cars

April 9, 2016Electric Cars, News, Reviews and CommentTrevor Larkum

Leeds City Council is to introduce free parking for residents who own green fuelled cars and vans.

From today (Tuesday 29 March), owners of ultra low emission vehicles in Leeds will be able to apply for a permit for free parking.

The 12-month permit will allow Leeds residents to park their environmentally friendly cars or vans for free in pay and display bays on the street and in pay and display bays in council run car parks.

Ultra low emission vehicles include electric powered and hybrid vehicles that run on electricity and diesel or petrol which produce no or few harmful pollutants.

Sales of ultra low emission vehicles doubled in 2015 but there are still relatively few on Leeds’ roads compared to petrol or diesel powered cars and vans.

Providing charging points and benefits like free parking could help consumers make the choice to switch to lower emission vehicles.

With an increasing focus on how to improve Leeds’ air quality, it’s hoped that the offer of free parking will help encourage drivers to go green.

Councillor Richard Lewis, executive member for regeneration, transport and planning, said:

“Transport emissions are one of the biggest contributors to poor air quality so it’s really important that we provide the conditions and infrastructure that allow people to go green.

“Drivers who’ve already made the commitment to cleaner air with a low emission vehicle will be able to benefit from free parking, subject to meeting the criteria and following normal parking rules.

“To anyone considering buying a new, green vehicle, we hope this will act an extra, small incentive.

“On its own, this offer isn’t going to improve Leeds’ air quality. As part of a package of measures however, it’s another step in the right direction to improving the environment and people’s health.”

The permit is only available to Leeds residents.

The same rules on maximum stays will still apply. All other restrictions, such as yellow lines, disabled spaces and loading will apply too.

Failure to display the permit without paying the normal parking fees and contravening any other parking restrictions could result in parking tickets being issued.

There is no charge for the permit.

People can apply for the permit on the council’s website from today (Tuesday 29 March).

Only vehicles that the Department for Transport recognise as an ultra low emission vehicle for their plugged in grant scheme will qualify for the permit. A full list of vehicles can be found on their website.

Offering the free parking can be accommodated within the council’s budget.

Leeds City Council is using more green vehicles, is planning to convert its bin lorry fleet to run on greener fuel and is working on plans to build a compressed natural gas filling station.

The council also hopes to emulate the success of the Elland Road park and ride at a proposed site in the Aire Valley.

The council is also working with partners to ensure they can access funding and support to run greener vehicles.

Source: Leeds.gov

The Disruption In Oil Markets Is Just Beginning

April 8, 2016Electric Cars, Energy and Climate Change, Oil, Opinion, SalesTrevor Larkum

The near-term outlook for oil markets is a mess.

Price volatility recently reached its highest level since the global financial crisis as traders, investors and the industry as a whole try to sort through the significance of two big changes: the rapid rise of the upstart U.S. shale industry, which grew from essentially nothing in 2010 to being the world’s sixth largest source of oil supplies in 2015; and Saudi Arabia’s decision to abandon its role as market manager.

These are important issues for the near term, but they pale in comparison to a much bigger set of long-term issues. Two mega-trends are gaining steam that together have the potential to truly upend the energy industry.

First, signs of serious competition to oil in its most important market—transportation—are beginning to emerge. In the United States, more than 70% of the oil we consume is burned in our cars, trucks, ships and aircraft. The figure globally is only slightly less, at 64%. And for at least the past 100 years, oil has been the only game in town when it comes to mobility fuel.

But based on a slew of data emerging over the past few weeks, that might be about to change. According to a new report from the Frankfurt School, global electric vehicle (EV) sales surged by nearly 60% last year, bringing the total number sold since 2011 to just over 1.1 million. That’s right—despite their higher purchase price, limited range and longer refueling times, electric vehicles took a massive step forward in 2015 even as oil prices collapsed. Incredibly, most of the growth came from China, where sales almost quadrupled compared to 2014.

The BMW i3 and Jodie Kidd take on London

April 7, 2016BMW, Electric Cars, i3, News, Reviews and CommentTrevor Larkum

Take a moment and let Jodie Kidd and The Telegraph tell you all about why the BMW i3 is the perfect car for London.

London parents see toxic air as ‘the biggest health threat to their children’

April 6, 2016Energy and Climate Change, News, Reviews and Comment, PollutionTrevor Larkum

Mothers revealed their fear over toxic air in London today with seven out of 10 admitting they worry about its impact on their children.

A YouGov poll found that parents in the capital now see air pollution as the biggest health threat.

The stark findings are published as the Standard launches Clean London — a series of hard-hitting reports on dirty air and ways to tackle it.

Experts now blame air pollution for a death toll of more than 9,000 a year in the capital.

The survey, commissioned by environmental lawyers ClientEarth, shows 68 per cent of London parents are worried about their children breathing in dirty air.

More women than men highlighted their fears — 71 per cent against 64 per cent. Mothers have told of their concern that as they push buggies along the street, their young children are sitting at the same level as filthy fumes being spewed out by many diesel cars and other vehicles.

India floats ambitious goal: 100 percent electric cars

April 5, 2016Electric Cars, Energy and Climate Change, News, Reviews and Comment, Pollution, SalesTrevor Larkum

India has a grandiose vision for its 1.2 billion people to drive only electric vehicles by 2030. And that’s not even the most ambitious part — the government thinks it can do it without spending a dime.

“We are trying to make this program self-financing,” Power Minister Piyush Goyal said at a youth conference this week, according to The Times of India. “We don’t need one rupee of support from the government. We don’t need one rupee of investment from the people of India.”

Goyal noted that a small working group of politicians will meet in early April to hammer out the details of the goal, which could include a program to incentivize buying electric cars by making them zero-down investments. Later on, the money the car owners would have spent on gas could go to paying off the price of the vehicle, according to Goyal.

As far as number of cars owned per household, India ranks low on the list, with just 6 percent of households reporting they own a car. But that number is expected to grow exponentially as the economy expands.

It’s not the first time India has announced sweeping sustainability plans under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sometimes to mixed results. Last October, the world’s third biggest greenhouse gas polluter announced its new climate plan, promising to obtain 40 percent of its electricity from renewable sources (primarily solar) by 2030. But earlier this year, the World Trade Organization ruled that provisions of Modi’s solar plan shut out international companies, particularly the U.S., from India’s burgeoning solar market. Most recently, the country levied a 4 percent “green” tax on new passenger vehicle sales, part of an effort to fight air pollution and traffic congestion.

India has no time to waste to tackle its pollution problem as its capital, New Delhi, already has worse air quality than Beijing.

Source: Grist

Leasing companies drive uptake of ultra-low emission vehicles

April 4, 2016Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, SalesTrevor Larkum

New figures from the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association confirm the sector’s position as the UK’s leading adopter of cleaner and more fuel-efficient vehicles.

The BVRLA’s latest quarterly survey of its leasing members found that almost one in 20 (4.7%) of all new leased cars registered in the final quarter of 2015 was a plug-in, well-ahead of the market penetration achieved across all new registrations, which stood at 1.3%.

The leasing sector’s low-emission credentials are also demonstrated by the fact that more than 25% of lease cars now sit in VED band A (sub 100g/km CO2) while the overall market share for all new cars sold in 2015 stands at 20%.

Thanks to this ever-increasing adoption of pure and plug-in hybrid electric cars as well as low-emission petrol and diesel vehicles, the average lease car added to a BVRLA member fleet in 2015 emitted just 112.6g/km CO2, more than 7% less than the average new car registered in 2015.

Responding to the news on behalf of Go Ultra Low, Poppy Welch said:

“We’ve been encouraged by the growing number of fleets realising the multiple advantages of electric vehicles – and BVRLA members continue to play a pivotal role through education on whole-life costs and employee benefits. More businesses need to be bold, opening their thinking to incorporate electric vehicles and the cost-savings they bring.”

According to the latest BVRLA survey, leasing companies were responsible for around 1.3 million1 business cars and vans at the end of 2015, which was a 5.5% increase year-on-year.

Commenting on the news, BVRLA Chief Executive Gerry Keaney said:

“More and more businesses are turning to leasing as a source of finance and BVRLA members are helping these companies to operate cleaner, more fuel-efficient vehicles.”

“The government needs to recognise that the company car or van is more than just a taxable perk and a valuable source of revenue for the Treasury. These vehicles are vital business tools that can play a huge role in reducing the UK’s road transport carbon emissions. Without a fair and simple tax regime for company vehicles, this won’t happen.”

Source: BVRLA

Tesla Discontinues 10-Kilowatt-Hour Powerwall Home Battery

April 3, 2016Energy and Climate Change, Energy Storage, News, Reviews and CommentTrevor Larkum

Tesla has quietly removed all references to its 10-kilowatt-hour residential battery from the Powerwall website, as well as the company’s press kit. The company’s smaller battery designed for daily cycling is all that remains.

Tesla Powerwall home battery storage system (Image: Tesla)

The change was initially made without explanation, which prompted industry insiders to speculate. Today, a Tesla representative confirmed the 10-kilowatt-hour option has been discontinued.

“We have seen enormous interest in the Daily Powerwall worldwide,” according to an emailed statement to GTM. “The Daily Powerwall supports daily use applications like solar self-consumption plus backup power applications, and can offer backup simply by modifying the way it is installed in a home. Due to the interest, we have decided to focus entirely on building and deploying the 7-kilowatt-hour Daily Powerwall at this time.”

The Tesla Model 3 arrives with 215 miles of range

And Tesla claims there are 115,000 preorders, which is madness.

After a long wait, Tesla has finally unveiled the Model 3. It’s what we were expecting (and hoping for) – a less-expensive, versatile, attractive five-seater with decent range and a low price. It rounds out Tesla’s revised Secret Master Plan, as Elon Musk cheekily called it, that started with the Roadster, progressed to the Model S, and grew to encompass the Model X.

That’s all fine, but did you catch how many preorders Musk said the company had received for the Model 3 by this evening? 115,000 – a staggering number. If you’ll remember, each reservation to purchase a Model 3 requires a $1,000 (refundable) deposit.

Here’s the other stuff you should really know about Tesla’s entry-level electric vehicle. For one, Musk promises it’ll ace every safety test category. All will be standard with Autopilot hardware (autonomous driving functionality) and Supercharging (very fast recharging) capability.

It’ll also seat five real adults in comfort, as Tesla has squashed the instrument panel a bit and moved the front seats forward to clear rear legroom. To give a sense of airiness to the cabin, and also to gain some extra headroom, it’ll have a roof made of two large panes of glass, with the windshield meeting the backlight just above the A-pillar. Neat. In case you surf, it’ll swallow a 7-foot surfboard, apparently.

Tesla Model 3: 215-mile, $35,000 electric car revealed

At a launch event held in Hawthorne, California, Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk introduced the Model 3 sedan, the company’s highest-volume, lowest-priced effort yet.

Tesla Model 3 (Image: Green Car Reports)

The Model 3 quite closely follows the style of the Model S sedan and Model X crossover, and it’s unmistakably a Tesla. Yet at a far more affordable $35,000 starting price, it should help break past dismissals that Tesla is a brand only for the rich. And the Model 3 is a crucial step toward the company’s goal of 500,000 annual sales.

Just over the past couple of days, the company has made great strides toward seeing that goal as perhaps reasonable. In the 24 hours leading up to the beginning of the launch event, more than 115,000 people put $1,000 each down to make a reservation for the Model 3—sight unseen, and before any specifications had been detailed.