Monthly Archives: June 2016

Mercedes-Benz Starts Delivery Home Energy Storage To Private Individuals

June 11, 2016Electric Cars, Energy and Climate Change, Energy Storage, Mercedes, News, Reviews and CommentTrevor Larkum

Tesla Motors isn’t the only game in town when it comes to re-branding automotive fame into the energy storage business.

Mercedes-Benz energy storage units for private homes

Daimler has also announced the start of deliveries for its home energy storage systems produced under the Mercedes-Benz brand by subsidiary Deutsche ACCUMOTIVE.

Initially, Daimler entered into the ESS for business and utility companies; today, private homes is the next logical step in leveraging its advantage from developing battery packs for cars.

In case of Daimler, a ‘single block’ stores 2.5 kWh, and up to eight units and be connected for a total of 20 kWh.

Sales through a nationwide network of sales partners, and partner companies, has begun in Germany and will soon be expanded internationally.

Harald Kröger, Head of Development Electrics/ Electronics and E-Drive Mercedes-Benz Cars said that there is

“tremendous interest in our energy storage units and we have already received numerous orders”.

Most of the private homes customers intends to have ESS with photovoltaic system.

Finally, auto industry starts to admit: electric vehicles are better

June 10, 2016Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, SalesTrevor Larkum

Electric cars are often touted for their financial and environmental benefits, but there’s another major perk they offer to consumers.

They’re very nice to drive.

Many drivers have been won over by electric cars’ near-silent operation and instant torque delivery.

Now, there’s at least a glimmer of hope that carmakers may finally begin promoting those qualities as they seek to sell more electric cars.

Low gas prices dampened sales in 2015, but carmakers will have to produce more electric cars to meet stricter emissions standards nonetheless.

That is spurring automakers to promote the benefits of electric cars more aggressively, judging from the tone of a panel discussion at the 2016 SAE World Congress covered by Wards Auto.

“Quite frankly, we’ve been bad at explaining our technology to customers,”

Larry Nitz, executive director of hybrid and electric powertrain engineering at General Motors, said.

Indeed, many electric-car advocates have expressed frustration with inadequate marketing of plug-in cars by GM and other companies over the past five years.

Nitz believes word-of-mouth marketing will help deal with general consumer ignorance of electric cars.

Current owners can help promote electric cars by sharing what they like about their cars, Nitz said, including how nice they are to drive.

Those positive reactions seem to be the norm.

Jackie Birdsall—executive engineer, Toyota Engineering and Manufacturing North America—said she doesn’t know anyone who, after driving an electric car, wanted to go back to internal combustion.

‘Dieselgate’ heralds the age of the electric car

June 9, 2016Electric Cars, Energy and Climate Change, News, Reviews and Comment, Pollution, SalesTrevor Larkum

Every smog cloud has its silver lining. Volkswagen is still on the hook for installing “cheat devices” – software that made its cars appear cleaner than they were – but it’s now emerged that it’s not the only one to play dirty. To one degree or another, it seems a number of car brands have been playing fast and loose with the rules.

Mitsubishi Motors president Tetsuro Aikawa is in the firing line

The car industry won’t be able to forget last week fast enough. We saw the bosses at Japanese car firm Mitsubishi hang their heads in shame. Evidence that they had falsified fuel economy data was uncovered in raid on their factory in Okazaki, central Japan. The government has given them until tomorrow to explain themselves.

Closer to home, French car maker Peugeot Citroen was on the receiving end of an unexpected visit from the authorities. It claims it’s done nothing wrong, echoing Renault which was raided in January.

Also last week, 37 car models in Britain and 56 in Germany were found to exceed EU standards on air quality and pollution when tested.

And at the weekend, the Germans were pointing accusing figures at the Italians after their tests suggested “some Fiat vehicles showed irregular diesel exhaust pollution”, Reuters reported. The Italians have yet to respond.

That’s a lot horn-blowing in the space of just a few days. So what on earth is going on?

Britain’s property market is on the cusp of a crash as household finances reach breaking point

June 8, 2016Economy, Energy and Climate Change, News, Reviews and Comment, Prepping and CollapseTrevor Larkum

Britain’s property prices are skyrocketing but household earnings and savings can’t keep up.

Couple this with the amount of debt Britons are taking on and it looks like the UK’s property market is heading for a crash.

Why? — Because getting a mortgage is possibly the most debt you’ll take on in one go and rates can’t stay low forever. Eventually they’ll rise and so will monthly payments.

If household wages fail to keep pace as payments rise, they’ll be stretched further and further.

The average price to buy a house in Britain now stands at £291,504, according to the Office for National Statistics. Meanwhile, the average London property price is at a huge £551,00o.

Analysts say that the fundamental supply and demand balanced is so skewed that the only direction houses will go is up.

Research from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, estate agent Savills, the Council of Mortgage Lenders, and bank analysts has said prices will continue to rise over the next five years. Even a study published by Santander showed average house prices across the country will more than double to around £500,000 over the next 15 years.

Technically, this should be correct. There is way too many people looking to buy a home and way too little to go around.

But there are three key charts from the latest note from Citi FX’s strategy note entitled “UK’s increasing dependence and increasing vulnerability” which demonstrate how household finances can be considered being at breaking point.

And if rates do rise soon then more people will fall behind with payments which will trigger a real-estate fire sale and increasing defaults.

Longer Range Nissan Leaf 30kWh Available – Acenta

June 7, 2016Blog, Electric Cars, Leaf, Leaf 30kWh, NissanTrevor Larkum

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