Daily Archives: March 31, 2017

BMW set to launch biggest ever model offensive and second wave of electrification

March 31, 2017BMW, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and CommentJo

BMW sold 2.25 million cars across all its brands – BMW, Mini and Rolls-Royce in 2016. But for the first time in eleven years sales at the core BMW brand fell below rival Mercedes-Benz. It is looking to transform and revitalise the company by focusing on new launches, particularly electric vehicles (EVs). At the annual press conference it announced plans to launch no less than 40 new and revised models.

Charging at Sedgemoor Services on the M5 (Image: T. Larkum) — BMW i3 (Image: T. Larkum)

CEO Harald Krüger said:

‘We are launching the biggest model offensive ever… We have started a transformation unlike anything our company has seen before.’

By 2025, BMW aims for electric and plug-in hybrids to account for 15-25% of overall group sales. In the short term it is targeting sales of 100,000 EVs by the end of the year.

BMW’s electrification offensive will see a major expansion of its electric base, with the launch of eight plug-in hybrid model options from summer this year. Krüger said:

‘The drive of the hour is the plug-in hybrid.’

Hybrids are widely expected to be needed as a bridge technology to reach CO2 fleet limits alongside all-electric cars.

On the all-electric front, it will continue to focus on its current best-seller the i3 and also new launches for Mini and BMW X3 based on new technological advances since the i3.

Ultimately BMW aims to complete its electric realignment strategy in earnest in a second wave starting from 2019, when it will finally offer its entire catalogue of series models as pure electric cars – in time for incoming EU (and Chinese) regulations.

Source: Autovista Group

Clean disruption of energy & transportation

The industrial age of energy and transportation will be over by 2030. Maybe before.

Exponentially improving technologies such as solar, electric vehicles, and autonomous (self-driving) cars will disrupt and sweep away the energy and transportation industries as we know it. The same Silicon Valley ecosystem that created bit-based technologies that have disrupted atom-based industries is now creating bit- and electron-based technologies that will disrupt atom-based energy industries.

Clean Disruption projections (based on technology cost curves, business model innovation as well as product innovation) show that by 2030:

– All new energy will be provided by solar or wind.
– All new mass-market vehicles will be electric.
– All of these vehicles will be autonomous (self-driving) or semi-autonomous.
– The car market will shrink by 80%.
– Gasoline will be obsolete. Nuclear is already obsolete. Natural Gas and Coal will be obsolete.
– Up to 80% of highways will not be needed.
– Up to 80% of parking spaces will not be needed.
– The concept of individual car ownership will be obsolete.
– The Car Insurance industry will be disrupted. The taxi industry will be obsolete.

Car tax to be scrapped for electric vehicles

March 31, 2017Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, SalesTrevor Larkum

Car tax is set to be overhauled this April, so what’s changing?

From 1 April 2017 the way car tax is figured out is set to change for any vehicles registered after this date. The change could be seen as good news for owners of electric or hybrid vehicles.

How will the new tax rates affect me?

While measures are being put in place to curb congestion and reduce air pollution with the investment of millions in congestion-cutting technology, could increasing the number of electric cars on the road be the solution?

The government seems to think so as it is introducing a change to the road tax system.

As it stands all vehicles, except for pedal bicycles, are subject to Vehicle Excise Duty (VED), also known as road tax. It is split into several bands, based on CO2 emissions but as of 1 April, all electric vehicles will move into band A, which means drivers of electric vehicles will no longer pay road tax.

If this news has you thinking electric cars could be for you but aren’t quite sure which kind to buy, it’s worth noting plug-in hybrids are also exempt, but not pure hybrids. This is because they still produce emissions, and only vehicles that produce either no emissions or emissions less than 100g/km are exempt from VED.

Further changes to the vehicle tax rates will take effect in April. The tax payable on a new vehicle for the first twelve months will be calculated based on its emissions – the higher the emissions, the higher the tax. This only applies to new vehicles registered after 1 April 2017. All vehicles registered between March 2001 and April 2017 will pay tax based on the old rates.

How can I save money on an electric car?

Buying an electric car can be quite expensive – something which will hopefully change as their popularity increases – but the good news is the plug-in vehicle grant has been extended to March 2018. This gives motorists money towards the cost of an electric vehicle, up to 35% of the cost of the vehicle. The maximum amount given is £4,500.

What it means for owners of diesel and petrol vehicles

It may still be expensive to purchase an electric vehicle, but they are expected to become cheaper over time. According to predictions by analysts at Bloomsberg New Energy Finance, the drop in battery costs could result in them being cheaper overall than petrol or diesel models by as early as 2022. Being exempt from VED will certainly contribute to this.

If you’re looking to buy a petrol or diesel vehicle, you could start paying up to £450 per month in tax. New vehicles worth over £40,000 will be taxed at the new rates for the first twelve months, after which, petrol and diesel owners will have to pay an additional rate of up to £310 per month.

Expensive as electric vehicles can be, their owners could potentially save money in the long run. Not only will you no longer have to pay expensive fuel prices, but you may well pay absolutely nothing in road tax and could qualify for the plug-in vehicle grant.

Source: Admiral Insurance