SEOUL, Feb. 27 (Yonhap) — Top South Korean automaker Hyundai Motor Co. unveiled the Ioniq plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) here Monday, completing its lineup of Ioniq cars.
The new plug-in hybrid is the last and third version of the Ioniq, which was first introduced in the country early last year.
The complete line-up of the Hyundai Ioniq. They are (from left), the Ioniq Hybrid, the Ioniq EV and the Ioniq PHEV (Image: Hyundai)
Previously, the car was available only in hybrid or full electric versions.
“With today’s launch of the Ioniq PHEV, Hyundai Motor now has a full lineup of the green car,” a company official said.
The PHEV uses both an internal combustion engine and rechargeable batteries to provide a maximum driving range of over 900 kilometers, with an average fuel economy of 20.5 kmpl, the highest among PHEV cars currently available in South Korea.
The latest trim of the Ioniq car also comes with various driving and safety features, including a lane keeping assist system and the autonomous emergency braking system.
New electric vehicle charging points have been installed at Heathrow Airport under a new partnership between POD Point, manufacturer of the units, and APCOA Parking.
The units are available to all drivers of electric vehicles looking to park at the airport.
New electric vehicle charging points have been installed at Heathrow Airport under a new partnership between POD Point, manufacturer of the units, and APCOA Parking
“This partnership agreement has the potential to be a game changer for the EV industry in the UK, and not only in volume,” says Erik Fairbairn, CEO of POD Point. “Working with APCOA means access to EV will be granted to a huge section of the population at various touch points in their daily life, as well as putting a measure in place to generate footfall in retail centres and provide added services that encourage customer retention for businesses. Our mission is to have a POD Point everywhere people park for an hour or more and today’s announcement means we are a step closer to making that vision a reality.”
Kim Challis, Regional Managing Director for UK & Ireland, APCOA, adds: “At APCOA we’re passionate about sustainable travel and the future of electric vehicles. I’m proud to be embarking on this exciting new partnership with POD Point. APCOA is the parking provider of choice to hundreds of organisations across the UK and Ireland, and our broad network will open up EV chargers to new motorists and support the wider take-up of electric vehicles.”
THE Taxi Centre – one of the UK’s leading suppliers of cars to the taxi industry – has taken delivery of its first batch of 100 percent electric Nissan LEAFs as it predicts a major surge in demand for the market-leading model during 2017.
The Glasgow-based company – part of Vertu Motors plc – has taken an initial batch of 15 LEAFs but forecasts making more than 100 sales in the next 12 months and more than 300 the year after.
Allan McGinness, General Manager at The Taxi Centre, said:
“The LEAF has a proven track record in service with taxi operators large and small across the UK and can really help them achieve massive savings.
“We’ve been waiting for the right electric vehicle for the taxi industry and we’re convinced the LEAF is that vehicle.”
There are currently more than 200 Nissan EV taxis in operation across Britain, with dozens more on order and many taxi companies and local authorities taking steps to replace diesel and petrol equivalents with cleaner and cheaper EV alternatives.
Last year it was revealed that more than three million UK taxi miles had been clocked up in all-electric Nissan taxis. Had the same distance – equivalent to six journeys to the moon and back or 120 times around the world – been covered in the diesel vehicles the Nissan EVs replaced, it would have cost an estimated £350,000 in fuel.
However, with average running costs of just two pence per mile, covering three million miles in the LEAF would have cost around £60,000 – a massive saving of £290,000.
With zero tailpipe emissions, the model would also contribute to improving air quality in the towns and cities in which they operate.
Suggestion that carmaker could produce vehicle in Germany instead of Oxford comes amid fears over Vauxhall’s future
The new electric Mini could be made in Germany rather than the UK because of the uncertainty caused by Brexit.
Most Minis are manufactured at its plant in Oxford, one of the biggest factories in the country, but BMW, the owner of the brand, is considering making the electric version of the car in Germany.
MINI Countryman PHEV (Image: T. Larkum)
If BMW decides to make the Mini outside of Britain then it would be a major blow to the government. Greg Clark, the business secretary, wants to put electric vehicles and battery technology at the heart of the UK’s industrial strategy, describing the sector as an “emblematic area of focus”.
The doubts about where the electric Mini will be built is one of a number of issues threatening to derail the revival of Britain’s car industry. The government persuaded Nissan to commit more investment for its plant in Sunderland but there are fears that jobs could be lost at Vauxhall’s factories in Ellesmere Port and Luton if PSA Group, the owner of Peugeot, completes a deal to buy General Motors’ European business, which includes Vauxhall and Opel.
BMW announced the launch of the battery-powered Mini last year and it is scheduled to go on sale in 2019. The German company says it will make a decision this year about where to produce the car. However, the German newspaper Handelsblatt has reported that BMW is considering building the Mini at its plants in Regensburg and Leipzig rather than Oxford. Another option for BMW is to produce the car in the Netherlands, where roughly one in three Minis are already made.
The German carmaker is likely to hold talks with the British government before making a decision but is concerned about the prospect of the UK leaving the single market and being charged tariffs on imports and exports.
The company insisted it was business as usual at its four sites in the UK. In a statement, it said:
“The decision on where to build the full-electric Mini will be taken this year.
“As formal negotiations between the UK and the EU have not even begun yet it is too early to comment on what Brexit will mean for our business.
“The BMW group has always made clear that we believe integration of the UK into the EU single market, maintaining free movement of goods, services, capital and talent, would be best for business. What’s important for us is that the UK’s negotiations with the EU result in uncomplicated, tariff-free access to the EU single market in future.
“As a major investor and employer in the UK, the BMW group urges the government to take the concerns of international business into account. Not only free trade but also cross-border employment opportunities and unified, internationally applied regulations are of proven benefit to business, the economy and individuals.”
Chargemaster has won the contract to set up and operate a new EV Experience Centre in Milton Keynes.
This will be the UKs first-ever shopping centre multi-brand showroom. Milton Keynes was awarded £9 million Go Ultra Low Cities funding in January 2016 to encourage the uptake of low emission vehicles and hit the target of 23 per cent of all car sales being electric or plug-in by 2021.
The project is due to launch in spring and will be situated within the city’s premier shopping centre. The ground-breaking new project will help residents understand the true potential of EV ownership.
As well as showcasing the latest EVs and exciting technology, highly trained independent professionals will be on hand to answer visitors’ questions and refer them to relevant local dealerships or partner leasing companies. As an added bonus, Milton Keynes residents and businesses will also be able to test drive a range of vehicles on a short or long-term basis.
Milton Keynes EV Experience Centre
Brian Matthews, head of Transport Innovation at Milton Keynes, said:
“Our commitment to making Milton Keynes a go-to destination and flagship Go Ultra Low city starts with our residents.
“We’re delighted to be working with Chargemaster on this project, and are confident that the team is best placed to champion the EV sector, considering their knowledge and experience of the industry.”
David Martell, Chargemaster CEO, said:
“Being part of such a high-profile and diverse project is very exciting for Chargemaster.
“The centre will be the first of its kind and we are sure it will pave the way for other cities to follow.
“We are looking forward to welcoming Milton Keynes shoppers and showing them everything that going green has to offer.”
Ford puts European spec Focus Electric on par with US market counterpart, with additional range and fast-charging technology
Ford has quietly issued an update to the electrified version of its popular family hatchback, the Focus Electric, boosting the range European buyers can expect and fitting fast-charge technology.
The updates bring the European spec Focus Electric on par with the US market version, with a larger, denser battery pack at the heart of the package. The 23kWh capacity cell has been replaced by a 33.5kWh version, though it’s still mated to a 107kW electric motor – the equivalent of 143bhp.
Ford Focus Electric (Image: Ford)
As such, performance remains the same as before, with 0-62mph dealt with in 11.4 seconds. The jump in quoted range is noticeable though and Ford claims the Focus Electric can do 140 miles on a single charge – up from 100 miles previously.
Alongside the denser battery pack, Ford has introduced new charging technology. The Focus Electric uses the industry-standard Combined Charging System (CCS), compatible with roadside and service station fast charging points and can now be topped up to 80 per cent in 30 minutes.
Charging technology and battery packs aside, the Focus Electric gains updates in the cabin too. It’s now fitted with Ford’s SYNC 3 infotainment and connectivity setup with voice commands, plus Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
Order books for the updated Focus Electric are open across Europe now.
Ministers are coming under growing pressure to remove tax incentives for diesel cars and offer compensation to motorists so they can swap to more environmentally friendly vehicles
A group of medical professionals, environmental campaigners and lawyers has written to the chancellor ahead of the budget to demand a change to the vehicle excise duty that they say subsidises diesel cars.
Separately, senior Labour and Tory politicians have called for a comprehensive vehicle scrappage scheme to help people with diesel cars change to greener alternatives.
Air pollution causes 40,000 early deaths in the UK and costs the country £27.5bn a year, according to a government estimate
The letter from campaigners, including the British Lung Foundation, Greenpeace and doctors’ groups, says toxic air poses a daily risk to people’s health – particularly the young and those suffering from lung problems.
“Air pollution has … been shown to stunt children’s lung growth, which could leave them with health problems in later life,” it states. “We all deserve to breathe clean air.”
On Saturday the Guardian revealed that thousands of children and young people at more than 800 nurseries, schools and colleges in London faced dangerous and illegal levels of toxic air, much of it from diesel cars.
The transport secretary, Chris Grayling, indicated the government may bow to pressure, saying motorists should be wary of buying diesel cars, adding: “We’re going to have to really migrate our car fleet, and our vehicle fleet more generally, to cleaner technology.” However, he said that diesel “was not going to disappear”.
Air pollution causes 40,000 early deaths in the UK and costs the country £27.5bn a year, according to a government estimate. MPs have called it a public health emergency.
The letter adds:
“We know diesel vehicles, in particular diesel cars, are a major source of pollution in towns and cities … yet vehicle excise duty (VED) not only fails to recognise this, but is still incentivising them. We are therefore asking for a revision of the VED first-year rate in your upcoming budget statement.”
The new Renault ZOE Z.E. 40 proves that it’s possible to double battery capacity, without redesigning an entire car.
The key is to originally develop a battery pack that could handle future modules with more energy dense cells (see video below).
In the case of ZOE Z.E. 40, available energy went up from about 22 kWh to 41 kWh, while the dimensions of the battery remained unchanged, with the weight increasing by only 15 kg (33 lbs) – from 290 kg to 305 kg (5%).
Physically, Renault still uses a 192 cells (LG Chem) in 12 modules (16 cells per module) configuration.
With 41 kWh of energy in the sub-compact model, a real world range of 300 km (186 miles) is possible (officially in Europe the ZOE is rated at 400 km on the NEDC scale).
Ever wondered how the better autonomy in ZOE 40 was made possible? Check out this video explaining the changes made to the new battery! ? pic.twitter.com/6qcLAXIw4Q
