Monthly Archives: June 2017

Renault Zoe Named A Game Changer At Awards

June 10, 2017Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, Renault, ZOE Z.E. 40Jo

The Renault ZOE has received the ‘Game Changer’ award by Autocar judges at the world’s oldest motoring magazine’s annual awards ceremony at Silverstone.

The Renault ZOE, fitted with the new 250-mile range (NEDC) Z.E.40 battery, has been recognised at the Autocar Awards 2017 as a true innovator in the ever-growing electric vehicle market. The Renault ZOE’s new Z.E.

40 battery delivers almost double the range of the previous battery, providing motorists with an electric vehicle option that is better suited to many lifestyles with the average daily commuting distance being well within the ZOE’s capabilities.

Renault, as Europe’s best-selling electric vehicle manufacturer, believes in giving the customer confidence in their use of electric vehicles by estimating ZOE’s real-world range as 186 miles.

Commenting on the decision to award the ZOE Autocar’s ‘Game Changer’ award, Mark Tisshaw, Editor, Autocar said:

“The new Renault ZOE is an important step in bringing affordable electric motoring to the masses. An already good car has been improved further, now coming with a real-world range that extends close to 200 miles to make it a more viable everyday proposition for more people. We commend Renault for that, and

An already good car has been improved further, now coming with a real-world range that extends close to 200 miles to make it a more viable everyday proposition for more people. We commend Renault for that, and recognise the ZOE as a trailblazer for electric cars.”

Vincent Tourette, Managing Director, Renault UK, said of the result:

“The Renault ZOE has always excelled at providing motorists with a stylish, comfortable and practical electric car at an affordable price tag. The 2017 ZOE with the Z.E.40 battery, as well as interior and exterior upgrades, builds on this success and now delivers the longest range of any mainstream electric vehicle.”

Qualcomm can charge EVs while they’re moving

A new track can simultaneously charge two cars driving in opposite directions.

Renault Kangoo EV used in Qualcomm’s tests. Qualcomm

Forget about better batteries, what if you could just drive your EV forever? Qualcomm just showed off technology called dynamic electric vehicle charging (DEVC) that juices an EV via road-embedded wireless charging hardware while you’re driving. During the demonstration, two Renault Kangoo vehicles equipped with Qualcomm’s “Halo” DEVC receivers were charged simultaneously while moving down a 100 meter test track.

Based on Qualcomm’s wireless electric charging (WEVC) tech, the track can charge vehicles driving at highway speeds in both directions (both in forward and reverse) at 20 kW max. If it works, the tech could be used in a system that lets you call a car using a smartphone, get picked up where you are and be whisked to your destination autonomously (as shown in the animated video, below).

Qualcomm will now hand its DEVC charging system to Vedecom, which

“will evaluate the operation, safety and efficiency of energy transfer to the vehicles for a wide range of practical scenarios, including vehicle identification and authorization on entering the track, power level agreement between track and vehicle, speed and alignment of vehicle along the track.”

Trump just passed on the best deal the planet has ever seen

June 9, 2017Energy and Climate Change, OpinionJo

His rationale for abandoning the Paris agreement is outdated and false. Now, America forges its own, lonely path in being shackled to coal and fossil fuels

Since day one as a contender for the Oval Office, current US President Donald Trump has pushed a dominant narrative: he’s a businessman. He gets economics. He knows the art of the deal. This week, with his decision to withdraw the US from the Paris agreement, the president has given the world strong reason to reject that narrative.

His rationale – that it’s a choice of economy over environment, and a fossil fuel economy is the top priority – is outdated and false. States and nations around the world have harvested the fruits of clean energy, and are redefining their economies and energy sources accordingly. Yet under false pretenses that “clean coal”, natural gas and other fossil fuel fixes are better than energy conservation and clean energy, the US forges its own, lonely path.

The idea that clean, renewable energy will generate power for our planet for generations to come is not rhetoric. The extent of human-caused climate change – and the rapidly improving economics driving the proliferation of renewable energy sources – make it fact.

If the US administration isn’t ready to move forward, hundreds of individual states and other countries will.
California is already a world leader on climate policy. Texas is rapidly expanding its wind energy capacity. In Germany, clean energy has become a movement itself, focused on thousands of small-scale projects under the Energiewende program. In Scotland, wind generation has increased by 81% over the past year, and in March this year, it produced enough energy to satisfy 136 % of the country’s household energy needs. These are just a few examples.

The US’s withdrawal doesn’t mean Americans and US investors will sit still, either. There is substantial economic opportunity in renewables. The US solar industry alone creates one in 50 new jobs. Worldwide, nearly 10 million people already work in renewable energy. Global clean technology exports doubled between 2008 and 2015, surpassing $1.15tn per year. Even America’s corporate giants – from Apple and Google to Walmart, and even oil giant Exxon Mobil – support the Paris agreement.

When news of the potential withdrawal reached the United Nations, the organization’s Twitter page read:

“Climate change is undeniable. Climate change is unstoppable. Climate solutions provide opportunities that are unmatchable.”

A Globe and Mail report showed that even fossil fuel companies – the likes of ExxonMobil, BP and Shell – think the US should stick with Paris.

This withdrawal is an ugly decision, made by a country that ought to be leading the transition to a cleaner future – not only because of its stature as an international economic powerhouse, but also because of its less-than-desirable environmental track record.

Five ways that autonomous electric cars will change your life

June 9, 2017Autonomous Driving, Blogautonomous, electic car, mobile home, top fiveJason

Here are five ways that autonomous cars will change our lives for ever – and much sooner than we think. Is this progress or decadence (or just sheer nonsense)? You decide:

Mobile homes. With real estate becoming ever more expensive, there is a case for owning a permanently-mobile home. With the low per-mile cost of electric driving, balanced against the sky-high price of real-estate, a fully autonomous electric home can take its owner to a quiet location at night, or even just drive at low speeds throughout the night, and still be a fraction of the cost of a land based home. Pre-set destinations and recharge automation will mean the vehicle can recharge as required, and arrive at the residents needed location at just the right time the following morning.

Cash generating asset. If the budget runs low, then simply connect your vehicle to the grid at a fixed location for a few days and let the battery earn you some revenue as part of a grid-balancing aggregation program.

Party heaven. For those of us that enjoy a drink, there is no longer a need for a designated driver. The car will always be sober and safe. However, what does this mean for public health? Is alcohol going to become a greater problem for more people without the ‘excuse’ of driving to have a night off?

The weekend starts here. After a Friday night-out with work friends, you can sleep it off as your car heads off overnight to your weekend destination.

The car is THE venue. Whether for business meetings or small social gatherings, the interior of an autonomous car no longer needs to be designed for the purpose of driving and so can become a location in its own right with more comfort and leg room and inward facing seats. With the expected safety improvements of autonomy, seat belts will no longer be a necessity. Imagine a lunch meeting with friends where the food is pre-ordered and picked up by the car before it collects your group. The car gives a tour of London’s most picturesque sites while you eat and relax.

For more information on autonomous driving, visit our searchable news blog here or check out a couple of specific articles: MIT have ideas on technology for autonomy and people are talking about the effect on people.

GM commits to sustainable natural rubber for tires

June 9, 2017Energy and Climate Change, News, Reviews and CommentJo

General Motors buys a lot of tires. About 49 million a year, in fact. As part of its sustainability efforts, the automaker announced a goal of 100-percent sustainability for its natural rubber needs, and suppliers like Bridgestone, Continental, Goodyear, and Michelin – which were all represented at GM’s announcement this week in Detroit – are on board, too.

The partners also want to uphold labor rights for those in the rubber industry, conserve wildlife, and preserve carbon stocks, all while still producing quality products without raising costs.

Together, they aim to set the standard for sustainable and ethical rubber, holding every member of the supply chain accountable, and encouraging other suppliers and customers to follow suit. Traceability and transparency are keys, GM says, to making sure the rubber doesn’t lead to deforestation, and that it contributes to the economic and social development of the areas where it’s harvested.

Natural rubber will continue to be part of tire manufacturing for the foreseeable future. As Dr. Juan Botero, Continental VP of Sales of Passenger & Light Truck Tires for the Americas, points out,

“The properties that you get from that material, unfortunately, we have not been able to replicate in a laboratory. Mother nature does a fantastic job with this material.”

At this point, manufacturers simply can’t build as good of a tire without natural rubber. Over the years, advances have allowed them to use a smaller ratio of natural rubber, but it still makes up 10 to 15 percent of a passenger car’s tires, up to around 30 percent for a truck, and even higher for larger vehicles.

Proper management is critical to making natural rubber more sustainable. It’s better, of course, to make the most of existing trees than to clear land for new plantations, and all participating parties aim to dramatically increase their yield as demand continues to grow. It’s also important to protect rubber trees from disease, as their limited growing range makes them particularly susceptible. At the end of their lifecycle of about 20 years, the trees can harvested for their wood, and new ones are replanted in their place.

The natural rubber industry produces about 12 million tons per year, 75 percent of which is used in the tire industry. GM and the participating tire manufacturers hope this initiative will make a difference in their impact, as well as that of the other customers that share their supply chain.

The sustainable natural rubber plan is in its early stages, and we can expect more announcements about this initiative in the future.

Ford replaces CEO with head of ‘mobility’ and appoints new exec for electric vehicles

June 9, 2017Electric Cars, News, Reviews and CommentJo

Ford had a massive leadership shakeup today that saw CEO and longtime executive Mark Field ousted and replaced by Jim Hackett, the head of the automaker’s ‘Smart Mobility’ division.

Mark Fields, Former Ford Motor Company president and CEO has been replaced.

The company also appointed a new executive in charge of “strategy and business model development for electrified vehicles and autonomous vehicles.”

In a press release, Ford gave some bullet points on the leadership changes:

Jim Hackett named as Ford Motor Company president and CEO, succeeding Mark Fields, who is retiring. Hackett, who will report to Executive Chairman Bill Ford, is recognized as a transformational business leader
Hackett led Steelcase Inc.’s turnaround to become the world’s No. 1 office furniture maker, served as interim Athletic Director at University of Michigan and has led Ford Smart Mobility LLC since March 2016. He served on Ford’s board from 2013 to 2016
Hackett, together with Bill Ford, will focus on three priorities: Sharpening operational execution, modernizing Ford’s present business and transforming the company to meet tomorrow’s challenges
Ford also named leaders to three new roles under Hackett. Jim Farley is appointed executive vice president and president, Global Markets, Joe Hinrichs is appointed executive vice president and president, Global Operations, and Marcy Klevorn is appointed executive vice president and president, Mobility
Mark Truby is appointed vice president, Communications, and elected a company officer. He succeeds Ray Day, who plans to retire from the company next year and will provide consulting services until then
Paul Ballew is appointed vice president and Chief Data and Analytics Officer

In his new role as executive vice president and president of Global Markets, Jim Farley will be the executive in charge of Ford’s electric vehicle plans.

Cheapest Electric Car UK

June 9, 2017Blog, Electric Cars, Leaf, Leaf 30kWh, Nissan, Renault, ZOE, ZOE Z.E. 40Trevor Larkum

Cheapest Electric Car in the UK

A lot of people are searching for ‘cheapest electric car UK’ at the moment. We can help with that, though it can be difficult to say what’s the cheapest electric car in the UK because it depends on what you mean by ‘cheapest’. Let’s dig a bit deeper.

The most popular electric cars, are as follows:

Cheapest Electric Car UK (Image: Fuel Included) — Cheapest Electric Car in the UK (Image: Fuel Included)

Cheapest Electric Car UK: Monthly Cost

Of these the cheapest on a monthly basis are consistently the Nissan Leaf and the Renault ZOE. Typical starting prices are as follows (June 2017):

Nissan Leaf: £999 deposit plus £227 per month for 3 years. That’s a monthly equivalent cost of £255 (if we consider the deposit). That includes 10,000 miles of free charging.
Renault ZOE: £999 deposit plus £281 per month for 3 years. That’s a monthly equivalent cost of £309. Again it includes 10,000 miles of free charging.

Those are great prices considering they include fuel (charging) plus with an electric car road tax is free, congestion charging is free, parking is often free, and servicing is cheap.

Clearly, though, this provides an answer to the original question. The Cheapest Electric Car UK (on monthly cost) is the Nissan Leaf.

Cheapest Electric Car UK: Cost Per Mile of Range

However, that’s not the end of the story. Electric cars are better than conventional cars in virtually every respect (performance, noise, smoothness, pollution, etc.). They do, however, typically have shorter ranges. Therefore it is usual to pay a premium for longer range electric cars (the Tesla being a well-known example, though it’s out of the reach of most people).

Let’s consider the question of range then. We’ll use the official NEDC (New European Driving Cycle) ranges, though we’d be the first to say these should be taken with a pinch of salt. In the real world you’ll only get about 75% of the NEDC range. However, they do give us a consistent metric for comparison purposes.

The NEDC ranges are as follows:

Nissan Leaf (30kWh battery): 155 miles
Renault ZOE (44kWh battery): 250 miles

If we take these into account we can work out the monthly cost per mile of range:

Nissan Leaf (30kWh battery): 155 miles for £255 = £1.65 per month per mile of range
Renault ZOE (44kWh battery): 250 miles for £309 = £1.24 per month mile of range

And so we have a new answer to the original question. The Cheapest Electric Car UK (cost per mile of range) is the Renault ZOE. And it’s that unprecedented range in a small, affordable and stylish electric car that explains why it’s so popular. See our Renault ZOE prices here.

To see how much an electric car could save you, use our total cost of ownership calculator.

To find out which electric car would suit you best, just ask.

Living with the Tesla Powerwall for a year: the first Australian case study

June 8, 2017Energy and Climate Change, News, Reviews and Comment, Solar PowerJo

Savings in excess of 90% have been reported by the first Australian to install a Tesla Powerwall after a year of living with the solar system. And with rapid advancements making home batteries more affordable, the number of installations are expected to triple in 2017.

Nick Pfitzner and his family live in a four bedroom home in Kellyville Ridge, NSW. It’s a large place with a study, an internal laundry, a pool and an outdoor entertainment area.

Powering the home with electricity in 2015 cost him $2289. But just over a year ago, he invested in a solar power system that has since significantly cut costs.

Nick, a self-confessed Tesla fanboy, was the first person in Australia to buy the company’s Powerwall. He bought a 7kW battery, a 5kWp solar array, a SolarEdge inverter and a Reposit monitoring system for $16,790 in January 2016.

A year on and Nick’s annual electricity bill has dropped to $178.71 – that’s a 92% saving of $2110.

Nick Pftitzner standing alongside his home solar system

The savings exceeded projections, as well as Nick’s own expectations.

“Before I crunched the numbers I was looking at what would be my return on investment. If it saved me 80% of my power bill, [I thought] it would be pretty good,”

he says.

“I really learned a lot about myself and how my house uses energy and how we can improve with solar now.”

Home batteries are an emerging technology. They gained a lot of attention when electric carmaker Tesla entered the market. Original projections estimated a payback time of more than a decade, anywhere from 14 to 18 years.

At this rate, Nick’s solar system will pay itself off within eight years.

His average quarterly bill dropped from $572 in 2015 to $45 in 2016.

One of his quarterly bills was in credit of $50. This is because his system can sell unused electricity back to the grid.

“The system will power whatever the house needs first as a priority, then it will fill the battery as a second priority and then anything over it’ll export,”

he tells CHOICE.

“The aim is to try and export about three times of what I import because my electricity cost is about three times [as much].”

Why The Renault ZOE Is Europe’s Killer EV Right Now — And Could Stay That Way Too

Forget about the Tesla Model S, Tesla Model X, or Tesla Model 3. Renault’s unassuming ZOE electric hatchback is currently undergoing a massive rise in sales across Europe, making it the most popular plug-in car across the continent for the first quarter of this year.

Despite being nearly as old as the Nissan LEAF in terms of its design, the Renault ZOE recently gained a massive battery pack upgrade, going from 24 kilowatt-hours of capacity to a whopping 40 kilowatt-hours.

And that, as we explain in the video above, has changed things forever for the four-seat plug-in.

Source: Transport Evolved

Plugging into a better future | 2018 BMW 530e iPerformance First Drive

June 8, 2017530e PHEV, BMW, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and CommentJo

The Germans often stumbled during their first forays with plug-in hybrids. They were so fixated with not being the Toyota Prius, they overcompensated and stuffed big engines under the hood that weren’t all that efficient, even with electrified assistance. BMW in particular tried to convince the world hybrids were still enjoyable to drive.

To some extent they were, but BMW missed the point. Many consumers actually did want range and fuel economy, and Bimmer watched as its competitors rolled out efficient small displacement plug-in hybrids. With the 2018 530e iPerformance sedan, it looks like the company is finally getting it.

The sedan achieves up to 31 miles on electricity and the total range is claimed at 404 miles. Power comes from a 2.0-liter twin-scroll turbocharged four-cylinder with variable valve lift, which teams with an eDrive AC synchronous electric motor for a total output of 248 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque.

Perhaps the car’s coolest trick is its new wireless charging system, which BMW developed with Daimler-Benz. It will charge the battery at a rate of 3.2 kilowatt hours (one-third of total capacity) within 3.5 hours. With BMW Connected on the center screen, the car ‘sees’ the 2-foot square charging pad via a wireless network. The driver is guided with a set of blue lines on the screen over the pad with an accuracy of 2.8 inches from side to side and four inches from front to back.

Inside you’ll find a familiar 5 Series setup: austere, profoundly practical, and classy. Start her up and nothing happens except some wildly swinging needles in the instrument panel and enough blue light to think you’ve been transported to a Berlin nightclub. There’s an eDrive (displaying battery charge, range, etc.) on the right side and a simple speedo on the left.

There are several main modes of operation: auto eDrive, where the car chooses which power unit to use for maximum efficiency, with EV mode available up to 56 mph; max eDrive, where the car favors electric power with EV mode up to 87 mph; and battery control, where the gasoline engine will charge the battery pack and power the car.

It’s worth recalling that just over five years ago, BMW launched its first hybrid, the Active Hybrid 5, in which the engine was a 3.0-liter straight-six, the electric motor was a sort of volt-fueled supercharger and the realistic gas mileage didn’t approach the claimed sticker. Fast-forward half a decade, and the company is far more evolved and in-step with consumer tastes, as the 530e demonstrates. It isn’t brilliant to drive, but it does save gas. Munich engineers have finally gotten the point.