Monthly Archives: July 2017

The Uninhabitable Earth

July 26, 2017Energy and Climate Change, Opinion, Prepping and CollapseJo

Famine, economic collapse, a sun that cooks us: What climate change could wreak — sooner than you think

I. ‘Doomsday’

Peering beyond scientific reticence.

It is, I promise, worse than you think. If your anxiety about global warming is dominated by fears of sea-level rise, you are barely scratching the surface of what terrors are possible, even within the lifetime of a teenager today. And yet the swelling seas — and the cities they will drown — have so dominated the picture of global warming, and so overwhelmed our capacity for climate panic, that they have occluded our perception of other threats, many much closer at hand. Rising oceans are bad, in fact very bad; but fleeing the coastline will not be enough.

Indeed, absent a significant adjustment to how billions of humans conduct their lives, parts of the Earth will likely become close to uninhabitable, and other parts horrifically inhospitable, as soon as the end of this century.

Even when we train our eyes on climate change, we are unable to comprehend its scope. This past winter, a string of days 60 and 70 degrees warmer than normal baked the North Pole, melting the permafrost that encased Norway’s Svalbard seed vault — a global food bank nicknamed “Doomsday,” designed to ensure that our agriculture survives any catastrophe, and which appeared to have been flooded by climate change less than ten years after being built.

The Doomsday vault is fine, for now: The structure has been secured and the seeds are safe. But treating the episode as a parable of impending flooding missed the more important news. Until recently, permafrost was not a major concern of climate scientists, because, as the name suggests, it was soil that stayed permanently frozen. But Arctic permafrost contains 1.8 trillion tons of carbon, more than twice as much as is currently suspended in the Earth’s atmosphere. When it thaws and is released, that carbon may evaporate as methane, which is 34 times as powerful a greenhouse-gas warming blanket as carbon dioxide when judged on the timescale of a century; when judged on the timescale of two decades, it is 86 times as powerful.

MINI Countryman Plug-In Hybrid gets the thumbs up

July 25, 2017Blog, Cooper Countryman PHEV, Electric Cars, MINIJo

I was recently lucky enough to have an extended test drive of the MINI Countryman Plug-In Hybrid, a car I’ve been keen to experience since I got word that the electric MINI’s were coming.

With an electric range of 24.8 miles (NEDC) this car could be the answer to fairly short distance commuters who are not quite ready to go All-Electric but want something a bit more eco-friendly and a little more trendy than some of the other PHEVs on offer.

On first impressions of the exterior I really liked it, it was sleek and just a little aggressive, it’s reasonably sized yet still manages to keep some of the iconic MINI features.

Inside I found it roomy and comfortable, the 3 driving modes made it easy to switch from fully electric (Max eDrive), Petrol use only (Save Battery) and Auto eDrive – the option where the car decides what fuel source to use based on your driving style.

There are some useful features to help you ‘keep an eye’ on your consumption and your fuel usage. The first being the trim surrounding the display, when using electric it glows yellow and gives you an indication of your remaining electric range. You can also toggle through different options on the display to show you the percentage of battery remaining and remaining range. The E-Instruments gauge is to the left of your tachometer and this shows you the status of your fuel usage (i.e. when you are using petrol and when using electric).

On usage, it breezed through my short 12 mile commute to work on fully electric – I knew it would. I used the car around town on the Saturday taking it to the DIY store where the roomy boot space came in useful, again only using electric for my short journeys. On the Sunday I travelled a bit further, taking the MINI to Woburn Centre Parks. With a car full of family I decided to try the ‘Auto eDrive’ driving mode. It changed effortlessly between petrol and electric fuel whilst maintaining a quiet ambience within the cab.

The Navigation software was a little complicated to read, but I think this is just the style of the software, much like the BMW Navigation system. I’m sure I would have got used to it after a bit more use.

My experience on charging will be a little different to others as I don’t have a charge point at home, it was doable but I did need to charge publicly quite often which wasn’t ideal. Not having a home charge point doesn’t cause me any issue with my fully electric car because I don’t need to charge up as often but this approach doesn’t lend itself well to a plug-in Hybrid, as you do need to charge it everyday to make real use of the electric motor.

Overall I really liked this car. It was good to drive, I love the look and I can certainly see this being a top player in the PHEV market.

If the spec, look and feel of the MINI Countryman PHEV is anything to go by then I eagerly await the all-electric MINI.

See our dedicated page for MINI Countryman Plug-In Hybrid prices.

Electric Vehicle Experience Centre – a little bit of Zen in a car showroom

July 25, 2017Blog, Electric Cars, EVEC, Milton KeynesJo

Last Friday I had the pleasure of attending the ‘Sneak Preview Event’ of the Electric Electric Experience Centre, with the official opening taking place the day after on Saturday 22^nd July in Milton Keynes.

The first of its kind in the UK and part of the city’s Go Ultra Low Scheme; it previewed to a relatively small audience of electric car owners & enthusiasts, with the message being to “spread the word”.

Entering the showroom it was hard not to compare the slick minimalist design to that of an Apple store. With a tree at its centre and a wall of foliage set against a cool stone-like interior, it does well to balance something as man-made and mechanical as the car in an environment that would be more expected at a spa reception. It works, and the simplicity highlights how you can now drive a car and be eco-friendly at the same time, they are no longer exclusive.

The showroom cars are displayed in a way that lets them speak for themselves, allowing visitors to explore them in detail and without the pressure of a sale.

The centre is primarily there to educate, with a small team of ‘EV Gurus’ on hand to answer questions and talk about the benefits of electric car ownership you can go along for some impartial advice and discussion and a test drive(s) if you wish.

It is hoped that the Electric Vehicle Experience Centre will support the cities Go Ultra Low Scheme, with a target of about 23% take up of new electric car sales by 2023.

Second electric vehicle charge point installed in Daventry

July 25, 2017BP Chargemaster, Charging, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and CommentJo

A second free public charging point for electric vehicles has been installed in a Daventry car park due to increased demand.

DDC’s Environmental Improvement Officer Joely Slinn with Operations Assistant Rob Burton at the new electric vehicle charging point in Lodge Road.

The addition of the new facility in the Lodge Road car park means up to four electric vehicles can now be charged for free at the same time. It has been installed by Daventry District Council (DDC) following the success of the first charge point, which opened in May 2013.

The £7,000 project follows the publication of DDC’s Electric ‘Plug-In’ Vehicle Infrastructure Plan 2016-18, which highlighted the need to improve facilities across the district in response to a 250% increase in the numbers of electric vehicles on our roads in the last two years.

The first charge point at Lodge Road has been used more than 1,400 times since it was installed, saving 7.6 tonnes of CO2 compared to the emissions produced by the average petrol or diesel vehicle. That’s roughly the amount of CO2 that would be created by driving an average petrol car for more than 12 days non-stop.

Councillor Jo Gilford, Environment Portfolio Holder at Daventry District Council, said:

“We have seen growing demand for the public charge point as the take-up of electric vehicles has grown.

“We are committed to being at the forefront of environmental innovations in transport, and key to that is having the infrastructure in place to meet future demand. This new charge point will help us meet that demand and we expect it to be well-used by the public.”

Both of the public charge points at Lodge Road are Chargemaster single phase 32 Amp/7KW with type 2 sockets (7-pin sockets) and are free to use for up to 4 hours.

They are compatible with Plugged in Midlands (formerly Plugged in Places), POLAR/Chargemaster, Plugged in Midlands and BMW RFID cards. Compatible cards are also available to borrow from the Council’s reception during office opening hours.

Hyundai Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid UK pricing revealed

July 25, 2017Electric Cars, Hyundai, IONIQ Plug-in Hybrid, News, Reviews and CommentJo

Hyundai has confirmed pricing and specification details for the plug-in hybrid version of its Ioniq family car. It will launch in the UK on 13 July and it starts pricing at £24,995 after taking into account the government’s plug-in car grant (PICG).

The Hyundai Ioniq is a practical, low-emissions hatchback which is already available with a conventional hybrid powertrain and a fully-electric powertrain too. With the arrival of the plug-in hybrid, the Hyundai Ioniq becomes the first production car to offer three different types of electrified powertrain at the same time.

There are two trim levels available with the Ioniq Plug-In, but whichever you pick the car utilises a 104bhp 1.6-litre GDi petrol engine combined with a 44.5kW electric motor and six-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox to deliver 139bhp and CO2 emissions of just 26g/km.

According to official figures, the Hyundai Ioniq Plug-In can travel for up to 39 miles on purely electric power and the total range possible is 680 miles.

The entry-level trim is called Premium and as standard it comes with 16-inch alloy wheels plus an eight-inch infotainment system with sat-nav, Bluetooth and Apple Car Play and Android Auto all supported. Other standard features include wireless phone charging, a rear parking camera, lane keep assist and autonomous emergency braking.

Above Premium is the Premium SE trim, which starts from £26,795 when factoring in the plug-in car grant. This version adds the likes of leather and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, alloy pedals, rain-sensing wipers, blind spot detection and front park assist.

The Ioniq Plug-In has one free exterior paint job – Polar White – while other finishes which include Phantom Black, Platinum Silver, Marina Blue, Phoenix Orange and Iron Grey are £565 options.

Source: Carkeys

First Tesla Model 3 rolls off production line

July 25, 2017Electric Cars, Model 3, News, Reviews and Comment, TeslaJo

Lower-cost electric car begins delivery with first model to company chief executive as first 30 customers to get vehicles at 28 July party.

The first of Tesla’s highly anticipated lower-cost electric cars, the Model 3, has rolled off the production line to its new owner, Tesla chief executive Elon Musk.

The one-man marketing machine, who also took on a large, high-profile battery project in Australia and a runs a privateer space company Space X, shared a couple of photos of the Model 3.

The Model 3 is the third model in the current range from the company that includes the Model S and Model X – a crossover SUV that was delivered to customers almost 18 months later than planned.

Tesla’s limiting of options for the Model 3 to choice of colour and wheels was made in an effort to speed manufacturing and reduce the production issues it has suffered in the past with an over-complicated list of options for its Model X.

Electric Vehicle Experience Centre (EVEC) Preview Event

We are grateful to Chargemaster for inviting us to their Preview Event ahead of the opening of the new Electric Vehicle Experience Centre (EVEC). The event took place on Friday evening 21 July 2017 ahead of the official public opening on Saturday 22 July. The EVEC is located on Crown Walk in the main Central Milton Keynes shopping centre.

The event ran from 6-8pm and included welcome speeches from David Martell, Chief Executive of Chargemaster, and Ted Foster, EVEC Manager.

For more details see our EVEC news page.

China just built a 250-acre solar farm shaped like a giant panda

July 24, 2017Energy and Climate Change, News, Reviews and Comment, Solar PowerJo

The Panda Power Plant in Datong, China. China Merchants New Energy/Panda Green Energy

Most solar farms align their solar arrays in rows and columns to form a grid.

A new solar power plant in Datong, China, however, decided to have a little fun with its design. China Merchants New Energy Group, one of the country’s largest clean energy operators, built a 248-acre solar farm in the shape of a giant panda.

The first phase, which includes one 50-megawatt plant, was completed on June 30, according to PV magazine. The project just began delivering power to a grid in northwestern China, and a second panda is planned for later this year.

Called the Panda Power Plant, it will be able to produce 3.2 billion kilowatt-hours of solar energy in 25 years, according to the company. That will eliminate approximately million tons of coal that would have been used to produce electricity, reducing carbon emissions by 2.74 million tons.

China Merchants New Energy Group worked with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) to make the Panda Power Plant a reality. The project is part of a larger effort to raise awareness among young people in China about clean energy, the UNDP wrote in a statement.

The Panda Power Plant in Datong, China will stretch 1,500 acres when complete.

The groups hope to build more panda-shaped solar plants throughout China in the next five years.

Source: Business Insider

The Electric Car Revolution Is Accelerating

July 24, 2017Electric Cars, News, Reviews and CommentJo

Electric cars will be as cheap as gasoline models by 2025
Battery manufacturing capacity will triple in the next four years

The charging port of Honda Motor Co.’s Fit electric vehicle. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg

Electric cars will outsell fossil-fuel powered vehicles within two decades as battery prices plunge, turning the global auto industry upside down and signaling economic turmoil for oil-exporting countries.

The Bloomberg New Energy Finance forecast says adoption of emission-free vehicles will happen more quickly than previously estimated because the cost of building cars is falling so fast. The seismic shift will see cars with a plug account for a third of the global auto fleet by 2040 and displace about 8 million barrels a day of oil production—more than the 7 million barrels Saudi Arabia exports today.

“This is economics, pure and simple economics,”

BNEF’s lead advanced-transportation analyst Colin McKerracher said before forecasts were published on Thursday.

“Lithium-ion battery prices are going to come down sooner and faster than most other people expect.”

The forecast is BNEF’s most bullish to date and is more aggressive than projections made by the International Energy Agency. Surging investment in lithium-ion batteries, higher manufacturing capacity at companies including Tesla Inc. and Nissan Motor Co., as well as emerging consumer demand from China to Europe support BNEF’s projections.

Volvo and the allure of EVs

July 24, 2017Electric Cars, Energy and Climate Change, News, Reviews and Comment, VolvoJo

Times are changing for drivers

Volvo’s announcement on 5 July that from 2019 it would be making only EVs is not a statement about demand now, but about demand that manufacturers want to create.

For now, penetration of EVs is low. The global stock doubled from 1m units in 2015 to 2m last year, says the International Energy Agency—but that’s still less than 1% of the world’s fleet.

One percent seems a small market to pin your future on. But if Volvo, Tesla and the others have their way, the S-curve for EVs will deal with the rest. Marketing will too. Be ready for the spiel that forever renders the internal-combustion engine something akin to a Nokia 3310 handset and the battery-powered car like the iPhone 6: yesterday’s technology versus today’s.

Back to the future

In short, whatever the size of the market now, carmakers sniff an opportunity to revive their industry by selling not just another tired diesel or gasoline model but something that genuinely feels like it belongs in the same century as a smartphone. Scores of new models will be offered in the next two years—with longer ranges and smaller price tags.

Volvo is too small in most of the world to be anything but a symbol of this. As EV sceptic Cüneyt Kazokoglu, an analyst at Facts Global Energy, wrote on Twitter , despite the company’s “cheap marketing trick”, Volvo’s market share in Europe is just 1.8% and globally only 0.7%.

Still, since 2010, Volvo has been owned by Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, a Chinese conglomerate, and the announcement reflects the proprietor’s priorities. Chinese companies, like their government, are serious about EVs. Purchases there are soaring, thanks in part to subsidies. Beijing wants to increase annual sales tenfold in the next decade, to 7m units a year by 2025. Bloomberg New Energy Finance reckons EVs will account for all new-vehicle sales growth in the next eight years.

It’s hard to overstate how big a problem this is for the oil industry. First the obvious: real EV take-off from consumers has the potential to wipe millions of barrels of daily oil demand from forecasts, especially if trucks start plugging in too.

It would be a problem—though it might not be imminent. A mainstay of industry conferences are the speakers who line up to assure their audience of oil’s longevity, the developing world’s thirst for more crude, the resurgence of SUVs and the statistically peripheral position of EVs in the market. They’ve been right in the past (remember the peak oil threat?) and might be this time too.

If the oil industry’s best answer to EVs is a belief that consumers will resist their urge to buy shinier, more advanced, more efficient and, eventually, more economical technology, then investors will punish them. Pinning a business on hopes that drivers will stick with older, dirtier technology is risky.