Monthly Archives: August 2017

Electric vehicle charging hub approved

August 31, 2017Charging, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and CommentJo

Planners have given the green light for a new electric vehicle charging hub near the centre of Dundee.

Images have been released showing how the charging hub would look in what is currently a vacant yard

Solar canopies and charging points will be installed at the site in Princes Street, which is currently a vacant yard.

The chargers will be available to the public, taxis, NHS vehicles and local businesses.

Dundee City Council now has an 83-strong fleet of electric vehicles, the biggest of any UK local authority.

Funding for the hub, as well as charging points at eight other locations, was part of a £1.86m award made to the city by the Office of Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) last year.

Mark Flynn depute convener of Dundee City Council’s city development committee said:

“Our use and encouragement of electric vehicles in Dundee has been something of a quiet revolution and in leading the charge we have been meeting many social and economic priorities.

“Zero and low emission vehicles reduce cost, congestion and carbon emissions as well as improving air quality and the charging hub will help us to continue our journey.

“The council’s extensive use of such vehicles is encouraging other public bodies and private individuals to buy and use them as a real practical alternative to fossil fuelled cars.”

The council owns 58 charging point at eight publicly available charging locations, including Scotland’s first rapid charger.

Work on the new charging hub is expected to start in autumn and it is planned to be up and running by the end of the year.

Source: BBC News

New engine development at German makers to end by 2025, says supplier

August 31, 2017A8 e-tron, Audi, BMW, Electric CarsJo

Continental, a major supplier for automakers around the world, has come out with a bold prediction: internal-combustion engine development by German automakers will essentially end by the year 2025.

The supplier, which makes exhaust-gas-cleaning systems for diesel cars and nitrogen oxide-measuring sensors, lists several factors contributing to its prediction: the increasing costs of development, the end of diesel’s dominance, and an overall shift to electric cars and other alternative propulsion methods.

Specifically, Continental CFO Wolfgang Schaefer predicts 2023 will be the final hurrah for German engines running on fossil fuels.

He believes one final generation of internal-combustion engines will be developed and launched by that date. Then investment and engineering will taper off after 2023, with 2025 sealing the engine’s fate with the very last refinements.

“A new generation of combustion engines will again be developed, but after that (around 2023), a further development will no longer be economically justifiable because more and more work will switch into electric mobility,”

he said in an interview with Reuters.

Schaefer’s prediction comes at a time when the use of fossil fuels for transportation faces greater scrutiny than ever across Europe.

Audi e-tron Sportback concept, 2017 Shanghai auto show.

France, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Norway have all announced similar plans to phase out sales of cars powered by internal-combustion engines.

The Netherlands and Norway want the ban to be in place by 2025, while France and the UK have targeted 2040 for implementation.

All the while, European authorities continue to investigate Volkswagen Group over diesel emission cheating and have alleged BMW, Daimler, and VW Group colluded to manipulate emission regulations.

Each German automaker now plans to update software on its diesel-powered vehicles to curb emissions further, at no cost to customers.

Electric Cars

August 31, 2017Electric Cars, OpinionJo

I live a short drive away from the birthplace of the shale oil revolution. It was 2006 that we started to get an inkling that something big might be happening.
I’m referring to the Bakken boom…

My business has always been finance, so I wasn’t directly involved. However, the people around me very much were.

I watched twenty-five year olds blow through hefty six-figure salaries as fast as the money came in. Then I watched them scramble to keep their houses when oil prices crashed in 2014.

For years now I’ve been surrounded by oil industry families wherever I go.

My gym, the grocery store, at my kid’s school. Everywhere I go, interacting regularly with oil patch workers is part of my daily life.

Nice people for the most part, if a little rough around the edges. It has been hard to watch them go through the bust that followed the really good times that were driven by $100 oil.

What I’ve learned through my interactions is that these oil industry folks share some very passionate opinions. Not surprisingly those opinions are directly aligned with what is in the best interests of their industry.

If you are wondering what I mean, let’s just say that the strong majority of them drive giant gas guzzling trucks or SUVs, don’t own a copy of Al Gore’s Inconvenient Truth, and probably don’t live in a neighborhood with solar panel rooftops.

And it’s my familiarity with the loyalty these people have to their industry that made the remarks from the mouth of Royal Dutch Shell’s CEO even more surprising.

In fact, I’d say that his words were like a splash of cold water in my face that provided me with a much needed wake-up call as an investor…

His exact words were…

“The next car I buy will be electric.”

Our Wake Up Moment – The Inflection Point For Electric Cars Is At Hand

I’m pretty sure that when I look back on today ten years from now, those words from Shell’s CEO Ben Van Beurden will be a critical point in time that I remember.

That will be the moment when I realized that the electric car revolution is truly underway.

The talking points about electric cars for an oil man are supposed to be about all the reasons they aren’t even close to being ready for mainstream acceptance:

The lack of range
The prohibitive up front cost
The lack of charging station infrastructure
Inability of an owner to self-service
The fact that they still require lots of energy to charge them, likely including coal

Shell’s CEO said none of those things. What he said told me that the age of the electric car is underway.

That means that the growth curve for electric car use is about to go parabolic. Seriously, I mean parabolic.

I want you to fully appreciate how crazy the numbers here really are.

The chart below from International Energy Agency data shows the impressive growth that the electric car has had since 2010. We have gone from virtually zero electric cars on the road to just over 2 million in 2016.

Car makers offer cash incentives to trade in older vehicles

August 30, 2017Energy and Climate Change, News, Reviews and CommentJo

As buyers consider getting rid of their older diesel cars, BMW, Ford, Mercedes-Benz and Vauxhall are launching trade-in schemes designed to get more of us driving low-emissions cars

Electric cars charging in Milton Keynes (Image: T. Larkum)

Owners of older diesel vehicles will receive an incentive of up to £2000 when they trade in their old car for a new BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Mini or Vauxhall, and up to £7000 towards a new Ford.

The new plans are designed to reduce the pollution caused by diesel cars, as well as increasing the uptake of low-emissions cars in the UK. Despite the sales of such cars rising by more than 30% over the past year, they still account for just 4.3% of the total market.

BMW

To qualify for BMW’s incentive, owners must trade in diesel cars that comply with Euro 4 emissions standards or older – which covers cars registered before September 2009. Owners can check if their car qualifies here. Euro standards set the limits for emissions from new cars, with the first, Euro 1, being introduced in 1992.

Buyers will be offered up to £2000 to trade in their cars – on top of the vehicle’s residual value, as determined by used car experts CAP.

The value of the incentive must be put towards buying a new BMW or Mini. In particular, it must be either a BMW i3, a plug-in hybrid car (such as the BMW 3 Series 330e or the Mini Countryman S E All4) or a car that complies with the most modern Euro 6 emissions limits, with CO2 emissions of less than 130g/km.

That means owners will be able to choose from the majority of BMW’s range, including multiple versions of the 5 Series luxury saloon, which is our Car of the Year for 2017. Some of the brand’s larger SUVs do not qualify, though. BMW says that 80% of its range qualifies for the discount, alongside 70% of Mini models.

BMW also hasn’t specified what it will do with the cars that owners trade in. The oldest models will likely be scrapped – although BMW is keen not to call this offer a ‘scrappage scheme’ – with others sold on as used vehicles.

Vegans rejoice: Tesla quietly goes leather-free

August 30, 2017Electric Cars, Model 3, News, Reviews and Comment, TeslaJo

Tesla’s electric cars are known for being environmentally-friendly, and they just got a little more vegan-friendly. The automaker this week quietly upgraded all of its premium interior options to be completely leather-free.

While the company hasn’t made an official announcement, a Tesla spokesperson confirmed the change, saying that the company now only sells its premium seating option, which is a non-animal seating material designed specifically for Tesla.

Cars still come with leather steering wheels, but leather-free options are available upon request, according to a blog post from the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

No official announcements have been made about the interior of the new Model 3, and the representative from Tesla could only confirm this transition for the Model S and Model X.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk, however, appeared to confirm that vegan seating would be an option for the Model 3 on Twitter.

PETA, one of Tesla’s shareholders, applauded the move in a blog post Monday.

Tesla has always offered standard cloth seating which is a vegan option, but PETA began pressuring the automaker at a 2015 stockholder’s meeting to drop leather seats entirely by 2019.

Although Tesla stockholders voted against that proposition, the following year Tesla rolled out its first synthetic leather premium seating option in “Ultra White” for the Model X crossover SUV.

Anne Brainard, PETA’s Director of Corporate Affairs, noted that other luxury car companies like BMW and Mercedes-Benz have also begun offering faux-leather seating options.

Despite this, Brainard said dozens of major automakers are still supplied by cattle ranches that subject animals to horrific abuse, citing a 2016 PETA investigation.

“PETA will continue to urge all companies to follow Tesla’s lead in choosing sustainability and kindness over cruelty,”

Brainard said.

Source: USA Today

EV triple test: Hyundai Ioniq Electric v Renault Zoe v Nissan Leaf

August 30, 2017Electric Cars, Hyundai, IONIQ Electric, Leaf 30kWh, News, Reviews and Comment, Nissan, Renault, ZOE Z.E. 40Jo

With the announcement of the 2040 ban on all new petrol and diesel cars, we get behind the wheel of three electric vehicles to see if the future really is green.

(L to R) Nissan LEAF, Hyundai IONIQ, Renault ZOE

WHAT’S NEW?

Since the announcement of the 2040 ban on new petrol and diesel cars, all you read in the news is about how we’re all going electric. So if that’s the case, which is the best electric car to buy? We chose three to test – a Renault Zoe, Hyundai Ioniq and Nissan Leaf.

The Hyundai Ioniq is by far the newest and in our opinion one of the best-equipped. The Nissan and the Renault have both been around for some years now, and the Leaf is actually due to be replaced by a new model next year.

The Ioniq is Hyndai’s first attempt at making an all-electric car, and it’s very good.

Inside, the cabin feels solidly built and very comfortable. It also has lots of kit including, on our car, heated and cooled electric seats.

Next is the Renault Zoe, a great-looking little car with bags of character on the exterior alone. Step inside and it’s also a funky place to be. It also features the best-claimed range of the three EVs, with 250 miles on the NEDC cycle thanks to its new ‘Z.E. 40’ battery.

Finally, we have the Nissan Leaf, the oldest of the three in terms of design and this shows in its rather ungainly styling and outdated technology. It also has the lowest theoretical range with just 155 miles.

LOOKS AND IMAGE

This is where the Nissan Leaf falls down – massively. It is not appealing at all on the outside with its bulbous rear-end and huge headlights. This continues inside where it can best be described as dull and old-fashioned.

The Hyundai is in a different league. It looks fresh, funky and modern. Add a touch of colour and you have a car that will be very enjoyable to own. This continues inside too where it feels light and airy with a very easy to use dashboard and centre console.

The Renault is the best looking of the bunch. Its chic Parisian styling blends well with modern life and makes it look more premium than it actually is. However, this doesn’t quite continue inside. Although the cabin looks chic, it feels cheap, with the plastics belonging in a cheap supermini.

SPACE AND PRACTICALITY

In terms of space, all three are roughly the same, offering ample leg, head and luggage space and a plethora of cubbyholes throughout the cabin.

The Hyundai feels a tad better than the other two, and has a fairly decent-sized boot at 350 litres – enough for some suitcases or a weekly shop. You can probably fit the family dog in there too.

The Zoe feels slightly smaller in comparison, but is more of a hatchback compared to the Ioniq’s saloon looks. It has a marginally smaller boot at 338 litres, but this would definitely be enough on a daily basis.

The Nissan Leaf boasts the largest boot at 370 litres. It also has a fairly large cabin, which can easily accommodate four adults.

London Mayor announces doubling of EV charging points across London

August 29, 2017Charging, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and CommentJo

Electric vehicle (EV) drivers in London, UK will soon be able to access 1,500 new EV charging points across the city thanks to a £4.5 million investment announced by London Mayor Sadiq Khan.

The residential charge points being installed across 25 London boroughs are aimed at Londoners currently without access to off-street parking, in a bid to try and encourage more citizens to transition from polluting fossil-fuel vehicles to new zero-emission vehicles. They will add to the rapid charging points that Transport for London (TfL) is already installing, the full complement becoming available for drivers by 2020.

“This substantial investment in electric charging points will make a real difference, making electric vehicles an easier and more practical option for Londoners across our city”

said Mr Khan.

“We have a bold ambition to make London’s transport system zero emission by 2050, and working with boroughs to roll out more charging infrastructure is a vital part of making this a reality”.

But it’s not only in London that momentum towards an electric vehicle future is increasing. Auto Express reported recently that the Government is to pass a new bill requiring motorway and major fuel stations to install charging points. The Automated and Electric Vehicles Bill was announced in the 2017 Queen’s Speech. It also requires easy access to charging points, establishing a seamless network of points across the UK that conform to the same technical standards.

An investigation by Auto Express has found that charging infrastructure is struggling to keep up as EVs become more popular. Ownership of electric and plug-in cars has increased dramatically from 2,254 vehicles in 2012 to 85,983 in December 2016.

A report by the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) predicts that there will be around 700,000 EVs on Britain’s roads by 2020, meaning that an additional 60,000 chargers will be required over the next three years to service them.

Source: Renewable Energy Magazine

The car is dead, long live the car, thanks to Tesla

August 29, 2017Electric Cars, Model 3, News, Reviews and Comment, TeslaJo

Established carmakers may scoff at Elon Musk’s firm, but like Apple and the iPhone, it heralds a massive shake-up of the auto industry.

Tesla Model3 (Image: Wikimedia/Carlquinn)

Two interesting things happened last week. One was Tesla’s delivery of the first batch of its Model 3, the company’s first “affordable” car. (If you think $35,000, about £26,500 – is affordable, that is.) The second was a “diesel summit” held in Berlin, a meeting where the bosses of Germany’s leading car manufacturers (VW, BMW, Audi, Ford, Porsche and Daimler) got together with ministers to ponder the industrial implications of the emissions-cheating scandal and the decisions of the British and French governments to outlaw petrol cars and vans from 2040.

Although no one in the car industry will say so, diesel technology has been a dead duck since the emissions-cheating scandal erupted, followed by the revelations of how polluted London’s atmosphere has become, with emissions of nitrous fumes from diesels being blamed for much of the problem. And the fallout is already being seen in the sales figures. In January, for example, UK registrations of new diesel cars were 4.3% down on a year ago, while petrol car sales were up by 8.9%. If you’re a rural resident who doesn’t worry too much about the environment or resale value, then you can already grab real bargains in the diesel car market. And for the time being petrol heads can feel (relatively) cleaner than thou. But ultimately, the game is up for the internal combustion engine.

UK Tesla Model 3 production won’t begin until 2019 as electric saloon’s specification revealed

August 29, 2017Electric Cars, Model 3, News, Reviews and Comment, TeslaJo

Deliveries of electric car maker’s more affordable saloon begin in USA, but right-hand-drive models are some way off

The first deliveries of Tesla’s more affordable electric saloon began on Friday, but UK advance orders won’t be fulfilled until 2019 at the earliest.

The electric car company’s much-anticipated “more affordable” Model 3 saloon has been pitched as the car that brings EV technology to the general public thanks to a $35,000 (£26,000) price tag.

However, following Friday’s launch event, it became clear that while it is possible to buy a Model 3 at that price, very few cars will ever hit the road in base spec.

In a likely nod to the Ford Model T, introduced in 1908 and widely regarded as the first affordable car, the only standard colour is black – silver, blue, white and red all cost $1,000 (£760) extra.

The standard car has a 220-mile battery, though a long-range version with a range of 310 miles is available starting at $44,000 (£33,500). The latter also offers faster acceleration and shorter recharging times.

Meanwhile, the premium upgrade package, which includes heated seating, upgraded interior materials and a premium audio system, costs $5,000 (£3,800).

Charging Our Car at Devon Cliffs

August 28, 2017Blog, Charging, Electric Cars, POD PointTrevor Larkum

We are currently holidaying in the Devon Cliffs Holiday Park at Sandy Bay, Exmouth. We arrived last week from Northampton, having charged on the M4 at Chieveley and on the M5 at Sedgemoor.

The Solar Charge Points at Devon Cliffs - and only 2/3 of the cars shouldn't be parked there! (Image: T. Larkum) — The Solar Charge Points at Devon Cliffs – and only 2/3 of the cars shouldn’t be parked there! (Image: T. Larkum)

On arrival we found a pleasant surprise – a solar powered charging bay in the main reception car park. I have since learned that it was installed about a year ago in a joint venture with Bourne Leisure (owners of the park), Solarplicity and POD Point.

Having last charged at Sedgemoor, about 60 miles back, we didn’t need to charge again for the first few days. Then I started looking into how to start a charge – doing some Googling, searching on the POD Point online map (which didn’t show the charge point), installing the POD Point app, etc.

However, it all turned out to be unnecessary – I called POD Point and they explained that it was a private charge point – hence not on the public map – and that it was free to use. In hindsight I should have just plugged in and tried it!

The POD Point charge points at Devon Cliffs (Image: T. Larkum)

We have since made good use of the charge point, leaving the car on charge overnight most days. It is marked as a 7kW point which should charge our i3 in about 4 hours. In fact I am seeing charge times significantly longer than that so I would guess it is actually running at about half that, 3.5kW. Perhaps that has something to do with being solar powered, e.g. a reduced charge outside sunny hours, I don’t know. Anyway, the car is fully charged every morning so it doesn’t really matter.

The charge point has been a real boon – allowing us to go on long trips out most days without needing to find anywhere else to charge.

And all our holiday motoring for free.