Daily Archives: August 21, 2017

HYUNDAI IONIQ NAMED ‘BEST GREEN TECHNOLOGY’ IN TOP FLEET AWARDS

Electric Cars, Hyundai, IONIQ Electric, IONIQ Plug-in Hybrid, News, Reviews and Comment

A panel of fleet industry experts has named the Hyundai IONIQ as the ‘Best Green Technology’ for businesses. Judges of the 2017 BusinessCar Fleet Technology Awards – the ‘Techies’ – said the choice of three electrified powertrains for fleets was the most significant factor in giving it the top prize.

Hyundai IONIQ

The Hyundai IONIQ is unique in offering separate hybrid, full electric and plug-in hybrid powertrains within one body type. It enables business car decision-makers to specify the IONIQ that best meets the needs of their drivers, depending on driving style, travel frequency, and the distances typically covered.

The capabilities of the zero-emission IONIQ Electric are perfect for fleets focused on their carbon footprint or the lowest BIK rates for users. Completing the line-up of powertrain choices in 2017 is the IONIQ Plug-in Hybrid, offering ultra-low CO2 emissions of just 26g/km and a BIK rate of just 9% for 2017/18. Users can experience up to 39 miles of pure electric driving, with a total range of 680 miles.

Hyundai Motor’s Fleet team worked hard to ensure the IONIQ is as competitive as possible for fleets. The IONIQ Electric is best-in-class for service, maintenance and repair costs, with the lowest prices at both the 3yr/30,000-mile and 5yr/50,000-mile points. Vehicle benefit tax for the pure-electric model is just 7%, which means the cost for company car users starts from £405 per year – just £33.75 per month.

The innovative use of ecologically sensitive materials in IONIQ’s cabin adds to its green credentials for environmentally-conscious fleets. Recycled plastic is combined with powdered wood and volcanic stone for the interior door covers, providing the same quality appearance as conventional oil-based plastics.

Debbie Wood, BusinessCar’s editor, said; “Environmental concerns around transport have never been so topical and fleets are constantly on the lookout for greener solutions to help reduce their overall carbon footprint. This years’ Green Techies award proved to be a fiercely competitive category – but the Hyundai Ioniq emerged as the clear favourite.

Read more: The Leader

Solar Charge Points charging electric cars (Image: T. Larkum)

Electric cars: everything you need to know

Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment

From how to charge them to whether they are really better for the environment

Solar Charge Points charging electric cars (Image: T. Larkum)
Solar Charge Points charging electric cars (Image: T. Larkum)

How will I charge an electric car?

The first generation of electric-car buyers have been people with homes where it is easy to plug one in.

“The vast majority of Nissan Leaf customers are [families with] 2.4 children, mums and dads, with off-street parking,”

said Gareth Dunsmore of Nissan Europe.

“Tomorrow that won’t be the case.”

Dunsmore envisages charging points becoming ubiquitous at workplaces, and at shopping centres, railway stations, hotels and cinemas. For longer journeys, rapid chargers that can recharge a car’s battery in 30 minutes will increasingly proliferate across motorway service stations and at conventional refuelling stations.

For drivers living on terraced streets, the answers are not so simple but solutions are beginning to emerge. For example, Kensington and Chelsea council is running a trial with a UK energy company and German firm to add charging sockets to street lamps.

I’m worried about the battery running out – should I be?

Most mass market electric cars today have a range of 100-150 miles before the battery runs flat. Some of the top-end cars, such as Tesla’s electric sports cars, can run for 334 miles before needing a plug socket.

While that may not sound much compared to the 400-500 miles or more that a petrol or diesel car can manage before refilling, most car journeys in the UK would easily be accomplished in an electric car. Half of journeys are one to five miles; 38% are for five to 25 miles and only 2% are for 50 miles and more.

Of course, some people will need to go much further – and that’s where plug-in hybrids come in, using a petrol engine to run an electric motor after the battery runs out.
Improving battery technology is expected to extend even pure electric cars’ ranges to about 400 miles within a decade.

Are they cheaper?

Londoners in an electric car can already enter the congestion charge zone for free. If the government’s anti-pollution drive leads to more towns and cities imposing an air quality zone, that could lead to more tolls, from which electric cars are likely to be exempt.

Read more: The Guardian

Petrol-diesel car ban: Government plan dismissed as ‘smokescreen’ after key air pollution policies dumped

Energy and Climate Change, News, Reviews and Comment, Pollution

The Government’s plan to ban new petrol and diesel vehicles from 2040 has been dismissed as a “smokescreen”, with ministers accused of condemning people to living with killer air for years to come.

Green groups and opposition politicians united in criticism after it emerged that key policies to cut the estimated 40,000 premature deaths from toxic air every year had been dumped.

A plan for a Government-led “scrappage scheme” – to get diesel cars off Britain’s roads quickly – has been rejected as poor value for money, it emerged.

Michael Gove, the Environment Secretary, also shelved proposals to charge drivers to enter the most-polluted towns and cities, shifting the responsibility on to local councils and imposing tests.

The missing elements of the long-awaited air quality plan became clear after Mr Gove grabbed the headlines with a repeated announcement that new petrol and diesel cars and vans will be outlawed in 23 years’ time.

Areeba Hamid, a clean air campaigner at Greenpeace UK, said:

“We cannot wait nearly a quarter of a century for real action to tackle the public health emergency caused by air pollution.

“It means that children across the UK will continue to be exposed to harmful air pollution for years to come, with potentially irreversible impacts.”

Anna Heslop, a lawyer for ClientEarth, said:

“They need to be doing things in the coming weeks and months that are going to fix the problem of polluted air in towns and cities around the UK.”

Hinting at future court action, she added:

“We will be holding the Government to account on this. They have been in breach of these limits for seven years – and we will continue to do that.”

Ed Miliband, the former Labour leader, tweeted:

“Fear that new car petrol/diesel ban in 23 years time is smokescreen for weak measures to tackle 40,000 deaths a year from air pollution now.”

And Jenny Randerson, the Liberal Democrat transport spokeswoman, accused ministers of “betrayal”, calling for all new diesel sales to end much faster, by 2025.

Read more: The Independent