Monthly Archives: September 2018

Renault ZOE at our test drive event in Milton Keynes (Image: J. Tisdall)

Renault Zoe R110 2018 UK review

Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, Renault, ZOE, ZOE Z.E. 40

New motor boosts electric car’s performance; it’s no every-occasion car, but it has loads of appeal as an urban runabout

What is it?

Renault’s European battery car sales champion, the Zoe, has just been tweaked and updated again.

This time, you rather suspect, the refresh represents Renault in a counter-punching mood, doing what it can to maintain the car’s market-leading position in the face of, among other rivals, a brand-new Nissan Leaf. Still, if it delivers a better car to anyone who takes the electric plunge this year, those new owners won’t be complaining.

Renault ZOE at our test drive event in Milton Keynes (Image: J. Tisdall)
Renault ZOE at our test drive event in Milton Keynes (Image: J. Tisdall)

This isn’t the most wide-ranging of mid-life overhauls. The edited highlights consist of a more powerful electric motor, an update for the touchscreen infotainment system, a new paint colour (Renault calls it Aconite Purple, and it’s the shade of our test car) and a few new pieces of interior trim.

So, having had 91bhp and 162lb ft to offer last year, the Zoe now has 107bhp and 166lb ft with which to tempt your toe, although that still leaves it shy of the outputs of the BMW i3 and Leaf by some margin. Handily, the Zoe’s motor upgrade doesn’t affect its energy efficiency or battery autonomy, with range remaining either 250 or 186 miles, depending on which of the EU’s lab test driving cycles you’re testing it on.

Renault proudly claims this is the market’s longest-range mainstream electric car, and with some credibility, at least as far as UK consumers are concerned. It’s certainly true that none of the Zoe’s current crop of electric rivals (the Leaf, i3, Volkswagen e-Golf and Hyundai Ioniq Electric) has been rated to go quite as far on a single charge.

Read more: Autocar

Ubitricity charging post demonstrator at CENEX show (Image: T. Larkum)

Siemens to deploy London’s street light electric vehicle chargers with ubitricity

Charging, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, Ubitricity

Siemens has partnered with electric vehicle charging solutions provider ubitricity to transform hundreds of London’s street lamps into new on street chargers.

The company was one of eight to win a place on a city-wide framework contract hosted by Transport for London (TfL), the Greater London Authority and London Councils.

It will work with the Berlin-based company to deliver ‘Smart City’ EV charging points, which use mobile electricity metering technology to allow existing street lights to share electricity supply with an EV charge point.

Ubitricity charging post demonstrator at CENEX show (Image: T. Larkum)
Ubitricity charging post demonstrator at CENEX show (Image: T. Larkum)

Drivers connect to it using a cable fitted with a meter that identifies the charging point and turns on the power. The data is sent digitally to a mobile power supplier who would bill for the electricity consumed, while those using a standard cable would be authorised through a mobile site.

Both the boroughs of Wandsworth and Kensington and Chelsea have committed used lamp post charging in their EV infrastructure schemes to overcome the lack of on street parking facilities in the capital.

Chris Beadsworth, director at Siemens Energy Management, said: “By using existing infrastructure, it will provide a quality, convenient and simple charging point to help accelerate the increase in privately owned electric vehicles. Our aim is that charging your car should be as simple as charging your phone.

“Working together with our partners we make a cleaner more modern energy network a reality whilst delivering benefits for UK consumers without compromise.”

Read more: Current News

Union Of Concerned Scientists’ President: Electric Cars Rock

Charging, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, Opinion

But he also identifies why electric vehicle ownership remains out of reach for many.

Earlier this year Ken Kimmell, President of the Union of Concerned Scientists, purchased a Chevrolet Bolt EV. After about 6 months, he has found electric vehicle ownership to be everything he had hoped. The car is fun to drive, has a low cost of ownership, and far more efficient than a gasoline car.

Mr. Kimmell has uncovered what many EV owners have already come to realize. For a home owner with a garage, an EV is more convenient (not less) than a gasoline-powered vehicle.

“I charge the car once or twice a week overnight. Plugging it in takes about five seconds, and the charging takes between 4-8 hours. When I wake up, the battery is full. No more trips to the gas station. (…) Because of the long range, I rarely need to use public charging stations while on the road. I’ve used them five times since I leased the car, typically to add about fifty miles of range.”

Owning an EV like a Chevy Bolt, Tesla Model 3 or Nissan Leaf is also much more affordable than it appears at first blush. In addition to taking advantage of the $7,500 federal tax credit, $2,500 of his down payment was paid back by the MA rebate program. Similar programs are available in many other states. That is just the upfront savings:

“At the same time, I am saving about $60/month in fueling costs, as electricity cost per mile is less than half of gasoline, even in a state like Massachusetts that has relatively high electricity costs and relatively low gas prices. And not paying for oil changes, air filters, belts, brake pads and many other maintenance expenses for a gas-fired car also saves money.”

Read more: Inside EVs