Monthly Archives: October 2018

BMW to cease production of the i3 Range Extender

October 22, 2018BMW, Electric Cars, i3, i3 120Ah, News, Reviews and CommentRepost

The i3 REx is forced into extinction in Europe due to the longer range possible from the latest pure-electric variant of BMW’s hatchback

The BMW i3 is now an electric-only model in Europe, as the range extender versions have been deleted from the line-up.

The range extender, which uses a two-cylinder 650cc petrol engine to provide additional charge to the drive battery, has effectively been made redundant by the improved, longer-range pure-electric version of the i3 unveiled at this week’s Paris motor show.

The i3’s battery has been boosted to 42.2kWh from 33kWh provide 193 miles of range under new WLTP cycle. That’s 34 miles more than the older version could manage and is sufficient, according to BMW, to negate the need for the range extender version, which offered a claimed driving range of 231 miles under the outgoing, less-accurate NEDC test.

In a statement, BMW said: “The Range Extender i3 will cease production and we will only sell the pure-electric version going forward. With the gains in pure-electric range, together with the increasing availability of rapid charging facilities we believe the customer demand is shifting to an pure-electric model.”

Denmark embraces electric car revolution with petrol and diesel ban plan

October 21, 2018Electric Cars, Energy and Climate Change, News, Reviews and Comment, Pollution, SalesRepost

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) – Denmark has proposed a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030 and hybrid from 2035, joining international efforts to promote electric-only vehicles to reduce air pollution and combat climate change.

The government has previously come under fire for increasing tax on electric cars in 2016, sending sales down from more than 3 percent of all new cars to almost zero, but now aims to follow the example being set in an increasing number of countries.

“It is a big ambition that will be hard to achieve. But that’s exactly why we need to try,”

Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen told parliament on Tuesday.

The plan requires parliamentary approval to become law and will be presented to parliament next week.

Britain and France have both pledged to ban new petrol and diesel cars from 2040 in move that could hit the wealth of oil producers and transform a car industry in which global carmakers are scrambling to adapt to the brave new world of electric vehicles.

Renault unveils new ‘affordable’ K-ZE all-electric crossover

October 20, 2018Electric Cars, K-ZE, News, Reviews and Comment, RenaultRepost

Ahead of the Paris Motor Show today, Renault has unveiled a new ‘affordable’ all-electric crossover: the Renault K-ZE.

Carlos Ghosn, Chairman and CEO of Groupe Renault, presented the new vehicle:

“Groupe Renault was a pioneer and is the European leader in electric vehicles. We are introducing Renault K-ZE, an affordable, urban, SUV-inspired electric model combining the best of Groupe Renault: our leadership in EV, our expertise in affordable vehicles and in forging strong partnerships”,

The French automaker announced the vehicle as being “affordable”, but didn’t release any pricing information.

More information will be available when the vehicle is released next year.

They first plan to make it available in China and Europe will follow a year later.

The only spec that they confirmed is the range, which they claim is 250 km (155 miles), but they used the NEDC cycle for some reason:

“A pioneer and leader in 100% electric mobility, Groupe Renault unveiled showcar Renault K-ZE, a new global A-segment, SUV-inspired electric vehicle, capable of 250km NEDC – the best autonomy in its segment.”

We expect the real world range to be close to 190 km (118 miles).

Electric and hybrid cars: Cuts to Plug-in Car Grant condemned

October 19, 2018Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, Opinion, SalesRepost

Motoring groups have condemned the government’s decision to cut subsidies for buying greener cars.

From 9 November, grants for new plug-in hybrids will be scrapped, while discounts on all-electric cars will be cut from £4,500 to £3,500.

Cash incentives have been offered since 2011 to help promote cleaner cars and meet emissions targets.

The RAC and AA motoring groups said the change was a backward step, and the SMMT trade body called it “astounding”.

The Department for Transport (DfT) said that the Plug-in Car Grant was introduced seven years ago to help the market become established.

It was now time to focus support on zero-emission models such as pure electric and hydrogen fuel cell cars, the DfT added.

The change comes three months after the government published its Road to Zero strategy, with a proposal to remove petrol and diesel cars from UK roads by 2050, forcing all motorists to own electric models.

Ultra-low emission vehicles currently available for discounts are placed into three categories:

Category 1: CO₂ emissions of less than 50g/km and a zero emission range of at least 70 miles
Category 2: CO₂ emissions of less than 50g/km and a zero emission range between 10 and 69 miles
Category 3: CO₂ emissions of 50 to 75g/km and a zero emission range of at least 20 miles.

The government said the cut in the support for Category 1 cars to £3,500 reflected recent reductions in the price of electric vehicles.

But motoring groups denounced the changes, saying it would leave the government struggling to meet its emissions reduction targets.

Motorsport history as Renault ZOE makes debut

October 18, 2018Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, Renault, ZOE, ZOE Z.E. 40Repost

SCOTTISH motorsport history was made at Kames Motorsport Complex, Muirkirk on Sunday, September 23 during the Albar Trophy Rally.

Welshman Cameron Davies took to the track in his Renault ZOE, the first electric car to compete in a motorsport competition in Scotland.

A respectable finish followed for Davies who spent most of the day explaining the characteristics of the car to competitors and spectators alike.

The rally season at Kames ended in a convincing win for Trabboch’s Colin Gemmell and co-driver Derek Keir from Ayr in their 2.5 litre Mk2 Ford Escort.

Graham Bruce, from Sundrum and Paul Toner were runners-up in a similar car with another East Ayrshire Car Club crew David McLeod and Eamonn Boyle third in a hard-worked Talbot Sunbeam.

Their was a photo finish in the junior section as Oliver Hunter and Tom Hynd (Peugeot 107) beat Lewis Haining and George Myatt (Skoda Citigo) by one second.

Jaguar considers transformation to EV-only brand

October 17, 2018Electric Cars, Jaguar Land Rover, News, Reviews and Comment, OpinionRepost

JLR top brass are considering making all Jaguars electric-powered within the next decade

Jaguar Land Rover bosses are considering a plan to turn Jaguar into an EV-only brand within the next decade, Autocar has learned.

It is understood that company product planners have produced an outline strategy under which Jaguar’s conventional vehicle range would be phased out over the next five to seven years, to be replaced by fully electric vehicles.

Under the plans being considered, a full-on luxury electric saloon, replacing the unloved XJ, is expected within two years. It will be a direct competitor for Porsche’s upcoming Taycan, alongside strong-selling cars such as the Tesla Model S.

Rethought as an electric vehicle, the new XJ will both play to the strengths of the 1967 original by offering segment-leading refinement and ride and look to the future by completely reinventing the classic Jaguar interior.

It is understood that the new XJ will be a no-holds-barred luxury car in every sense, offering customers a zero-pollution alternative to a Mercedes-Benz S-Class or even a Bentley Flying Spur.

The thinking is that Jaguar will steal a march on rivals by building a true luxury EV in a segment that is probably the most environmentally minded and offers greater profitability per car than lower segments. EVs also fit in perfectly with the brief of a modern-day chauffeur of private hire driver, with excellent mechanical refinement and the ability to enter low-emission zones in cities without financial penalties.

In reverse gear? Government confirms cuts to electric vehicle grants

October 16, 2018Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, SalesRepost

As the CCC calls on the government to strengthen efforts to tackle vehicle emissions, the government announces it is to slash electric vehicle grants by £1,000

The government yesterday announced it is to cut grants for electric vehicles (EVs) by £1,000 from next month and will disqualify a host of plug-in hybrid models from the popular Plug-in Car Grant scheme altogether.

In a controversial move the Department for Transport (DfT) confirmed reforms to the grant scheme will take effect from Friday November 9. It also stressed that further cuts could be imposed if the grants prove more popular than expected.

Under the changes Category 1 electric vehicles (EVs) that boast CO2 emissions of less than 50g/km and a zero emission range of at least 70 miles will see grants cut from £4,500 to £3,500.

Category 2 and 3 cars that have a plug-in range of less than 69 miles will no longer qualify for grants.

The cuts are currently limited to the Plug-in Car Grant (PICG) scheme and do not extend to the government’s separate Plug-in Van and Motorcycle schemes.

In a statement the DfT said the cuts were in response to the falling price of some EVs and were designed to ensure the available budget was focused more effectively on the cleanest new cars.

“The PICG has helped the plug-in hybrid market become more established, and the government will now focus its support on zero emission models like pure electric and hydrogen fuel cell cars,” it said. “The PICG was first introduced in 2011, designed to help stimulate the early market for ultra-low emission vehicles. So far it has supported the purchase of over 160,000 new cars. With plug-in hybrid models like the Mitsubishi Outlander becoming popular among consumers the government is focussing its attention to zero emission models such as the Nissan Leaf and BMW i3.”

It added that tax incentives would continue to remain available for plug-in hybrids.

The move came on the same day as the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) revealed it has written to the DfT and the Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) to warn the government’s current Road to Zero strategy for decarbonising road transport is not in line with the UK’s carbon targets. The Committee called on the government to introduce a host of new policies to encourage the switch to greener vehicles as a matter of urgency. Specifically, it said Ministers should confirm the future of the Plug-in Car Grant scheme beyond 2020.

Motoring groups attacked the decision to cut the grants, arguing it would undermine one of the few parts of the auto market that is currently growing healthily.

Plug-in car grant axed for PHEVs and cut for electric cars

October 15, 2018Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, SalesRepost

New rules for plug-in car grant means current crop of plug-in hybrids will be ineligible from November 9; grant for EVs drops by £1,000

Plug-in hybrid cars will no longer be eligible for the Government’s Plug-In Car Grant from November 9 2018, while grants for fully electric cars will be reduced from £4,500 to £3,500 at the same time.

The news comes as the Department for Transport (DfT) and the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) confirmed Category 2 and 3 grants will end in November. That means PHEVs such as the Audi A3 e-tron and Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, which were hitherto eligible for the grant, will no longer be so from 9 November.

In fact, none of the PHEVs currently on sale in the UK is capable of meeting the criteria necessary to qualify for the grant, making it effectively for fully electric cars only.

Category 2 cars emit 50g/km of CO2 or less and can officially travel for 10 to 69 miles on battery power alone; Category 3 cars emit between 50 and 75g/km of CO2 and can travel up to 20 miles on battery power alone. Such cars previously received a grant of £2,500, but this will cease next month.

Category 1 grants will still exist from November 9, but the amount contributed towards their cost by the Government will reduce from £4,500 to £3,500. Cars must be able to travel for 70 miles on battery power alone and emit under 50g/km in order to qualify as a Category 1 car, something no current PHEV can manage.

Air pollution linked to higher risk of dementia

October 15, 2018Electric Cars, Energy and Climate Change, News, Reviews and Comment, PollutionRepost

Air pollution may be linked with an increased risk of developing dementia, research suggests.

A London-based study, published in BMJ Open, found an association between the neurodegenerative condition and exposure to nitrogen dioxide and microscopic particles known as PM2.5.

Alzheimer’s Research UK described it is a “growing area of research”, but said the results should be treated with caution.

The researchers, from the University of London, Imperial College and King’s College London, used anonymous patient health records from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink, which collects data from GP practices.

They focused on 131,000 patients aged between 50 and 79 in 2004, who had not been diagnosed with dementia, registered at 75 general practices within the M25.

The health of the patients was tracked for an average of seven years, until they were diagnosed with dementia, died or left their GP practice.

Between 2005 and 2013, a total of 2181 patients (1.7 per cent) were diagnosed with dementia, 39 per cent of whom had Alzheimer’s disease and 29 per cent of whom had vascular dementia.

These diagnoses were found to be linked to ambient levels of nitrogen dioxide and PM2.5, based on estimates taken near the homes of patients in 2004.

Those living in areas with the top fifth of nitrogen dioxide levels had a 40 per cent increased risk of being diagnosed with dementia compared with those living in areas with the lowest, the researchers said.

A similar increase was seen with levels of PM2.5, they added.

The associations could not be explained by factors known to influence the development of the condition, but the links were more consistent for Alzheimer’s disease than vascular dementia.

The authors said:

“With the future global burden of dementia likely to be substantial, further epidemiological work is urgently needed to confirm and understand better recent findings linking air pollution to dementia.

“Our results suggest both regional and urban background pollutants may be as important as near-traffic pollutants.

“The cause of these neurodegenerative diseases is still largely unknown and may be multifactorial.

“While toxicants from air pollution have several plausible pathways to reach the brain, how and when they may influence neurodegeneration remains speculative.”

BP to roll-out electric chargers widely over next 12 months

October 14, 2018BP Chargemaster, Charging, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and CommentRepost

BP customers in the UK can expect to access BP Chargemaster chargers rolling out at scale on forecourts over the next 12 months, on both company owned and dealer channels.

David Newton, chief operating officer at BP Chargemaster, told delegates at this week’s Forecourt Trader Electric Track Day that the company’s aim was to manage the energy transition and changing customer demand by supporting opportunities for customers to reduce their emissions.

“BP Chargemaster and BP believe that to accelerate the adoption of EVs, customers will require convenient access to fast and ultra-fast charging,” he said. “And we believe our retail network is well positioned to provide this access.”

Chargemaster Rapid Chargers next to Milton Keynes Central railway station parking (Image: T. Larkum)

He warned the move to electric mobility was a significant challenge and potentially a threat to the existing forecourt business, and needed careful thought by the industry as to how it would be achieved.

“Collaboration is key,” he said. “We will work pro-actively with the independent dealer community to develop mutually beneficial offers and propositions which will meet consumer demand – for now, and for the future.”