Monthly Archives: April 2019

Kia Soul EV 2019 review

April 19, 2019Electric Cars, Kia, News, Reviews and Comment, Soul EVRepost

High-riding electric hatchback gains the range to match other Hyundai group EVs

What is it?

This is Kia’s all-new electric Soul, now slightly larger, packed with substantially more technology and most appealingly of all, furnished with a drivetrain and battery pack that will enable it to officially travel 280 miles between charges.

If you use a 50kW charger, 80% of that range can be replenished in 75 minutes. And those numbers are sufficient to make the Soul EV viable as an everyday, all-journey car. Kia has yet to announce a price, but it will be usefully less than the e-Niro’s £36,495.

Given that car’s outstanding blend of range, performance and price, it should be no surprise that the new, second-generation version of the Kia Soul uses exactly the same electric motor, power electronics and battery systems. Kia also points out that the huge cost of developing and manufacturing this drivetrain necessitates sharing it across these three models within the Hyundai Group.

The Soul sits on a different platform, however, and one that is structurally stiffer and 30mm longer in the wheelbase than previously. The front overhang has grown by 25mm, for intriguing reasons we’ll come to, but the wheelbase stretch does at least yield another 13mm of rear legroom. The boot’s bigger as well, though not by enough to eliminate criticisms of a shortfall.

There’s plenty of extra tech, too. Adaptive cruise control and lane following afford a useful amount of autonomy in heavy traffic, there’s an extensive suite of electronic safety systems, a head-up display and various features designed to maximise the battery pack.

These include cooling and heating the 64kW battery with liquid rather than air, while a button enables you to control heat or chill only the driver’s portion of the cabin if you’re one-up and need to eke. An in-built heat pump recovers waste heat from the coolant, while driving modes that include Eco and Eco Plus help, as do four levels of brake regeneration, these altered via paddle shifts as per the e-Niro.

What’s it like?

It looks bigger and it feels more grown-up, especially inside where the cabin takes on a new level of sophistication and convenience. But the biggest difference will be in your mind, because like the e-Niro, this is an EV in which that ‘will-I-make-it’ anxiety can largely be forgotten.

The Soul’s new TFT instrument cluster displays your range in fairly big digits, and in contrast to older EVs, they tumble at a considerably slower rate, and sometimes more slowly than the rate at which miles are covered. It’s also much easier to slow the decline with careful driving.

Supermarket Morrisons turns to ChargePoint Services for nationwide EV charging rollout

April 18, 2019ChargePoint Services / GeniePoint, Charging, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and CommentRepost

Supermarket chain Morrisons is to install rapid EV chargers at its sites nationwide after partnering with EV charging provider ChargePoint Services (CPS).

CPS, which owns and operates the GeniePoint Network, will install 50 – 100kW specification rapid chargers at supermarkets up and down the country. The first are to be installed by the end of next month and 100 are expected to be operational by the end of the year.

Just about to finish at Cherwell (Image: T. Larkum) — (Image: T. Larkum)

Andrew Ball, senior buying manager for fuel & services at Morrisons, said that the addition of rapid chargers was in response to customer feedback regarding at-store services, tying in EV chargers with everyday services like parcel collection, recycling and purchasing holiday money.

Trump Is Trying to Stand in the Way of Electric Cars. They’re Breezing Right Past Him.

April 17, 2019Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, OpinionRepost

While the president mocks low-emission vehicles, the rest of the country is busy paving the way for their big day.

Can you imagine a congressional bill that would enjoy the fervent support of both General Motors and the League of Conservation Voters? Ford Motor Company and the Union of Concerned Scientists? Nissan and the Natural Resources Defense Council?

It’s almost as unlikely as a bill being cosponsored by Senator Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, whom the National Journal dubbed one of the country’s most liberal senators in 2011, and Senator Lamar Alexander, who has represented the deep-red state of Tennessee since 2003.

And yet, believe it or not, there is such a bill: the Driving America Forward Act, introduced on Wednesday by the aforementioned senators and a small, bipartisan group of their legislative peers. If passed into law, it would protect and even expand the tax credits currently enjoyed by buyers of electric vehicles—tax credits that President Trump, as part of his 2020 budget, has pledged to end. (More on that in a minute.)

This bill is just one of a number of recent signs that the momentum for electric vehicles (EVs) is building toward something like cultural and economic inevitability. Another sign came in late March when Duke Energy, a literal powerhouse that provides electricity to more than seven million Americans throughout the Southeast and the Midwest, announced that it’s planning to invest $76 million in EV infrastructure in its home state of North Carolina. This would in effect double the number of charging stations in the state. The plan is further evidence that utilities are recognizing that the market for EVs isn’t shrinking or even plateauing but growing—and they want in.

Americans purchased more than 360,000 EVs in 2018, representing an 81 percent increase in sales over the previous year. And while the number of EVs currently in the U.S. fleet—about one million—is small relative to the number of gas-powered cars and trucks out there, auto industry forecasters, car companies, and utilities are much more focused on this degree of explosive growth. Analysts at J.P. Morgan predict that, at current rates, EVs will account for more than 38 percent of total U.S. auto sales in 2025. And by 2030, according to a recent Edison Foundation report, there will be 18.7 million of them cleanly cruising down America’s roads.

Octopus and Engenie team up to accelerate EV fast charge roll-out

April 16, 2019Charging, Electric Cars, Engenie, News, Reviews and CommentRepost

Engenie is partnering with Octopus Energy to source renewable power in support of its plans to install 400 rapid charge points at 200 Marston restaurants by December 2020

Octopus Energy has announced it is partnering with electric vehicle (EV) charge point distributor Engenie to supply 100 per cent renewable electricity to its growing rapid charge network, which it expects to roll out to 200 Marston’s restaurants by December 2020.

Engenie currently operates 16 rapid charge points at eight Marston pubs. Octopus Energy will fuel the planned expansion of the network, as Engenie works to install 400 rapid chargers at 200 pubs by the end of 2020.

“Reliable rapid charging with 100 per cent green energy is critical for mass adoption of electric cars – supporting people without driveways, and those on longer journeys,” said Fiona Howarth, CEO at Octopus Electric Vehicles.

“Octopus is delighted to partner with Engenie, to supply and promote its efficient network at Marston’s restaurants and other great destinations across the country, helping clear up local air pollution and enabling us to move to a zero-carbon transportation.”

The firms are marking the partnership’s launch today with a ‘Discovery Day’ at Marston’s Bakehouse pub in Welwyn Garden City, showcasing Engenie’s newly installed rapid charge points. Visitors can also book a slot to test drive an EV.

The rapid chargers in the Engenie network can charge an EV with 75-100 miles in around 30 minutes, depending on the car and the way it is driven.

GRIDSERVE unveils £1 billion ‘Electric Forecourt’ EV infrastructure programme

April 7, 2019Charging, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and CommentRepost

GRIDSERVE has unveiled plans to install a UK-wide network of ‘Electric Forecourts’, delivering ultra-fast EV charging for the public.

More than 100 forecourts are to be developed at strategic locations under a five-year plan valued at around £1 billion.

Each forecourt will feature dedicated zones for both private and fleet vehicles such as taxis, buses and delivery vehicles, and also incorporate a range of facilities for drivers to access while vehicles are charged including coffee shops, convenience stores and airport-style lounges with high-speed internet.

The firm has partnered with EV charging infrastructure specialist ChargePoint for the projects.

Chargers with speeds up to 500kW are to be made available for cars and light commercial vehicles, capable of fully charging modern EVs in less than 10 minutes. Multi-megawatt charging options for buses and heavy goods vehicles will also be accessible.

In addition, new solar farms to be constructed to supply the forecourts with clean power, while “multi-megawatt batteries” will be used to provide grid services. And it is this additional infrastructure which GRIDSERVE said would allow it to provide EV charging at prices which are competitive with home and destination charging.

Toddington Harper, chief executive at GRIDSERVE, said the intent was to make charging EVs as easy as using petrol stations.

“The latest generation of electric vehicles are awesome, and ready for mainstream adoption, but drivers still worry about if or where they can charge, how long it will take, and what it will cost.

“We plan to eliminate any range or charging anxiety by building a UK-wide network of customer-focussed, brand new Electric Forecourts that will make it easier and cheaper to use an electric vehicle than a petrol or diesel alternative,” he said.

Renault rolling-out V2G trials across Europe

April 6, 2019Charging, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, Renault, V2GRepost

First vehicle-to-grid projects live in the Netherlands and Portugal.

Renault has launched the first large-scale bi-directional charging pilot projects in Europe, starting in Utrecht, the Netherlands and on the Portuguese island of Porto Santo. Similar projects will follow in five more European countries with the aim to develop services and gather learnings for future harmonisation.

In concrete terms, Renault intends to introduce a fleet of 15 Renault Zoe vehicles with vehicle-to-grid functionality in Europe during the course of the year, in order to develop new bi-directional charging offers together with partners and lay the foundations for future standards. The aim is to get to the bottom of feasibility and potential benefits, according to a press release by the French. It is interesting to note that Renault is using alternating current technology, which is apparently based on the type 2 connector.

More than a year ago, the carmaker announced that, together with the energy supplier Empresa de Electricidade da Madeira, it wanted to turn the Atlantic island of Porto Santo into an “electric island” including electric cars, second-life batteries and V2G in combination with “smart” charging. While this trial is going ahead, not as much is known about the second project in the Dutch town of Utrecht. Renault only mentions that it is a pilot project in an ecosystem developed by We Drive Solar.

How the UK is falling behind in the global electric car race

April 5, 2019Electric Cars, MINI, News, Reviews and Comment, SalesRepost

After a decades-long renaissance, worrying signs are emerging for Britain’s motor industry

In the global electric car race, Britain is struggling to keep up with its rivals. Fresh investment is dwindling as manufacturers prioritise their home markets..

A battery innovation centre, part-funded by £80m of government money, is planned in Coventry that will help businesses bring their electric technology from research phase to scalable production. Plans to open the site last week were delayed by Brexit. Even once open, however, the site will not be a manufacturing centre.

And the government’s industrial strategy, set out in 2017, proposed measures to attract a wave of electric investments — including £246m of funding to attract battery technology.

Weak demand and global consolidation hit UK

But demand for battery cars remains modest, with less than 1 per cent of global sales from pure electric models. Carmakers therefore want to consolidate all their expertise in one place to save costs, and this is often in their home market. The UK is feeling the effects.

BMW has said that while it will assemble the electric version of its Mini in its Oxford plant, the batteries will be shipped from Germany.

Volkswagen Predicts EVs Will Go Mainstream In 2022

April 5, 2019e-Golf, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, VolkswagenRepost

Volkswagen may have been a little late to the game for crossovers in the US, but it’s done a commendable job of catching up with offerings like the new Atlas and redesigned Tiguan. But the automaker has no intention of falling behind when it comes to electric vehicles.

We sat down with Volkswagen Group North American CEO Scott Keogh at Geneva to discuss a wide range of topics, among them VW’s upcoming EV lineup launch. Keogh believes that 2022 will be the “sweet spot” on the market when there’ll be enough EV products out there for them to become mainstream. But there’s work to be done beforehand.

“Profitability, let’s make no mistake, comes from scale. In my mind this is an opportunity to take the scale of the (VW) Group with the (all-electric MEB) platform and be one of the first to push aggressively into the volume side,” Keogh said.

“With electric cars, we can have the scale compared to many of our competitors in the US on the internal combustion engine front. When you start talking about tens of millions of cars on the platform, you can get the pricing into a good place. But if you ask me the more important thing is not on the profitability side but on the revenue side. Can we get enough people to buy the cars?”

There’s been a gradual consumer acceptance of EVs over the past few years and that will hopefully translate to solid sales. But an essential element of making a new product or technology successful is market introduction timing.

“When I look at market research in the US (for EVS), it started with ‘I don’t know what an electric car is’, then it migrated to ‘I know EVs but I’m never going to buy one’, then it went to that interesting place of ‘they’re kind of cool but they’re for someone else.’ Now, it’s moved into ‘I’m going to take a look at one for my next car.’ Make no mistake, timing is certainly a part of that.”

Mitsubishi’s new power system lets your car power your home

April 4, 2019Electric Cars, Mitsubishi, News, Reviews and Comment, Outlander PHEVRepost

Dendo Drive House automatically shares energy between electric cars and the home

Coming this year, Mitsubishi will sell a system that lets you share power between your home and electric car. Launched today at the Geneva Motor Show, the Dendo Drive House (DDH) features solar panels, a home battery, and a bi-directional charger that lets power flow from your home to your car, or from your car to your home — depending on the economics and which needs the power most. DDH supports cars like the Mitsubishi Engelberg Tourer that the company also announced at the show

There are a number of scenarios when having your car charge your home could be useful. In addition to opening up a world of off-grid living, it could also serve as a backup in the event of a power cut, for example. The system could also be useful if your electricity tariff offers you a discount during off-peak hours, when the electricity grid is under less load and cheaper to use as a result. For example, your car could inexpensively charge itself overnight, and then power your AC during the day. Of course, this will only work if you’re not planning on using the car to make any trips during that time.

The system supports both pure electric vehicles as well as plug-in hybrids like the new Engelberg Tourer and existing Outlander PHEV. Mitsubishi plans on offering both professional installation as well as maintenance services for the system as a package from its dealerships. Self-installation won’t be possible.

More new models, tougher CO2 rules poised to boost EVs, plug-in hybrids

April 4, 2019Audi, Electric Cars, Mercedes, MINI, News, Reviews and Comment, Peugeot, Sales, Seat, Skoda, Tesla, Volkswagen, VolvoRepost

A lack of choice has been one reason that buyers in Europe have not fully embraced full-electric and electrified plug-in hybrid cars.

But that is quickly changing as automakers prepare to launch more models to prepare for tougher CO2 emissions regulations that start to take effect in 2020.

The number of EVs on sale in Europe will increase to 24 this year from 18 last year as new vehicles such as the Audi e-tron, Tesla Model 3, Mercedes-Benz EQC, Mini EV and full-electric Volvo XC40 crossover hit the market, according to LMC Automotive data — which excludes very-low-volume niche models. The number of plug-in hybrids will nearly double to 53 this year from 27 in 2018, LMC says.

But the real jump will come in 2020, when the number of full-electric cars on sale doubles to 48 and plug-in-hybrid choice reaches almost 100, according to LMC data.

Next year battery-powered cars underpinned by Volkswagen Group’s flexible MEB electric-car platform and aimed at the mass-market will go on sale. VW brand’s Golf-sized I.D. hatchback will come first but it will soon be followed by MEB cars from the Audi, Skoda and Seat brands. They will have ranges of more than 550 km (342 miles), to ease range anxiety fears among car buyers.

It’s no coincidence that 2020 is also when the EU will start fining automakers if they miss their stricter CO2 reduction targets that are being implemented to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions blamed for contributing to climate change.

“We have only one target, which is to be compliant for CO2 targets for 2020, so 2019 will be the launch of all our electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles,” Maxime Picat, PSA Group’s operations director for Europe, told journalists in January.