Monthly Archives: April 2020

Motorists reconsider electric cars amid lockdown

April 17, 2020Electric Cars, Energy and Climate Change, News, Reviews and Comment, PollutionRepost

Government-enforced lockdowns around the world, due to Covid-19, are without doubt making life difficult for many, but they are also having a dramatic positive impact on people’s awareness of the benefits to the environment, reports Venson Automotive Solutions.

45% of people surveyed by Venson confirmed that the radical improvement on air pollution across the globe as a result of the demobilisation of transport, has made them reconsider their electric vehicle (EV) ownership plans. A further 17% said it reaffirmed the decision they had already made to make the switch to an EV.

Of the 45% of motorists who are now reassessing their EV options, 19% said their next company car or private purchase would be an EV, with the remaining 26% confirming they intend to become an EV driver in the next 5 years. In an EV attitudes survey conducted by Venson in July 2019, 41% of people said they were considering moving to an EV, but 31% said that wouldn’t for another 10-15 years, confirming the intention by many to play their part in protecting the environment has since accelerated.

“Reducing emissions has been a hot topic and a clear government, business and personal target for several years now,” Alison Bell, Marketing Director at Venson Automotive Solutions commented, “but still the growth of electric vehicle (EV) ownership has been slow. This is despite evidence that transport is responsible for 23% of global emissions, and driving petrol and diesel fuelled vehicles contributes 72% of the transport sector’s greenhouse gas emissions*.”

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March sees tripling of battery EV sales despite slumping new car market

April 15, 2020Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, SalesRepost

Sales of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) soared in March 2020 to 11,694 despite a significant drop in sales of new cars overall.

In March, registrations of BEVs almost tripled, accounting for 4.6% of the market, according to new figures released by the SMMT. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) sales also saw a boost, growing 38% in the month, however they fell short of the numbers BEVs achieved, with 6,818 registrations compared to 11,694.

However, the new car market saw an overall drop in sales of -44.4%, a harsher fall than during the last financial crisis and the worst March since the late nineties, the SMMT said.

203,370 fewer cars were registered than in March 2019, a fall larger attributed to the closure of showrooms in line with government advice to contain the spread of COVID-19.

The reason why BEVs saw a huge spike despite the overall decline is likely to be attributed to several reasons, according to Cornwall Insight’s EV specialist Katie Hickford, one of which is the changes to Benefit in Kind tax which came into effect on 1 April, providing a strong financial incentive for fleet EV purchases.

Another large contributing factor is also likely to be the Tesla Model 3, Hickford said, which is “likely the 9th best-selling car model during March 2020”.

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Top 10 best plug-in hybrid cars 2020

April 13, 2020Electric Cars, News, Reviews and CommentRepost

PHEVs are fast becoming some of the most important cars on our roads as more of us switch from pure combustion to electrified power. These are our favourites

The UK company car market is in the midst of a seismic shift right now.

The adoption of the latest WLTP emissions testing standard, combined with another tightening down of CO2-based UK company car tax rules, has really marginalised the suitability of conventional petrol- and diesel-powered cars for fleet use and shifted the spotlight squarely and unflinchingly onto the modern plug-in hybrid.

As many company car drivers will have already discovered to their cost, if you want to continue paying anything like the same benefit-in-kind (BIK) tax on a company car in 2020 as you did in 2019, the only way to do it – if you haven’t already – is to move out of a petrol or diesel car and into a PHEV.

These are the cars you should be considering for that big move. All are electrified hybrid options that’ll get you into the sub-50g/km CO2 money-saving BIK club, although, depending on their officially certified electric-only range, some currently qualify for a tax liability at 8% of their P11D price, some at 12% and others at 14%. Here’s how to choose wisely.

1. BMW 330e

BMW’s competitors have followed its lead so many times when seeking success in the UK fleet market over the past few decades. It makes perfect sense, then, that BMW was the first premium brand to offer the market a really convincing plug-in hybrid executive option in the shape of the previous 330e, and that it should continue to lead the field with the current one.

The latest 330e combines a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine with an electric drive motor mounted upstream of the gearbox, making it handle and behave much like any other G20-generation 3-Series. It imposes a relative penalty on boot space compared with its conventionally powered siblings, but it’s unlikely that typical business users will notice the shortage, and cabin space is unharmed.

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Renault Zoe review: first UK test of new electric supermini

April 10, 2020Electric Cars, Renault, ZOERepost

Ah, testing a small electric car. Let me guess. Honda e… Mini… 208… Corsa… Cinquecento?

Keep guessing. This is indeed a part of Planet Car that has become pretty congested in the last couple of months. But let’s not forget the one that has owned the territory for more than eight years, the Renault Zoe. And it’s just had a major going over.

So what is it? A dodderer that’s about ready to be put out to grass, or a wily old stager that can still teach the whippersnappers a thing or two?

Well, it does well in the headline one electric-car issue: range. Here are the numbers: Honda 137 miles, Mini 144, Fiat 199, Vauxhall 209, Peugeot 212, all in their small-wheel versions.

The Zoe hits 245 miles by the same slightly artificial measure. Dah winnah!

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Petrol stations may close due to low demand, warns trade body

April 8, 2020Electric Cars, Energy and Climate Change, News, Reviews and Comment, Oil, PollutionRepost

Petrol Retailers Association warns dramatic dive in sales during pandemic will make businesses “unviable”

Petrol stations could be the next victim of the coronavirus pandemic, after warnings that a dearth of business will force many to close in the coming weeks.

The Petrol Retailers Association (PRA), which represents the independent fuel retailers that make up the majority of UK forecourts, cites a government survey claiming sales of petrol have fallen by an average of 75% across the UK, with diesel down 71%.

“Many petrol stations will have to close in the coming weeks, as sales of fuel dry up and their businesses become unviable,”

the PRA said in a statement.

Stations in hardest-hit rural areas will be most at risk, it claims. Motorists are advised to check that their local station is actually open before leaving the house.

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Cambridge councils roll out electric refuse vehicle

April 7, 2020Electric VansRepost

The Greater Cambridge Shared Waste Service – a partnership between South Cambridgeshire district and Cambridge city councils – has rolled out its first electric refuse collection vehicle (RCV).

The fully electric Dennis Eagle ‘eCollect’ costs around £400,000, which the partnership says is more than the approximate £185,000 cost of a diesel bin lorry.

However the partnership said this highlights its the two council’s commitment to the“growing climate emergency”, and the Shared Waste Service says it will eventually replace all current 55 diesel vehicles across its fleet with electric or hydrogen lorries.

Carbon emissions

Cambridge city council’s executive councillor for climate change, Rosy Moore, said:

“Our shared waste service eventually aims to replace all bin lorries with zero emission options – by 2028 at the latest. As well as reducing our carbon emissions, electric vehicles also contribute to cleaner air and given our focus on air quality, this is another reason we’ve made this purchase.”

The current diesel vehicles that collect waste and recycling in Cambridge are among the largest CO2 emitters in both councils, according to the Shared Waste Service.

The service reportedly uses around 50,000 litres of diesel a month with a cost of £55,000.

Ms Moore added:

“It’s an exciting new technology but inside the lorry itself it is quite like what we already have. So, we know our crews will quickly become familiar with it. As well as electric vehicles, we’re also investigating the possibility of testing vehicles that are powered by hydrogen in future too. We’re committed to doing what we can to cut our own carbon emissions and decarbonising our waste fleet will be a big step towards this.”

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Charging infrastructure affected by coronavirus

April 6, 2020Charging, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, POD Point, UbitricityRepost

Due to the Covid 19 pandemic, not only are the production lines in most electric car plants at a standstill but now first effects on charging infrastructure are becoming apparent.

This concerns both the production of charging points and the maintenance and distribution of the pillars.

Ubitricity and Pod Point, for example, are postponing charging point installations in the UK that are currently not necessary. The responsible Ubitricity manager announced that the installation of new lantern charging points in London would be suspended as the work was not considered “essential”. However, the existing charging points will continue to be maintained.

The same applies to Pod Point, but in some “critical” cases the company announced exceptions in a statement. For example, home chargers ordered will continue to be installed at homes of people who were classified as “key workers” in the coronavirus crisis or if the household only has battery-electric cars and no more ICEs. Orders are still possible for all customers, but installation will take place at a later date.

The same applies to commercial installations; here too, companies that rely exclusively on electric cars and charging points installed at the workplace for “key workers” will continue to be served. Maintenance work at Homecharge customers and the public Pod Point network will continue. However, for the time being, maintenance work on charging points at the workplace will only be carried out for those working in the health or logistics sector.

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MG to supply NHS with 100 electric vehicles

April 4, 2020Electric Cars, MG, News, Reviews and Comment, ZS EVRepost

MG Motor UK will supply up to 100 electric MG ZS cars to NHS agencies across the UK during the coronavirus pandemic.

The carmaker will supply the vehicles via MG’s nationwide dealer network for up to six months, completely free of charge, to support the national effort to overcome Covid-19.

By providing additional transport capacity with low running costs to the NHS, MG and its dealers hope to support the national effort in these unprecedented times.

The first six cars have already been supplied to Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Trust by MG dealer Chorley Group.

Daniel Gregorious, head of sales & marketing at MG Motor UK, said: ‘As a proud British brand, MG is more than just a car manufacturer. Together with our dealer network, we want to do our bit to help the country to come through this uncertain time.

‘By providing 100 electric cars to our NHS heroes, we hope that we will help to keep healthcare moving so that as many people as possible can receive the support they need. It’s also our way of saying thank you to those selfless people who work so hard to keep us all safe.’

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Keep your parked electric car and its battery healthy with these simple tips

April 3, 2020Charging, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and CommentRepost

Many EV commuters are suddenly affected by orders to stay at home and, if possible, to work from home.

With the electric car parked for extended times, what’s the best strategy for not damaging the battery?

The general advice hasn’t changed much over the years, and it just requires knowing a few key pieces of information about your car.

Both internal-combustion and electric cars are designed to be driven regularly, which is why leaving them stationary for long periods of time can cause problems.

Electric car owners need to keep track of the state of charge of the main battery pack and understand that there’s probably a clunky 12-volt accessory battery, too—yes, even if you get a Tesla Model Y.

While the battery pack provides power to drive the car, the 12-volt battery often powers other electrical components, including battery-management systems and telematics, Transport Evolved notes. That means it’s very likely to get drained if a car is parked for too long.

The lithium-ion cells in the battery packs of most modern electric cars don’t like to be kept at a full state of charge or a very low state of charge for long periods of time.

So if your car allows for preset charging to a specific state of charge, it’s best to set that to roughly half battery capacity, rather than a full recharge—and limit any charging sessions to an 80% ceiling if your car permits that. Some cars may also have “sleep” or “transport” modes for long periods of inactivity.

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Car tax changes 2020: What updates are coming into effect? How will new rules affect me?

April 2, 2020Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, SalesRepost

CAR TAX changes for 2020 are set to come into effect in April and will introduce a widespread package of updates to all vehicle owners.

Those with an electric car are set for further tax breaks which will remove all car tax charges for owners of zero-emissions vehicles. However, costs are set to rise for other vehicle owners as the government attempts to push drivers to take up electric vehicles.

Are car tax rates changing for petrol and diesel cars?

The chancellor’s budget confirmed car tax rates for non-electric vehicles will be increasing under the new updates.

VED costs will increase from 1 April although heavy goods vehicles will be exempt from rises to support the sector.

The budget statement says: “The government will uprate VED rates for cars, vans and motorcycles in line with RPI from 1 April 2020.”

Vehicle emissions will be calculated using the Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP) for the first time in 2020.

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