Monthly Archives: June 2020

Corsa-e review: New electric hatchback will be very familiar to Vauxhall owners

June 16, 2020Corsa-e, Electric Cars, VauxhallRepost

Mirror Motoring’s Colin Goodwin gets his hands on his first car after lockdown – the Vauxhall Corsa-e electric vehicle that sprints to 60mph in 7.6 seconds in Sport mode

The last car that was delivered to me to test before the lockdown was a Renault Zoe, which as you probably know is a fully electric car.

The first car to be delivered in the eased lockdown is a Vauxhall Corsa-e, also an electric car.

So for the limited amount of driving that I’ve done during the last two months, which is mainly going back and forth caring for my 94-year-old mum, all of it has been in an EV.

I’m getting pretty used to this electric business. Wouldn’t say I was at the evangelist stage yet, but I’m warming to it.

The Corsa-e is essentially the same car as the Peugeot e-208 but not quite as good looking. Vauxhall was quick out of the box with this car because there is no fully electric Ford hatchback and very few from other rivals.

There’s really only the aforementioned Zoe, the Mini E and Honda E – the latter offering a shorter range and higher price.

The Corsa-e has a 100kW electric motor and a 50kWh battery giving it a range in ideal conditions of 209 miles, which is about 25 miles less than the Renault.

Vauxhall will also give you a wall-mounted fast charger and fit it for free. This is just as well because charging the car from a domestic socket will take up to 24 hours.

Use a public rapid charger and you will be able to bring your Corsa-e’s battery up to 80% charge in 30 minutes.

Slip inside and you’ll see a rather more straightforward interior than the Peugeot’s. No nice piano keys to operate oft-used items like radio and sat nav, no futuristic 3D virtual cockpit and no wacky tiny steering wheel.

But never mind, there’s not much wrong with the Vauxhall’s interior and it’s very well put together.

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MPs call for accelerated rollout of EV infrastructure and emission zone extensions

June 13, 2020Charging, Electric Cars, Energy and Climate Change, News, Reviews and Comment, Pollution, SalesRepost

The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Air Pollution has called for an accelreated roll out of electric vehicle infrastructure and for emissions zones to be extended to help tackle climate change as the coronavirus lockdown starts to lift.

The APPG has launched its Strategy to Reduce Coronavirus Infection as we emerge from Lockdown in order to keep air pollution low.

The group said studies in the US, China and Europe have identified the strong correlation between areas of high air pollution and COVID-19 deaths.

Part of the suggested proposals include extending emission zones in UK cities, introducing scrappage schemes for older vehicles, accelerating the roll out of EV infrastructure and bringing forward a ban on new fossil fuel engines to 2030 at the latest.

Geraint Davies, chair of the APPG Air Pollution, said:

“There is a risk that increased private transport as lockdown measures are reduced will increase pollution levels beyond pre-lockdown levels.

“Government must provide a clear message that pollution should be reduced, while supporting greener transport with fiscal measures and giving local government the tools to help do the job.”

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Electric cars gain market share in Europe despite Covid-19 crisis

June 12, 2020Electric Cars, Energy and Climate Change, News, Reviews and Comment, Pollution, SalesRepost

Data suggests that carmakers are making progress towards meeting emissions reductions targets

Electric and hybrid cars gained traction among European buyers in April despite coronavirus lockdowns stalling the market, suggesting carmakers are likely to avoid potential fines potentially worth billions of euros if they fail to reduce average emissions.

Battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid cars accounted for 17% of sales across all European markets, including the UK, in April, according to data collated by industry analysts Jato Dynamics. That was more than double the 7% market share achieved in April 2019.

The data show buyers were more likely to opt for electric and hybrid cars even as overall sales fell dramatically. Total car sales, including petrol and diesel models, fell from 1.34m units in April 2019 to 292,600 vehicles in April 2020, the lowest level since the 1970s, Jato said.

Sales of battery electric cars fell by 29% during the month compared with the previous year, but performed far stronger than the 78% decline seen across the market as a whole as sales of petrol and diesel cars decreased much faster.

Sales of plug-in hybrid cars rose by 7% according to Jato. Volkswagen, Volvo and Ford all benefited from strong growth in sales of plug-in hybrids.

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Electric vehicle drivers got paid to fill up this weekend

June 11, 2020Charging, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, Octopus, OhmeRepost

Electricity prices went negative for long periods on Octopus Energy’s Agile tariff on the bank holiday weekend
Drivers with the Ohme charger automatically charged their cars when prices were cheap/negative
Ohme drivers got paid around £5 as they charged over 600 miles worth of electricity, enough to drive London to County Durham and back, and would typically cost around £100 in petrol

UK, Thursday 28th May 2020: Over the bank holiday weekend, there were long periods during the day and the night where electric vehicle drivers, using Octopus Agile’s green electricity tariff and an Ohme cable or home charger, were actually paid to charge their car.

One driver, for instance, was paid £4.51 to charge up his Tesla Model 3 with enough electricity to drive over 650 miles – which would have cost over £100 in an equivalent petrol car, a BMW 3 series. That is enough energy to drive from London to County Durham and back.

Another driver, on Twitter, quipped “I drive from Bath to Edinburgh…and Octopus PAY ME enough to buy 2 pints of cask ale and a bag of crisps”, as other drivers were posting energy prices and declaring what they were planning to do, as you can see here.

Wholesale electricity prices were negative because of lower electricity demand, coupled with the weather which was both windy and sunny causing there to be lots of renewable energy available. Octopus Agile charges customers based on wholesale prices which allows people on this tariff to benefit from lower prices when excess power is available. Periods of negative prices are occurring more frequently. For example, on Saturday 23rd May, prices were negative for more than 12 hrs, from early morning to the middle of the day, and drivers were paid up to 11p per kWh used.

Ohme’s smart charging technology enables drivers to optimise each charge according to what they want and what the predicted power prices will be over the next 24 hours. Ohme will turn the charging on-and-off throughout the day-or-night to minimise the costs and take advantage of the lower energy prices. Ohme does all the hard work. This also uses surplus renewable energy which could, otherwise, be wasted if wind turbines are curtailed to balance supply and demand.

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Why fleets are (still) making the switch to electric vehicles

June 10, 2020Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, SalesRepost

With oil prices at multi-year lows, conventional wisdom suggests an interest in electric vehicles (EVs) will wane. Perhaps surprisingly, the opposite is happening.

Whilst registrations for diesel and petrol vehicles have plunged in the UK year on year, registrations for electric vehicles have more than doubled in the midst of the global pandemic. Analysts don’t see the long-term trend toward the electrification of transport reversing. It isn’t only consumer demand driving EV sales.

Tesla Model 3 Unveil (Image: Tesla) — Tesla Model 3 (Image: Tesla)

One of the main reasons fossil fuel vehicles may have finally reached the end of the road is that the electrification of fleets is accelerating.

Why Now?

According to Bloomberg, “now we know that clear skies and silent streets can come about with shocking speed.” Up to 2.6 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions have been prevented due to recent lockdowns—a historic record—that has caused many people to envision a world without air and noise pollution. It’s also inspired many companies to push for a green recovery and spurred the UN to call on Governments to “Build Back Better.” Even before the current crisis, some of the biggest delivery fleets in the world were already thinking green. Last September, online retailing giant Amazon ordered 100,000 electric delivery vans from EV-maker Rivian, while UPS recently announced plans to invest in 20,000 electric trucks from UK’s Arrival. According to BloombergNEF (BNEF), by 2040, 56 per cent of light commercial and 31 per cent of medium commercial vehicle sales will be electric.

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Electric cars may be the safest way to travel with ‘contact free’ trips guaranteed

June 9, 2020Charging, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and CommentRepost

Electric cars may be the safest way to travel with ‘contact free’ trips guaranteed

Electric cars can be charged for over 300 miles from the comfort of your own driveway meaning road users do not need to visit packed petrol stations. The contact free trips mean road users can top up their car without any risk of picking up any germs from fuel pumps or other motorists.

Figure 4: Charging on Christmas Day (Image: T. Larkum) — Charging at home (Image: T. Larkum)

Speaking to Express.co.uk, Fiona Howarth, CEO of Octopus Electric Vehicles said motorists would also be able to charge at numerous other areas away from traditional petrol stations.

She said the growing infrastructure has meant motorists can top up while staying in hotels and even at parks.

Ms Howarth told Express.co.uk:

“With the ability to safely charge at home and complete up to a 310 mile trip on one charge, electric vehicles make contact free trips possible this summer.

“If you do need to charge while you’re out, the growing UK charging infrastructure means you can charge at National Trust properties or even stay in numerous hotels and apartments where charging is available on site, avoiding more crowded traditional stops.”

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10 things we love about electric cars in lockdown

June 6, 2020Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, SalesRepost

Erin Baker explains why she’s lucky to own a Nissan Leaf in lockdown, and shares what potential electric car buyers should look for.

We’re running a Nissan Leaf for six months and we’ve been so grateful for it since lockdown began. Here’s why electric cars make perfect sense right now.

Nissan Leaf collection in St Albans (Image: T. Larkum)

1 – Easier to social distance

You don’t need to go near a fuel pump with an electric car, which means we haven’t had to worry about visiting fuel stations, and how to touch fuel pumps or interact with the public without risking contamination since lockdown began. Instead, the only charging we’ve done for two months has been at home, which feels much safer.

2 – Cheaper to refuel

Like many other households, we’ve lost a lot of our income since lockdown began. It’s been a relief, therefore, to know that we’re paying something like £12 for every 200 miles we drive, thanks to our electric-car domestic energy tariff, instead of about £30.

3 – Kinder to nature

The pandemic has brought us all a little closer to nature, whether we like it or not, and it seems to compliment the zeitgeist to be driving something with no nasty tailpipe emissions.

4 – No noise pollution

See above. With no loud rumble from the engine and exhaust, the only noise pollution comes from the whispering of the tyres and air. So we, and our neighbours, can still hear the enhanced birdsong when we start up in the morning.

5 – No range anxiety

Lockdown means fewer, more local journeys, so we’ve completely forgotten what range anxiety feels like, which is definitely the way forward. Not that we’ve had it very often – the Leaf is good for about 230 miles.

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Hyundai Kon Electric: The New Favored Police Patrol Car For Europe?

June 5, 2020Electric Cars, Hyundai, Kona Electric, News, Reviews and CommentRepost

As cities look to reduce air pollution, some are equipping their police forces with electric cars. The Hyundai Kona Electric is proving to be a popular choice, in Europe at least.

Police forces in Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom currently use Kona Electric patrol cars, Hyundai said earlier this month in a press release. The Ioniq and hydrogen fuel-cell Nexo are also used by police in Europe, the automaker said.

The Swiss canton of St. Gallen added Kona Electric police cars to its fleet last year. The crossover was the only electric vehicle that met the canton’s requirements for power, range, and cost, Hyundai said.

Kona Electric are also used by police in Valencia, Spain, according to Hyundai. In the U.K., Sussex Police and North Wales Police have one Kona Electric each in their fleets, while Hampshire Police has ordered nine, for delivery next month.

Additionally, three Netherlands police forces—in Amsterdam, East Netherlands, and Central Netherlands—are testing Kona Electrics for police use.

Dutch police officers have found the Kona Electric to be a great surveillance car, since suspects can’t hear it coming, according to Hyundai. The cars are certainly quieter than the diesel Opel Astra hatchbacks that have been the default choice for most European police forces over the last decade.

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France warns Renault could disappear; Nissan plans job cuts

June 4, 2020Electric Cars, Leaf, News, Reviews and Comment, Nissan, Renault, ZOERepost

PARIS/TOKYO (Reuters) – Europe’s car industry was put on alert for more job losses on Friday as a French minister warned Renault could disappear if it didn’t get help soon and a Japanese news report said partner Nissan was considering 20,000 layoffs, with many in Europe.

Renault (RENA.PA) and Nissan (7201.T) have been in a carmaking alliance for the past two decades and are due to announce a strategy update next Wednesday.

The plan was originally billed as a reset of their relationship, which was rocked by the November 2018 arrest in Japan of the alliance’s architect and long-time boss Carlos Ghosn on charges of financial misconduct, which he denies.

However, the update has taken on greater significance since the coronavirus pandemic hammered demand for vehicles and threw production into disarray.

French finance minister Bruno Le Maire, who is considering a 5 billion euro ($5.5 billion) loan for Renault to help it through the crisis, warned on Friday the company’s future was at stake.

“Yes, Renault could disappear,” he told Europe 1 radio.

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The future of transport – building EV growth into the energy network

June 3, 2020Charging, Electric Cars, Energy and Climate Change, News, Reviews and CommentRepost

Climate change has raced up the list of priorities for the public during the last year or so.

MORI polls have shown that this is now at the top of the public’s concerns, sharing importance levels only achieved by Brexit, social care and the NHS

But there is much to do in order to meet the government’s legally binding targets of the UK being net-zero carbon by 2050. Of the key areas of electricity supply, heating and transport, progress in the latter is slower by some margin.

So, what are the answers?

Government policy is lagging behind where it should be and attracting criticism from the independent Committee on Climate Change. The automobile industry is moving ahead regardless, perhaps seeing the way the wind is blowing. Local authorities are declaring climate emergencies and introducing wide ranging local plans to achieve even more stringent targets.

More infrastructure is being delivered to facilitate EV charging but, more importantly, this is being linked to wider green agenda aims via vehicle to grid chargers. These fit EV ownership nicely into the thread of ‘homes / buildings as power stations’ in their own regard and the very definition of decentralisation. All of these will play a role in the future. Government policy looks forward to 2035 but perhaps by then the deep seated and intractable desire of the British individual to own a car at all might be starting to fade, with car clubs and shared transportation becoming the norm.

Climate Change

There is a whole international infrastructure which oversees climate change across the globe. The UNFCCC and IPCC have been saying for years that global warming is worsening and that urgent action needs to be taken. However, the IPCC report of October 2018 touched a particular nerve with the public.

This was the most hard-hitting report to date and effectively said that the world has 12 years to get a grip on global warming, or there will be irreparable damage to the world’s ecosystems and environment. From this report sprung a new vigour of climate action. Greta Thunberg and Extinction Rebellion were but two indicators of this.

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