Monthly Archives: January 2021

Electric Vehicle Launches To Watch Out For In 2021

Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, Tesla

The last year has been surprisingly positive for EVs. But a lot of cars that were due to be released in 2020 have slipped to next year. There are also new technologies looming in 2021 that will shift the EV market still further in the right direction. Here are some of the most significant things to watch out for in the world of electric cars in 2021.

Tesla Berlin Gigafactory And European Model Y
Just when it looked like the Model 3 would be the car that took Tesla into the mainstream, the Model Y arrived, with even greater success. But we still can’t get our hands on it in Europe, and it’s not likely to arrive until the end of 2021 or even 2022. A key factor in its delivery will be the Tesla Gigafactory in Berlin, which is due to come online in July 2021. This development has encountered numerous hiccups along the way, including some about its effect on wildlife, unexploded WWII bombs, and soil composition requiring a change of foundation type with new planning permission.

But when Giga Berlin comes online it will aim to build a quarter million cars a year in its first phase, and then onwards to three times that. The factory will produce batteries, battery packs and Tesla Model Y final assembly. According to announcements made at the Tesla Battery Day in September, the Model Y will be built a bit differently in Berlin, too. It will be made from a small number of very large metal cast parts – maybe just two for the main frame – and will have batteries that are structurally integrated to save on excess structure while increasing chassis stiffness. So the European Model Y, when it does arrive, could be even better than the one now on sale in the USA.

Rimac C_Two
There are several electric hypercars imminent – the Lotus Evija and Pininfarina Battista both look amazing, and there’s Tesla’s new Roadster too. But the Croatian Rimac C_Two, if it delivers on its promises, will be the one to beat. Rimac is boasting a top speed of 258mph and 0-60mph in 1.85 seconds from the C_Two’s 1,900hp motor. These figures are ahead of the competition and could mean the C_Two will even give fossil-fueled hypercars like the Bugatti Chiron something to think about, particularly in a drag race.

Tesla Model S Plaid
The Rimac C_Two will show just what is possible now with EVs, but at a starting price of €2 million ($2.45 million), few will have the chance to try it. More mainstream – if you call $132,990 affordable – will be the Tesla Model S Plaid, slated for late 2021. Slotting in above the Performance version of the S, the Plaid promises astonishing acceleration of less than two seconds to 60mph, a top speed of 200mph, and perhaps even more significantly, a range of over 520 miles on a single charge. The latter is likely to be the result of a larger 120kWh battery (the current model has 100kWh) allied with some of the new technologies announced at Battery Day 2020. Once the Plaid arrives, it should be the fastest accelerating production car on the market. And it’s still a hatchback with plenty of room for four adults.

Solid State Batteries
As Tesla’s emphasis on battery announcements above other areas indicates, this is the technology that is most significant for EV development. One of the cornerstones of Tesla’s success has been its battery production deals, particularly with Panasonic, and now the company is aiming to be a big manufacturer itself. But Toyota and VW might have an answer waiting in the wings in the shape of solid-state technology. Because it doesn’t use liquid electrolytes, solid-state battery technology is safer, charges faster, holds more power and lasts longer than traditional lithium ion battery designs.

Read more: Forbes

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It’s Been 10 Years Since Modern EVs Arrived: Where We Started, Where We Are and What’s Next

Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment

Don’t look now, but we’re officially a decade into the modern electric vehicle era. So how’s it been going anyway?

Exactly 10 years last week, Jeffrey Kaffee of New Jersey got the keys to the very first Chevrolet Volt sold. The handover came just four days after Olivier Chalouhi took delivery in San Francisco of the very first Nissan Leaf sold in the U.S.

The Volt had an EPA-rated electric range of 35 miles, and the Leaf’s all-electric range was only a bit more than twice that: 73 miles. But the Volt was marketed as a “range-extended electric car,” just as hard to understand back then as the idea of a plug-in hybrid—and the Leaf was distinctly odd-looking. Still, no matter how compromised, they represented the cutting edge of automotive technology at the time.

Back then, the Tesla Model S had been announced in April 2009, but wouldn’t struggle into production until 18 months after the Leaf and Volt launched—two years after Tesla’s original launch date. The auto industry viewed it as a desperate long-shot idea by an arrogant Silicon Valley startup that had sold a few novelty $100,000 electric roadsters to rich tech bros, a niche player at best.

What a difference a decade makes.

This month, there’s an electric Ford Mustang landing at dealers. An electric Hummer is coming next year, which should permanently reset the image of EVs from polar bears to badass, intimidating, military-inspired off-road monsters. Ford and General Motors will offer additional EV pickup trucks within a couple of years.

Tesla has become profitable for successive quarters, it now builds cars in the U.S. and China and it will open two more plants—one in Austin, Texas, the other in Berlin—next year. Today it debuted on the S&P 500 index after a more than 700 percent increase in price this year alone. It is valued higher than the world’s eight largest car companies, put together. It doesn’t sell as many cars globally as, say, Subaru, but it’ll build roughly half a million EVs this year. (And just for good measure, Tesla may launch a semi-tractor for freight hauling as well.)

Not bad for a company in only its ninth year of mass production.

From Climate Concerns to Badass Pickups
It’s all because the world’s regulators and even politicians accept the science of climate change, and understand that electric vehicles massively reduce the carbon-dioxide (CO2) emissions from wheeled vehicles in every sector—especially in China, the world’s biggest car market and arguably the biggest driver of this shift to EVs.

Plus, cost reductions and performance improvements in lithium-ion battery cells soared over the last decade, at a rate far speedier than predicted when the Leaf and Volt got the green light in 2008 or so.

It’s now clear the world will transition to electric vehicles over the next several decades. It’ll take a long time, given 1.2 billion vehicles on the planet’s roads today. But the progress over the last 10 years has been breath-taking.

Think back 10 years, to the very first zero-emission vehicle that launched in volume, the one that heralded hybrids’ demise as the most advanced-technology vehicles on the road. That would be the 2011 Nissan Leaf.

Consider how it compares to the specs of today’s electric cars—which require us to generalize, because there are so many across so many different categories—and to the charging infrastructure then available.

Read more: The Drive

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Taking A Look At Biden’s Climate Plan For Cars And Trucks

Electric Cars, Energy and Climate Change, News, Reviews and Comment

President-Elect Joe Biden has unveiled a plan for building a modern sustainable infrastructure and an equitable clean energy future. It’s a vision based largely on the assumption of a massive wave of investment in electric vehicles. But Biden is not just dreaming, he intends to act:

“Biden also plans to invest big in carbon-free public transport and will aim to provide all cities of more than 100,000 people with quality public transportation by 2030. And also to invest in building electric vehicles with sufficient charging stations across the country — he will create 1 million new jobs in auto manufacturing, auto supply chains, and auto infrastructure .”

He’s going to be busy turning vast fleets of government vehicles electric, and installing 400,000 charging stations across the country. To think the U.S. now only has 150,000 gasoline stations.

If all goes according to plan, we could be looking at a dramatic reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Transportation in the U.S. is petroleum-based and contributes 28% of all U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (2018 data) – larger than electricity (27%), industry (22%) and commercial and residential (12%). If the U.S. could take a big bite out of petroleum-based transportation, that would go a long way towards reducing GHG emissions.

Cars and trucks contribute 82% of transportation GHG emissions in the US (Figure 1) where there are almost 300 million cars driving around.

Cars have started going electrical, but plug-ins are less than 2% of all US cars on the road (2.2% globally), and widespread adoption will be dubious if charging stations are not built quickly enough.

Auto manufacturers are reorienting. By 2025, thirty models of electric cars and electric trucks will be available from GM according to Mary Barra, CEO. They will include an SUV and an electric pickup, as well as a hummer electric sport utility by late 2021. “Climate change is real, and we want to be part of the solution,” Barra said.

Driving change: Norway versus the US

But let’s see how the US is progressing compared with other countries. Figure 2 reveals projected sales of electric vehicles versus year for different countries. Norway (top curve) is the leader by far, with right now over 50% of new vehicle sales being EVs. But the US is near the bottom.

Note that the modeling assumes a saturation level of 65% sales, which may reflect the difficulty of ever getting to 100% in a reasonable time-scale.

The secret to accelerate uptake of EVs is to make them cheap enough. Norway lowered taxes in EVs to keep the price down, and even exempted road tolls, as an incentive. The opposite approach would be to raise taxes on traditional cars – a kind of pollution tax.

What else can be learned from Norway? EVs in Norway are a diverse group, and there are also established electric buses, trams and trains. The Nissan Leaf, an unpretentious little car, is the best seller. But not so in the US where Tesla models are a clear winner with total 71,000 sales (data from first half of 2020). Chevy Bolt has about 8,000 and Nissan Leaf 3,000.

Costs come into the EV uptake of course, but if the federal tax credit of up to $7,500 is deducted, an EV may not cost much more than a gasoline counterpart. Tesla Model 3 prices are $38,000 – $55,000.

So given the Biden Administration’s will to boost EV fortunes, we can expect Biden to push for generous incentives on EVs alongside a rollback of Trump’s rollback (to 40 mpg) of Obama’s fuel economy standards (54.5 mpg). California, naturally, is in the middle of this with its own goal of lowering greenhouse gases. Despite clashes with the Trump administration, they have reached a deal with five car makers that is only slightly less strict than the Obama plan. Looking beyond 2025, Governor Gavin Newsom has stated he will ban all sales of new gasoline vehicles by 2035.

Read more: Forbes

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Volkswagen ID.3 electric car (Image: Volkswagen.com)

Volkswagen ID.3 2020 review – a thoroughly good car that happens to be electric

Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, Volkswagen

Finally there’s a mainstream EV that takes advantage of its elements to be a thoroughly well engineered modern everyday vehicle

The ID.3 is an important car for VW. It’s the first model from a ground-up exercise in the creation of not just one battery electric model, but a whole range of different electric cars across the Volkswagen Group on its highly anticipated MEB architecture.

A Golf-sized, high-roof hatchback, the ID.3 will sit right in the middle of its eventual family. Volkswagen is keen to point out some similarities between its new arrival and the original Beetle, not least its rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout, but also the notion that it too will mobilise the masses – only this time by electrical means.

Volkswagen ID.3 electric car (Image: Volkswagen.com)
Volkswagen ID.3 electric car (Image: Volkswagen.com)

Engine, transmission and 0-60 time
The ID.3’s powertrain comprises a single 201bhp synchronous electric motor mounted within the rear axle and driving the rear wheels via a single-speed gearbox. Torque is rated at 264lb ft and is available from zero rpm, so it’s not hard to tap into.

The motor draws power from a 58kWh (net) battery pack, although later ID.3 models will add 77kWh and 45kWh options. The batteries themselves are stored in a panel that sits underneath the entirety of the cabin, with the axles pushed right out to each corner of the chassis. Despite its Mk5 GTI-like power figure, the ID.3 is not a fast EV, with 62mph taking 7.3sec.

Claimed ranges are just that, claimed, with the 58kWh battery rated at 263 miles give or take a few miles based on wheel choice. The larger 77kWh option extends this to 331 miles, while the smaller 45kWh battery reduces it to 205 miles. The two larger battery options are also capable of up to 100kW charging where available.

Technical highlights
While the technical components of the ID.3 don’t sound especially different to those of most EVs, it’s the way Volkswagen has packaged the powertrain that makes all the difference. Almost every bit of the chassis is different from VW’s internal-combustion models, designed from the beginning to work exclusively with an electric powertrain and battery pack.

The interior’s impressive packaging is arguably the most advantageous bit for buyers, with a cavernous cabin considering the car’s Golf-like exterior dimensions. Space up front is vast, and the feeling is exaggerated by the compact dash, low scuttle and deep glazing that together totally transform what the ID.3 feels like to sit in. It’s superbly airy, and feels genuinely fresh and interesting.

Read more: evo

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Top 10 Best Family Electric Cars 2021

Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment

Electric cars have been a long time in rising to prominence, but they’ve now well and truly arrived. There are more options to choose from than ever before, which helps to bring prices down, and smarter battery technology means you can travel further on a single charge, too.

Add in the fact that electric vehicles (EVs) let you travel in silence and produce zero emissions, are exempt from road tax and the London Congestion Charge, and (largely) qualify for a government grant to help make them more affordable and you get an idea of just how well placed they are to really assert themselves on the car-buying masses in the coming years. As the range between mains charges increases and the charging infrastructure improves, an EV becomes a more viable alternative to petrol- or diesel-fuelled models almost by the month.

Having first appeared around 10 years ago, the market’s first EVs were cars with around 80 miles of usable range and priced at a 50% premium over their petrol-fuelled counterparts. Today, in many cases, real-world range has more than doubled and that price premium has almost disappeared.

This is a list of our top 10 electric cars for families, compiled considering factors such as range, usability, driving dynamics and value for money. Some EVs are still subject to relatively high prices compared with combustion-engined cars, but their premiums can be offset against lower running costs.

1. Kia e-Niro
The Kia e-Niro redefines how much real-world range and family-friendly usability we should now expect from an EV towards the more affordable end of the price spectrum. For around £35,000, the car’s 64kWh battery pack enables it to comfortably travel 230 miles on a single charge; and further still if you stay off the motorway or around town. A few years ago, that would be the sort of range you’d be expecting from something far pricier, and probably with a Tesla badge on its nose.

That genre-challenging relationship between range, usability and affordability isn’t the sole reason why the e-Niro now crowns this list. Indeed if it was, the Hyundai Kona would be right up there, too. Where e-Niro pulls ahead, though, is that it also remains a thoroughly practical, dynamically well-resolved and pleasant-to-drive EV. It’s roomier than almost every other EV at the price, and it rides and handles with a greater level of sophistication and accomplishment than many of its rivals. It may lack some of the accelerative potency of its rivals, but as a well-rounded, truly usable affordable EV, the e-Niro is going to take some beating.

2. Volkswagen ID 3
As Volkswagen looks to move on from the fallout of Dieselgate, the ID 3 is set to take centre stage as the marque’s environmentally friendly wunderkind. This Golf-sized hatchback also gets the new ID sub-brand off the mark and aims to do so with the kind of mass-market sophistication and class-leading usability for which Volkswagen is rightly famed.

Built on an entirely fresh rear-engined platform, the ID 3 benefits from a long wheelbase, boosting cabin space, and is powered by a rear-mounted motor with up to 201bhp and 229lb ft. Two battery sizes are currently available, depending on the specification you opt for. A 58kWh pack lends a WLTP range of 261 miles, while the larger, pricier 77kWh battery ups that to 340 miles.
It excels in terms of manoeuvrability and low-speed response and, although heavy by compact car standards and rolling on wheels as big as 20in in diameter, it would seem to hit the company’s high standards for ride sophistication, too. Handling is surprisingly agile, balanced and nimble.

Although early versions of the car cost close to £40,000, ID 3 prices now start at just under £30,000 for a car with range and performance comparable with electric superminis at that price point, but better packaging and first-rate urban manoeuvrability.

3. Kia Soul EV
Kia’s boxy compact crossover is back for a third generation, but this time around, the Soul will be offered exclusively as an electric vehicle in European markets.

While not particularly sporty, it rides well, performs strongly and doesn’t make too much of a point of its 1682kg kerb weight. And because it makes use of the same powertrain as the slightly bigger e-Niro, it promises a WLTP-certified range of 280 miles when equipped with a 64kWh battery.

UK prices start from £33,795 after the UK government incentive, so the car will be only a few thousand pounds cheaper than the Kia e-Niro, which offers slightly more in the way of practicality. It’s one of the more pricey compact EVs on the market, clearly, but has more alternative styling appeal than the e-Niro and should easily attract people who can afford to pay a premium and don’t need quite as much space as an e-Niro affords.

Read more: AUTOCAR

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Zappi 2018 EV Charge Point (Image: myEnergi)

How to charge your electric car at home

Charging, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment

Wallbox charger or smart charger? And how do you install your charger once you’ve chosen it? We answer all your questions about charging your EV at home

Around 80 percent of all electric car charging takes place at home, which means it’s important to make sure you’ve got the right technology to make plugging in as painless, quick and cost effective as possible. To make the whole process as straightforward as possible we’ve pulled together this guide that will answer all your questions on the different methods of charging.

Are all electric car chargers the same?

There are effectively two options when it comes to home charging – you can either use the slow charger provided with the vehicle or have a wallbox installed. The former uses a standard 3-pin plug to take power from your domestic supply, plus is simple to use and extremely portable. However, with battery sizes increasing all the time these units can take over 24 hours to deliver a full charge and as a result manufacturers recommend they are only for ‘emergency use’. A better bet, especially if you’re committed to everyday EV use, is a wallbox charger. Installed on the side of your house or in a garage, it is capable of delivering faster charging times safely and reliable. It’s also easier to use and doesn’t require numerous cables running from the house.

What is a wallbox charger?
Essentially it’s a standalone charger that’s wired directly into your domestic electricity supply. As the name suggests, it’s mounted to the external wall of your property and allows you to quickly and easily plug your car in to charge. Better still, you can buy fast charging units that will slash the time it takes to replenish the battery, while there are also ‘smart’ units that you can programme remotely to only charge at certain times (such as when your electricity tariff is cheapest) and that can condition the battery to increase its lifespan.

Zappi 2018 EV Charge Point (Image: myEnergi)
Zappi 2018 EV Charge Point (Image: myEnergi)

Most wallbox units are fast chargers, delivering electricity at 7kW, although there are simpler and cheaper 3kW slow chargers available.
You’ll require a driveway, garage or some other form of off-street parking close to your house if you want a wallbox, as you can’t stretch the charging lead over a public footpath or road, plus it will need to be installed by a professional electrician.

How much does it cost to install an electric car home charger?
This depends on your desired charging speed and the ‘smart’ features you want from your charger. Basic 3kW slow chargers start at around £100 or so, while you’ll need around £300 for a faster 7kW unit. ‘Smart’ units that feature wireless control via a smartphone app are anything between £450 and £1,000. On the whole the cost of fitting is included in the price, but there may be an extra charge if significant changes need to be made to your household wiring. Better still, some manufacturers are currently offering a free wallbox and fitting when you purchase one of its EVs, so it’s worth looking at what offers are out there.

What is the wallbox grant?
To encourage drivers to switch to EV, the Government is offering financial incentives through its OLEV (Office of Low Emissions Vehicles) department. If you buy a new EV, then you’ll currently qualify for a grant that pays for 75 percent of the price and installation cost of a wallbox, up to a maximum of £350. Currently you can apply for a grant for each EV you own, although this is limited to just two vehicles.

How to get an electric car charging point installed at home

The most straightforward way is to arrange the installation through the company selling the wallbox. The price of fitting is often included in the purchase price with the wallbox provider having its own approved installers. If you buy the unit on its own then you can choose your own technician, but they will need to have accreditation from the manufacturer of your chosen device.

It’s worth being aware that the fitter will probably need to check your preferred location for fitting and your home’s electrical circuitry before going ahead. And if you want the wallbox fitted a long way from your fuse box or your wiring needs upgrading, then be prepared to pay a bit more for installation.

Read more: AUTOCAR

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IONITY rapid charge points at Leeds Skelton Lake Services (Image: IONITY)

AMAZON-OWNED ZOOX UNVEILS SELF-DRIVING ‘ROBOTAXI’ WITH 16-HOUR RUNTIME BETWEEN CHARGES

Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment

‘Bi-directional’ car can seat four and has 75mph top speed

ZOOX, the autonomous taxi company owned by online marketplace Amazon, has unveiled its self-driving vehicle.

The “Robotaxi” is 3.63 metres in length, making it only slightly longer than a Fiat 500 city car, but is designed to seat four adults in comfort. With no steering wheel or controls, passengers sit facing each other in the pod.

This completely symmetrical design makes the vehicle “bidirectional”, meaning that the car can move in either direction without the need for a reverse gear — making it the perfect vehicle for urban environments, according to Zoox.

Other features that add to the robotaxi’s urban credentials include four-wheel steering, as well as a network of cameras and sensors that offer a 270º view of the car, eliminating blind spots and making it easier to track cyclists and pedestrians travelling beside it.

IONITY rapid charge points at Leeds Skelton Lake Services (Image: IONITY)
IONITY rapid charge points at Leeds Skelton Lake Services (Image: IONITY)

It is fully electric with a 133kWh battery, one of the largest-capacity units available in any electric car — for comparison, a standard Nissan Leaf uses a 40kWh battery and the largest Tesla batteries are thought to be around 100kWh. According to Zoox, the Robotaxi’s large battery pack will enable it to operate continuously for 16 hours without having to stop and recharge.

A 75mph top speed indicates that Zoox intends for its Robotaxi to be able to travel on motorways and other high-speed roads, as well as around town.

Zoox has heavily emphasised the safety credentials of its electric vehicle, claiming it has “more than 100 safety innovations not found in conventional cars”. Its press release did not expand further on this claim except to say that one of the hundred safety innovations includes an airbag system that is designed exclusively for bi-directional vehicles, and that the four-seat carriage layout envelops passengers, making it equal to “five-star crash safety protections for all four seats”.

The Robotaxi, which will be manufactured in the USA, where Amazon is based, has reportedly passed key parts of the American Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards test.

It was reported in June this year that Amazon would buy Zoox in a deal worth more than $1bn (£750m). The company, which was founded in 2014, still operates as a standalone subsidiary and is testing its vehicles in Las Vegas, San Francisco and Foster City, California. It has not been revealed when the company’s Robotaxis are intended for wider release.

Aicha Evans, CEO of Zoox, commented: “Revealing our functioning and driving vehicle is an exciting milestone in our company’s history and marks an important step on our journey towards deploying an autonomous ride-hailing service. We are transforming the rider experience to provide superior mobility-as-a-service for cities.

Read more: Driving

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