Monthly Archives: October 2022

Demystifying the switch to EVs: the key considerations when buying an EV

October 31, 2022Charging, Electric Cars, OpinionRepost

Electric vehicle drivers are missing out. This is according to a recent European study conducted by Delta-EE which discovered that:

42% of electric vehicle (EV) drivers are not on the best charging tariffs for their vehicles because they are not using a dedicated home charging point to charge their car
Less than 50% of people have a time-of-use tariff, enabling them to take advantage of cheaper overnight electricity prices, and
Just three in 10 EV owners have a specific EV tariff with their energy provider

The research points to significant missed opportunities in engaging new EV owners in smart charging and maximising their car’s potential to cut their costs and carbon emissions. By charging their vehicle through a smart domestic charger able to optimise charging to times of low demand when energy is cheapest and greenest, customers can not only save on their energy bills but reduce their carbon footprint.

In fact, if a customer buys an EV and home charger they typically reduce their car running costs by ~50% and triple their CO2 savings per kilometre. Add smart charging or bidirectional vehicle-to-grid technology and emissions can be decreased by a further 30% with customers able to actually earn money – up to £800 a year – for importing cheap energy and selling it back to the grid. At scale, this technology can accelerate the energy transition by increasing the use of renewable power and preventing fossil fuel backup generation to be switched on at peak times, and do so in an affordable way for customers.

Read more: Current+

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Ford Says People Want To Buy Electric Cars Because They’re Fun Not Because Of The Environment

October 28, 2022Electric Cars, Ford, News, Reviews and CommentRepost

Ford believes the route to success is to make people want electric vehicles, not need them.

The $28,040 Nissan Leaf is a great little electric car. Practical, affordable, and perfect for the daily commute. But it’s not exciting, is it? But before you run off and say no EV is exciting, allow us to point you in the direction of the Model S Plaid, Porsche Taycan, and even the Mustang Mach-E GT Performance Edition. These are all examples of great, fun cars that just happen to be electric.

And it seems the Blue Oval is intent on injecting thrills into the electric vehicle arena, as it believes its customers aren’t buying EVs for the environment – they’re buying Ford EVs because they’re desirable products. Ford’s vice president of electric vehicle programs, Darren Palmer, told Cars Guide that developing excellent EVs goes further than electrifying existing models.

“The next vehicle we’re doing is an Explorer-type vehicle, and we’re working on making that insanely great…[both] Jim Farley and Doug Fields [say to me], ‘if it’s like today but a bit better, it’s canceled,'” said Palmer.

He explains that Ford’s current EV ethos centers around building “insanely great” products that “customers love.” Innovation is also a big deal, with Palmer noting these vehicles need to “do things they’ve never done before.”

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The EV transition is coming to campervans

October 27, 2022Electric Cars, Electric Motorhomes, News, Reviews and CommentRepost

With 460,000 pure electric vehicles driving on UK roads, it’s now time for EV camper conversions. They can be small and harder to charge off-grid, but they also provide owners with a home-from-home that they love, leisurely drives and tea al-fresco while powering-up. If that doesn’t tempt you, there’s the freedom of unfettered travel and exploration, too.

The trailblazers kickstarting the trend are documenting their travels while on the road, and not everyone is paying over the odds.

Electrical business owner Geoff Norris lives in London with his girlfriend and dog, who are both from Valencia, Spain. So his Nissan ENV200, which he’s currently converting to a camper, comes in handy on his travels to see their family.

He says: “Over the last two years I’ve spent just £500 on electricity and the upfront costs of the van were £25,000 including VAT. I had a petrol van but crashed it during Covid. When I weighed up the pros and cons, I decided to go electric.

If you have apps like the Pod Point app, you can type your destination in and it’ll tell you where to charge, and you can charge for free and maintain a work and social life. My girlfriend and our dog were always out walking in the forest during lockdown. I decided with my new electric work van I would insulate it and make a bed so we could enjoy more of the outdoors.”

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One millionth plug-in car registered, strong September for EV sales

October 26, 2022Buying a new car, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and CommentRepost

September showed to be a strong month for electric vehicles (EVs) with the one millionth plug-in car registered in the UK.

This year alone represents a quarter of total plug-in EVs registered, according to the latest data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

While battery electric vehicles (BEVs) registered its second highest monthly volume in history with 38,116 units, a 16.5% rise year-over-year (YoY).

The strong performance of BEVs registrations in September comes after recent figures from RAC Foundation, released this week, showed that pure the number of BEVs sales exceeded half a million at the end of June 2022.

Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: “September has seen Britain’s millionth electric car reach the road – an important milestone in the shift to zero emission mobility. Battery electric vehicles make up but a small fraction of cars on the road, so we need to ensure every lever is pulled to encourage motorists to make the shift if our green goals are to be met.”

Read more: Current+

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Instavolt scoops award for third year in a row at EVIEs 2022

October 25, 2022Charging, Electric Cars, InstaVolt, News, Reviews and CommentRepost

Instavolt made it a hattrick last night by winning the Private Sector Infrastructure Strategy of the Year award for the third year in a row, at the Electric Vehicle Innovation and Excellence Awards (EVIEs) 2022.

For the second year in a row, Tritium scooped the Chargepoint Manufacturer of the Year (C&I & Public) award.

While GRIDSERVE Electric Highway’s took home Charging Network of the Year, Agile Streets was selected as the Best Consumer Proposition, and Zap-Map COO and co-founder Melanie Shufflebotham was presented with the Special Recognition Award.

The EVIEs 2022 was the biggest yet, with 20 categories and well over 200 nominations, investigated by our esteemed judges.

A full list of winners and special commendations is included below.

Best Consumer Proposition (Utility/Energy) sponsored by GreenFlux

Agile Streets

Best New Product or Service (C&I & Public) sponsored by Fastned

3ti Papilio3

Best New Product or Service (Domestic)

Egg’s pay-monthly home EV charger

Special Commendation: Low Carbon Events – ev.energy

Read more: Current+

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Who Will Educate The Masses About Electric Vehicles?

October 24, 2022Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, OpinionRepost

The latest advertising from General Motors promotes the company’s slogan: Electric vehicles for everyone! The EVs look great, and the prices are very attractive. But — who educates the masses? Who dispels the FUD (much of which was, until recently, promulgated by GM)? I had hoped that established carmakers would do so. But it looks like the ad campaign is based on feelings, not facts. Maybe that is the only way to sell a car?

So, who educates the masses? Will the slick ads and low prices get buyers into the dealership where well trained and enthusiastic sales staff will inform the innocent about range and charging times? “No sir, you don’t have to hold the charging cord for 10 hours as the car charges overnight.” Amazed gasp! No, madam, there is nowhere to put petrol in the vehicle. I hope so. I would like to hear of training programs for sales people.

I think that the reality will be that I will still be explaining EVs to people for several years to come at EV and off-grid expos (I have been to 8 in the last year), coffee mornings (we have one once a month at the local tavern), and even in my driveway as I water the garden. Yesterday morning, a lovely couple who were walking their dog saw the Tesla and stopped to ask the usual questions: How much does it cost? How far does it go? How long does it take to charge? Where do you charge it?

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Licensed BEVs reach half-a-million despite slowdown of adoption amid energy crisis

October 21, 2022Buying/Leasing, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and CommentRepost

Figures released by the RAC Foundation has disclosed that the number of pure battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) has exceeded half-a-million to reach 519,266 at the end of June 2022.

The rise in BEVs on the UK’s roads continue to grow significantly as the nation races towards the internal combustion engine (ICE) ban that will come into play from 2030. Because of this, many UK drivers have been exploring the possibility of adopting electric vehicles (EVs).

This can also be recognised with licensed BEVs one year earlier standing at 282,977 and 130,246 at the end of June 2020, stated the RAC who analysed data released by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).

Although there are many factors as to why BEV adoption has surged in recent years, one striking correlation is the rise in EV charging infrastructure across the UK, providing drivers with plentiful areas to recharge on the road.

“This is a very significant milestone in terms of getting more battery-powered cars onto our roads, but we still have a long way to travel before we achieve a truly green fleet given that there are around 33 million cars in Britain,” said Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation.

Read more: Current+

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Sweden’s BEVs Take Over Third Of Market

October 20, 2022Electric Cars, News, Reviews and CommentRepost

Sweden’s plugin electric vehicle share recovered in September, gaining 55.2% of the auto market, from 53.9% a year ago. Full electrics saw 35.3% share, their 2nd highest ever from last December. Plugin hybrids fell slightly year on year. Overall auto volumes were down 3% YoY, and some 21% down from pre-2020 seasonal norms. The bestselling BEV in September was again the Volkswagen ID.4.

September’s combined plugin result of 55.2% comprised a near record 35.3% battery electrics (BEVs), and 19.8% plugin hybrids (PHEVs). These compare with respective shares of 32.9%, and 21.0%, a year ago. Thus BEVs have grown share modestly, but PHEVs have fallen. The BEV share was nevertheless the highest YTD, and second only to the December 2021 peak (see timeline graph below).

In terms of volume, in an overall auto market shrinking 3% YoY, BEVs grew slightly (7,454 to 7,777), and PHEVs lost volume (4,751 to 4,370).

Plugin growth is obviously lacklustre overall in September, and YTD, though not for lack of BEV demand. Tesla’s recent production pauses meant that their Sweden delivery volume was only 915 units in September, down by over 1,000 units YoY (from 1,979 units).

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The American EV boom is about to begin. Does the US have the power to charge it?

October 19, 2022Buying/Leasing, Charging, Electric Cars, Energy and Climate Change, News, Reviews and Comment, OpinionRepost

States have plans to ban gas-powered cars and the White House wants chargers along highways, but implementation is a challenge

Speaking in front of a line of the latest electric vehicles (EVs) at this month’s North American International Auto Show, President Joe Biden declared: “The great American road trip is going to be fully electrified.”

Most vehicles on the road are still gas guzzlers, but Washington is betting big on change, hoping that major federal investment will help reach a target set by the White House for 50% of new cars to be electric by 2030. But there are roadblocks – specifically when it comes to charging them all. “Range anxiety,” or how far one can travel before needing to charge, is still cited as a major deterrent for potential EV buyers.

The welcoming entrance of Disney’s magic kingdom (Image: L. Larkum)

The auto industry recently passed the 5% mark of EV market share – a watershed moment, analysts say, before rapid growth. New policies at the state and local level could very well spur that growth: the Inflation Reduction Act, which passed this summer, offers tax credits of $4,000 to purchase a used EV and up to $7,500 for certain new ones. In August, California, the nation’s largest state and economy, announced rules that would ban all new gas-powered cars by 2035. New York plans to follow.

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CUPRA BORN REVIEW: THE EV FAMILY HATCH WITH ATTITUDE

October 18, 2022Electric Cars, News, Reviews and CommentRepost

I have to be honest, this is a painful article for me to write because I really like the Cupra Born – I just don’t think I could live with it.

Let’s start with the positives. It’s an electric hatchback. SUVs are all very well, but they are two a penny and not everyone wants to sit high up, largely disengaged from the road.

It shares a platform with the acclaimed VW ID.3, which is no bad thing. In fact, Cupra’s done a great job giving the sporty-looking Born a character all of its own with some eye-catching design features. It’s also practical with plenty of space for the family and has a decent 385-litre boot.

And as I’ll explain, even though it would be wrong to call it a hot hatch, there is still fun to be had, while its official range is between 260-340 miles, depending on the size of battery chosen.

However, like most new Cupra and (sister brand) Seat cars, along with many of the other Volkswagen Group models (eg the latest Golf), the Born has an infuriating infotainment system.

And I’m sorry, but for me it’s a deal breaker. Cockpit minimalism is all very well, but channelling so much functionality through a centre touchscreen is a step too far for me. Add touch-sensitive sliders (on the steering wheel) too, and it’s seriously frustrating.

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