All posts by Repost

What is electric car preconditioning and why should I use it?

July 14, 2023Charging, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and CommentRepost

Preconditioning is one of the lesser-known but brilliant features of electric cars. Whether it’s a scorching afternoon in summer or a freezing morning in winter, you can benefit from it.

Put simply, preconditioning allows you to pre-heat or pre-cool the car’s cabin before you start your journey. Not only will you feel more comfortable, you’ll maximise the car’s driving range and prolong the life of its battery.

Let’s call that a win-win-win situation. So, how does it work?

How does preconditioning work?

Preconditioning can be activated via the car’s infotainment system or a connected smartphone app. By scheduling your daily departure times, the car will heat or cool its interior to optimum temperature – you just climb in and go.

Crucially, when the car is plugged in, electricity is drawn from the mains and not the car itself, so this has no impact on driving range. You start your journey with a 100 percent full battery.

Also, because the car’s windows will be free of mist and ice when you enter the cabin, you won’t waste time waiting to clear or defrost them.

Does preconditioning improve EV range?

Preconditioning doesn’t add miles as such, but it will preserve the predicted range available at the start of the journey. Because you won’t need to use the air conditioning on a high setting, you’ll consume less energy.

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Debunking the Top 10 electric vehicle myths

July 13, 2023Buying/Leasing, Charging, Charging, Electric Cars, Mitsubishi, News, Reviews and Comment, Outlander PHEVRepost

Are you unsure about switching to an electric vehicle? Go Zero Charge debunks the Top 10 electric vehicle myths to help you transition to electrification.

As the UK heads toward the looming ban on the production of diesel and petrol cars in 2030, there’s still a significant gap in electric vehicle (EV) awareness and education in the motoring space, causing unfair prejudice against EVs due to myths that have grown in popularity.

In response, the team of EV experts behind the Optimus, www.GoZeroCharge.com‘s top-of-the-line smart EV charger, have exposed a handful of the most common electric vehicle myths in a bid to encourage more motorists to make the transition.

There’s no financial upside

One of the most common electric vehicle myths is that there are no financial upsides. In fact, owning an EV can lead to significant cost savings, particularly with the current measures in place to provide financial advantages to EV owners.

For instance, EVs are currently exempt from vehicle tax, although this exemption is scheduled to change from April 2025, when standard road tax rates (currently £165 per year) will be applicable.

In addition to the current vehicle tax exemption, some energy suppliers offer cheaper tariffs specifically for EV charging, and certain car parks provide free parking spaces for electric vehicles.

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Owners of the most polluting cars to pay double for parking across England

July 12, 2023Buying/Leasing, News, Reviews and Comment, Opinion, Parking, PollutionRepost

Lambeth council in London is latest to introduce emissions-based fees, with similar charges expected to be widely introduced

Owners of the most polluting cars may soon have to pay more to park as councils across England are expected to roll out new charges based on a vehicle’s CO2 emissions.

Lambeth is the latest council in London to introduce emissions-based parking fees, with similar charges now expected elsewhere in England. Owners of the most polluting cars can expect to pay more than twice as much as cleaner cars. There are now 26 different charges to park for an hour in Lambeth, depending on a car’s tax band and whether there is a diesel surcharge. The cost of a parking bay near Waterloo station in south London now ranges between £6.30 and £13.23 an hour, with payment made by an app.

The consultation on the charges introduced on 30 May included a new pricing structure for residents’ parking permits, which are already based on CO2 emissions. The annual cost of the highest band has risen from £340.73 to £500, with an additional annual surcharge of £140 for a diesel vehicle that does not comply with Euro 6 emission standards.

Of more than 2,900 responses in the consultation, 59% objected to the proposals. Lambeth has implemented the changes despite opposition, stating that air quality is a major public health issue and a wide range of interventions is required.

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Renault Kangoo, best-seller electric vehicle for its segment since 2011

July 11, 2023Buying/Leasing, Electric Vans, Kangoo Z.E., News, Reviews and Comment, Opinion, RenaultRepost

– First ever electric vehicle (EV) to earn the title of International Van of The Year in 2011, thereby creating a new vehicle category, Renault Kangoo is the segment’s all-time best-selling model

– The Maubeuge factory in northern France has produced more than 90,000 Renault Kangoo & 10,000 partners vehicles fully electric vehicles since 2011.

– Since its launch, the model has served as an ideal testing ground for the brand’s electric vehicles

RENAULT KANGOO, EV PIONEER AND LEADER

Renault Kangoo has played an important and sometimes little-known role in aiding Renault develop expertise in electric vehicles.

While Renault began exploring the idea of electric vans back in 1985 with an EV version of the Renault Express running on nickel-zinc batteries, this ambition became a reality in the early 2000s with the Renault Kangoo.

Renault Kangoo served as a testing ground for future electric vehicles and was available in electric (Kangoo Electri’cité) and hybrid (Kangoo Elect’road) versions as early as 2002.

These small-scale runs helped the brand build up real expertise in EV design, industrialization, and especially maintenance. At the time, a team of flying doctors would travel out to each customer to analyse, maintain, and improve those models already in circulation.

In 2011, when it was marketed to the general public, Renault Kangoo Z.E became the first full-electric vehicle to earn the title of ‘International Van of The Year’, thereby creating a segment for electric vans.

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Electric Vehicles and Electric Vehicle Charging: Risk and Opportunity

July 7, 2023Buying/Leasing, Charging, Charging, Electric Cars, Electric Motorhomes, Electric Taxis, Electric Vans, FAQ, News, Reviews and Comment, OpinionRepost

UK data shows that by September 2022, there were 1 million licensed plug-in vehicles (EV) in the UK. This equated to 2.5% of all licensed road using vehicles, up from 1.6% at the end of September 2021^[1]. Additionally, the UK government currently plans to prohibit the sale of new internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles in 2030^[2].

Opel Corsa-e Electric Car (Image: Opel.com)

What’s the issue?

EVs provide significant advantages, with benefits including:
Quieter engines reducing urban noise pollution.
Emit less emissions, though debates rage if they are truly ‘green’ bearing in mind the associated costs of mineral extraction and battery recycling.
Cheaper maintenance costs as simpler drive trains reduce opportunities for components to fail.
Cheaper running costs as electricity rates allow a cheaper cost per mile in comparison to diesel and petrol vehicles. EVs becomes even more economical where homeowners have access to solar charging for their vehicle^[3].

What are the risks?

Electric vehicles commonly rely on lithium ion batteries to generate electrical power. However, when damaged or improperly manufactured these batteries can fail. Failure can raise the surrounding temperature and subsequently become the source of thermal runaway resulting in catastrophic fire damage to the vehicle – potentially also spreading to surrounding infrastructure and buildings^[4]. As a result, damaged battery packs may lead insurers to write off otherwise perfectly suitable vehicles.

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Washington gas stations are leaking toxins into nearby groundwater

July 6, 2023News, Reviews and Comment, Oil, Opinion, PollutionRepost

Faulty tanks have caused a $20 billion environmental disaster across the U.S. Who will pay for the cleanup — the stations, oil companies, or you?

A black, electric-powered Nissan Leaf pulled up to a gas station – not to fuel up, of course. Matthew Metz, the founder of Coltura, a nonprofit trying to speed the country’s shift away from gasoline, climbed out of his car with printed maps in hand, prepared to give me a tour.

Charging Station in Sunderland (Image: Fastned)

It was a sunny spring day, and the Arco station in north Seattle looked like any other on a busy street corner, with cars fueling up and a line of bored people waiting to buy snacks and drinks inside the convenience store. Metz knows a lot about gas stations, and it changes what he sees. Looking around, he marveled at the risks that everyone was taking, even if they weren’t aware of it. “This is a hazardous materials facility,” he told me.

Drivers pumped their tanks with gas, breathing carcinogens like benzene, the source of gasoline’s signature sweet smell. On the east side of the property, tall white pipes that vent toxic vapors from petroleum kept underground stood just 10 feet away from the window of a child care center. Hidden below the station is a tract of contaminated soil that extends underneath a neighboring apartment building.

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14 important electric vehicles coming soon

July 5, 2023Audi, BMW, Electric Cars, Ford, Hyundai, News, Reviews and CommentRepost

As the 2030 ban on the sale of new diesel and petrol cars gets closer, manufacturers are launching an ever-increasing number of new battery electric vehicles.

Here we look at 14 of the most important models for fleets on the horizon.

Audi A6 e-tron

Available: Early 2024

Range: More than 400 miles

Audi will enter the electric executive saloon space next year with the A6 e-tron and A6 Avant e-tron. Only a concept version of the new model has been revealed so far, but it suggests the A6 e-tron will have little in common with the existing A6.

Like the current Audi e-tron GT , the A6 e-tron is being co-developed with Porsche. It is expected to use a 100kWh battery, giving a range of around 430 miles, and have a power output of 470PS. A cheaper version may also be offered, with a 300-mile range.

The car will be capable of adding 186 miles worth of range in just 10 minutes and will have an estimated starting price of £60,000.

BMW i5

Available: October

Range: 362 miles

The electric BMW 5 Series will become a reality this year, filling the gap between the current i4 and i7 models in the car maker’s line-up.

Sales are set to commence in October, when company car drivers will be able to order the eDrive40 variant and a range-topping M60 model. An estate version will follow in 2024.

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“Second hand EVs are the ultimate bargains of the year”

July 4, 2023Citroen, Electric Cars, MG, News, Reviews and Comment, OpinionRepost

With the price of used electric cars plummeting, Mike Rutherford thinks it’s the perfect time to buy

Admit it: British buyers love a bargain. And we don’t have to look far to find one at the minute.

For example, after a year or two of prices at some pumps nudging and occasionally exceeding the soul and wallet-destroying £2.20 a litre (£10 per gallon) mark, I didn’t think I’d have a good word to say about the fuel-retailing industry ever again. But now, in mid-2023, petrol costing around £1.40 (£6.36) and diesel at £1.50 (£6.81) a litre are relative bargains.

Others include frequently discounted AA cover for less than £100 annually (that’s what I just paid for mine); four new, award-winning, great-value tyres for a few hundred quid (I’ve just purchased a set); day tickets for The British Motor Show at a mere £23.50 (individual adults) and £47 (two adults and two kids); or even an Auto Express magazine subscription for little more than £2 a week over the next 12 months.

For those with bigger bargains in mind, they’re out there. Dacia and MG prove the point perfectly, the former with its seven-seat £18,295 Jogger, the latter with a range of EV and ICE cars that undercuts pretty much every other model line-up in UK showrooms.

Very different but equally tempting bargains include the Citroen Ami quadricycle at £8,095 and, for £51,800, the entry-level Porsche 718 Cayman, which just about qualifies as a supercar-lite. Honestly, if you’ve got around 50 grand burning a hole in your pocket, you can’t afford not to buy one.

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Fact check: why Rowan Atkinson is wrong about electric vehicles

July 3, 2023Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, Pollution, VolvoRepost

In a widely shared comment piece for the Guardian, comedian Rowan Atkinson said he felt “duped” by the green claims about electric vehicles (EVs).

In support of his contention, however, Atkinson repeats a series of repeatedly debunked talking points, often used by those seeking to delay action on the climate crisis.

Moreover, he suggests alternatives to EVs that are not yet widely available, would be less beneficial to the climate and are guaranteed to be more costly.

Atkinson’s biggest mistake is his failure to recognise that electric vehicles already offer significant global environmental benefits, compared with combustion-engine cars.

While EVs won’t solve all of the problems associated with car use – from traffic congestion through to our increasingly sedentary lifestyles – they are an essential part of tackling the climate emergency.

In its latest report, for example, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said, with “high confidence”, that EVs have lower greenhouse gas emissions than conventional cars. The IPCC said that electric vehicles not only “offer the greatest low-carbon potential for land-based transport”, but their use would save money. (Despite elevated electricity prices, EVs are still much cheaper to run than petrol cars in the UK.)

Indeed, without a widespread shift to EVs, there is no plausible route to meeting the UK’s legally binding target of net zero greenhouse emissions by 2050 – and the same is true globally.

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The best 300-mile+ electric cars

June 23, 2023Electric Cars, Hyundai, Kona Electric, News, Reviews and CommentRepost

Range anxiety is still one of the biggest barriers to electric car ownership, but these models can all cover more than 300 miles on a charge – and some can go a lot farther than that…

Best 300-mile electric cars

Tempted by an electric car but think range might be an issue? Well, thanks to advances in technology, it really isn’t with many of the latest models. Right now, 33 cars in all shapes and sizes, from small SUVs to luxury saloons, offer a range of 300 miles or more, according to official tests. And some can even go beyond 400 miles.

We should point out that few electric cars can match their official ranges in real-world use; even the weather can affect performance. However, the cars on this list should still cover most longer trips without the need to pause for a battery top-up.

As well as naming the models with the longest official ranges, we’ll include the results of our real-world range tests (where applicable). We’ll also highlight each car’s usable battery capacity and tell you how long it takes them to be charged from 10-80% at their peak charging rate. They are ranked in order of range, from lowest to highest.

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