Category Archives: Electric Cars

News and reviews of the latest electric cars (full electrics and plug-in hybrids).

Electric Vehicles — Thinking People’s Cars

July 4, 2019Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, SalesRepost

What’s the ROI (return on investment) for filling a gas car? None, zero! You pay from the moment you sign on the dotted line — engine repairs, routine maintenance, gas, gas, and gas. Did I mention gas? Automakers love you, auto dealers love you, repair shops love you, and the fossil fuel industry loves you. Why not? You’re constantly at their doors with your wallet open.

Many studies showing the cost of owning an electric vehicle (EV) as opposed to a fossil fuel vehicle (FFV) are distorted and biased toward FFVs, as we’ve simply been programmed to think from a FFV perspective. This is by design, just like the skillful manipulation that has people pulling up to the pump without thinking about what’s going on and how devastating it is to them and the environment. The technological advantages and power of EVs when combined with renewables should not be underestimated or overlooked when we compare different propulsion systems.

You can never drive a gas car for the cost of driving an EV. You will always be tethered to the pump, but you will always have the option of paying very little to nothing for the energy to drive an EV. An unfair comparison? When we list the benefits of driving both cars, automakers are quick to point out how fast a gas car can be refilled, so if that’s a benefit of gas cars then surely being able to charge an EV from your own power is a benefit of electric cars. Combining EVs and renewables forms a bond that gas cars can not compete with and as technology improves, as it has done and will keep on doing, this will only get better. As charging rates continue to go up, the line between filling a gas car and charging an EV will vanish, and we are already starting to seeing this.

Switching to an electric car could save you £41,000 in your lifetime

July 3, 2019Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, SalesRepost

SWITCHING to an electric car could save drivers a whopping £41,000 over their lifetime, finds new research.

The future of the car industry is with electric cars. Carmakers and governments are pushing towards these zero emissions vehicles as new emissions and pollution targets need to be met. Electric cars are, however, still more expensive to buy on average than petrol and diesel variants and also perceived to be pricier. Recent research estimates that electric cars will become as affordable as petrol and diesel cars by as early as 2024.

However, they could already be a savvier investment and save you thousands over the course of your lifetime.

New research actually suggests the buying an electric car could save you £41,000 over your life.

The average British motorist will spend over a staggering £56,000 on petrol in a lifetime, according to new figures.

With the average lifetime cost of charging an electric vehicle coming in at just over £15,000, savvy Brits could save over £41,000 on fuel by going electric in the near future.

Nissan Leaf EV long-term test: the 10-month verdict

July 1, 2019Electric Cars, Leaf, News, Reviews and Comment, NissanRepost

Month 10 of our Nissan Leaf long-term test: the end verdict is in

With increasing rarity a car will come along delivering such a knockout punch in one specific area that it completely recalibrates your clemency counter, and you find yourself forgiving it for all its other shortcomings and foibles. Nissan’s new Leaf did that to me. Quite unexpectedly, too.

Before it arrived I was thoroughly ambivalent about it, and the affordable electric revolution it spearheaded. There were the unfounded but pervasive concerns that it would slowly whirr to a silent halt at the most inopportune time and in the most inopportune location possible. There was all that faff with the army of smartphone apps and online accounts required to charge on the fly. A cursory glance at a sparsely-populated charger location map wasn’t exactly confidence-inspiring. All this – not to mention that it looked gawky – almost sealed the Leaf’s fate before I drove it. How wrong I was.

It took just a month and 1000 miles to realise my mistake. I recall with clarity parking up at home after returning from Weybridge – a 140 mile trip undertaken at get-a-serious-wiggle-on-or-we’re-going-to-be-late pace – and realising I’d not given a second through to the Leaf’s range. I enjoyed its warm pre-heated cabin when I set off. I saw off a couple of surprised tailgating BMWs and Audis on some fast A-roads. I loved the superb Bose sound system. I found its silent and smooth driving characteristic incredibly relaxing. And the best bit was working out that electricity for the trip cost me just over a fiver. The price of two cups of coffee. I realised I was riding on the cusp of what will soon be the new normal for many drivers – and I was thoroughly enjoying the journey into the future.

2019 Nissan Leaf e+ review: price, specs and release date

June 30, 2019Electric Cars, Leaf, News, Reviews and Comment, NissanRepost

To keep up in the electric car arms race, the Nissan Leaf gets more range, thanks to a larger-capacity battery. Does this make the e+ more appealing than the regular model?…

Priced from £39,395 (before £3500 gov. grant) Release date Now

Electric cars, such as the new Nissan Leaf e+, may not be the panacea for the crisis of climate change, but they can certainly help, even if only on a local level, to clean up the air in our cities. It’s a good job, then, that we’re in the midst of an electric car arms race.

What do we mean by that? It’s all about range. Just five years ago, tackling the London-to-Brighton run in a Kia Soul EV would’ve been pushing it. Then along came Tesla and simply blew away the mainstream manufacturers with the ever-increasing range of its Model S. And now they’re catching up – fast.

The Kia e-Niro, our 2019 Car of the Year, is capable of covering around 280 miles between charges, according to the official WLTP test, as is its sister car, the Hyundai Kona Electric. So, despite having been launched only last February, the regular Leaf’s official range of 168 miles now looks feeble. The Leaf e+ increases it to a claimed 239 miles, thanks to a bigger battery – 62kWh over 40kWh.

Peugeot e-2008 electric SUV: pictures and details revealed

June 29, 2019e-2008, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, PeugeotRepost

Electric version of Peugeot 2008 small SUV joins e-208 hatchback in range

Peugeot has released details and pictures of the e-2008 – an SUV version of the already-revealed Peugeot e-208 electric hatchback and a sister model to the forthcoming DS 3 Crossback E-Tense.

The e-2008 comes with a 50kWh battery and an official range of 193 miles – slightly less than the 211 miles claimed by the e-208 and what potential rivals like the Kia e-Niro and Hyundai Kona Electric can manage.

However, Peugeot suggests the e-2008 will undercut those models on price. It also says the car will have a 134bhp electric motor and be capable of using 100kW rapid chargers, with an 80% top-up taking just 30 minutes.

As with the Peugeot 208, pure electric is just one of three powertrain options that’ll be offered with the 2008; diesel and petrol variants will also feature in the range. There’ll be 1.2-litre petrols with 99, 128 and 153bhp outputs, as well as a 99bhp 1.5-litre diesel.

New LEVC electric van based on London taxi could be a game changer

June 28, 2019Electric Cars, Electric Vans, LEVC, News, Reviews and CommentRepost

THE all-new LEVC electric van is based on the LEVC London cab which has 80-miles of zero-emissions range and a 377-range-extender hybrid.

The makers of the new electric London cab has now developed a new van which could be a game changer in cities. LEVC’s new commercial vehicle is a zero-emissions light van which is similar to a Ford Transit in size. It was unveiled by London Mayor Sadiq Khan and LEVC CEO Joerg Hofmann at the Institution of Engineering and Technology. The vehicle is based on the same architecture and proven e-City range extender technology as LEVC’s TX taxi, of which there are now just under 2,000 on the roads.

It has an all-electric range of 80-miles, making it suitable for city drivers and with a range extender petrol engine it has a total range of 377-miles.

Therefore it is essentially a plug-in hybrid but achieves more pure electric range than a typical hybrid.

The vehicle will allow the driver to avoid any city driving charges and reduce the amount spent on fuel over time.

Government announces EV chargepoints must be smart to secure grant funding

June 27, 2019Charging, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and CommentRepost

The new regulations governing the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme will take effect from 1 July, Roads Minister Michael Ellis announced today

Regulations covering a government grant scheme for electric vehicle (EV) chargers will require all devices funded through the initiative to use smart technology from 1 July, Roads Minister Michael Ellis will announce today.

The new rules mean all chargepoints backed by the government’s Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme must have the capacity to be remotely accessed and capable of receiving and reacting to a signal.

The functionality enables a device to engage in ‘smart charging’: adjusting when it takes charge to the ebb and flow of demand in the grid, responding to signals from the grid operator to halt charging at peak times.

Smart charging helps minimise peaks in electricity demand, minimising the impact of electric vehicles on the grid and keeping costs down for consumers. It also makes it easier to match demand from EVs with peaks in supply from weather-dependent renewables, such as wind farms, maximising emissions and cost savings in the process.

“The government wants the UK to be the best place in the world to build and own an electric vehicle, with leadership and innovation helping us pave the way to a zero emission future,” Ellis said. “Our new requirements for chargepoints could help keep costs down, ensuring the benefits of green transport are felt by everyone.”

Nissan e-NV200 sales soar as UK small businesses electrify their van fleets

June 26, 2019e-NV200, Electric Cars, Electric Vans, News, Reviews and Comment, NissanRepost

UK sales of Nissan e-NV200 increase by 200% as business leaders switch to zero emission deliveries
e-NV200 tops zero-emissions LCV sales in 10 European markets, including UK, Italy, Norway and the Netherlands
The Nissan e-NV200’s environmental credentials and practicality attracts fleet customers including DHL, Chronopost, in adddition to private hire businesses

LONDON, UK (June 14, 2019) – UK sales of the fully electric Nissan e-NV200 have increased by 200% in 2019 as small business leaders look to increase fleet efficiency and reduce costs, amid changing emissions legislation and the introduction of London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone.

The surging demand echoes the results of a recent Nissan survey, showing that 24% of UK small businesses expect van fleets to be fully electric within a decade*.

1 in 3 UK van fleet operators also say that business efficiency is their main motivation when adopting new technologies, followed by cost saving (17%). The e-NV200 is perfect for addressing this demand, with running costs from 2p per mile, and zero tailpipe emissions that ensure the vehicle is exempt from low emission charge zones.

Paolo D’Ettore, Director LCV Business Unit Nissan Europe, said

“The success of e-NV200 truly demonstrates that we have the right product at the right time. The acceleration of fleet electrification – especially in city centres – is a challenge for our customers, so we recognise the need to work with them and provide the optimal ecosystem to support a smooth transition to electric vehicles.

“Thanks to its intelligent design and zero-emissions powertrain, the Nissan e-NV200 is the perfect tool to help businesses maximise their operational success and contribute to a more sustainable future.”

With particularly high demand from last-mile delivery businesses the 40kW e-NV200 has posted record sales across Europe, with over 10,000 orders since its introduction in February 2018.

New Renault Zoe revealed: price, specs and release date

June 25, 2019Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, Renault, ZOERepost

Today’s Renault Zoe is one of the most affordable electric cars on sale, but its replacement brings additional tech, a more sophisticated interior and a 236-mile range…

On sale August Price from Around £22,000 (before gov’t grant)

When the current Renault Zoe was launched, it addressed two of the most common complaints about electric cars: the paltry range and high price. But with competition now a lot stiffer, this new version has to push up the former again while keeping down the latter.

Sure enough, while the battery is no larger to ensure it doesn’t eat into passenger space, its energy capacity is up from 41kWh to 52kWh. That results in a 20% improvement in official range, to 236 miles.

Putting that into perspective, the long-range, e+ version of Nissan’s Leaf can travel just three miles farther, despite costing almost £40k. And the upcoming Peugeot e-208 and Vauxhall Corsa-e both manage only 211 miles.

A full charge of the new Zoe from a 7kW home wallbox takes nine hours and 25 minutes. Or if you’re out and about, 30 minutes plugged into a 50kW public charger gives enough juice for about 90 miles of driving.

Mayor of London outlines major EV infrastructure expansion as 2030 target set

June 24, 2019Charging, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and CommentRepost

EV charging infrastructure in London is to undergo a major expansion, including five flagship charging hubs, in a bid for zero emission transport by 2030.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has laid out plans for an ‘electric revolution’ of London’s transport in line with ambitions for the capital to be one of the world’s leading zero-emission cities.

Five flagship charging hubs are to be introduced, the first of which will be operational in Square Mile by the end of 2019.

A ‘one-stop-shop’ for Londoners to request new charging infrastructure from local authorities will also be led by London councils, with the aim of making the switch to EVs easier.

Fast charging at one of the dozen rapid chargers at Stanmore (Image: T. Larkum) — Fast charging at one of the dozen rapid chargers at Stanmore – before they were removed (Image: T. Larkum)

Next generation ultra-rapid charging points are to be installed at London petrol stations later in the year, with 300 rapid chargers to be installed by the end of next year. There will also be a focus on expanding car clubs and bringing more vehicles to the market.

A new electric van, based on the electric black cab, has also been unveiled by the London Electric Vehicle Company, going on sale next year.

Sir John Armitt, chair of the National Infrastructure Commission, said whilst launch of the van and rapid chargers highlights the importance of EVs in improving air quality and reducing the impact of the growth in urban freight, the government should commit to a national rapid charging network.

“More action will needed– such as the ban on new diesel HGV sales by 2040 we recommended in our recent report on freight and reinforcing the electricity network – if we’re to meet the UK’s climate change targets and clean up the air in London and other cities,” Armitt added.