Category Archives: Electric Cars

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

Finally! The Tesla Model 3 has British prices and specs

May 13, 2019Electric Cars, Model 3, News, Reviews and Comment, TeslaRepost

Tesla’s entry-level saloon starts at a whisker under £40,000

UK order books are open for the Tesla Model 3, and we finally have a price: £38,900 for the rear-wheel drive Standard Range Plus (SRP) model, inclusive of the government’s £3,500 plug-in car grant. Deliveries start in June.

Maybe not as cheap as we were initially led to believe (Tesla promised prices would start at $35,000, which in today’s money is £26,600), but not bad. For a bit of context, £38,900 is around £3,000 more than a top-spec Nissan Leaf, and about the same as a 2.0-litre petrol BMW 330i.

The SRP Model 3 manages 0-60mph in 5.3 seconds, will hit 140mph and claims 258 miles of range. Next up is the Long Range model, which gets dual motors for all-wheel drive. It takes 4.5 seconds to hit 60mph, has a top speed of 145mph and costs £47,900. Finally there’s the Performance. Also dual-motor, it does 0-60mph in 3.2 seconds and tops out at 162mph. It will cost from £56,900, and has a claimed range of 329 miles.

Tesla Model 3 saloon

May 12, 2019Electric Cars, Model 3, News, Reviews and Comment, TeslaRepost

The Tesla Model 3 is the first affordable, mass-produced model in the American manufacturer’s all-electric range, offering customers something very different from conventional rivals such as the BMW 3 Series, Audi A4, Jaguar XE and Alfa Romeo Giulia.

The Model 3 has no direct electric rivals for now; it’s more expensive than EVs like the Nissan Leaf and Hyundai Kona Electric but smaller and cheaper than the Jaguar I-Pace. It’s closer to the Jaguar in nature, however, thanks to its minimalist but luxurious high-tech interior, massive desirability and incredible performance.

The newest Tesla is a clear evolution from the design of the Model S but with extra emphasis on the amount of interior space that can be gained owing to the absence of a conventional combustion engine. This has resulted in a bonnet that is much shorter and a rear window that stretches almost to the tail, maximising room for passengers and their luggage. There are myriad clever features, from the key that’s actually your smartphone to a single-slot air-vent that can somehow adjust airflow and direction as if by magic.

Three versions are available initially, starting with the rear-wheel drive Standard Range Plus that’s capable of 258 miles from a full charge and 0-60mph in 5.3 seconds. Long Range AWD and Performance versions gain an extra motor and four-wheel drive, giving the Performance almost supernatural acceleration – 0-60mph takes 3.2 seconds. These more expensive versions have 348 and 329 miles of range respectively.

The Model 3 Long Range AWD feels addictively fast and relaxing, thanks to near-silence from its electric motors. The car’s handling belies its weight, with excellent grip and good resistance to body roll, and the suspension is comfortable enough to allay our fears the Model 3 would feel too stiff on British roads.

Los Angeles Targets 100% Electric Vehicles In The City By 2050

May 11, 2019Electric Cars, Energy and Climate Change, News, Reviews and Comment, PollutionRepost

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti isn’t waiting for Congress to act on the threat of climate change.

Today he introduced the city’s own version of the Green New Deal, which establishes goals of a zero carbon grid, zero carbon transportation, zero carbon buildings, zero waste, and zero wasted water by 2050.

Citing the environmental disasters the city has faced in recent years, the mayor explains in the 150-page plan that “the scale of our ambitions must meet the magnitude of this crisis.”

“Politicians in Washington don’t have to look across the aisle in Congress to know what a Green New Deal is — they can look across the country, to Los Angeles,” said Mayor Eric Garcetti in a news release. “With flames on our hillsides and floods in our streets, cities cannot wait another moment to confront the climate crisis with everything we’ve got. L.A. is leading the charge, with a clear vision for protecting the environment and making our economy work for everyone.”

Building upon the Sustainable City Plan introduced in 2015, this new version raises the bar with goals of recycling 100 percent of the city’s wastewater and zeroing out carbon emissions generated by buildings, transportation, electricity, and trash, with a heavy focus on mobility, public transit, zero emissions vehicles.

European car sales: EVs and hybrids up as diesel hits historic low

May 10, 2019Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, SalesRepost

Registration figures across Europe in March show electrified cars pass 100k mark, while diesel hits its lowest point since 2000

Europe’s new car market declined by another 3.6% last month – the seventh consecutive monthly fall, with factors such as the diesel city ban, falling consumer confidence and Brexit uncertainty blamed.

Figures released by analysis firm Jato Dynamics show that 4.13 million new cars were registered across the continent in the first quarter of this year, down 3.2% year-on-year. 19 of the 27 countries listed posted declines, with the UK market dropping by a modest 3.4%.

Jaguar I-PACE Electric Car (Image: T. Larkum)

Diesel demand is down significantly again, with a 31.2% market share in March. That’s down from the same month last year (36.2%) and much lower than March 2017 (44.8%).

There is good news, however, as last month saw registrations of electrified vehicles (BEVs, PHEV and traditional hybrids) passing the 100,000 mark for the first time, with 125,400 registered. Demand grew by 31%, driven by demand from Holland, Spain, Norway and Germany in particular.

Tesla Model 3 Accelerates Past European Electric Cars

May 9, 2019Electric Cars, Model 3, News, Reviews and Comment, TeslaRepost

Tesla’s Model 3 stormed to the top of the Western Europe battery electric car sales charts in the first quarter of 2019, outselling the second best Renault Zoe with almost twice as many sales.

This is all the more remarkable because the Model 3 was only available for sale from February, and the price of the Tesla is probably more than twice and maybe occasionally even 3 times that of the little Zoe city car.

According to data compiled by Berlin-base automotive industry analyst Matthias Schmidt www.schmidtmatthias.de, Tesla sold 19,482 Model 3s in the first quarter compared with the second placed Zoe’s 11,049 and the Nissan Leaf with 10,315.

Direct competitors to the Model 3 were way off the pace, with the Jaguar I-Pace in 7th place at 3,012 and the Audi E-Tron 11th with 2,526, according to Schmidt’s data.

Schmidt said the European competition may in fact be holding back its sales because next year, European Union (EU) carbon dioxide (CO2) regulations tighten sharply. Manufacturers may want to have the biggest number of electric cars in their fleets in 2021, to bring down the average emissions, and mitigate or avoid big fines. Meanwhile, the Tesla Model 3 has the chance to rack up big sales because its all electric fleet won’t suffer fines.

Peugeot Opens Reservations For e-208 In UK

May 8, 2019e-208, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, PeugeotRepost

Peugeot e-208 to be another great EV after the Tesla Model 3 available in the UK

Peugeot has opened reservations for the all-new 208 and its electric version e-208 in the UK. The French subcompact EV can be reserved online with a £500 deposit.

Orders will be taken from late summer, while deliveries in the UK are expected in early 2020.

General sales in Europe should start later this year, starting from France of course, where e-208 needs to stand up against the Renault ZOE.

“Following unprecedented levels of interest from customers and prospects alike captivated by the freedom to choose a powertrain without having to compromise on technology, looks, or driving pleasure, reservations for the all-new PEUGEOT 208 have now opened, with customers able to reserve online with a £500 deposit, all from the comfort of their own home.

Eager buyers can place a deposit on the GT Line PureTech 100 S&S 8-speed automatic (EAT8), BlueHDi 100 6-speed manual or the 100% electric e-208 model. Actual orders for the all-new PEUGEOT 208 range can be placed from late summer 2019, with the car going on UK sale in early 2020.”

The Future of Transportation Is Electric

May 5, 2019Charging, Electric Cars, Energy and Climate Change, News, Reviews and Comment, PollutionRepost

It’s clearer every day: the future of transportation is electric.

We should be cheering this transition—and encouraging it, because along with the benefits for drivers, electrifying transportation is going to be a critical piece of fighting climate change.

Unfortunately, for many observers, skepticism about electric vehicles (EVs) has become something like an article of faith. Mired in an obsolete set of facts, electric-vehicle naysayers are making the same arguments they’ve made for years even as technology speeds forward.

Take columnist George Will, who launched a broadside against electric vehicles last week. In casting doubt on the viability of EVs, Will is revealing that he hasn’t updated his understanding of the technology or the market in a decade. His argument relies upon outdated, misleading and just-plain-wrong evidence, undermining his thesis completely.

Here’s the truth. Electric vehicles are considerably cleaner than gasoline-powered cars, and this advantage is only increasing with time. Increasingly, coal-fired power generation is declining, and the share of our electricity produced by renewables is increasing. Indeed, Will inadvertently makes this point in his article. He points out that 27 percent of our electricity comes from coal power plants but leaves out entirely the fact that a decade earlier, coal was the largest source of electricity at almost half (48 percent) of all generation. We’re on the right path.

London’s ULEZ sparks demand for hybrid and electric vehicles

May 4, 2019Electric Cars, Energy and Climate Change, News, Reviews and Comment, Pollution, SalesRepost

Leading car buying website says the zone has upped interest – particularly for plug-in hybrids.

The introduction of London’s new ultra-low emission zone (ULEZ) has triggered consumer interest in electric and hybrid cars, according to one of Britain’s leading new-car websites.

Designed to improve air quality in the capital, the ULEZ sees vehicles failing to meet the required emissions standards charged extra to enter the Congestion Charge zone. Petrol-powered cars must comply with at least the Euro 4 standard to avoid the £12.50 charge, while diesels need to meet the much more recent Euro 6 standard.

Figures from Carwow show how the ULEZ’s arrival earlier this month caused noticeable spikes in Londoners’ searches for electric, hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles. Inside the M25, Carwow says quote requests for plug-in hybrid vehicles risen 25 percent since the beginning of April, while interest in electric cars has risen 14 percent. Demand for standard hybrid vehicles, such as the Toyota Prius, also increased, but only by around six percent.

Tesla Model 3 Performance Crushes Fossil BMW M3 Around Race Track

May 3, 2019BMW, Electric Cars, Model 3, News, Reviews and Comment, TeslaRepost

Top Gear magazine has track tested the Tesla Model 3 Performance head to head against fossil fans’ favorite sports saloon, the BMW M3.

The track times were conducted on the 2 mile Thunderhill Raceway Park West circuit, with the Tesla coming in a significant 2 seconds ahead of the (more expensive) BMW. Fossils must now accept all-round inferiority in the performance realm.

Top Gear Magazine’s head-to-head also found — unsurprisingly — that the Tesla beat the BMW on pure acceleration, as well as on their 0–100–0 mph acceleration-and-braking tests. It’s worth noting also that the price of the Tesla came in at more than a thousand dollars below that of the BMW M3.

A lead of almost 2 seconds on a 2 mile track (with lap times around 85 seconds in total) is significant. Both vehicles were stock without modifications, and were lapped by the same driver.

On the feel of the two vehicles around the track, the testers found that for the BMW, compared to the Tesla:

“when you floor it, the throttle response is glacial by comparison, and the accompanying racket isn’t quite as glorious as you remember — more of a distraction from listening to what the tyres are doing and getting on with the business of going fast.”

They also noted the superiority of the Tesla’s ride for normal daily driving, away from the track:

“Where the BMW’s comfort and refinement is conceded quite a bit to unlock its track potential, the Tesla is utterly uncompromised…”

New Renault K-ZE 2019 review

May 2, 2019Electric Cars, K-ZE, News, Reviews and Comment, RenaultRepost

The China-only Renault K-ZE has the potential to be the Dacia of the electric age, offering a 150-mile range for less than £13,000

Verdict: 4*
Decent electric range, reasonable performance and impressive quality standards – all at an affordable price. If Renault could add ESP and bring the K-ZE to the UK for less than £13,000, it could repeat the success it found with Dacia in the early 2000s. In fact, the K-ZE has the ability to surpass all other petrol-powered city cars, which due to upcoming emission standards, won’t be quite so affordable any more.

Solid build quality at “shockingly affordable” prices: that’s how Renault made Dacia such a huge success around the world. Now, Renault is getting ready to repeat this coup with an all-new electric vehicle. In China, the French car maker has just presented the K-ZE, which will be built and sold in the world’s largest EV market this summer – before being rolled out globally at a later date.

Groupe Renault CEO Thierry Bolloré told us: ”This is not a Chinese project. It is a global project”. And even if he won’t mention specific regions, there is no doubt Europe is near to the top of the firm’s list. Especially when conventional cars like the Clio will struggle to meet exacting emissions standards due in the coming years.

While most of the industry takes its aim at Tesla, the cheap and cheerful K-ZE is a breath of fresh air. At 3.73m-long, with four proper seats (with a fifth as a spare) and a 300-litre boot, this is a small car with big aspirations. Renault claims a reasonable 150-mile real-world electric range and all for a price of around £13,000 before the usual government subsidies.