Category Archives: Electric Cars

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

The Guardian view on the electric car revolution: targets are not enough

May 3, 2023Buying/Leasing, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, Opinion, PollutionRepost

The government must do its bit to make new electric vehicles more affordable if mass adoption is to be achieved on the road to net zero

When the government controversially scrapped its discount on the purchase of electric cars last summer, the move was justified on the grounds that its work was done. After 11 years of subsidies, said ministers, the electric vehicle revolution had been “kickstarted”. As Britain strives to meet a 2030 target to end the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles, that judgment is beginning to look a little complacent.

Amid ongoing economic headwinds, data has emerged that suggests a drop-off in current demand for electric cars, despite notable public enthusiasm for their adoption in principle. Auto Trader, which hosts the country’s largest car sales website, reported this month that inquiries in relation to new electric vehicles had fallen significantly compared with last year.

A number of factors are likely to be involved. As interest rates and inflation remain high, the upfront cost of a new electric car makes it more expensive in the short term than a petrol or diesel one. Falling oil prices may have diminished the immediate incentive to switch. At the same time, despite repeated pledges by Whitehall, the rollout of charging infrastructure continues to be too slow and is not keeping pace with sales.

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EV designers can move the industry forward by invoking radical notions of the past

May 2, 2023Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, OpinionRepost

The electric vehicle transition is a generational opportunity to rethink personal transportation design, but few automakers are stepping up. Is there a modern-day Ransom Olds or Henry Ford of EVs waiting in the wings?

There is an interesting styling trend happening in the design studios of European manufacturers. Retro cars harking back to a simpler, happier car culture are showing up with electric powertrains. There is the VW ID Buzz, Fiat 500e, Renault 5e, the Mini electric, and the outrageously cute Microlino.

The iconic “people cars” of the European post-war era used simple, inexpensive-but-elegant design criteria to pull the auto industry (and Europe in general) out of a hole. Now it is the world that needs that pull. This challenge and opportunity is calling out to automakers: their EV designs should target the underlying essence of those wonderful retro creations, not merely replicate their shape.

The basis of great automotive design is to find that perfect balance between form and function. In a nutshell, form is what we see, and hopefully makes us smile. Function is what moves the car along in a safe and comfortable and (hopefully) environmentally friendly manner.

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Under the skin: How robots can be used to charge electric cars

May 1, 2023Electric Cars, Fleet, News, Reviews and Comment, OpinionRepost

With high-current cables becoming heavier, Hyundai’s ACR project provides hands-free charging

Charging EVs, and particularly how fast EVs can be charged, is seen as a major barrier to their uptake.

Speed is going to become an ever more pressing problem because, unlike petrol and diesel cars, EVs need a dedicated parking spot for a significant period when charging, so the less time they spend doing it the better.

A MINI chassis receives a polish at BMW’s Oxford plant. Source: BMW

However, faster charging and higher power being transmitted will mean cables become heavier, thicker and more cumbersome. That will make conventional handling difficult or impossible, especially for people with mobility problems.

It may also make things trickier in the dark, simply in terms of presenting a charger plug to the charge port and plugging it in. Hyundai’s answer to all this is the automatic charging robot (ACR).

The ACR was revealed in CGI videos last year but the real thing was on display at the 2023 Seoul mobility show in March. The ACR is installed at the side of a parking bay. The driver of the car (which in the demo is an Ioniq 6) pulls up in front of the bay, hops out and presses a button on the key fob, which instructs the Ioniq 6 to self-park and charge.

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Going green for Earth Day? These are the EVs with the longest range

April 25, 2023Electric Cars, Hyundai, News, Reviews and Comment, TeslaRepost

You’ll be able to skirt range anxiety with these 10 EVs

Charging continues to be one of the main problems with electric vehicle ownership. Having a vehicle that requires less maintenance and doesn’t run on gasoline are some major benefits of making the switch to an EV, but then you have to worry about finding a place to get electricity. Range anxiety might be blown out of proportion in the U.S., but it’s a very real thing.

Luckily, automakers are making impressive strides when it comes to range. New battery chemistry, larger battery packs, and innovative charging features mean most modern electric vehicles are now hovering around 300 miles of range. Keep in mind that getting an EV with an impressive amount of range isn’t cheap. But if money isn’t an obstacle, these 10 EV cars are some of the longest-range electric cars that are currently on sale.

1. 2022 Lucid Air Grand Touring: 516 miles

Lucid practically came out of thin air and usurped Tesla with the impressive Air sedan. The California-based automaker’s first electric vehicle, the Air, has the longest range of any EV on sale with up to 516 miles. To get that kind of range out of the Air, you’ll have to go with the Grand Touring trim with 19-inch wheels.

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Best EVs 2023: putting this year’s top electric cars to the test

April 24, 2023BMW, Buying/Leasing, Electric Cars, FAQ, News, Reviews and CommentRepost

From BMW to Polestar, these are some of our favourite electric cars available to

Just a few years ago, it would have been simple enough to write an article listing every electric car available. There would be a couple of Teslas, the Nissan Leaf, the Renault Zoe and the Jaguar I-Pace. But times change, and in the case of electric cars (EVs) a century-old industry can be transformed in the blink of an eye.

BMW i8 in Sophisto Grey (Image: T. Larkum)

In 2023 there are now numerous electric offerings from Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Polestar and Volvo, plus others from Ford, Porsche, Fiat, Mini, Lexus, Kia, Hyundai and Genesis.

Today’s market includes small city EVs like the Mini Electric and Honda E, all manner of SUVs, a budget estate in the form of the MG5, battery-powered sports cars like the Porsche Taycan, 2,000-horsepower hypercars like the Rimac Nevera, and fashion-forward rides from startups like Genesis and its GV60. Prices run from under £30,000 to over £2m and quoted range estimates span from a little over 100 miles to 400 or more.

With such a broad range of electric options to pick from, there’s also a lot to understand before you make your purchase. Battery size and range are only one part of the EV equation though, as charging speed is equally important.

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‘Hyundai’s Ioniq electric car range is wiping the floor with rivals’

April 21, 2023Buying/Leasing, Electric Cars, Hyundai, News, Reviews and Comment, OpinionRepost

If, a decade ago, those ‘in the know’ were asked to predict which country and company would clean up on the international awards front in the early 2020s, I suspect the experts would have opted for a German firm – Audi, perhaps? Or an up-and-coming US one such as Tesla? Another safe bet – maybe a less exciting, but more dependable Japanese brand?

Back then, nobody in their right mind would have gone for an Asian country whose land area, population and access to natural resources were – and still are – smaller and lower than the UK’s. Even less likely was that an unglamorous, non-premium firm from that tiny Asian peninsula would headline on the global awards stage and in other international arenas.

But that’s exactly what Hyundai, its designers and its Ioniq models have done. Almost unfathomably, they’ve taken on and beaten countless ‘better’ and longer-established premium firms and products.

The ball started rolling in summer 2021, when the Ioniq 5 was crowned Auto Express Car of the Year, and autumn saw it crowned Germany’s Car of the Year. By the winter, a panel of bestcarsoftheyear.com judges from the global motor, motorsport and media industries named the Ioniq 5 the New Car World Champion. And in spring 2022, the same model won 50 per cent of the World Car awards for that year.

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Thousands Of EV Charge Points To Be Installed Across London

April 20, 2023Away From Home, Charging, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and CommentRepost

To aid in London’s transition to a net-zero carbon metropolis by the year 2030, Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, and the London Councils have announced the installation of thousands more electric vehicle charge points in all 32 boroughs and the city of London.

A third of the UK’s total electric charge points are located in London, which has about 13,000 of them now. Since 2019, this number has increased by more than 200 percent. As part of the Mayor’s Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy, London’s goal of having 40,000–60,000 charge points by 2030 will be achieved with the support of £35.7 million in capital funding from the government’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) fund. Officers tasked with assisting the installation of charging points throughout the boroughs will be funded with an additional £3 million in capability funding.

The new public charge points will be distributed fairly by the mayor, London Councils, Transport for London, and London boroughs, who will also make sure that the charge points are installed to meet the needs of local communities, with a focus on assisting those who do not have access to off-street parking. Also, the funding will be utilized to facilitate cross-borough collaboration on the delivery and procurement of charging points.

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How much does charging an electric car cost? Is it cheaper than petrol?

April 18, 2023Charging, Charging, Cost of ownership, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and CommentRepost

Your electric car charging costs are simple to calculate. Here’s how to work it out

There are plenty of reasons for going electric: that pesky CO2 stuff, for one thing. But there’s another incentive for making the switch other than doing your bit for the polar bears: electric car charging costs.

You see, charging an electric car has been – historically, at least – cheaper than filling up with conventional fuel. And that means over the course of electric vehicle ownership, you could save yourself a lot of money in running costs. Really.

There are, of course, a couple of important caveats: to make the numbers work, you will need to do the majority of your charging at home. This is where electricity is most affordable (even with energy costs ballooning) and some tariffs will allow you to make the most of cheaper overnight rates when demand is low.

Public charging points – including the so-called ‘rapid’ chargers popping up at motorway service stations – tend to be a lot more expensive. And while they’re a godsend for topping up quickly on a long journey, you will be paying for the privilege. So much so that the price per mile of driving might not be that much different to that of a petrol or diesel car. Boo! Hiss!

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Hyundai Ioniq 6 takes three trophies in World Car of the Year awards

April 17, 2023Electric Cars, Hyundai, IONIQ Electric, News, Reviews and CommentRepost

The EV sedan repeats the feat the Ioniq 5 achieved last year

The New York Auto Show has hosted the prize-giving ceremony for the World Car of the Year awards for nearly 20 years. Guests in attendance for this year’s laurels might have wondered if they’d ended up at the 2022 New York show, Hyundai taking the same three awards this year as last. In 2022, the Ioniq 5 won World Car of the Year, World Electric Vehicle, and World Car Design of the Year. At this week’s New York Show, the Ioniq 6 repeated that trifecta. The battery-electric sedan beat 29 other vehicles with a variety of powertrains, that initial group whittled down to the BMW X1/iX1, Ioniq 6 and Kia Niro.

The top prize is contested among vehicles sold in at least two major world markets on two continents between January 1, 2022, and March 30, 2023, priced below the luxury-car level in the primary markets, and produced in greater than 10,000 units during the sales timespan.

The Hyundai beat 20 other vehicles for the World Electric Car title, a category the WCOTY board inaugurated in 2022. The market qualification is the same here, but there’s no price cap and the production threshold is lowered to 5,000. The runners-up in the category are the BMW i7 and the Lucid Air. The consolation prize for the Lucid Air was winning the World Luxury Car award, beating the BMW 7 Series/i7 and Genesis G90.

Electric car prices may drop thanks to new ZEV mandate – with big savings for UK drivers

April 14, 2023Electric Cars, FAQ, News, Reviews and CommentRepost

Experts have praised proposals announced today to introduce a Zero Emission Vehicle mandate from next year to help accelerate the uptake of electric vehicles.

The Government’s new Powering Up Britain strategy has been unveiled with many in the motoring industry in favour of the progression of the Zero Emission Vehicle mandate. This mandate will require car manufacturers to have a minimum percentage of their new car sales be zero emission to help achieve net zero goals.

Quentin Wilson, founder of EV campaign group FairCharge, had been calling on the Government to ensure there were no compromises to the ZEV mandate to achieve net zero goals.

He said: “We know the Government has read our many letters and listened to feedback from our meetings with ministers to stay strong on future EV production targets and we’re delighted that they haven’t caved into vested interests.

“These targets will send a clear message to the EV sector that UK electrification of road transport is here to stay and will benefit future generations with more highly skilled jobs, greater levels of investment, more charging infrastructure and cleaner urban air. This is a good day for British drivers.”

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