Drivers of petrol and diesel cars will face higher charges to use private car parks under a plan to tackle pollution.
CitiPark, which operates car parks across Britain, announced yesterday that it would impose a levy on all but the most fuel-efficient vehicles as part of a national drive to cut emissions.
Under the system, cars emitting 75g or less of carbon dioxide per kilometre — typically only electric cars and some hybrid vehicles — would qualify for a “green tariff”.
This would give them an automatic discount of up to 20 per cent of the price charged for petrol and diesel vehicles.
The change has initially been applied to the company’s Clipstone Street underground car park in Fitzrovia, central London.
The UK’s first multi-brand electric vehicle showroom – the Electric Vehicle (EV) Experience Centre, operated by Chargemaster – open[ed] its doors in the Centre:MK shopping centre on Saturday 22 July. It will be run by a team of professionally-trained EV gurus, providing information and advice, and visitors will be able to test drive the latest electric cars.
Open seven days a week, the EV Experience Centre will educate visitors on the benefits of driving an EV, supporting Milton Keynes’ transformation into the UK’s first Go Ultra Low City. From impartial advice on specific models, government grants available, different types of plug-in vehicle and charging options, the centre will cover every aspect of EV ownership.
The role of the 11 EV gurus is purely to educate, inform and advise visitors in a relaxed environment, with no sales pressure. The EV Experience centre is part of Milton Keynes Council’s Go Ultra Low City scheme, funded by government, and supports the town’s aim for electric vehicles to make up 23% of all new car sales in the local area within five years.
Jesse Norman MP, Roads Minister said, “We awarded £9m to Milton Keynes to encourage the take-up of ultra-low emission vehicles and it is great to see the city leading the way. There are now more than 100,000 ultra low emission vehicles on our roads, and it is our ambition that nearly every car and van in the UK is zero-emission by 2050.
“We want to retain our position as a global leader in the development, manufacture and use of ultra-low emission vehicles and have committed to invest more than £600m by 2020. Grants worth up to £4,500 are available off the price of new ultra-low emission cars, and I hope many more people will take up this offer.”
In June, Renault set a new all-time record for electric vehicles sales. The month saw sales of 4,498 EVs, which was 56% higher than a year ago, and 350+ units higher than the previous all-time record set in March.
For the Renault brand, EVs (not including the city Twizy) stand at 1.65% share of all sales in June, and 1.4% for the first half of 2017.
Renault electric vehicle sales in June:
Renault ZOE – 4,251 (up 73%)
Renault Kangoo Z.E. – 245 (down 42%)
In the first six months, Renault has sold total nearly 18,900 electric cars (up 34%), including nearly 17,300 ZOE.
Europe:
“Renault maintained its lead in the electric vehicle segment with a market share of 26.8%. Sales volumes increased 34%. Registrations of ZOE, Europe’s top-selling electric vehicle, rose 44%.”
France:
“ZOE remains the clear leader in the electric vehicle market, accounting for almost 70% of electric passenger car sales in France with over 9,200 registrations – a year-on-year increase of over 42%.”
The Kangoo Z.E. doesn’t account for many sales, but the new longer-range version maybe will enable higher sales.
It seems that electric vehicles (EVs) are finally coming of age as barriers to take up start to fall, costs decline, and range and performance improves.
Last December Morgan Stanley upped its forecast for EV penetration to potentially 10 to 15 per cent by 2025, as car makers accelerate plans to build EVs (think of the Jaguar E-Pace) and as tightening rules on traditional ICE (internal combustion engine) cars make them uncompetitive more quickly than expected.
One indication of the latter might be seen in the huge shift away from diesels underway across Europe, where its market share has fallen by 3.6% over the last year – more on that in my next blog.
Now, a research report by the from Dutch investment bank ING says that the European car market could be fully electric by 2035. It states that battery electric vehicles are on the way to a “breakthrough” by 2024 as barriers to their adoption – think charging infrastructure, range anxiety and pricing – fall, especially as electric batteries become cheaper and better.
The authors of the report believe that current developments in technology could set EVs on a growth path to a 100% share of new passenger car sales in Europe by 2035, posing a “threat to the automotive industry as we know it”.
Not surprisingly, though, the report highlights barriers to take up of EVs (something I’ve been researching with colleagues at Coventry University): limits to charging infrastructure (20%), limits to range on one charge (28%) and the high price of electric cars (40%) all being reasons cited by consumers in the report for not buying EVs.
Nevertheless, the report suggests that by 2024, the cost of ownership of a long-range EV is expected to match that of a similar ICE car in Europe’s largest market, Germany.
Ask a North American driver to name companies that make electric cars, and you’ll probably hear Tesla, maybe Nissan, and perhaps Chevy or BMW or Toyota.
Longer-range Renault Zoe electric car, introduced at 2016 Paris Motor Show
Chinese drivers may be more likely to say BYD (and perhaps Tesla), but Europeans will likely name Renault. (And Tesla.)
The Renault Zoe, now in its fifth year but entirely unknown to U.S. and Canadian buyers, continues to be the best-selling battery-electric car in Europe.
Its maker is part of the longstanding Renault Nissan Alliance, which recently added Mitsubishi to become the fourth largest automaker in the world collectively.
The French maker just released its first-half global sales figures, and the Zoe continues to dominate the sales charts within Europe.
In Europe, as Renault notes, overall the carmaker had 26.8 percent of the market for battery-electric and plug-in hybrid cars.
Longer-range Renault Zoe electric car, introduced at 2016 Paris Motor Show
Its first-half sales volumes grew 34 percent, and registrations of the subcompact hatchback Zoe rose 44 percent.
That meant the Zoe remains Europe’s top-selling electric vehicle.
One factor that may keep the Zoe, which went on sale in late 2012, at the top of the charts is this year’s substantial upgrade in battery capacity.
Following the success of our first eBook we have decided to do another one. The first one was a guide to charging your electric car at home. This one is specific to the Milton Keynes area, where we are based (though of course we deliver nationwide). Milton Keynes is the best city in the world for giving incentives to electric car drivers.
If you are considering an electric car and you live near, work in or visit Milton Keynes, then this is the guide for you.
Red Tesla Model S in the new Milton Keynes showroom (Image: T. Larkum)
This eBook tells you all you need to know about the benefits of an electric car in Milton Keynes:
Charging in and around Milton Keynes
How to get free parking in Central Milton Keynes
How to get free parking at MK railway station
The Experience Centre, with free test drives and lessons
Planned future benefits, e.g driving in bus lanes
Click on the image, enter your name and email, and download your free guide.
If it leaves any questions unanswered, just get in touch (contact details here and in the eBook).
There is simply no credible way to address climate change without changing the way we get from here to there, meaning cars, trucks, planes and any other gas-guzzling forms of transportation.
That is why it is so heartening to see electric cars, considered curios for the rich or eccentric or both not that long ago, now entering the mainstream.
A slew of recent announcements by researchers, auto companies and world leaders offer real promise. First up, a forecast by Bloomberg New Energy Finance said that electric cars would become cheaper than conventional cars without government subsidies between 2025 and 2030.
At the same time, auto companies like Tesla, General Motors and Volvo are planning a slate of new models that they say will be not only more affordable but also more practical than earlier versions. And officials in such countries as France, India and Norway have set aggressive targets for putting these vehicles to use and phasing out emission-spewing gasoline and diesel cars.
Skeptics may see these announcements as wishful thinking. After all, just 1.1 percent of all cars sold globally in 2016 were electrics or plug-in hybrids. And many popular models still cost much more than comparable fossil-fuel cars.
The skeptics, however, have consistently been overly pessimistic about this technology. Electric cars face challenges, yet they have caught on much faster than was thought likely just a few years ago. There were two million of them on the world’s roads last year, up 60 percent from 2015, according to the International Energy Agency.
The cost of batteries, the single most expensive component of the cars, fell by more than half between 2012 and 2016, according to the Department of Energy. Tesla has indicated that it can produce batteries for about $125 per kilowatt-hour. Researchers say the cost of electric cars will be at parity with conventional vehicles when battery prices reach $100 per kilowatt-hour, which experts say is just a few years away. Electric cars are more efficient, of course, but they also require less maintenance, which should make them cheaper to own over time.
BMW has announced its latest sales results, with the German giant reporting that electrified models have increased 80% in the first half of 2017, compared to the same period last year.
Group sales of BMW i, BMW iPerformance, and Mini electric have seen dramatic growth
Part of this increase is because of new models arriving and coming into production. However, it shows that demand is strong, and the BMW Group’s line-up is continuing to expand so sales will only continue to shoot up for the foreseeable future.
A total of 42,573 BMW i, BMW iPerformance, and Mini Electric vehicles were sold in the first six months of 2017, with production totalling almost 52,000 cars. BMW says that it is on target to sell more than 100,000 electrified vehicles in 2017, with the delivery of the 200,000th plug-in car expected later this year.
These sales include the new Mini Countryman Cooper S E All4, which only arrived in showrooms in June, so wasn’t able to make much of an impact on the half year sales. This new plug-in Mini joined the likes of the BMW’s i3, i8, 225xe, 330e, 530e, 740e and Le, and X5 xDrive 40e to form one of the most comprehensive plug-in car line-ups on the market.
Further models are already in the pipeline too, with the new i8 Roadster due next year, along with a new X3 PHEV, and all-electric X3 and Mini.
Peter Schwarzenbauer, Member of the BMW AG Board of Management responsible for MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, said: “Sales of the new Mini Countryman are particularly pleasing and I’m delighted that with the launch in June of the Mini Cooper S E Countryman ALL4, electric mobility is now available on a large scale from the Mini brand.
“Customer interest in this car has been extremely high and I’m confident we will see continued growth across the brand in the second half of the year.”
In January 2016, Milton Keynes was awarded Go Ultra Low City status alongside Bristol, London and Nottingham and secured multi-million pound investment from the UK Government. The cities and regions each received a share of £40 million funding by proposing innovative ideas to encourage drivers to choose an electric car.
Electric Avenue: MK City Centre Hub
Milton Keynes Council received £9 million funding to further its work developing modern vehicles to tackle harmful emissions, reduce its carbon footprint, and continue to make Milton Keynes one of the most sustainable cities in Europe.
Future plans for the funding in Milton Keynes include:
Charging Hubs, where electric vehicles can be fully recharged in around 30min: EV Rapid Charging Hubs are being established at the Coachway at M1 J14 and in the City Centre
Charging posts close to residential areas: Milton Keynes will commit to providing a charging point to any resident of the City who buys an EV, either at home or on a nearby street if the buyer does not have off-street parking
Priority for EVs in bus lanes
Destination charging at popular locations including supermarkets, hotels and leisure facilities
Trialling the latest developments in technology such as inductive charging
Information and signage: Signage will be provided giving motorists clear information on facilities for EVs.
With regard to the Charging Hubs, this project will see Chargemaster supply its latest charging infrastructure to set up two filling-station-style EV rapid charging hubs and 50 destination chargers across the town.
The legislation will allow the government to require the installation of charge points for electric and hydrogen vehicles at motorway service areas and large fuel retailers, and to establish common technical and operational standards.
The U.K. government introduces legislation requiring that every gas station and motorway service center install electric charging points.
The Queen’s Speech, marking the start of the post-election Parliamentary session, included the introduction of the Automated and Electric Vehicles Bill.
Government briefing papers say the legislation will ensure the U.K. remains at the forefront of developing new technology in electric and automated vehicles.
The legislation will allow the government to require the installation of charge points for electric and hydrogen vehicles at motorway service areas and large fuel retailers, and to establish common technical and operational standards.
The legislation is designed to make the regulatory framework keep pace with the fast-evolving technology for EVs; extend compulsory motor-vehicle insurance to cover automated vehicles; and to ensure compensation claims continue to be paid quickly and easily.
It is intended to allow innovation to flourish and ensure the next wave of self-driving technology is invented, designed and operated safely in the U.K.
The government says the aim is to
“ensure a world-class infrastructure which supports the rapid adoption and use of electric vehicles by consumers as more mass-market models become available, helping improve air quality.”
This supports government ambitions for the U.K. to
“lead the world in EV technology and use,”
with almost every car and van to be zero-emissions by 2050.
