Category Archives: Electric Cars

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

EV does it: is mass adoption a reality?

March 14, 2023Buying a new car, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and CommentRepost

Way back in 1832, Robert Anderson developed the world’s first electric vehicle (EV), signalling a historic first step. Since that time, gasoline and diesel have been the dominant energy sources for all passenger and commercial vehicles, with EVs seemingly lost in the future.

But today, people are opting for greener choices in all aspects of life—with EVs being a core component of efforts to decarbonise transportation. According to energy watchdog Ofgem, one in four UK households will buy an EV in the next five years, meaning more than 6.5 million households will invest in an electric or plug-in hybrid model.

There’s now more momentum than ever to get behind the wheel of an EV, just look at this year’s CES which was dominated by EV. news. And from a policy perspective, the UK government is committing to ending the sale of new gasoline and diesel cars by 2030, a game changing milestone in the EV market. It’s not just the UK either; the rest of Europe is following suit, with an estimated 33-40 million electric cars on European roads by 2030.

With lower running costs, no congestion charges to pay for a growing number of cities, and reduced polluting greenhouse gases, it’s easy to see why electric cars are becoming the go-to option. Despite the vast benefits EVs provide, there are still obstacles that must be overcome before mass adoption is a reality.

It’s Time to Go Green!

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Is this the future to support long-distance journeys in electric cars? Motorway services to get 40ft SHIPPING CONTAINERS filled with giant battery packs to provide faster charging

March 13, 2023Away From Home, Charging, Charging, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and CommentRepost

National Highways has invested a massive £8million in the ‘temporary’ measure
Containers contain enough batteries to provide 2m miles of EV driving a year
Find out which seven motorway services will get the containers in 2023

Electric car drivers are set to receive a major boost at busy motorway service stations with seven locations receiving huge shipping containers filled with battery packs to shorten charging times during longer journeys.

National Highways has confirmed it has splashed out £8million to upgrade a selection of major motorway service areas in England where the electricity grid supply is not enough to support high-powered charging devices.

eVolt Rapid Chargers installed in Aimer Square, Dundee (Image: eVolt)

The services to benefit from the investment includes: Beaconsfield on the M4; Corley on the M6 Northbound; Clacket Lane on the M25, both Eastbound and Westbound; Maidstone on the M20; Taunton on the M5 Northbound; and Tebay on the M6 Northbound.

News of these fresh installations comes just two months after electric vehicle owners faced a Christmas charging nightmare, with Tesla owners sharing on social media their tales of being stuck in three-hour queues waiting to plug in at motorway service stations, including drivers at Tebay.

It’s Time to Go Green!

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Octopus Energy launches new combined solar, battery and EV tariff

March 10, 2023Energy and Climate Change, News, Reviews and Comment, Octopus, OpinionRepost

Octopus Energy has launched a brand new tariff for customers with solar, a battery and an electric vehicle at home.

Octopus Flux will be able to save customers more than £326 a year compared to the suppliers next more appropriate tariff, it noted.

“We’re delighted to launch our next generation import/export tariff, ‘Octopus Flux’, for those with solar panels and a battery at their home,” an Octopus spokesperson said.

“Octopus Flux customers will receive the best rates for both the power they use and the power they sell back, benefiting from three hours of cheap rates overnight and generous peak export rates.”

It builds on the company’s previous export tariff options, which include;

Agile Outgoing – Export rates are linked to wholesale pricing, changing daily to reflect the wider energy market. Over the last six months, Octopus has paid customers an average of 32.05p/kWh during peak times. In December, customers were paid up to £1.48/kWh for electricity exported back to the grid amid the wider high power prices.
Fixed Outgoing – This tariff offers customers a fixed 15p/kWh for electricity exported back to the grid, this is three times more than any other supplier in the UK, according to Octopus.
Octopus Energy’s Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) tariff is set at 4.1p/kWh for every unit of power customers export.

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The 10 slowest-depreciating electric cars

March 9, 2023Cost of ownership, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and CommentRepost

Shopping for an electric car and want it to hold on to as much of its value as possible? Then you’ll need to buy one of these…

The slowest-depreciating electric cars

Tesla Model Y with depreciation graph

Image 1 of 21

Electric cars used to lose more of their value over three years than almost any other type of car, because they were seen as a niche choice and there were concerns about how long their batteries would last. Those days are long gone, though.

For a start, batteries are proving much more durable than feared, and the popularity of electric models is rising. Indeed, they have accounted for more than 13% of the cars registered in the UK so far this year. Better still, the depreciation of many of them is as glacial as it gets.

There are still big differences between the best and worst performers, though, so here we’re using our residual value data to reveal the 10 models that lose the smallest percentage of their original price during the first three years. All figures are based on what you can expect for a trade-in that’s covered 36,000 miles.

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How the transition to electric vehicles works for employees

March 7, 2023At Home, Away From Home, Charging, Charging, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and CommentRepost

Electric vehicles (EVs) run differently to those powered by petrol and diesel – that’s clear. They have no need for gears, so put the pedal to the metal and you’ll be using the motor’s full power. However, brake in the right way and you can reduce the amount of energy used. For all the technology in EVs, the most vital component is always going to be the driver, and this is especially the case when businesses are purchasing EVs for their employees.

While many companies might keep their EV fleets on site, a large portion of them will either be letting employees keep their work vehicles at home or giving them company cars. Either way, an employee’s home therefore becomes very relevant for businesses.

The home charging conundrum

The government’s Housing Survey found that 60% of homes (around 14.4 million) had some parking on their plot, such as a driveway or garage, but 26% had no provision for off-street parking. That could make things difficult for EV drivers who rely on overnight plug-in charging, either through a wall socket or a specialised EV charger, to charge vehicles cheaply and conveniently.

This government survey has shown that, assuming each house has a car, 6.2 million houses in the UK are going to need some sort of on-street charging solution, such as charging points installed in lampposts (10,000 of which are available already).

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Electrifying your fleet – what employers need to know

March 6, 2023Away From Home, Charging, Charging, Electric Cars, Eon, News, Reviews and CommentRepost

E.ON’s head of EV for B2B David Butters gives the answers on questions for business owners looking to transition their company fleet

Electrifying a vehicle fleet can feel like a daunting prospect. It isn’t just a case of buying new cars or vans. Fleet managers need to consider how their latest electric vehicles (EVs) will be charged – and their drivers need to be prepared to shift to a whole new mindset.

Here, E.ON’s head of EV for B2B David Butters answers six important questions around electrification that organisations might have.

Is charging an EV fleet cost-effective?

The initial outlay for an EV is higher than the equivalent petrol or diesel model. But running costs are significantly cheaper and charging at home or at work is more convenient for employers and employees alike, compared with stopping at roadside fuel stations.

The average UK electricity cost at 34p per kilowatt hour (kWh) which would suggest you could charge a Nissan Leaf with a 40kWh battery for as little as £14. That would give a range of 151 miles. Covering that distance in a 40mpg petrol car would cost around £25 at early 2023 prices.

Various reports estimate that EVs are between 50-70 per cent cheaper to maintain over their lifetime than petrol or diesel cars. That makes the current average EV cost around 7p per mile, compared to 20p per mile for their combustion engine equivalent. Over the UK average of driving 7,400 miles a year, that’s an annual saving of almost £962.

It’s Time to Go Green!

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EU approves 2035 ban on selling petrol and diesel cars

March 3, 2023Buying/Leasing, Electric Cars, FAQ, News, Reviews and Comment, PollutionRepost

No more emissions from 2035 for cars and vans sold in Europe

The EU has today voted to approve legislation effectively banning the future sale of petrol and diesel cars and vans. In order to sell vehicles in Europe, carmakers will have to cut emissions by 100 per cent by 2035 compared to 2021 levels, which means that all new cars and vans are going to be CO2-emission-free.

Though carmakers with small production numbers – less than 1,000 cars annually – will have exemption until 2035, mass production manufacturers are being encouraged with some pretty big carrots to create zero-emission and “well-performing plug-in hybrids” between 2025 and 2029. The 2035 zero-emissions standard is more aggressive than originally planned.

EU spokesperson Jan Huitema said: “This regulation encourages the production of zero- and low-emission vehicles. It contains an ambitious revision of the targets for 2030 and a zero-emission target for 2035, which is crucial to reach climate neutrality by 2050.

“These targets create clarity for the car industry and stimulate innovation and investments for car manufacturers. Purchasing and driving zero-emission cars will become cheaper for consumers and a second-hand market will emerge more quickly. It makes sustainable driving accessible to everyone.”

In a campaign entitled ‘Fit for 55’, the EU is aiming to reduce CO2 emissions by 55 per cent by 2030 compared to 2021 levels. To support this, passenger cars and light commercial vehicles sold from 2030 and 2035 respectively will have to comply with new emissions standards by law.

It’s Time to Go Green!

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Toyota finally admits ‘timing is right’ for an EV-first mindset amid business reshuffle

March 2, 2023Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, ToyotaRepost

Amid new leadership changes, Toyota is reshuffling its business structure, claiming the “time is right” to accelerate battery electric vehicle (BEV) development. Toyota says it will take a new EV-first approach, starting with its luxury brand Lexus.

Last week, Electrek reported Toyota’s longtime CEO Akio Toyoda was stepping down from his position amid mounting pressure to accelerate EV development and keep up in a rapidly changing industry.

The news comes after the 66-year-old grandson to the company’s founder has been one of the most outspoken opponents of going all in on electric vehicles.

Electric car on the road. ‘We are literally driving on sunshine,’ write James and Lesley Willis. Photograph: EPA

Toyoda insisted on sticking with a hybrid approach (including fuel cell, EV, hybrid, and gas vehicles) despite the industry moving forward with zero-emissions EV technology, putting the company on track to rank as one of the world’s most obstructive companies in 2022 with oil industry leaders.

After announcing his departure, Toyoda alluded to the fact that his successor will be tasked with leading the automaker’s transformation as it enters a new mobility era.

Incoming president Koji Sato is set to take the reins on April 1, 2023. Sato addressed the situation, saying Toyota will prove it’s committed to making cars better through “concrete actions and products, such as accelerating the shift to electrification.” He added the timing is now right to accelerate EV development with a new approach.

It’s Time to Go Green!

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The ten best-selling used electric cars in the UK

March 1, 2023Electric Cars, Leaf, News, Reviews and Comment, Nissan, Renault, ZOERepost

The number of electric cars on the roads of the UK are rising rapidly – and in turn sales of used EVs are also soaring.

A record 71,071 used battery electric cars were sold in the UK last year, a rise of 37.5 per cent on 2021. But which models were most popular with used car buyers? Well, since you asked… here are the ten best-selling used electric cars in the UK in 2022.

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Transaction figures have been provided by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), while all estimated pricing details are taken from our sister brand What Car?’s Used Car classifieds (which are powered by Auto Trader).

If you’re thinking of trying to bag a bargain, make sure you read our Used Electric Car Buying Guide.

1 Nissan Leaf (17,270 transactions)

It’s no surprise that the Nissan Leaf dominates sales of used EVs: the hatch has now been on sale for more than a decade, and spans two generations.

That also means that there are lots of options spanning a wide range of prices available. Early first generation models featured a 24kWh or 30kWh battery, with a 30kWh version arriving in 2016. They could be charged at speeds of up to 44kW.

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6 reasons to drive an EV

February 28, 2023Buying a new car, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, PollutionRepost

Sometimes, picking a new car is as simple as seeing a vehicle you just know you want. More often, it’s a complicated decision where you weigh up a range of factors before selecting the best option for you. If you’re in this position, here are six electric car advantages to make you think EV.

You’re helping the environment

One of the main EV benefits is the reduced environmental impact they have on our world. Electric cars aren’t completely free of CO2, though. A lot of the electricity they use comes from non-renewable sources. Plus, they have to be built and transported, which is likely to involve emissions as well.

However, it seems safe to say that they are still a lot better for the environment than petrol or diesel engines. It generally produces less CO2 to create energy in a power station than it does to do it in a car engine. And some of your electricity will likely come from renewable sources as well.

“The response from police drivers to the BMW i3 has been very positive. It’s actually a very quick car.”

On top of that, an electric engine is around **three times for efficient** than a petrol engine in terms of how it uses its. All in all, you can be confident you’re making a difference.

It’s Time to Go Green!

If you would like to know more about Solar Panels and the PowerBanx range of home battery systems, and get a free instant quote, please complete our online form: