Category Archives: Electric Cars

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

Renault leading electric vehicle market in Europe

January 29, 2016Electric Cars, Electric Vans, Kangoo Z.E., News, Reviews and Comment, Renault, Renault, ZOETrevor Larkum

In 2015, Renault was the best performing brand in EV sales in Europe
Renault’s EV sales rose 49 per cent to 23,086 units in 2015, with a 23.6 per cent market share
ZOE is the best-selling all-electric car in Europe
Kangoo Z.E. is the best-selling all-electric LCV in Europe

Renault is the best performing brand in Europe in electric vehicles sales, with a market share of 23.6 per cent (or 25.2 per cent including Twizy) and 23,086 units registered in 2015 up 49 per cent on 2014. One out of five electric cars sold in Europe was a Renault Z.E. vehicle in 2015.

The European all-electric vehicle market stands at 97,687 units, up 47.8 per cent compared to 2014. In Europe, the EV market represents a 0.61 per cent market share (up 0.16 per cent compared to 2014) of the overall car market.

Renault ZOE is the top-selling all-electric passenger car with its market share increasing by 2.2 percentage points to 19.2 per cent and 18,453 new registrations in 2015. It performed particularly well in France, where it recorded a 48.1 per cent market share (versus 41.2 per cent in 2014) and 10,670 units sold, thanks to the “superbonus” incentive set up by the French government in April 2015. More than half of ZOE sales in France benefitted from the incentive.

Renault Kangoo Z.E. is the best-selling electric LCV in Europe with 4,325 units sold in 2015, accounting for 42.6 per cent of the all-electric LCV market.

Renault has sold the most EVs between 2010 – the year the first EV was launched in Europe – and 2015, with a record of 62,228 units sold. Since its launch, 16,331 units of Renault Twizy were sold.

Renault Z.E. models sold in Europe in 2015:

ZOE, a compact hatchback launched in 2013;
Kangoo Z.E., the electric version of Renault’s LCV launched in 2011;
Twizy, an urban two-seater quadricycle, launched in 2012

In the UK, ZOE sales were up 102 per cent in 2015 to 2,053 vehicles, significantly outpacing the UK electric vehicle market, which was up 48 per cent (including Twizy) on 2014. ZOE is the second best-selling electric car in the UK representing one in five EVs sold.

Source: Renault Press Release

Electrification of UK roads hits new peak

January 29, 2016Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, SalesTrevor Larkum

The UK government’s initiatives for the ‘electrification’ of the country’s roads appear to be paying off, with the news that plug-in electric vehicle (EV) registrations reached a record high in 2015, as 28,188 new ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEVs) were licensed, which is more than the past five years’ totals rolled into one.

The switch to electric power marked a 94% annual rise compared to the previous year, while the popularity of plug-in vehicles shows no sign of slowing, with an even greater selection of ULEVs due to be launched in 2016.

Plug-in car sales charge ahead

January 29, 2016Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, SalesTrevor Larkum

The UK saw record sales of plug-in cars last year.

BMW i3 Goes Head-to-Head with VW e-Golf (Image: AutoExpress)

According analysis by the government and the Go Ultra Low campaign, which is backed by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, as well as leading companies in the industry, plug-in sales for 2015 exceeded the total for 2010 to 2014 combined.

In all, 28,188 new ultra low emission vehicles (ULEVs) arrived on UK roads in 2015, a rise of 94 per cent compared with the previous year.

Fuelling the demand is a greater choice of models, with thirty pure electric or plug-in hybrid cars now available in the UK, ranging from high-performance sports cars to family run-arounds – and more are on the way in 2016. Last year, the plug-in hybrid vehicles proved most popular among motorists, with 18,254 registrations, a 137 per cent increase on 2014. Fully electric vehicle sales increased 48 per cent to 9,934 registrations.

Transport Minister Andrew Jones MP said,

“The UK has one of the fastest growing ultra-low emission vehicle markets in the world and these record figures show more and more people across the country are enjoying the benefits of this cheap-to-run and green technology.

BMW i3“British drivers have a wider choice of vehicles than ever before and we have increased our support for plug-in vehicles to £600 million over the next five years to cut emissions, create jobs and support our cutting-edge industries.”

Head of Go Ultra Low, Poppy Welch, said,

“This sustained level of growth represents how plug-in vehicles are becoming the norm for drivers who want to buy a fun, economical, stylish new car. Now, instead of facing high running costs, motorists can reap the rewards of an economical ultra low emission vehicle, which can save the typical car owner hundreds of pounds every year. With this growth showing no signs of stopping, it’s proof that electric car ownership is the new normal. Now, it’s not a question of will motorists choose electric, but when.”

Renault and VW win electric What Car? awards

January 28, 2016Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, Passat GTE, Renault, Volkswagen, ZOETrevor Larkum

The What Car? Car of the Year Awards 2016 saw prizes awarded to the Renault Zoe and Volkswagen Passat GTE in the electric car categories.

The Passat Estate GTE scooped the overall Best Electric Car prize, along with winning the Best Buy £20,000-£40,000 category. Meanwhile, Renault’s Zoe Dynamique Nav Rapid Charge took the Best Electric Car for less than £20,000 title for third year running.

The judges said of the Passat GTE:

“This really is the kind of hybrid you could use every day without even thinking of it as an EV. The Passat GTE mixes a 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine with an electric motor and VW’s six-speed DSG automatic gearbox, and it shifts between the two power sources smoothly.

“The interior quality is every bit as good as on other Passats, there’s enough room for five adults to sit in comfort, and our preferred edition, the Estate, has a boot that’ll take all but the largest loads. Best of all, the Passat Estate GTE makes a great potential company car choice thanks to its official CO2 emissions of just 39 g/km and a benefit-in-kind tax rate of 5 per cent. It’s easily the best family hybrid we’ve seen to date.”

Commenting on the decision to give ZOE the award for a third consecutive year, Jim Holder, Editorial Director, What Car? said:

“The Renault Zoe was our favourite electric car for less than £20,000 a year ago, and tweaks to the specification and the added ability to go further have only increased its appeal. The Zoe’s main strength is that it feels like a conventional, stylish, nippy small car that happens to cost pennies to run.

“The electric motor has enough shove for the Zoe to lead the charge away from traffic lights, and the cabin seats four in reasonable comfort. Even the boot is larger than you’ll find in many regular small cars – easily big enough for a week’s shopping.”

EVChallenge – Renault ZOE

We set three Netmums bloggers challenges to see if ultra low emission vehicles worked for them. In this video, we gave Penny, who blogs at Parent Shaped, a Renault ZOE and asked her to find as many local chargepoints as she could in an hour. Watch to see how easy Penny found it to charge on the go. Watch all our bloggers take the #EVChallenge: bit.ly/1ZMS1CC

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0KUkt_2h68

Electric cars on the road to phenomenal growth

January 26, 2016Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, SalesTrevor Larkum

The past twelve months have been exciting for many reasons, from new EV model releases to exciting events such as our #FollowTheSuitcase competition; but for us, the highlight has to be seeing a record number of plug-in vehicles on the road.

Last year over 28,000 electric cars were registered across the country. That’s more than the combined totals of electric cars sold every year since 2010, and marks a phenomenal 94% annual rise compared to the previous year.

Plug-in power is fast becoming a mainstream option for drivers alongside petrol and diesel, and EV popularity shows no sign of slowing.

We saw every region in the UK record improve year-on-year registrations for plug-in cars. Ultra low emission vehicles (ULEVs) proved to be the most popular in the South East of England, closely followed by the South West and the West Midlands.

UK plug-in car sales hit record levels

January 26, 2016Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, SalesTrevor Larkum

More than 3,000 plug-in cars were sold during December 2015, taking 1.7 per cent of new car sales in the UK, representing a record breaking month for green cars.

One in 60 cars sold in December 2015 was an ultra-low emission vehicle

The sales mix is the highest ever seen in the UK and is a significant step forward on the previous best of 1.3 per cent seen in November 2015 and December 2014, according to the Society for Motor Manufacturers and Traders’ (SMMT) figure

The news is especially good considering that overall December sales were the best ever – up 8.4 per cent – saw more than 180,000 vehicles registered. Almost 1,000 more Plug-in Car Grant (PiGC) vehicles were registered in December 2015 than in the same period the previous year with total sales at 3,090 – compared with December 2014’s 2,149. This represents one in every 60 cars sold was an ultra low emission vehicle.

Now with the end of the 2015 calender year complete, the figures show that 28,188 PiGC eligible cars were sold in 2015, almost double the 14,532 sold in 2014. This now puts the total number of PiCG eligible cars sold since the start of the grant at 47,690 – and this excludes commercial vehicles. Add in non-grant eligible plug-in cars and vans, the UK electric fleet now numbers almost 54,000 vehicles.

Record sales of electric cars in Milton Keynes

January 26, 2016Electric Cars, Milton Keynes, News, Reviews and Comment, Renault, Sales, ZOETrevor Larkum

The popularity of more sustainable transport among Milton Keynes residents continues to grow, boosted by record numbers of plug-in electric car sales in the run up to Christmas.

David Wallace from Oxley Park, Milton Keynes, receives the keys to his new Renault ZOE from Brayleys’ sales executive, Graham Glover

That’s according to Westcroft based dealership, Brayley Renault, which reported more than 30 sales of the 100 per cent electric Renault ZOE in December alone, a record for a single month.

The surge in electric cars on the roads of Buckinghamshire reflects the national demand for more environmentally friendly motoring.

Plug-in electric car registrations in the UK totaled 20,992 units during the first nine months of 2015, consisting of 6,951 pure electric cars and 14,041 plug-in hybrids.

Figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders show that total registrations during this period increased by 140 per cent from the same period in 2014, with all-electric car registrations growing 55 per cent year-on-year.

One of eight national pilot projects set up by the Government to explore and encourage the take-up of electric vehicles, the Milton Keynes Plugged-In Places Scheme now consists of more than 200 charging points in Milton Keynes and across the county.

A quarter of these are rapid charging stations, enabling a full charge in just 20 minutes. A number of local rail stations have also installed charging points and offer discounted parking fees for electric vehicles.

Paul Brayley, managing director of Brayleys Cars, said:

“Our Renault dealership in Westcroft has seen significant growth in enquiries and sales of all-electric vehicles as people become more aware of their environmental credentials, low running costs and excellent driving characteristics.”

Source: One MK

Evolt reports record year for its EV charging business

January 26, 2016Charging, Electric Cars, Evolt, News, Reviews and CommentTrevor Larkum

Evolt has recorded a record year for its Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging business – 12 months that has seen a significant increase in sales and market share in an increasingly competitive commercial charging landscape.

The company, which began installing some of its first single commercial chargers more than five years ago, has since grown to become one of the largest providers of single, dual and multiple commercial charging points across the UK.

It currently has more than 4,000 of its Evolt-branded charging points installed, from the south coast of England to the Shetland Islands of Scotland. It also has a further 160 Rapid Charging stations in place to meet the needs of an expanding customer base that includes 60 Local Authorities and a large number of private businesses

Justin Meyer, General Manager, says that its engagement with leading consortia and strategic alliances with two of the key industry players have served to consolidate its position as a true market leader:

“We have quickly established a reputation as the ‘go to’ supplier for commercial EV charging infrastructure solutions, respected for the range and reliability of our systems and a strong support network right across the country,” he says.

“Our growth and increased market share reflect the growing popularity of electric vehicles, as more local authorities and private businesses look to meet their ‘green’ responsibilities and realise the benefits that EVs can deliver.

“Fleets of electric buses, taxis and council vehicles are all increasing,” he continues. “We have exciting plans for 2016 and will continue to invest in new technologies over the next 12 months.”

Among the new solutions planned for early 2016 is an 800-Volt Rapid Charger with an innovative design, a 20kW triple headed Rapid Charger, and an advanced home charging unit with a number of bespoke features that will ensure that an EV unit can be installed in every home.

Other new innovations include a series of battery storage systems consisting of a 50kW, 100kW and ultimately 250kW capacity. These will enable expansion of the EV charging network where the power supply is constrained, as well as the ability to work with Green renewable energy sources.

Source: Gravity London

RENAULT ZOE REVIEW

January 26, 2016Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, Renault, ZOETrevor Larkum

The recent Volkswagen emissions scandal has highlighted the issue of local air quality. The emissions from diesel cars impact badly on local air quality; petrol cars aren’t as bad, but they still have emissions. However pure electric cars have zero tailpipe emissions, and so are ideal for use in our congested urban areas. The Renault ZOE is also a compact size for city driving – so surely it must be the perfect city car?

The ZOE is a stand-alone model that’s only available as a pure EV. Although it’s a compact five-door supermini, it still has five seats – and a decent boot. The rear seats even fold flat to provide an increased load space. We think it looks good, inside and out; it’s simple, stylish and modern. With many functions controlled by the touchscreen, the dashboard has the minimum of fuss.

In terms of the technical stuff, the ZOE has a 400V, 22 kWh capacity lithium ion battery (which weighs 290kg) and a 65kW (88hp) synchronous electric motor. It also has a ‘Chameleon’ charger, allowing the ZOE to be charged at different power levels using the same socket, enabling drivers to take advantage of a wide range of charging points. Charging time from a 3 kW (single-phase 16 A) wall box is around 9 hours. If three-phase charging is available, then a 32 A 22 kW charge point can provide an 80% battery charge in one hour, or a 43 kW 63 A charge point can give an 80% battery charge in just half an hour.