At Obvious Ventures, we believe stored electricity, increasingly derived from renewable sources, will entirely replace fossil fuels as the preferred method to power everything in our lives.
Vauxhall Ampera Charging (Image: OLEV)
From cars to scooters to boats to locomotives to industrial equipment, we are in the midst of a transition that will electrify everything previously driven by combustion.
There are two simple reasons we’ll make this change sooner than most people think. First, electrically powered things just work better. And people want things that work better. The second reason is really just a piece of the first. “Better” increasingly means “better forever.” That is, not just better in the moment for that use, but also better for our surroundings, our health, and the health of our planet.
But, at least for the short term, our climate will be served not simply by environmental motivations, but by the same relentless human force that created it: the desire for more, faster, better. Ever-better technology will lead consumers, rather than idealists, to drive this electricity evolution.
Why now? Key trends emerging only in recent years have created the foundation for this evolution.
Nissan has joined up with energy supplier ENEL to trial the idea of ‘Smart Grids’ using electric cars. The two companies will work together to set up innovative vehicle-to-grid systems that allow owners to use their car as a movable energy hub – using, storing or returning energy to the grid.
The deal has been announced during the Nissan-Renault Alliance’s support of the COP21 climate change conference in Paris. The leading EV manufacturers have supplied a fleet of 200 EVs to shuttle delegates around the conference.
Based in a large number of European and north and central American countries, ENEL is Italy’s largest energy provider. Nissan’s partnership with the company will see smart grid trials begin in Europe. This dovetails with the recent announcement that Nissan has also teamed up with power management specialists Eaton to reuse old EV batteries.
The smart grid concept sees EV owners avoid peak tariffs for household energy, with the car able to supply either the home or national grid with power during high demand periods such as evenings after normal working hours. This will give the Leaf owners a greater degree of financial freedom, and they can then either recharge their vehicle at off peak times in the early hours of the morning, or maintain enough charge to be able to drive to their workplace and charge there.
Denmark will be the first country to trial the smart grid project, with plans already in place to roll it out to Germany, the Netherlands and other northern European countries.
Buyers are turning away from all diesel models, and cleaning up the technology will be a long and expensive business
The 2016 VW e-Golf is a spirited runabout that makes almost no compromises in terms of performance, comfort or cargo space (Image: Volkswagen of America Inc.)
Since the Volkswagen emissions test scandal in September, it is not just the German carmaker that has suffered a blow to its image. Diesel automotive technology also faces a battle to regain public trust.
There are already some signs of demand for diesel cars shrinking since VW was forced to apologise for installing “cheat devices” in 11 million vehicles. In Germany, Europe’s largest car market, demand for diesel cars was down 11% by the end of October compared with the average level this year, according to data from car buying website MeinAuto. The decline for VW diesel cars was even steeper, down 14%.
“The slump in demand has surprised us,” said MeinAuto’s managing director, Alexander Brugge. “It’s interesting that it’s not only VW customers who are reluctant to buy diesel vehicles but customers of other brands, too.”
In the UK, official registration numbers of for diesel cars seem to be holding up. Diesel made up 51% of new car sales in both October and November, according to Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). That is in line with last year and above this year’s average of 48%. However, there could still be a decline, because of the three-month wait between car order and delivery.
VW chief executive Matthias Müller has promised that the company will increase spending on alternative technologies such as electric and hybrid vehicles by €100m next year.
Agreement signed between electric vehicle leader Renault and energy supplier Eneco on December 7, 2015 at COP21 Paris conference
Eneco will develop smart charging app for ZOE, Renault’s 100% electric compact car
Renault ZOE users will be able to charge their car at lower costs using renewable energy
Reduced electricity costs for Renault ZOE users in the Netherlands
Eneco subsidiary Jedlix will develop a version of its existing smart charging app, to adapt it to Renault ZOE. This app makes it possible to charge electric cars using renewable energy at times when the market prices are most favourable. Like at night, when the production of sustainable wind energy exceeds demand in most European countries.
Marc van der Linden, member of the Executive Board of Eneco:
“It is expected that there will be three million electric vehicles in the whole of Europe by 2020. To reduce CO2 emissions, it is essential that this vehicle fleet will use green power. It is also important to prevent power grid overloads as a result of peaks in demand if all the cars would be charged at the same time. Our app forms a direct link between the electric vehicle and the supply of sustainably generated energy. Consequently, the energy used for charging is more sustainable, energy supply and demand is balanced and the costs of driving an electric vehicle are reduced because users charge their cars at lower rates.”
Eric Feunteun, Electric Vehicle Program Director at Renault:
“Renault electric cars support the energy transition in the automotive industry as they contribute to the replacement of fossil fuels by renewable energies. With smart charging systems like the one developed by Eneco, Renault electric vehicles make a big contribution to power systems’ stability and reliability: EVs turn into an asset for the grid rather than create overload. They can store and use electricity when it is less carbon-dependent and cheapest for their owners. Our partnership with Eneco is a move towards making driving a Renault ZOE more interesting and affordable and will contribute to an electric vehicles’ scale up”.
A pilot test carried out by Eneco in the Netherlands demonstrates that users can save up to 15% on their electricity costs by using the app. To achieve this, all they have to do is indicate by what time the car must be fully charged and the system will automatically determine the lowest price within this time frame. Van der Linden: “I am very proud that we will be launching this smart service together with a leading party in the field of electric transport.” The app will first be available for ZOE users in the Netherlands and soon be available in other countries where Eneco operates.
The electric vehicle, a solution to counter global warming
The carbon footprint of electric cars is shrinking fast, with the shift already underway toward the use of renewable energies in the overall energy mix in most countries across the world today. Renewable energies feature in 56% of the new electricity power plants built in the world today. In Europe, this figure rises to 72%.
Renault is the pioneer of affordable all-electric vehicles, and the only carmaker to offer a full range. Renault sees the electric vehicle as an eminently viable countermeasure against global warming.
The Renault-Nissan Alliance is an official partner of the COP21 United Nations climate-change summit, providing a fleet of 200 Alliance electric vehicles, including 100 Renault ZOEs, to ferry delegates between Paris and Le Bourget from 30 November to 11 December 2015.
Sales of alternatively fuelled vehicles continue to grow according to November’s sales figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers an Traders (SMMT) released today (Friday 4th December).
Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV
After October’s sales saw the first drop in 44 months of growth, November returned to growth with overall sales up 3.8 per cent against November 2014. Alternatively fuelled vehicles (AFVs) – which include hybrids, plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles – saw an 8.6 per cent growth versus November 2014 – more than diesel (3.6 per cent) and petrol (3.8 per cent) combined.
AFVs accounted for a three per cent market share in November’s figures, and now represent 2.7 per cent of the overall market 2015 year to date. Diesel powered cars are seeing their past dominance tested in 2015 with market share down to 48.4 per cent – down from last year’s 50 per cent. That said, diesels still had the upper hand in November, selling almost 10,000 more units than petrol models.
Overall growth year to date sees diesel at just 2.7 per cent, petrol at 8.3 per cent and AFVs at a huge 41.1 per cent – with the latter category having already sold almost 20,000 more cars than at the same point last year.
Cars eligible for the Plug-in Car Grant (PiGC) saw a 21.4 per cent increase versus November 2014, up to 2,276 models sold in the month. This accounts for 1.3 per cent of the month’s market share, with signs that the plug-in market could be kicking on again and growing at a significant rate. The year to date market share sits at 1.02 per cent for example. Certainly year to date sales are far in advance of last year, with 2015’s 25,096 vehicles more than double 2014’s sales up to November.
Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, said,
“November’s figures come as a reminder of the strength of the UK car market, as low interest rates and competitive finance deals continue to attract consumers to new car ownership. We have been expecting a levelling-off in demand for some time now – a development that is being realised following an unprecedented three-and-a-half years of non-stop growth.”
One of our customers had a test drive in a Nissan Leaf and was very impressed with it. However, they had a daily commute at the comfortable limit of the Leaf’s range on a single charge, about 70 miles. I could see that that could be an issue in the winter months and so arranged a test drive of the Kia Soul EV as a comparison.
Kia Soul EV (Image: T. Larkum)
The Soul EV is an interesting design – clearly it is based on the fossil fuel Soul so does not have its own identity like a Leaf or a Renault ZOE. However, it is more than just an existing design with a new engine (like, arguably, the Volkswagen Golf and e-UP); it has a redesigned and strengthened floorplan (for the battery), new wing panels (since there’s no filler cap) and a modified nose (to house the charge port). So clearly Kia has invested considerable resources in getting the design right.
Charge point and cover (Image: T. Larkum)
What is of particular interest is that Kia went straight for a market-leading big battery pack – a full 30.5 kWh (27 kWh usable) which compares very well with the Leaf’s 24 kWh (21.3 kWh usable). This means it has an official range on the NEDC test of 131 miles compared to the Leaf’s 124.
Soul EV driver’s position (Image: T. Larkum)
While that doesn’t seem to be a huge difference on paper, the feedback from many reviews of the Soul EV is that it consistently provides a longer real-world range than the Leaf (often above 100 miles). Furthermore, its range prediction readout is much more accurate and reliable.
Soul EV driver’s position (Image: T. Larkum)
Certainly that was my experience with it, driving it from London to Northampton and back over a couple of days. It gave a generous 90 or so miles predicted range, and then it seemed very nearly like it reduced the predicted range by about 1 mile for every mile driven. This is a very reassuring characteristic, arguably even better than the ZOE’s range prediction which is pretty good, and significantly better than the Leaf’s notorious ‘guessometer’.
A look under the Soul EV’s bonnet (Image: T. Larkum)
The car itself is easy to drive – stable and comfortable, though perhaps not a very exciting or engaging drive. It has plenty of space inside and comfortable seats. It includes a large boot, though its space is compromised by a storage compartment underneath designed to hold the home charge cable and Type 1 charge cable.
Soul EV rear passenger compartment (Image: T. Larkum)
Overall I was impressed with the Kia Soul EV and would recommend any potential EV owner to test drive one, particularly where longer than average range is important.
Soul EV boot with lower compartment closed (Image: T. Larkum)Soul EV boot with lower compartment open (Image: T. Larkum)
Consumers and businesses will have to be more energy-efficient and switch to alternatives to fossil fuels
Two pictures of Beijing taken 24 hours apart show the Chinese capital engulfed by smog earlier this month (Image: Rex)
[From 4 December} The Paris climate change summit will conclude at the end of next week. It aims to reach an international agreement on limiting emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that are contributing to global warming. The main source of these emissions is the burning of fossil fuels – oil, coal and natural gas – that power industry, and heat and light our homes.
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One big area where technology is helping is through the development of renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power. The energy from these sources has increased by a factor of four in the past 10 years. Biofuel production, which is more environmentally friendly than extracting oil from the ground, has increased at a similar rate.
If we can get another four-fold increase from renewable energy sources over the next decade, a total of around a quarter of the world’s energy needs can be met from renewables, nuclear energy and hydro-electricity – without burning fossil fuels and creating greenhouse gas emissions.
Another area where technology is having a big impact is in the development of electric cars. Bigger and better batteries are being developed so that electric cars can be charged more quickly and drive further without recharging.
These developments in technology will enable society to cut its dependence on fossil fuels and reduce the damage to the world’s climate.
But there will still need to be changes to our lifestyles and the way in which businesses operate.
The first change is that we are going to have to become a lot more energy-efficient at home and at work. The less energy we use overall, the easier it will be to reduce our carbon emissions. Consumers need better-insulated homes and smart meters to monitor their energy use.
Government reaffirms UK’s commitment for almost all cars and vans to be zero emission by 2050 at Paris COP21 conference.
The UK government has continued to lead global efforts to cut vehicle emissions at the international climate conference in Paris today (3 December 2015).
The UK was one of 13 international members of the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Alliance to sign a commitment to promote cleaner motoring and slash transport emissions, alongside Germany, Holland, Norway and California. It includes an agreement to make all passenger vehicle sales zero emission vehicles by 2050.
Transport Minister Andrew Jones said:
“The UK already has the largest market for ultra-low emission vehicles in the EU, and the fourth largest in the world and today’s pledge reaffirms our commitment to ensuring almost every car and van is a zero emission vehicle by 2050.
“Electric cars are greener and cheaper to run and we are making them more affordable, spending more than £600 million between 2015 and 2020 to support the uptake and manufacturing of ultra-low emission vehicles here in the UK.
“By leading international efforts on this issue, we are playing our part in helping achieve greenhouse gas emission reductions of more than 1 billion tonnes per year across the world by 2050.”
The ZEV Alliance formed in September this year with the ambition to increase the global uptake of greener vehicles through international co-operation.
As well as the UK, members include:
Germany, the Netherlands and Norway in Europe
California, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island and Vermont in the United States
Elon Musk is at Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne to talk about the danger of climate change and his vision of what we can do to help the world transition to a sustainable future.
Most general automotive observers note nearly a 25% drop in Volkswagen’s U.S. car sales last month compared to one year ago.
“The November sales results reflect the impact of the recent stop-sale for all 2.0L 4-cylinder TDI vehicles as well as for the 3.0L V6. The voluntary stop-sales were issued in light of notices received by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the California Air Resources Board (CARB) regarding emissions compliance.”
Diesel Gate is setting in, as Golf sales sunk by 64%, but how is all this affecting the all-electric e-Golf?
Volkswagen e-Golf sales in U.S. – November 2015 (Image: Inside EVs)
November 2014 marked the first full month of e-Golf in the U.S., sales so it’s hard to judge by the year-over-year increase of 297% from just 119 in November 2014 to 472 in November 2015.
However, by comparing the ratio of consumers who opt for the electric version instead of conventional Golfs, we see a clearer picture. In November 2015, 11.5% of all Golfs sold in the U.S. were e-Golfs.
Overall, share of e-Golf out of total Volkswagen sales (including SUVs) is at a record high of 1.98%, so we’d say that Diesel Gate is positively affecting e-Golf sales.
