Category Archives: Electric Cars

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

More than half of 18-24-year-olds keen to go electric

October 14, 2015Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, SalesTrevor Larkum

Electric vehicles are a young person’s game, according to new research which found that 18-24-year-olds are more likely to go electric than any other age group.

More than half of 18-24-year-olds (51.8%) said they would consider acquiring an electric car, significantly more than the 31% of 35-44-year-olds and 33.9% of those aged between 45-54.

The cost of going electric won’t break the bank either with personal lease deals for Renault’s Zoe [pictured] starting from £183 a month.

The less encouraging news though is 60% of the 770 UK motorists, surveyed by van leasing and facilities management company Direct365, are completely uninterested in going electric.

Read more: Direct365 via Contract Hire and Leasing

Electric car trip from Land’s End to John O’Groats ‘a record’

October 13, 2015Electric Cars, Leaf, News, Reviews and Comment, NissanTrevor Larkum

I’d love to try this in my ZOE!

Two men say they have set a record time for driving from Land’s End to John O’Groats in an electric car.

Jonathan Porterfield and Chris Ramsey at Land's End (Image: J. Porterfield) — Jonathan Porterfield and Chris Ramsey at Land’s End (Image: J. Porterfield)

Jonathan Porterfield, from Orkney, and Chris Ramsey, who lives in Aberdeen, completed the journey on Wednesday evening in 27 hours and 46 minutes.

Earlier in the week, the duo drove from John O’Groats to Land’s End in 28 hours and 38 minutes.

They have submitted an application to Guinness World Records to have the quicker time recognised as a record.

The pair, who only used the existing public rapid charger infrastructure, had hoped to make the round trip in 48 hours.

Robert Llewellyn, who plays Kryten in the Red Dwarf comedy TV series and is an electric vehicle enthusiast, followed the pair’s trip.

After the men reached Land’s End, Llewellyn tweeted: “Well done guys. Great achievement. Hope you find time for a nap now.”

Later, the actor added on Twitter: “@pluginadventure are 2 young chaps (barking mad of course) who drove John O’Groats-Lands End in a #NissanLeaf now they’re on their way back.”

Source: BBC

Plug-in Sales in UK Exceed 1%, up in August

October 12, 2015Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, SalesTrevor Larkum

I’m not surprised – I see more plug-ins on the roads every week.

August is typically one of the slowest month for car sales in the UK, although in relation to previous years it still brings solid growth of some 71% more plug-in electric car registrations (879 total).

Market share of plug-ins stands at 1.11%, which is third highest ever.

Plug-in Car Registrations in UK – August 2015 (Image: Inside EVs)

In August, approximately 578 registrations were PHEVs and 301 BEVs.

So far this year, sales of PHEVs in the UK are about twice the volume of BEVs (over 11,000 vs nearly 5,500).

Next up is September, and we expect at least some 5,000 plug-ins to be sold.

Source: Inside EVs

Milestone reached of One Million plug-in cars sold

October 11, 2015Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, SalesTrevor Larkum

A key milestone to celebrate!

Plug-in electrified vehicles (PEVs) have transcended one million sales worldwide.

Included in this count are highway legal, light-duty all-electric cars and plug-in hybrids sold in markets around the globe.

Plug-in cars started in negligible volumes last decade, but the mass-market began just less than five years ago. The first half million came in July 2014, and now one year and two months later another half million have been sold.

In December 2014 HybridCars.com reported 712,000 plug-in sales globally, and nearly 300,000 more sales have taken place over the past nine months.

As of August 2015 the count was 985,000 less Japanese sales numbers which were not reported yet, and as of mid-September, an estimated 1,004,000 PEVs have been sold consisting of 62 percent battery electric and 38 percent plug-in hybrids.

Renault Sold Over 30,000 ZOEs Through August 2015

October 10, 2015Electric Cars, Electric Vans, Kangoo Z.E., News, Reviews and Comment, Renault, Renault, Sales, ZOETrevor Larkum

I’m not surprised – it is a fab car! I’m coming up 35,000 miles in mine.

Sales of Renault electric cars (like most plug-ins in Europe) are growing almost every month, year-over-year, so far, although August was up just 9% at 828 units. An additional 113 via the city-quadricycle EV, the Twizy.

In eight months, Renault has sold nearly 12,500 electric cars and over 1,550 Twizy.

Renault ZOE hit 30,000 in August

Renault’s flagship, ZOE is already over 30,400 sales, with cumulative sales over 10,000 in eight months of this year.

Renault BEV Sales Worldwide – August 2015 (Image: Inside EVs)

Renault Kangoo Z.E. isn’t doing that well and with just around 2,200 sales is few hundreds below 2014 results. This may be as a result of the Nissan e-NV200.

Source: Inside EVs

Ultracharger launched by Chargemaster

October 9, 2015BP Chargemaster, Charging, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and CommentTrevor Larkum

Chargemaster launched its new Ultracharger at the CENEX Low Carbon Vehicle 2015 event (Wednesday 9th September), with a host of new innovations for the rapid charger.

Ultracharger Launched (Image: Chargemaster)

The Ultracharger can use Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras to automatically authorise and start charging a car that has been logged into the system. The unit can also be used with an RFID card or even by using a contactless debit or credit card.

Featuring a lightweight and compact design, the unit will not need planning permission in many cases, and a large touchscreen will help make the user interface accessible. The system can also be set up to send a text message to drivers, letting them know when their charge is complete.

The Ultracharger’s three cable design has been designed to be compatible with all EVs on the market in the UK that charge up to 50kW and is also able to retract the cables to keep the unit tidy.

Chargemaster CEO David Martell said:

“We’ve always been at the forefront of electric vehicle charging, and we’re proud to unveil the Ultracharger, which takes the industry a massive step forward in terms of modernisation.

“We are proud to be able to manufacture these in the UK, supporting the local economy, while offering high-quality good-value rapid chargers to the electric vehicle market. With a host of innovations, such as automatic number plate recognition and contactless payments, the Ultracharger will make life even easier for EV owners.”

Business Minister Anna Soubry, who unveiled the new Ultracharger, said:

“Research and development is vital to the long-term productivity and growth of our successful automotive industry, and will help companies secure a big share of growing international markets like low carbon and electric vehicles. Ultracharger is a good example of this and I am delighted to unveil it at LCV 2015.”

Source: Zap-map

2015 Audi A3 e-tron Video Review

Here is a swell review of the Audi A3 e-tron from the UK.

The first plug-in hybrid Audi will be available in the US soon, and priced from $37,900, or $34 657 after deducting tax credit.

You’ll find a more detailed description of the A3 e-tron here.

All-electric range under EPA testing is expected to be just over 20 miles.

https://youtu.be/bRpm96XtX80

Source: Inside EVs

Should you join the electric car revolution?

October 9, 2015Electric Cars, News, Reviews and CommentTrevor Larkum

You’ve probably noticed more electric cars on the road and toyed with switching. We give you the lowdown on the costs involved.

Ultra-low emission registrations up 386% on first quarter of 2014 (Image: OLEV)

It’s becoming clear to anyone monitoring the UK’s roads that electric cars are here to stay. The numbers are increasing to the point that they now represent over 1% of new UK car sales – not a lot but enough to make them visible and get people thinking: “Should I be joining them?” That’s what we’ll attempt to answer here.

Sales are increasing – to the end of July this year, they rose an impressive 211% over the year to 16,170 registered. That’s split between roughly a third pure electric cars and two-thirds plug-in hybrids, which keep a regular engine to extend the range when battery power is exhausted.

The government so far remains pro EVs (electric vehicles) and PHEVs (plug-in hybrid electric vehicles). It has extended a generous purchase grant to “at least” February 2016 after it looked like the previous allocation was about to run out and has said that it wants every new vehicle sold in the UK from 2040 onward to be an ULEV (ultra-low emission vehicle – you’d better get used to the acronyms if you want to join the ranks of buyers).

The list of cars that qualify for this grant of upwards of £5,000 off the list price are growing all the time (see box for the current list). Whereas two or three years ago your choice was limited to a handful of geeky machines in strange sizes, now you can zap about in electric-powered cars to suit all tastes, including versions of ordinary, practical models such as the Volkswagen Golf and Ford Focus. You can wow neighbours in a PHEV supercar (the BMW i8) or lord it in the outside lane in the pure electric Tesla Model S, a phenomenally quick (and pricey) limo, which is surprisingly long-legged for an electric car. There are superminis, PHEV SUVs, people-carriers and even a minibus.

Renault will supply Daimler’s Smart with electric motors

October 9, 2015Electric Cars, ForTwo Electric, News, Reviews and Comment, Renault, SmartTrevor Larkum

FRANKFURT (Reuters) — Renault will supply motors for electric versions of Daimler’s Smart city cars under their deepening 5-year-old alliance, the carmakers said today.

Smart unveiled its latest ForTwo Cabrio at the Frankfurt show

The motors will be the same as those used in the Renault Zoe EV. The units are manufactured at the French automaker’s plant in Cleon, France.

They will equip battery-powered versions of the Smart ForTwo minicar made at Daimler’s Hambach facility in France as well as its larger ForFour model, assembled by the French carmaker in Slovenia alongside the Renault Twingo subcompact.

All three cars share a Daimler-developed platform.

The Renault-powered electric Smart models will go on sale in 2016, the companies said in a statement at the Frankfurt auto show.

Batteries for the Smart EVs electric drive will be produced by the Daimler’s subsidiary, Deutsche ACCUmotive, in Kamenz, Germany.

The alliance between Daimler and Renault-Nissan, launched in April 2010, now covers 13 projects including engines, compact cars and a pickup for Mercedes-Benz.

Source: Auto News

New battery for Nissan Leaf to deliver 155-mile range

October 9, 2015Electric Cars, Leaf, Leaf 30kWh, News, Reviews and Comment, NissanTrevor Larkum

A new 30kWh battery in the Nissan Leaf will go on sale in December, delivering a claimed range of 155 miles.

It will go on sale alongside the 24kWh unit but will only be available in Acenta and Tekna trim, priced from £24,490 to £27,940 including the UK government’s £5000 Plug-in grant, which was recently extended until February 2016.

Nissan is also increasing its warranty for the 30kWh unit to an eight-year, 100,000-mile warranty.

The new battery brings an increase in range of around 25% over the alternative 24kWh unit, according to Nissan. It has the same dimensions as the lesser-powered unit but is 21kg heavier. The manufacturer says this longer range is the result of the introduction of carbon, nitrogen and magnesium to the electrodes in the new unit.

Nissan expects the real-world range of the new battery to be around 12-15% less than the claimed 155 miles, representing a similar loss to the 24kWh unit. This would put the new battery’s real-world range at around the 135-mile mark.

In Acenta and Tekna trims, the 30kWh Leaf comes with a 7.0in touchscreen and the smartphone-compatible Nissan Connect EV infotainment system, which allows users to check the charge status of the car and remotely control features such as the air-con. The system the previous Car Wings set-up.

The new infotainment package includes a charging map that can show which charging points are available and which are being used. It also delivers maintainance alerts and a car-finder facility.

Exterior alterations are minimal and include a new roof-mounted aerial as well as the choice of a new bronze colour.

“It’s a game changer for Nissan,” said EV director for Europe Jean-Pierre Diernaz. “This increased range will have an impact on the perception of our electric vehicles and will open it up to a wider market.”

Diernaz also added that the Leaf range could expand in the future to new electric models.

“It’s possible,” he said. “We will take this technology, improve it, and we are looking at putting it wherever it is relevant for us as a line-up expansion, and where it is releveant for a consumer.

“This new battery is just the beginning of something bigger,” he added. “The next milestone is a range of over 180 miles.”

Earlier this year Nissan expanded the Leaf trim range with a new Acenta+ version, sitting between Acenta and range-topping Tekna priced at £24,740 including the plug-in grant.

Source: Autocar