Category Archives: Electric Cars

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

EVIOS acquires Andersen EV to bolster chargepoint business

November 8, 2022Andersen, Charging, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, UncategorizedRepost

EV chargepoint manufacturer EVIOS has confirmed the acquisition of Andersen EV, a home charging company.

Under the agreement, the two brands will co-exist, serving different parts of the EV market and benefit from shared investment in technology, installation personnel and customer support.

EVIOS was founded by former founder and CEO of Chargemaster, David Martell. In April, Martell said EVIOS had designed its charger to meet six key criteria; to be hassle free, suitable for shared parking, to automatically link to off-peak electricity tariffs, integrate with solar installations, present information in understandable terms and to be affordable.

Securing Andersen will see production of the company’s A2 product recommence immediately with all associated customer support services to be merged with the existing operation at EVIOS’s Bedfordshire-based headquarters.

“Andersen’s design-led positioning complements our leadership in technology and functionality and running both brands in parallel will help us to serve an even broader range of customers,” said David Martell, chief executive of EVIOS.

Read more: Current+

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Renault Zoe will not be replaced for another generation

November 7, 2022Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, Renault, ZOERepost

The Renault Zoe, first released in 2012, will not be replaced, Renault boss Fabrice Cambolive has confirmed, ending its life as one of the best-selling electric cars in its home country.

Instead, the Renault Clio and Renault Captur will continue so they can supplement Renault’s new electric compact car line-up, headed by the Renault 4 and 5 – both arriving by 2025.

Cambolive described this to Autocar as a dual approach where its hybrid and electric models co-exist for the foreseeable future.

He said: “It depends on the market. If a market is fully electric, okay, but most markets will have pure electric for the compact segment, and until 2035, if needed, we will have Clio and Captur too. They will have hybrid technology because that’s our solution, the technological choice we made to replace the normal of the combustion engine.”

The decision to cull the Zoe brings to an end a lifespan of more than a decade, during which it was the top-selling EV in Europe for two years running (2015-16) and achieved more than 100,000 sales in France alone.

A final date for the end of its production has yet to be confirmed.

Talking about the broader range, which will gain the new Renault Mégane and Renault Scenic imminently, Cambolive believes the perfect line-up in the European market is four electric and four hybrid models. Within those models, there should be a maximum of one engine and two or three equipment levels, he said.

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Second-hand electric cars helping drivers ditch petrol and diesel – ‘An obvious go-to’

November 3, 2022Electric Cars, News, Reviews and CommentRepost

Second-hand electric cars are becoming more popular, with hopes that the automotive sector will adapt to the change and encourage motorists to invest in electric.

According to the RAC, sales of second-hand electric cars reached record levels in 2021. Sales of used battery electric vehicles soared by 119.1 percent to 40,228 last year compared with 2020.

Demand for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) also jumped by 77.1 percent to 54,115 sales.

The data, from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), showed that sales of used hybrids also rose by 50.6 percent, despite many drivers cooling on the idea of a hybrid.

Growth was driven by an increasing number of ultra-low and zero-emission models filtering through to the second-hand car market.

But, despite record sales in this area, these vehicles still only account for 3.1 percent of the total used car market.

Joanne Robinson, director of lenders at Zuto, said demand for second-hand EVs may be on the rise, but as an industry, it is nowhere near ready.

The large volume of brand new EVs being manufactured today (and large corporate fleets using EVs) will soon create a booming secondhand market.

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‘Huge wave’ of electric cars expected on UK roads ahead of 2030 petrol and diesel car ban

November 2, 2022Buying a new car, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and CommentRepost

The UK is set to see major growth in electric car sales in the coming years once supply chain issues have been resolved.

The UK Government plans to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles from 2030, followed by a similar ban on plug-in hybrid vehicles five years later. Petrol, diesel and hybrid HGVs over 26 tonnes could be banned from 2040, subject to a Government consultation.

The Government first introduced the “historic step towards net zero” in November 2020.

Norway is set to ban the new sales of petrol and diesel cars from 2025, with electric vehicles accounting for more than 50 percent of car sales in the nation.

The European Union has also agreed to an effective ban of internal combustion engine vehicles by 2035, following a European Commission vote earlier this year.

Casper Rasmussen, CEO of Monta, spoke about how the various petrol and diesel car sales bans will take effect and impact drivers.

Speaking to Express.co.uk, he said: “If you look at it from a CO2 and emissions point of view, you want it to be as fast as possible.

“For an adjustment point of view for the different countries, I think it’s a fair place to put it.

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Electric cars are ‘much cheaper’ to run compared to petrol and diesel – ‘key benefits’

November 1, 2022Buying/Leasing, Charging, Electric CarsRepost

Electric cars can be half as cheap to run as petrol or diesel vehicles, according to new data.

Drivers charging at home on electric vehicle (EV) tariff save just over 56 percent compared to petrol or diesel per-mile costs. They are nearly a quarter cheaper (24 percent) for those who charge at home on a standard energy tariff.

The data, from New Automotive, found that electric vehicles are now more than half as cheap to run than a petrol or diesel vehicle when charged at home on a dedicated EV energy tariff.

The organisation has launched a fuel cost tracker to measure car running costs.

Renault ZOE in contactless car vending machine (Image: Taylor Herring)

It found that home-charged electric cars can be more than half as cheap as petrol and diesel.

It converts the latest available energy prices into a cost-per-mile figure and compares the difference in running costs between fuel types in an interactive chart.

Energy prices rises have made it harder to monitor changes to the relative running cost of petrol, diesel and electric cars – but the tracker solves this problem.

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Demystifying the switch to EVs: the key considerations when buying an EV

October 31, 2022Charging, Electric Cars, OpinionRepost

Electric vehicle drivers are missing out. This is according to a recent European study conducted by Delta-EE which discovered that:

42% of electric vehicle (EV) drivers are not on the best charging tariffs for their vehicles because they are not using a dedicated home charging point to charge their car
Less than 50% of people have a time-of-use tariff, enabling them to take advantage of cheaper overnight electricity prices, and
Just three in 10 EV owners have a specific EV tariff with their energy provider

The research points to significant missed opportunities in engaging new EV owners in smart charging and maximising their car’s potential to cut their costs and carbon emissions. By charging their vehicle through a smart domestic charger able to optimise charging to times of low demand when energy is cheapest and greenest, customers can not only save on their energy bills but reduce their carbon footprint.

In fact, if a customer buys an EV and home charger they typically reduce their car running costs by ~50% and triple their CO2 savings per kilometre. Add smart charging or bidirectional vehicle-to-grid technology and emissions can be decreased by a further 30% with customers able to actually earn money – up to £800 a year – for importing cheap energy and selling it back to the grid. At scale, this technology can accelerate the energy transition by increasing the use of renewable power and preventing fossil fuel backup generation to be switched on at peak times, and do so in an affordable way for customers.

Read more: Current+

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Ford Says People Want To Buy Electric Cars Because They’re Fun Not Because Of The Environment

October 28, 2022Electric Cars, Ford, News, Reviews and CommentRepost

Ford believes the route to success is to make people want electric vehicles, not need them.

The $28,040 Nissan Leaf is a great little electric car. Practical, affordable, and perfect for the daily commute. But it’s not exciting, is it? But before you run off and say no EV is exciting, allow us to point you in the direction of the Model S Plaid, Porsche Taycan, and even the Mustang Mach-E GT Performance Edition. These are all examples of great, fun cars that just happen to be electric.

And it seems the Blue Oval is intent on injecting thrills into the electric vehicle arena, as it believes its customers aren’t buying EVs for the environment – they’re buying Ford EVs because they’re desirable products. Ford’s vice president of electric vehicle programs, Darren Palmer, told Cars Guide that developing excellent EVs goes further than electrifying existing models.

“The next vehicle we’re doing is an Explorer-type vehicle, and we’re working on making that insanely great…[both] Jim Farley and Doug Fields [say to me], ‘if it’s like today but a bit better, it’s canceled,'” said Palmer.

He explains that Ford’s current EV ethos centers around building “insanely great” products that “customers love.” Innovation is also a big deal, with Palmer noting these vehicles need to “do things they’ve never done before.”

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The EV transition is coming to campervans

October 27, 2022Electric Cars, Electric Motorhomes, News, Reviews and CommentRepost

With 460,000 pure electric vehicles driving on UK roads, it’s now time for EV camper conversions. They can be small and harder to charge off-grid, but they also provide owners with a home-from-home that they love, leisurely drives and tea al-fresco while powering-up. If that doesn’t tempt you, there’s the freedom of unfettered travel and exploration, too.

The trailblazers kickstarting the trend are documenting their travels while on the road, and not everyone is paying over the odds.

Electrical business owner Geoff Norris lives in London with his girlfriend and dog, who are both from Valencia, Spain. So his Nissan ENV200, which he’s currently converting to a camper, comes in handy on his travels to see their family.

He says: “Over the last two years I’ve spent just £500 on electricity and the upfront costs of the van were £25,000 including VAT. I had a petrol van but crashed it during Covid. When I weighed up the pros and cons, I decided to go electric.

If you have apps like the Pod Point app, you can type your destination in and it’ll tell you where to charge, and you can charge for free and maintain a work and social life. My girlfriend and our dog were always out walking in the forest during lockdown. I decided with my new electric work van I would insulate it and make a bed so we could enjoy more of the outdoors.”

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One millionth plug-in car registered, strong September for EV sales

October 26, 2022Buying a new car, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and CommentRepost

September showed to be a strong month for electric vehicles (EVs) with the one millionth plug-in car registered in the UK.

This year alone represents a quarter of total plug-in EVs registered, according to the latest data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

While battery electric vehicles (BEVs) registered its second highest monthly volume in history with 38,116 units, a 16.5% rise year-over-year (YoY).

The strong performance of BEVs registrations in September comes after recent figures from RAC Foundation, released this week, showed that pure the number of BEVs sales exceeded half a million at the end of June 2022.

Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: “September has seen Britain’s millionth electric car reach the road – an important milestone in the shift to zero emission mobility. Battery electric vehicles make up but a small fraction of cars on the road, so we need to ensure every lever is pulled to encourage motorists to make the shift if our green goals are to be met.”

Read more: Current+

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Instavolt scoops award for third year in a row at EVIEs 2022

October 25, 2022Charging, Electric Cars, InstaVolt, News, Reviews and CommentRepost

Instavolt made it a hattrick last night by winning the Private Sector Infrastructure Strategy of the Year award for the third year in a row, at the Electric Vehicle Innovation and Excellence Awards (EVIEs) 2022.

For the second year in a row, Tritium scooped the Chargepoint Manufacturer of the Year (C&I & Public) award.

While GRIDSERVE Electric Highway’s took home Charging Network of the Year, Agile Streets was selected as the Best Consumer Proposition, and Zap-Map COO and co-founder Melanie Shufflebotham was presented with the Special Recognition Award.

The EVIEs 2022 was the biggest yet, with 20 categories and well over 200 nominations, investigated by our esteemed judges.

A full list of winners and special commendations is included below.

Best Consumer Proposition (Utility/Energy) sponsored by GreenFlux

Agile Streets

Best New Product or Service (C&I & Public) sponsored by Fastned

3ti Papilio3

Best New Product or Service (Domestic)

Egg’s pay-monthly home EV charger

Special Commendation: Low Carbon Events – ev.energy

Read more: Current+

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