Renault posted an outstanding EV sales result in Europe as both ZOE and Kangoo Z.E. were selling better than ever.
Renault’s preliminary sales result for the month of June 2020 reveals a new all-time record of 12,309, which is 86% more than a year ago!
The French company hugely benefited from stronger incentives for EVs in some European countries, especially in its home market – France, and also in Germany. Demand for ZOE is booming.
Scottish Water Renault Kangoo electric van (Image: Renault)
After the first six months of 2020, the total result is over 42,600 (up 38% year-over-year).
In Europe, nearly 10% of new passenger Renaults sold in June (and over 10% YTD) were all-electric. Because Renault does not sell many EVs outside of Europe, the global share was lower: 6.5% in June and 6% YTD.
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Electric vehicles are cheaper to own and run compared with combustion-engined equivalents, according to new research.
Over the lifetime of a vehicle, an electric car works out at around £107 cheaper per year compared with a standard petrol or diesel car, data from Direct Line has found.
Purchasing an electric vehicle in 2020 and running it over its lifetime would cost £52,133 compared with £53,625 for an equivalent petrol model.
“Our analysis also shows that with the ban on new non-electric cars set to come into force in less than 15 years’ time, Britons could already be saving money by switching from a traditional petrol or diesel car to an equivalent electric model”
Neil Ingram, head of motor product at Direct Line
The insurance company put the anticipated lifetime of a vehicle at around 13.9 years, with any car bought today likely needing to be replaced by the end of 2034 – just prior to the ban on petrol, diesel and hybrid cars coming into play.
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Car buyers in Europe can now get their hands on a brand-new electric vehicle for less than the typical cost of a mobile-phone contract. Thanks to newly generous subsidies, some are even free.
Shoppers have swarmed virtual showrooms in Germany and France — the region’s two largest passenger-car markets — after their national governments boosted electric-vehicle incentives to stimulate demand. Their purchase subsidies are now among the most favorable in the world, according to BloombergNEF.
2020 Renault Zoe (Image: Renault)
The state support is allowing Autohaus Koenig, a dealership chain with more than 50 locations across Germany, to advertise a lease for the battery-powered Renault Zoe that is entirely covered by subsidies. In the 20 days since it put the offer online, roughly 3,000 people have inquired and about 300 have signed contracts.
“If we had more sales staff, we would have sold even more,” said Wolfgang Huber, head of electric-car sales for the dealer in Berlin, who published a Facebook post asking customers to be patient. “We did expect an increase in sales with the subsidies, but this run really struck us.”
Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Emmanuel Macron have sought to soften the coronavirus pandemic’s blow to the badly hit car sector. Sales in Europe have recovered more slowly in Europe than in China or North America, pressuring policy makers to support major sources of employment and economic activity.
In France, sales of Renault’s Zoe model are on track to double this year even as demand for gasoline vehicles has cratered. And in the Netherlands, where the city of Amsterdam is banning non-electric cars from 2030, a 10 million-euro ($11.4 million) fund to support EV purchases was used up in just eight days this month.
“There are a lot of attractive offers right now because of higher subsidies, and that’s boosting demand,” said Aleksandra O’Donovan, an analyst with BloombergNEF. “The EU is pushing toward decarbonizing transport, and the coronavirus crisis has allowed them to accelerate that.”
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The pandemic is likely to have lasting effects on traditional business models as we adapt to homeworking, social distancing and see aspects of a public policy shift away from globalisation, writes Mark Richards, partner and co-leader for Energy, Environmental & Infrastructure at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP.
The transport sector has been hit hard, as airline operators wrestle with record slumps in demand, airports underutilised and traditional mass transit systems operators deal with a fraction of usual daily commuter passengers.
The need to socially distance has led to an increase in commuters utilising their cars to get to and from their workplaces, especially those keyworkers who are unable to undertake their jobs remotely. But these keyworkers are only a fraction of the typical commuters heading into our big cities, most are currently home working.
Tesla Model 3 (Image: Tesla.com)
The combination of the lockdown imposed by the Government and continued homeworking has significantly reduced traffic volumes in our cities, which in turn has led to significant improvements in air quality and noise reduction.
Can these benefits be maintained and indeed accelerated through the adoption of zero-emission vehicles?
There are few industries enjoying double-digit growth in 2020, the EV sector is one of those – in July 2020 we have seen Tesla Inc. market capitalisation exceed Toyota, to become the largest car manufacturer in the world.
So in the UK with a push to net-zero by 2050, along with a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vans by 2035, is there more than can be done to accelerate the transition to zero-emission vehicles, especially if investment in industries supporting (and the adoption of) electrification of mobility is a COVID-19 recovery response?
The UK Government can already be commended for the recent tax incentives put in place to attract company car drivers to switch to electric vehicles, this comes after the UK Government’s commitment to the sector through its ‘Road to Zero’ strategy announced in July 2018, providing ambitious targets for a new car and van sales.
The Government continues to promote electric vehicle adoption and has enacted various pieces of legislation to promote the e-mobility transition including the Autonomous and Electric Vehicles Act 2018 and Alternative Fuels Directive/The Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulations 2017.
These pieces of legislation in most place focus on the conditions for creating electric vehicle charge points.
So, on balance, the current policies from the UK Government are creating a very positive ecosystem for the greater adoption of zero-emission vehicles, however, more can be done.
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With car makers and legislators thrusting EVs out of their niche and into the mainstream, here’s our extensive buying guide for those tempted to take the plunge
The moment has come for electric cars. Lockdown is easing and, due to that, we’re seeing a rapid acceleration in demand for new cars – along with a determination in many a keen owner’s mind that this is a time to take a new view on life and concentrate on what really matters.
For a great number of us, that means making a well-informed and far-sighted decision about our next car. Do we stick with the same, safe, internal-combustion choices or embrace the future with an EV? We know it’s coming, so why not do it now?
Autocar believes it’s okay to think such things. Even before Covid-19, this was always going to be a major year for EV sales. The biggest European car makers must this year begin reducing their fleet-average CO2 emissions to 95g/km, and there’s no better way of offsetting the petrol cars that most of the market will still want by selling a decent number of zero-emissions ones. One reason EVs were so hard to buy last year is that firms were using 2019 to clear their less fuel-efficient stock, knowing 2020 would be the year of the EV push. Now, suddenly, they want to sell you battery cars.
There are other prime reasons for considering the change. The supply of enticing EVs has grown from a dozen to 40-plus in short order, and there’s now a viable second-hand EV market, reassuring for those considering the change. Company car economics have moved decisively in the favour of EVs, too. Road tax is eliminated, parking costs are low, fuelling costs are slashed and London’s congestion charge and ULEZ fees don’t apply.
What used to be a speculative topic has become a serious option. Now read on as we rate every EV on sale and answer the questions surrounding them.
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Electric car charging infrastructure is set to get a boost over the next five years according to the latest home charger data.
Research from charging point manufacturer Andersen has shown that by 2025 there could be 350,000 homes in the UK fitted with charging points, which would see a considerable shift in car buyers opting for a fully-electric or plug-in vehicle over the same period.
The latest new car registration figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) have shown that while battery electric vehicles (BEVs) have a market share of only 4.7 per cent, they have seen the most growth in June and 2020 to date.
However, BEV and plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) combined now hold nearly eight per cent of new car registrations for 2020, up from 2.1 per cent in 2019.
Andersen quote in their research that it is expected there will be 1m EVs on UK roads by 2025 too, bringing with it this spike in home chargers.
The data has used statistics from the Department of Transport on home chargers installed between January 2015 to December 2019 to predict the next six years.
Andersen claims from its modelling that the rate of growth would suggest from 2021 more than 30,000 home chargers are installed a year reaching 67,480 in 2025.
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It is no surprise that business priorities have shifted since the Covid-19 crisis, as many look to preserve existing resources and start the rebuilding process. However, against the backdrop of the government’s ‘Build Back Better’ messaging, there is an opportunity to ensure sustainability remains a central part of any future plans.
According to research from the International Energy Agency, since travel restrictions were imposed at the start of the pandemic, up to 2.6 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions have been prevented globally. The recent UK lockdown resulted in an unforeseen boost to the progress towards net-zero and businesses across the utility industry can look to use this shift as a catalyst for long-term change by accelerating their transition to electric vehicles.
Positive steps have already been taken by key players across the energy sector. Giants including Eon and British Gas have pledged to electrify their fleets and install the necessary charging infrastructure within the next ten years, as part of The Climate Group’s EV100 commitment, which we’re also signatories of.
As we begin to take the first steps towards a green recovery from the crisis, what should utility businesses consider when exploring their Electric Vehicle (EV) options and what is really driving fleet electrification?
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Electric cars could benefit the UK economy by £24bn provided suppliers can rapidly ramp up their capacity to ten times current levels, according to new research published by the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC).
The ‘Strategic UK opportunities in passenger car electrification’ report argues that with passenger cars requiring some form of electrification by 2030, the technology to achieve this will be crucial to the UK economy post COVID-19.
£50m clean mobility centre launched in Coventry
The report highlights market growth opportunities of £12bn for batteries, £10bn for power electronics and £2bn for electric machines (i.e. electric motors) but claims that delivering on these opportunities will require suppliers to ramp up their capacity to 10 times current levels.
“The electrification of vehicles is happening at pace,” said APC CEO Ian Constance, “but if we are to deliver on our 2035 goals, and take our place as world-leaders, the supply chain will need to expand more rapidly – our research predicts up to ten-fold in the next five years.”
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Most fleets will have gone electric, well ahead of the 2035 target banning the sale of petrol, diesel or hybrid cars, a survey by Survation on behalf of London First, has found.
The survey, of more than 500 business leaders from across the UK, revealed that 30% of those with a fleet of company-owned vehicles, have already started using EVs, while 46% have active plans to make the transition and a further 16% have begun to discuss it.
For those who have not yet made the switch, 50% think they will have transitioned within five years, and third a (35%) think the change will occur within two years, ahead of the ban on sale of petrol, diesel or hybrid cars in 2035.
Adam Tyndall, programme director for Transport for London, said: “Businesses are looking to the future and are ready to play their part in transforming how the nation’s vehicles run. The Government needs to set out an ambitious and targeted plan to make sure firms considering building electric vehicle infrastructure can do so with confidence.
“Getting more fleet vehicles to go green will play a key role in improving air quality and reducing carbon emissions. It’s critical that the people managing those vehicles get clarity about the rules, charge point network and support available to them as they make the jump to greener vehicles.”
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The transport secretary has also announced millions in funding for battery and hydrogen vehicle research.
Drivers of zero-emission cars are to have a green “flash” added to the left hand side of their number plates to show they are eligible to by-pass congestion zone charges or secure cheaper parking.
The change, which will be introduced in the Autumn, is aimed at making the switch to electric vehicles more appealing.
Announcing the decision the Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said:
“A green recovery is key to helping us achieve our net zero carbon commitments while also promoting economic growth.
“Green number plates could unlock a number of incentives for drivers and increase awareness of cleaner vehicles on our roads, showing people that a greener transport future is within our grasp.
“We’re supporting small businesses to develop the transport tech of the future through a mult-imillion pound investment, ensuring that UK businesses remain at the forefront of low-carbon innovation and research.”
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