Category Archives: Sales

Electric car sales soar amid turbulent year

January 19, 2021Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, SalesRepost

Battery and plug-in hybrid electric cars together accounted for more than one in 10 registrations last year – up from around one in 30 in 2019, amid a turbulent year for the new car market.

Overall, the new car market fell by almost a third (29.4%) in 2020, with annual registrations dropping to 1,631,064 units – their lowest level since 1992, according to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

Against a backdrop of Covid restrictions, an acceleration of the end of sale date for petrol and diesel cars to 2030 and Brexit uncertainty, the industry suffered a total turnover loss of some £20.4 billion, the SMMT said.

Private vehicle demand fell by 26.6% overall, amounting to a £1.9 billion loss of VAT to the Exchequer.

The year saw also saw 31.1% fewer vehicles joining large company car fleets.

It was, however, a bumper year for battery and plug-in hybrid electric cars.

Demand for battery electric vehicles (BEVs) grew by 185.9% to 108,205 units, while registrations of plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) rose 91.2% to 66,877.

Analysis from the RAC shows that twice as many BEVs were sold last year compared to the year before, and a total of more than 200,000 have been registered since 2010.

December alone saw more zero-emission vehicles registered than ever in a single month (21,914, a fraction higher than September’s figure of 21,903).

Though starting from a lower base, the growth in electric car sales is impressive, the RAC said, with 6.6% of all new vehicles registered in 2020 being zero-emission, up from just 1.6% in 2019 and 0.7% in 2018.

This means that getting on for a fifth of all cars registered last year (17.5%) were zero-emissions capable – up from just 7.4% in 2019.

RAC data insight spokesman Rod Dennis said: “The end to an unexpected and, from the motor industry’s perspective, unwanted 2020, saw record sales of battery-electric vehicles, providing evidence that, from small beginnings, momentum is now gathering pace.

“There’s a long way to go, with only a tiny fraction of the total 31.2 million cars on the UK’s roads fully zero-emission, but the direction is becoming clear.

“The sight of more electric vehicles on our roads, many sporting number plates with the new ‘trademark’ green flash, might begin to make drivers who are considering changing their car look into whether ‘going electric’ makes sense for them.

“Issues around charging infrastructure aside, it’s the cold hard economics of buying or leasing a car that might yet hold them back with pure electric cars continuing to command a premium list price over their petrol and diesel equivalents.

“While petrol car registrations will likely recover somewhat in 2021, the question is how many drivers are prepared to switch to an EV at the expense of conventionally fuelled vehicles?

“As the impact of the pandemic continues to be felt the inclination of drivers and businesses to continue acquiring new cars will be critical, as will the effectiveness of dealers in being able to conduct new car sales entirely online during lockdowns.

“But there is surely little doubt that 2021 will shape up to be a very exciting year for the UK’s electric car market.”

More than 100 plug-in car models are now available to UK buyers, and manufacturers are scheduled to bring more than 35 to market this year – more than the number of either petrol or diesel new models planned for the year.

It’s Time to Go Green!

If you would like to know more about Solar Panels and the PowerBanx range of home battery systems, and get a free instant quote, please complete our online form:

Renault doubles EV sales in Europe

January 18, 2021Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, Renault, SalesRepost

Renault has presented its electric car sales statistics for 2020. According to the figures, the French automaker was able to sell 115,888 electric vehicles in Europe, around twice as many as in 2019. The company’s most successful electric model by far was, once again, the Renault Zoe.

In relative terms, Renault’s electric car sales increased by 101.4 per cent compared to 2019. In the process, the Zoe cracked the 100,000 sales mark (100,657) as the manufacturer’s most successful electric vehicle model by far in 2020, up 114 per cent year-on-year. In the electric commercial vehicle segment, the Kangoo Z.E. was the best-selling vehicle. So while the crisis year, with its increased subsidies in many places, gave a huge boost to electric car sales at Renault, the French company’s overall sales slipped – by 21.3 per cent, much more sharply than the average for the global car market (down 14.2 per cent).

In 2021, the Renault Twingo Electric and the Dacia Spring will expand Groupe Renault’s all-electric range. They will be joined by further hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants of existing vehicles under the E-TECH label. For example, the Group is announcing the Arkana E-TECH hybrid, the Captur E-TECH hybrid and the Megane E-TECH plug-in hybrid in the sedan variant for the first half of 2021.

In the past year, the E-TECH vehicles already positioned on the European market (Clio E-TECH hybrid, Captur E-TECH plug-in hybrid and Megane E-TECH plug-in hybrid in the station wagon variant) sold more than 30,000 units, according to Renault. That represents 25 per cent of the order volume for these vehicles, the company says.

Group CEO Luca de Meio says that Groupe Renault is aiming for a turn around: “We are now focusing on profitability rather than sales volumes, with a higher net unit margin per vehicle in each of our markets. The first results are already visible in the second half of 2020, especially in Europe where the Renault brand is making progress in the most profitable sales channels and strengthening its leadership in the electric segment.” Renault said it is starting the young year with a higher order backlog than in 2019, lower inventory levels and higher price positioning across its range.

Incidentally, in addition to its strong position in the battery electric vehicle market, Renault is also aiming to pave the way for fuel cell-powered light commercial vehicles in Europe and position itself early on this market: To this end, the French have decided to set up a joint venture with fuel cell specialist Plug Power based in France, aiming for a share of over 30 per cent of the market for fuel cell-powered light commercial vehicles in Europe.

It’s Time to Go Green!

If you would like to know more about Solar Panels and the PowerBanx range of home battery systems, and get a free instant quote, please complete our online form:

Tax most polluting cars to speed up transition to electric vehicles, experts say

December 24, 2020Electric Cars, Energy and Climate Change, News, Reviews and Comment, SalesRepost

Covid has caused a slump in new car sales that could slow the switch to electric vehicles, pushing up emissions

The Government should slap a 50 per cent tax on the most polluting cars from next year to accelerate the transition to electric vehicles over the next decade, experts have said.

New analysis from the UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC) suggests the dramatic slump in car sales during the pandemic could have worrying consequences for transport emissions over the next decade and beyond unless the government takes radical action.

Sales of new cars this September were the worst in a century, as the financial impact of Covid-19 began to take its toll. UKERC analysis suggests the slowdown in the car market could last until 2025, keeping older, more polluting cars on the road for longer.

Meanwhile people who put off buying a new car in 2020 or 2021 may buy a similar model later in the decade, delaying the date they make a switch to electric, UKERC added. Manufacturers may also try and offload stock of petrol and diesel models ahead of the 2030 ban on their sale.

Higher emissions
Such a scenario could lead to an extra seven million tonnes of tailpipe CO2 emissions between 2021 and 2030, UKERC’s director Professor Rob Gross told i.
“You might think that people not buying cars is a good thing for the environment. But it’s not a good thing if they delay buying a relatively inefficient car, and that car is still being used for longer,” he said.
Those cumulative emissions matter, he said: “Every gram of CO2 that enters the atmosphere stays there, potentially for hundreds of years.”

Tax polluting cars
UKERC says more must be done to make polluting cars less attractive to buyers. It proposes imposing a 50 per cent levy on the purchase price of the most polluting vehicles. The tax would start in 2021 with the highest emitting cars, such as performance SUVs and sports cars. It would gradually tighten over the decade until only zero emission cars were exempt.

New cars with high tailpipe emissions already pay a higher rate of tax under the Vehicle Excise Duty, but only for the first year. After that, petrol and diesel motors face a flat charge regardless of their emissions.

“As the car market recovers we think the government needs to strongly steer it towards cleaner vehicles, not just by providing subsidies for electric vehicles but also strongly steering people away from relatively inefficient models,” Professor Gross said.

Relatively cheaper
UKERC’s proposals are similar to Norway’s system, where all non-electric cars are subject to a tax on their purchase price based on their tailpipe emissions.

The system makes most EV models cheaper to buy compared to a similar petrol model, even if the import price for the EVs is much higher.

It’s Time to Go Green!

If you would like to know more about Solar Panels and the PowerBanx range of home battery systems, and get a free instant quote, please complete our online form:

Renault Zoe Is Europe’s Best-Selling EV With More Than 84,000 Units Delivered Year-to-Date

December 23, 2020Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, Renault, Sales, ZOERepost

The Renault Zoe has managed to beat every other electric model in the market so far and is the best-selling EV in Europe year-to-date.

According to the numbers posted by the French automaker, the zero-emission supermini accounted for over 84,000 units from January to November 2020, almost twice as many compared to the same period of last year.

The Zoe was also the best-selling electric passenger vehicle in Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Portugal. Ever since production started back in 2012, Renault has managed to shift more than 268,000 units of the model in Europe.

Almost one third of the electric vans sold in the Old Continent year-to-date was a Kangoo Z.E., so Renault also holds the crown for the best-selling electric light commercial vehicle (LCV), with 8,498 units. 57,595 units have been sold since the Kangoo Z.E. was launched in Europe 10 years ago.

In addition to the Zoe and Kangoo Z.E., Renault’s zero-emission portfolio also includes the tiny Twizy and the Master Z.E. van with a payload of up to 3.5 tons (7,716 lbs).

In other Renault related news, the automaker wants to reinvent the compact hatchback with the introduction of a new vehicle next year, which was previewed by the Megane eVision Concept and will rival the likes of the Volkswagen ID.3.

Based on the CMF-EV platform, shared with the Nissan Ariya, the concept uses an electric motor that generates 217 HP and 221 lb-ft (300 Nm) of torque. It’s powered by a 60 kWh battery that supports fast charging of up to 130 kW and can hit 62 mph (100 km/h) in less than 8 seconds from a standstill.

It’s Time to Go Green!

If you would like to know more about Solar Panels and the PowerBanx range of home battery systems, and get a free instant quote, please complete our online form:

Electric vehicle sales expected to grow 50% in 2021

December 21, 2020Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, SalesRepost

Global electric-vehicle sales will grow 50% or more next year, while sales of internal combustion engine vehicles are expected to grow 2% to 5%.

That’s the view of analysts at Morgan Stanley, who in a note to clients on Friday also predicted that global EV penetration would top 4%, rising to 31% by 2030.

The year 2021 “is shaping up to be a critical year for EV adoption and (internal combustion engine) de-adoption that will dictate the pace of multiple expansion, contraction, consolidation and proliferation” among the stocks, Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas said in the note.

Investor interest in electric-vehicle and adjacent stocks continued unabated this week, as exemplified by Tesla Inc. TSLA, +5.96% closing the books on $5 billion worth of shares in just one day.

In other news this week:

Analysts at Morgan Stanley estimated that Tesla has a $20 billion “war chest” to fund expansion plans in 2021, which include two factories going up in Germany and in Texas and new vehicles such as the Cybertruck, its pickup truck.
Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk made waves this week. Speaking at The Wall Street Journal’s CEO Council annual event, Musk confirmed he has moved to Texas, where his company is building a factory. He took jabs at California and Silicon Valley, which influence in the world he called “too much.”
Nio Inc. late Thursday announced that it plans to sell at least 60 million American depositary shares, with an additional 9 million shares available to underwriters. Nio stock dropped more than 4% in after-hours trading following the announcement, and on Friday dropped nearly 7%.

Nio ADRs have gained nearly 950% this year, compared with gains of around 13% for the S&P 500 index. SPX, -0.35%

Nio’s and Tesla’s moves followed XPeng Inc., which said Monday it planned to sell 40 million ADRs. Li Auto Inc. announced last week its own plan to sell 47 million new ADRs. Both stocks struggled in the wake of those announcements.
Despite the momentary dips amid stock offerings, EV stocks are enjoying a 2020 stock surge that is more widespread than Nio’s jaw-dropping 2020 gains. Tesla is up 625% this year, while XPeng is up more than 111% and Li Auto around 100%.

Electric vehicle company Electric Last Mile Inc. has agreed to go public via a merger with a blank-check company, or special purpose acquisition corporation, Forum Merger III Corp. FIII, +2.73%
The deal would value Last Mile at about $1.4 billion, and once it closes, likely in the first quarter, the combined company will be renamed Electric Last Mile Solutions Inc. and trade on Nasdaq under the ticker “ELMS.” The company plans to launch electric delivery vans later in 2021.

It’s Time to Go Green!

If you would like to know more about Solar Panels and the PowerBanx range of home battery systems, and get a free instant quote, please complete our online form:

Even The World’s Oil Giants Are Getting Ahead Of The Electric Vehicle Curve

December 19, 2020Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, SalesRepost

In a virtual press conference recently, Dan Yergin, energy guru and vice-chair of IHS Markit recounted the stunned surprise that a Middle Eastern oil executive had recently shared with him upon traveling to California and seeing the plethora of Teslas on the road.

It was a foretelling sign, he said, one that spoke volumes not just about oil’s future but also about climate security. Could EV’s really displace demand for all that petroleum this executive was trying to sell?

Indeed, even the most oil-leveraged countries are now coming to terms with such future shock. “We are seeing the impact of climate change with the various extreme events: the Australian fires, the cyclones and the droughts,” says Dr. Thani Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of the Ministry of Climate Change and the Environment for the United Arab Emirates, in an earlier interview with this reporter. “We can no longer pass this to future generations to deal with.”

The UAE, which just discovered 22 billion barrels of unconventional oil reserves, says that it is planning on a world with no oil — that it is investing in green energy projects domestically and in new technologies all over the world. The country is home to several solar plants, hosting one of the world’s largest: the Noor Abu Dhabi. It generates more than 1,100 megawatts of power.

Yes, “peak oil” and climate change are interrelated. Enter electric vehicles, which according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance will gain speed: it says that EVs are now 10% of the global passenger market. But that number will grow to 28% in 2030 and 40% in 2040. Why? National policies will favor decarbonization while the cost of batteries that power the cars will keep falling. The cost of EVs and cars with an internal combustion engine will even out in the mid-2020s, it says.

And China and Europe are where the growth will occur: 72% of all such cars by 2030. That’s because their governments are taking bold action to curb CO2 and to get folks to decarbonize their transportation. The United States, it adds, will fall a bit behind but it will catch up by 2030. UAE’s Abu Dhabi National Oil Company proudly proclaims that the country has to be ready to celebrate the sale of its last barrel of oil. Right now, renewables make up 10% of its generation portfolio.

It’s Time to Go Green!

If you would like to know more about Solar Panels and the PowerBanx range of home battery systems, and get a free instant quote, please complete our online form:

Electric car sales soar and diesels plummet in boost for Boris Johnson’s green roads plan

December 17, 2020Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, SalesRepost

Sales of electric vehicles have more than doubled in the last year while diesel purchases have plummeted by over half.

Analysis of official industry figures show 86,291 pure electric cars have been registered so far this year, up from 37,850 during 2019. Diesel sales dropped 58 per cent from 583,488 in 2019 to 246,389 this year.

In another dramatic change, sales of plug-in hybrid vehicles eclipsed diesels for the first time last month. In November, 18,062 plug-ins were sold compared to 15,925 diesels, according to the RAC’s analysis of figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.

The figures are a boost for the Prime Minister’s plan to ban sales of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030 and of plug-in hybrids from 2035.

But electric vehicles still account for just 0.3 per cent of the cars on Britain’s roads.

Sales website Auto Trader warns demand is five years behind what is needed for a 2030 ban to succeed with buyers put off by upfront costs and a lack of street charge points.

High upfront costs and a lack of chargers on residential roads have been blamed for stagnating demand, with EVs still considered an unnecessary luxury by many households.

The bosses of BMW and Honda Europe are among senior industry leaders who have criticised the 2030 ban as poorly thought-through.

Buyers are being put off by concerns over EV range and a lack of on-street charge points.

A third of households in Britain have no off-street parking, meaning a large proportion of the population has no easy access to a charger.

Buyers have also been put off by costs. Entry-level EVs are around £5,000 more expensive than equivalent petrol models, even with the Government’s £3,000 plug-in car grant taken into account.

However, the RAC said the latest EV sales figures are encouraging.

It’s Time to Go Green!

If you would like to know more about Solar Panels and the PowerBanx range of home battery systems, and get a free instant quote, please complete our online form:

The Moment Of The Electric Vehicle Has Arrived

December 15, 2020Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, SalesRepost

As more governments commit to shortening the deadlines on banning the sale of internal combustion vehicles, and with more and more manufacturers launching all-electric models across all price ranges, the market seems finally to be starting to change: interest in this type of vehicle in the UK has shot up by 500%, while sales across Europe have reached half a million units so far in 2020. It is increasingly common to have friends who have bought an electric car.

Tesla is now worth $500 billion dollars, while Volkswagen, which has built the largest production plant for electric vehicles in Europe, has started selling its ID.3, which has been the best-selling electric vehicle on the continent in October. Manufacturers such as GM and BMW are scaling up their ambitions in the electric segment, while 28 companies are launching ZETA, the Zero Emissions Transportation Association, a lobby with the main objective of creating the economic, social and political environment that will allow electric vehicles to account for 100% of sales in the United States by 2030.

In Europe, taking into account the composition of the grid, electric vehicles are already three times cleaner than their petrol equivalents. In California, not only are they not concerned about the number of electric vehicles skyrocketing, but they are being proposed as one of the solutions to the state’s energy production infrastructure problems. In fact, several manufacturers have already abandoned Donald Trump’s initiative that sought to soften California’s tough emissions legislation: what happens in California, the most important automotive market in the United States and one of the largest in the world, usually has a great influence on the auto industry.

Japan, which has recently declared a climate emergency, has also brought forward the date for the ban on the sale of diesel and petrol vehicles to 2030. This is causing concern in Australia, which also drives on the left, but has no car industry, and fears that if it does not keep in step, it could see its market for right-hand-drive fossil fuel vehicles severely undersupplied.

There is now tremendous competition within the technologies related to electric vehicles and batteries: a new stage in which the application of continuous improvements has made this type of vehicle the logical option for the future, also linked to the development of autonomous driving.

It’s Time to Go Green!

If you would like to know more about Solar Panels and the PowerBanx range of home battery systems, and get a free instant quote, please complete our online form:

Scottish firm drives away with UK’s first Renault Zoe electric van

December 12, 2020Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, Renault, Sales, ZOERepost

A SCOTTISH family firm is leading the way on low-emission vehicles after taking delivery of the UK’s first Renault Zoe electric van.

Staff at Stirling-based duct cleaning specialists Perfect Service Solutions will use the van to travel around Scotland and Northern England meeting clients and carrying out site visits.

The new Renault Zoe, launched in July, is the third electric vehicle in the company’s fleet and was chosen for its range of up to 245 miles.

The move is the latest environmentally friendly drive by Managing Director Simone Hart Sibbald and her team who have been switching their fleet to hybrid and electric for a number of years, with plans to have an entire fleet of electric vehicles by 2026.

Ms Hart Sibbald said: “The new Renault Zoe van is an important investment which forms part of our overall sustainability strategy.

“We are determined to lead the way for our industry in cutting carbon emissions and ensuring we are as environmentally friendly as possible.

“The UK Government plans to ban the sale of petrol and diesel cars by 2030 but we want to be ahead of the curve so it’s our intention that all our vehicles will be electric by 2026.

“We’re pleased to be the first company in the UK to drive the new Renault Zoe electric van which is the perfect fleet vehicle for our Field Service Teams.

“It’s amazing to own the first one in the country which was so new it wasn’t even registered on the DVLA’s database of vehicles when it first arrived in Scotland.”

The van, which can be charged from a high-voltage rapid charger in 70 minutes, will be used by Service Manager James McMurdo for managing field teams, meeting clients and for site visits.

Perfect Service Solutions Relationships & Service Director Rod Leach said: “Our first two electric vehicles had a maximum range of 130 miles which wasn’t really viable for us as our service teams operate throughout the UK.

“The new Renault Zoe van has an industry-leading range of up to 245 miles from a single charge which is much better.”

The firm has also improved its green credentials with a recent move from paper to a new app which automates the records and evidence clients require to comply with insurance and duct cleaning legislation.

It’s Time to Go Green!

If you would like to know more about Solar Panels and the PowerBanx range of home battery systems, and get a free instant quote, please complete our online form:

Hove teenager on mission to get young people driving electric vehicles

December 4, 2020Electric Cars, Energy and Climate Change, News, Reviews and Comment, Renault, Sales, ZOERepost

A TEENAGER is on a mission to get as many other young drivers using electric vehicles as possible.

Harrison Hughes from Hove is so passionate about electric cars that he saved up to buy a second-hand one before he had even passed his driving test.

The 17-year-old said: “For years I’ve been fascinated that you can drive cars powered by electricity. I got my first job in a supermarket and saved all the money I could to buy a second-hand Renault Zoe.

“Even my driving instructor’s car was electric. I’ve no plans to ever drive a petrol or diesel vehicle.”

Harrison has been following the uptake of electric vehicles from a young age and believes they will become increasingly popular.

However he said cost is a key barrier and insurance prices are still too expensive for many young drivers.

The business student said: “Sadly the insurance prices and car prices haven’t changed much and most people get into an internal combustion engine. This is a step backwards and not where we want to be going.

“My car was just under £5,000, which definitely is not cheap but I’m very passionate about it.

“Obviously not having to pay petrol costs is a huge saving and you don’t even have to pay much in terms of maintenance.

“It costs me 50p to charge my car up overnight.”

Harrison has been sharing his experience of driving an electric vehicle through videos on his Twitter page. He receives a lot of questions about charging points and how much energy is needed for various distances.

Harrison said: “A lot of people who are wrongly informed about electric vehicles think you need to buy a new battery every year for example, or that you can’t drive them through a car wash.

“My battery is six years old and its state of health is still 99 per cent, and the car has done 40,000 miles. It just shows how amazing they are and how long they will last.

“Mine is a nippy city car but there are some which will do 400 miles on one charge.”

It’s Time to Go Green!

If you would like to know more about Solar Panels and the PowerBanx range of home battery systems, and get a free instant quote, please complete our online form: