Category Archives: Seat

2020 set to be year of the electric car as sales soar

December 13, 2019Citigo-e iV, Corsa-e, e-208, e-Up, Electric Cars, ID.3, Kia, Mii Electric, News, Reviews and Comment, Niro EV, Peugeot, Sales, Seat, Skoda, Vauxhall, VolkswagenRepost

Experts are predicting that 2020 will be the year of the electric car as sales continue to rise.

Figures released today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show that the number of battery-electric vehicles registered in November increased by 228.8 per cent compared to the same month in 2018 – with over 4500 new EVs hitting the roads.

So far this year, nearly 14,000 electric cars have been registered in the UK, compared to 38,500 plug-in hybrids and nearly 80,000 hybrids. Mild hybrids have also seen a dramatic increase in popularity, with registrations of mild-hybrid diesels increasing by more than 450 per cent last month.

Car manufacturers are rushing to launch new electric cars in a bid to meet new emission targets set by European Union legislators. By 2021, they face strict fines if their average CO2 emissions for each car exceed 95g/km. By selling more electric vehicles (with zero tailpipe emissions) and hybrids (with reduced tailpipe emissions), average CO2 emissions will drop.

Kia recently admitted that it has 3000 customers on a waiting list for the e-Niro – something it says it intends to clear in the first half of 2020, despite previously having to halt orders as it couldn’t keep up with demand.

Volkswagen is set to launch its new electric ID range with the ID.3 hatchback, while the Volkswagen Up, SEAT Mii and Skoda Citigo city cars are also going electric-only for 2020. Vauxhall’s new Corsa is available as a pure-electric model, as is the closely-related Peugeot 208.

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SEAT Mii electric 2020 Road Test

November 24, 2019Electric Cars, Mii Electric, News, Reviews and Comment, SeatRepost

At £19,300 (after the £3,500 Plug In Car Grant) the SEAT Mii electric makes a lot of sense to a lot of people, not least the people who actually make it.

It’s a 5-door 4-seater with a maximum fair weather range of 162 miles, which is more than enough for most commuters, suburban drivers and the elderly and disabled for whom a car is their legs.

More importantly, with zero tailpipe emissions, it cuts the maker’s corporate average CO2 to a level that reduces EC fines and avoids some of the 10%-20% price increases that would otherwise have to be passed on to carbuyers generally from 2020 onwards. The more SEAT Mii electric EVs, Skoda Citgo electric EVs and e-Ups that VAG can sell, the less it has to charge for Porsches, Lamborghinis and Bentleys. The entire Mii, Citigo and most Up production line has been switched from petrol engined cars to EVs. In fact VAG is going all out to reduce its corporate carbon footprint with the Golf sized ID3; Golf VIIIs, new model Octavias and Q3 48v mild hybrids; Golf, Passat and Q5 PHEVs. A lot of vehicles.

The Mii electric comes decently trimmed and equipped with electric front windows, central locking, heated front seats, immobiliser as well as side and curtain airbags as standard. All have includes Climatronic a/c, TomTom satnav, lane assist, traffic sign reminder, hill hold and ‘SEAT drive profile’ (normal, eco, eco+).

Smartphone integration with the Drive Mii app includes a universal smartphone cradle that enables you to use the satnav on your phone such as TomTom® in the Drive Mii App, Google Maps, Waze or whatever you want. You also get handwriting recognition, Eco Trainer, USB port and an AUX-in port.

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New Seat Mii Electric priced from £19,300 in UK

November 10, 2019Electric Cars, Mii Electric, News, Reviews and Comment, SeatRepost

Renault Zoe rival offers 162 miles of range, and is one of the most affordable EVs currently on sale

Seat has announced that UK pricing for the Mii Electric, its first zero-emissions model, will begin at £19,300, making it one of the cheapest mainstream EVs available in the UK.

Seat is also offering the first 300 buyers fitment of a wall-mounted home charger, a three-pin home-charging cable, three years’ servicing and roadside assistance free of charge.

The supermini’s sub-£20,000 price tag is lower than that of its Vauxhall Corsa-e, Peugeot e-208, Mini Electric and Honda E rivals. The new Renault Zoe is available from £18,670 under the firm’s battery leasing scheme, but monthly costs have yet to be revealed.

As part of Seat’s ‘easyMOVE’ range simplification strategy, only one trim is available from launch.

Standard equipment includes metallic paint, lane assist, fast-charging capabilities, 16in alloy wheels, air conditioning and automatic windscreen wipers.

Electric vehicle sales to surge across Europe, with 2020 seen as new tipping point

August 10, 2019Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, SeatRepost

A new report predicts that within the next two years, the penetration of electric cars on the European auto market is likely to reach a point of no return as zero emissions vehicles become the mainstream item for consumers.

A new report from NGO T&E predicts production of electric vehicles in Europe will surge six-fold from around 750,000 in 2019 to more than million by 2025. It sees a 60/40 split between battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) and more than 330 different models available.

In certain parts of Europe – most notably Norway, where more than 50% of new car sales are electric – EVs are becoming a common sight on roads, but overall it is still regarded as an early adopter market.

But new rules for EU carmakers – setting a mandatory CO2 target of 95g/km, and carbon emissions reduction targets set by the EU that will require CO2 from all new cars to be lowered 15% by 2025, and 37.5% by 2030 compared to 2021 levels – mean that the shift to EV production is inevitable.

It has been previously estimated by Transport and Environment (T&E) that to reach the new 2020/21 CO2 targets, carmakers will need to achieve a 7% market share of plug-in electric vehicles.

The new report, indicates that with a rush of new PHEV and BEV offerings planned by automakers in Europe, by 2021 this figure will be more like 10%.

More new models, tougher CO2 rules poised to boost EVs, plug-in hybrids

April 4, 2019Audi, Electric Cars, Mercedes, MINI, News, Reviews and Comment, Peugeot, Sales, Seat, Skoda, Tesla, Volkswagen, VolvoRepost

A lack of choice has been one reason that buyers in Europe have not fully embraced full-electric and electrified plug-in hybrid cars.

But that is quickly changing as automakers prepare to launch more models to prepare for tougher CO2 emissions regulations that start to take effect in 2020.

The number of EVs on sale in Europe will increase to 24 this year from 18 last year as new vehicles such as the Audi e-tron, Tesla Model 3, Mercedes-Benz EQC, Mini EV and full-electric Volvo XC40 crossover hit the market, according to LMC Automotive data — which excludes very-low-volume niche models. The number of plug-in hybrids will nearly double to 53 this year from 27 in 2018, LMC says.

But the real jump will come in 2020, when the number of full-electric cars on sale doubles to 48 and plug-in-hybrid choice reaches almost 100, according to LMC data.

Next year battery-powered cars underpinned by Volkswagen Group’s flexible MEB electric-car platform and aimed at the mass-market will go on sale. VW brand’s Golf-sized I.D. hatchback will come first but it will soon be followed by MEB cars from the Audi, Skoda and Seat brands. They will have ranges of more than 550 km (342 miles), to ease range anxiety fears among car buyers.

It’s no coincidence that 2020 is also when the EU will start fining automakers if they miss their stricter CO2 reduction targets that are being implemented to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions blamed for contributing to climate change.

“We have only one target, which is to be compliant for CO2 targets for 2020, so 2019 will be the launch of all our electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles,” Maxime Picat, PSA Group’s operations director for Europe, told journalists in January.

2020 Seat el-Born electric car revealed: price, specs and release date

March 12, 2019el-Born, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, SeatRepost

Concept previews Seat’s first electric car: a five-door family hatchback that will challenge the Nissan Leaf and Renault Zoe…

Look just beneath the surface of this el-Born concept car’s funky, futuristic styling and you’ll glimpse Seat’s first electric car. Based on the same underpinnings as Volkswagen’s upcoming ID electric hatchback, the el-Born will lead to a production model with about the same footprint as the current Leon family hatchback.

2020 Seat el-Born range and charging

Powered by a 201bhp electric motor, the el-Born has an official range of 261 miles on the new WLTP test cycle – far greater than electric rivals such as the Renault Zoe and Nissan Leaf, which offer 186 and 168 miles respectively on the same test. The el-Born should also be nippy; it can cover the 0-62mph sprint in 7.5sec.

Charging the el-Born to 80% capacity takes as little as 47 minutes using the latest 100kW rapid chargers, but that time will increase dramatically if you use a standard wall-mounted charger. A heat pump can extend battery life by as much as 37 miles in conditions where cold can quickly sap an electric car’s range.

Seat is traditionally seen as the VW Group’s sporty brand – something that’s emphasised by the el-Born’s wide, low stance, with its wheels pushed to the very edges of the car. Design features include a closed-off grille (no air intake is needed to cool an engine). There are intakes lower down, though, to increase the car’s aerodynamic efficiency and send air to the battery pack. The el-Born concept sits on 20in wheels that help to channel cooling air to the brakes.

2020 Seat el-Born interior

Inside, the el-Born features a 10.0in touchscreen infotainment system that’s angled towards the driver, plus a digital instrument cluster. The absence of an engine up front has also allowed Seat to maximise room inside the car and provide lots of storage space, including under the centre console between the front seats, although boot capacity is still unknown.

The el-Born is capable of controlling its own acceleration, braking and steering in certain situations, such as on the motorway, and its advanced driver assistance systems include a self-parking function.