Category Archives: Model X

Best 7-seat electric cars to buy 2023

September 4, 2023Citroen, e-NV200, Electric Vans, Hyundai, Mercedes, Model X, News, Reviews and Comment, Nissan, Peugeot, TeslaRepost

Looking for a large, electric car with seven seats? We’ve listed the best options currently available

Electric car buyers in the UK have more choice than ever before. With the number and variety of different electric cars for sale continuing to rapidly expand, there’s an EV out there to suit almost any requirements. That includes those of buyers with big families looking for 7-seat electric cars or businesses who need a six or seven-seat vehicle to transport staff and clients.

To comfortably carry six or seven adults and some amount of luggage, you’re going to need a large vehicle and so the available options for buyers seeking a seven-seater that runs on electric power mainly boil down to larger SUVs or MPVs. Lots of the electric MPVs on today’s market are based on commercial vehicles and offer huge amounts of space as a result, while the SUVs tend to be a little less roomy in the third row but tend to deliver a more premium feel in terms of the cabin environment and driving experience.

Electric seven-seaters make a lot of sense for those who make a lot of short trips such as commuting or doing the school run, as this is where the lower running costs, zero-tailpipe emissions and quieter ride can really pay off, especially in congested or urban environments.

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Inside the industry: Is it finally time to make electric cars slower?

April 4, 2023Electric Cars, Model X, News, Reviews and Comment, TeslaRepost

The Tesla Model S Plaid beats the original Ford Focus RS from 0-60mph by 4.41sec

The car industry has scored plenty of own goals over the years, but it’s hard to fathom why it’s so comfortable with the idea of pleading forgiveness rather than seeking permission when it comes to electric cars’ acceleration times.

For context, the Mk1 Ford Focus RS took 6.4sec to race from 0-60mph, the Mk2 5.9sec and the Mk3 4.7sec. They were each era-defining hot hatchbacks, and while their legendary status is down to far more than their straight-line pace, I can’t recall anyone arguing that any of them was too slow in a drag race. Yet today the industry is awash with family SUVs (and occasionally hatches) that will comfortably match or beat those numbers.

Tesla showroom in Milton Keynes (Image: T. Larkum)

This list is by no means exhaustive, but standouts include the Volkswagen ID 4 (6.2sec),

New Tesla Supercharger Goes Live in UK, Can Add 75 Miles in Just Five Minutes

January 15, 2020Charging, Electric Cars, Model 3, Model S, Model X, News, Reviews and Comment, TeslaRepost

New Park Royal Supercharger station marks 500th in Europe

TESLA has launched its first ‘V3’ Superchargers in the UK, offering British owners of its electric cars the ability to recharge their vehicles at up to 250kW — equal to 75 miles of range added every five minutes, or a rate of 1,000 miles per hour.

The batch of eight V3 points are located at Tesla’s new Park Royal charging station in London, and sit next to a further eight V2 Superchargers, which, with a peak output of 150kW, are still pretty quick as public charging points go.

Tesla Supercharging Station at Westfield, London (Image: Tesla)

However, the V3 posts have all-new architecture that is not only capable of delivering more kilowatts to the battery packs per second, but also won’t split the power supply between vehicles charging nearby, allowing owners to charge at the maximum power their battery can take.

New software in the cars will also pre-warm the batteries while en route to a Supercharger, which is claimed to reduce average charge times by 25% by ensure they are already at the optimal temperature to receive an ultra-fast charge on arrival.

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3 Reasons Why Even Skeptics are Turning Bullish on Tesla (TSLA)

December 22, 2019Cybertruck, Electric Cars, Model 3, Model S, Model X, News, Reviews and Comment, TeslaRepost

Skeptics of Tesla have turned bullish on the electric car manufacturer.
Tesla has matured in 2019, operating more like a traditional automotive company.
It’s already too far ahead of the pack in the electric car market, no other company comes close.

The market cap of Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) has surpassed the $60 billion mark, supported by the rising popularity of the newly released Cybertruck. The firm’s turnaround has even led skeptics to turn bullish.

Up until October, Tesla was criticized for being a little bit too different from traditional automakers in the way the company handles conferences, earnings and other crucial aspects of the business.

As the company evolved, and so did its market cap, high profile investors like Jim Cramer and Pierre Feragu started to believe that Tesla is now far ahead of the automotive industry. Three reasons support that claim.

1. Highly innovative

Tesla has stood out from its competitors since its inception. The public’s reception of its newest products like the Cybertruck have changed the mind of investors who previously thought such products would only appeal to a niche market.

Jim Cramer, host of CNBC’s Mad Money, said that he was blown away by the demand for the Cybertruck. With an improving balance sheet, beloved CEO in Elon Musk, and an active following, Cramer said that Tesla has all signs of a great company:

Even better, on that last conference call, he revealed his true rigor without the sardonic quips. Musk, it turns out, is a great CEO when he can get out of his own way, and that seems to be what he’s doing. Cult product? Check. Sound balance sheet? Check. Charismatic Leader? Check. If you’re going to invest in a battleground stock, Tesla’s got all the ingredients of a winner.

So far, 250,000 orders for the Cybertruck have been made. That’s equivalent to $25 million in revenue once the cars ship.

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The best electric cars you can buy – and the one to avoid

December 19, 2019Electric Cars, Model 3, Model X, News, Reviews and Comment, TeslaRepost

Electric cars are growing in popularity, and no wonder: the best are quiet, cheap to run and smooth to drive. But which are the bright sparks to consider – and which are the loose connections?…..

Electric cars are now entering the mainstream, and their rise is only going to accelerate as rules are introduced to limit the kind of vehicles allowed into major cities.

The main thing that has traditionally held them back is range anxiety – the fear that you won’t have enough juice to get to where you’re going. However, with plenty of models now capable of covering more than 200 miles between charges, this is becoming less of an issue.

So, which electric cars should you consider? Here, we count down our favourites and tell you the one to avoid. And, remember, if any of them take your fancy, check out our What Car? New Car Buying to see how much we could save you.

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2019 was the year electric cars grew up

December 16, 2019Electric Cars, Model 3, Model S, Model X, News, Reviews and Comment, Sales, TeslaRepost

Electric cars had their biggest year ever in 2019, even as storm clouds gathered over their future.

The numbers were huge. Automakers committed $225 billion to electrification in the coming years. Electric vehicles (EVs) grabbed 2.2% of the global vehicle market over the first 10 months of 2019 as a slew of new models hit the road. Ford, which has yet to sell an all-electric vehicle, showed off the upcoming electric Mustang Mach-E (a crossover SUV) and an electric F-150 pick-up. Tesla, of course, shocked everyone by turning a profit and previewing a strange future with its “cybertruck,” potentially the Hummer for Millenials.

But it wasn’t all rainbows. Outside of China and Norway, where car buyers enjoy generous incentives, the market is still driven by early adopters rather than the mainstream. EV sales for the year have been sluggish. While some states such as California have seen EVs capture 8% of new sales (all-electric and plug-in hybrid), the rest of the country has not yet caught on. After doubling between 2017 and 2018, EV market share in the US had crept up from 1.6% last March to 1.8% a year later (pdf).

That hasn’t slowed automakers’ ambitions. They’re betting it’s better to get ahead of the now-inevitable shift to EVs than play catch up to established rivals and Tesla. But if demand fails to pick up the big bet may mean consolidation and bankruptcy for some.

Here are the highlights from 2019.

EVs sold even as the car market dipped. The Model 3 can claim most of the credit.

The year started off strong for electric cars. After selling a record 361,000 EVs in 2018, automakers foresaw a robust 2019. Yet for carmakers not named Tesla, sales sputtered out mid-year. Sales for the three dozen or so other EV models on the market declined by an about 20% in 2019 compared to a year earlier, while Tesla’s Model 3 sales tripled between January and September. Tesla represented an astonishing 78% of US EV sales as of October, estimated CleanTechnica, delivering about 123,000 Model 3s, and 30,000 Model S and Model X vehicles. But EVs proved to be a rare bright spot amid what appears to be a long-term decline in global auto sales now entering its third year, what industry analysts call “peak car.”

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Electric cars with the longest range

November 18, 2019Audi, e-tron, Electric Cars, EQC EV, Hyundai, I-PACE, Jaguar Land Rover, Kia, Kona Electric, Mercedes, Model 3, Model S, Model X, News, Reviews and Comment, Niro EV, Renault, Soul EV, Tesla, ZOERepost

EV range is a hot topic right now so we’ve listed the new electric cars with the longest range you can buy now…

The first question most people have when a new electric car comes out is how much range it has. ‘Range anxiety’ is a phrase often thrown around to describe the fear EV owners could face when driving their electric car with a level of remaining battery charge that may not get them to their destination. As a result, there’s a certain kudos attached to the electric cars with the longest range as well as a valuable competitive advantage manifested as electric car buyers are attracted to them. If you’re wondering which electric car has the longest range, you can find out below.

Manufacturers have quickly realised the importance of range to existing petrol or diesel car owners and now some electric cars can travel just as far on a single charge as an internal combustion engined (ICE) equivalent can manage on a full tank – all the while producing zero emissions at a cheaper running cost to the owner. The fact that most drivers will very rarely travel the kind of distances in a single day that would deplete a modern electric car’s battery is seen as less important than the need to reassure motorists considering the switch to the new technology.

There’s no doubt that the UK’s charging infrastructure still remains a stumbling block for electric cars and their owners. Charging points are increasing in number across the country and charging times are dropping but the chargers that there are are still often in use compounding the fact that recharging an EV is still noticeably slower than filling up a petrol or diesel vehicle.

With increasing investment from the Government and charging infrastructure providers to improve EV charging options coupled with the appeal of emission-free motoring and cheaper running costs than ICE vehicles, electric cars are more appealing than ever. Manufacturers too are in a race to develop enhanced batteries and electric car technology that will increase the range available in electric cars to the point that range anxiety will become a thing of the past.

Will SUVs Breathe New Life Into The Electric Car Market?

December 8, 2018Electric Cars, EQC EV, I-PACE, Jaguar Land Rover, Mercedes, Model X, News, Reviews and Comment, TeslaRepost

After decades of ups and downs, electricity is finally emerging as the fuel that will propel the planet into the future as more governments look to address their pollution problems by phasing out vehicles that run on fossil fuels.

As a result, automakers are scampering to flood the market with electric cars, trucks and, especially, SUVs over the next few years.

Nowhere is this more evident than at this year’s Los Angeles Auto Show, which will officially open to the public on November 30. Almost every automaker that is displaying at the downtown convention center, especially in the luxury segment, is looking to discuss its electrification strategy for the next decade with any journalist willing to listen.

Porsche wants 50% of its stable to be electric by 2023. Jaguar Land Rover has announced it will shift production entirely to electric and hybrid vehicles by 2020.

Ford plans to deliver 13 new electrified models over the next five years. General Motors plans to roll out 20 all-electric models by 2023.

BMW will offer 25 electrified vehicles by 2025. Aston Martin expects that EVs will account for 25% of the company’s stable by 2030.

And that’s just the beginning. If projections are correct, there should be 400 electrified models on the road by 2025. That’s 300-plus more EVs and hybrids than are running about today.

Tesla to open up CCS fast charging for European Model 3, Model S and Model X

November 21, 2018Charging, Electric Cars, Model 3, Model S, Model X, News, Reviews and Comment, TeslaRepost

Third-party CCS fast charging available to all Tesla Model 3 owners with adaptors coming for Model S and Model X owners

European Tesla Model 3s will come with a CCS (Combined Charging System) fast charging compatible port when they arrive in the early part of 2019. That means that, as well as using Tesla’s own Supercharger and Destination networks, the Model 3 will be able to fast charge on third-party networks such as Polar/BP Chargemaster and Ionity.

Owners of Model X and Model S cars will also be able to use third-party CCS chargers by buying an adaptor that can be plugged into their cars’ existing on-board Type 2 sockets. The new adaptors are expected to be priced similarly to existing CHAdeMO fast-charging adaptors, which cost around €500 (£435), yet will be slightly smaller in form.

Speaking exclusively to Auto Express, Tesla’s head of global charging infrastructure, Drew Bennett, said: “There’s a lot of excitement about Model 3 coming to Europe and charging is always part of that conversation.

“We’ll be continuing to invest in our network – that’s a huge part of the ownership experience. But we’ll be enabling our owners to have access to the CCS networks that are starting to grow in Europe, so the Model 3 will have a charge port for the CCS standard and we’ll also have an adaptor for Model S and X.

“All existing Tesla customers will be able to use the Supercharger network still, but these changes will allow people to venture outside the network – this is something that could really help our owners and is really exciting for us to be able to say that about the infrastructure in Europe.

“We’re all about accelerating the advent of sustainable energy and transportation and this is another way to help everybody scale.”

Electric vehicles will be allowed to drive at higher speed limits than gas cars, says Austrian government

November 7, 2018Electric Cars, Energy and Climate Change, Model 3, Model S, Model X, News, Reviews and Comment, Pollution, TeslaRepost

A new initiative from the Austrian government is set to reward electric car owners with a unique incentive.

On October 25, the Austrian ministerial cabinet announced that it would be adjusting the speed restrictions for electric vehicles traveling in the country’s IG-L-Hundred zone, which covers a total area of 440 kilometers (273 miles). With the updated rules in place, owners of Teslas and other electric vehicles will be allowed to travel up to 130 km/h (80 mph) on the highway, 30 km/h (20 mph) faster than their fossil fuel-powered counterparts.

Austrian Minister of Sustainability Elisabeth Köstinger noted that the speed limit exception for electric vehicles is part of the country’s initiative to encourage the adoption of sustainable transportation. Together with the adjusted speed limits, the Austrian government is also pushing to open bus lanes for zero-emissions cars, and promote free parking programs for electrified vehicles.

“The exception for electric vehicles in the IG-L-Hundred is an advantage that we want to give owners of e-vehicles to internal combustion engines,” Köstinger said.

While the specifics of the speed limit incentive are yet to be fully announced, the Austrian government’s wording on the program suggests that the exception would be tailor-fit for battery-powered vehicles like Tesla’s electric cars. Köstinger, for one, noted that the top speed advantage would be given to EV drivers over drivers in vehicles with internal combustion engines. With this statement in mind, it appears that hybrid vehicles such as the BMW i8, which are equipped with a internal combustion engines and electric motors, would not be awarded the same top speed incentive.

The country’s EV community would likely appreciate a speed limit incentive for electric cars, and if it proves effective in Austria, there is a good chance that the program would be adopted in other regions as well. Electric cars, after all, emit no emissions regardless of their speed, and with the advent of high-performance vehicles like the Tesla Model S, Model X, and Model 3, EVs are now more than capable of maintaining high speeds for long periods of time. With batteries getting cheaper and better, electric cars will soon be able to travel even farther than before as well. With this in mind, even simple perks like a higher speed limit would likely encourage even more drivers to join the growing electric car movement.