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Hundreds of electric car charging points like this one are set to be installed at lampposts across Hounslow

Here’s How Many Solar Panels You’ll Need to Charge Your EV

In order to make your EV green-energy approved, you’ll need to charge it using a renewable energy source. Solar panels are one way to accomplish that.

For the eco-conscious EV driver, an electric vehicle is only as clean and green as the source of electricity charging its battery.

That’s because EVs plugged into the grid can either be powered by “dirty” sources such as fossil fuels such as coal, or from “clean” renewable energy that comes from sources such as solar, hydro or wind power. With many utilities, it’s likely to be a mix of renewables and fossil fuels. The best way to ensure your EV is actually powered by renewable energy is to connect your home’s EV charger to a solar energy system or use a public charger also sourced by solar panels.

 

An impediment to electric vehicle adoption is car dealerships.

With spiking gas and electric prices and an intensifying climate crisis, it’s no wonder the solar and electric vehicle industries are gaining in popularity each year.  Rooftop solar panel installations are breaking records, and US EV adoption is expected to accelerate — predicted to reach 40% of passenger car sales by 2030, according to the US Bureau of Labor and Statistics.

Read more: cnet

It’s Time to Go Green!

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UK’s ‘cheapest’ electric vehicle home-charging tariff launched

EDF has joined forces with charge point operator Pod Point to offer what it claims to be the UK’s cheapest electric vehicle (EV) home-charging tariff.

The Pod Point EV Exclusive Tariff will be made available to existing users and new customers buying a Solo 3 home charger when they sign up to use EDF for their energy.

It will see customers charged 7.4 pence per kilowatt hour for energy used between the hours of midnight and 5am – during which drivers can schedule their EV to charge.

Pod Point’s overnight rate, it says, is combined with a competitive daytime rate, to provide customers with the best overall EV tariff based on typical usage.

Job Done

It explained that its EV tariff is the cheapest available based on an annual Ofgem typical peak usage of 2,700kWh peak usage and 2,000 kWh off-peak EV charging usage (8,000 miles) when comparing the average peak and off-peak rate of the Pod Point EV Exclusive tariff for customers paying by direct debit and have a smart meter, with the average peak and off-peak rate rates of EV specific tariffs from other suppliers that do not require control of vehicle or charger

Read more: FleetNews

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:

Octopus Energy to double the export rate of its EV tariff

Octopus Energy has confirmed that it will almost double the export rate of its electric vehicle (EV) tariff ‘Octopus Go’ to 8p/kWh.

The export rate for Octopus Go, which provides cost-effective overnight charging for EVs, was previously priced at 4.1p/kWh for exported electricity via the company’s Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) tariff.

Copyright: maridav / 123RF Stock Photo

But through the introduction of the new export tariff ‘Outgoing Fixed Lite’, those customers with solar panels and an EV will now receive 8p for each kWh exported back to the grid via vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology. Octopus stated that the use of this tariff could see an average household make an additional £66 a year.

“Octopus Energy is the number one EV tariff provider for a reason. Thanks to our customers and their EVs helping balance the grid at night, we’ve continued to unlock savings to pass on to our greenest customers. Octopus Go customers with solar panels will now earn twice as much money for the energy they export back to the grid – it certainly pays to be green,” said Rebecca Dibb-Simkin, chief product officer at Octopus Energy.

Last week, Octopus Energy announced a number of initiatives to support EV drivers, including a new 15p per kWh export tariff, and a community energy EV charging partnership with Co Charger.

Read more: Current+

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cheapest electric car UK

OVO customers saved over £1 million in six months with its smart EV tariff

Energy supplier OVO says it has saved customers on its Charge Anytime tariff over £1 million in half a year.

The Charge Anytime tariff uses smart charging to power electric vehicles (EVs) for 10p per kWh at any time of day, saving the average customer £129 per month.

Customers have completed over 5 million kWh of smart charging, which uses an algorithm to automatically shift charging away from peak times, usually between 4-7 pm, to periods when the grid relies on cleaner energy sources.

 

POD Point installed (Image: T. Heale)
POD Point installed (Image: T. Heale)

The 10p per kWh rate is three times cheaper than the national average (30p per kWh) and seven times cheaper than many public charge points. The tariff is powered by Kaluza’s smart technology, which OVO says has resulted in a 67% reduction in charging costs.

One OVO customer who drives over 1,000 miles per month to transport disabled, vulnerable, and elderly individuals to their appointments, is said to have seen their monthly costs drop significantly from over £120 in a petrol car to approximately £40 with her EV and the Charge Anytime program.

Alex Thwaites, director of EV, OVO, said: “It’s incredible to see the impact Charge Anytime is making for people and the planet. By using smart technology to shift EV charging out of peak times when the grid is more reliant on fossil fuels, we’re able to provide greener, cheaper energy for customers.

Read more: Current+

It’s Time to Go Green!

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Electric car owners celebrate 1 August as it’s when ‘average petrol bills surpass EV charging costs for the calendar year’

  • It’s been estimated that today is when EVs are ‘free to drive’ compared to petrols
  • Calculation is based on the cost to cover average annual mileage of 7,400 miles 

That’s because 1 August marks the date when the cost of filling up a petrol car surpasses the electricity bills to charge an EV for the calendar year, according to one business operating in the EV sector.

It estimates that the average EV owner pays £740 in charging costs per year – and drivers of petrol engine cars will have racked up the same amount in fuel receipts today.

Today is said to be the crossover point when EV owners are ‘driving for free’ compared to those who own petrol cars, says The Electric Car Scheme – a company that helps motorists access government tax incentives for EV salary sacrifice.

 

Mazda MX-30 EV (Image: Mazda)
Mazda MX-30 EV (Image: Mazda)

It has dubbed 1 August ‘Electric Car Day’ as it ‘underlines just how much more affordable electric cars are, with average EV drivers essentially getting five months of free driving’.

The bold claim comes after it crunched the numbers on annual fuel costs for the average UK driver to travel 7,400 miles a year (the national average in 2019).

The calculation is based on the average price of petrol so far this year (146.26p a litre) and a vehicle returning 38.8mpg, bringing its total annual fuel bill to £1,268.

Read more: ThisMoney

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A California bill could help make EVs a blackout solution

The state might require every electric vehicle to be capable of powering your home — and the grid — through a process called bidirectional charging.

Chris Bowe was preparing for his daughter’s ninth birthday party in February when a drenching storm knocked out power to his neighborhood in Hayward, California. Minutes before the party began, Bowe connected his electric Ford F-150 Lightning to a panel in his garage, sending electricity from the pickup truck to his house.

“It was dark out, parents were dropping off their kids, and our house was lit up,” said Bowe, who works as a FedEx manager in the Bay Area. “They were like, ‘How do you have power?’”

Bowe kept the lights on using bidirectional charging, which allows electric vehicles to not only receive electricity but discharge it as well. It’s a feature that a proposed California bill would require that all EVs sold in the state offer by model year 2027.

 

BMW i3

Making an EV bidirectional capable is a matter of equipping it with the right software and hardware, and some, like the Nissan Leaf, Kia EV 6, and the Lightning, already provide the feature. Other manufacturers have been slower to roll out the technology. Tesla, for example, says its cars will be bidirectional by 2025.

Read more: Grist

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Connected Kerb on-street charging (Image: Connected Kerb)

UK start-up launches charging cable for homes without a driveway

A self-closing cable channel for electric car owners without a driveway is being rilled out by UK start-up Kerbo Charge.

The company said it solves the problem of how to charge an electric vehicle (EV) for homes without driveways and will typically save customers £1,439 a year compared to solely using fast public chargers.

Kerbo Charge said an estimated 40% of the UK population do not have access to a driveway, meaning that EV owners either need to trail a cable over the pavement in the front of their house – creating a trip hazard – or use public chargers, which typically cost around £23 more per charge than topping up at home.

The company said its Kerbo Charge channel includes a self-closing lid that snaps down shut as the cable is inserted and removed.

Connected Kerb on-street charging (Image: Connected Kerb)
Connected Kerb on-street charging (Image: Connected Kerb)

It has also been built to contour with the surface of the pavement, meaning it will sit flush with the pavement surface and its shallow form factor allows for quick installation by council engineers as there is no need to cut below the top tarmac layer of the pavement, Kerbo Charge said.

Michael Goulden, co-founder at Kerbo Charge, said: “We developed this product in partnership with local authorities – the critical design requirements are the ability to flex with uneven pavement surfaces, be easy to install and to be safe for all foot traffic.

Read more: SmartTransport

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How the transition to electric vehicles works for employees

Electric vehicles (EVs) run differently to those powered by petrol and diesel – that’s clear. They have no need for gears, so put the pedal to the metal and you’ll be using the motor’s full power. However, brake in the right way and you can reduce the amount of energy used. For all the technology in EVs, the most vital component is always going to be the driver, and this is especially the case when businesses are purchasing EVs for their employees.

While many companies might keep their EV fleets on site, a large portion of them will either be letting employees keep their work vehicles at home or giving them company cars. Either way, an employee’s home therefore becomes very relevant for businesses.

The home charging conundrum

The government’s Housing Survey found that 60% of homes (around 14.4 million) had some parking on their plot, such as a driveway or garage, but 26% had no provision for off-street parking. That could make things difficult for EV drivers who rely on overnight plug-in charging, either through a wall socket or a specialised EV charger, to charge vehicles cheaply and conveniently.

This government survey has shown that, assuming each house has a car, 6.2 million houses in the UK are going to need some sort of on-street charging solution, such as charging points installed in lampposts (10,000 of which are available already).

Read more: FleetPoint

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Charging a Nissan Leaf in the garage (Image: Chargemasterplc.com)

EV drivers could face £1,000 replacement fee by failing to use solar compatible charger

Electric vehicle (EV) drivers may be costing themselves £1,000 in the long run by failing to install solar-compatible chargepoints, home tech manufacturer myenergi has warned.

As domestic solar installation rates continue to rise – rates in 2022 tripled to those in 2021 – myenergi has called for UK households to seriously consider installing EV chargers that integrate with solar generation, to maximise future savings.

 

Untethered and Tethered Charge Points (Image: POD Point)
Untethered and Tethered Charge Points (Image: POD Point)

“While there are a number of excellent products available to specify, we believe that consumers should be thinking about the future. Charging your EV with mains electricity is typical today, but with decentralised domestic energy generation becoming ever-more commonplace across the UK, drivers should specify a device compatible with renewables to prevent buying twice,” said head of corporate communications at myenergi, Tom Callo.

“At myenergi, we believe that any EV driver who either has solar panels – or has the opportunity to install them in the future – should invest in a solar-compatible charger. With ongoing concerns around the rising cost of energy, taking advantage of solar power to keep costs down has become a hugely desirable option.

“Any EV driver installing a non-compatible device may come to regret their choice, as they will need to replace it if they choose to invest in renewables. Car manufacturers and leasing companies that are recommending non-solar chargers should therefore be making it clear that these chargers will not necessarily be future-proof for many.”

Read more: Current+

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Zappi 2018 EV Charge Point (Image: myEnergi)

Huge law changes will see electric vehicle chargers installed on new homes – ‘fantastic’

A MAJOR law change which is set to be introduced this year will see all new homes and buildings equipped with electric car chargers have been hailed as “really effective”.

It is expected that a law will be passed this year which will require all new houses and buildings to have electric vehicle charging stations. The Government said the move will see up to 145,000 charging points installed across England each year, in the hopes it will make charging an EV as easy as “refuelling a petrol or diesel car today”.

The changes will also require all newly-built and refurbished non-residential buildings with more than 10 on-site parking spaces to have at least one charge point – as well as cable routes for at least one in five spaces.

Zappi 2018 EV Charge Point (Image: myEnergi)
Zappi 2018 EV Charge Point (Image: myEnergi)

Meanwhile, blocks of flats undergoing major renovation with more than 10 on-site parking spaces will need to provide residents with chargers.

For each dwelling with associated parking, there should be at least one charge point, as well as cable routes in all spaces without charge points.

The Government had previously announced that all new-build homes could be fitted with an electric car charge point in 2019.

Ian Johnston, CEO of Osprey Charging, spoke of how newly built car parks and retail developments will benefit from the EV charger law.

Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk, he said: “The changes in the planning regulations have been really quite effective in making sure that any new build car park not only has a day one installation of charging infrastructure but is also future proofed for more.

“That is great. We’ve had a number of leads coming to us with people saying they were building a new retail park and they’ve got to have electric chargers, so let’s talk.

“That’s fantastic because it’s forcing people to open the conversation.

Read more: Express

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