Category Archives: Opinion

New rules to make it easier to use public electric car chargers

August 2, 2023Away From Home, Charging, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, OpinionRepost

Motorists are currently forced to use multiple smartphone apps or membership cards to access different charging networks.

Electric car drivers will only need one app to pay for public chargepoints operated by different companies, under legislation laid in Parliament.

Motorists are currently forced to use multiple smartphone apps or membership cards to access different charging networks.

BP Chargemaster Rapid Charger at Milton Keynes Charging Hub (Image: T. Larkum)

Mandating so-called payment roaming is among new Department for Transport (DfT) regulations aimed at encouraging the uptake of electric vehicles by making it easier, cheaper and more convenient to charge them across the UK.

Operators will be required to accept contactless payments at newly installed chargepoints at eight kilowatts and above, and at existing rapid chargepoints.

A standardised pence per kilowatt hour price will be mandated to enable drivers to compare the cost of using different networks.

Rapid chargepoint networks will be required to function for 99% of the time during a calendar year, and a new helpline will be launched to support motorists when something goes wrong with electric vehicle charging.

Chargepoint data will also be opened up to make it easier for drivers to check their availability.

Transport minister Jesse Norman said: “As demand for electric vehicles continues to grow, the Government wants to make sure that drivers continue to have confidence in the UK’s charging network.

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:

Matt Prior: Should electric sports cars have engine notes?

August 1, 2023Electric Cars, Hyundai, Ioniq 5, News, Reviews and Comment, Opinion, ToyotaRepost

Hyundai Ioniq 5 N simulates engine revs and gearchanges in ‘Ignition’ mode

How involved would you like to be? You might remember that last year Toyota filed a patent for a battery-electric vehicle with an H-pattern gearshift, so that an electric powertrain would respond like a manual internally combusting car, complete with a clutch pedal that felt like the real thing, even though, like the gearlever, it would be false.

As yet, no Toyota has arrived with this hardware, but Hyundai’s N performance division has taken a similar concept.

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 N is the first electric product of Hyundai’s N fun division. “For N, fun to drive is the highest priority. Electrification has transformed our lives but [so far] not our hearts,” Till Wartenberg, N’s vice-president, told me before we drove a prototype. “Car enthusiasts are the last group who can be electrified,” he said. I have a feeling he’s right. I like electric power, but it’s quite telling that when I recount the most fun I’ve had in EVs, an original Tesla Roadster, a Renault Twizy and a Nissan Leaf with plastic ‘drift tyres’ at the back all still feature heavily.

Finally, the Ioniq 5 N on a circuit eclipses all of those. It’s meant to be the car that finally sucks enthusiasts in, and part of the way it does so is by giving us the chance to pull on our muscle memory and aural sensibilities.

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:

Confirmed: Dacia’s tiny cheap EV is springing over to Britain

July 27, 2023Buying/Leasing, Dacia, Dacia Spring, Electric Cars, FAQ, News, Reviews and Comment, OpinionRepost

Could the Dacia Spring be cheaper and more eco-friendly than walking? Well no. But it’ll be close…

Back in March 2021, Dacia gave us some Bad News. Despite offering the new Spring EV for a hilariously low price in Germany, the company resoundingly kiboshed hopes that the ultra-affordable electric supermini would make the Channel hop to UK shores.

Well guess what… there’s Good News at long last. Dacia has announced with some fanfare that it’s changed its mind. Brits will be able to buy the new entry-level EV from next year. Take that, cost of living crisis.

Prices aren’t confirmed yet, given interest rates are fluctuating more wildly than Glastonbury 2024 headliner predictions, but with a pre-grant price of around €20k in Germany, hopes are high this could be the cheapest five-door EV on British soil.

For not much money, you get not much range. Obviously. The battery is a 27kWh tiddler that manages a mere 143 miles, and with only 44bhp and a 19-second 0-62mph dawdle, it’s more placid than Tesla Plaid.

But when most UK commutes take place at 000.1mph in appalling traffic, do we care? This is like a bargain basement Honda E (with more range!). A Renault Zoe a la Primark. A more practical Fiat 500e outta the middle aisle of Lidl. It could be 2024’s most relevant car.

Why is Dacia so confident that we’ll like it? Well, it’s been watching how people in other nations use their Springs. Big Brother, anyone?

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:

Aston Martin agrees deal to make electric vehicles with US firm Lucid

July 26, 2023Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, OpinionRepost

British carmaker to use components from Lucid to produce luxury high-performance battery electric models

Aston Martin has struck a deal with the US firm Lucid to start making “ultra-luxury high-performance electric vehicles” from 2025.

The British luxury carmaker, whose losses more than doubled last year to almost £500m, has struck a cash and shares deal valued at £182m in which Lucid will take a 3.7% stake in London-listed Aston Martin.

The carmaker, which sold 6,400 luxury vehicles last year and has spent heavily on new models, said it would select powertrain components from Lucid for initial and certain future battery electric vehicle (BEV) models.

The company said the deal, which involves a minimum spend of £177m with Lucid, would help drive its plan to launch its first BEV in 2025.

“Combined with our internal development, this [deal with Lucid] will allow us to create a single bespoke BEV platform suitable for all future Aston Martin products, all the way from hypercars to sports cars and SUVs,” said Roberto Fedeli, Aston Martin’s chief technology officer.

Mercedes-Benz holds a 9.4% stake in Aston Martin as part of a long-term strategic deal that includes technology sharing and representation on the British carmaker’s board.

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 cars are ‘far more reliable and cost-effective’ than petrol and diesel vehicles

July 21, 2023Buying/Leasing, Electric Cars, FAQ, News, Reviews and Comment, Opinion, SalesRepost

Electric cars are “far more reliable” than petrol and diesel vehicles, according to one expert who spoke exclusively to Express.co.uk about how EVs were better than ICE vehicles.

The popularity of electric cars is growing massively, with the UK seeing its one-millionth EV registered last year, hinting at further growth to come.

With the 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles just a few years away, many are looking at electric cars as their next vehicle to purchase.

While some people will have concerns about the reliability of electric cars and whether they will suit their needs, many are confident that people will adjust.

Farhad Tailor, managing director at V12 Sports and Classics, spoke about his experience with electric cars and whether they are easier to maintain.

Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk, he said: “Based on our experience, there are far less things that go wrong with an EV.

“For customers, they are far more reliable and cost-effective to maintain than an internal combustion engine vehicle.

“A typical annual service can take as little as half an hour as it just involves a visual check.”

He added that the same can be said for second-hand electric cars, despite some having fears of EV batteries degrading over time.

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:

Southampton City Council: Rise in electric cars improves air quality

July 20, 2023Buying a new car, Electric Cars, Energy and Climate Change, News, Reviews and Comment, Opinion, PollutionRepost

A COUNCIL scheme to improve the air quality in Southampton has taken shape as the number of electric cars in the city has risen over 50 per cent from the previous 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:

Ora Funky Cat UK review: electric hatchack comes up short on range, price and quality

July 19, 2023Buying a new car, Electric Cars, ID.3, Leaf, MG, News, Reviews and Comment, Nissan, Opinion, Renault, Volkswagen, ZOERepost

The first in a new wave of Chinese electric cars stands out for its looks but little else in a crowded market

There’s something to be said for making a splash when launching a new brand or product.

Good or bad, an eye-catching design and an interesting name can help establish a brand in the minds of the public and pave the way for future plans. So Ora is certainly onto a winner with the Funky Cat which not only has a name you won’t forget but brings a wide-eyed and unusual look that’ll stand out in most car parks.

Ora is one of a wave of Chinese brands setting their sights on the UK with a host of electric cars, and the Funky Cat is its first offering, aiming to compete with models such as the Nissan Leaf, Renault Zoe, Volkswagen ID.3 and MG4 in the electric hatchback segment.

Volkswagen ID.3 electric car (Image: Volkswagen.com)

We’re largely past the days of Chinese cars being carbon copies of European models but there is an element of Mini to the Funky Cat’s front end and smidge of first-gen Leaf to the sloping, wide tailgate. It looks better in the metal than in photos, which don’t do its proportions any favours, but it still divided opinion during our time with it and is likely to be a bit of a Marmite prospect on the roads.

Under the funky skin, the Funky Cat packs a 48kWh battery and a 169bhp motor. That offers fairly middle-of-the-road performance, with 0-62mph of 8.3 seconds and the usual initial surge tailing off as speeds rise.

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:

Owners of the most polluting cars to pay double for parking across England

July 12, 2023Buying/Leasing, News, Reviews and Comment, Opinion, Parking, PollutionRepost

Lambeth council in London is latest to introduce emissions-based fees, with similar charges expected to be widely introduced

Owners of the most polluting cars may soon have to pay more to park as councils across England are expected to roll out new charges based on a vehicle’s CO2 emissions.

Lambeth is the latest council in London to introduce emissions-based parking fees, with similar charges now expected elsewhere in England. Owners of the most polluting cars can expect to pay more than twice as much as cleaner cars. There are now 26 different charges to park for an hour in Lambeth, depending on a car’s tax band and whether there is a diesel surcharge. The cost of a parking bay near Waterloo station in south London now ranges between £6.30 and £13.23 an hour, with payment made by an app.

The consultation on the charges introduced on 30 May included a new pricing structure for residents’ parking permits, which are already based on CO2 emissions. The annual cost of the highest band has risen from £340.73 to £500, with an additional annual surcharge of £140 for a diesel vehicle that does not comply with Euro 6 emission standards.

Of more than 2,900 responses in the consultation, 59% objected to the proposals. Lambeth has implemented the changes despite opposition, stating that air quality is a major public health issue and a wide range of interventions is required.

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 Kangoo, best-seller electric vehicle for its segment since 2011

July 11, 2023Buying/Leasing, Electric Vans, Kangoo Z.E., News, Reviews and Comment, Opinion, RenaultRepost

– First ever electric vehicle (EV) to earn the title of International Van of The Year in 2011, thereby creating a new vehicle category, Renault Kangoo is the segment’s all-time best-selling model

– The Maubeuge factory in northern France has produced more than 90,000 Renault Kangoo & 10,000 partners vehicles fully electric vehicles since 2011.

– Since its launch, the model has served as an ideal testing ground for the brand’s electric vehicles

RENAULT KANGOO, EV PIONEER AND LEADER

Renault Kangoo has played an important and sometimes little-known role in aiding Renault develop expertise in electric vehicles.

While Renault began exploring the idea of electric vans back in 1985 with an EV version of the Renault Express running on nickel-zinc batteries, this ambition became a reality in the early 2000s with the Renault Kangoo.

Renault Kangoo served as a testing ground for future electric vehicles and was available in electric (Kangoo Electri’cité) and hybrid (Kangoo Elect’road) versions as early as 2002.

These small-scale runs helped the brand build up real expertise in EV design, industrialization, and especially maintenance. At the time, a team of flying doctors would travel out to each customer to analyse, maintain, and improve those models already in circulation.

In 2011, when it was marketed to the general public, Renault Kangoo Z.E became the first full-electric vehicle to earn the title of ‘International Van of The Year’, thereby creating a segment for electric vans.

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 Vehicles and Electric Vehicle Charging: Risk and Opportunity

July 7, 2023Buying/Leasing, Charging, Charging, Electric Cars, Electric Motorhomes, Electric Taxis, Electric Vans, FAQ, News, Reviews and Comment, OpinionRepost

UK data shows that by September 2022, there were 1 million licensed plug-in vehicles (EV) in the UK. This equated to 2.5% of all licensed road using vehicles, up from 1.6% at the end of September 2021^[1]. Additionally, the UK government currently plans to prohibit the sale of new internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles in 2030^[2].

Opel Corsa-e Electric Car (Image: Opel.com)

What’s the issue?

EVs provide significant advantages, with benefits including:
Quieter engines reducing urban noise pollution.
Emit less emissions, though debates rage if they are truly ‘green’ bearing in mind the associated costs of mineral extraction and battery recycling.
Cheaper maintenance costs as simpler drive trains reduce opportunities for components to fail.
Cheaper running costs as electricity rates allow a cheaper cost per mile in comparison to diesel and petrol vehicles. EVs becomes even more economical where homeowners have access to solar charging for their vehicle^[3].

What are the risks?

Electric vehicles commonly rely on lithium ion batteries to generate electrical power. However, when damaged or improperly manufactured these batteries can fail. Failure can raise the surrounding temperature and subsequently become the source of thermal runaway resulting in catastrophic fire damage to the vehicle – potentially also spreading to surrounding infrastructure and buildings^[4]. As a result, damaged battery packs may lead insurers to write off otherwise perfectly suitable vehicles.

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: