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...Courtesy of Norman Hunter.
Our three-night vacation was based in the stunning location that is Turnberry in South Ayrshire – one of the very few local authorities still offering free EV charging! Within a 30 second drive of our chosen accommodation in the ‘Turnberry Apartments’, there are three points (all on the Charge Place Scotland phone App) offering 43-50 kW charging (CCS 50, ChadeMO 50kW and Types 2 43 kW). Also there are ample other charge points located throughout this part of Scotland - at The Maidens, Kirkoswald, Dowhill on the A77 heading south and further on at Girvan and Stranraer.
As our holiday destination was less than 40 miles from home and even after a day trip to Stranraer and the scenic area around Port Patrick, we only needed a top-up before heading back at the end of our stay.
This whole area is one of Scotland’s coastal paradises, playing host of course to the impressive Trump Turnberry Hotel and its three world famous golf courses – the Arran, the King Robert the Bruce and the Ailsa. But there are many areas of South Ayrshire and nearby Dumfries and Galloway well worth visiting and all within a half-day drive of central Scotland. Some prefer faster modes of transport – we spotted a helicopter parked nearby! ‘The Donald’, as he is known, has transformed what was always a wonderful resort into a magnificent golfing and luxury hotel complex - one that can be enjoyed by the not so R&F!
Overlooking the mouth of the Firth of Clyde and the beginning of the Irish Sea, the Turnberry lighthouse, now converted into executive accommodation, next to the ruined site of the birthplace of the 13th century king is worth the 0.6 mile walk through expertly re-designed golf courses. It stands as one of the attractions high on the bucket list of many home and overseas visiting players and holidaymakers alike.
We booked our two bedroom luxury pad at the impressive Turnberry apartments which are not part of the nearby luxurious Trump complex just over the trees. This privately owned development is located less than a quarter of a mile south of the golfing resort, just off the main A77 that links north and south Ayrshire en route to Dumfries and Galloway. Set in a beautiful and secluded development, there are four blocks each with individual apartments accommodating four to six people in two double bedrooms. The complex is tranquillity personified, surrounded by grass and woodland and is less than three minutes walk from the wonderful local beach.
The views are spectacular across to Arran and the granite islet that is Ailsa Craig, known affectionately as ‘Paddy’s Milestone’ as it lies halfway between the port of Greenock and Belfast (Northern Ireland). On clear days the Antrim coast is easily visible and, as our holiday was blessed with the best of late spring, early summer weather, the Emerald Isle seemed within touching distance!
The Turnberry apartments are worthy of an ‘executive’ tag. Extremely comfortable beds and spacious accommodation including two bathrooms (one en suite and a family bathroom), a good sized sitting/dining room and a very well quipped kitchen. Our ground floor (corner) accommodation looked over well manicured lawns and attractively laid out gardens oozing colour and fragrance. The apartments are well managed (by Alexandra of the Little Accommodation Company) and immaculately presented.
'The famous Turnberry lighthouse opposite the ninth green for golfers' refreshments - it also doubles up as private luxury accommodation in two executive apartments - complete with chef and butler!!'
A few minutes drive (although walking is highly recommended in this area) is the village of The Maidens where dining at ‘Wildings’ – a coastal hotel with (again) views across the Firth – is well worth an evening visit for food of the highest quality and excellent service. The hotel also has rooms for guests. There is also a wonderful cafe – ‘Ropes Bistro’ - sitting on the hill near the small harbour where local pleasure craft and the odd fishing boat are berthed. Its patio area (you can take your well behaved dog too) has views over the harbour, bay and the local bowling club.
Of our three night stay we only self catered on our first night as there’s plenty of choice for good places to eat around this part of the country. A carry-out fish supper sitting by the harbour at Girvan and a reservation made at Wildings for a wonderful dinner on our final night. Souter Johnnies at Kirkoswald is also renowned for good food (if somewhat expensive).
A little brush with the rich and famous is always a possibility when visiting Turnberry, especially (as we did) with a Lite Bite lunch at the excellent ‘Duel in the Sun’ restaurant in the Trump Golf Resort clubhouse. It is named after the two American golfing greats – Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson - who fought an epic and memorable battle here on the final day of the 1977 Open Golf championship. Photographs and paintings of that day and the whole history of the game grace the walls and balconies surround the restaurant which has panoramic views across all three courses and out across the Firth. Sitting in the restaurant, with its leather (castor) chairs, we enjoyed listening to the various overseas visitors dialects – American, Canadian, Irish and many more.
We were in the presence of Scottish and golfing history!
Overall, a very enjoyable short break – the exceptionally good weather did help!
Reservations for the Turnberry Apartments can be made through booking agencies but best direct by contacting Alexandra at the Little Accommodation Company- much easier and more pleasant making arrangements with someone able to add that personal touch! (details below)
email: info@thelittleaccommodationcompany.com
Ideally located at the eastern end of the Loch Rannoch this beautiful Victorian-style property retains its traditional stone exterior whilst offering modern, comfortable interior facilities with a great sense of space. Hills to the rear and river to the front the location is quite unique and inviting.
One of our deciding factors (as the EV tsunami continues) when considering where to visit, is the availability of electric charge points, helpful when hotels are located in more remote locations. The Dunalastair offers free electric vehicle charging to boot! Two are dedicated Tesla chargers which can be used by guests with other marques. Unfortunately, our MG ZS EV wasn’t compatible but we were offered free charging via our room!
Amazingly, for such a small village there are a further four chargers - two in the square on which the hotel stands and another two within 50 yards just off the main road. There is dedicated parking at the front and side of the hotel.
As we entered reception on arrival, the fragrance permeating throughout was fresh and inviting and this continued in corridors and public spaces.
Our two-bedroom apartment (No. 109 is a corner suite) hit all the right notes. Huge luxurious beds were complimented by a good sized central living space with a dining table, fridge, microwave and a full range of tea/coffee making facilities. There was a spacious, fully tiled large shower room and toilet with plenty of towels and quality toiletries. Most rooms in the hotel are now suites and worth the extra cost.
Booking direct with the hotel, as we normally prefer, this turned out to be one of our best short stay experiences so far this year.
The DHS (as we dubbed it) was completely and impressively refurbished some years ago. On a previous visit in the 90s on our Yamaha 900cc Diversion we spotted the Highland outfit worn by Liam Neeson in his role as Rob Roy MacGregor, The Hollywood ‘A’ lister stayed at the hotel while filming the historic epic. It hung on a wall on the grand staircase – it’s now in the entranceway to the dining room. More recent renovations and refurbishment have turn this place into a must visit gem.
Service in this hotel is of the highest standard (well done all and a big thanks to Denzil on reception) contributing to a warm and friendly atmosphere for guests.
Our dinner on the first night (delicious steaks) was only marred by a very poor desert… the poached pears turned out to be one pear which was cold and hard! Food prices are on the high side as are the drinks (wine in particular) and a review of this could make all the difference.
The building itself is a traditional stone built property dating back to the 19th century. The former barns are now a comfortable dining room with a lounge and bar attached. All look on to an open, fully tiled courtyard where guests can enjoy comfortable chairs with tables for taking afternoon tea and light snacks.
A drive down the south side of Loch Rannoch on an excellent single track road is a must when visiting this area. Once at the end of the loch the road continues for another few miles to a dead end at the famous Rannoch station on the edge of Rannoch Moor. There is a small tearoom in the (working) station – it is the main line to Fort William and the west coast fishing village of Mallaig. The views over the moor towards Glencoe are stunning!
The DHS is branded as a 5 star hotel – not quite, but a BIG 4 star+ is earned by an impressive refurbishment programme that has added style and finesse. Coupled with high standards of personal service and (smiling) staff, what more could you ask for.
All-in-all a most delightful two-night vacation in one of Scotland’s upmarket hospitality venues. Oh yes – and it’s very pet friendly!
Route to Dunalastair
There are various routes to Kinloch Rannoch. Travelling from North Ayrshire, we took the M8, M80 and on to the A9 towards Perth and on to Pitlochry (115 miles) where we stopped for lunch at one of the lovely cafes in the centre of the town. There are ample charge points in various areas of Pitlochry including the main large car park. We topped up on one of the Charge Place Scotland units just in case we took some detours before arriving in Loch Rannoch which is a further 27 miles on the B 847 via the stunning Queen’s View and Tummel Bridge.
Total distance: 142 miles.
Return (option) via the single track road opposite the hotel that goes over the Brae of Foss with the beautiful Schiehallion mountain towering above on the right. This route was one of many in the area used by ‘Drovers’ taking cattle to markets in Perth, Dundee and Edinburgh. The views are incredible as it heads towards Aberfeldy and then Crieff (42 mls) which makes a good alternative back south.
EVCostChecker Will let you enter the cost of running an ICE vehicle against the cost of an EV. If you can charge at home, it is vital to see if you can have a smart meter and smart tariff for off-peak low-cost charging. Many members use Octopus GO, but shop around to find the one that suits you.
Don't forget to see if SalaryBoost from Wyre can help you in the transition by offering preferential leasing terms.
Want to buy secondhand, check out EcoCars, who will source cars at auction to your specification.
...Courtesy of BBC news
Britishvolt had planned to build a £4bn battery plant near the Port of Blyth in Northumberland but it collapsed last month after running out of money.
Its downfall was blamed on a lack of battery experience, proven technology, customers and revenue.
Recharge Industries has in many ways a similar profile - it is a start up with little manufacturing experience.
The Australian company is ultimately owned and run by a New York-based investment fund called Scale Facilitation.
"What we are bringing is validated technology," the fund's Australian chief executive David Collard told the BBC.
"The US defence industry has validated it and it is already supplied to the UK navy through a subcontractor."
Big ambitions
The new owners will keep the Britishvolt brand name but have very different plans for the future.
The company intends to start by focusing on batteries for energy storage and hopes to have those products available by the end of 2025.
It then intends to produce batteries for high-performance sports cars.
UK car production collapses to lowest for 66 years
Electric car battery firm goes into administration
The prospect of a much-needed plant that can produce batteries for high-volume carmakers in the UK looks many years off.
But does Mr Collard understand why many in government and the automotive industry are nervous that it won't deliver what UK industry needs without involvement from major manufacturers like Ford, GM, JLR and BMW?
"They all started somewhere before they became big. We've got accelerated growth and have been successful all along the way," he said.
Recharge Industries certainly has big ambitions. It is planning to build a similar plant in Mr Collard's hometown of Geelong, near Melbourne. He has spent time fostering relations with government and opposition leaders there.
He conceded he hadn't made the same level of connections in the UK yet, but had engaged with the owners of the Northumberland site.
"I spent a lot of time with Northumberland County Council. They genuinely want a gigafactory and the best thing for their people," he said.
Mr Collard conceded he might not be the right person to deliver that.
"I'm not saying I'm the best person in the world to run this project, but at the end of the day the administrators had a legal obligation to get the best return for creditors. But I do think they care, as individuals, what the future holds."
The deal comes just days after the Levelling-Up Secretary Michael Gove announced £20.7m in funding for Blyth.
'Shovel ready'
The administrators of Britishvolt, EY, said the company had been sold for an undisclosed sum, with its remaining employees transferring to Recharge as part of the deal.
"The sale of the business will help to support the development of technology and infrastructure needed for the UK's energy transition," it said.
Britishvolt's collapse, with the loss of more than 200 jobs, had been seen as a blow to the government's "levelling up" agenda instigated by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
The government had offered £100m to the former Britishvolt owners if they hit certain construction milestones.
Mr Collard said he would happily accept government funding but wanted broad political support. "Anyone will take free money but at the end of the day what we want is bi-partisan support and we have that in Australia and the US."
He described the site as "shovel ready" but said it would be six to 12 months before the first shovel would be used on site.
Ultimately, he hopes the site will create up to 8,000 jobs on site and in the supply chain.
That would be a great outcome for the region and the UK economy but this project does not seem to be the answer yet to the UK's pressing car battery needs.
The UK currently has only one Chinese-owned battery plant, which is next to the Nissan factory in Sunderland.
There are 35 plants planned or already under construction in the European Union.
Wyre are happy to announce their new partnership with the Partick Thistle Football club in Glasgow, the club's storied history started in 1876 on the 100th birthday of the United States.
To show Wyre's commitment to the new partnership, Wyre is offering all Partick Thistle season ticket holders a £500 voucher towards the purchase of an electric vehicle at www.trywyre.com. The voucher can also be passed along to friends and family for those that might not be in the market for a car straight-away.
Gerry Britton, Partick Thistle CEO, said: “On behalf of the entire team at Firhill, I’d like to welcome Rebecca Hansen and her team at Wyre on board for the rest of the current season. This is an exciting partnership and one that I’m sure will go from strength to strength in the future. It’s fantastic to see a new advertising board proudly on display behind the City End goal as we enter the business end of the campaign.”
According to Tristan Thomas, CEO and co-founder of Packfleet, electric vans are in short supply and logistics businesses across the country are competing to “get their hands on new vehicles”.
Thomas continued: “Arrival’s shift to the US comes as a real blow to the UK’s electric vehicle manufacturing industry. It’s a shame to be losing EV capabilities here in the UK, especially at a time when we need to be accelerating the green transition. With the expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zones (ULEZ) on the horizon and the sale of new internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles set to be banned by 2030, the UK is in desperate need of electric vehicles – especially vans.”
No more so than in Scotland which Thomas argues is a marketplace looking to (rapidly) broaden its use of electric vans.
He said: “Courier companies are currently reliant on shipping vehicles in from abroad, and the industry would benefit hugely from a strong set of UK-based manufacturers. There is a great opportunity for British-led EV manufacturers to capitalise upon market demand.
“The Scottish van market is ripe for EV expansion – innovative manufacturers recognise the potential for electric fleets to take over. As Packfleet services expand, our sights are set on tech hubs and cities open to investing in cleaner modes of transport.”
Thomas maintains that all-electric fleets will become the norm in the next few years, and the UK manufacturing sector needs to keep pace and match demand.
In the mid 1970s John Delorean, well known in the American automobile industry as a capable engineer, business innovator and the youngest to become a General Motors executive, designed a unique stainless steel-bodied car with gull-wing doors - it became a classic sports car that shook the world of motoring, appearing in the hit movie
'Back to the Future'.
Delorean built a production facility in Belfast. However, in 1982 the company went into receivership and bankruptcy after a combination of financing production and supply problems... fewer than 7,000 cars were produced.
In 1995, Liverpool-born mechanic Stephen Wynne founded the current Delorean Motor Company located in Humble, Texas, acquiring the remaining parts inventory and the stylized "DMC" logo trademark of DeLorean Motor Company.
Fast forward to June 2008 and the revived DeLorean Motor Company revealed the Alpha5 a modern reimagining of the '80s cult classic sports car. It had its debut at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance car show in California to great acclaim.
The new battery-electric version of this classic two-door sports car will have a range north of 300 miles and a top speed of around 155 mph. An all-electric Alpha5 will be in production next year.
"The Alpha5 is a representation of the past 40 years of DeLorean," DMC Chief Marketing Officer Troy Beetz said in a statement. "There was this enormous responsibility to make sure we honoured the history of the DeLorean brand, but an even greater responsibility in curating its future ... I think we did both with the Alpha5."
CEO Joost de Vries confirms that the Alpha 5 will be built in in San Antonio, though he also hinted that the vehicle would be manufactured in Italy. He said that a manufacturing plant would be constructed in San Antonio and DMC would hire 450 workers through the next several years to run it.
DMC is partnering with Volkswagen-backed Italdesign, which helped develop the original DeLorean, to build the Alpha 5. The new electric vehicle will keep some of the iconic design staples of the original DeLorean, such as louvers on the rear windshield and top-opening wing doors.
Though the original DeLorean became a pop culture icon through its appearance in 1985's "Back to the Future," the original vehicle was woefully underpowered" and was not a comfortable car to drive. That, de Vries said, won't be the case with the new iteration; it won't be a hypercar, but the will be designed for "people who want to drive."
The base Alpha 5 is expected to have a zero to 60 mph acceleration rate under three seconds and from zero to 88 mph -the speed needed to achieve time travel in the movie - in at an impressive 4.35 seconds.
DMC say they are proud to have kept the DeLorean brand alive and strong for nearly half a century.
De Vries added: "The brand never left the market. A lot of the ideas that DeLorean worked with in the early 80s is actually something that we are continuing
to developing further."
CTEK won the coveted award for its Chargestorm Connected 2 (CC2) electric vehicle supply equipment which was designed to be compact, smart and reliable.
The CTEK team was presented with the award at the E-Mobility Awards ceremony hosted by the broadcaster Quentin Wilson at the British Motor Museum in Warwickshire.
Cecilia Routledge, CTEK’s global director of Energy and Facilities, said: “It is a huge honour to be named winner of this coveted award. We are very pleased that the experienced E-Mobility Awards judges picked CTEK and our CC2 for this title.
“The UK market is very important to CTEK and this win will be celebrated equally here by our UK team and back in Sweden at our headquarters where the research and innovations for CC2 took place and continue every day.”
CTEK’s CC2 is one of the few chargers available with a choice of either a single or dual socket, where two vehicles can be plugged into the same unit to charge at the same time.
The units can be wall or pole mounted, and CTEK is the only manufacturer to offer a four-socket solution, where two dual socket CC2s are mounted back-to-back, allowing four EVs to plug in and charge at once.
Installers only need to dig one hole and fix one pole for every four charging points, making setting up a charging location quicker, easier and more cost effective.
CC2 is one of the most dynamic EV chargers around, designed to be robust, reliable and easy to use. It’s packed with safety features and smart functions that gives drivers flexibility to choose the time, power and length of charge.
CTEK innovations also include its Nanogrid load balancing to protect the supply grid and Charge Portal backend system for managing and analysing charging, including usage patterns, energy consumption and billing.
Cecilia added: “We are really excited to be a part of the UK’s transition to greener and more sustainable transport.”
For more information about CTEK EV solutions and associated software please visit ctek.com
While sales of electric vehicles have continued to soar in many countries, the all-electric revolution is yet to take off in the campervan market. Although very few all electric models currently exist, campervan owners are ready to make the switch despite having concerns, a new study from CampervanCo, the UK’s leading Eco Camper conversion specialist, has revealed.
The survey of 198 current campervan owners, found that 14% are set to make the switch to all-electric models this year, with 6% planning to upgrade in 2024. The majority (75.5%) of van owners plan to switch by 2030, when the ban on selling conventional petrol and diesel cars comes into force in the UK and EU. However, 24.5% said they’ll only switch when they really have to or never.
Gary Hayes, Founder and CEO of CampervanCo said, “The message about climate change is clearly getting through to campervan owners, with many ready to make the switch to all-electric, just to be carbon-free. While legitimate concerns exist over the technology, charging infrastructure and purchase costs, many believe they are offset by the promise of true off-grid flexibility and cheaper fuel,”.
“As an industry we’re only just getting started with fully electric campervans. In the coming years, I expect many of the concerns raised in our survey to dissipate, as technology costs and efficiencies improve and the charging infrastructure continues to become more commonplace.”
While fully electric campers offer many great benefits, 70.7% of respondents believe zero carbon emissions is the best feature of electric campers, 11.7% pointed to cheaper fuel, while 7.9% feel the ability to go completely off-grid is the key feature.
Despite the huge potential of electric campers, respondents also expressed concerns, with the main issues being range (38%), the higher purchase costs (25%), lack of charging facilities (26.6%) and the battery lifespan (5.4%).
Campervan owners are also split on what they think will become the dominant fuel technology for vans of the future. Just over a quarter (35.5%) said all-electric will be the dominant fuel technology, 28.9% think it’ll be hydrogen, while 18% claim it’ll be petrol hybrid. Only 12.6% said they weren’t sure.
With forthcoming restrictions on the sale of conventional vehicles set to force many to switch to EVs, many campervan owners are likely to use the opportunity to reduce the number of vehicles they own and use their eco-camper as their main vehicle. Currently, 74.5% of the campervan enthusiasts surveyed admit to only using their vans at least quarterly, while just over half (52.7%) use their campervan most months or more frequently.
A second challenge call for Zero Emissions Heavy Duty Vehicles was completed recently from Transport Scotland and Scottish Enterprise through its Can Do Innovation Challenge framework to support innovation around net zero transport.
This round of funding was an extension to a programme launched in 2021 and aimed to target a wider range of heavy duty transport with successful projects including boats, gritters and offroad excavators.
Electron Garage in Glenrothes is using the funding to develop a retrofit solution to electrify diesel gritters with swappable batteries. This will enable depots with 24-hour capability and also vehicle-to-grid capacity to tap into onsite renewables and off-peak electricity when the vehicle is not in use.
The retrofit aims to provide a more cost-efficient solution for public sector fleets and Wayne Campbell from Electron Garage said the company has already had support for the project from East Lothian Council.
He added: “We ultimately aim to help all local authorities to electrify all of their heavy duty vehicles – and save money in the process - factoring in their range of different duty cycles and providing retrofit solutions that work for them. We are thankful for the support of Scottish Enterprise’s Zero Emissions Heavy Duty Vehicles challenge call as it is vital we look to reduce emissions around transport.”
Ideas cover a range of projects from hydrogen refuelling to battery technology and two projects are based at Michelin Scotland Innovation Parc in Dundee including a hydrogen fuel cell powered truck being developed by Laidir Circular Mobility and a battery solution for a hydrofoil boat from OTG.
Scottish Enterprise director of economic opportunities and climate Suzanne Sosna said: “Our partnership with Transport Scotland is to encourage manufacturing innovation around heavy duty vehicles that both boosts our economy and helps meet environmental targets. Transport is one of the largest carbon emitters, so it’s encouraging to see such innovative projects have won this funding.
“The impressive projects are providing solutions to fuel the heavy duty vehicles of the future and it is also great to see some emerge from flagship partnerships such as Dundee’s Michelin Scotland Innovation Parc.”
Minister for Transport Jenny Gilruth said: “I'm pleased that over half a million pounds from the Scottish Government will support 12 exciting transport decarbonisation projects across the country. This work can be complex, but our funding is helping to create commercial success stories – positioning Scotland at the forefront of the global low carbon economy we need to see.
“Whether it’s trucks, boats or diggers – the climate emergency requires us to move away at pace from petrol and diesel vehicles and towards zero emission alternatives. The Can Do Innovation Challenge Programme, part of a package of Zero Emission Mobility Innovation funding delivered by Scottish Enterprise, is directly supporting the Scottish Government’s ‘Mission Zero’ for transport and I look forward to visiting some of these projects to learn more in the coming months.”
The projects receiving funding are:
- ZEM Fuel Systems Ltd, St Andrews, is a start-up company developing direct ammonia fuel cells to decarbonise the maritime sector and is also working on projects funded by the Net Zero Technology Centre. The firm aims to develop and implement its zero-emission technology for use in offshore and onshore applications to help decarbonise the energy industry.
- Laidir Circular Mobility, Dundee (MSIP) is developing a different type of Power Unit for electric Heavy Commercial Vehicles. By incorporating biological solutions it is possible to refill an electric truck with a liquid energy carrier, which supports long range and extended duty cycle applications
- OTG, St Andrews and Dundee (MSIP) for a battery electric drive train for a hydrofoil boat
- Orion Research, Renfrewshire, for a battery electric breaker tool for an offroad excavator
- Zugbox, Glasgow, for the development of an innovative container system to support electric vehicle road to rail transport
- HVS, Glasgow, will develop a bespoke energy storage system for its zero-emission hydrogen-electric fuel cell trucks
- Davidsons Brothers, Shotts, will use the grant toward developing an innovative green hydrogen fuelling station
- Electron Garage, Glenrothes, will take forward a project to develop a battery powered electric retrofit system for road gritters
- Mage Control Systems, East Kilbride, is working on an innovative HDV control system for fuel cell systems
- ULEMCo, Aberdeen, will utilise funding towards a hydrogen combustion powertrain solution for public sector HDV fleets
- Industrial Systems and Control, Glasgow , will take forward a project for a battery control system to optimise the performance of battery electric trucks
- Vahanomy, Edinburgh, will work on an AI system to optimise charging infrastructure investment planning
- The Can Do innovation challenge call supports Scottish innovators to evaluate the feasibility of their concepts, detail designs and build the commercial case for ideas that will support Scotland’s net zero ambitions and the development of a low carbon economy.
New analysis from Zap-Map, the UK’s leading charge point mapping service, has found that the price drivers are paying to charge an electric vehicle (EV) on the public network has increased by more than 15% overall since September 2022.
However, the price of charging varies substantially across different types of chargers. This means that, despite rising electricity prices, EV drivers using a mix of different charging options can still save money compared to refuelling a petrol or diesel car – and can do so without costing the Earth.
Zap-Map’s analysis takes into account more than 500,000 charging sessions per month, across approximately 70% of the charge points in the UK.
The findings show that, in December 2022, the average weighted price of EV charging at a slow or fast charger – mostly found on residential streets or at destinations such as supermarkets or car parks – was 49p/kWh* in the UK.
Meanwhile, the price for a rapid or ultra-rapid charge point, typically used for high-speed, en-route charging, was 73p/kWh*.
This means that prices for slow/fast charge points were up 17%, from 42p/kWh in September 2022. Prices for rapid/ultra-rapid chargers were up 14% in the same period, from 64p/kWh.
Despite doom and gloom stories about electric motoring dominating the national press for the first few weeks of the year, it is clear to anyone who looks at the data that 2023 will be a great year for electric vehicles in the UK.
By the end of 2022, more than 1.1 million electric cars had been registered in the UK in the ‘modern’ EV era (since 2010), taking 12 years to reach that figure. The SMMT forecasts that the next 1.1 million will be registered in the next two years, with more than 2.2 million expected to be on the road by the end of 2024.
While electric car registrations in 2022 were undoubtedly affected by the global chip shortage and issues relating to the war in Ukraine – notably supply constraints on wiring looms – they were still 21% higher than the previous year, and we can expect annual growth rates of around 30% for the next two years.
For all the media hype around people potentially switching back to petrol or ditching the thought of an EV, it is important to remember that this is still very much a supply-constrained market.
With 483,000 new electric cars expected to be registered in 2023 and perhaps as many as 200,000 used electric cars changing hands, we may see around 700,000 transactions of EVs this year. However, in a market of well over 7 million new and used car sales, that means that if any more than 10% of the car-buying market wants to go electric in 2023, the simple fact is that there will not be enough supply to go around.
"With 483,000 new electric cars expected to be registered in 2023 and perhaps as many as 200,000 used electric cars changing hands, we may see around 700,000 transactions of EVs this year."
Going electric is a virtual no-brainer for new car buyers, especially company car drivers. Plenty of electric vehicles are available for the price of the UK’s average new car, and running costs for the vast majority of EV drivers will be lower thanks to a majority being able to rely on home charging.
While it is still true that options are more limited for used car buyers, the picture is changing very fast. At the time of writing, almost 27,000 used electric cars, including plug-in hybrids, were listed on Auto Trader, representing just under 7% of all used stock.
This year should see a significant increase in the volume of electric cars hitting dealers and independent forecourts in the
UK thanks to the enormous annual growth in new EV registrations back in 2020 when the market grew by over 140% with more than 175,000 registered. In addition, the Tesla Model 3 was supplied in large volumes, so we expect to see a significant number in the wholesale and retail markets over the coming months.
While energy prices remain relatively high, the other major factor supporting the growth of the EV market will be the growth in domestic solar installations. In 2022, we saw home solar sales more than triple compared to 2021, and we believe that trend will continue in the coming years. Following rises in the cost of electricity, the business case for domestic solar has never been stronger in the post-subsidy era.
For most households with a car, the data indicates that private off-street parking is also available, meaning that home charging should be an option for them. Charging an electric vehicle at home is already invariably cheaper than charging on the public network, with recent research showing that petrol would need to fall below £1 per litre – something it has not done since 2009 – to make the average electric car more costly to run than an equivalent petrol variant.
Domestic solar makes EV adoption even more of a no-brainer, with the marginal cost of charging being as low as zero when the sun is shining. And when the sun isn’t shining, the addition of a smart home battery, either soaking up solar energy or cheap off-peak electricity overnight, can reduce the cost of charging compared to standard grid electricity tariff rates.
We have also seen headlines relating to car manufacturers taking their foot off the gas, so to speak, when it comes to electric vehicle production. This seems utterly unbelievable, given the imperative for manufacturers to hit their fleet average emissions and therefore needing to sell as many electric vehicles as possible to offset higher emissions from other models.
When a narrative emerges, it is incredibly tempting for commentators to jump on the bandwagon and dig around for biased and selective evidence to add to the fearmongering and negativity.
But the facts and forecasts speak for themselves, and – while we cannot afford to be complacent – they point to 2023 being another great year for electric vehicles.
...Coutersy of Zapmap
Ultra-rapid charging will expand at pace
At the end of November this year, there were 36,752 electric vehicle charging points across the UK. This represents a 29% increase in the overall number of EV charging devices since the end of 2021.
Some areas, however, grew more than others. Looking in a little more detail, you can see there was a 72% increase in the number of high-power, ultra-rapid devices across the country within the same time period.
Often found in ‘hubs’ of six devices or more, these ultra-rapid chargers are prime examples of ‘en route’ charging, when drivers want to charge their car as quickly as possible.
“In terms of the UK’s high-power charging network, which enables drivers to recharge quickly during longer journeys, these ‘en-route’ chargers are going in at a pretty good rate,” says Melanie Shufflebotham, Co-founder & COO at Zap-Map.
“Over the past two years, we’ve seen this network expand at pace, largely thanks to investment from the private sector. The most significant growth has come from the speediest ‘ultra-rapid’ charging devices, predominantly found at charging hubs near major roads and motorways.
While there are some limiting factors for the en-route network around land purchases and grid connections, the story here in 2023 will be broadly positive.
For example, announcements like Ofgem’s that motorway service areas and key trunk road locations will receive the cabling required to install thousands of new ultra-rapid charge points are, at the very least, a step in the right direction.
Alex Earl, Commercial Director at Zap-Map, is in agreement: “Looking ahead to 2023, I only expect this upward trend to continue for high-power chargers, with more and more hubs of 100kW+ chargers popping up across the country,” says Earl. “In contrast, your rapid 50kW chargers will continue to disappear in the rear-view mirror.”
En-route charging isn’t the only area where we expect to see significant growth in 2023, however.
On-street charging provision will see steady growth
2022 saw significant growth in the provision of on-street charging infrastructure. Found on residential streets, these devices tend to be either slow or fast chargers and, generally speaking, provide an alternative to charging at home.
In the first 11 months of 2022, the number of on-street chargers increased by 34%, to a total of 11,858 devices. As we enter the new year, we expect this trend to accelerate.
Increasingly, councils and local authorities will join up with on-street providers such as Zap-Paypartners char.gy and Connected Kerb to provide drivers with alternatives to charging at home.
They will also take advantage of the government’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund, which aims to boost projects such as local EV hubs and innovative on-street charging solutions.
"I think we’ll see the highest number of chargers coming online from the slow, on-street sector,” says Earl. “And we’ll see a relative drop in the number of destination chargers, as OZEV rules on contactless chargers for 7.1kW and above start to kick in.”
As we know, there are a variety of use cases for public charging, so increasing the number of on-street chargers will not be a silver bullet. It may also prove difficult for operators to choose on- street sites in the short term while EVs are still in the minority.
“Looking ahead, an appropriate level of charging provision across all areas of the country will involve a mix of solutions,” says Shufflebotham.
“However, the scaling up of on-street charging, alongside the rollout of local high-powered hubs, will undoubtedly have a positive impact – and should encourage anyone considering switching to an EV to do so sooner rather than later.”
Community charging will come in handy
Community charging is where EV drivers share their home charger with others, providing an alternative charging option for those without access to a home device.
With the number of EVs on UK roads only set to increase in 2023, we see this charging option becoming increasingly useful for people across the country.
“As more people without off-street charging make the switch to electric, drivers will be looking for cheaper ways to charge – that aren’t public rapid chargers,” says Earl. “Using a shared home charger is a great way to keep costs down.”
Community charging can also benefit the homeowner. With the typical home charging point not being used for 90% of the time, sharing a home charger can bring in additional household income and help to offset the costs of buying an electric vehicle.
This is one of the reasons why Zap-Map partnered with JustPark in 2022. In October, JustPark’s community charging network JustCharge went live on Zap-Map. The partnership, which aims to make EV charging simple and accessible, offers Zap-Map users the ability to find and book almost 2,000 JustCharge community chargers directly through the Zap-Map app.
Looking ahead, there is certainly appetite for this type of charging. Zap-Map’s latest surveyfound that 20% of EV drivers would be prepared to share their home device, suggesting that community charging could well play an important role in the transition to electric vehicles.
Pricing will become more sophisticated
“I think we are very likely to see more dual-tariff and time-of-use charging from networks in 2023,” says Alex Earl, Commercial Director at Zap-Map.
Indeed, 2022 saw two Zap-Pay partners – char.gy and GeniePoint – introduce day-night tariffs, as operators look to balance utilisation with revenue and, of course, profit.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if we start to see more charge point operators joining char.gy and GeniePoint with time-of-use pricing as we enter 2023,” says Earl.
“I think we’ll also see greater differentiation of tariffs based on locations, a little like GRIDSERVE are doing. Again, this will be a step to manage utilisation and maximise revenue.”
However, Earl believes it’s slightly too early to see networks combining time-of-use tariffs with location-based tariffs: “It’s one to watch, certainly – but probably one for 2024 and beyond!”
In addition, with the continued energy crisis, we expect the cost of charging to remain at a higher level, with EV drivers increasingly looking to seek out the most cost-effective combination of home charging and different public charging options.
Indeed, as more and more drivers switch to electric, the so-called ‘pavement tax’ issue will only grow in significance over the next few years. There is a solution to this, however.
“The FairCharge campaign – which aims to bring the VAT rate on public charging in line with the VAT rate on domestic energy, bringing down costs for EV drivers without access to a home charger – is only going to become more important,” says Shufflebotham.
We may bid farewell to free charging
Another trend set to continue in 2023 is the reduction in the number of free EV charging points out there. While free charging on the public network was a great initiative to encourage more people to use electric cars, the number of free charging devices in the UK has been slowly decreasing over the past few years.
Out of roughly 36,000 charging devices on Zap-Map in November 2022, only 3,961 were free to use – around 11% of all EV charging points. (That figure has decreased from 20% in February 2021.)
A major factor in this decline is that private sector investment is needed to grow the public network at scale and pace. In many cases, free charging provision is deterring investment, with operators not wishing to compete against such low-cost options.
Tech will get a lot smarter
From batteries and apps through to chargers and the cars themselves, there’s a lot of technology involved with electric vehicles.
While it's defnitely worth keppig an eye on some of the flashier tech – such as StoreDot’s extreme rapid charging battery technology – some of the more low-key solutions may actually have a greater effect on EV drivers in 2023.
"We can certainly expect to see an increase in low-tech solutions for kerbside charging," said Zap-Map Co-founder & CTO Ben Lane, in December 2021.
“These innovations are likely to include cable guides under pavements, more smart lamppost chargers, pavement pop-up and kerb-integrated systems, and mobile charging services – all designed to make charging easier for EVs parked on residential streets.”
Not only was Lane spot on, but this trend will continue as we enter 2023. From Urban Electric's retractable kerbside solution to Trojan Energy's 'lance' chargers "kerb-intergrated systems" have only just begun to peak their head above the pavement. We will see them both become increasingly prominent in 2023.
IN BRIEF
WHAT IS IT? An all-electric, no-nonsense estate
HOW MUCH? From £30,995
HOW FAR? 250 miles
HOW LONG TO CHARGE? 10-80%: 35 minutes (150kW DC charger)
There’s a lot to be said for keeping it simple. Car trends, designs and segments will come and go but, often, the original ideas are the ones that work the best. Take the MG5 EV – the manufacturer’s best-selling car in 2021 and one that fleet chief Geriant Issac has a lot of confidence in. While the MG4 – its smaller, newer sibling – has won a lot of fans since it arrived earlier in 2021, the big estate has arguably more appeal across a wider range of drivers.
So the arrival of a revised ‘5’ – noted as the fifth best-selling EV in 2022 (and second best-selling estate) according to SMMT’s September data – is a big deal for MG. With fleet drivers accounting for 50% of the outgoing model’s 11,000 units sold since it was launched in 2020, it’s big for business, too. MG says MG5 was the model that enabled it to speak to many fleet customers who were previously out of reach.
The replacement looks set to carry on that trend as more and more businesses look to transition to EV.
Given it’s not been a massive amount of time since the first car came onto the market, several elements remain in the MG5 Mk II. For example, the same 61kWh battery – which provides up to 250 miles of theoretical range (WLTP) (235 for the Trophy) has been carried over. The new MG5 also still offers copious amounts of space – 1,367 litres, when the rear seats are folded flat, to be exact. Let’s face it – it’s an impressive package for a vehicle priced at just over £30,000.
The lineup has been revised – and simplified too. There are two trim options this time – SE and Trophy – and six colours to choose from. From a design point of view, there are also notable upgrades. There’s a new look front and back to bring MG5 into line with the ‘family’ face of the MG4, while LED lighting all round comes as standard on all models. All MG5s also have fresh wheel designs – 16-inchers are standard on the SE and 17s on the Trophy, which also offers privacy glass. Inside, there’s an infotainment upgrade by way of a 10.25-inch screen. Upgraded software means the system runs more smoothly and quickly and are helped by a more crisp and intuitive display. In addition to the main central widescreen, there’s a 7in cockpit display, displaying regularly used information clearly.
Standard with all MG5 models is MG Pilot, the company’s safety suite that includes: active emergency braking (with pedestrian an bicycle detection); adaptive cruise control (with traffic jam assist); intelligent speed limit; lane keep assist (with lane departure warning) and intelligent high beam assist. While some of those features may get more use with some drivers than others, at least they are included in the package.
Another new feature is iSmart – MG’s connected car technology that enables drivers to download and use the app to monitor and control certain aspects of the vehicle.
There’s also a 500kg towing capability, which might not be massive, will appeal to some drivers. Finally in the ‘new for MG5’ category is vehicle-to-load technology – useful for many different situations.
As with all EVs, there’s instant power thanks to the 154hp total output from the 115kW motor. It’s not got rapid acceleration – the zero to 60mph sprint is dispatched in 7.3 seconds and the MG5’s top speed is 115mph – but that isn’t what really matters in the MG5. There isn’t widespread use of premium materials but, again, that’s arguably not what the average MG5 driver is looking for. Give them comfortable seats, buttons in all the right places, a sensible infotainment setup and plenty of driving range and the majority will be delighted. Dynamically, there are more attractive propositions, but you can’t fault the ‘5’. It’s got three driving modes to choose from – eco, normal and sport – giving drivers the option to alter their driving style according to road conditions or how they are feeling. Essentially, it does everything well, with an impressive loadspace and – importantly – improvements in all areas compared with the outgoing model.
Meanwhile, those drivers and fleets looking for peace of mind for managing costs can be safe in the knowledge that residual values are strong for MG5 – 54.9% for the SE and 53.8% for Trophy models – and the electric estate offers a seven year/80,000-mile warranty as standard.
VERDICT
The MG5 might not have the external design of a new-generation EV, nor does it offer the level of specification of some other contenders. However, what it does have on its side is functionality, reliability and simplicity. The ‘5’ will appeal to lots of drivers for many reasons, be it space, an electric car in a standard body or value for money. MG has high hopes for its big fleet contender – and with good reason.
+ Value for money; driving range; interior space and storage
- Limited trim and colour options; basic interior
7-word summary 'A cost-effective electric estate for fleets'
Also consider Nissan Leaf / Toyota Corolla Touring Hybrid
The Pole to Pole EV Expedition and kids news platform NewsO-Matic have launched a holiday art challenge, inviting children around the world to submit their idea for a flag design that will accompany the expedition team to the Magnetic North Pole, and from the top to the bottom of the planet.
No vehicle has ever successfully driven from pole to pole and British husband and wife team Chris and Julie Ramsey will make history next year in their all-electric Nissan Ariya, travelling over 17,000 miles and pass through 14 countries, raising awareness of the climate crisis and the critical role electric vehicles can play in reducing our carbon footprint.
The flag design competition is open to children under 14 years of age, and the winning design will travel with Chris and Julie to the departure point at the Magnetic North Pole and throughout the expedition. The winners will also receive their own flag for their school and have the opportunity to hang out with the expedition team via video chat while they are on their unprecedented journey.
As part of this partnership with News-O-Matic, schoolchildren around the world will be taken on the virtual trip of a lifetime with the most exciting key moments and updates from the expedition transmitted to the platform via regular bite-size daily stories.
Julie Ramsey said: “We are so excited to launch this competition. We believe that it is our responsibility to inspire and educate the next generation, but we are also excited to be inspired by your artwork from all around the world. We can’t wait to see what you come up with and to bring the winning design with us throughout the expedition from the top to the bottom of the world.”
Designs can be submitted via the News-O-Matic website before the competition closes at 11:59 P.M. (PST) on Tuesday, January 10, 2023. Suggested themes to inspire your design include: Renewable Energy, Hope, Regeneration, Reforestation/Rewilding, Healthy Planet. Electricity, Adventure and Geography.
Full details and T&Cs are available on the News-O-Matic website:
https://www.newsomatic.org/flag
Watch the announcement video: https://youtu.be/fKucVPAR_z0
For more information, visit poletopoleev.com Twitter: @PoletoPoleEV
Instagram: @PoletoPoleEV
Making one of its first public appearances at this year's EV SUMMIT, Volkswagen will be transforming the white van man into green van man in a big way through this powerfully compelling product.
This is, I'm sure, destined to be one of the definitive icons of sustainable mobility. Has there ever been a more beautiful commercial van?
With a super reasonable starting price of £38,125, I'm sure, that this will be a total winner amongst more design conscious van drivers, and companies buying fleet vehicles for brands looking to make a statement.
As my time with my Tesla Model 3 comes to an end, I thought I’d share some stats. So, after three years and 21,000 miles, these are the key numbers:
Or put another way, stats for us nerds:
- Drives: 2,508
- Miles driven: 21,231 (nowhere near the usual amount due to the obvious reason)
- Average efficiency: 294 Wh/Mile (due to the larger wheels and the occasional need to humiliate some fossils)
- kWh used: 6,233 kWh
- Avg speed: 34.1 mph
- Avg temp: 13 Celsius
- Total charging cost: £ 344 for all AC charging and £135 for all DC charging. Total £479
- Total charging events: 520, of which 63% were completed at home
Of that 520 total, I charged to 100% 44 times, with my usual average limit being around 75%
- Total home charging: 5,216 kWh (2,900 kWh per year is the UK average electricity consumption)
- Time Spent Driving 25 Days, 21 Hours, 55 Minutes
- 68 software updates (so many great new features added)
- Over the three years I lost around 5% range
- Average AC charging time: 2 hours 48 minutes
- Average DC charging time: 18 minutes
Longest drive without stopping was 182 miles or about three hours (car could have gone further, the family could not) as part of the journey to Scotland.
I’m lucky enough to occasionally borrow different EVs so the figures shown here are just for my personal car.
Purely for the LOLZ I compared to a fossil car of similar size and performance, a BMW M3 Competition xDrive (although my car doesn’t have that awful grille, smell bad and does not make flatulent noises that can be heard by pedestrians)
Based on current fuel price and at the advertised MPG of 28.2 (so MPG would be much lower in real life) the fuel cost for the BMW was £6,132 over the same mileage. Therefore, compared to my ‘fuel’ cost, the BMW was higher by £5,653. Or another way, my fuel costs were 8% of the BMWs, or the BMWs were 1,280% higher than mine.
Only other running costs was the mandatory MOT test (£42) in year three and a tyre rotation costing £35.
- Stellantis announces partnership with Octopus Energy to improve electric vehicle charging experience for customers across the UK
- Partnership provides new and existing Citroën, DS Automobiles, Fiat, Jeep and Peugeot customers with greater home & public charging support, already available to Vauxhall customers
- Intelligent Octopus provides drivers with access to energy tariff to suit their driving habits
- Partnership provides range of benefits to customers including access to Ohme home smart wall box installation
Already available to Vauxhall customers, the partnership has expanded to include the Citroën, DS Automobiles, Fiat, Jeep and Peugeot brands, with access to a range of benefits for electric car and van drivers. Through Octopus Energy, drivers gain access to more than 330,000 public charge points across the UK and Europe, made easy through one single payment card and app, as well as access to new smart energy tariffs.
The new partnership with Octopus Energy allows customers to opt for the installation of an Ohme wallbox charger for their homes that is linked to the UK’s first flexible charging tariff, Intelligent Octopus. The Ohme wallbox charger can be connected through a smartphone app allowing customers to schedule vehicle charging to suit their needs.
The Intelligent Octopus tariff features electricity from 100% renewable sources, with new customers getting an initial £25 off their bill. The flexible Intelligent Octopus tariff charges the vehicle using renewable energy when it is at its cheapest – offering customers savings compared to a standard variable rate and helping to balance demand on the grid. It will also offer a guaranteed lower rate per kWh during an off-peak time window of 11.30pm to 5.30am.
Paul Willcox, Managing Director, Stellantis UK, said: “Our partnership with Octopus Energy allows us to offer electric vehicle customers greater support and services to enjoy the freedom of driving an EV at home and on the road. We’re pleased to be continuing to provide drivers with access to charging in an affordable, efficient, and environmentally beneficial way with added ease.”
Rebecca Dibb-Simkin, Chief Product Officer at Octopus Energy, commented: “Transport still accounts for a massive chunk of global emissions, so switching away from petrol and diesel cars will be crucial for reaching net zero.
“Going electric is a win-win-win: cleaning up the air we breathe, decarbonising our roads and putting money back in people’s pockets. We are over the moon to be partnering with Stellantis to help make the process of going green as smooth as possible for their customers.”
On the road, drivers can navigate public charging networks in the UK and across Europe with the Electrocard, with access to services from leading providers including IONITY, Shell Recharge, Osprey, FASTNED and ubitricity via a single account.
Partnership with Octopus comes hand in hand with Stellantis’ commitment to becoming a carbon neutral group by 2038, and to halve its carbon footprint by 2030.
To charge vehicles, they are simply parked above electric pads, and they’re topped up in under an hour with no need to plug in.
Launched in America and currently being trialled in the UK, the wireless charging unit produced by manufacturer Induct EV offers 450kW systems without the hassle of plugging in an EV, which means faster charging and more miles per minute while charging.
With automatic charging, the unit – supplied to the Innovation Centre by Flex Power Systems – produces greater than 90% efficiency as well as near-zero maintenance costs due to there being no cables, connectors or moving parts that need to be replaced.
In August 2021, a real-world trial was launched in Edinburgh, with four modified Vauxhall vans taking to the streets that were fitted with a slim charging pad on their undersides.
Flexible Power Systems Managing Director Michael Ayres believes wireless charging could be the way forward for many businesses in the future.
He explained: “Wireless charging could offer fleets efficiencies in terms of number of chargers needed, time required for charging and space in depots, all barriers to electrification. In future, driverless vans could even be used, as no one is needed to plug in charging cables.”
James Derby, Chief Engineer of Electrical Systems at Flexible Power Systems, added: “There has to be electrification of vehicles in the future, we can’t go on burning fossil fuels. Wireless is now part of the mix of advanced charging technologies we can offer fleets adopting EVs.”
And Innovation Centre Manager Debbie Hubner is delighted to be able to showcase the technology in Glasgow.
She said: ‘Wireless charging for EVs could be a real game-changer as the automotive continues to shift towards electric. It’s great to be able to display the unit, along with many other innovative pieces of technology at the Innovation Centre. It gives visitors the opportunity to see first-hand the exciting changes which are taking place and learn all about them.”
Last year, after a £5 million investment, Arnold Clark opened their first Innovation Centre in Glasgow with the aim of educating visitors about the benefits of alternative fuel vehicles and why they are becoming so important.
There are no sales at the site, which is specifically an innovation, information, and educational centre.
Visitors can also learn about the different types of charging and generous government tax and grants available for those thinking of moving to electric.
MFG is a leading forecourt operator and electric vehicle charging leader, with plans to deliver 500 chargers and 1,000 new connectors in 2023. MFG will spend £400 million on their EV strategy to 2030, with a focus on providing ultra-rapid chargers at all 900 of their existing sites. All of these sites will be powered by 100% renewable energy.
The latest partnership means that MFG sites are available to Paua drivers with the Paua electric fuel card solution. Paua is a specialist EV network aggregator that supports businesses transitioning to electric vehicles. Offering a fully digitized solution through the Paua mobile app, card, and business dashboard, the move to electric business vehicles is becoming increasingly easy.
As a leading provider of electric fleet fuel card solutions, Paua also offers white label solutions to partners such as Moove and cinch. Business drivers benefit from an improved user experience, with no need for multiple apps and cards, and a full digital solution from a single provider. Fleet managers can provide one solution to their drivers and receive real-time data on charging sessions, allowing for efficient cost control and tax management.
Martin Symes, Operations Director for the MFG EV Power network, stated "We are pleased to be working with leading providers such as Paua to support the development of innovative EV solutions. For businesses considering a switch to electric fleets, the MFG and Paua collaboration, combined with their innovative fleet management tools, make it the perfect time to make those plans a reality."
Niall Riddell, CEO and Co-founder at Paua, added "MFG is an important network for us, and we are excited to be part of their growing network of EV charging sites. Their high-speed multi-charger sites are ideal for drivers who need fast charging to get back on the road quickly. Minimizing charging time during working hours is crucial for electric fleets, and we look forward to seeing the many chargepoints MFG plans to install in the coming years."
The combined digitization of EV charging through the MFG and Paua collaboration makes it easier for businesses to adopt electric fleets, control costs, and track operational performance in real-time. Drivers can start charging sessions with a card and track energy usage through the app, freeze their card from the app or have it deactivated by their fleet manager, and view charging sessions in real-time on the fleet dashboard. Now available on 23,000 charge point connectors across the UK.
Back in 2017, Scotland’s EV charging infrastructure was in its infancy and left many wondering if the transition would ever happen.
But one entrepreneur saw the potential and was encouraged by a few friends who already drove EVs to take the proverbial leap of faith. And five years on, he’s made an impressive impact in his native country’s all-electric ambitions.
Thanks to the vision of founder and CEO Lindsay Wallace, FOR:EV has emerged as one of the key players in the fast-growing market of EV charge point companies operating throughout Scotland. It sees itself as playing “a vital part in Scotland’s transition to net zero” and is working to roll out a sustainable and cost-effective EV infrastructure to support urban areas, destinations, commercial areas and the public sector. Clients range from local authorities to large scale fleet-led businesses – and include Forth Ports Scotland, United Auctions, Glasgow Quay, Port Edgar, the Antonine Shopping Centre, Cumbernauld, Westside Plaza Shopping Centre in Edinburgh and both the Heart of Midlothian and Hibernian Football Clubs.
The company’s aim is to provide its partners facilities with the ultimate charge point solution for their visitors, guests, staff and customers – its bespoke solutions can provide sites with a charging power of 22kW-600kW+.
Speaking in an interview to Fleet World, Wallace speaks candidly about the industry and his company’s vital role in ensuring that EV drivers, whether fleet or private, have the ultimate charging facilities at their disposal.
When and why did you start this business? Has it been all your own funding or do you have partners?
LW: A few friends made the very early transition to electric vehicles but the resounding message was they’d only use their EVs for inner-city driving, with no intention of long-distance journeys, keeping a petrol or diesel car for that purpose. I was aware that people were genuinely worried about the electric vehicle range and charging facilities across the country and so I commissioned Business Gateway to conduct a survey across the Nordic countries and across the UK – it became massively apparent how far Scotland was behind on EV infrastructure charging and the future requirements associated with benefits to the EV driver.
I subsequently formed FOR:EV in 2017 to help tackle the lack of electric vehicle charging infrastructure in Scotland. A funding strategy was in place but Covid-19, unfortunately, set us back a couple of years .However, we secure seed funding from the Scottish National Investment Bank in July 2021 – they shared our vision of providing much-needed public EV charging – and further funding in October this year to accelerate our growth plans.
There are some big players in your sector, what is your company’s USP?
LW: FOR:EV offers fully funded electric vehicle charging solutions to our clients. As we roll out sustainable and cost-effective EV infrastructure to support urban areas, destinations, commercial areas and the public sector, it will allow drivers to charge their electric vehicles away from home.
Our full end-to-end process allows businesses to focus on what they do best while allowing us to provide their site with a future-proofed infrastructure. We deliver bespoke solutions for each of our partners and understand the complexities, not only of the product offering and the technology behind the products, but also the positive and negative consumer perceptions that exist.
EV drivers want to have a quick, convenient and secure way to pay at charge points, and that is exactly what we provide by allowing them to use a contactless card or mobile device.
Experience and reliability are key for all our stakeholders and we always strive to make sure every touchpoint with FOR:EV is a positive experience. Our solution is unique for fleets across the UK, providing a fully managed service and a future-proof solution for operators to manage their footprint and EV fleet with a one-stop or turnkey solution for our partners. Large-scale fleet operators can have a managed solution that includes an all-inclusive kilowatt (kW) cost that’s based on a fleet operator’s annual mileage and is bespoke to their business needs, providing the ultimate supportive solution when transitioning to electric and net zero. This process and service option significantly reduces business administration with multiple other benefits too.
Is Scotland your prime / only target market?
LW: FOR:EV’s headquarters is in Edinburgh and we’re proud of our Scottish roots. Our network is expanding across the country with a number of large-scale projects in the pipeline that will see us expand across the UK and Europe.
Are you targeting Scotland’s local authorities?
LW: We understand the challenges faced by all LAs and we are in a position to assist them with their infrastructure requirements. Currently we’re working with two of them, providing bespoke, fit-for-purpose charging infrastructure and community hubs while supporting them in achieving their ESG reporting on the journey to net zero. With the tightening of public spending, we are also able to generate guaranteed revenue for local authorities from each site.
What’s your biggest project to date?
LW: FOR:EV operates Edinburgh’s first two all-vehicle 100kW EV charging points at Newhaven Harbour and Westside Plaza, which allow rapid charging in under 20 minutes.
We have a number of large-scale infrastructures planned across Scotland, the UK and Europe that will range in size and scale to meet the demands of our clients.
What’s the next strategic move at FOR:EV? Where do you go from here, particularly over the next 12 months?
LW: We’re a vital part of Scotland’s transition to net zero. Our strategy for 2023 will see us install more than 300 connectors for the general public, along with two pilot schemes for full turnkey solutions.
With 76% of current UK EV drivers not believing that the UK’s EV charging infrastructure is fit for purpose (Novuna Vehicle Solutions research), we’re committed to rectifying that and are driven to create better-connected communities for a greener future.
Additional media coverage
The number of new electric van registrations largely stayed the same, but has eaten into diesels market share since November last year. 9% of all new van sales in November were electric, meaning just under one in ten new van registrations were for a fully electric model.
Ciara Cook, Research and Policy Officer at New AutoMotive, said:
“November was another month of positive sales figures for electric vans, as more and more businesses continue to make the switch to electric. However, there were still over 10 times the number of diesel registrations than there were electric. Given this, it is essential that the government continues to work to accelerate the transition and reduce the number of polluting vehicles on UK roads.”
“Those wanting to buy an e-van in the UK are now able to choose the model that best suits their needs, with a broad range of models on the market to choose from. Many manufacturers offer a diverse range of e-vans, suitable for businesses of all types and sizes. Consumers benefit from the diversity of models on the market, and this diversity is helping to drive the growing popularity of electric vans. This popularity will only continue to grow as more models hit the market.
“The government must support the continued growth of the electric van market. It is essential they act to ensure that targets set in the forthcoming ZEV Mandate reflect the current size of the market, and drive industry forward rather than simply acting as a backstop. The government should also clarify the support for businesses dealing with high electricity prices after April 2023, when the current support programme ends. Businesses which are doing the right thing and electrifying their fleets should be prioritised within any future support package.”
For a full breakdown of electric vehicle sales by manufacturer, region and details of data sourcing and methodology you can view an interactive dashboard, here. You can find a summary of electric van sales over the years below, and the November EVC report here.
The first 15 rapid charge points are already open at the M&S Maidstone Eclipse and Southgate stores on the back of successful pilot installations started in 2020.
The rollout will further the UK’s charging network, adding up to 40,000kWhs of charging capacity while significantly expanding BP Pulse’s network. The charging giant has plans to invest up to £1bn in UK EV charging infrastructure by 2030 – supporting its global ambition of having more than 100,000 chargers installed worldwide by 2030.
Akira Kirton, CEO at BP Pulse UK, said: “We aim to provide fast, reliable, and convenient EV charging to our customers that fits in with their busy lifestyles and so, we are excited to extend our relationship with M&S to put high-speed charge points at their stores, growing our network even further.
“This is exactly the kind of collaboration the UK needs to help accelerate the transition to lower carbon transport and we’re delighted to be working with M&S to make that happen.”
For M&S, the tie-up fits in with its plans to “build a store estate fit for the future” and make it easier for customers to live a lower carbon lifestyle. The retailer’s Plan A goal is to become fully net zero by 2040 but it recognises customer support is central to this.
M&S director of operations Sacha Berendji said: “At M&S we’re reshaping the business for sustainable future growth in every sense. From our award-winning Shwopping initiative to our Fill Your Own refill concept, EV charging is the latest feature to ensure we have a store estate fit for the future, to help our customers live lower carbon lives. We know that services like EV charging are in demand from our customers, so we’re delighted to be offering this service and give more reasons for customers to shop with us.”
The charge point deal is the latest collaboration between M&S and BP, which have a long-standing relationship dating back to 2005 when M&S Food stores first went live at BP retail sites. BP Pulse already runs more than 250 charge points at some 60-plus BP forecourts that also offer M&S Food.
Users will submit feedback on their charging experience, reporting any issues. Reviewers are rewarded for their feedback with bonus points that can be redeemed in the &Charge app for free charging sessions with &Charge charging partners including Octopus, Hyundai and Plugsurfing. Source London will address any problems as they are reported.
TotalEnergies Charging Solutions UK (TCS UK) operate Source London. TCS UK Managing Director, Nicolas Garnier said; “At Source London we are always looking for innovative ways to develop our service and drive customer satisfaction. Trialing this solution with &Charge is expected to reduce response times when there are issues and provide a better overall customer experience for users of the Source London network, all while giving customers a little something back for helping us improve.”
Simon Vogt, CSO and co-founder of &Charge, said "We are really excited about this cooperation. Source London is one of London’s largest electric vehicle charge-point networks and we are proud to be a trusted partner and help realize solid benefits for their charging infrastructure. As the leading platform combining user engagement with value-added services around EV charging, &Charge makes the difference in terms of unified user feedback that is available in real-time for our partners”.
The pilot will include over 300 selected Source London charge points in Camden, Kensington and Chelsea, and Westminster.
To get involved, customers can scan the QR code stickers located on the side of over 300 Source London charge points included in the pilot. Users will be prompted to download the &Charge app if they have not already done so; they can then submit a review and start earning points.
Our list has something for everyone from small affordable city cars like the Volkswagen ID.2 to luxurious SUVs like the Kia EV9 range-topper and sports saloons like the Lucid Air. So whether you’re looking for a city runabout, a sensible family car or a luxury electric saloon to wow the neighbours, you’ll find it here.
So, pour yourself a cupper, get sat comfortably and keep reading for DriveElectric’s guide to the best new electric cars coming in 2023 and beyond.
(Note: We're using WLTP vehicle range estimates in this article, as these electric cars come on sale then a more accurate 'real world' range figure will be used on our website.)
Alfa Romeo e-SUV (on sales winter 2024)
The Alfa Romeo e-SUV – a small electric SUV – is expected to be revealed in 2024. The new Alfa Romeo will have striking styling on the outside similar to the Tonale pictured below. Expect the interior to have a sporty feel and plenty of space for a family of four and their luggage. The e-SUV shares its internals with cars like the Peugeot e-2008 and Vauxhall e-Mokka so it’ll have a 136hp electric motor and a 50kWh battery for a 200-mile range.
Audi A6 e-tron (on sale spring 2023)
The e-tron Concept pictured gives us a good idea of what the new Audi A6 e-tron will look like when it launches in 2023. You can expect it to have a pebble smooth shape on the outside and a high-tech interior on the inside packed full of high-definition displays and touchscreens. The interior will have room for four tall adults with a flat floor that accentuates space. A 100kWh battery gives the electric A6 a range of up to 430 miles.
BMW i5 (on sale summer 2023)
The BMW i5 is expected to go on sale in the middle of 2023 as an electric version of the new 5 Series saloon. It’ll have styling based on the sleek BMW i Vision Dynamics concept car shown above with a blanked-off grille and smooth wheel trims designed to improve aerodynamics. You can expect the i5 to have plenty of power and a range of more than 300 miles. Inside, the i5 will feature a posh interior design with large infotainment screens, room for four and a big boot.
Cupra Tavascan (on sale autumn 2024)
The Cupra Tavascan will join the Born in Cupra’s electric lineup in early 2024. The Tavascan is a small crossover with striking styling combined with a boxy shape that gives it plenty of interior space for a growing family. The Tavascan will launch with 303hp, four-wheel drive and a 77kWh battery that will give it a range of around 280 miles. Lower-powered models with a longer range are expected to follow at a later date.
Cupra UrbanRebel (on sale spring 2025)
The Cupra UrbanRebel is a small electric crossover that will compete with the likes of the Peugeot e-2008. The concept car shown here is said to be 95 per cent representative of the finished model so you can expect striking exterior styling and a sporty interior with large infotainment screens and space for four adults.
The UrbanRebel will have brisk performance off the line and is likely to have a range of around 270 miles.
Fiat Panda (on sale winter 2023)
The new Fiat Panda is set to be one of the cheapest EVs on sale when it lands in showrooms at the end of next year. Expect to see cheeky styling based on the Fiat Concept Centoventi concept on the outside and a well-designed interior with space for four tall adults at a push, a small boot and plenty of interior storage. The new Panda is likely to get the same 42kWh battery as the 500 Electric, giving it a range of around 200 miles and peppy in-town performance.
Fisker Ocean (on sale spring 2023)
The Fisker Ocean is an electric SUV rival to the Tesla Model Y and is expected to go on sale next year priced from around £35,000. You get three models to choose from offering up to 543hp, 0-62mph in as little as 3.6 seconds and a maximum range of 390 miles aided by solar panels in the car’s roof. A practical SUV, the Ocean will have space for four adults but the talking point of the interior is the Fisker’s huge revolving infotainment screen.
Jeep Wagoneer S (on sale summer 2023)
The Jeep Wagoneer S is an electric SUV that will compete with models like the Audi e-tron and Mercedes-Benz EQC. Outside, it gets traditional boxy SUV styling with modern features like a light-up grille and rear light bar that hint at its electric powertrain. The powertrain will take the form of two electric motors making the Wagoneer four-wheel drive and giving it acceleration of 0-62mph in 3.5 seconds. Expect it to have a range of close to 400 miles between charges.
Kia EV4 (on sale spring 2023)
The Kia EV4 is a small electric SUV that’s scheduled to arrive early next year. Expect the EV4 to have similar styling to the Imagine show car seen here with a coupe-like sloping roof. Inside, the EV4 will match a Sportage SUV for interior space with a big boot and a roomy back seat. Under the skin, the EV4 is likely to have a 77.4kWh battery – for a range of around 300 miles – that can be charged from 10-80% in around 20 minutes using a public fast charger.
Kia EV9 (on sale winter 2023)
The Kia EV9 is a big electric SUV that will serve as the flagship of Kia’s range. It looks like a traditional SUV with chunky, imposing styling and a square profile, but under the old-school body, you’ll find high-tech underpinnings. The EV9 is expected to have two electric motors making it four-wheel drive and a big 100kWh battery that’ll give it a range of 400 miles. Inside, the Kia will boast seven seats and a posh interior design with large infotainment screens.
Lucid Air (on sale spring 2024)
The Lucid Air is a saloon with space-age styling and performance that wouldn’t seem too shabby in the space shuttle – it gets from 0-62mph in as little as 2.5 seconds. It also has an impressive 500-mile range, backed up by charging speeds that mean you can add 300 miles worth of juice in just 20 minutes. Inside, the Lucid has a huge digital dashboard display backed up by a centre touchscreen, and cabin space to compete with conventional saloons like the Mercedes E-Class.
Mercede SUV (on saleesssutumn 2023)
The Mercedes EQE SUV will slot into the company’s electric SUV range between the EQC and EQS. Pictures of the finished car have yet to be revealed, but Mercedes has released an image of the interior which will have plenty of room for four adults and gets the company’s astonishing Hyperscreen infotainment display. The EQE SUV is likely to get the EQE saloon’s 96kWh battery, which will give it a range of around 350 miles.
Mini Aceman (on sale winter 2023)
The MINI Aceman is an electric SUV that’s set to get striking looks in line with MINI’s youthful image. Inside, you’ll find a highly-customisable cabin with large infotainment screens and space for a family of four. The Aceman will be designed as an electric car from the ground up so expect it to have a flat interior floor that accentuates the feeling of space. The Aceman will be offered with a 40kWh battery for a range of 190 miles or a 50kWh battery giving 250 miles.
Mini Countryman (on sale summer 2023)
The new MINI Countryman will go on sale next year and will be offered as a pure electric model, as well as petrol and diesel versions. The electric version is set to share components with the new BMW iX1 meaning it’ll have a 76kWh battery giving it a range of 272 miles and charging speeds of up to 130kW. Inside, you’ll find two large infotainment screens and a floating centre console. On top of its retro design, the interior will have space for four adults and a boot that’ll swallow a number of suitcases.
MINI Electric (on sale spring 2023)
A new MINI 3-door will be launched next year and will include an all-new MINI Electric model. Expect the new MINI Electric to keep the cheeky styling of the old car with a wide range of personalisable options like alloy wheels, contrast colour schemes and racing stripes. It will be much the same on the inside where you’ll get numerous upholstery and trim finishes to choose from. Space in the back will be tight for adults and the boot will be small, but expect the MINI to make up for this with nimble handling, nippy performance and a near 200-mile range.
Polestar 4 (on sale spring 2023)
We’ve yet to see pictures of the new Polestar 4, although the car has been teased under (silk) cover as seen here. It is expected to be a small, sporty SUV with a coupe-style roofline. Inside, you’ll find a minimal design. A large Google-powered infotainment screen will be used to control most of the car’s system. The Polestar will be offered with a range of battery capacities including a 78kWh option that will give the new SUV a maximum range of around 300 miles.
Polestar 5 (on sale spring 2024)
The Polestar 5 will be the star car in the company's range. With a five-door coupe body, it’s sleek looking but also practical with room for four tall adults and a boot that’ll swallow a set of suitcases. You’ll get performance to match the sporty looks with 800V electrical architecture allowing twin electric motors to produce up to 872hp combined for 0-62mph in less than three seconds. The Polestar 5 is likely to have a range of around 300 miles.
Renault R5 (winter 2024)
The Renault R5 will trade on the same trick as the MINI Electric and Fiat 500 Electric by offering you a high-tech EV powertrain wrapped in a retro bodyshell. Expect the 5’s cute interior styling to carry through to the inside, where you’ll find space for two adults up front and a back seat that’s best reserved for kids. The R5 is expected to get a 136hp electric motor and 52kWh battery that will give it a range of around 250 miles between charges.
Volkswagen ID. AERO (winter 2023)
The Volkswagen Aero-B / ID.AERO saloon is an electric alternative to the company's petrol or diesel-powered Passat. It’ll get an aerodynamic design in line with VW’s other electric models – cars like the ID.3 and ID.4 – and will feature Volkswagen’s ID.Light (a strip of LEDs that boosts the power of the car’s headlights). The Aero-B will have a flat interior floor that’ll increase interior space and an infotainment screen with augmented reality sat-nav. The Aero-B will have up to 335hp and a range of 385 miles.
Volkswagen ID.2 (spring 2025)
The Volkswagen ID.2 was previewed by the ID.Life concept shown below, it’s a small electric car that’s expected to undercut rivals like the Renault Zoe and Fiat 500e in terms of price. Inside, you can expect to find large infotainment screens and space for two adults and two kids. Volkswagen seems likely to give the ID.2 a 57kWh battery that would give it a range of nearly 250 miles between charges.
For more EV's coming soon and images of all please visit DrivingElectric
In our 110,000 miles we've used an average of 1 kwh of leccy for every 2.6 miles - so that's around 42,000kwh of power we've used. With our electric supply still coming from the grid with an average emissions level of 193g/kwh (our solar panels have been delayed AGAIN); we've emitted around 8.1 tonnes of co2e.
DON'T WORRY - we hear you doubters; we're forgetting about how many emissions it takes to MAKE the batteries!!
With the calculator still fired up - our research shows that it takes around 175kg/co2e of emissions per kwh of battery; our batteries are 52.5kwh each so that's around 29 tonnes for the 3 vans.
29 tonnes add 8.1 tonnes is 37.8 tonnes of emissions since we changed from diesel to leccy.
How would a diesel have fared?
Well, with x3 Citroen Dispatch 1.6 diesels (we had ordered them then cancelled before we went leccy) the tailpipe emissions would have been 23.9 tonnes (136g/km). Add in the carbon footprint of the actual diesel (another 24% - I overestimated this figure in my August figures and was kindly corrected by an industry insider) being mined and refined it takes the real world emissions to 30.64 tonnes of CO2e
So, as our research has progressed and we understand the figures more accurately, we have found that like for like emissions would have been roughly similar so far, but the story doesn't stop there...
Our vans will be kept until they've done at least 150,000 miles each before we sell them on - that's a total of 450,000 miles.
At 450,000 miles (without taking in our solar panels being installed), we will have emitted 64.2 tonnes of co2e including the building of the batteries.
If it were diesel, that same mileage would have been 97.9 tonnes of co2e.
So, with the most accurate figures we have found and comparing our real world examples to the 'optimal' figures of a diesel van we'll be saving a MINIMUM of 33.7 tonnes of co2e in our vans lifetime - which weirdly, is enough carbon to make 3 brand new electric ones and run them for 18 months...
Oh, and all that 'oooh but you can't recycle the batteries' is a load of cow dung; it's already happening across Europe, with UK factories already being built.
#EV #Vans #ItsNotZeroButGettingCloser #Organic #Electric #Diesel #MossgielFarm #RoadToNetZero
*Note*
These figures are based on real world EV use in our case vs lab data for the diesel van. Lab conditions do not reflect real world use and are widely accepted to be dependant on use and environmental factors.
Electricity emissions data based on averages of the UK grid.
Battery emissions data based on research
* First EV loyalty App launched
* Makes charging more affordable
* Boosts charge point reliability
* Provides cash savings and value-added services
In a new and unique innovation developed by &Charge, EV drivers can earn discounts on charging costs and received other incentive rewards by logging their charge place experience on the revolutionary new App that connects directly with charge point operators (CPOs).
&Charge - a Corporate Member of EVA Scotland - is the leading platform that combines smart user engagement with value-added services around EV charging.
Using the new &Charge mobile phone app to upload ‘real time’ experiences including photographs showing the condition of charge stations, will provide CPOs with valuable information on availability, performance and condition of their equipment for which EV drivers will also benefit.
German company, &Charge, who pioneered the new app in Europe say that EV drivers can check-in at nearly every charging station throughout the UK to provide updates while charging, enjoying reduced charging costs and access to valuable online goods and services. From 2023 onwards there will also be access to in-store services.
Launching the new feature for EV drivers, Simon Vogt, Co-Founder / Chief Sales Officer of &Charge said that by bringing Charge Point Operators and electric vehicle drivers closer together, we have created a unique facility that, in Europe has already proved highly successful. We are now in a position to introduce this new technology to the UK for the benefit of EV users and operators of the EV charging network across the country.
He added: “For each and every Charge Point Operator, one of the most important factors is ensuring the fast and efficient operation and servicing of their units, thereby increasing the availability of chargers to the rapidly growing number of EV users throughout the UK.
“Smart user engagement with value-added services around EV charging is a new and exciting development for the UK. We have created the &Charge platform that increases CPO uptime availability, decreases operational expense and boosts customer satisfaction.
“Receiving real time information from those drivers using the stations is invaluable in providing instant notification of the need for maintenance services to reduce the downtime of chargers.”
EV drivers can now enjoy earning further bonus points (“kilometres”) in over 350 leading stores throughout the UK including AO, Marks & Spencers, Curries, Booking.com, JD, Zavvi, Hughes and Electrical Discount.
EV drivers can redeem their collected kilometres made from reviews and shopping for free charging sessions with Hyundai (Charge myHyundai), KIA (KIA Charge), Octopus Energy Electric Universe, Plugsurfing and Maingau.
Simon Vogt added: “With our HQ in Frankfurt, &Charge, as a digital company, is able to expand into the UK without the need to have a physical presence.
“We have received overwhelming support for this new information stream technology and are in discussion with a number of key CPOs eager to explore opportunities with &Charge. Therefore we are quite excited to launch and enter the British market with our first local partner Source London.”
Note 1: The &Charge and Source London pilot will allow EV drivers to review and rate 330 selected Source London charging points in central London using the &Charge app. The pilot will run from November 2022 to January 2023 and will include the 330 Source London charge points in Camden, Kensington and Chelsea, and Westminster.
Using &Charge’s smart reward mechanism - it is based on the first sustainable loyalty scheme - EV drivers can redeemed points for free charging sessions.
Note 2: The majority of the top CPOs in Germany are already using &Charge. Three of the leading pan-European companies commented:
EVA Scotland welcomes the arrival of the &Charge app... its director Neil Swanson said:
" Innovations that bring EV drivers and operators of charge points across the country closer together will go a long way to improving the service for everyone.
“EV sales are soaring and real time information that drivers can provide to charge point operators can only assist in ensuring better availability and operational efficiency of the country’s charging infrastructure.
“This latest development is another initiative that will contribute to the transition to all electric transportation in Scotland."
IONITY
"The collaboration with &Charge is an important component of our quality assurance: feedback related to our charging stations is fed into our systems in a structured way via an interface. We can then evaluate potential issues and act quickly. The crowd-source approach of &Charge helps us to intensify the relationship with our customers across borders and to benefit from the daily experiences of the community”
Allego
“We are very pleased that Allego and &Charge are partnering. Complementing the many sensors inside a charging station that allow for remote diagnostics and preventative maintenance, the &Charge app ensures that we now also get a much better handle on the state of the outside of the charging station and the charging location itself. Essential feedback, as we are always striving to improve the EV driver experience on our network”
Mer
“With &Charge, we are taking the next step in customer focus. Feedback is of paramount importance for us to improve the charging experience. Especially through the challenges, we want to intensify customer relationships and participate in the knowledge of the users in order to advance the expansion of electric mobility”
For further information :
Simon Vogt
Email: simon@and-charge.me
Tel: 0049 160 993 662 61
Hannah Federlein
Email: hannah@and-charge.me
Website: www.and-charge.com
To load the new &Charge App please use the following links.
Google: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.andcharge
Apple: https://apps.apple.com/de/app/charge/id1487636133?l=de
Additional press coverage
Electric cars are essentially a large battery pack on wheels, surrounded with the latest technology and ripe for innovation, perhaps in ways that just a few years ago would have seemed a pipe dream. My interest was piqued recently by an image of an EV in an underground car park, offsite office neatly set up alongside the car. And the power source for the laptop and much more? The electric car, of course. I contacted the owner of the photo, Ric Boullemier from Generate Media, to find out more.
The photo of Vehicle 2 Load (V2L) in action in a car park is great – what’s the story behind the image?
I was lucky enough to be asked to present a review of the Niro EV for a client as part of a series of films with my team at Generate Media... And we've wanted to shine a light on some of the cool tech that EVs can provide - Like Vehicle 2 Load. Plus, it was raining outside so filming in an underground carpark seemed a smart choice!
Do you think we’ll see V2L in action by many electric car drivers? If so, how do you think it will be used?
I don't think everyone will use the V2L on a regular basis, but I can see how useful the tech could be for all types of drivers, especially if you use the vehicle for a business like ours. It was really useful to have a power source to run our lights and laptops. And even make a cup of coffee and cheese toasty on the road! If you love the great outdoors and family camping trips, this car would be a huge help when plug sockets are hard to find!
Is V2L the next big thing in EV innovation… should we be getting excited about it?
We certainly did. I can't speak for everyone, but just the fact that you can power so many devices with a huge moving battery is really useful. I know it rarely happens, but if a black out occurs... no problem... just plug your fridge into your car! If you're really clever, you could also charge your car during off peak rates or with solar and then utilise that energy from the car at peak times.
If not something like V2L, what do you see as the most impactful innovation in EV technology in the next couple of years?
I've been so impressed with the driver assistance system that completely takes the hassle out of driving. Tesla seem to be leagues ahead of the competition here, which will hopefully inspire more to make the switch to electric. Bi-directional charging, plus improvements in fast charging options with vehicles able to charge in the time it takes to grab and sandwich, drop the kids off and check your emails, will be crucial to the road ahead for EVs.
What one thing will accelerate EV uptake as we head toward 2030?
For me, making the switch to electric made sense on many levels. It was a combination of performance, reduced running costs and air quality improvements. Sadly, cost of charging is going up, and I feel that electricity costs could be slashed if we (the powers that be) make better decisions. We should be throwing everything at creating renewable energy at home to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. We are an island after all, with abundant wind to take advantage of. We have options, from companies like Britishvolt creating battery cells and jobs, to investing in windfarms with companies like Ripple, and brands like Indra and myenergi who are developing innovative tech in the UK. Their products are helping homes and businesses to become energy independent.
I am absolutely baffled that every new home being built isn't being covered in solar panels. I’d argue that we need a nationwide ban on idling vehicles which would drastically reduce CO2 emissions. It happened over night with the smoking ban. When we put our minds to it, we can achieve greatness.
There certainly seems to be place for V2L as we navigate the technology roadmap for electric vehicles. But how does V2L differ from vehicle to grid (V2G) and vehicle to home (V2H)? I reached out to Nick Raimo, EV specialist and YouTuber to find out.
We hear a lot about vehicle to grid and vehicle to home – what exactly is ‘V2L’, and how does it differ?
The technology that myself and many in the industry are excited over is V2G and V2H. The exciting thing about these technologies is that energy from your car can go from the car either into the grid (2G) or to power your home (2H). With V2G we can sell energy back to the grid to help balance it, in return for payments for that energy. These payments could be three or four times more than the cost it took to purchase that energy. With V2H you could charge your EV with cheap overnight power then power your home from it, or charge up your EV with your solar power and then run your house. This tech has been on the Nissan LEAF and ENV200 (using the CHAdeMo standard) vehicles for some time. We’ve been promised it on CCS cars (pretty much all other cars) and so far we've yet to see anything.
V2L has lots of people thinking it’s similar but it’s a VERY different technology with different niche use cases. V2L stands for Vehicle to Load, and is limited to powering something that doesn't use a lot of electricity - think less than 1 kettle of energy on a 13amp plug. V2L can typically provide enough power to run your fridge or freezer during a power cut, but unlike V2H is nowhere near enough power to plug directly into your home electrics.
Is V2L the next big thing in EV innovation… should we be getting excited about it?
I honestly wouldn't get excited about V2L. In my personal view it’s the car companies trying to pad out features while we wait for the real tech of V2G and V2H. However, I am sure there are some people who will make use of this feature. The best niche for this I can see is people who go camping or away in a caravan; I can see the benefit for these very small niche cases.
Which electric cars support V2L?
Quite a fair range of cars have V2L support these days. The KIA EV6, Hyundai Ioniq5 and the MG4 are a couple of cars that spring to mind.
If not something like V2L, what do you see as the most impactful innovation in EV technology in the next couple of years?
V2G and V2H will be the BIG import features to come allowing energy trading and supply of home electrics. The true battle of V2G and V2H will be if we see it work via DC using a special home charger, or if we see an AC version of it allowing you to use a much cheaper charger. I suspect this may be a war of the two standards; whichever version ends up winning this should mean instead of people fitting expensive home storage batteries with separate inverters they can use the largest battery they will ever own and that's the one in your car.
What one thing will accelerate EV uptake as we head toward 2030 (could be a policy driver, cost parity with ICE, climate awareness…)?
I'm of the belief that EV uptake will take care of itself as we head towards 2030. I see the public shift and attitude moving faster and faster each day, and I think we are only a few years away from friends and family treating petrol car owners like smokers... Smoking around family and friends is often treated with "do you have to do that?!". As the uptake of electric cars happen, these discussions towards internal combustion engines will start to mount social pressure upon them switching, with the benefits being widely shared by current EV owners.
The automotive financer, which works with ride-hailing firms such as Uber, has leveraged Paua’s electric fuel card to launch its new Moove Charge solution. This supports Moove customers in the switch to electric vehicles by providing a simplified, all-in-one access solution to over 6,600 charge points in London without the need for a hefty monthly subscription fee to multiple charge point operators.
Moove, founded in Africa and fast growing globally, launched in London in August with a 100% EV rent-to-buy model that provides access to brand new, zero-emission Tesla Model 3 and Hyundai Ioniq vehicles with no upfront costs and a flat weekly fee.
The new charging solution underscores Moove’s work to provide EVs at competitive rates to its customers. It’s claimed to provide a cost saving of up to £340 per year, or approx. 12% of average annual EV charging cost. It also helps resolve customer paint points with charging, providing easy location and ease of access to the largest network of slow, fast and ultrafast EV charge points across London.
Charlotte Bailey, head of Europe at Moove, stated: “Moove is an impact-led company committed to the electrification of mobility. Our mission is to empower mobility entrepreneurs on ride-sharing, e-logistics and last-mile delivery platforms to be more productive and successful, and to achieve financial security. Paua has been a fantastic partner in our mission to support our customers in their transition to EVs.”
Niall Riddell, CEO and co-founder at Paua, said: “Soon Londoners will be able to select electric driven forms of transport for all their journeys from micro-mobility, private hire, busses and even their personal car. Providing a universal charging solution to enable this removes another barrier to the adoption of electric vehicles.”
That’s according to the firm’s analysis of 32,500 real-life charging events in its Mina EV Report – Summer 22.
The lowest recorded cost per kWh was 36p (excluding free chargers at locations such as supermarkets), while the highest was £2.77 – although this included parking charges in the price.
While choice is a good thing, the rise – plus the huge variability in pricing and payment methods – is creating problems between drivers and their employers when it comes to reclaiming costs, according to Mina.
CEO Ashley Tate explained: “Sometimes drivers are happy to pay a high rate if they can access lots of energy and be on their way quickly to get on with their day, while at others, they want to pay less and take their time.
“But prices and speeds can vary wildly. This can lead to confusion about what is a good price to pay, or even how much you’re being charged, especially if a driver is paying for charging in lots of different ways on various cards and apps.”
And he warned that conversations could get awkward when employees are putting in expenses, and then having to justify why they used more costly chargers – or conversely spent so much time stopped.
“The choices you make around charging your car for business shouldn’t require constant explanations to your employer,” Tate continued.
“Added to the confusion are the on-going conversations about the Advisory Electricity Rate, which we have definitively proved is currently far too low, but will never be fit for purpose, no matter what the flat rate figure.”
Instead, Mina says company car drivers need simple solutions, good data and clear advice to help make them the right choices to meet their requirements.
Its Mina Chargepass EV Charge Card allows drivers to access 8,200 public chargers in more than 3,000 locations. It includes networks such as InstaVolt, as well as MFG, Gridserve and Osprey through a tie-up with Allstar. It’s also said to be the fastest public EV charging network dedicated to business; 44% of chargers available through Chargepass are either rapid or ultra-rapid.
The EV charge card also avoids awkward conversations about drivers’ charging choices as employers are able to create their own benchmarks for what charging should cost and what they are prepared to pay.
Mina’s data also shows that despite the charging price rises, drivers in EVs are still better off financially when compared to petrol or diesel. Its data finds that drivers use public chargers on average to add around 90 miles of charge, enabling them to get to a destination rather than providing a full charge.
As a result, drivers are reliant on cheaper destination and home charging for the majority of the time – cutting running costs.
Real-life figures in the Mina EV Report – Summer 22 show that a typical small EV family hatchback will still cost around half as much in power over 10,000 miles than a petrol or diesel car, even with this autumn’s energy price increases.Data from EV payment specialist Mina shows that over the last quarter, the average cost of charging in public (including VAT) was 67p per kWh; up by 19%, or 11p, on the previous quarter. That’s according to the firm’s analysis of 32,500 real-life charging events in its Mina EV Report – Summer 22.
The lowest recorded cost per kWh was 36p (excluding free chargers at locations such as supermarkets), while the highest was £2.77 – although this included parking charges in the price.
While choice is a good thing, the rise – plus the huge variability in pricing and payment methods – is creating problems between drivers and their employers when it comes to reclaiming costs, according to Mina.
CEO Ashley Tate explained: “Sometimes drivers are happy to pay a high rate if they can access lots of energy and be on their way quickly to get on with their day, while at others, they want to pay less and take their time.
“But prices and speeds can vary wildly. This can lead to confusion about what is a good price to pay, or even how much you’re being charged, especially if a driver is paying for charging in lots of different ways on various cards and apps.”
And he warned that conversations could get awkward when employees are putting in expenses, and then having to justify why they used more costly chargers – or conversely spent so much time stopped.
“The choices you make around charging your car for business shouldn’t require constant explanations to your employer,” Tate continued.
“Added to the confusion are the on-going conversations about the Advisory Electricity Rate, which we have definitively proved is currently far too low, but will never be fit for purpose, no matter what the flat rate figure.”
Instead, Mina says company car drivers need simple solutions, good data and clear advice to help make them the right choices to meet their requirements.
Its Mina Chargepass EV Charge Card allows drivers to access 8,200 public chargers in more than 3,000 locations. It includes networks such as InstaVolt, as well as MFG, Gridserve and Osprey through a tie-up with Allstar. It’s also said to be the fastest public EV charging network dedicated to business; 44% of chargers available through Chargepass are either rapid or ultra-rapid.
The EV charge card also avoids awkward conversations about drivers’ charging choices as employers are able to create their own benchmarks for what charging should cost and what they are prepared to pay.
Mina’s data also shows that despite the charging price rises, drivers in EVs are still better off financially when compared to petrol or diesel. Its data finds that drivers use public chargers on average to add around 90 miles of charge, enabling them to get to a destination rather than providing a full charge.
As a result, drivers are reliant on cheaper destination and home charging for the majority of the time – cutting running costs.
Real-life figures in the Mina EV Report – Summer 22 show that a typical small EV family hatchback will still cost around half as much in power over 10,000 miles than a petrol or diesel car, even with this autumn’s energy price increases.
Voltric announces the partnership following a 12-month trial with current driver-subscribers who have been using PAUA’s single charging card and app platform to access the UK’s largest roaming network of over 20,000 charge point connectors across 20 different networks in one card.
All new Voltric EV drivers will now receive a Voltric charge card powered by Paua with their car and they will use the card to locate, access and pay for their EV charging on a pay-as-you-go basis.
Voltric is an all-inclusive EV subscription service enabling more people to drive an EV and reduce emissions without the complexities of car leases, and long-term contracts. Voltric wraps everything drivers need to get on the road for one monthly payment which includes insurance, maintenance, recovery, and servicing through its mobility-as-a-service offer. With no upfront cost or deposits or loan agreements, Voltric is reinventing the way we drive.
Commenting, Voltric CEO and founder, Julian Mensah said; “It’s great working alongside our friends at Paua – they are the rockstars of the fast-growing EV charging market. Our whole promise to drivers is to put more EVs on the road, protect our environment and simplify how we drive.”
Niall Riddell, founder and CEO of Paua, said: “Voltric and Paua is a great partnership as together we can offer drivers everything, they need to drive electric”
“We are committed to ensuring all electricity used with our network partners is 100% renewable and therefore assure zero emissions giving Voltric customers peace of mind and an easy way to access the UK’s biggest network of public charging points.”
South Wales-based Voltric and Essex-based Paua are alumni of Tech Nation’s Libra 1.0 and Net Zero 2.0, programmes for tech companies and leaders. Gerard Grech, Founding Chief Executive of Tech Nation commenting on the announcement said: “Both Voltric and Paua are great examples of the tech businesses we support through our start-up, growth and scale-up programmes.
“The Tech Nation community shows that working together to innovate produces collaboration which leads to great partnerships such as this one. I wish both Julian and Niall well in this next chapter of growth.”
Last year, the UK electric van market share stood at 4%. (Oct 2021) - it is now 9%. Total sales volume also increased from 1,092 to 1669.
Commenting on the data, Ciara Cook, Research and Policy Officer at New AutoMotive, says: “October marks the third time this year that electric van sales have met or exceeded the proposed ZEV Mandate electric van targets of 8% in 2024. This is a clear sign to the government that these proposed targets are far below what is achievable for the electric van market, and it risks slowing down the growth the scheme seeks to incentivise. These targets must be raised.
“The electric van market cannot be allowed to become a victim of its success. Sales figures have doubled since October last year. Instead, the government must use the ZEV mandate to ensure adequate supply and protect the electric van market from the supply issues that have plagued the passenger vehicle market. With electric van sales still behind that of passenger vehicles, lessons learnt from the car market must inform the government's approach to encouraging the take-up of electric vans.
“The new transport secretary, the Right Honourable Mark Harper MP, can score an early win by more ambitious targets for the take-up of electric vans. This will help to ensure the UK cuts transport emissions and meets its net zero targets, as well as helping to support businesses in accessing the running cost savings electric vans offer.”
Tristan Thomas, CEO and co-founder of Packfleet: “It’s great to see that the market share for electric vans has doubled from October last year. At Packfleet, all of our vans are electric, and it’s clear to us there is an increasing demand for green delivery - especially in the run up to Christmas.
“Customers are increasingly expecting businesses to act responsibly and keep their carbon emissions in check, and at such a busy time for courier services, it’s important for them to be as green as they can to reduce the long term negative impacts. If there has to be more vans on the road for seasonal deliveries, then it’s better for them to operate as sustainably as possible and electric vehicles are a great step in the right direction.
“It’s encouraging to know that the UK has hit its electric van target yet again, and Packfleet is proud to be at the forefront of the green delivery revolution.”
The data comes from New AutoMotive’s Electric Van Count (EVC), which provides measurability, expert insight and analysis of this data – to help meet the government’s ambition to phase out sales of diesel and petrol vans from 2030 and hybrids from 2035. The Electric Van Count follows in the success of New AutoMotive’s Electric Car Count, the most up-to-date and comprehensive electric car sales data in the UK.
Demands for simplicity of charging EVs across multiple networks saw the development of a new one-card system allowing EV drivers to cross-connect to UK charging network.
Dubbed Paua, the ‘roaming’ platform aggregates multiple charging networks together and provides the fleet manager with a single solution for their drivers and a single bill.
This much-needed single card solution gives access to more than 20,000+ charge point connectors across around 20 partners.
Niall Riddell, co-founder and CEO of Paua, and his team have been successful in forming the company into one of the largest independent EV roaming network developers, modernising fuel cards for business operators.
This summer also saw ChargePlace Scotland (CPS) join the scheme to provide a roaming solution for the Great British EV Rally – marking the first step in what could become a longer-term partnership.
Riddell explained: “The partnership with Charge Place Scotland was a great start for the new Paua platform, enabling private and business EV drivers to access multiple Scottish charging networks from Lerwick to Berwick via a single solution that can work anywhere.”
Paua has also joined EVA Scotland as a Corporate Partner, driving further work in the nation.
Six months on and we asked Niall Riddell to comment on what further progress has been made and his future plans for Paua.
Q1. Why have you decided to join EVA Scotland as one of its Corporate Partners?
NR: Multiple reasons really. Firstly, you cannot operate a roaming solution that helps electric vehicle drivers navigate from one end of the country to the other without getting involved in Scotland. As the only true roaming solution that enables Scottish EV drivers access to England and English Drivers access to Scotland, we wanted to mark this with participation in an appropriate body.
Secondly, I was born in Dundee, family roots in Perthshire and educated in Edinburgh, which means that there is still a strong Scottish link in what I do.
Thirdly, as a business we are seeking to build relationships with other businesses and organisations that improve our credibility and EVA Scotland achieves this aim.
Q2. How do you see the future of the electric vehicle transition leading up to 2030?
NR: Varied. The most important thing to recognise is that those driving electric vehicles today are not the mainstream adopters. We are still below 2% of all vehicles on the road that are battery electric. These drivers are prepared to accept inconveniences that mainstream adopters will not.
Future EV drivers will be seeking simplicity in their experience. Having access to a single solution to charger their cars whilst out on the road will be expected by them.
Q3. What are the priorities for Paua (particularly in Scotland) but in general throughout the UK?
NR: Paua’s priority is to make it easier for business drivers to find, charge and pay on EV charging infrastructure with one card (and one app). Therefore, we need to ensure that all fleets – Scottish, English, Welsh – are able to access GB charging infrastructure with the minimum of hassle.
Ensuring that businesses can access a single invoice across multiple networks saves time and money and improves the driver experience.
Q4. Do you have any major contracts / initiatives you can talk about?
NR: Paua’s focus is on extending its network. The latest integrations concluded have taken Paua through the 20,000 EV charge point connector, meaning that Paua is now accepted at around 40% of UK charging locations (over twice the amount of most of its competitors). This remains our focus to create a universal charging solution for EV drivers in the UK.
Paua is the UK’s leading roaming EV charge card provider. We seek to make it easier for businesses to operate their electric fleets and therefore to save time and money utilising public charging.
Additional media coverage
Heycar data confirms that demand for second hand EVs rose by 5.9% in the third quarter of 2022 with petrol at 2.19% and diesels a flat 1.54% increase.
Sarah Tooze, Consumer Editor at heycar, says: “The past quarter has been a difficult time for the country. With inflation rising and falling consumer confidence, most markets have taken a hit. However, according to our Used Car Price Index, used car prices have remained stable over Q3 2022 despite these external events.
Figures show that the average asking price of a three-year-old car rose just 2.19% over the quarter, with five-year-old cars seeing a 0.34% decrease over the same period.
She added: “Used car prices are remaining stable due to the lack of new car stock, meaning used car stock is harder to come by and therefore values are inflated.
“In October, average asking prices for both three-year-old and five-year-old cars were up on the previous month. Three-year-old cars saw the second biggest increase in values this year, up by 4.55% (after August’s 13.66% rise), while five-year-old cars values rose slightly for the second consecutive month, up 1.78% in October and 1.56% in September.
“However, used car values are not as high as they were in 2021 with the average asking price of a three-year-old car down 2.39% year-on-year and the average asking price of a five-year-old car down 3.68%.
“Mileage continues to play a significant role in used car prices. For example, three-year-old cars with under 70,000 miles on the clock saw strong gains in October, with cars between 20,000 and 29,999 miles and 60,000 to 69,999 miles seeing the biggest price increases at 7.80% and 6.08% respectively. However, higher mileage cars saw a substantial drop, with the average value for cars with 70,000 to 79,999 miles falling by 7.78%.”
Heycar’s Used Car Price Index also highlights the difference in brands when comparing three-year-old cars over Q3. Prices of popular brands like Ford and Volkswagen stayed steady over Q3, increasing by 1.86% and 0.77% respectively. However, more premium brands such as Mercedes-Benz and Jaguar saw a larger increase of 5.98% and 7.12%.
Ms Tooze continued: “The stark differences in these prices are partially the result of the semiconductor shortage and the long term repercussions that it is having on the used car market. Mid-range cars tend to require less components than high-end brands, meaning that more new car stock can appear on the market, therefore easing pressure on used car stock.
“Consumer buying behaviour also played a factor, as we can see when we compare the most popular three-year-old vehicles to the most popular five-year-old vehicles.
Karen Hilton, who joined the business in 2019 as Chief Commercial Officer, is now promoted to Chief Executive Officer following a six-month planned transition.
With Karen’s track record as a founding member of the heycar UK leadership team and the success of the UK business, she is the natural choice to lead the business now as CEO.
Mat Moakes, heycar UK’s CEO from its launch in 2019, moves to a new role as CCO in heycar Group. This will facilitate the rapidly growing online marketplace’s push into markets, following successful launches in Spain, France and the Netherlands in the past 18 months alone. Mat’s remit is to create a more international organisation and grow the heycar business across Europe.
Originally launching in the UK as a quality focussed, classified marketplace, the business has moved with the pace of consumer buying behaviour, launching an e-commerce option for customers to buy from the comfort of their home. Now, heycar boasts the largest selection of cars available to purchase online (17,000 currently available) and has built a growing network of exclusive commercial partnerships with Parkers, BuyaCar, Regit and more.
Karen Hilton, Chief Executive Officer of heycar UK said: “We've established a formidable momentum in the UK, a super focused leadership team, and a great culture for our team. I look forward to steering this rocket ship through its next phase.
“In the three years we've been operating we've faced a pandemic, a structural change in the supply network, and now the UK faces the economic headwinds of a recession. So, if there's one challenge to expect from my role as CEO, I know it’ll be continuing to weather the ongoing uncertainty and ambiguity. The automotive and tech industry, however, has also gone through pivotal changes since the Covid pandemic - the way we work and the way we consume goods have changed and that change is here to stay.
“With all these changes comes opportunity such as the potential for new routes to market - we've already seen our eCommerce business grow 6x since the end of 2021 showcasing that some people are 100% ready to buy a car online - but also the opportunity to work differently and attract new talent to heycar. To face this head-on, we'll continue to be bold, take risks on new trends and set ourselves apart from the incumbents in the industry.”
Karen, who has previously worked at a range of automotive and tech start-up businesses including Volkswagen, BMW, carwow and Nested is available for interview.
Pioneer of extreme fast charge battery technology, StoreDot, says that global automotive manufacturers should be considering interim technologies in the medium term, such as semi-solid batteries
StoreDot’s CEO asserts the importance of leading battery developers giving a realistic roadmap for the introduction of extreme fast-charging battery technologies
StoreDot remains on target for mass production readiness of ‘100in5’ cells by 2024 delivering at least 100 miles of range in just five minutes of charging
Solid-state batteries promise cost-effective fast and safe charging batteries, with high energy densities, however they remain a work in progress, and still face significant challenges before they can be manufactured at scale. A solid-state battery uses solid electrolytes instead of the liquid or polymer gel electrolytes found in current technologies such as lithium-ion or lithium polymer batteries.
Dr Doron Myersdorf, StoreDot CEO “It's crucial that leading battery developers like StoreDot give global automotive manufacturers a realistic and hype-free roadmap for the introduction of extreme fast-charging battery technologies. Right now, despite some of the bullish claims by our rivals, all-solid-state batteries are still at least 10 years away. They are certainly no silver bullet for any vehicle maker currently developing fast charging electric vehicle architectures.
“We believe a more practical step is the introduction of semi-solid-state batteries which we are targeting for mass production by 2028. These will be advanced, safe, high performing cells that can achieve 100 miles of charge in just three minutes. They have the additional benefit of requiring a simpler and less challenging manufacturing process than all-solid-state technologies.”
In March this year StoreDot revealed its ‘100inX’ strategic technology roadmap. This featured 100in5, 100in3 and 100in2 of miles per minute of charging - three generations of StoreDot technologies of silicon-dominant XFC, semi solid state and all solid state. The roadmap confirmed that the timings for these will be delivered over the coming decade with 100in5 by 2024, 100in3 by 2028 and 100in2 by 2032. This groundbreaking technology is being demonstrated for the first time live on stage at Web Summit Lisbon this week. For more information, please see here.
Last month StoreDot proved the superior performance of its extreme fast charging battery cell technology by delivering cells that exceeded 1000 cycles in production ready EV form factor. These cells are now being shipped in pouch format to StoreDot’s global automotive OEM partners for intense real-world testing and exhibit the promised ‘100in5’ EV performance, allowing drivers to charge consecutively 100 miles of range for each 5 minutes of charging.
We were delighted to award a number of our members with our C.A.R Star Awards – (Community Activity Recognition) Awards recognising these members that have given up their time or funds and in doing so contributed to their local community-based projects and charities. It is always humbling to highlight these efforts and we feel that these actions deserved to be rewarded. This process just serves to display that all of our members businesses form part of the community within which they trade and sometimes it is nice to let everyone know that they are not just somewhere to buy a car or get your car repaired!
Sandy Burgess commenting on the Award winners said “On behalf of SMTA, we are delighted to be able to broadcast some of the wonderful contributions made to local charities and their respective communities by our membership, day in and day out, these awards are so diverse and well deserved it really can be quite humbling handing them out!”
The list of winners 2022:
Anderson Clark Motor Repairs, Inverness
Your Ford Centre, Fife & East Lothian
Mojo Automobile Solutions, Glasgow
C D Copland, Monifieth
Highly Commended for 2022
Kilgannon Motors
Assured Cars Scotland
Autoecosse
SMTA also awarded their Skills Star award to an up-and-coming young technician – Tori-Leigh Adams. Nineteen-year-old Tori-Leigh, who has a passion for motor racing, realised from a young age that there were no young women working as mechanics and now she has qualified, gaining her Level 3 in Vehicle Maintenance & Repair and is keen to find automotive employment.
Lastly, our President’s Award 2022 went to Graham Clark of Anderson Clark Motor Repairs in Inverness. A worthy winner of our coveted President’s Award, Graham has been in the industry for many years and is very well respected in the Inverness area for his quality approach to everything they do as well as the huge contributions he and his team make to their community with various fund-raising exploits and efforts.
...Courtesy of Nat Barnes
What does this actually mean? Well, in short, this means that all chargers have to have a data connection to be able to measure and transit records so that drivers can view their charging history.
The new legislation also meant to encourage drivers to use smarter home electricity tariffs to avoid charging during peak hours of 7-9am and 7-10pm when the National Grid is under heavy demand.
What this doesn’t mean however, is that all chargers that you can buy are necessarily smart or will reduce your charging bill at home. There are a couple of reasons for this. The first is that those charger manufacturers who weren’t able to meet those regulation dates of July 2022, were given extra time to be able to meet them.
In effect, they were given a stay of execution. As a result, unaware drivers could easily still buy a ‘dumb’ charger without realising. If you’re not sure, then ask to see the charger’s Statement of Compliance.
Does it matter? If you simply want to plug in and charge your EV and use your car’s app to do so, then in theory that would be fine, but as domestic electricity tariffs get more complex, you’ll really want a smart charger such as the likes of Ohme’s Home Pro to take advantage of them.
You’re effectively future-proofing yourself and a good charger and charging app will be updated far more often than those from a car manufacturer – Nissan no longer supports the app for the first-generation Leaf for example.
The new regulations that arrived in July 2022 meant that smart chargers can start charging in phases with the ability to delay charging by up to 1800 seconds (30 minutes) to protect any surges on the national grid if lots of people choose to charge their cars at a particular point during the off-peak period.
Effectively, it allows those looking after the grid to have a steady climb of demand rather than a sudden spike.
So what about smart charging tariffs? While the new smart chargers do have that automatic default to avoid those peak electricity usage hours, it’s up to you to ensure that you’re on the best electricity tariff for your needs.
We’ll write about smart EV tariffs in due course, but the best smart charging companies and their apps, enable your charger to work with those tariffs automatically. That’s not only crucial given the off-peak tariffs that are available now, but it’s also crucial for those that might be available in the not-too-distant future too.
* Eight 22 kWh Charging Points installed at the hotel
* Two 22 kWh available at the Clubhouse
This five star resort that looks across the 24-mile long freshwater loch is truly on a mission with EV drivers at the forefront of its service delivery policies.
By the hotel and at its adjacent clubhouse, visitors and guest arriving in their EVs can now enjoy charging points for 60p per KWH.
Cameron House currently holds a ‘silver’ award from Green Tourism and hopes to ‘go for gold’ soon with its commitment to protecting the natural environment which now include employing a dedicated Resort Conservation Manager and appointing Green Committee representatives from each department.
The hotel has eight x 22w Charging Points installed at the hotel and two at the Clubhouse - all maintained and monitored by Pod Point. Guests are encouraged to download the Pod Point app to follow instructions.
Andy Roger, Resort Director at Cameron House Hotel, said:
“We're passionate about protecting the planet and preserving our natural environment for future generations. As part of our commitment, we have several sustainable practices in place to lessen our impact, from our enthusiastic green committee to encourage and drive change amongst the team and our visitors, to a robust recycling system, a bee conservation initiative and our EV charging points that have been hugely popular amongst our guests.”
EVA Scotland’s Chief Operating Officer, Laura Robinson commented: “Cameron House is being featured on the EVA Scotland website as part of the 'Boost to Business' initiative that we highlighted earlier this year, encouraging Scotland's hospitality and tourism sectors to provide electric vehicle charge points - now one of the most important features expected by guests.”
With its six restaurants and five bars, Cameron House – a 17th century Baronial mansion - has undergone an extraordinary restoration reopening on 20th September 2021. This historical building is situated in the heart of the Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park and only 25 miles from Glasgow airport.
Its 208 guest bedrooms, including 28 luxury suites, each individually are designed to the highest standards and the resort is also home to an award-winning spa complete with a rooftop infinity pool, an 18-hole championship golf course, and a 234-berth marina. Guests can enjoy a range of activities, including jet and water skiing, paddle boarding, kayaking, mountain bikes, 4x4 off-road driving, Segway trips, clay pigeon shooting and more.
Stop Press…Cameron House Hotel has been recognised as one of the UK’s Top Hotels for 2022 in the Conde Nast Traveller Readers’ Choice Awards
These awards are the longest running and most prestigious recognition of excellence in the travel industry and come just a year after CHH reopened.
A total of 92 tourism businesses successfully applied for the Electric Vehicle Charge Point Tourism Recovery Fund which will support 194 charge points across Scotland.
Part of the Destination Net Zero programme, the Electric Vehicle Charge Point Tourism Recovery Fund was administered by Energy Saving Trust on behalf of national tourism organisation, VisitScotland, and the Scottish Government.
It provided tourism businesses with up to 75% of the cost of installation to improve the network of charge points across Scotland and encourage responsible tourism practices with both visitors and businesses.
The new charge points will be located across 20 local authorities, with a third in the Highlands and Orkney, and the majority at self-catering businesses.
Micro and SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) were eligible to apply to the £325k fund which opened in May on a first-come first-served basis.
Due to their lower running costs, electric vehicles are becoming an increasingly attractive part of the sustainable travel mix. In addition to choosing public transport and active travel, they are a crucial step in decarbonising the transport system, improving air quality, and contributing to Scotland’s climate target of achieving net zero emissions by 2045.
According to VisitScotland research, 72% of Scotland residents use their own petrol/diesel car when taking breaks and holidays in Scotland. However, 43% are interested in changing to electric/hybrid “within the next few years”, with price and concerns around sufficient charging points among the main obstacles.
Energy Saving Trust mapped the location of EV charge points on some of Scotland’s popular driving routes, on behalf of VisitScotland. It found a total of 1,933 charge points within five miles of a tourist route, which include the South West Coastal 300, North East 250 and North Coast 500. VisitScotland encouraged businesses within areas where EV charge points are limited to apply for the fund.
Tourism Minister Ivan McKee said: “We are committed to becoming a world leader in 21st century tourism, as set out in our National Tourism Strategy, Scotland Outlook 2030. The announcement of these new charging points will allow visitors and locals to explore Scotland’s beauty spots in a sustainable and environment friendly manner.
“We have a bold commitment to reduce car kilometres travelled by 20% by 2030. To meet our climate targets, not only do we need to see more people choosing to travel by public transport and active travel – but people who choose to drive must have the confidence to choose electric. That’s why this investment is so welcome, as it supports sustainable tourism options while also supporting our commitment to phase out the need for new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2030.”
Rob Dickson, Director of Industry & Destination Development at VisitScotland, said: “Tackling climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing Scottish tourism now, and in the future, and we want to inspire future generations to say that Scottish tourism led the way and made a difference.
“The popularity of the Fund shows tourism businesses have a clear understanding of the importance of transitioning to a low carbon economy and the benefits to offering visitors a sustainable transport alternative.
“By working together, we can help Scotland become a world-class destination, and the best destination for responsible tourism.”
Neil Leckie, Senior Programme Manager at Energy Saving Trust, said: "The tourism industry is a vital part of our economy, so it’s encouraging to see that the fund is being so well utilised by Scottish tourism businesses.
“Improving Scotland’s infrastructure to support the use of electric vehicles is a crucial part of achieving our net zero emissions targets and the installation of new chargepoints in more remote destinations is undoubtedly a positive step towards these goals."
For more information on Destination Net Zero visit: visitscotland.org/net-zero
*Scotland Residents’ Survey: https://www.visitscotland.org/research-insights/responsible-tourism/visitor-community-research/scotlands-residents-study
JustCharge enables homeowners to rent out their EV charger for extra cash, while enabling drivers to pre-book a charger to guarantee access.
The new partnership offers Zap-Map users the ability to find and book JustCharge chargers directly through the Zap-Map app, adding a total of 1,600 locations to the platform and complementing the public charging network.
It also offers a convenient solution for the 40% of UK drivers unable to charge at home, who can simply book onto a neighbour’s charging point, helping them make the switch to an EV.
read more at fleetworld
Bonnet is launching a new price plan from 8 November which guarantees savings of 10%-15% from standard market rates for charging.
For £2 per month, Bonnet will offer a 10% discount for drivers using any of its 80,000+ chargers in the UK, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland under its ‘Light Boost’ payment plan. For a subscription of £8 per month, Bonnet will guarantee drivers a 15% discount on all their charging costs under its ‘Turbo Boost’ package.
Both packages will potentially save motorists using Bonnet’s network hundreds of pounds in recharging costs each year.
Patrick Reich, co-founder and CEO of Bonnet, said: “We are driven to make the EV charging experience as simple, flexible and affordable as possible for everyone. With our new simpler price plan, whether you are taking it slow on a lamp-post charger or juicing up quick at a service station, you will make significant guaranteed savings with Bonnet.
“The current turmoil in global energy markets makes this even more important than ever. We are proud that drivers across our UK and European network will have peace of mind in the knowledge that they are getting the best deal possible, wherever they are.”
Many of the comments are both encouraging and illuminating. As one respondent commented, “It’s not about costs (albeit a nice bonus) it’s about better tech, and responsible driving.”
And even for people without access to off-street charging, it can be far cheaper to drive an electric car with one respondent saying, “Absolutely would stick with EV. We can’t home charge easily but a nearby supermarket still has a FREE charger.”
And whilst cost is still a driving factor for many, other considerations come into play as well. For example, one person remarked, “The answer is an easy yes. The instant torque is addictive”.
Clean air and zero tailpipe emissions are also a recurrent theme in the comments – “Even if electricity worked out more expensive I would still choose an EV. And so far, it is still about one third the cost of my previous diesel car.”
There are now over half a million electric cars on the roads in the UK, and with the Government committed to ending the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030, the upward trend in battery electric vehicles (BEV) sales is only set to continue. However, electric cars are still only 1.3% of the total car parc. Whilst sales of BEV continue to outstrip diesel, uptake across all vehicle types has slowed in recent months due to global events exacerbating supply chain issues, and the cost of living crisis. And of course, the energy crisis has emerged as a perceived threat to the attractiveness of electric cars, with the cost of public charging (understandably) hiking upwards.
Encouragingly though, another recent survey reveals that electric car drivers are in for the long road ahead, with 61% saying that the decision never to go back to a petrol or diesel car was immediate, once they made the switch to an electric vehicle (EV). Of the 1,039 EV drivers that responded to this poll, 18% reported that they made the decision never to return to an internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle after a few days, 11% after a week or two, and 10% within one year. In fact, according to the comments, some EV drivers had decided never to go back to ICE even before taking delivery of their electric car (myself included).
Let’s unpack the reasons why.
The drive experience of electric cars stands out as one of the reasons, with one respondent noting that their mind was made up on the test drive, saying “It was just sooooo nice to drive” And for someone else they said, “First taste of instant acceleration at a set of lights.”
Test drives have a lot to answer for as well. I’ve been involved in hundreds of EV test drives over the years, and without exception people emerge from that first go in an electric car with a big smile on their face. As one survey respondent says after their first electric test drive, “I’ll be honest, I didn’t want to give them the keys back.” And one of my favourite comments sums it up perfectly. “It took the first 3 meters [sic] not minutes! to decide not to go back to an ICE car.”
Costs are naturally a key factor. We know from LV= research that 45% of people are put off buying an electric car due to higher upfront costs, so it’s encouraging to see that the costs can stack up with an EV. As one commentator puts it, “I had done my research and it worked out quite a bit cheaper than running diesel. Maths were simpler for me though as I had free charging at work.” Someone else comments that they bought their electric car “partly for the idea I’d save some money. Keeping for all the other benefits – responsiveness, cooling/heating before you get in (invaluable in recent weeks), charging at home (I know not everyone can) and just generally super easy to live with.”
The LV= Electric Car Cost Index found that running costs are 47% lower for EVs, with seven of thirteen electric cars that were compared with their petrol or diesel counterparts better value over a four-year lease term, and all thirteen better value over seven years of outright ownership. It certainly pays to look at all of the costs involved – from purchase (or lease) cost, to charging or fuel, maintenance, insurance and charging.
Going off-piste a little, one comment that offers great insight into how driving style impacts range is worth a mention: “I have 2 x 2015 electric vehicles and the batteries show no signs of degrading. I think as you get better at driving them you cancel out the degrading. My Peugeot Partner Van had 50-mile range when I picked it up – it now shows 89 miles 1 year later (the previous owner floored it).”
It’s not all rosy, of course. There are people who have gone back to petrol or diesel, with public charging costs and reliability of charging infrastructure cited as reasons why.
If you are concerned about public charging infrastructure, take a look at this charge point map to see just how many there are. With around 35,000 public chargers, over 300,000 home chargers, and in excess of 20,000 workplace chargers, although not perfect, charging infrastructure is getting better all the time. The critical thing is that as roll out continues at pace, we need the right speed of chargers in the right locations, in the right numbers – they need to work, be accessible to everyone, safe, easy to use, with pricing transparency and clear signage so they’re easy to find.
As an electric car driver myself, and dedicated smart home charger, like many other EV drivers I do the vast majority of charging at home, overnight. This means that I can fully charge my car for as little as £5, if I do all of that charging off-peak when the rate is just 7.5p/kWh. The range of my Kia e-Niro is around 280 miles (real-world), which is enough to cover 95% of my journeys. I occasionally charge when I’m out and about. There have been moments of frustration when a charger doesn’t work, but I know by now to plan ahead and have another charge point option up my sleeve for those ‘just in case’ moments.
To sum up then, for the vast majority of EV drivers there are zero regrets. Electric cars offer lower running costs and the convenience of waking up to a full battery whenever you need it (if you can charge at home), a great drive experience, and zero tailpipe emissions for a cleaner air quality future.
'Today is the most important day for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars since the company was founded in 1904. It is the moment that we finally reveal Spectre, our first all-electric motor car, to the world.
This product represents a bold, electric vision for our brand. It is a symbol of our unrelenting pursuit of perfection and it shows, categorically, why Rolls-Royce occupies its pinnacle position in the super-luxury sector: we lead because we listen.
In partnership with our clients, and based on their feedback and desires – as well as our own unrivalled fluency in the luxury market – we have created a product that will propel the world’s most progressive and influential women and men into a brilliant, electrified future.
Over the last two months, our clients have travelled from all over the world to view Spectre in a secure facility on the grounds of our home here in Goodwood, West Sussex. I am delighted to tell you that the response has been emphatically positive.'
Every client I met expressed their sincere congratulations – to our designers who so accurately responded to their request for a highly emotional and desirable body style; our craftspeople who created such innovative and contemporary expressions of luxury; our Bespoke specialists for inspiring their creativity; and our engineers who continue to relentlessly and meticulously test Spectre around the world.
With this extraordinary product we set out our credentials for the full electrification of Rolls-Royce by the end of 2030. Today, more than ever, it feels like the electric era is what Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has been driving towards since it was founded – an elevated expression of effortlessness, power and historical endurance.
I am extremely proud to share our first steps into this bold new era with you, as I trust Charles Rolls and Sir Henry Royce would be too. These pioneers began the most remarkable journey in automotive history, and it is one I am hugely privileged to be part of.''
Last month, the Fiesta was still the sixth best-selling new car in the UK with 4,570 registrations, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers.
A spokesman for Ford said that it was “accelerating our efforts to go all in on electrification”, and so the company is reviewing its product portfolio. He also told the BBC that the carmaker does not comment on speculation and that more information would be made available soon.
Fleet World understands Ford executives are holding talks with dealers, suppliers and staff ahead of the announcement.
The Ford plant at Dagenham was one of the UK’s largest car factories, and although the Fiesta is currently produced in Germany, the first model rolled off the production line in Essex in 1977. It was created originally as a more fuel-efficient, small car in the wake of the 1973 oil crisis.
The company, which is now focusing on electrifying its fleet ahead of the 2030 deadline, is on track to deliver more than two million electric vehicles annually by 2026.
Complete with sports suspension as standard, 20-21-inch wheels and distinctive vRS features, to make it recognisable as a vRS model, it has a top speed of 111mph - 12mph faster than the other Enyaq iV models. 0-62mph is achieved in 6.5 seconds.
The Enyaq’s lithium-ion 82kWh battery gives the car a maximum range of over 310 miles and a re- (fast) charge from 10% to 80% in 36 mins.
Worth a look!
Scottish motoring journalists – members of the influential Association of Scottish Motoring Writers (ASMW) – voted the Enyaq their Scottish Car of the Year at a glittering ceremony at the Dalmahoy Hotel & Country Club last November.
ABB research has found that UK children are “in driving seat of EV future” according to Zap-Map.
Children are already driving the EV revolution, despite not yet being able to get behind the wheel themselves, a new global survey has found. Conducted by ABB E-Mobility, the survey revealed that children not only educate their parents on environmental issues and admonish them for un-eco-friendly behaviour, but also contribute to discussions around purchases such as electric vehicles.
The study comprised of 2,500 parents (with children aged 8-16) and 2,500 children (aged 8-16), of which 10% were from the UK. The other international participants represented ABB E-mobility’s nine other largest markets: Canada, China, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the US.
Its key findings demonstrate the crucial role that the next generation has to play in helping reduce emissions and enable a more sustainable future.
“It is encouraging to see that young people in the UK feel excited to drive electrci vehicles when they are old enough, and that they feel they have a say in their parents’ choice of car,” said Oliver Johnson, Business Development Manager for ABB’s EV charging solutions in the UK.
“In 2030, the UK will stop sales of petrol and diesel vehicles and 300,000 public chargers will be available, as well as countless private chargers. That’s only eight years away, the same age as an average car, which makes buying an EV an investment in the future as well as being the right thing to do, which is why we have committed to an all-electric fleet under our ABB Sustainability Strategy 2030.”
With over 8 out of 10 UK parents (82.8%) and three-quarters of UK children (75.6%) considering the current global environmental situation to be bad – more than the global average – the survey revealed a good deal of intergenerational interaction over the causes of climate change and the steps towards mitigating it.
To that end, 49.8% of UK parents said that they have been educated by their children on environmental issues.
Three in five UK children (60%) say that they want to drive an electric vehicle when they are old enough and have passed their driving test. This is more than the global average of 52.4%. Around a quarter of UK children (26.8%) want to drive a hybrid and just 13% want to get behind the wheel of a petrol or diesel car.
With 70.8% of UK children responding that they believe they influence their parents’ purchasing decisions over big ticket items like changing the family car, it is perhaps unsurprising that 80.2% of parents said they would switch to an electric or hybrid model if they were to buy a new car in the next three years.
More than half of UK parents (52.4%) also believe that an EV is a better financial investment than a petrol or diesel car.
- A 370% increase in demand for EVs, says one leasing company
- Record breaking fuel price increases encouraging more drivers and company car operators to make the switch
- Massive choices in the UK EV market compared to 2020/21 - around four times as many EVs in the forecourts
- Manufacturers more actively advertising and promoting their EV and plug-in vehicles
Consultants with the correct level of expertise to guide companies, businesses and indeed the general public on the ins and outs of transition to electric transportation has, as the EV market accelerates across the country become so important. The myriad of rules and regulations and the basic ‘dos and don'ts’ of how best to go all electric can seem, to some challenging, to others bamboozling!
Jon Burdekin, who worked with one of the UK’s leading vehicle leasing firms, set up his own consultancy business almost four years ago...he explains:
“Put simply, my role is to help clients develop bespoke programmes to manage the changing requirements of going all electric and capitalise on the growing demand for EVs.”
With his experience in everything relating to the integration of EVs into client fleet policies, he helps deliver an “EV strategy roadmap to fully support the transition to Electric.
“Companies who run vehicles in their business will have to consider making the transition to EVs before the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles is banned in 2030 (hybrids in 2035). My role helps make that switch by developing and managing the strategy to make the transition – as soon as possible, to unlock the financial and environmental savings that EVs can bring.”
It is clear that today, vehicle leasing companies and leasing brokers are receiving high levels of interest from their corporate clients around EVs… “and rather than just providing a quote on an EV, they have an opportunity to differentiate themselves and provide an enhanced service to their customer. I help them develop that point of differentiation so they can position themselves as a 'go-to' provider of EVs.”
Jon added: “Becoming familiar with Electric Vehicles, either as a driver or as a Fleet Manager, carries so many advantages, both in financial savings and improved contribution to Carbon Footprint reduction (ESG). It does require a different mindset to get the best out of the new technology but in return for this mindset change, the benefits start to unlock immediately.
“Drivers will have lots of questions, so there is an ongoing opportunity to educate drivers and fleet managers, but as we move closer to the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles in 2030, it is something that is coming to all of us – surely its better to get on board and familiar with the new landscape sooner rather than later?
On Car Salary Sacrifice schemes….Jon added: “These are becoming extremely popular as a way for employers to deliver a compelling employee benefit to their staff at no cost – in fact, as well as saving employees huge sums of money on a car, the employer even saves money by putting these schemes in place – through reduced Class1A NIC.
Jon worked for 15 years with the Leasing Company which established itself as the leading funder of Electric Vehicles.
EVA Scotland has invited Jon Birdekin to contribute a further articles for the website including Car Salary Sacrifice schemes.
Jon Burkedin is Managing Director of Jon Burdekin Fleet Consulting Ltd
Tel: 07904 440733
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jonburdekin
Website: www.jbfleetconsulting.co.uk
This tiny EV is the fastest-accelerating car in the world | Top Gear
The electric racing car, built by 20 University of Stuttgart students known as the GreenTeam, can go from 0 to a little over 62 miles per hour in just 1.461 seconds. The school's website says that its peak acceleration is "roughly equivalent to the force experienced by astronauts when a rocket re-enters the Earth's atmosphere."
This is the first SUV from the marque and makers say it will “define SUVs for the electric age”.
Sharing its platform with the forthcoming Volvo EX90, the newcomer will rival cars such as the BMW iX and Audi e-tron.
The 3 will arrive in a long-range dual-motor variant, rear-biased for power and producing 489hp or 517hp with the Performance Pack. The 0-62mph time is said to be 5 seconds, or 4.7 with the optional pack, while the 3 comes with standard dual-chamber adaptive air suspension that can be electronically adjusted once every two milliseconds.
Its 111kWh battery pack provides the Polestar 3 with an anticipated driving range of up to 379 miles.. The battery is also equipped for bidirectional charging, enabling future potential for vehicle-to-grid and plug-and-charge capabilities.
Prices start from £79,000.
Shh!! New Polestar 3 has a ‘True Sound’ 25-speaker audio system
It’s so quiet in an EV that having the proper sound system makes the driving experience that much more attractive...just take the new Polestar 3!
No ordinary ‘Ghetto Blaster’ for its owners. No!
Step into the latest Polestar and the musical magic produced by ‘Bowers and Wilkins’ who are doing to cars what Bang & Olufsen, the Danish high-end consumner electronics company did for home stereo systems, is there for all to hear!
The Series Three Polestar - it’s built in China - just had to be that bit special in its audio department.
But how do you get 25 speakers into a medium sized car?
Now, here’s where we get a bit technical – some would say ‘Geekie’ but you just have to sit back and relax and take this in...IT’S IMPORTANT!
According to Bowers and Wilkins…
The 25-speaker system features bespoke audio technologies derived from Bowers & Wilkins’ reference- quality loudspeakers, including Continuum™ midrange cones and the iconic Tweeter-on-Top speaker enclosure.
With 1610 Watts of power and 3D Surround Sound and Dolby Atmos® capability – loudspeakers fitted high up in the interior of the car, immersing the listener in sound. The audio system in the new Polestar 3 offers an unrivalled in-car listening experience that is accurate and true to the original recording, a Bowers & Wilkins philosophy known as True Sound.
Tuned by the engineering team responsible for the iconic 800 Series Diamond loudspeakers found in Abbey Road Studios and many other world-famous recording studios, the Bowers & Wilkins audio system was developed in partnership with Polestar from the ground up, ensuring optimal speaker positions for the best possible sound.
Complementing the car’s uniquely modern interior, bespoke stainless steel speaker grilles offer the perfect combination of audio transparency and beautiful design. The system also includes a range of preset sound stages to transform your listening environment, including a mode that replicates the listening experience of the famous Gothenburg Concert Hall.
Headrest-integrated speakers allow for targeted navigation instructions, while a smart microphone system allows the driver to answer a phone call without interrupting the music listening experience of the Polestar 3’s other passengers.
The full system architecture of the car includes five Nautilus™ Aluminium Double dome tweeters: the speaker layout includes a centre Tweeter-on-Top to optimise precision and sound stage elevation plus front left and front right tweeters in the A-pillars to ensure sound stage coherence and width.
Seven Continuum™ cone midrange speakers are found in the dashboard and front and rear doors, giving a true and authentic recreation of voices and instruments for all occupants in the cabin. In addition, there are four long-throw woofers in the front and rear doors and a total of eight full-range speakers: four in the headrest and four in the ceiling above the seats, plus a 250 mm Fresh Air® subwoofer in the boot.
Superior sound and precision are at the heart of the Bowers & Wilkins Surround Sound System in the Polestar 3.
About Bowers & Wilkins
Bowers & Wilkins, founded in the U.K. in 1966, has been at the forefront of high-performance audio technology for more than 50 years. It designs and manufactures precision home speakers, headphones, custom installation and performance car audio products that set new standards for innovation and sound quality, earning countless awards and accolades from the world’s leading
recording studios and musicians. Bowers & Wilkins’ reputation is based on the unwavering pursuit of the best possible sound and an unsurpassable music listening experience. Bowers & Wilkins joined the Sound United LLC family of brands in 2020. Learn more at www.bowerswilkins.com.
The framework will enable the Scottish Government’s aspiration of achieving net zero by 2045, and to create the conditions to eliminate the need for all new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030, and light commercial vehicles in Scotland’s public sector fleet by 2025.
The awarding body, Scotland Excel, is the Centre of Procurement Expertise for the local Government sector, responsible for Scotland’s 32 local authorities. The framework is expected to be worth £20 million a year.
Universities and colleges, the Scottish Prison Service, Scottish National Health Service, Police Scotland and the Scottish Ambulance Service will also use the framework.
Liberty Charge has secured a place on Lot 1 of the framework, which encompasses the supply, installation and maintenance of EV charging equipment and associated items.
The launch of the framework follows a draft vision statement from the Scottish Government for public electric vehicle charging in Scotland. The vision places people and businesses first, outlining the accessible, affordable and reliable public network designed for the future.
Neil Isaacson, Liberty Charge CEO, says the vision behind this framework is closely aligned to that of Liberty Charge:
“The Scottish Government’s stated vision is to ensure ‘no one is left behind from the benefits afforded by the transition to a net zero transport system’. Public charging provision means ensuring that the UK’s 11 million households that do not have access to off-street charging are included in our move to sustainable transport, which is why sustainable and accessible public charging is what fuels our business.” he says.
Neil believes that the framework is “an exciting move into enabling the private sector in Scotland’s EV infrastructure roll out. The framework has been designed to attract the private sector and ensure the EV infrastructure rollout accelerates at a scale and a pace that meets increasing demand and inspires EV adoption.
“We are very delighted to be included on this framework and to have the opportunity to showcase our zero taxpayer-funded charge point operating model, supported by the decades of large-scale infrastructure rollout experience we benefit from through our sister business, Virgin Media O2. This gives us the experience, capacity and logistical knowhow to support local authorities in achieving their net zero goals.”
Click here for more information on the framework.
The new investment should see Amazon’s fleet grow to more than 10,000 by 2025. It also expects to purchase and roll out more than 1,500 eHGVs in its European fleet, including more than 700 in the UK in the coming years.
The chances are, aside from switching on the air conditioning during summer or the heater or maybe heated seats during the winter, you probably don’t think about the weather too much when it comes to your motoring.
That’s certainly the case when it comes to traditional petrol and diesel cars, but it’s not the case when it comes to electric vehicles. The outside temperature can have a dramatic effect on the range of your EV, particularly when it’s cold, so why does it happen and what can you do to help mitigate that?
All batteries, including those in your car, like a steady ambient temperature and an ideal operating temperature (usually around 20-40 degrees). That means that if it gets too cold – and incidentally, too hot – then the cells inside the batteries themselves can’t work as efficiently and they effectively have to work harder to produce the same amount of power on a cold winter’s morning compared to a mild summer day.
The batteries need to use energy to heat the battery up to that ideal operating temperature, hence the reason why you won’t have much range as in summer. The same goes for when you’re charging too. Some of the power from charging goes to heating the batteries instead of charging them, so charging up your EV will take longer too.
What can you do about that? Well for starters, most EVs have a pre-conditioning function either in their built-in systems or their respective apps. That means, if you leave for work at the same time each morning for example, that you can set the interior temperature of the car to your preferred level before you get into it. That has two benefits, the first is one of comfort, but more importantly, the energy that is used in warming both the car and the batteries in winter comes from the mains when you’re plugged in rather than the energy from the battery maximising your range before you set off.
Some EVs also have heat pumps, either fitted as standard or as an option. As their name suggests, heat pumps help to warm up the battery pack faster to its optimum working temperature and again make it more efficient. The good news is that it can often achieve some extra range especially in the colder months, but whether you want to make that initial extra outlay (if it’s an option) or need it if you’re in an area that isn’t that cold that often is another matter. If you’re regularly doing longer journeys throughout the winter months and need every mile of range you can get, it’s probably worth it.
That preconditioning advice also applies in the hotter summer months. Air conditioning has become virtually a standard fitment in many new cars and while use of air con doesn’t tend to have such a dramatic effect on range as with a heater, it will still see it fall faster than without. If you can cool the car beforehand using air con on the pre-conditioning system – or at least reduce the inside temperature if your car has been parked in the sun – then it all helps.
It’s also worth remembering in both winter and summer that if driving alone, it’s more efficient to only keep your body warm or cool rather than the whole interior of the car. In the same way that you might switch radiators off in unused rooms in your home, you’ll use less energy to heat or cool just yourself than all of the car’s interior.
So, if you have them, seat heaters – or ventilated seats – tend to use up less power and therefore less range than the full heater or air con. It may not be entirely comfortable, but if you need every one of those extra miles on your range, then they’re certainly worth considering.
What does the weather do to your EV's range? - EVs Unplugged (evs-unplugged.com)
The category recognises utility and energy companies that: “have brought to market a consumer-facing proposition, product or service”
The Connected Kerb smart charging scheme allows users to 'charge when cheapest', that is when renewable energy such as solar and wind is in surplus, or at times of low power demand such as at night.
The overall aim is to bring EV to everyone in an effort to bolster EV uptake ahead of the 2030 ban on sales of new diesel and petrol vehicles.
The pilot is sponsored by the BEIS as part of a consortia of Octopus Energy, Energy Saving Trust, Samsung Research, PNDC and System Level Solutions.
Accepting the award in this the third EVIE annual awards, Richard Turnbull, Head of Innovation for Connected Kerb said: "We are delighted to win this award which is vindication for the hard work that our consortium partners and everyone involved in implementing the project have put in.
“We are looking forward to building on the success of the project as we seek to widen access to cheaper smart charging tariffs in areas such as East Lothian and Glasgow where demand for electric vehicles is rising, making charging accessible and affordable for everyone."
Connected Kerb is a Corporate Member of the Electric Vehicle Association Scotland
The luxury woodland cabin is accompanied by an innovative restaurant/bar, coffee lounge and cinema under the stars, all for just 2 guests at a time... and all powered by a fleet of electric Hyundai IONIQ 5 cars, harnessing electricity through their vehicle-to-load (V2L) feature, which powers other appliances through adaptors. The entire experience will be off-grid yet utterly luxurious!
Situated on the edge of Epping Forest in Essex, the site has been created by food critic Grace Dent and includes a ‘high-end luxury cabin’.
Dinner features local ingredients expertly cooked over a BBQ by a private chef, and you’ll wake to birdsong and breakfast on your sun-dappled deck.
This is a world-first new concept by Hyundai – and a remarkable leap in sustainability
For this year’s World EV Day, organisers wanted to ask the question, ‘How do we engage the next cohort of consumers?’ A collaboration between LeasePlan, Auto Trader, LV= General Insurance and ElectriX, Shell Recharge, Connected Kerb, Ohme, Fastned, EVA England and Cenex engaged global research firm Ipsos to conduct UK-wide research to better understand how to encourage people to make the transition to an EV.
The research was then taken into a quantitative analysis. The results of this form the basis of a White Paper.
From the study, the results were encouraging and positive. Research showed that over 64% of people interviewed who are intending to buy a car would consider an EV. However, 53% of respondents interviewed say switching to an EV is a confusing process, and some familiar concerns remain around the perceived purchase and running costs of an EV, the reliability of range information and charging infrastructure, and the ways these are presented.
A spokesperson added: “Moving forward, how do we engage the next cohort of EV drivers? Our research shows that while the perceptions of EVs are changing for the better, there is still some work to be done. But three key words came out of the research. Affordable, simple, intuitive. EVs need to become more affordable, especially when it comes to perceived costs, and the language around the vehicles and the charging infrastructure needs to be simpler, to give EV considerers more confidence.
“Finally, EVs and their infrastructure need fewer roadblocks in the user experience to make them more intuitive.”
New car registrations for all vehicles were down by 20% in September, as the ongoing cost of living crisis takes a toll on the new car market.
Among the mass market brands, BMW made a strong showing in September – more than doubling its total EV output from last year. In September 2021, BMW sold 1,003 Electric vehicles, in September 2022, that figure stands at 2,212.
This data is from New AutoMotive’s Electric Car Count (ECC) – the most up-to-date and comprehensive electric car sales data in the UK.
Ben Nelmes, Co-Founder and Head of Policy, says:
“Electric cars have secured an impressive share of the market, with 17% of all new UK cars fully electric in September.
“New car registrations overall were down by 20% in September, as the ongoing cost of living crisis takes a toll on the new car market. Consumers and businesses may be delaying or rethinking large purchases and investments. While the recent turbulence in financial markets is unlikely to have had much impact on September’s sales figures, they may prove to be an issue going forwards as the cost of financing the purchase of a new car increases with interest rates.”
“So far, 2022 has seen weaker new car sales figures than 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic was at its peak. Any drop in sales of EVs makes it harder for the UK to meet its carbon budgets and slows efforts to reduce our reliance on expensive, imported fuels. It is welcome to see that EV sales are holding up so well given the current headwinds in the market.”
“Electric cars charged at home on a standard variable tariff are over 40% cheaper to run per mile compared to petrol and diesel alternatives. As the cost-of-living crisis continues to hit new car sales, more and more consumers may choose to go electric because of the savings EVs offer, insulating drivers from the worst of the market downturn.”
For a full breakdown of electric vehicle sales by manufacturer, region and details of data sourcing and methodology you can view an interactive dashboard, here. You can find a summary of electric car sales over the years below, and the September ECC report here.
SCOTTS VALLEY, California.- Zero Motorcycles, the global leader in electric motorcycles and powertrains today announced the completion of a new $107 million round of financing. The financing saw participation from strategic partners Polaris, Exor and Hero MotoCorp and financial investors including long-time backer Invus and other undisclosed investors.
“Since its launch in a Santa Cruz garage, Zero has defined the category of premium electric motorcycles and powertrains. Zero has sold over 20,000 vehicles that have accumulated over 165,000,000 miles of on-road and off-road experience. Zero has refined the most advanced powertrain technology between e-bicycles and cars driven by its Cypher III operating system. The company has also built an innovative, global brand that is highly respected in the industry,” said Sam Paschel, Chief Executive Officer of Zero Motorcycles. “This financing will fund the global scaling of our operations and sales and the development of additional new models to continue driving our rapid growth. We welcome our strategic partners and new investors to our syndicate and are grateful to Invus for their steadfast support and commitment to Zero’s vision and mission.”
Zero’s business strategy relies on three key pillars: consumer motorcycles where Zero carries a broad line of on-road, adventure sport and dual sports motorcycles, fleet sales where Zero is present in over 200 police departments and authority fleets, and powertrains where Zero technology contributes to the electrification of industry-leading applications by its partners.
With this round of financing, Zero Motorcycles has raised in excess of $450M of capital and will bring the cumulative capital raise to above $500M with an anticipated additional closing by year end. Zero Motorcycles has all the necessary resources to continue pushing the boundaries of two-wheeled EV’s and electric powertrains and leading the transformation of the motorcycle and powersports industry through electrification.
In a comprehensive review of the various EV cars currently on offer from the world’s manufacturers -town run-abouts to family cars, luxury models and off-roaders, featuring the amazing Munro Vehicles all terrain 4x4, journalist Alaxis Conran provided an important insight into the EV categories now on the market.
This is a must view and can be viewed at: My5 - Electric Cars: Which One Should You Buy? - Season NaN - Episode 1 / 2022 (channel5.com)
• Aviva Investors backs Connected Kerb to deliver its plans for 190,000 on-street EV chargers – some in Scotland - by 2030.
• Connected Kerb will also install EV chargers across Aviva Investors’ real estate portfolio. • Deal will revolutionise access to EV charging for the tens of millions of drivers without off-street parking.
• 4,000 on-street chargers expected to be installed by the end of this year alone.
• The investment of up to £110m is equivalent to around a quarter of all the money committed by the UK Government under its flagship Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund.
As part of the deal, Connected Kerb will also deliver EV charging infrastructure across the insurer’s pan-European real estate portfolio, which includes over 300 major owned assets in the UK alone – one of the country’s largest portfolios.
Connected Kerb’s hardware and expertise will be key to supporting the electrification of this portfolio. The multi-million-pound investment into UK public charging infrastructure will be critical to delivering the Government’s plan of installing more than 300,000 chargers by 2030.
Chris Pateman-Jones, CEO of Connected Kerb, said: “Our partnership with Aviva Investors will turn EV charging on its head. Successfully delivering the benefits of the EV transition to all – regardless of location, wealth, or circumstance – relies entirely on the UK’s ability to deploy convenient and reliable public charging at scale. For many, it has so far been neither.
“This investment combines the proven long-term reliability of Connected Kerb’s infrastructure with the financial resources and expertise of Aviva Investors to deploy charging, at scale, to all corners of the UK, giving individuals and businesses the confidence to make the switch to electric, and dramatically reduce carbon emissions and air pollution – it’s truly game-changing.”
Peter Howe, Co-Founder and Chairman of Connected Kerb, said: “Aviva’s investment into Connected Kerb is a vote of confidence in our unique technology and approach from one of the world’s biggest and most recognisable brands. The investment, and accompanying expertise from Aviva, will not only supercharge our UK rollout plans, but also lays the groundwork for expansion into other markets across Europe and into the US.”
Connected kerb is a Corporate Members of EVA Scotland
Sean McLachlan, Senior Director, Infrastructure, at Aviva Investors, added: “We are pleased to support Connected Kerb’s ambitious rollout of EV charging infrastructure across the UK, a sector at the heart of the transition towards a low carbon future. The funding we are providing will help to speed up the provision of EV charging to homes and businesses alike, whilst increasing accessibility. We also look forward to working with a management team which has market leading experience in building and operating public infrastructure and integrated smart networks, alongside excellent ESG credentials.”
EV ownership throughout the Uk and in particular Scotland, is skyrocketing. Sales so far this year have accounted for 14% of all new vehicle registrations, up 50% compared to this time last year. However, there is currently just one public access on-street EV charger for every 52 EVs on UK roads.
As a result, those without off-street parking or a dedicated parking space with domestic power supply – accounting for 62% of drivers – find it harder to make the switch to electric. Currently, this group makes up as few as 9% of EV drivers.
Aviva Investors’ investment into Connected Kerb aims to rebalance the growing gap between EV ownership and public charging infrastructure. Connected Kerb’s growth plans, enabled by Aviva Investors, will also support green jobs in the UK where all of Connected Kerb’s chargers are manufactured, directly supporting the UK Government’s levelling up agenda.
Connected Kerb will have installed over 4,000 chargers in 2022 alone and the company plans to have 190,000 chargers installed by 2030. The London-based company is also planning an expansion into the U.S., having recently been selected by the New York City Department of Transport and Newlab to deliver an on-street EV charging pilot project in New York that will provide a blueprint for the city to rollout 10,000 on-street chargers by 2030, cutting emissions and improving air quality for millions.
Connected Kerb’s technology and unique business model is designed to be as affordable as possible, giving all communities access to affordable and reliable public EV charging.
Unlike many public charge points, Connected Kerb’s infrastructure has a long-lasting design, enabling the company to offer contracts of 15-25 years – much longer than the industry average of between 5-7 years.
The charging infrastructure is located below ground and installed once, with passive chargers that can be easily ‘switched on’ by adding the above ground charge point to match consumer demand.
The company says that this long-term business model means Connected Kerb can access private finance at a lower cost of capital, substantially improving the economics of EV charging, making it affordable to install, ultimately reducing the cost for drivers and opening more opportunities to install chargers in areas that were previously uneconomical.
For example, those with low footfall or poor grid infrastructure. Each of Connected Kerb’s chargers provides a fast charge between 7kW and 22kW, perfect for habitual on-street charging where residents are parked for a predictable amount of time each day. Every charge point will feature contactless payment via the Connected Kerb app with a consistent network and tariff across the sites, enabling fair and equal access for everyone.
* It delivers sustained off-grid power from a Lithium battery, setting a new benchmark for long-term cabin connectivity and zero emissions
* No mains hook-up? No problem! Integrated 200-amp hours (Ah) lithium leisure battery can power 240v appliances, cookers, fridges and more for days on end
* Hybrid petrol/electric engine system delivers up to 50 MPG making it one of the most efficient campervans on the road
The UK’s eco-campervan specialists, CampervanCo, have announced the launch of their latest Eco Camper Pioneer II model. The campervan model is based on existing Toyota Alphard Hybrid v2 vehicles with enhanced performance and lower emissions over previous models. Building on 15 years of eco-customisation expertise, this Eco Camper offers greater and greener independent living, loads more storage, and a ton of tech including a renewable high-power lithium leisure battery to support ecologically friendly adventures anywhere for almost any length of time without grid charging.
The stand-out feature of the new self-charging Alphard Pioneer II is the impressive 200-amp hours (Ah) lithium leisure battery which can power 240v appliances, such as cooker and fridge, without the need for a mains hook-up or intermittently running the engine to top up the battery while parked. It also powers the lighting and climate control, and it can do this for over a week without recharging based on normal use. The CampervanCo team has employed their own unique tech and installed a 2,000 watt inverter to support high-power appliances like toasters and microwaves, and bespoke relays that optimise the amount of battery charge available to the customer. When (or if) the battery does run down, it can be recharged from 0% to full in less than 3 hours, and it is also continually recharged by driving. The system is also backed up with advanced roof-mounted solar panels that can deliver 6Ah back to the battery resulting in an almost perpetually charged, totally carbon-free power system in good weather. With so much green power built-in, this pioneering campervan provides off-grid freedom for even the most ambitious expedition to the wildest of frontiers, or homeworking with a view.
Another stand-out new feature is in the driving cabin, which is an optional upgrade to provide a top of the range model features a 13.1inch large screen Apple & Android display, capable of playing high-definition feature films with bluetooth connected power-monitoring info display plus maps, weather updates and loads more. The Alphard Pioneer II has a 600-mile range on the newer 2.4lte Atkinson-cycle hybrid petrol engine with additional 4x4 automatic transmission – meaning you can go where most campervans can’t go. A new and very popular feature to this range is the option to have the drivetrain powered by electric only by the simple flick of a switch. Combined with its compact size, this innovative Eco Camper can handle the most challenging roads in the UK, for four people in unrivalled comfort.
The Eco team at CampervanCo have spent a lot of time re-designing the interior from lightweight materials to provide a spacious living and sleeping quarters with more storage space and intuitive control and management systems to maximise efficiency, which is made more accessible as this technology is used in pre-loved vehicles. It also features the CampervanCo patented Omnislide Cooker, which enables cooking both inside or out.
Gary Hayes, CEO & Founder of CampervanCo stated, “We have created the Alphard Pioneer II so that it leaves no trace in ecologically sensitive areas. Its incredible leisure battery system and green power provide connectivity and zero emissions, recycling heat from the engine to provide support to the climate control, wherever you are. It is a real game changer in the eco-campervan industry, especially for people who want to relax or work in blissful solitude. It’s not only at home in the hills, but it’s just as happy in built-up areas, where it also meets the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) standards that are being introduced in many of the UK’s major cities. You can use it one day to do the shopping and take the kids to school and the next be in the remotest glen with power and kit to last you for days on nothing but purely green energy.
“I think that re-using existing vehicles, making them look beautiful inside and out, and upgrading their eco-technology is the most environmentally sensitive approach. Our latest eco campervan model is an important step for us in our quest to reach zero emissions for both campervans and net-zero carbon emissions for our business, so we can really leave no trace.”
Two of the UK’s leading electric vehicle charging solutions for fleet payments and community charging - EVA Scotland corporate member PAUA and Co-Charger - have joined forces to provide business drivers with single access to both base and route charging across almost 22,000 charge points nationwide.
This brings together Paua’s comprehensive business drivers EV charging service, with Co Charger’s unique base charging solution, enabling employees who cannot charge at home to rent a neighbour’s charger instead. The latter provides convenient charging for the 40-50% of fleet drivers unable to install a charger at home, making it easier for all employees to swop to electric vehicles.
With transport responsible for the highest emissions of any sector, decarbonising business travel is vital if the UK is to start stabilising and reducing emissions in time to meet the IPCC’s 2025 climate change deadline.
Solutions like the combined Paua/Co Charger initiative are seen as vital for achieving this according to Joel Teague, Co-Founder and CEO of Co Charger:
He said: “Businesses across the UK know they need to switch to electric vehicles, but many are nervous about transferring, mostly because of the potential impact on employees, and this is especially true for those unable to charge at home.
“Providing a comprehensive ‘single site’ solution, combining base and route charging with easy payments, allays these fears”, Teague continues. “It means companies can provide clear, easy advice to all employees about where they go for information, regardless of their individual circumstances.”
Niall Riddell, Co-Founder and CEO of Paua agrees, saying “So many Fleet Managers want to transfer to electric but are held back by concerns about charging. What we’re highlighting here, is optionality with existing feasible solutions. We want to offer drivers choice to suit their charging needs.
“Paua offers access, payments, and combined billing through public charge points at over 20 networks covering 6,600 UK locations including Shell, Osprey, Ionity, Char.gy, and Mer. With the addition of Co Charger’s home charge points, we’re now fulfilling the needs of millions of business drivers who need access to regular, reliable base charging too. It’s a solution which quite simply works, and we’re delighted to be playing such a key role in supporting the electrification of the nation.”
Through the new solution, business drivers can use Paua’s app-based solution to see where both public and private home charge points exist on the Co-Charger peer-to-peer network. This enables them to use and pay for their required electric vehicle charging, whether that be out on the road, or for charging at home.
Information and sign up to the Co Charger/Paua combined business solution, can be downloaded via the Paua app from the Apple app store or from Google Play.
- UK start-up IONETIC’s state-of-the-art battery pack design platform can enhance energy density of EV battery packs by over 30% compared to existing off-the-shelf solutions1
- Its software quickly generates customisable, optimised designs that can increase the utilisation of pack volume by up to 120%2
- IONETIC can reduce battery pack design costs by over 90%3 for automotive OEMs
- With plans to open a UK-based factory next year, IONETIC is set to be the only UK-based battery pack developer to offer an end-to-end, in-house battery solution, from initial conceptualisation to mass production
Producing a high-performance and safe battery pack solution has traditionally been expensive and time-consuming for many automotive companies. Fully customised designs are often unaffordable, while existing off-the-shelf battery pack solutions suffer from low energy density and poor optimisation. This is particularly true for lower volume niche automotive manufacturers with unique requirements.
IONETIC overcomes these problems by offering an efficient blend of cost and customisation to help accelerate battery pack development like never before. Its state of the art software-based platform can boost energy density by 30% and increase utilisation of pack volume by up to 120%, compared to existing off-the-shelf solutions.
It can also produce a battery pack design in days and reduce the costs of getting from requirements to mass manufacture by over 90% for automotive OEMs. This is due to the platform’s ability to automatically generate designs according to a series of fully adjustable parameters, while offering a vertically integrated solution to battery pack production, which includes homologation and mass manufacture.
IONETIC is planning to open its first UK-based battery manufacturing facility next year, which will enable it to begin pilot production of its own battery pack designs. This will make IONETIC the only UK-based battery pack developer to offer an end-to-end, in-house battery solution, from conceptualisation and prototyping through to homologation and production.
James Eaton, CEO and Co-Founder of IONETIC, said:
"There are many stages needed to get a battery pack into production. Automotive companies need to consider requirements, system design, homologation, embedded control, manufacturing options, and vehicle integration, to name a few. These stages are often done by different companies, which can lead to a costly, fragmented process. At IONETIC we facilitate all these stages, simplifying the process and reducing the cost for EV OEMs.
“We’re currently focusing on niche automotive companies in the UK and Europe. They typically make less than 10,000 vehicles per year, so probably don’t meet the minimum order quantities of large global battery pack suppliers, or can’t meet their high design fees. These niche vehicle-makers are the unsung heroes that keep society functioning. Trucks, buses, construction vehicles, service vehicles and emergency vehicles all need to electrify in the next decade. We’re also in talks with iconic car brands and sports car manufacturers. Gigafactories are mainly catering for mass-produced cars. There’s a risk that some of these niche, historic car brands might not survive electrification unless companies such as IONETIC address their specific needs.”
Dr. Monica Marinescu, Co-Founder of IONETIC and Senior Lecturer, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Imperial College London, said:
“The EV battery sector is set to grow 15-30% annually for the next 10 years and so there is a huge opportunity for an agile start-up such as IONETIC. At a time when competition in this space is stronger than ever, it is crucial automotive companies pursue battery technologies that provide a balance between performance, cost reduction and resource optimisation. Our battery solution is the product of a diverse team of battery scientists, educated and trained at Imperial College, one of the world's leading universities. We leverage the latest, state-of-the-art technologies to help businesses transition to electric mobility.”
Further information on IONETIC and its comprehensive offering can be found here.
Fleete’s charging-as-a-service model will take care of the entire installation, management and financing of charging infrastructure, with no up-front costs and just a monthly fee.
In addition to ultrafast charging technology said to be best-in-class, users will also have access to Fleete’s proprietary software platform, managing charging schedules and optimising energy consumption.
Smaller clients can also benefit from innovative hybrid hubs that can be used by multiple fleets with vehicles of all sizes, such as taxis and light commercial vehicles.
Mark Dooley, global head of Green Investment Group, said: “The mass transition to electric vehicles is now inevitable, the only question is how quickly it will happen. GIG is here to make that transition happen as fast as possible and we see commercial fleets as an opportunity for significant near-term decarbonisation impact.
“By establishing Fleete, we aim to accelerate the EV transition by making it easy for operators to reap the benefits of going electric immediately, while supporting the delivery of a smart, flexible, low-carbon energy system.”
Fleete’s subscription-based service installs high-powered DC charging equipment, delivering between 60kW and 600kW depending on individual fleet requirements. It caters for three different types of location: large-scale depots where vehicles are parked overnight; hybrid hubs in locations such as trading estates or carparks and able to be used by multiple fleets; and intercity chargers.
As part of its service, Fleete will advise on layout, design, build and operation of all types of sites – as well as electric vehicle choice. The company’s proprietary software also manages charging schedules, optimising energy consumption and business spend while further reducing costs and carbon.
The business is headed up by CEO Dan Benham who said its services would help support a large-scale transition to electric commercial vehicles. He said: “Through a monthly subscription with no upfront costs, we are putting clients at ease as they transition to electric vehicles. All of this wrapped up in our over-arching . Achieving this can only be done in a smart, connected way with a single point of service for our clients. That is Fleete.”
...Courtesy of Dr James Morris, Editor of WhichEV
The Hyundai Group has the bit between its teeth with electrification. We really liked the IONIQ 5 and Kia EV6, but there’s one more Hyundai brand that has benefited from the same EV platform – Genesis. It’s the luxury marque from the same group, with a similar relationship to its sister brands as Lexus has to Toyota. The GV60 uses Hyundai’s E-GMP platform, and you can see the family resemblance to the IONIQ 5 from the side. But the Genesis spin is much sleeker and more sophisticated, with none of the “modern retro” look.
Price and Options
The GV60 comes in three basic flavours. All three have a 77.4kWh battery, but the motor power and configuration varies. The Premium trim comes with a 226bhp (168kW) motor on the rear wheels only. The Sport is all-wheel drive with a total 314bhp (234kW, with 74kW front and 160kW rear). Finally, the Sport Plus, which we test drove, also has all-wheel drive, but a considerable 483bhp (360kw) divided equally front and rear.
Read more here….Genesis GV60 2022 Review | | WhichEV.Net
MDF is part of the Midlands Engine Investment Fund (MEIF) and managed by Maven Capital Partners (Maven).
Aimed at the urban, environmentally conscious commuter the RM1 is a zero emission bike that shows some classic British heritage styling.
The RM1 can be charged from any plug socket and can also be fitted with a second battery which extends the range from 40 to 80 miles.
Priced at just under £5,000 it makes switching to emobilty a real option for urban driving.
According to Maeving, the new money from MEIF Maven Debt Finance will “support the business in its early growth stages while providing working capital to assist with the launch of the RM1 electric bike and invest in the recruitment of marketing and engineering talent”.
Commenting, Will Stirrup, Maeving joint chief executive, said: “We are thrilled to have received this support from Maven at such an important time for the business. The investment will allow us to scale the business quickly, getting more people onto electric vehicles at a crucial moment in the fight against climate change.”
Richard Blount, Maven investment director, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for Maven and the MEIF to support the team at Maeving at this exciting time with the launch of the RM1, and we look forward to being a part of their growth journey in producing stylish products that support sustainable travel and challenge the future of transport.”
Other established manufacturers in this class include Norton, Triumph and Ducati.
Introducing the Electric Universe
To reflect the rocket-speed momentum in which charging providers are joining the network, Electric Juice is transforming into the Electric Universe (Electroverse, for short!) on 24th August.
In the past 12 months, Electric Juice has added over 200 charging providers (i.e. Fastned, MFG EV Power, GeniePoint, Mer, and ShellRecharge) and 200,000 charging points to the network, opening the route to international charging, and we want a name and app that reflects our global plans as we launch into new countries.
The Electric Universe is your ticket to charging at more than 300,000 compatible charging stations across the globe - with many more to come! Want to take your EV from Liverpool to Lisbon? How about from Cornwall to the Czech Republic? Well, now you can!
With the Electric Universe app and compatible RFID card (Juice/Electrocard), the world of EV charging is yours for the taking!
What do you need to know?
On the 24th August, the Electric Juice app, website and social media channels will relaunch under the Electric Universe name, design and logo.
If you've already got the Electric Juice app, you'll need to download the last version (available on 24th August!). Once updated, the app name will change to Electroverse.
Your Juice cards will continue to work as normal across the network - you don't need to do anything differently - as soon, any new cards ordered will have the Electrocard design!
Follow Octopus Electric Universe on social media by clicking the links within your app profile page; it's the best way to stay up-to-date on our latest features, partners, news and competitions!
If you have enabled push notifications with the Electric Juice app, you'll receive a notification on your phone when the Electric Universe changes are live. To enable push notifications, check out these handy guides for Apple and Android.
And if you don’t have the Electric Juice app but would like to download it ahead of the update click here
“The rising cost of energy, combined with the increase in demands from EV drivers makes for a perfect storm of issues across the sector, which need to be addressed, says Dougie Blair, CEO and Founder at ChargeView Dougie Blair’s profile
“This week I visited the Union Street public car park in Bo'ness for a shot of their Charge Place Scotland chargers. It was a decent location all be it only suitable for cars not commercial vehicles. Access was tight and the EV vans I drive for work would have too much overhang to safely charge there.
The chargers were easy to find and all in working order so bonus points for that considering the maintenance issues highlighted in previous posts.
I did encounter a typical problem for those looking to charge on the go. Despite having checked availability on the app prior to setting off, when I arrived the 50kw rapid charge facility was in use, leaving me to charge on the 22kw AC (significantly slower charge point) costing me circa 2 hours to achieve my required charge level. As I work remotely this was no major inconvenience but for many this will be a real prohibiting factor to charging here.
Todays experience also raised a question relating to public chargers which I'm not qualified to answer. (Perhaps one of my connections can help out below!)
Despite the CPS chargers having both a CCS and Chademo tethered connector, if either one is in use it means the other can not be used. Is this something that can be retrospectively changed or will the physical infrastructure e. g. pavements/roads once again need lifted to extend the charging capabilities there.
Overall an indifferent experience due to the considerable time used up!”
Motoring broadcaster and transport campaigner Quentin Willson writes his first exclusive column for Transport + Energy where he outlines his concerns about the amount of information doing the rounds designed to discredit the electric vehicle (EV) in all its forms and what can be done to combat this.
How has it come to this? The conservative right-wing rails against the liberal centrists because electrification – and the moratorium on sales of new combustion cars and vans after 2030 – is a sinister threat to the principles of free choice. The other day I was amazed to see the hashtag #SAYNOTOEVS. When did the noble vision of reducing tailpipe emissions become a threat to democracy? When did the goal of cleaning up our urban air become politicised? This week I also read a perfectly innocent Facebook question genuinely asking if buying an electric car was a good idea, only to watch it being ambushed by dozens of ‘experts’ explaining why EVs generate more whole-life pollution than combustion cars and that it would be better for the planet to buy a diesel. Honestly. Where does this stuff come from and why so much now?
The technological leaps in battery efficiency, range and reliability should be something society should celebrate. But instead this stellar progress is being demonised as a threat to individual freedoms. A decade ago when I was driving around in electric Mitsubishi iMievs, Citroen C-Zeros and Vauxhall Amperas nobody complained. They just smiled indulgently. But now things feel totally different. Electric cars have become Satan with regenerative brakes. Publicly haranguing a technology that can significantly reduce pedestrian level pollution in cities seems so bewilderingly mischievous that you genuinely wonder who is behind it. And that’s the dirigible-sized question that really concerns me. If all the anti-EV stuff you see on social media is just the re-heated posts of diesel die-hards then I don’t suppose we should worry too much. Keyboard warriors are a fact of life. But what if things are more organised?
Vested interests in The Old Order face serious disruption from EVs and that uncertainty must be making them feel a bit wobbly right now. If you consider the range of threats facing the oil and road fuel industry, car makers, parts suppliers, after-market repairs, workshop servicing and half-a-hundred other sectors, you can see there’s a mountain of investment that’s going to have to move elsewhere. In the US, Republicans in Congress are pushing back hard against Biden’s ambitious EV, battery and infrastructure programs and in Europe at least one major car maker has asked the EU to extend the ban on sales of new combustion cars and vans by five years to 2040. There are clearly furrowed brows. Would it be too much of an imaginative leap to suggest that some of those vested interests might be trying to lobby against EVs and electrification? A quiet campaign of disinformation? From what I’m reading and hearing, it sure feels that way.
Many would-be buyers I speak to are still trotting out the worn-smooth urban myths that were robustly disproved ages ago. And while its absolutely important to acknowledge that EVs aren’t for everybody and there are those who may never, ever want to drive one in their lifetimes, we mustn’t allow that haystack of myths to set back the progress of electrification or, worse still, alarm politicians enough to reverse legislation. Having campaigned for 11 years for lower fuel duty I’ve seen first-hand how important the votes of car drivers and the white van man are to the Conservatives. EVs could easily become a highly charged electoral issue (pardon the pun) and negatively influence future policy and government investment. Spinning the conflict between combustion and electric as a class war that disadvantages low income drivers in red-wall constituencies could throw a sizable spanner in No 10’s confidence. The world has been driving EVs for a decade and covered many millions of miles so we now have more than enough data to empirically disprove all of the anti-EV nonsense and then some. We need to get better at myth busting and telling more positive electric car stories before this war gets completely out of hand.
Marin Offiah of Connected Kerb commented 'When I read stuff like this I think to myself, REALLY!!!? Once the genie is out of the bottle you can’t put it back in. Do people really think the government is now going to say ok let’s go back to burning as much fossil fuels as possible? Evolution only goes in one direction, I thought Luddites would have learnt this by now. I mean how did holding on to the old horse thing go?
Stop looking for the perfect solution I say and just move forward. In life it’s always better to be part of the solution rather than the problem. Let’s think of innovative ways to solve problems as we move to a better cleaner future rather than sabotage and procrastinate'
The proportion of used car sales involving battery electric vehicles (BEVs) has doubled in a year, according to research.
Figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) showed that 16,782 UK-based transactions involving purely electric models took place in the second quarter of this year.
This was up by 57 per cent from the same period in 2021, while the overall size of the used car market shrank by 19 per cent over the same timeframe.
BEV sales made up almost 1 per cent of the overall second-hand exchange picture in the latest period, having represented 0.5 per cent a year earlier.
Meanwhile sales of plug-in hybrids edged up slightly and accounted for a further 0.9 per cent of the overall non-new market. Standard hybrid sales dropped slightly but still represented the largest chunk of the overall market at 2.4 per cent.
Petrol and diesel vehicles remained dominant, however, accounting for more than 95 per cent of sales.
SMMT Chief Executive Mike Hawes said it was “inevitable” that the semi-conductor shortage reducing the supply of new cars led to fewer deals for older models.
“Despite this, Britain’s used car buyers clearly have a growing appetite for the latest low and zero emission cars, and we need a thriving new-car market to feed it,” he said.
“The next Prime Minister must create the conditions to drive consumer confidence, especially in EVs, and the fleet renewal necessary to meet our decarbonisation goals.”
Supply chain issues, exacerbated by the dearth of semiconductors, overseas pandemic lockdowns and the war in Ukraine, continue to haunt the global vehicle industry. Taking a helicopter view of things, electric cars are faring reasonably well against this challenging backdrop.
And demand is there for electric cars. You only have to look at second hand prices to see how well resale values are holding up; which is great for people who have a car to sell on the second hand market. Not so great for people looking to buy a used electric car. This situation should settle down when the supply chain bottlenecks starts to ease, which they will. The advent of the UK Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate should also see supply increase, and those new cars trickle down to the used car market. But this will all take time. So if you’re looking for an electric car right now, what’s the answer?
There are pockets of electric car stock out there. You just have to know where to look. And with vehicle manufacturers bringing out new electric car makes and models all the time, it won’t be long before there truly are cars to suit all driver’s needs.
But what about the upfront cost? This is often cited as the key barrier to entry. Research from LV= General Insurance found that 45% of people are put off making the switch to an electric car due to the higher sticker price. The beauty of driving electric is that it pays to look at all of the costs involved – from purchase or lease cost, through to running costs (charging, maintenance, insurance, tax). The LV= Electric Car Cost Indexfound that out of 13 electric cars that were compared with their petrol or diesel equivalents, seven provided savings over a four year lease, whilst three were better value no matter how they were bought. And with running costs being 47% lower for electric cars, the savings soon stack up.
And if you’re still concerned about upfront cost, then leasing an electric car could be the solution. With more than 1.3 million leased cars on the roads in the UK today, it’s a great fit for electric cars. Leasing an electric car means that you benefit from fixed monthly payments, and there’s no need to worry about depreciation and resale value, plus it’s easy to change to a car with newer tech at the end of your contract.
LV= recently launched ElectriX to help drivers lease, charge and insure an electric car. ElectriX offers a wide range of cars to lease, with many cars available within 12 weeks, as well as home charging and bespoke electric car insurance. The website helps drivers decide whether an electric car is right for them, what it costs to own and run one, and how to charge – both at home and on the road.
From finding the right car through vehicle leasing experts CBVC, providing a home charging solution via leading provider Indra, and offering bespoke insurance from LV= General Insurance as well as useful guidance and advice, ElectriX is designed to give drivers confidence in electric cars.
And to find your perfect car, make a bee line to ElectriX.
To watch ‘ElectriX – Make the Switch Now’ on the Everything Electric Show, head over to YouTube.
Switching to renewable energy is key to tackling the climate crisis, but wind and solar energy rely heavily on the weather, creating an inconsistent power supply. Nant de Drance is part of a new generation of "water batteries" which could accelerate the transition by storing energy and stabilizing the electricity grid. Using the latest technology, including variable-speed pumped turbines (pictured), Nant de Drance has a storage capacity equivalent to 400,000 electric vehicle batteries.
Switzerland has unveiled its latest renewable energy innovation: a giant water battery.
Beginning operations last month, the water battery, called Nant de Drance, is a pumped storage hydropower plant that provides the same energy storage capacity as 400,000 electric car batteries.
Located high in the Swiss Alps in the canton of Valais, the plant is equipped with agile, reversible turbines that offer new levels of flexibility, says Robert Gleitz, a delegate of the board of directors of Nant de Drance: with the flick of a switch, the plant can go from storing energy to providing electricity.
The massive project took 14 years to complete. Around 17 kilometers (10.5 miles) of subterranean tunnels were excavated through the Alps while the six turbines are stored 600 meters (1970 feet) below ground, in a giant cavern the length of two football fields.
Nant de Drance repurposed two existing reservoirs, raising the upper one by 21.5 meters (71 feet) to double its capacity -- it now holds more water than 6,500 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
As one of the largest facilities of its kind, the $2 billion project could play a vital role in stabilizing Europe's electricity grid as the continent transitions to renewable energy, says Gleitz.
Making a splash
Pumped storage hydropower plants, which have been around for over a century, are particularly important for renewable energy because wind and solar rely heavily on the weather and don't provide a consistent power supply.
"We can take energy (from the grid) when there is too much, and generate it again when it's needed," says Gleitz.
Unlike many of the plants that preceded it, Nant de Drance uses variable speed pump-turbines, says Pascal Radue, CEO of GE Renewable Energy Hydro which supplied equipment for the facility.
The turbines help to stabilize the electricity grid, says Radue.
"With a fixed speed turbine, you have to wait until the power plant is running at exactly the right speed to be synchronized to the grid," says Radue, adding that this wastes time and energy. Variable speed turbines supply electricity to the grid immediately so there's less risk of blackouts.
A big impact
Historically "open-flow" pumped storage hydropower stations, which are built on river systems and require dam construction, disrupted wildlife and damaged ecosystems. In Switzerland, where the first pumped storage hydropower plant was built in 1890, almost half of total river lengths have been artificially altered, with very few Alpine rivers in a natural state.
That's why modern projects favor closed-loop systems, like Nant de Drance, which don't impact river systems, says Andrew Blakers, a professor of engineering at the Australian National University.
"The era of dam building is nearly over," says Blakers, adding that these closed loop power plants take up a relatively small space given the energy security they provide. He estimates that to power a city with one million inhabitants for 24 hours would require around two square kilometers of flooded land, adding that pumped storage hydropower offers one of the highest efficiency energy storage solutions currently available.
Nant de Drance returns around 80% of the electricity it takes in back to the grid, and stores around 20 hours of backup energy, says Gleitz.
Transitioning to renewables
Hoping to become the "first climate-neutral continent," Europe has big ambitions for renewable energy: in 2020, just over one-fifth of the continent's total energy came from renewable sources but in May this year, the European Commission increased its 2030 renewables target from 40% to 45%.
To achieve this, new, high-capacity storage facilities are essential, says Blakers. The European Association for Storage of Energy estimates that the continent will need 200 gigawatts of storage by 2030 -- more than four times its current storage capacity. In the decade between 2010 and 2020, just 8 gigawatts of storage was added to the grid.
That's why Nant de Drance is so significant. Located at the geographical heart of Europe, Switzerland could offer stability to the grid across the continent, says Rebecca Ellis, energy policy manager at the non-profit International Hydropower Association. Nant de Drance has increased Switzerland's installed energy capacity by 33%, says Ellis, adding that it "shows the leadership of Switzerland" in the transition to renewables.
However, as the nation is not a member of the European Union, regulations are currently a barrier, says Gleitz. "The market rules are not easy," he says. "We still need to have closer agreements with the EU."
Pumped storage hydropower could provide energy security outside of Europe, too: Blakers and his team have identified around 600,000 potential sites for closed loop systems -- although just 1% of these would be needed to meet total global energy storage needs, he adds.
As the climate crisis intensifies, Gleitz hopes that Europe embraces the potential of the "clean energy storage" provided by pumped storage hydropower plants. "If we want to go in the direction of having clean power, Nant de Drance is one of the stepping stones on this path," he says.
However, new data released by transport research group New Automotive does contain some positive news for the electric van market, with sales up from 2% compared with the same time last year. Electric vans also continue to be the fastest growing market segment, despite the overall number of new van registrations shrinking by 22% compared to July 2021.
Ford, Peugeot and Maxus for example each registered ten-fold increases in EV commercial sales compared to the sanme peiord in 2021.
Ciara Cook, Research and Policy Officer at New AutoMotive, says:“It is great that more and more businesses and individuals are discovering the benefits of switching to an electric van. However, there is still a mountain to climb, with over 15,000 new diesel vans registered in July. Each new ICE van registered is a polluting vehicle that will stay on the roads for years to come.”
She added:
“The cost-of-living crisis and sky-high diesel prices are hitting businesses hard. The savings in running costs electric vans offer could be crucial for many businesses in the difficult months ahead.
“An ambitious ZEV mandate will be critical in making sure that the supply of electric vans meets demand, as more businesses discover the savings they offer and make the switch.”
The data comes from New AutoMotive’s Electric Van Count (EVC), which provides measurability, expert insight and analysis of this data – to help meet the government’s ambition to phase out sales of diesel and petrol vans from 2030 and hybrids from 2035.
The Electric Van Count follows in the success of New AutoMotive’s Electric Car Count, the most up-to-date and comprehensive electric car sales data in the UK.
Located near Ballantrae in South Ayrshire, Gleanapp Castle has installed two Tesla charging points and a further two Porsche charging points which have universal fits for all vehicles.
With its backdrop of “breathtaking gardens, forest and seascapes” that surround the castle this must be one of Scotland’s most scenic charge point locations.
The award-winning hotel – it has 21 luxury bedrooms - exudes comfort and style and rightly boats “an intimate level of service with genuine attention to detail”. Its period furnishings and interiors are amongst the best to be found anywhere in Scotland.
Just arrive, plug-in and relax!
‘At Glenapp Castle, our team members are passionate about the ever-growing sustainability movement. Glenapp Castle has a “reduce, reuse, recycle” philosophy at the heart of all of our activities. We therefore believe that having EV charging points is integral to our hotel offering and these are joined by many of our other eco-friendly initiatives, from our magical kitchen-garden relationship to the sustainable activities we offer such as learning how to beekeeper and foraging. Since their installation, we have seen our four electric charging points become more and more popular. We hope that our EV charging points will encourage our guests to take more eco-conscious routes where possible and that they will highlight how Glenapp Castle is committed to sustainable tourism and the implementation of proactive measures to help protect and sustain the local, national, and global environment for future generations’' – Jill Chalmers, Managing Director
Contact: https://www.glenappcastle.com
Orkney islanders, who have been campaigning for years for facilities to charge their cars onboard ferries, have welcome the news that a major hurdle has now been overcome...a lack of guidance from the MCA that prevented ferry operators installing charge points has been removed!
This, according to the Electric Vehicle Association Scotland, will also be a major boost for tourism as increasing numbers of visitors to the islands are driving EVs!
“We have been trying to get chargers on these ferries for the last four years,” explained Neil Kermode Chair of the Orkney Renewable Energy Forum and a director of the Electric Vehicle Association Scotland.
“The main reason for this being that northbound ferries from Aberdeen arrive in Orkney and Shetland at 11 at night. ‘We were keen that tired drivers would be able to have enough charge in their cars to drive to their homes or hotels without needing to try and find a charge point at midnight.
EV drivers in Orkney have been campaigning to persuade Northlink Ferries to install slow speed chargers on the ships that ply between Aberdeen, Orkney and Shetland since 2018 but a lack of guidance from the MCA prevented this. With the last regulatory hurdle now removed, problems could be overcome.
The new Marine Guidance Note details the necessary precautions required when taking EVs on ferries and looks much wider than just charging.
“When we first contacted the MCA in 2018 there were very few EVs about and the missing guidance was not on their priority list. They made it clear that was not going to change,” explained Neil Kermode.
“In the intervening years EV sales have gone up exponentially, with EVs becoming increasingly common on our roads and therefore on our ferries. The need to make sure the carriage of EVs was considered had become increasingly important. The issue of the MCA guidance is therefore heartily welcomed by both EVA Scotland and the Orkney Renewable Energy Forum.”
“Northlink Ferries have already installed chargers at their terminals as have other operators, however the process of arriving early enough to be sure of getting an adequate charge could become fraught as numbers of EV drivers increase.
“With the cars sitting idle on ships for up to five hours while on passage, it seemed to us like a good time to provide EV charging to those really in need.
“With the increasing range (mileage) of EVs we expect most drivers will arrive at the embarkation port with enough charge left to get to their final destination when they arrive in Orkney for example, but for those who cut it tight for time or range, this gives peace of mind that they will not be hunting for a charger at midnight!”
He added: “Although the new guidance will also allow charging on short ferry routes this is not being recommended as the source of the electricity on ships is presently a diesel engine powering the ship itself. For short crossings the cars would not get enough charge to make the process worthwhile. For long crossings a gentle ‘home charge’ rate will give the vital miles to get to the drivers accommodation. Although it is still diesel being used to charge the cars, this is better than no charge at all.”
A spokesperson for Serco NorthLink Ferries said: “Following recent guidance from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, we are assessing the risks associated with the fitment and use of EV charging onboard to inform decision making.”
Booking of onboard charging services are expected to be required and it is anticipated that there will be a fee… “so this is not a way of getting cheap electricity, it is more of a service to the EV drivers arriving at their destinations, sometimes late at night,” said Mr. Kermode.
Orkney is one island that is already well prepared and set up for EV tourism. EV ownership is already very popular on the islands.
Kermode added: “This important step by the MCA will help Orkney be just that little bit more ready for the EV revolution already underway.”
The MV Hrossy and MV Hjartland each have over 20,000kW of diesel engines aboard to power the ship. It is expected that only a few 6kW charger bays will be needed aboard amounting to less than 50kW.
Refrigerated trucks aboard the ferries can already plug in and use between 6 and 9kW, so the EV car demand is likely to be small compared with longstanding freight.
The MGA suggests that cars will be placed in designated bays and that ferry crews will make the electrical connection once the car decks are cleared of passengers.
Additional media coverage
With inflation at its highest in 40 years and public charging costs rising fast, an electric car could cost an average driver without access to off-street parking up to £1,320 per year to ‘fuel’. This is still cheaper than filling up a petrol car, but there is a way owners can top up the batteries for free, according to new research from the experts at Electrifying.com.
Supermarkets including Tesco, Sainsburys, Lidl and Aldi all offer free charging at many stores across the country, which could help to offset the rising cost of food bills. Popular tourist destinations, including many National Trust sites, also offer free charging for visitors.
According to Zap Map, as of June this year, nearly 5,500 of the 35,000 public charge points across the UK were free to use. Scotland, the South East and London were the three areas with the highest number of free electric car chargers, with over 2,600 combined. Lagging behind with just 154 free chargers, it found the North East to be Britain’s stingiest region when it comes to no cost electric top ups.
Ginny Buckley, CEO and co-founder of electrifying.com said: “Electric car ownership should not be a privilege for the more affluent, and if we want to bring everyone along on the electric journey, we need to ensure that the right infrastructure is in place - and at the right price - so that everyone can make the switch with confidence.
“Whether you’re staying overnight at a hotel, visiting a tourist attraction or your local supermarket, there are plenty of free charging points out there.
“Those without off-street parking - which is around one third of drivers nationally - are already paying up to £1,320 each year to charge - this is why we need local authorities right across the country to step up their game when it comes to charging infrastructure.
“While free charging is a brilliant incentive for some businesses, it won’t be a solution for everyone. That’s why I’m calling for VAT on public charge points to be reduced from 20 percent to five percent to bring it in line with the cost of charging at home.
“I would also like to see energy providers introduce cheaper night tariffs at public charge points to help balance the supply grid and benefit those without access to off-street parking.”
Ginny has been at the heart of broadcasting, journalism and cars for over 20 years. She’s a juror and advisor for the World Car of the Year Awards and has driven just about everything… the good, the bad and the ugly, but has now fallen for electric. On the TV front she reports on transport and consumer related issues for the ITV1 flagship current affairs programme ‘Tonight’ and was the launch presenter for ITV’s ‘Men and Motors’ channel, where she produced and presented motoring programmes for many years. Her other on-screen credits include the BBC programmes ‘Holiday’, ‘Escape to the Country’, ‘Crimewatch Roadshow’ and ‘Watchdog’. The first electric car she drove was the VW Golf Citystromer back in 1998. She was very young!
Ginny Buckley
The CEO and founder of electrifying.com, Ginny has been at the heart of broadcasting, journalism and cars for over 20 years. She’s a juror and advisor for the World Car of the Year Awards and has driven just about everything… the good, the bad and the ugly, but has now fallen for electric. On the TV front she reports on transport and consumer related issues for the ITV1 flagship current affairs programme ‘Tonight’ and was the launch presenter for ITV’s ‘Men and Motors’ channel, where she produced and presented motoring programmes for many years. Her other on-screen credits include the BBC programmes ‘Holiday’, ‘Escape to the Country’, ‘Crimewatch Roadshow’ and ‘Watchdog’. The first electric car she drove was the VW Golf Citystromer back in 1998. She was very young!
Electrifying.com is a multi-channel media platform and electric car marketplace fronted by three TV presenters and journalists: founder Ginny Buckley, Nicki Shields and Tom Ford. It was launched in March 2020 after assembling a team of electric car experts with decades of experience in the automotive sector. The site and its social channels have seen rapid growth in viewers and visitors as Britain’s curious, but often baffled consumers seek jargon-free advice about the switch to electric cars.
https://www.electrifying.com
LV= General Insurance has launched ElectriX, a one-stop shop offering drivers everything they need to get on the road with an electric car – from leasing a vehicle, through to buying a home charger and getting electric car insurance.
Leasing
The electric car market is taking off, with battery electric cars accounting for 11.6% of all UK car registrations in 2021 and 16% of new car sales in June 2022. Many drivers are interested in making the switch, but are potentially confused or put off by upfront costs, the fear of the unknown when it comes to range anxiety and battery life, or the challenges of charging while on the road.
ElectriX helps solve these issues by demystifying the buying experience and making it easy to make the switch by providing everything in one place. From finding the right car through vehicle leasing experts CBVC Vehicle Management, providing a home charging solution via leading provider Indra, and offering bespoke insurance from LV= as well as useful guidance and advice, ElectriX is designed to give drivers confidence in electric cars.
Smart home charging
The home charging solution with Indra gives drivers the chance to buy a Smart PRO home charger, which is compatible with all electric cars. The charger is designed to help drivers charge their car from home when it is cheapest and most convenient for them, with speeds up to 7.4kW boosting an electric car’s range by 30 miles in an hour. Prices start at £1,149 and include free installation with a standard 5-metre cable and the option of having a 15-metre cable at no extra cost. The charging package also includes a series of smart features, including a personal charging schedule, solar compatibility, automatic software updates and home fuse protection.
Insurance
LV= General Insurance is one of the leading providers of electric car insurance in the UK and launched the first bespoke product back in 2019. The insurance provides tailored cover to meet the specific needs of electric car owners and includes cover for home charging cables and wall boxes, the supply of electric or hybrid courtesy cars and access to a network of specialist electric car repairers across the country. It also covers drivers if they run out of charge, either via a 30-minute charge at the roadside or transportation to the nearest charging unit as well as a 90-day quote validity and LV= Britannia Rescue breakdown cover.
Gill Nowell, head of EV communications at ElectriX, commented: “Electric cars are our future and are rapidly gaining in popularity as being great cars to own and drive. The tide is turning in favour of zero tailpipe emission vehicles, with battery electric cars making up 16% of car sales during the first half of 2022, but we still have a long way to go. This is where ElectriX comes in. We want to take the hassle out of electric car ownership which is why we’re giving drivers who are thinking about making the switch access to useful information, products and services, demystifying some of the common jargon used and be a source of truth when it comes to zero tailpipe emission driving.”
Says Euan: “This small urban or city car has a UK starting price of £34,420 or €29,995 in the Republic of Ireland. It has a 35.5 kWh battery or 28.5 kWh usable and offers a range of up to 105 miles or 170 km per single charge.
On Board Charger
The HondaE even has a 6.6 kW on board charger and can charge at a speed of up to 56 kW using a rapid CCS charger.”
Describing the interior of the HondaE as “the most intuitive of any electric car with everything you could possible want right at your finger tips”, Euan adds that it is the best laid car he has ever sat in or driven, electric or otherwise.
Interior
Inside the HondaE has been inspired by a home living-room and the centre screens include a virtual aquarium which Euan describes as lovely and “a bit bonkers”!
The HondaE comes complete with HDMI port and a 1.5 kW 3 pin domestic socket and will do from 0 – 60 mph in 9 seconds.
The one drawback which Euan notes in his review is the ‘under-sized battery’ which he believes is disappointing, but adds that the vehicle will last for an awfully long time and cover hundreds of thousands of miles, but with a greater range this would be a replacement for his Tesla Model S.
Check out the film now and let us know whether you agree with Euan’s thoughts in the comments.
EV Talk: The Faster Project Review series has been produced in association with the Arnold Clark Innovation Centre.
Click here to watch the FASTER Project EV Talk: Honda-E review with Dr Euan McTurk
Octopus Energy has estimated that the new energy cap may result in an additional cost of £16 per month (£192 per year) for those on standard variable tariffs.
In May, The Guardian reported that the cost to charge an electric vehicle at home has increased by 43% for some, with on-the-road recharging rising by 25%. Whilst in 2021 an EV covering 7,400 miles per year that was recharged mainly overnight cost £174 to recharge, as of April 2022 the EV cost £249 in the same charging context.
So yes, EV charging costs will increase for many. But the cost of petrol and diesel are also at the highest they’ve been for eight years. A glance at the confirms the fuel price increase: unleaded petrol is now priced at 186.59 pence per litre, super unleaded at 196.33 per litre pence, and diesel at 192.48 pence per litre.
There are tariffs designed specifically for the purpose of electric charging – which enable drivers to take advantage of low cost overnight rates (with potential savings of £1000 per year versus fuelling up with petrol). Although it should be noted that many providers are offering them at present.
In light of these price increases, EVs still appear to be an attractive option. A survey of over 2,000 UK motorists by Motor Ombudsman revealed 25% of participants will be switching to EVs in the next three months.
Considering the total cost of EV ownership savings, and the environmental price, it is still very much a worthwhile decision.
Scottish Water fleet gets EVs on tap
,,,courtesy of FleetWorld
he utility company Scottish Water has continued the electrification of its vehicle fleet with the arrival of 20 brand new e-NV200 vans from Nissan.
e all-electric LCVs have now started performing daily duties for the company and join vans from other manufacturers – and a number of Nissan Leaf pool cars – as Scottish Water forges ahead on its path to ‘net zero’.
The decision to acquire the e-NV200s came after a report for Scottish Water found it would be possible for the organisation to turn 60% of its vehicle parc electric to reduce carbon emissions.
And fleet decision makers at the company found that the e-NV200 was an ideal choice thanks to its impressive range and clever technology, plus great levels of practicality and comfort.
As well as achieving significant emission reductions, the vehicles will generate substantial financial savings due to reduced fuel and maintenance costs. Scottish Water secured funding from the Transport Scotland Switched On Fleets programme to help with their acquisition.
Scottish Water operates one of the largest fleets north of the border with a parc of over 1,300 vehicles travelling up to 19 million miles a year between them.
Holly McPhee, EV Transition Change Lead at the organisation, confirmed: ‘‘Our new e-NV200s have just been delivered. They look great – and have been very well received….see more at:
Scottish Water fleet gets EVs on tap : Fleetworld
Edinburgh Waverley station installs 84 EV charge points
...courtesy of Transport + Energy
Network Rail has installed 84 new electric vehicle charging points at Edinburgh Waverley station – allowing rail passengers with electric vehicles to charge while they travel.
The charging points, powered by renewable energy, provide enough power to fully charge a vehicle in as little as three to four hours.
Waverley station is the second busiest rail station in Scotland, serving passengers travelling to and from the capital city and connecting people from all over Scotland and England by rail via the East Coast Main Line.
Liberty Charge wins place on Scottish EV charging network
...courtesy of Transport + Energy
Public charge point operator Liberty Charge has earned a place on a framework designed to provide an efficient route to market for Scotland’s electric vehicle (EV) charge point rollout.
The framework will enable the Scottish Government’s aspiration of achieving net zero by 2045, and to create the conditions to eliminate the need for all new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030, and light commercial vehicles in Scotland’s public sector fleet by 2025.
The awarding body, Scotland Excel, is the Centre of Procurement Expertise for the local Government sector, responsible for Scotland’s 32 local authorities. The framework is expected to be worth £20 million a year.
Universities and colleges, the Scottish Prison Service, Scottish National Health Service, Police Scotland and the Scottish Ambulance Service will also use the framework...read more at:
Liberty Charge wins place on Scottish EV charging framework : transportandenergy
In just eight weeks, 3ti’s first pop-up, mini solar car park, known as “Papilio3”, located at Surrey Research Park in Guildford, generated 4.86MWh of solar electricity, providing enough renewable energy to drive an average family EV 20,000 miles! This is well ahead of the average UK EV drivers annual mileage.
According to Tim Evans, 3ti’s founder and CEO: “Solar is an abundant source of renewable energy – yield from our first Papilio3 unit at Surrey Research Park has already topped 4.86MWh, and all 12 charging points have been in regular use,
“The most recent International Energy Agency statistics show that, thanks to higher solar and wind power generation, renewable electricity production is up by 9.8% year-on-year across all Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries, but there is still plenty of room for further improvement.”
Mr Evans said that solar car parks (SCP) have already displayed vast potential as a method of generating renewable energy.
He added “In June, for example, just one of our customer sites produced 290MWh from a 2.2 MWp solar array. At current prices that’s over £65,000 worth of electricity. Papilio3 will play a direct and prominent role in decarbonising the UK transport sector with scalable technology that is easily deployed as a workplace and destination charging solution. It will also help to deliver on renewable energy targets and reduce the carbon intensity of EV charging, especially during peak hours where the grid relies on a carbon-rich safety net.”
The first 3ti crowdfunding round opened on June 23rd and exceeded its initial £500,000 target within just one hour of going live publicly. The fund will accelerate the roll-out of Papilio3, enable expansion of the 3ti team and underpin continued clean energy technology development, and with a week left before closing on 31st July, the company has tripled its investment target on the Crowdcube platform to £1.5 million.
About 3ti
The company has a unique three technology (“3t”) approach to generating renewable energy from car parks.
By integrating local mains electricity with solar power, Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) and EV charge points, 3ti provides secure, consistent, clean solar energy for businesses whilst simultaneously providing low carbon, fast EV charging infrastructure for employees, suppliers, customers and the general public.
Solar energy from car parks is a low cost, low carbon and innovative way to power buildings and EV chargers, enabling customers to generate their own renewable energy and work towards achieving net zero emissions.
The 3ti team is responsible for the two largest SCPs in the UK, at Bentley Motors, Crewe and JP Morgan Chase, Bournemouth, is working on multi-site projects for the Ministry of Defence and has already installed 9.57 MW of solar PV across circa 2,500 parking spaces around the country.
The new Electric MOKE is, quite simply a continuation of the 1964 Mini Moke, which quickly became a global icon and an enduring symbol of the swinging 60s after being seen in the hands of celebrities including The Beatles and Bridget Bardot in glamorous locations like the French Riviera and the Caribbean.
The new vehicle replaces the combustion engine version of the MOKE which makes MOKE International the first heritage brand to go fully electric.
By reinvigorating the MOKE as an electric vehicle, MOKE International has brought the world-famous road and beach car into the era of e-mobility, ensuring generations to come will be able to enjoy the sense of fun and freedom that made it such a hit with famous faces, travellers, and coastal resorts six decades ago.
Moke's current management team will be retained as part of the deal and the company remains on track to start delivering its electric Moke recreation – built by Fablink in Northamptonshire – to customers in the coming months, having started deliveries of a petrol-powered continuation-style car last year.
Speaking to Autocar in the wake of the announcement, EVTG CEO Witvoet explained his motivation for taking on the brand: "I'm a massive petrolhead – I love cars; I love racing them – but I realise we need to make the transition to EVs.
BACKGROUND
1964
Based on the original Moke, but without doors and without many optional extras, the Austin Mini Moke was marketed in the UK as a VAT-exempt, utilitarian vehicle. However, despite this advantage and its appearance in the British television series “The Prisoner”, the Austin Mini Moke only sold 10% of the 14,518 units produced and the Longbridge plant ceased production of the car in 1968.
2022
Moke International – the British firm behind an 'electro-mod' version of the open-sided Mini beach car from the 1960s – has been acquired by the newly formed EV Technology Group for $55.1 million (£46.2m).
The move sees EVTG – led by Dutch entrepreneur Wouter Witvoet – take a 65% stake in the low-volume Buckinghamshire-based brand, with the option to claim all of the remaining shares.
So do we have an impending disaster looming that everyone has overlooked?
Is there any truth in this, or is it another EV myth?
Let’s look at the facts.
- There are 31.9 million cars in the UK (petrol, diesel and EV combined).
- The average car does around 20 miles a day in the UK, which for an average EV will use around 5 kWh per day for the 20 mile journey. That ‘loss’ can easily be replaced by a 7 kWh home charger within one hour.
- EV battery sizes can range from 40 kWh to 100 kWh. In very simple terms using the average daily mileage, a 40 kWh battery can last for 8 days, and a 100 kWh battery can last for 20 days before a recharge is needed.
- We all do different daily mileages, with different driving styles in vehicles with different capabilities. So the need for charging will be different for each person. We don’t all go to the fuel station together now with ICE vehicles, so why should it be any different with EVs?
- The move towards EVs is a transition rather than a cliff edge. So there is a gradual build up of the electrical loading on the grid, just as there has been for the last 20-30 years as we all bought bigger computers, more powerful ovens and more electrical goods etc, and the grid has coped throughout that transition.
- It takes around 6 kWh of energy to produce 1 gallon of fossil fuel, but with the demise of ICE vehicles, the demand for that fuel will reduce. So that energy can then be diverted back into the grid for other uses, for example, to charge EVs.
- Even if a large number of EV owners do plug in to the grid together, a large proportion of users will be using a Smart Charging System which will also even out the charging load on the grid, and most will charge overnight to take advantage of cheaper electricity costs and less loading on the grid. In turn, this will also all work in conjunction with load balancing measures from the energy companies.
- At the very least, the National Grid may need to upgrade some local sub-stations to account for a increasing electrical usage in some areas as EV ownership increases, but all that is effectively a redistribution of the available power from the National Grid.
In short, the National Grid has more than enough capacity to charge the growing number of EVs in the UK because we are in a gradual transition towards EV adoption rather than a sudden cliff edge.
Another EV myth busted.
Happy to buy an EV now?
MG has confirmed full pricing and specification for its new and improved MG5 EV estate that’s available to order now, priced from £30,995...read more here.
The legendary Mini in convertible mode and emission-free...not as yet in production as it’s a test bed for future manufacture.
This one (pictured) is based on the Mini Cooper S Convertible but uses an electric powertrain.
The car makes its inaugural debut in the “Mini Takes the States” event in the USA and “serves as a unique example” of “becoming an all-electric premium brand,” says maker BMW
The Mini Electric convertible is powered by a 135kW electric motor allowing 0-62mph jaunt in 7.7 seconds and a 145 miles range similar to the Mini Electric hatchback.
The roof pops down in around 18 seconds!
What do you get when you combine two of the biggest hitters in the Nissan lineup –the Leaf and its EV capabilities and the hugely successful Qashqai? The answer is the Ariya, Nissan’s first electric crossover and the new flagship model for the Japanese brand.
Although a great deal of the development work on the car was done in Europe – including the company’s Cranfield technical centre in the UK – there is plenty of Japanese influence. Aside from being produced at Nissan’s Tochigi plant, the interior of the car was inspired by ‘traditional Japanese houses’, says the company, with a lounge-like environment being one of the most striking aspects when you step inside. In fact, the spaciousness is befitting of a car in a higher, more luxurious, vehicle segment, but Nissan wanted to push the boundaries on what it offers in an electric vehicle.
Staying inside the cabin, there’s a sensible mix of touchscreen operations and haptic buttons on the powered centre console, which can also move up to 15cm, creating more spacious feel for with front or rear passengers. Two 12.3-inch screens run alongside each other, displaying everything from infotainment choice, to available range to navigation, which in the Ariya includes ‘Intelligent Route Planner’. This system enables users to transfer route information from smartphone to the car and will track, monitor and re-route the driver if necessary. There might be a great deal of information across the widescreen setup, but it is well laid out and easy to consume. Nissan says the configuration chosen minimises driver distraction from the road with a quick glance down at the screens.
More customer-focused elements of the car include extra space in the boot for charging cables – an improvement made after feedback from Leaf drivers suggested there was room for improvement. There has also been a big emphasis on driver engagement, with ride, handling and steering key priorities for the development team. The challenge to make a ‘fun-to-drive’ electric crossover weighing in at more than two tonnes started with the use of Nissan’s CMF-EV platform. A base that is, according to the Japanese, “optimised to deliver unparalleled performance”.
Ariya is available with three battery and powertrain combinations across two- and all-wheel-drive options. Choose the smaller battery of the two – a 63kWh unit – and it will generate 215hp through the front wheels. It also provides 300Nm of torque, a zero to 62mph time of 7.5 seconds and a theoretical driving range of up to 250 miles.
Those drivers looking for a bit more power can opt for the larger (87kWh) battery, which is mated to a 239hp single-motor in two-wheel-drive guise and a 302hp dual-motor e-4orce powertrain. The former offers the same 300Nm of torque, but theoretical driving range jumps to a maximum of 329 miles. The e-4orce option returns slightly fewer miles (310), but double the torque (600Nm) and a zero to 62mph time of 5.7 seconds. Fast enough in any car, but very impressive for a big crossover.
More Leaf knowledge has meant the Ariya’s battery – comprising 16 cells – is 33% thinner than the smaller Nissan EV, generating more space in the cabin. Charging times using a 22kW unit are 3.5 hours for the 63kWh battery and five hours for the larger one. Rapid charging can be accommodated up to 130kW and the batteries can be replenished from 20% to 80% in 28 minutes (63kWh) and 30 minutes (87kWh).
There are two grades for Ariya – Advance and Evolve – although the range-topping e-4orce offers just the higher spec. That model also gets bespoke badging, entry plates and different coloured window mouldings.
The base Advance model still offers plenty, such as full LED lighting, automotive dual-zone climate control, heated front seats and wireless connectivity. Safety-wise, drivers get Nissan’s ProPilot technology, lane keep assist, blind spot intervention and forward collision warning technology. Move up to Evolve and Nissan adds the likes of a panoramic sunroof, the powered centre console, a 10-speaker Bose sound system and heated rear seats.
The brand says it has nearly 2,000 pre-orders for the car, which starts at £43,845 and goes up to nearly £60k. It also stated a CAP-derived RV figure of 57%, which, Nissan has claimed, is better than a number of its competitors in its class.
On the road, Ariya is very impressive for a car of its size and mass. Getting a two-tonne-plus crossover to handle exactly like a Qashqai (Nissan’s goal) might have been a step too far but it’s an admirable attempt. Acceleration is smooth and plenty quick enough and the steering is compliant and direct. Inside, Nissan has created a spacious, almost peaceful, space, with plenty of Japanese influences within.
IN BRIEF
WHAT IS IT? C-SUV BEV
HOW MUCH? From £43,845
RANGE? 223-310 miles
CHARGE TO 80%? 28min (130kW)
Key fleet model: 63kWh Evolve
Thumbs up: Interior space; infotainment layout; RVs
Thumbs down: High seating position; low-speed ride
Seven-word summary: Lovely lounge-like space with plenty of tech
Also consider: Škoda Enyaq; Kia EV6; Volkswagen ID.4
Courtesy of John Challen Fleetworld
Electric vehicles (EVs) are too expensive
Reality: EVs do cost more to buy outright but, in many cases, have a lower cost over 4 years.
According to recent industry estimates, an EVcan save £176 in running costs for every 1,000 miles driven. This means it can cost as little as 2 pence a mile to run an EV when charging on off-peak electricity. This is compared to over 20 pence per mile for petrol and diesel. As EVs have far fewer moving parts there’s also less maintenance to be done.
There are tax incentives in place for owners of EVs, including zero road tax and favourable company car tax rates. These can save some drivers over £2,000 per year. All this means that the market for more affordable zero emission vehicles is growing rapidly.
As of May 2022, 24 models are priced under £32,000 compared to 15 at the same time in 2021. With production costs reducing, some forecasts show that some EVs could be the same price to purchase as a petrol or diesel car well within the 2020s.
EVs do not have the battery range to travel as far as people need
Reality: 99% of car journeys in England are under 100 miles. This means most drivers’ needs are easily met by an EV.
For those travelling further, there are over 20 models available with a quoted 200-plus mile range. There are also some new electric cars coming soon with a range of over 300 miles, enough to get from Exeter to Leeds.
With battery prices having fallen to 80% of what they were in 2010, continued price decreases in 2021 and further drops forecasted in the long term, we expect to see more EVs available with greater range.
See more: Common misconceptions about electric vehicles GOV.UK
Click here to read article
Everatti, the Oxford-based EV innovator has been transforming the former and many of its ilk to all electric power and, after joining forces with Superformance last July, has turned the GT40 into a flyer with 800 bhp from a ‘power-dense’ 60 kWh battery!
Their ‘mission’ was the precision re-engineering of the legendary Le Mans-winning car with a custom-designed electric drivetrain with state-of-the-art technology from Integral Powertrain providing the twin high-performance OEM-validated radial flux permanent magnet electric motors that supply drive to the car’s rear axle.
The lithium-ion battery has been integrated into a sector-leading 700-volt electrical system and benefits from advanced liquid-cooling and thermal and safety management systems to support high-performance use on both road and track.
According to Everati, charging from 20% to 80% via an 80kW CCS fast charger i\can be done in around 45 minutes providing a range of over 125 miles.
This ‘future proofing’ of vehicles such motoring icons as the GT40 is fast becoming a much demanded after-market way that owners of true automotive classics can preserve their ‘dream’ machines.
Everrati Founder and CEO, Justin Lunny says “and with a scalable production process in place and an ambitious strategy to collaborate with new manufacturing partners, we are poised to grow the company and engage with a new global customer base for the GT40 and our other models.”
And now (as they say) for something completely different… the iconic versatility that was the Mini Moke is now the NOSMOKE – a French built all electric conversion of that much loved 60s runabout is now available in the UK. Sole distribution of the once much loved Mini Moke conversion is via the JLC Group.
The JLC group of companies – based in East Sussex - says it’s “looking for a major (NOSMOKE) sales push across the whole of the UK, which of course includes Scotland”.
JLC Group are a multidisciplined UK engineering Company designing, installing and maintaining specialist systems ranging from bomb blast doors, intelligent access control systems, to Fixed Electrical Ground Power. With over 200 years of experience in producing solutions for complex problems its in-house design and manufacturing allows them to create custom products for their clients.
The Jaguar XK120 by Lunaz presents a world-first for a project of this type – a leather-free interior that utilises ocean clean-up materials. This includes carpets that are woven from reclaimed nylon sea-fishing nets. Additionally, the backing of these carpets is up-cycled from marine plastic pollution such as plastic bottles.
The interior colours is specified to complement the bespoke Obsidian Blue exterior colour-scheme. This is painted in-house at Lunaz’ home in Silverstone, UK and is one of the limitless palettes of colours available to every Lunaz customer.
According to Head of Client Experience, Aidan McCafferty at Lunaz: "This very close collaboration yielded an interior finished in an innovative blend of textiles, traditional woods and upcycled materials. For example, the seat frame is constructed from recyclable aluminium. This offers both a contemporary aesthetic and an alternative to traditional classic material palettes while delivering the functional requirements of the seat."
You may not be able to get your hands on one immediately – it will be officially launched next year - but the first Rolls Royce to go all-electric will emerge from the Goodwood stables to a ‘hushed’ and expectant fan base.
To be known as the Rolls Royce ‘Spectre’ this car represents the company’s first venture into the rapidly expanding EV market.
As RR co-founder, Sir Henry Royce used to say: "Strive for perfection in everything you do. Take the best that exists and make it better. When it does not exist, design it."
His words ring true to this day and are typified in the latest creation that will lead the automotive luxury class that is, and has always been, Rolls Royce.
The new ‘Spectre’ is understood to be based on the based on the RR Wraith coupé,
Company CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös told Autocar that the new car’s platform – which brought significant improvements in terms of weight, refinement and rigidity to the eighth-generation Phantom – was developed from the start to accommodate an electric powertrain. The details of which are still under wraps. The CEO hinted that the 600bhp-plus twin-motor system deployed in the forthcoming BMW iX M60 could find its way into the Spectre, as it roughly matches the output of the Goodwood firm’s twin-turbocharged 6.6-litre V12.
We wait with bated breath – but with a totally inadequate check book!!
ALL NEW car buyers in the UK are ready to switch to a plug-in vehicle as soon as the price matches those of petrol and diesel models, according to a new report.
According to the “Driving Away From Fossil Fuels” report, 100 percent of the 2,000 car buyers in the UK indicated they would opt for an electric vehicle if they were sold for the same price as equivalent conventional cars. The data, commissioned by EV campaign group FairCharge, looked at drivers’ underlying preferences by comparing vehicle attributes, costs and specifications.
Quentin Wilson, founder of FairCharge, a former Top Gear presenter - he recently joined EVA Scotland to lobby government for fairer charging costs- , said the progress was promising, but more needed to be done to ensure drivers switch.
He said: “As someone who has been driving electric cars for over a decade the results of this landmark survey come as no surprise.
“We’re seeing more and more EVs on our roads as word spreads from delighted owners and drivers switch to electric to avoid the spiralling costs of filling up with diesel and petrol.
“But the Government needs ambitious EV quota proposals to ensure that the car industry has the right commercial environment to build enough EVs to satisfy this growing demand.
“We passed the tipping point of electrification last year and this year there are now some electric cars with waiting lists measured in years.”
In practice though, the reality has proved a different matter with two elements falling in Citroen’s favour. Firstly, Citroen has switched to an all-electric line-up renaming it the E-Berlingo and, secondly, with its two different versions – M and XL – it offers buyers the choice of combining seven-seats with electric power. And, outside of a larger SUV, that’s not a common option for many buyers.
Design
Let’s tackle the elephant in the room straight away – yes, the E-Berlingo is based on a van. If you’re after sleek lines and a low roofline for your family car, then you’re better off looking elsewhere.
The XL version that we tested is even longer, only highlighting those van looks still further. Whether this styling issue bothers you or not is simply a matter of accepting the car’s roots. If it does, then this probably isn’t a car for you, but if you accept that the E-Berlingo’s styling comes secondary to its immense practicality, then you’re in luck.
Power and range
As with much of the rest of the Stellantis electric range, the E-Berlingo features the same 50kW battery pack seen in the Vauxhall Mokka-e and Corsa-e and Peugeot’s e-2008. That equates to an official range of up to 182 miles – a figure that we regularly neared when fully charged and in Eco mode on the driving selector.
Citroen claims a seven and a half hour recharge time on a home wallbox thanks to a 7.4kW on-board charger (an 11kW charger is an option), with a 30-minute 0 to 80 per cent charge time at a 100kW ultra rapid charger. Despite driving the larger XL model with six people on board and using the air conditioning, we averaged 3.6mls/kWh during our time with the car over a mix of faster and urban roads, which we felt was pretty respectable given the size of the car. It’s notably better than the larger Vivaro-e with the same battery too.
On the road
As with the styling, if you’re expecting wonders from the E-Berlingo’s driving manners, then you’re going to be disappointed. It’s not that it’s especially bad, far from it, but you’re rarely far from reminders of its van origins.
The ride quality and noise levels are certainly not what you would expect from a traditional car and while the ride improves with more people on board, it can crash into potholes with a little more violence than you might expect. The same goes for the E-Berlingo’s handling, you’re never less than fully aware that this is a big car – especially so in XL form – and it’s not a car to throw through corners with enjoyment or abandon.
That said, it’s comfortable enough and can be hustled with a degree of verve if you really want to two (and the front passenger seat), it’s just not a car that you’re going step out of with a smile on your face. You do feel every inch of its length when parking, but the reversing sensors and camera make it a lot easier to judge where each end of the car is.
A little frustratingly too, the only brake energy regeneration on offer is a simple B mode, although you can switch the Drive Mode button into Eco to extend your mileage further if required.
Interior
Again, the interior is where your opinion of the E-Berlingo and its attributes is crucial. If you’re exactly after a car-like interior with high-end plastics and material, then again you’re going be disappointed. Its van roots mean that the E-Berlingo’s interior has some pretty hard plastics and there’s a distinctly budget feel to many of the controls.
Look beyond that to the rest of the E-Berlingo’s interior though, and there are some real gems. The plentiful storage pockets in front of the driver and front seat passenger on top of the dash and also above their heads in the roof, the fold out trays in the back of the front seats and, finally, of course, all that space.
In the XL version the two rearmost seats can be folded up or removed entirely to leave a completely flat load floor. Flip up the middle row and there’s an eye-watering 4000-litres of space on offer. It is nothing short of huge. If you’ve got a lot of people, dogs or boxes to regularly carry in something that you need to double up as standard car from time to time, then there’s a lot here to like.
Summary
Practicality is everything when it comes to the E-Berlingo. No, it won’t be a car for everyone and Citroen openly admits that it’s a niche model, but for those wanting that space and practicality with an electric motor rather than a petrol or diesel engine, then it’s a perfect option.
It may boast sleek styling or a particularly engaging driving experience, but it’s a car that knows what it needs to do and then does it extremely well. Just simple, no-nonsense, honest motoring and for that we love it.
Fact box
Model: Citroen E-Berlingo
Price: from £30,995
Power: Battery – 50kWh
Range: 182 miles
Average efficiency: 3.6mls/kWh
Average charge time on a domestic wallbox: 7.5hrs
CO2 emissions: 0g/km
Rating: 9/10
According to the “Future Energy Scenarios” report from National Grid, there are expected to be as many as 11 million electric vehicles on our roads by 2030 and 36 million by 2040.
Here, Shamala and Claire discuss the positive impact of electric vehicles, the obstacles we are having to overcome to encourage more widespread adoption and what an electric future might look like
What, in your view, are the biggest barriers to increased EV adoption?
According to Shamala Evans-Gadgil, who is currently working on producing guidance to help local authorities overcome and navigate challenges around growing their charging station facilities, the main barriers are cost, the perception versus the reality of EVs, the range and the charging infrastructure - basically the reliability and availability of the chargers.
“There are several peripheral barriers such as there being so many apps you need to use, the connector types, having to have a charger on your property and things that might put people off wanting to use electric vehicles as it seems too complex. From the people I’ve spoken to, the main barriers are cost and a lack of streamlining in the process.”
This sentiment is echoed by Claire, who thinks we need to consider both long and short term implementation of EVs due to the barriers that affect both.
“Supply chain restrictions are having an impact and there’s been a shortage of chips to go into products - not just cars - for a while now. This shortage of chips has had a knock-on impact on the car industry, particularly electric vehicles as they use a lot more chips than traditional vehicles due to there being more sensors, cameras and other features.”
Both agree on issues with the supply chain, yet while this might seem like a problem, Shamala points out that “the harder something is, the more innovation happens and companies are forced to look for alternatives, which can lead to incredible results.
“This is already taking place with battery technology, where cobalt or lithium-ion isn’t available for the number of predicted electric vehicles, so they are now looking at different materials for batteries such as graphite and sulphate.
“The reason for these restrictions is partly due to the pandemic and closures of manufacturing plants for components and finished goods. This has meant there have been very big supply chain issues in terms of the rollout. There are also restrictions, particularly in markets outside of China and those that don’t have vertically integrated supply chains, that create barriers to the rollout of EVs.
“I expect this shortage will persist for another year to eighteen months (but maybe further) as demand continues to grow at a faster pace than the vehicles can be produced. The war in Ukraine has further highlighted the fragility of our supply chains and how drastically these can be impacted when unexpected but serious issues happen around the world.”
Both agree that there isn’t yet a second-hand market for EVs and think it will take at least two or three years to see an impact. “Once this does happen, costs will fall overall,” says Claire.
Shamala adds: “We are going to see some challenging and really unusual conditions in the car market in the next few years. At the moment, there aren’t any new electric cars coming onto the road, this means that we won’t have the same volume of second-hand electric vehicles coming off lease. To anyone who currently owns an EV, it’s actually appreciating in value which is bizarre. The car market has done a leap of four or five years in a space of six months.”
E&T
Shamala Evans-Gadgil (left) and Claire Miller (right).
Do you have any key insights to offer in terms of innovative technology on the horizon which can help with the adoption of EVs? What could be a quick win for the industry in its battle against adoption?
In Shamala’s view, there isn’t one solution for all. “At the moment you have two sectors that anecdotally or historically have worked in silo - energy and transport, which have never worked together before. And now are having to do so.“
Claire states that “going forward, we will see growing demand for electric vehicles which makes new and legacy manufacturers keen to get into the market and lean more towards EV production than Internal Combustion Engines. I think we’ll see other car manufacturers arrive in the UK such as Chinese car manufacturers and those that are more experimental. We’ll probably see a rise in novel models too - those we haven’t seen before.
“As a leasing company, we’re trying to match secured supply with those that want to get an electric car. We’re offering a salary sacrifice scheme which is pure EVs to help individuals access these vehicles with a much lower benefit-in-kind rate. Looking three to five years down the line, the supply chain will be more localised and we should see UK production reversing the trend of offshore, diversifying supply chains and seeing consolidation supply chains vertically integrating. This will be everything from the materials to the making of the batteries and the building of the vehicles. Through this localisation, we will reduce the amount of embodied carbon in the manufacturing processes themselves, shortening supply chains and reducing costs as we won’t be bringing cars from the other side of the world.”
Technology-wise, the solution is still up in the air. Are plugins the way forward? Not necessarily, according to Shamala. For some cases, yes, but for others, static wireless chargers are best.
“I think for cases like freight or buses and coaches, charging on the move is a very exciting technology with a potential future. Coventry City Council with its partners; Cenex, Coventry University, Electreon, Hubject, TfWM, National Express, Midlands Connect including Western Power Distribution (funder) carried out a feasibility study, to determine its impact on the grid and the viability of this technology within the UK road network. This study was completed in December 2021 and to summarise, we found it won’t have a detrimental impact on the grid and authorities could start exploring this as a solution. It does, however, need to be in conjunction with the manufacturers and that will come. So, I think this technology is innovative with great potential.”
An example Claire gives of the exciting future of EV technology is what can be seen already in places such as Lund in Sweden. They are currently trialling their in-road charging that allows drivers of modified EVs to charge as they drive.
“This has the potential to make batteries smaller and cheaper - reducing the cost of the vehicle itself. Renault Dynamic Charging [SI4] is another example of a similar concept - based on induction technology it allows moving cars to charge their battery as they go.
“Most people consider the only option for charging their EV to be a wall plug at home, but there are other ways. Yes, you can plug your vehicle in, but there is also wireless charging where you have induction pad on the ground and a receiver attached to the bottom of the vehicle, and you can also battery swap. All useful in different ways, these three paradigms of charging have their place but aren’t necessarily interchangeable. The economics and tech might not stack up for all cases, so we need to make sure we marry the technology to the use case and make it appropriate.”
“Vehicle to Grid is part of a government innovation competition delivered with Innovate UK focusing on domestic value. One of the technologies Claire feels we’re going to see is a shift from Chademo, which is the prevailing physical and software technology that enables vehicle-to-grid to new combined charging systems or CCS enabled systems. Document ISO 15118-20 was released a couple of weeks ago and standardises how different parts of energy work with each other in a data sense. This means your car and home charger, for example, can share data and signals to understand where energy is being stored and where it’s needed.
“Intelligent Octopus, our complex system works by taking signals from the grid and when energy is needed. It signals to say “there’s an opportunity here, we can pay you to turn on batteries you might have energy stored in.” We signal cars as well as grid-scale batteries and do things such as signal vehicles to start charging to give somewhere to put energy. For example, on a windy night, you need somewhere to store that energy which means when the wind has stopped blowing, you have that energy stored and can give the energy back. This is what we’re focusing on at Intelligent Octopus and I think customers are going to hear more about vehicle to grid from car manufacturers themselves.
“In terms of the technology that goes behind this, we need to know how the onboard chargers will work; so there needs to be a conversion of AC (alternating current) from the grid to DC (direct current) that goes into the battery. This needs to be done at a place along the chain from the energy going into your house, to getting into the car. Will it happen on the battery on an onboard inverter? Some manufacturers are going to have onboard chargers, meaning you need a charger on the wall at home which is an AC charger with the right power electronics to enable energy to move in two directions.
“As far as I’m aware, the chargers we’re installing right now, the forethought wasn’t there to think about making them, so it could be interesting regarding AC bi-directional chargers and what the chipset might look like. Some manufacturers might put the onboard charger on the vehicle, whereas others may not, so there might be another generation of inverters in the wall box chargers. There are going to be lots of technological challenges around grids, which could be interesting for the power electronics community.”
Shamala agrees, and also notes that technology should improve accessibility for EVs, making them available for all. “The disabled base needs to be a focus, for example, so they don’t need to untangle cables and so on. Autonomous vehicles will also be able to use static induction charging and I feel it has real potential.
“Yet just because we update and introduce this technology, doesn’t mean the uptake will be there. Manufacturers need to work to install the technology into their vehicles when they sell it, otherwise, the system just won’t work. It’s important to remember that the EV industry isn’t in its infancy, but there are still some teething problems to overcome. Every time this happens, there is a resolution developed and everything that’s being done at the moment is consumer-centric and based on user experience.”
Shamala also drew on the same proactive initiative in Sweden that has been trialling charging on the move with HGVs.
“This opens up the opportunity to make batteries smaller and cheaper, reducing the cost of the vehicle itself. This is for private use, but we’ve found in our feasibility study it needs to be beneficial to sectors like buses and freight, particularly vehicles that have a fixed route back and forth. Considering an electric bus weighs around 2 tonnes more than a conventional diesel bus, you would need to reduce the capacity on buses to take into account this weight change, meaning for every eight buses you would need an extra bus when compared to a regular one. By charging on the move, however, the battery size can be reduced negating the requirement for additional buses and the requirement of power supply for depot charging will also be a lot less.”
What do you think that an all-electric transport world would look like?
Shamala’s initial response to this is simple yet effective - “One word? Fantastic!”
Claire agrees, adding “From a mobility perspective, I think we will start to see electric vehicles in all sizes, shapes and scales. I’d also like to see more EV active transportation. Passenger electric vehicles aren’t the be-all and end-all of an electric transport world and putting them together with other forms of transport is important. It has you thinking “how am I travelling and what am I doing?
“Mobility as a service will become something we all understand a lot more and it will be the norm to not own but lease or borrow your vehicle. People are now a lot more interested in getting access to the experiences and services they need and generational shifts will see people move away from the “outright purchase” era.”
Claire adds: “A positive thing to think about is when we have all these electric vehicles of different scales on the roads, we are forging ahead with replacing burning fossil fuels to make energy with wind and solar instead. The challenge is we can’t make the sun shine or the wind blow, but we can store the energy when it’s being made to use when it’s not available.
“If you think about vehicles, you have a car with an electric propulsion unit, so essentially a battery on wheels - something I’m excited about and the prospects it introduces. From your car to a bus in a depot, no matter the shape or size there are places to store renewable energy, which is just fantastic. It means you can do a lot more with the grid that we’ve got. Each car that you lease is a way to store renewable energy and they will be able to support the grid in the future as well.”
Shamala states, “I am part of a project with Western Power Distribution which finishes at the end of this month and has been going on for a year. My understanding is that it has been successful which is a positive sign moving forward for the industry. There are many projects like this happening and the National Grid also says there aren’t any problems with power. Instead, they just need to upgrade the infrastructure, allowing the bi-directional flow to happen. Network operators are working on this and Ofgem have recently published their strategy, so I don’t think there will be power blackouts going forward Instead, I think the air quality, public health and traffic on the road will improve.”
Both predict that the ownership of cars will reduce, as local and transport authorities need to provide multiple means of transport. “Once that’s been done and there’s good awareness around public health on fitness, wellbeing and the like, more people will use it.” Shamala states. “This is starting to happen and there is funding available to generate better public transportation. If there is a good network for electric bikes, electric scooters, car clubs and the like, people aren’t going to want to purchase a vehicle if it’s just going to be sat on their drive most of the time. As the saying goes, Rome wasn’t built in a day so this will be a slow process, but it will be great when it does happen.”
Claire also points out that the types of vehicles we own are likely to change, embracing the flexibility of EVs. “If people do mostly short journeys, they will get a short-range vehicle, but if they need to go further away, could look to swap their battery for a longer range one for that trip. It will be more about versatility and changing to suit needs as and when they’re required.”
Shamala, you have said that the biggest challenge for you at PEMD 2022 is actually getting to Newcastle as your 100% electric car doesn’t have enough charging stations between your home and the conference. What would you like to see happen over the next two years so that this isn’t a problem when PEMD 2024 comes around?
“My car at the moment does about 100 motorway miles comfortably on my 40kilowatt battery, or 110 if I don’t have any other features of the car turned on. To get to Newcastle I would need to charge my car possibly twice, taking an hour and twenty minutes on top of the existing journey time. This would mean travelling for six hours just to be there for one hour.
“To combat this, I think a strategic charging network and more coverage elements from the Government with their EV strategy are needed. There is a large funding pot for public chargers both for motorway and rapid chargers ready and waiting, so once this is done, I think I will be saying something different.”
Claire added: “I’m very heartened by the level of investment the government is committed to in terms of a variety of charging infrastructure, as well as the high levels of innovation in this space. This doesn’t just apply to putting chargers in the ground at public charge point locations, but also novel ways of getting access to charging such as community charging services where you can rent someone’s charger and drive away like you would an Airbnb. There is a lot of work going on around street charging and community charging, offering points where it’s convenient rather than having to make a special journey to do it.
“There are also other interesting businesses growing around this that charge companies who will come to you, such as Charge Fairy or Oomph. They can also do things such as unlocking your charging port remotely, charging your vehicle at night and more. And battery swapping company Niois massive in China and just starting a pilot in the Netherlands around battery swapping.
“Zip Charge in the UK is another company, offering suitcase-sized chargers you can charge from a three-point plug, can give you a 40 to a 50-mile range and you don’t require any special plugs. For those doing less than ten miles a day, it’s ideal to just top up your charge on the go.
“Some of these innovations will inevitably fall to the wayside, but it’s interesting to see these things mature. We need to get past range anxiety and consider the best ways to charge. I think it will be more nuanced and localised to the solutions that work for different communities. For example, what works for a large city area with lots of high rises, might not work so well for those in a rural area as they’re further from the main supply. But this is where group connection charging can come in. From sharing batteries to having batteries that slowly charge from the grid according to your connection that can rapidly charge your vehicle, there are many options.
I’m keen to support the fundamental research into materials that go into semiconductors and the manufacturing facilities in the UK. The Faraday Institute and the Faraday Battery Challenge is a fantastic way to support battery manufacturing supply chain R&D from a very early scale. I would love to see the fundamental material science and where the funding could go to bring communities together.”
That’s according to the Electric Vehicle Association Scotland, which says that UK and European companies have recognised the country’s EV charge point market potential and are now highly active nationwide, installing EV fast and rapid charging facilities.
Earlier this year, the Scottish Government published its draft vision for the public electric vehicle charging network, which includes a £60m fund that has the potential to double the size of the public charging network, bringing it to some 4,200 charge points. Currently, there are around 2,200 public Chargeplace Scotland charge points in operation.
Recently, international companies such as Osprey Charging, Ubitricity (Shell) and Dutch firm Fastned have breathed new life into the charge point marketplace with high-tech installations.
And speaking last month at Fastned’s opening of Scotland’s first ultra-rapid charging station in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, Transport Minister Jenny Gilruth said that public and private sector partnerships would be key in “attracting investment and scaling provision at pace”.
Fastned among others has already pledged further investment. Its newly opened Hamilton facility was part-funded by the Scottish Government’s Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme, supported through the European Regional Development Programme, and Tom Hurst, network development manager, has confirmed that further stations are planned across Scotland in the months and years ahead.
He continued: “This will provide those Scottish drivers who have not yet made the switch to EVs, with the confidence to do so.”
A major partnership between Osprey Charging and real estate company Ediston to install rapid EV charging across retail sites in the UK is already opening up rapid destination charging to customers visiting major retail outlets such as Aldi, The Food Warehouse and Costa.
Osprey has initially planned for 10 sites in Scotland, each with up to six high-powered chargers capable of adding 100 miles in as little as 10 minutes. The first site is already up and running in the Haddington Retail Park, East Lothian, with others scheduled for Glasgow, Loch Lomond, Aberdeen and the various locations in the Highlands. The company currently operates 30 rapid chargers in 18 locations across Scotland.
Meanwhile, Ubitricity – a wholly owned subsidiary within Shell’s Mobility division – plans to roll out its EV chargers in seven Scottish local authority areas in Scotland this year.
Toby Butler, Ubitricity UK managing director, said: “We are currently in discussions with several Scottish councils (including Aberdeen, Glasgow, Dumfries and Galloway, North Ayrshire, Scottish Borders, the highlands and Stirling). With government funding available from both the On Street Residential Charge Point Scheme (ORCS) and Transport Scotland’s Public EV charging fund, local authorities can begin work on EV charging projects straight away. We hope we can start deploying our Scottish network very soon.”
Finally, Swarco – which took over the operational responsibilities for Chargeplace Scotland’s operations in July 2021 – says that further improvements combined with fundamental change in service delivery has inspired confidence across the network.
Justin Meyer, managing director of Swarco, explained: “The last six months has seen a transformation in EV driver growth, confidence, use and satisfaction with the CPS network which moves us closer to that EV revolution tipping point in Scotland. Whilst we are proud of our achievements, there is more to be done to achieve the Gold Standard service we are striving towards, and we remain committed to achieving this.
The firm has also said this month that it’s now more than doubled its operational team – now 31-strong – at its Dundee base in the Michelin Scotland Innovation Parc to provide a 24/7 service to a rapidly growing customer base.
The Electric Vehicle Association Scotland said work by all parties was vital in providing a further incentive for owners of petrol and diesel-powered vehicles to ignore the myths surrounding the lack of EV charge points and make the switch to all-electric.
Jennifer Walls, director of EVA Scotland, added: “It’s clear that there are ever-increasing numbers of drivers switching to EVs and to meet that demand for charging points we must see Scotland’s infrastructure keeping pace.
“Recent charge point additions by private and public initiatives strengthen our ability to meet the challenges ahead.”
She added: “We are looking forward to seeing many more rapid charging stations installed across the country.”
The partnership provides British Gas engineers with direct access to Osprey’s nationwide network of over 300 rapid charging stations throughout the UK, creating a simple driver experience and centralised fleet billing to support British Gas’ electric fleet operations.
With around 9,000 vehicles, British Gas is one of the UK's biggest fleet operators and is working towards converting its entire fleet to become fully electric under its net-zero ambition.
By partnering with nationwide charging networks, British Gas can create a convenient and seamless payment method via one electric fuel card, improving the EV public charging experience for its engineers and accelerating electrification. Osprey is the first network to deliver this innovative integration.
The partnership has been made possible via direct technical interoperability between Osprey’s proprietary software platform, Volo, and British Gas’ own fleet management system, providing the ability to centrally and automatically account for fleet public charging costs.
As part of the collaboration the British Gas fleet will also have access to the 150 high power EV charging hubs Osprey will deliver by 2024 as part of a £75 million investment programme to exceed drivers’ expectations for charger availability and speed.
Ian Johnston, CEO of Osprey Charging said, “We are thrilled that British Gas has chosen to partner with Osprey to unlock further EV adoption and lead the transition to the future of transport. Our market-leading commercial and fleet roaming capabilities provide even more EV drivers with the ultimate charging experience via access to our nationwide, reliable and open rapid charger network.”
James Rooney, Fleet Engineering and Innovation Manager at British Gas, said, “It is essential that we support our engineering team with not just an accessible network of charging points, but a method of paying for charging that is hassle free. We know that around seven in ten of our drivers don’t have access to home charging and partnerships such as this will help to provide the confidence required that making the switch to electric is achievable.”
Osprey Media Contact:
Sophia Hutchinson sophia@influenceassociates.com
British Gas Media Contact:
Michael Pullan Michael.Pullan@centrica.com
About British Gas
British Gas is Britain’s leading supplier of energy and services and the country’s biggest retailer of zero carbon electricity. We are part of Centrica, a company founded on a 200-year heritage of serving people. We provide energy and services to over 7 million UK homes and businesses, supported by around 7,500 highly trained engineers and technicians. We also offer a range of innovative products and services, including Hive and our on-demand digital trades service, Local Heroes. Our purpose of helping customers live sustainably, simply and affordably drives our strategy and our People and Planet Plan.
About Osprey Charging Network
Osprey Charging Network is a UK-wide, rapid electric vehicle charging network, backed by Investec and Cube Infrastructure Partners. Osprey fund, install and manage their network on behalf of landlord partners and on their own land. The Osprey network is created to provide a trusted and comfortable experience: reliable, open-access and easy-to-use charge points are conveniently located on major routes and with nearby amenities. All Osprey chargers accept contactless payments, App payments, RFID payments and payment through all major third-party payment methods including fleet cards and roaming partners. Every charging point is also powered by 100% renewable electricity.
More information on Osprey can be found at ospreycharging.co.uk.
IF YOU want proof of how good all-electric cars have become in recent years then the CUPRA Born should provide you with all the evidence you need.
The dynamic Spanish marque’s family hatchback is thoroughly enjoyable to drive, has masses of kerb appeal and features plenty of hi-tech goodies.
I was lucky enough to recently drive the Born in top-spec V3 trim with the least potent of three powertrains available.
Nonetheless, the 58kWh battery pack and 204PS electric motor still provided plenty of smile-inducing performance.
The test car had the wonderful linear acceleration you expect from an EV, and always felt firmly planted on the road – partly due to the centrally placed, underfloor battery pack.
With the motor integrated above the back axle, the Born also displayed that fun “point and shoot” characteristic of rear-wheel-drive sports cars.
And it was no slouch, either, with the dash to 62mph taking just 7.3 seconds and a top speed of 99mph – more than enough for everyday driving needs.
It was truly fun to negotiate the undulating, twisty, country roads south of Glasgow – the chassis and steering set-up aiding the driving dynamics and ride comfort over some pretty uneven surfaces.
With the gear selector handily placed on a steering-wheel column stalk, it was easy to flip from D to B mode to make the most of energy regeneration, which occurs simply by lifting your foot off the accelerator.
Range, Comfort, Performance and Individual modes, easily accessed through the central touchscreen, also altered the Born’s responses to suit my mood or the circumstances.
There’s a confidence-inspiring view of the road ahead as the underfloor gubbins result in a more elevated driving position than a traditional hatchback. Yet despite the engaging drive, it still offers a healthy range of 264 miles.
Meanwhile, a 120kW rapid charger will rejuice the batteries from five to 80 per cent in 35 minutes. And an 11kW AC charger can take the pack from zero to full capacity in six and a quarter hours.
The exterior looks immediately give the game away about the Born’s prowess, too.
The upper half is all about sporty, flowing lines with sleek headlights, a shark nose bonnet a large integrated rear spoiler and slimline tail lights running across the width of the car.
Even the back-end C-pillar makes the car stand out as it features a three-dimensional, textured surface in a contrasting black finish to make the roof look as if it is floating.
The lower half, distinctly separated by a rising sharp crease from front to back, accentuates muscular power.
There is a bold, copper-framed air intake at the front, dynamic large side sills and a beefy gloss black panel sitting above a sizeable diffuser at the back.
All versions feature striking alloy wheels, and none more so than the V3 with its 20in Hurricane variants.
Step inside and you will find a cabin that is spacious, clutter-free, sporty and upmarket, with a build quality that befits a brand belonging to the VW group.
There is some admirable copper-coloured and metallic detailing, great soft-touch finishing and truly comfortable seats – bucket-style up front, to add to the excitement.
Throughout the interior, there are some fantastic eco-friendly materials that make use of upcycled marine plastics and recycled polyester – but you would never guess it, unless you knew it.
The boot has a healthy 385-litre capacity for the family luggage or shopping and neat hidden area below to store the recharging cable.
A stand-out feature for me was the customisable 5.3in cockpit display cleverly placed on top of the steering-wheel column. It means that, no matter what adjustments you make to the seating or steering wheel, you will always be able to clearly see the vital driving information.
That is also backed up by a head-up display that projects data such as speed, navigation commands and driver assistance indicators on to the windscreen.
Pride of place goes to the 12in infotainment touchscreen atop the centre of the dashboard, through which many of the car’s functions and set-ups are controlled.
It includes advanced voice assistant technology and wireless smartphone integration, as well as intelligent sat nav.
CUPRA Connect provides a further raft of services that can be accessed remotely such as managing battery charging, climate control activation and journey planning. It also includes emergency and breakdown calls plus service scheduling.
Driver and safety aids are comprehensive across the Born range, taking in adaptive cruise control with speed limiter, road sign display and forward collision warning with automatic braking.
Furthermore, you get a driver alertness recognition system and a rear-view camera.
With an on-the-road price that starts at £38,390, the tested V3 variant certainly impressed me for its overall quality and driving fun.
Car manufacturers use the word ‘electrified’ to let you know that the car uses some form of electricity to power its functions. But there’s a huge difference between electrified cars and electric cars.
This has led to some confusion among drivers who are looking to make the switch to electric, especially for eco-conscious reasons.
There are three levels of ‘electrification’. The electric car (EV), plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and the mild hybrid.
What benefits do electric cars get over hybrids?
There are a lot of benefits to switching to electric. If you're considering which car to get next, check out our guide on whether you should choose electric for your next car.
Here's a snapshot of just some of the benefits and incentives in place for driving electric over hybrid.
What’s an electric car (EV)?
The term 'electric' is easy to define. It refers to any car that uses purely electric power to move from one place to another.
What’s an electrified car?
An ‘electrified’ car uses some electrical elements as part of its technology. The most basic version of an ‘electrified’ car is a mild hybrid and the most advanced version is a plug-in hybrid. Both of these cars use both an internal combustion engine and a type of battery to move the car forward.
An easy way to tell the difference between an electric car and an ‘electrified’ car is the exhaust. If it has a tailpipe, it’s not electric.
Are hybrid cars good for the planet?
The short answer is no.
Hybrid technology was a game-changer in the industry in helping the move from fuel towards electric, but in this day and age, it’s outdated and not as eco-friendly as we were once told. Greenpeace recently called the hybrid car the “wolf in sheep's clothing” of the auto industry after research showed they released up to two and a half times more CO2 when driven compared to the result of official lab tests.
Going hybrid was a good choice 5 or 10 years ago when we didn’t have so many options for electric cars, but now it’s not worth it. There are now over 60 electric car models from 25 different manufacturers, so the choice of electric cars is now substantial and is growing.
Battery costs came down 89% between 2010 - 2020 making it possible to get more affordable electric cars with great range, making the hybrid an outdated option. So going electric is better for the planet, and for your wallet.
What are the main features of electric cars, plug-in hybrids and mild hybrids?
The Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV)
The 100% electric vehicle is sometimes referred to as a Battery-Powered Electric Vehicle (BEV). It’s essentially tech on wheels that forms the basis for some of the best cars in the world. The car has been redesigned from the ground up to be fully electric and not rely at all on an internal combustion engine (ICE). The electric car has some of the best tech for saving the planet, saving pennies and giving you the thrill of great acceleration.
Battery electric cars use electricity that’s delivered to their battery through a plug. Electric cars are able to charge on a range of different chargers, from three-point pin plugs to rapid chargers that can give up to 200 miles of range within 20 minutes. These plugs can be found at home, at the office, in lamp posts on the street or at service stations.
All major manufacturers have shifted their focus to developing fully electric vehicles. The demand for electric cars paired with the innovation within manufacturer design teams has evolved the technology of electric cars much faster than ever imagined.
As well as having much more power than any petrol or diesel car, electric cars are more cost-efficient, safer and more practical for most drivers. In fact, many drivers regret buying a hybrid over an electric car.
For those with a driveway, it’s super easy to make the switch to electric as you can charge your car overnight when electricity is cheapest. Drivers can make savings with the Octopus Go tariff, which allows you to charge up with 100% renewable energy overnight at a cheap rate. By switching to electric on a cheap overnight tariff like Octopus Go, the average driver can save up to £1,000 a year. The cost per mile for petrol can be 10 times higher than the cost of energy to charge a car.
Electric car drivers can see big financial benefits, especially when they use their electric car as a company car. The company car tax rate - called the Benefit in Kind (BiK) rate - is set to just 1% for electric cars. This is increasing to 2% in April 2022 and is capped there until 2025. A PHEV typically attracts a BiK rate of around 13%, and for petrol or diesel cars it can be anywhere between 20-40%.
An electric car has far fewer moving parts than a hybrid car, and maintenance costs can be lower as a result. A typical plug-in hybrid has thousands of moving parts, plus an electric battery, so there are more opportunities for things to go wrong. An electric car only has around 20 moving parts, so there’s much less to go wrong.
As well as all of the other benefits, electric cars release no tailpipe emissions at all. This is a huge benefit for our communities as an estimated 40,000 people in the UK die every year from air pollution. Electric cars are by far the greenest vehicle that you could buy.
You can get a brand new electric car, plus everything you need to hit the road in it, through your company when they join our salary sacrifice scheme.
Explore salary sacrifice
The Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV)
A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) has an internal combustion engine, like all petrol and diesel cars, and has a small battery for short journeys. The plug-in hybrid requires frequent charging to get the best value for money and reduction of carbon emissions. This charge gives the car a small range of between 15 - 50 miles, using electricity only.
A plug-in hybrid can use its electric power to make the school run, a trip to the shop or the commute to work. The engine doesn’t charge the battery in a plug-in hybrid so it needs to be plugged in to get any charge.
When the car is out of electric miles the engine kicks in to keep pushing the car forward, burning fuel to keep you on the road.
The plug-in hybrid is often seen as a stepping stone in the transition to electric, however, with this car you have the worst of both worlds. Often drivers don’t make the effort to form the habit to charge up with electricity, which is needed frequently as it only has a small battery. Some plug-in hybrids have even been returned at the end of their lease having never been plugged in. This shows how easy it is to use a plug-in hybrid in exactly the same way as a petrol or diesel car, and get none of the benefits of driving electric.
Not only do you still need to queue and fill up at the petrol station, but you also need to charge your vehicle. Most plug-in hybrids don’t support fast charging, so drivers are limited to using slow chargers. They’re also heavy as they carry an engine plus a battery which makes them inefficient on fuel.
Hybrid drivers don’t get all of the benefits of driving electric, like the access to fast and rapid chargers and overall lower costs of driving. For this reason, many people regret buying hybrid cars. They have higher fuel costs and higher maintenance costs than electric cars.
Because they produce tailpipe emissions they don’t benefit from government incentives that are designed to support the reduction of carbon emissions. Electric cars are exempt from paying road tax and the London Congestion Charge and Clean Air Zone charges in major cities like Bath, Birmingham and Portsmouth.
Hybrids also miss out on the plug-in car grant from the government, which gives drivers £1,500 off the cost of a car that retails below £32,000 and can go at least 70 miles with no emissions.
The Mild Hybrid
The most well known of the mild hybrid cars is the Toyota Prius which came to the market in the early 2000s. The Prius became very popular as one of the first ‘eco-friendly’ car models.
The battery is charged using the rolling energy from the petrol engine. To get any benefit from the battery, drivers still need to burn fuel. Not so eco-friendly.
At slow speed, the electric motor will take over from the engine to push the car forward. At high speed, it might provide enough of a power boost to help you overtake a tractor. Some of these hybrids will drive some miles on electric and they are more fuel-efficient than petrol or diesel cars. You’ll still get more miles for your money, but that money is being spent on planet-destroying fossil fuels.
This tech is now over 20 years old and has been replaced with significant changes in technology for eco-conscious drivers.
Which car is right for me?
If you’re looking to reduce your carbon footprint, reduce your fuel costs and get great acceleration and performance, getting an electric car is the right choice for you.
Is getting a hybrid worth it? We don’t think so. Driving a hybrid doesn't require a lot of effort or a lot of change to your lifestyle, but you’ll also be missing out on all of the benefits of driving a fully electric car.
Electric cars are more fun to drive, better for the planet and cost you less in the long run. The choice is clear to us that electric cars are far better than hybrids.
You can lease a brand new electric car through your employer with our salary sacrifice scheme, making savings of up to 40%.
The opening of the new gigafactory is set to shake up the industry in the birthplace of the internal combustion engine. Tesla handed over the first electric cars produced at the site to clients as part of an opening ceremony on Tuesday (22 March).
The start of production at the gigafactory is a crucial day for Germany’s mobility transition, the Economic and Climate Minister Robert Habeck said at the factory site. “The path towards electromobility is another step away from oil imports,” he added, connecting to the current energy and fuel crisis.
Russia’s war against Ukraine has forced Germany and the EU to radically rethink their energy policy, given that the continent is heavily dependent on Russian fossil fuels. Handelsblatt quoted Habeck as saying: “To show we can not only replace oil with oil, but we can electrify, is, of course, a beautiful symbol on this day.”
The arrival of Tesla’s “gigafactory” near Berlin has sparked debate in the past two years. Both environmental concerns and fear of disruption for the established automobile industry had come to the forefront during the factory’s construction.
After a long and drawn-out process, authorities granted the project a final conditional permit on 4 March. German law allowed the company to proceed with construction on the basis of provisional licences, despite questions regarding the factory’s environmental impact.
At full capacity, the plant will produce 500,000 cars a year, more than the 450,000 battery-electric vehicles that German rival Volkswagen sold globally in 2021, Reuters reported. It would also generate 50 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of battery power, surpassing all other plants in Germany.
Dancing Musk hands drivers first Teslas from new Germany gigafactory
The transition to electric cars is rapidly gathering pace in Europe. Last year, registrations of purely electric vehicles in Germany soared 83% to reach 14% overall, while the number of new hybrid cars (including plug-ins) rose by more than 40% to a total share of 29%.
The German government recently announced it would support the European Commission’s efforts to phase out the combustion engine for newly registered passenger cars by 2035 – a shift that large parts of the country’s car industry have criticised as they depend on the production of conventional vehicles.
The Commission’s proposal is currently being debated by member state governments and the European Parliament.