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EV Charging

THE WHICHEV VIEW: UK car market sees notable growth according to the SMMT

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By WhichEV

The UK’s new car market recorded a significant upturn, marking its 20th consecutive month of growth, with new car registrations climbing by 10.4%. This surge resulted in 317,786 new cars being registered, all sporting the new ’24’ numberplate, indicating the strongest March since 2019. However, this achievement still trails behind the pre-pandemic figures by 30.6%.

This period of growth predominantly stems from fleet investments, which saw a 29.6% increase. Despite this positive trend, the sector faces challenges with a downturn in private buyer registrations by 7.7%, affected by the prevailing economic difficulties, low consumer confidence, and heightened interest rates. Additionally, small business registrations experienced a decline of 8.0%.

Although petrol cars still sell and diesel continues to dwindle, there was a noteworthy surge in the registration of  vehicles with an electric motor – led by hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) registrations, which hit a record 19.6% increase, totalling 44,550 units or 14.0% of the market share.

Click here to read the full analysis over at WhichEV.

THE WHICHEV VIEW: Humax is about to make the EV charger market a lot more competitive

 960 640 Stuart O'Brien
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All markets go through a similar cycle: One (or more!) smart folks come up with an invention, innovation explodes and some ‘early leaders’ are established, then smaller companies combine or change industries. Meanwhile, major companies (with lots of similar/relevant experience), tend to come in a little later – but rapidly build a much larger presence. We’ve just seen the announcement that Humax are entering the charger market – and things will become a lot more ‘competitive’.

Humax is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of set-top boxes – both for ‘subscriber services’ and Freeview, etc. That gives them the large scale production, software expertise and routes to market.

In fact, they will be on hand to demonstrate their first AC units at the Everything Electric Show at the Excel from 28th to 30th March 2024.

The initial price (ex VAT) is expected to be around £520 and larger commercial models will follow.

The more competition in the market – the cheaper it will become for Fleet Managers etc to install ‘at base’ – either for travelling salesmen or customers (as a courtesy).

For more on this story and the latest in EV news, head on over to WhichEV.

THE WHICHEV VIEW: Is Dacia about to shake up the European EV market?

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By WhichEV

Back in 2019, WhichEV carried a story that quoted the (then) CEO of VW saying that electric vehicles would require something like 40% fewer parts than traditional petrol/diesel cars… and that this would provide huge cost savings in the future.

It was ‘in the future’ because of the massive cost of batteries – and only once batteries became cheaper/power trains become more efficient – that prices might fall.

It can be argued that ever since then BMW and Mercedes have both struggled to put a competitive option in the market.

Looking at the ‘UK Top 10 Best Selling Cars’ over recent years, the average price is under £26,000, while the most popular car was a Ford Fiesta and the top 10 were basically all petrol/diesel (with the possible exception of the Tesla Model Y).

At the same time, the average price of the advertised EV has been closer to £48,000

Mercedes/BMW et al have all been complaining about ‘slow demand’ – without taking into account (a) the recession, and (b) the fact that their cars are £10-20,000 more expensive (like for like) as other EVs – because of battery costs

Something needs to give in the market

Someone needs to step in/up and release a highly affordable new EV – with 4 doors, sensible range – and a low, low price

Cue Dacia.

Using previous generation tech/batteries, this car should do around 115 miles, but they are claiming up to 137 mile range.

Remember, that data suggests that the average city-dwelling Brit drives around 20 miles a day – so this is nearly 1 week’s range ‘around town’.

The smaller battery means that a ‘stripped down/entry level’ version will be close to £16,000 – which COULD translate to a lease price around £120 a month.

In Europe, they will be releasing a mini-van version, with rear seats taken out for more cargo space – which could be good for local traders/handymen etc.

Read more on this story over at WhichEV…

THE WHICHEV VIEW: One million battery EVs are now registered for the UK’s roads – Where next?

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By WhichEV

January 2024, the UK automotive sector marked a significant milestone with the registration of the country’s millionth battery electric vehicle (BEV), highlighting a growing trend towards greener transportation. This achievement coincided with an 8.2% increase in new car registrations, totalling 142,876 units, marking the strongest start to a year since 2020 and continuing an 18-month streak of growth.

However, this rise was predominantly seen in the fleet market, which surged by 29.9%, in contrast to a 15.8% decline in private retail sales.

BEVs accounted for 20,935 of the new registrations in January, up 21% from the previous year, bringing the total BEV registrations to 1,001,677 since records began. Despite this growth, the BEV market share of 14.7% for January was slightly lower than the overall performance in 2023. The industry also saw an increase in plug-in hybrid (PHEV) registrations by 31.1%, while hybrid vehicle (HEV) registrations experienced a minor decrease.

For a deeper dive on this story, head over to WhichEV.

THE WHICHEV VIEW: Stellantis buys in Ai technologies to improve EV experience

 960 640 Stuart O'Brien
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Stellantis, a global automotive giant, has taken a significant step towards enhancing its electric vehicles’ driving experience by acquiring key artificial intelligence (AI) technologies and intellectual property (IP) from CloudMade, a company known for its innovative big data-driven automotive solutions.

This move is aimed at bolstering the mid-term development of the STLA SmartCockpit and aligns with Stellantis’ comprehensive software strategy, Dare Forward 2030. It follows on from the previous purchase of AiMotive.

Take a deep dive on this story over at WhichEV.

THE WHICHEV VIEW: Ioniq 5 N NPX1 revealed by Hyundai

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By WhichEV

Hyundai Motor Company has been pioneering in the car market since its inception in 1967 – and it has just made a splash at the Tokyo Auto Salon 2024 with the unveiling of the ‘IONIQ 5 N NPX1.’

This concept model, laden with prototype N Performance Parts – aimed at enhancing the high-performance electric vehicle (EV) experience. The resulting vehicle looks serious and promises a boost in performance and handling. Hyundai is looking to develop and release ‘N’ variants of future EVs.

The venture into N Performance Parts was first launched in 2019, and marks Hyundai’s ongoing dedication to high-quality tuning parts for its customers. This particular journey began in the ICE-age with vehicles like the Elantra N, i30 N, and i20 N.

Read more about the new model over at WhichEV…

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THE WHICHEV VIEW: Mahle seeks to establish global standard for wireless EV charging

 960 640 Stuart O'Brien
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By WhichEV

In a pivotal move for the electric vehicle (EV) charging landscape, SAE International, a revered non-profit organisation dedicated to advancing mobility technologies, has endorsed Mahle’s positioning system as the worldwide standard solution for wireless EV charging. The selection of Mahle’s technology marks a significant leap in achieving standardisation in inductive charging, effectively putting in place the last piece of the wireless charging puzzle – that has kept this option from moving forward for almost a decade.

The key technology, a brainchild of Mahle, addresses a critical hurdle in standardisation. If successful, this could allow for a fast, comprehensive launch for commercial wireless charging – revolutionising battery charging for electric and hybrid vehicles. This recognition by a body like SAE International, underscores Mahle’s prowess in electrification and sets a compelling momentum for the future of e-mobility, as highlighted by Arnd Franz, Chairman of the Mahle Management Board and CEO.

Read this fascinating story in full over at WhichEV…

THE WHICH EV VIEW: Stellantis ushers in its 2nd gen of electrified commercial vehicles

 960 640 Stuart O'Brien
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By WhichEV

In a new strategic push that targets the compact, mid-size, and large market segments, Stellantis is promising unparalleled capabilities, safety and versatility for businesses and professional customers. The launch features a world premiere of 12 nameplates across all van segments – including Citroën, FIAT Professional, Opel, Peugeot, and Vauxhall.

Stellantis, with its powerful slogan of ‘Six Brands, One Force,’ has brought together a remarkable array of new vans in all segments, from Compact to Mid-Size and Large. The lineup includes the likes of the new Citroën Berlingo, Jumpy and Jumper, FIAT Professional’s Doblò, Scudo and Ducato, Opel/Vauxhall’s Combo, Vivaro and Movano, Peugeot’s Partner, Expert and Boxer as well as the much-anticipated Ram ProMaster EV – set to debut by the end of 2023.

We believe Stellantis holds a ‘Number one for electric LCVs’ position – with brands like Vauxhall, Citroen and Peugeot under the same roof.

At the same time, their initial ranges have had range issues.

Their next-gen has been announced – with new power trains, bigger/better batteries etc, and it all seems much more competitive…

Click here to read the full story over at WhichEV.

THE WHICHEV VIEW: Demand for used EVs on the rise

 960 640 Stuart O'Brien
By:

By WhichEV

In a rapidly evolving automotive landscape, the world of used electric vehicles is experiencing a significant resurgence. The latest data from Auto Trader’s Retail Price Index reveals a compelling narrative, where the recovery in used EV values is driven by a combination of increasing consumer demand for greener vehicles and a softening in the recent surge of supply. With the average retail value of a used EV increasing by 0.6% on a month-on-month basis, the market is showing signs of stabilising and robustly defying a year-on-year decline.

The most striking revelation from the data is the continuous surge in used EV prices. So far in October, used EVs have seen their average retail value increase to £32,203, marking a 0.6% month-on-month growth. This surge comes after a stagnant September, which followed 12 consecutive months of decline. While prices remain down compared to the previous year, the rate of year-on-year decline is showing signs of softening at almost -20%, marking the shallowest rate since June.

Read WhichEV’s full analysis here…