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EV Charging

THE WHICHEV VIEW: Global EV market penetration heading to 15%

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By WhichEV

IDC is reporting that the number of EVs in use across world is heading toward the 12 million mark, while around 1 in 4 of the EVs sold are in Europe.

BYD, Tesla and SAIC represent over 36% of the EVs sold globally (their share of the huge Chinese market is over 53%).

The ATTO 3 from BYD is being sold through multiple UK dealers, including Stratstone – which has traditionally been a Jaguar house.

WhichEV spoke with Stratstone and they told use that they feel comfortable integrating BYD into their range, as there is little/no overlap with Jaguar or any of the Land/Range Rover products

The ATTO 3 is already affordable (around £37,000), but the new BYD Dolphin will push prices down below £30,000 and that leaves the tantalising prospect of the BYD Seagull which could retail in Europe for a little over €10,000 and in the UK for less than £10,000 – with the higher end BYD Seal around £40,000

If the next generation of Chinese EVs can offer fleet managers products from £10,000 to £50,000 – through major local dealers that can offer local support – just how fast could fleets move across to pollution free vehicles?

Click to read the full story over at WhichEV...

The WhichEV View: Stellantis urges UK Government to renegotiate Brexit

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By WhichEV

In a startling development, Stellantis, one of the largest automakers globally, has warned the UK government that parts of its car industry could be lost unless the Brexit deal is renegotiated.

The company, known for producing brands like Vauxhall, Peugeot, Citroen, and Fiat, had previously committed to manufacturing electric vehicles (EVs) in the UK.

However, it now claims that it cannot adhere to the trade rules outlined in the Brexit agreement regarding the sourcing of parts. The collapse of Britishvolt at the start of 2023 was a key factor.

The UK government responded to Stellantis’ concerns, emphasising its determination to ensure that the country remains competitive in the car manufacturing sector, but unless large scale battery production in the UK becomes a reality in the very near future – then car companies will have no possibility to avoid costly tariffs on products like the new Vauxhall Astra Electric.

Click here to read the full, fascinating story over at WhichEV.

THE WHICHEV VIEW: Solar panels – The next big leap forward for EVs?

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We all know that the smaller, lighter, cheaper electric vehicles will kickstart a transportation revolution. But what about the cost of refuelling?

Various crises around the world has meant a massive jump in the cost of all forms of energy.

But the sun continues to shine, its power is free and available – and the technology required to harness that energy, continues to improve.

While it is easy to imagine buildings of the future, being completely covered in solar panels that charge either cars directly or battery storage for use later – many vehicle manufacturers are now looking at integrating solar panels into the vehicles themselves.

Elon Musk believes that it will be possible to generate 20 to 40 miles of range per day per car – simply by covering available surfaces with solar cells, allowing the car to charge when it is not being driven.

Between building-based and on-the-car photovoltaic cells – can we really moved to a future where we have a far smaller reliance on the grid?

For the full story, head over to WhichEV.

How much will solar and batteries play a part in your company’s future?

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By WhichEV

We all know that electricity prices come down by up to 75% at night, but few of us have suitable storage set up to take advantage of those rates.

But what about during the day? One solution is to ‘go solar’.

Until recently, that would have meant a HUGE surface of your building needing to be covered with panels.

However, as technology develops in this area, generating and storing electricity at the workplace will become far more common place.

The first solar experiment was demonstrated back in the 1800s and was less than 1% efficient. In other words, only a tiny fraction of the available power was transformed into electrical power.

Today, that figure is closer to 25% – with panels that are around 30% efficient likely to appear in the market very soon.

To read more about this topic, head over to WhichEV.

Connected Kerb plans 10,000 new EV charge points

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By WhichEV

Connected Kerb’s new partnership with Surrey County Council will see up to £60m invested in public EV charge points, resulting in a 25% increase in availability across the UK.

At the time this story was published, the UK had just shy of 39,000 public charge points across the country. Measured against that installed base, it’s easy to see what a mammoth commitment is being made when Connected Kerb announces plans for an additional 10,000 points. From this one company alone, that’s a promise to increase the nation’s charging options by 25%. We’re keen to know how long this will take, how much it will cost and will the chargers be concentrated in South East England.

One scheme is focused on streets and public car parks across Surrey, with over 1,500 locations to benefit from this new network of chargers. It will be the largest roll-out of its kind by any local authority. Right now, the country can only offer one charger per 9,000 residents, which is clearly going to present a challenge as the market moves to stop petrol/diesel car sales by 2030.

To read the full story, hop over to WhichEV…

What is the logical development from electric cars?

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By WhichEV

February saw 52% of the vehicles sold in the UK, supplied with an electric motor. Combining pure battery electric with the various hybrid options, creates the conditions for a tipping point where the move to electricity for cars has well and truly arrived. But what are we likely to see in the near future?

What is the logical development from electric cars? Australian innovators, Alauda, believe they have the answer – flying vehicles.

The Adelaide based company is seeking production partners for an electric flying vehicle that can hit 225mph in just 30 seconds. They are hoping for a real-world range of 188 miles. Test flights are happening now and it will enter competition next year.

So how much will they cost? According to CEO Matt Pearson, once in full production they expect the street price to be no higher than buying a Tesla.

Will flying vehicles be the standard company car by 2040?  A personal vehicle that can do London to Manchester in less than an hour would certainly reduce the queue for tickets on HS2.

For all the latest EV news, head on over to WhichEV…

Luxury, performance EVs for 2023

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By WhichEV

While most of the fleet will be chosen to be comfortable, reliable and affordable – there will always be those who manage to get a larger allowance and who want something that stands out from the crowd. Last week, Silverstone based Lunaz Designs revealed a 1961 Bentley S2 Continental that has been completely refurbished and had its original 6.2 litre V8 replaced with a 400 bhp modern electric motor that can accelerate this huge car past 60mph in 6.9 seconds.

With that in mind, we decided to take a look at the high-performing, luxury EVs that will be hitting the UK market in 2023.

In May 2023, MG will harken back to its golden days of producing some of the most iconic sports cars of the 1960s, with the launch of the MG Cyberster – a play on the word roadster. While the early drawings were pure fantasy, the final release model will play significant homage to its ancestors. The original parameters were for a true sports car, with a 0-60 figure under 3 seconds. The production model is likely to be a little slower, but will still keep pace with most Teslas. MG has done a lot in terms of improving its battery power, so we should expect this new sports car to have a sizeable battery embedded low down for stability – and with the capability of taking the MG Cyberster way past the 300 mile mark on a single charge. With pricing expected in the sub-£60,000 zone and production models to start coming off the line at the end of 2023, we’re all looking forward to seeing the 21st century update of the classic MG sports car.

Moving up a class from the MG, will be the Tesla Roadster. Musk is claiming a 0-60 of 1.9 seconds with a top speed over 250mph and a range over 600 miles – while still keeping the price close to £150,000. That may sound expensive, but when you realise that the Tesla Roadster is likely to keep pace with (or even beat) products like the Lotus Evija, Pininfarina Battista and Maserati Folgore – it is a bargain. The Lotus and Pininfarina are expected to be close to £2m each, with the Maserati around £50,000 more expensive than the Tesla.

Overall, the market for luxury/performance electric vehicles in 2023 promises to be exciting – with Ferrari and the old guard arriving in 2025. You will probably need a monthly car allowance of several thousand pounds for most of these – but the MG Cyberster could be less than £900 a month. While not cheap, it will certainly be a head turner.

THE WHICH EV VIEW: What does the BritishVolt collapse mean for the UK’s EV sector?

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Moving out of the EU was always going to create challenges for companies where the import/export of goods is key to their success. The collapse of BritishVolt has shone a spotlight on some of the more serious challenges, while also calling into question whether a more frugal approach to the initial development of the business, might have given it more time in which to achieve success.

With the possibility of a rescue package waiting in the wings, all may not yet be lost for this Northumberland-based project.

The ground was broken in July 2021 and a year later work the first part of the foundation was being laid, yet six months later everything seem to have collapsed. William Hague blamed Brexit fare and square, while others in his party had previously cited the British battery maker as an example of post-Brexit success in the economy. Shadow Business Secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, was reported as saying that rather than being seen as a shining example of levelling up, BritishVolt in fact highlighted a lack of strategic industrial planning to help boost jobs and economic growth in the north.

It had been hoped that the plats would be fully operational by 2027 and capable of producing 300,000 EV battery packs a year.

Based near Melbourne in Australia, Recharge Industries is likely to take over the project and to use its extensive experience in running successful production plants to help get BritishVolt up and running commercially.

Key to BritishVolt’s plans was a close relationship with Tees Valley Lithium (TVL) – Europe’s largest independent/sustainable lithium hydroxide producer. Everything is now in place for that to happen, which makes you wonder why the UK Government didn’t do more to keep the project 100% British.

In a recent discussion with the CEO of one of the world’s largest producers of electric vehicles, WhichEV was told that the European Governments need to invest heavily now – in order to create a vibrant, competitive production environment for local car makers in the future. Localised lithium production and battery construction was cited as ‘crucial’.

To read the full story, head over to WhichEV!

Running an EV still much cheaper than petrol or diesel

 960 640 Stuart O'Brien
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By WhichEV

Since the start of the war in Ukraine, the news has been full of stories about the huge increases in price for energy of all varieties. That has led to a splash of stories about how much the cost of charging an electric vehicles has sky-rocketed. But what is the reality? Mina has released a detailed report into the ways in which fuel costs have changed – and how that has impacted the cost of charging EVs for business.

The RAC has been tracking average mileage per driver in the UK, over a number of years. It has been dropping steadily and will likely be close to 7,000 miles for 2023. That works out at 19 miles per day, 133 per week and 578 per month. If you have an EV with a 70kWh battery, then you’re likely to clear 250 miles range per full charge. Heading into Q4 2022 and ‘filling up’ at an average of 30p per kWh, that would mean a fully-charged cost around £21.

In Mina’s research, the majority of charging (close to 80%) was completed on reduced-rate tariffs (for example overnight), either at home or at work. Those rates can still be under 15p per kWh. Public charger prices shot up in the summer of 2022, but started to calm down in Q4. These rates are often used in sensationalist headlines by the national media – when they seem to want to push the agenda, “EVs now cost the same as petrol and diesel to fill-up”.

Filling most petrol and diesel cars will need around 55 litres of fuel at a cost of at least £1.50 per litre – which would make a tank cost at least £82. You can make the argument that traditional cars often achieve 30mpg, so a tank of fossil fuel will take you closer to 360 miles or 1.4 times further than a full battery, in our example.

So what is the direct price comparison for fuel, between the two systems?

Filling up with fossil fuel 1.6 times (to hit the monthly average mileage) will come to around £132. Getting that mileage from an electric vehicle will cost closer to £53. Even if you allow for a 50% higher charging cost for the EV (assuming that you want to re-charge ‘on the road’ much more often than average), you would still be saving over £50 every time that the petrol/diesel vehicle needed to refuel. If that happened 20 times over 12 months, then your advantage in choosing an EV would be around £1,000 a year. That is a minimum saving on fuel alone – the reality could be much higher.

At the time of going to press, you would also have advantages in terms of BiK and free access to city centres etc – so the financial argument for EVs in business is still very strong.

Click here to read the full story over at WhichEV…

Rapid charging grows public charging devices 36% in 2022

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By WhichEV

The increase in the rate of consumer movement from petrol/diesel based cars – across the electric vehicles – is now being matched by the increased rate of deployment for fast public chargers.

The Government has, over recent years, invested in this expansion of the charging infrastructure – and it would appear that we now have measurable results.

The number of on-street charging devices increased 36% to 12,009 in 2022, up from 8,842 devices at the end of 2021, according to figures published by Zap-Map, a leading charge point mapping service in the UK.

Over 100 high-speed charging hubs were opened for EV drivers in the outgoing year, the company said.

While London and the South East retain the top spots in terms of the highest number of charging points, 2022 saw thousands of chargers installed up and down the UK.

Head over to WhichEV for the full story…