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electric vehicles

Sustainable fleets: Shift your thinking

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By Stewart Signs

With global pledges to cut emissions in place, we all need to start looking at what we as an industry can do to achieve our goals. Electric and hybrid vehicles are a great start, but there are other factors to consider when looking for ways to improve the sustainability of your fleet.

Vinyl has given us a whole host of opportunities to create innovative and effective branding solutions. With environmental consciousness at an all-time high, maybe it’s worth considering an eco-friendlier option?

Non-PVC vinyl is a more environmentally friendly alternative, which is helping our industry take positive steps towards a more sustainable future. You still get the durability and versatility of traditional material, but with a greener approach.

What is non-PVC vinyl?

Developed by our partners 3M, Envision™ Print Film is a more environmentally friendly alternative to traditional PVC films. This non-PVC film is made in part with bio-based materials and uses 58% less solvent in the manufacturing process, making it the greener choice without sacrificing performance.

What makes Envision different?

3M Envision range films offer you a sustainability edge at an affordable price. Designed for use on vehicles, signage, walls, windows, floors and more, this film has unmatched versatility over other products on the market.

How can choosing non-PVC vinyl benefit you?

Not only is non-PVC film naturally versatile, extremely durable, and highly conformable, but it also aligns with sustainability initiatives. If your business is already taking steps towards a greener living, it’s worth considering how non-PVC film can help enhance your environmental plans.

Why Stewart Signs

At Stewart Signs, our journey in sustainability began 20 years ago. It’s a core principle within the company that determines our decisions. As a business, we’re actively looking for ways to improve our impact on the planet and ways to help our clients do the same.

We provide tailored solutions to local and national business needs throughout the UK. What’s stopping you from taking the next step and choosing non-PVC film? Let us help you and your business make greener choices for a greener future.

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.

Introducing… the EV Fleet-at-Home Charging solution from SMS

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By SMS plc

Energy infrastructure expert, SMS plc, is offering fleet managers across the UK a smarter way to manage their transition to an EV fleet.

SMS’s new Fleet-at-Home EV Fleet Charging Solution brings together EV charging infrastructure with premium support and fleet management services, enabling fleet managers to better manage their EV fleets and maintain the support of their driver community.

What we do to power your fleet and streamline your back office

  • Our fleet-at-home service installs and operates chargers that run off dedicated electricity meters separate from the home supply, allowing drivers’ bills to be invoiced directly to the business.
  • Our ClenergyEV app gives drivers visibility and access to 90% of the national network, so they can splash and dash at reliable charge points across the country for further range whenever required.
  • We significantly reduce the headache of administering fuel payments by setting up a single fixed monthly payment that you reconcile annually.

Putting the driver first

At SMS, we understand that drivers are the beating heart of the Fleet EV revolution. Our Fleet-at-home solution provides a frictionless transition for drivers, enabling a hassle-free, sustainable alternative to current ICE vehicles. With us, there’s no need for your drivers to have to pay and reclaim, removing the burden on the driver with bills being sent direct to the fleet team.

Future-proofing your fleet

Our aim at SMS is help fleet managers reduce the cost of charging their fleet, with one single monthly bill for all charging needs, whether at home, work, or in public. This gives our fleet management customers great control over costs and decision making, providing confidence and ability to deal with the challenges ahead.

SMS is an energy solutions expert with 28 years’ experience helping our customers navigate the complex world of electrical infrastructure and the rollout new of low-carbon technologies.

Our funded, turnkey EV fleet charging solution covers everything from install to ongoing operation, billing and maintenance, including our specialist EV Fleet Management software.

Visit www.sms-plc.com/evcharging for more information or contact our experts directly on 02920 054 151 / evcharging@sms-plc.com

Wattif sets sights on UK EV charging network

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Norwegian electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure start-up Wattif EV has set out its plans to play a leading role in the UK network for destination chargers by 2030, having recently installed its first charging points in the country and secured a €50m investment.

Wattif EV seeks to accelerate the electrification of the UK parking network by providing hassle-free access to charging infrastructure. Simultaneously, its model provides the car parks’ landlord or owner the choice of a number of finance models whereby they can benefit from a share of net revenue, whilst rolling out a wider geographical range of ‘fast’ charge points which are cheaper to install and use than the traditional and more expensive, rapid charging options.

In late-2022, Wattif EV UK switched on its first UK charge points in Cambridge and is about to switch on more just outside Leeds, with Scotland next.

Wattif EV says it’s in discussions ‘to expand exponentially’ with contract negotiations underway that could deliver ‘thousands’ of Wattif EV-managed stations in the next 18 months.

AMPECO, a technology provider to Wattif EV, has raised a$16m in venture capital investment, having closed a Series A funding round of $13m in late-January 2023. The Series A round was led by BMW i Ventures, a SiliconValley-based venture capital firm with a background in investments in transportation, manufacturing, supply chain, and sustainability. AMPECO’s investment provides long-term and sustainable service provision for Wattif EV’s charging network as it looks to strengthen its position in the UK market.

Robert Svendsen, Wattif EV CEO, said: “Significant European investments into our own business shows that UK expansion is built on solid foundations and becomes an integral part of our plans to establish a leading European wide network of EV destination chargers.

“To hit the UK’s 2030 EV targets there needs to be strong support from business, local authorities and Government to establish a coordinated strategy deliveringEV cars, EV infrastructure and EV battery supply. Actions speak louder than words and I believe business must lead this charge given all the pressures on the UK Government right now: our strong end to 2022 and start to 2023 shows that Wattif EV is ideally placed to be a critical path to that ambition. Our Norwegian-based expertise and focus on what’s best for the owner of EVs and EV chargers to fit charging into their daily lives are key. Charging en-route at service stations is not viable long-term -charging without thinking, planning or worrying, at home and destination is key to driving growth of EV sales.”

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

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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…

UK Government makes small investment in the future of hydrogen powered EVs

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Seven years from now, it won’t be possible to buy a new petrol or diesel car if you are a consumer. The deadline for ending the same of fossil-fuelled commercial vehicles is 2040 right now, but that could be pulled back in to as early as 2035.

While it’s certainly possible to run 26-ton trucks on batteries, having an alternative plan seems prudent to Business Secretary Grant Shapps – and he’s authorised an investment of £15 million from the Government’s Advanced Propulsion Centre into HVS (Hydrogen Vehicle Systems).

Hydrogen could be a good option for certain transport modes – as long as its Green Hydrogen and not Blue, Grey, Brown, Black or any other colour option that indicates that it has been made by the petrochemical industry.

In its ideal form, hydrogen is generated through pollution-free/renewable sources and is used to poser electric motors in lorries, boats and other vehicles.

When it comes to recharging batteries, right now, the UK has 60,000 connectors running off 37,000 devices in 22,000 locations across the UK.

For hydrogen, there are less than 20.

The challenge for infrastructure alone is going to be immense – especially when you factor in just how explosive hydrogen can be and the fact that it is stored in containers that are pressurised up to 10,000 psi. If you have been near a car tyre when it blows at less than 50 psi, you’ll understand what a challenge ‘pressurised hydrogen’ could present.

Still, the possibility of emission-free 40 ton lorries moving goods around the country with electric motors powered by green hydrogen – is actually very appealing.

Ian Constance, Chief Executive at the APC, told WhichEV, “Supporting vital research and development in the UK, now more than ever, provides an opportunity to invest in transport decarbonisation as well as boost growth in the automotive sector”.

The Government-funded test will start with a 5.5 ton proof of concept before expanding out to larger vehicles.

The implications for fleet managers could be massive. More options coming through should improve choice and flexibility.

Read more here over at WhichEV.

Automakers told they can cut material emissions by 60% by 2040

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By WhichEV

Electric vehicles are easier to design, easier to make and easier to maintain. However, they have forced every major car company to reconsider their manufacturing processes and supply chains – because of the new technologies being developed and used.

Across the whole of the automotive sector, 30% of the world’s pollution emissions are created. That’s something that car makers are addressing as they prepare for the manufacturing processes of tomorrow.

The move to electricity takes care of a lot of the emissions from fuel oils, but what about the manufacturing process itself?

Specialist consultancy Bain & Company, help major organisations ‘think differently’ about the markets in which they operate and to give fresh consideration to how they do business at all. Bain & Company call this new way of thinking an ‘insurgent mindset’ and they have been helping companies reinvent themselves since 1973.

A new analysis by Bain & Company shows that the European automotive sector could reduce emissions associated with materials used to produce vehicles, by up to 60% before 2040.

Read the full story over at WhichEV…