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

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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: Stellantis buys in Ai technologies to improve EV experience

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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…

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

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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

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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…

THE WHICHEV VIEW: Petrol Vs Public Charging Vs Home Charging – Compared

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By WhichEV

As part of its EV Answers series of articles, the expert team at WhichEV take a look at a small commercial vehicles and the fuel cost differences from fossil fuel to public charging to ‘at base’ charging…

Petrol

First, let’s consider range. If you recently decided to fill a 50 litre tank with petrol at £1.55 per litre, then it will have cost you £77.50. That is around 11 gallons and the average petrol vehicle will do around 36 miles per gallon – so that tank will get you just shy of 400 miles. Older, less efficient vehicle that spend most of their time at 20 mph in traffic will get closer to 30 miles per gallon, or even less – so a range of 330 miles for £77.50. Doing the calculation, we have a cost per mile with petrol of 19p to 23p.

Public Charging

You will find some chargers close to 50p per kWh, but maybe the price will be higher. We’ll use 60p for this cost calculation and imagine that you’re using a charger capable of delivering a steady 100kW. Filling a 61.7kWh battery like this, will probably get you to 80% in around 30 minutes, but the last 20% could take another 20-30 minutes as charger technology slows the process as the battery gets full.

Either way, you can pick up 61.7kWh of charge for £37.02. Most drivers do their miles in town and on smaller A roads, where you’re more likely to get close to 270 miles on a charge. To match the range of the petrol vehicle, you’d need to add up to 25% more charge – which would be another £9.23 for a total of £46.28.

Charging at Base

There are various ‘overnight saver tariffs’ to choose from. We will use 9.5p/kWh for 7 hours, but there are other deals available at the time of going to press. Local production from wind/solar as well as battery storage on site can also make a difference to the calculation.

Starting from empty at mid-night, you would pick up 49kWh at £4.65 and then you’ll need to finish with the last 12.1kWh at around 30p each once your overnight rate expires. That’s a total to fill up in one sitting of £8.28. You will need to pick up an additional 15kWh on the second evening – if you want to balance the ranges. That can be done overnight for £1.43.

Cost per mile

Another way to look at the same data, is to calculate the fuel cost per mile for driving 330 miles:-

23p        Petrol

14p        Public Charging

2.9p       Home Charging (E-On)

Before committing to an EV, do some calculations yourself and shop around for a good tariff that makes sense for your lifestyle. Prices are volatile, so our comparison is for guidance only.

Head over to WhichEV to read the full story!

It’s time to combat deliberate EV misinformation

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By WhichEV

WhichEV has been on a mission to electrify over the last 5 years. In that time, we have met with a lot of half-truths and ill-informed opinions about electric vehicles in general, but more specifically the manufacturing processes, raw materials, pollution and a host of other issues.

We welcome the initiative kicked off by Robert Llewelyn from Fully Charged and Quentin Willson from ChargeFair – to combat deliberate misinformation in the market.

Time and again, EV drivers have been surveyed and only a tiny fraction ever consider going back to slow, smelly, expensive to run petrol/diesel vehicles. The vast majority are working on strategies to maximise performance and range, while minimising inconvenience and cost.

You can read more about the Llewelyn-Willson initiate here.

The WhichEV View: Stellantis opens 100% EV-only UK manufacturing plant

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There is a lot of talk in the media about the fact that the UK government has put in place provisions to ensure that every electric vehicle sold in the UK must use material sourced in the UK. That amount needs to be 40% of the total production of each vehicle.
This has led to the opening or commitment to open at least three large-scale EV battery plants. Stellantis has taken this one step further, by committing a £100 million investment in Elsmere Port.
This will be the first 100% EV production plant in the United Kingdom and will create a lot of jobs both inside the factory and the surrounding area and along the supply chains for the plant itself. The initial focus will be on van like products either for personal or commercial use…
To read more about this Stallantis initiative, head over to WhichEV.

THE WHICHEV VIEW: Autonomous driving levels explained

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BMW is taking a giant leap forward in the world of autonomous driving with the launch of its state-of-the-art test site, the Future Mobility Development Centre (FMDC), in Sokolov, Czechia. Representing an investment of 300 million euros, the FMDC is the first of its kind in central Europe and is set to play a pivotal role in BMW’s future mobility development.

Encompassing a vast expanse of 600 hectares, the site is dedicated to the ongoing research and testing of automated driving and parking technologies. Notably, this impressive investment will create over 100 new jobs and, in line with BMW’s commitment to sustainability, will operate entirely on 100 percent green electricity.

Transformed from a former mining region into an innovation hub, the FMDC’s strategic location offers an array of real-world conditions for testing highly and fully automated driving and parking, complementing virtual simulations of driving scenarios. By combining both virtual and real-world testing, BMW aims to meet the stringent safety requirements of its customers effectively. The FMDC joins the ranks of BMW’s existing group of test sites in Aschheim near Munich, Miramas in France, and Arjeplog in Sweden. This facility will be used to help develop future generations of electric car from BMW, Mini and Rolls Royce.

So what is autonomous driving and what do the various levels (from 1 to 5) actually mean in the real world?

Head over to WhichEV for the full lowdown.