Battery Electric Vehicle News / Enjoying the Transportation Revolution

ASavvyBuyer

EricMears said:

JKenH said:

Shell to acquire UK's largest electric vehicle charging network

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ubitricity-m-a-shell-idUSKBN29U0TC

Wondered why I'd never heard of "UK's largest network".  Checked on ZapMap to find they've no rapid chargers and their 'fast' chargers cost an eyewatering 23ppu.  Also,  apart from London & Portsmouth, there's only few cities with a small number of outlets.

I had the same thought, as never heard off, let alone seen or used one of their chargers. Not exactly a "National" network, even if they do claim to have the largest by number of sockets.

Martyn1981

Carbon Commentary newsletter extracts:

1, Heavy trucks. Scania is one of the largest manufacturers of trucks in the world, with a particular strength in Europe. It was the first company to get heavy-duty electric goods vehicles into commercial use. In an interesting press release it committed to continuing development of battery trucks, saying that it would have a 40 tonne vehicle on the road in a few years. This will have a 4.5 hour driving time and a 45 minute recharge (matching the hours a driver is allowed to drive and to rest in the EU). It projects 10% of its sales being fully electric in 2025 and 50% by 2030. By contrast, It strongly played down the importance of hydrogen trucks, saying that the fuel was more expensive and the vehicles more costly to make than purely electric equivalents. (However in a press release later in the week Scania also committed to working with a North American company pioneering the use of hydrogen directly in internal combustion engines). It commented that the principal role of hydrogen for Scania might be in the manufacture of the steel used for its trucks, not – at least in the medium term - as the energy source. Influential companies such as Scania committing to purchasing low carbon raw materials for their own activities has been one of the developing trends of the last few weeks.

3, Flexible charging. Battery electric vehicles may be a vital part of the infrastructure that provides grid stability. Two UK companies announced a venture to incorporate large numbers of privately-owned EVs into the market that balances electricity supply and demand at short notice. When electricity is in short supply, charging will be paused and then begun again, usually well past the evening peak in demand. This is potentially a source of significant revenue to electricity retailers and their EV-owning customers.

JKenH

Forecourts facing an immediate economic headache over whether to invest in charging points, says Rapleys

To take one analogy, a forecourt operator converting to cater only for electric vehicles would have a smaller market than one deciding to sell petrol or diesel only to Toyota Yaris drivers! Indeed, it would be broadly equivalent to selling only to owners of Fords, BMWs or VWs registered in 2020! 

https://www.retailtimes.co.uk/forecourts-facing-an-immediate-economic-headache-over-whether-to-invest-in-charging-points-says-rapleys/

JKenH

Top 20 most searched for used electric cars revealed as Auto Trader predicts EVs to overtake combustion models by 2025

Auto Trader’s also predicts that the wider ‘alternatively fuelled’ car category, which included hybrids, could account for the biggest market share as soon as 2024.

The findings come as the search giant revealed the most searched for electric cars in 2020 – with the list topped by the Nissan Leaf.

https://cardealermagazine.co.uk/publish/top-20-most-searched-for-used-electric-cars-revealed-as-auto-trader-predicts-evs-will-overtake-combustion-models-by-2025/215015

shinytop

JKenH said:

Top 20 most searched for used electric cars revealed as Auto Trader predicts EVs to overtake combustion models by 2025

Auto Trader’s also predicts that the wider ‘alternatively fuelled’ car category, which included hybrids, could account for the biggest market share as soon as 2024.

The findings come as the search giant revealed the most searched for electric cars in 2020 – with the list topped by the Nissan Leaf.

https://cardealermagazine.co.uk/publish/top-20-most-searched-for-used-electric-cars-revealed-as-auto-trader-predicts-evs-will-overtake-combustion-models-by-2025/215015

Very interesting. This is quite telling though

"Electric car buyers are typically older, 33 per cent are over 55, and more affluent with 33 per cent earning more than £75k a year.

Auto Trader also found electric car buyers live in wealthier areas with the top five postcodes mostly made up of wealthy London boroughs."

And why is nobody looking for Teslas?

Mickey666

We're running out of lithium for batteries – can we use salt instead?

https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg24933180-600-were-running-out-of-lithium-for-batteries-can-we-use-salt-instead/

Mickey666

New sodium oxide paves way for advanced sodium-ion batteries

https://www.technology.org/2021/01/20/new-sodium-oxide-paves-way-for-advanced-sodium-ion-batteries/

Ectophile

shinytop said:

JKenH said:

Top 20 most searched for used electric cars revealed as Auto Trader predicts EVs to overtake combustion models by 2025

Auto Trader’s also predicts that the wider ‘alternatively fuelled’ car category, which included hybrids, could account for the biggest market share as soon as 2024.

The findings come as the search giant revealed the most searched for electric cars in 2020 – with the list topped by the Nissan Leaf.

https://cardealermagazine.co.uk/publish/top-20-most-searched-for-used-electric-cars-revealed-as-auto-trader-predicts-evs-will-overtake-combustion-models-by-2025/215015

Very interesting. This is quite telling though

"Electric car buyers are typically older, 33 per cent are over 55, and more affluent with 33 per cent earning more than £75k a year.

Auto Trader also found electric car buyers live in wealthier areas with the top five postcodes mostly made up of wealthy London boroughs."

And why is nobody looking for Teslas?

People aren't looking at Teslas because they are too expensive for the average second-hand car buyer.  Personally, I've been checking on the prices of nearly-new Renault Zoes.  They come in at much more sensible prices.

Older people, because they have houses with driveways.  Young people can only afford flats.  OK, that's a gross simplification, but we're talking about averages here.

EVandPV

Ectophile said:

shinytop said:

JKenH said:

Top 20 most searched for used electric cars revealed as Auto Trader predicts EVs to overtake combustion models by 2025

Auto Trader’s also predicts that the wider ‘alternatively fuelled’ car category, which included hybrids, could account for the biggest market share as soon as 2024.

The findings come as the search giant revealed the most searched for electric cars in 2020 – with the list topped by the Nissan Leaf.

https://cardealermagazine.co.uk/publish/top-20-most-searched-for-used-electric-cars-revealed-as-auto-trader-predicts-evs-will-overtake-combustion-models-by-2025/215015

Very interesting. This is quite telling though

"Electric car buyers are typically older, 33 per cent are over 55, and more affluent with 33 per cent earning more than £75k a year.

Auto Trader also found electric car buyers live in wealthier areas with the top five postcodes mostly made up of wealthy London boroughs."

And why is nobody looking for Teslas?

Personally, I've been checking on the prices of nearly-new Renault Zoes.  They come in at much more sensible prices.

Certainly do.
I can vouch for the 40kwh R110 being a great wee car. So much so that my wife has been talking about looking for a 2nd hand one.
Just in case you're not aware, you now have the option to buy out the battery lease on models that aren't already battery owned.

shinytop

Ectophile said:

shinytop said:

JKenH said:

Top 20 most searched for used electric cars revealed as Auto Trader predicts EVs to overtake combustion models by 2025

Auto Trader’s also predicts that the wider ‘alternatively fuelled’ car category, which included hybrids, could account for the biggest market share as soon as 2024.

The findings come as the search giant revealed the most searched for electric cars in 2020 – with the list topped by the Nissan Leaf.

https://cardealermagazine.co.uk/publish/top-20-most-searched-for-used-electric-cars-revealed-as-auto-trader-predicts-evs-will-overtake-combustion-models-by-2025/215015

Very interesting. This is quite telling though

"Electric car buyers are typically older, 33 per cent are over 55, and more affluent with 33 per cent earning more than £75k a year.

Auto Trader also found electric car buyers live in wealthier areas with the top five postcodes mostly made up of wealthy London boroughs."

And why is nobody looking for Teslas?

People aren't looking at Teslas because they are too expensive for the average second-hand car buyer.  Personally, I've been checking on the prices of nearly-new Renault Zoes.  They come in at much more sensible prices.

Older people, because they have houses with driveways.  Young people can only afford flats.  OK, that's a gross simplification, but we're talking about averages here.

I know Teslas are expensive but so are I-Paces and E-trons and lots of people are looking at them.   

The demographic is a problem though and the answer is we need more smaller, cheaper EVs and some more recognisible brands that are competitive.   Emerging competition from the Chinese and VW's coming models will help.