Battery Electric Vehicle News / Enjoying the Transportation Revolution

Coastalwatch

Ok, so it was by no means set at record breaking speeds (50k/h) but does at least give an insight of what is available now for use in urban areas where pollution levels are an even greater cause for concern.

Futuricum electric truck sets new range record

The electric truck brand Futuricum has set a new world record with its partners DPD and Continental: The electric truck covered 1,099 kilometres in 23 hours without intermediate charging.

The record drive, which was recognised by Guinness World Records, took place on Continental’s test track ‘Contidrom’ near Hanover. The aim of the project was to prove “that sustainable, energy-efficient and cost-efficient electric mobility in the transportation industry is not a mobility concept of tomorrow, but is already a reality on European roads today”, says the truck brand Futuricum, which belongs to the Swiss company Designwerk.

There is a simple reason why the battery was not taken all the way to the limit is that no specially prepared one-off was used for the record drive, but a vehicle that DPD has been using in everyday logistics in Switzerland since May. The 19-tonne truck is based on a Volvo FH and, after conversion by Futuricum, has an e-drive with 500 kW power and a 680 kWh battery. The latter value is the gross energy content, of which 578 kWh are usable. The batteries are purchased as modules from BMW.

https://www.electrive.com/2021/08/31/futuricum-electric-truck-sets-new-range-record/

EVandPV

New green Electric Vehicle tariff cuts charging costs by up to 70%

OVO customers using the new Drive + Anytime add-on could be driving their Electric Vehicle for just £100 across the year

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/lifestyle/money/new-green-electric-vehicle-tariff-24869470.amp

shinytop

Martyn1981 said:

Shell to roll out more UK charge points. 

I find the 'problems with EV's' that the media and some nay-sayers tout, remind me of all the 'problems with PV' that people imaginereed a decade or so ago, without considering how solutions will roll out (or even were/are rolling out).

Of course the crucial issue is whether or not 'supply' will roll out faster than demand grows, in which case the problem gets smaller. But if we see typical UK Gov 'solutions' that remain behind the curve, then things will always be a bit poor, sadly.

Shell aims to install 50,000 on-street EV charge points by 2025

Shell has announced its aim to install 50,000 on-street electric vehicle (EV) charging points in the UK over the next four years, in an attempt to provide a third of the network needed to hit national climate change targets.

Earlier this year, the energy company acquired ubitricity, a leading supplier of local authorities’ on-street EV power points, with a network of 3,600 chargers in lamp posts or bollards.

The paucity of on-street charging in urban areas has been seen as a significant obstacle in the government’s drive to phase out fossil fuel vehicles in favour of electric cars. The sale of new petrol and diesel cars will be banned from 2030 in the UK.

Shell will entice local authorities by offering to meet the upfront costs of installation that are not covered by government grants, subject to commercial terms. The government’s Office for Zero Emission Vehicles currently pays 75% of the installation cost.

According to a National Audit Office report into reducing carbon emissions from cars, more than 60% of urban households in England do not have off-street parking, with the number rising to 68% for social housing.

I've seen these in London, where there is on street parking but little off road parking.  They are very unobtrusive, in the same sort of place as lamp posts and trees so don't block the pavement.  Not sure how payment works but I suspect if Shell is running things they will be(come) efficient and easy to use.     

EVandPV

Solarchaser said:

EVandPV said:

Solarchaser said:

JKenH said:

ChargePlace Scotland: Why the ‘world’s largest’ electric vehicle switchover turned into a ‘disaster’ and how a Dundee team are trying to fix it

https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/business-environment/transport/2486779/chargeplace-scotland-why-the-worlds-largest-electric-vehicle-switchover-went-wrong-and-how-a-dundee-team-are-trying-to-fix-it/

Hmm, I guess I'd say that it's kinda true.
The migration has definitely not went smoothly, and last week I pulled up at a 7kw charger that wouldn't recognise either my card, or either app, nor was it available to cps or cyc when I called them.

Sounds terrible right?
Well not really, that's the one time I've had that since the switch over and it was with a single 7kw charger.
Another twice on 22kw chargers when screens have been faulty or refusing the card I've phoned cps and they have simply activated the charger, once having to phone back again to get them to deactivate the charger so I could get my cable back. 

However within the switch-over time since the end of July I've charged around 20 times, and those 3 were the only issues I hit. 
Every other time it's been fine, including right now when I'm sitting charging at the Stirling charging facility on a free 50kw charger. 
This is the Tesla bank just now 

So in short it's true that the switchover has not went as planned, but those people who were complaining and saying its been set back years or that they wouldn't have bought an electric car, they must be daily mail/express readers, as that's simply sensationalist garbage.

I've charged 4 times in Aberdeen in the last month, no issues.

I haven't used my CPS card since we got a home charger 18 months ago but heard about issues with the switch the other day so thought I'd better try it. Charge started no problem. 
Apparently, due to the ongoing technical issues, some posts are starting a charge with any type of RFID card including Tesco Clubcard. 😁

The problem appears to be network related which you would think wouldn't take too long to fix.

Yeah on the occasion the stantion wouldn't read any cards the lad at cps said anything with an rfid will start it, but the stantion itself was faulty. 

I do think it's taken too long to fix this, my account still hasn't been migrated across, so there definitely is an issue, but a 2 min phonecard is hardly the end of the world.

If I could call someone at a petrol pump and he supplied me free petrol each time, id probably phone every time 

So yesterday, I registered a new account on the Charge Place Scotland website.
On completing registration, a message saying "charge card is in the post" appeared so presumably a new RFID card is in on the way.

In the meantime, I installed the new CPS app on my phone and popped down to our local chargers to try it.
I tried a Siemens rapid and Evolt fast charger, both started the charge via the app first time no problem and very quickly. Both sessions appear on my CPS account.

So the new system appears to be working just fine now.
I'd say the CPS app is an improvement on the CYC app too which I occasionally had problems starting a charge with.

Heedtheadvice

Well your experience, EVPV, is good news. Lets hope that standard is maintained and widely rolled out.

EVandPV

Heedtheadvice said:

Well your experience, EVPV, is good news. Lets hope that standard is maintained and widely rolled out.

Yes, and seems to be the case now for most people on the Facebook groups.
Still seems to be a few chargers facing issues but the new admin team seem to be on the ball in dealing with them. 

Solarchaser

Heedtheadvice said:

Imho,

Reliability, compatibility, complexity, availability, ease of organisation to use, is an issue. More especially probably for those who are not keen to be EVers who need to be converted.

Far from all CPS chargers being free in some council areas (the more rural locations) there is a connection fee of about £1.50 and then 20 or 25p per kWh. Of course there are more expensive ones too.

It is still early days in the development of charging point systems, standardisation should come eventually but might need a regulatory push! Until then the piecemeal approach accross the whole of the uk (and more) is not satisfactory and does nothing significant to help meet environmental aims. There are to many factors working against quick and easy take-up.

A Sunday Times article I happened to see at the weekend came, I think correctly, to the conclusion that EVs now are great, ideal for local running but the charging network is still a major weak point and can be a time consuming faff on a long journey.

Hopefully that will change rapidly if all concerned get their act together!

I never said cps was free in all areas,  they are currently free in the central belt for 95%+ of chargers. 
It's already been stated that north and south of the Central belt there are more paid chargers, so not free in all areas.

Martyn1981

I do find Sweden's numbers interesting. The PEV figure has risen fast, should exceed 50% any month now, they did have a strong bias towards PHEV's, but that's now swinging in favour of BEV's, and my BiL lives in Sweden, and has a PHEV due to issues surrounding charging points at their apartment, but this too has changed quickly. So been fun to watch the developments.

Sweden’s Plugin EV Share Over 47% In August, Full Electrics At Record High 24%

Sweden’s plugin electric vehicle market share hit 47.1% in August 2021, up over 1.6x from 29.0% in August 2020. Full electric vehicles took a record high 24.1% share of new sales, slightly ahead of plugin hybrids, due to recent incentive adjustments. The overall auto market, at 19808 units, was down by around one third from pre-COVID 2019 levels. The Kia e-Niro was once again Sweden’s best selling full electric.

After years of PHEVs dominating Sweden’s plugin sales, recent policy changes (see March and July reports for details) have had the effect of lifting up the sale of BEVs relative to other powertrains. As we have seen for August, BEVs may have the slight edge over PHEVs going forwards. This will incentivize more investment in DC charging infrastructure, and have positive feedback effects for further BEV adoption.

September has historically been a banner month for European plugin share, stepping up significantly over previous months, and this year will likely be no exception. We will probably see the 50% threshold breached in Sweden for the first time (and certainly by November).

With December 2020 seeing plugin share at 49.4% already, December 2021 should see plugin share exceeding 60% in Sweden.

Heedtheadvice

Solarchaser said:

Heedtheadvice said:

Imho,

Reliability, compatibility, complexity, availability, ease of organisation to use, is an issue. More especially probably for those who are not keen to be EVers who need to be converted.

Far from all CPS chargers being free in some council areas (the more rural locations) there is a connection fee of about £1.50 and then 20 or 25p per kWh. Of course there are more expensive ones too.

It is still early days in the development of charging point systems, standardisation should come eventually but might need a regulatory push! Until then the piecemeal approach accross the whole of the uk (and more) is not satisfactory and does nothing significant to help meet environmental aims. There are to many factors working against quick and easy take-up.

A Sunday Times article I happened to see at the weekend came, I think correctly, to the conclusion that EVs now are great, ideal for local running but the charging network is still a major weak point and can be a time consuming faff on a long journey.

Hopefully that will change rapidly if all concerned get their act together!

I never said cps was free in all areas,  they are currently free in the central belt for 95%+ of chargers. 
It's already been stated that north and south of the Central belt there are more paid chargers, so not free in all areas.

I was not being critical of you, Solarchaser, but I read it that you might think so.

"Free" has been mentioned a couple of times at least such as in a response to the reliability concerns. My post does help put it in context that free does not encompass all CPS chargers.

(Even if you think free ones could be accepted at lower reliability rates, it is not acceptable that those where one has to pay are out just as frequently - not that you said those words but it could be implied. It could also be read that all the chargers are free which we agree they are in fact not....at the point of delivery! )

I know some people look, from outside Scotland, with envy at some of the services provided for free that we have. Let us not give the impression that all is sweetness and light with such services. Taxpayers fund them and a lot of services benefit the central belt more so than Highlands, islands and Border areas. Just drive up the M6 and stop at the first CPS chargers to get the experience!

Now you are switched on as to the situation but many owners or prospective owners of EVs nay not be such as an Irvine resident I met recently who came to my area used to free charging and found out after driving around to find a working one he had to pay. Not exactly shocked but certainly a bit miffed at the lack of equality! I am too since I help pay for your free charging alongside all other tax payers.

Grumpy_chap

Heedtheadvice said

"Free" has been mentioned a couple of times at least such as in a response to the reliability concerns. My post does help put it in context that free does not encompass all CPS chargers.

(Even if you think free ones could be accepted at lower reliability rates, it is not acceptable that those where one has to pay are out just as frequently - not that you said those words but it could be implied. It could also be read that all the chargers are free which we agree they are in fact not....at the point of delivery! )

I know some people look, from outside Scotland, with envy at some of the services provided for free that we have. Let us not give the impression that all is sweetness and light with such services. Taxpayers fund them and a lot of services benefit the central belt more so than Highlands, islands and Border areas. Just drive up the M6 and stop at the first CPS chargers to get the experience!

How the system is funded does not excuse poor reliability.

If we accept the (I think reasonable) premise that "free at the point of use" is being provided to encourage take-up, then the need for good reliability is, perhaps, even more so than a charged-for "at the point of use" service.  If those that are converted to adopt the new technology then have a poor experience, they are more likely to then become nay-sayers than those that were keen to convert in the first place.

I am also interested as to how long the "free at the point of use" charging can be sustained. 

We previously had free on-street charging (in a very small way) down here in London.  That was when the only EV's available were the G-Wiz and the first Tesla S.  Total number of EV's was very small, the Teslas had "free" charging built into the sales price business model, and most EV-owners would also have had a "first" car available for anything where the EV was not an easy choice.

That charging in London has ceased some years back because there were objections (at which London Greens were near the fore) about subsidising the rich to have playthings (second cars) and that the "free atpou" charging was absolutely unavoidable for London Boroughs to finance plus still encouraging the energy-hungry use of cars when the investment should be going into alternative means of travel entirely.

I accept the the geography and population density of Scotland is vastly different to London, but it seems logical the same objections to "free atpou" charging will inevitably be applied.  Indeed, if the scheme is successful in encouraging increased take-up of EV, then the affordability has to become a challenge for a tax-funded system.