Battery Electric Vehicle News / Enjoying the Transportation Revolution

shinytop

If salary sacrifice were available to me I'd probably have an EV now.  The last car I bought was 3 years old and cost £13k.  Although it doesn't need replacing, I'll probably want to later this year.  But then again I probably won't bother.  I don't want to spend another £15-£20k on another ICE car any more than I want to spend £45k on an EV.  Unless/until public charging is a lot better, I really need that 250 mile cold, wet, motorway range.  

Martyn1981

The BEV monster that is Norway continues with 84% in Jan, and PEVs holding at a solid 90% now it seems.

Norway’s Plugin EV Share Above 90% Again In January – BEVs At Record 84%

January’s combined 90.5% plugin result comprised a record 83.7% share for full battery electrics (BEVs) and 6.8% share for plugin hybrids (PHEVs). This is a swing back towards BEV from the PHEV pull-forward in December (ahead of 2022’s tighter emissions rules), as we predicted in last month’s report. We should expect PHEVs to settle in a range around 10% to 15% share in the coming months, and gradually fade away over the next couple of years as more BEV models, across more segments, come available.

JKenH

shinytop said:

If salary sacrifice were available to me I'd probably have an EV now.  The last car I bought was 3 years old and cost £13k.  Although it doesn't need replacing, I'll probably want to later this year.  But then again I probably won't bother.  I don't want to spend another £15-£20k on another ICE car any more than I want to spend £45k on an EV.  Unless/until public charging is a lot better, I really need that 250 mile cold, wet, motorway range.  

Do you have a second car in the family? If so, replace that with an old Leaf or Zoe for local trips/commuting and keep yours for long trips. It would be a lot cheaper than buying a £45k 80kWh Ev. My son has a Leaf for commuting and his wife who now, mainly, works from home has a 2008 Astra which is the family car for long runs. 

My wife’s Picanto will do that distance easily and it’s worth about £3k (or it would cost £13k if we swapped it for a new one). If it were only for occasional 250 mile trips and I couldn’t afford the time/hassle to stop and charge the Leaf then I could use that.

Personally, I think a combination of one EV/one ICEV is perfect for a 2 car family. I wonder in fact how many EVs are being bought as only vehicles. 

If you are limited to one car then why not consider a PHEV?

JKenH

Tesla drivers report a surge in ‘phantom braking’

In addition to the safety recall in late October, the timing of the complaints coincides with a period in which Tesla has stopped using radar sensors in its vehicles to supplement the suite of cameras that perceive their surroundings. Tesla announced last year that it would stop equipping Tesla Model Y and Model 3 vehicles built in North America with radar beginning in May 2021.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/02/02/tesla-phantom-braking/

JKenH

Volkswagen able to build 1 million EVs a year in China from 2023 -Nikkei

https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/volkswagen-able-build-1-million-evs-year-china-2023-nikkei-2022-02-02/

JKenH

UK faces £35bn tax gap if it fails to tax electric vehicles, MPs say

In its Road Pricing report, it proposes a system based on miles travelled and vehicle type, which would enable the government to maintain the existing link between motoring taxation and road usage.

It believes this should entirely replace fuel duty and vehicle excise duty rather than being added and would be “revenue neutral” with most motorists paying the same or less than they do currently.

In signalling a shift to an alternative road charging mechanism, the report calls for drivers of electric vehicles to pay to maintain and use the roads which they drive on, as is currently the case for petrol and diesel drivers.

“There must, however, remain incentives for motorists to purchase vehicles with cleaner emissions,” the report added.

https://eandt.theiet.org/content/articles/2022/02/uk-faces-35bn-tax-gap-if-it-fails-to-tax-electric-vehicles-mps-say/

Martyn1981

Nice headline, and hopefully one we'll get to see every year.

Electric vehicles bring down CO2 emissions of new cars in UK to lowest level ever

The carbon dioxide emissions of new cars sold in the UK dropped to the lowest level ever in 2021 thanks to the unprecedented surge in electric vehicle sales, industry data suggests.

Average new car CO2 emissions fell by 11.2%, to 119.7g for every kilometre driven, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), a lobby group.

Battery electric vehicles accounted for only 12% of UK sales during 2021, but they rapidly drag down the figures because they produce zero exhaust emissions. Increased sales of hybrids, which include a battery alongside an internal combustion engine, also contributed to the fall in emissions, which was previously stymied in recent years by the rise of sales in higher-emission sports utility vehicles (SUVs).

BEV's accounted for 12.5% of UK car sales in January:

SMMT Car Registrations

Martyn1981

An OK article, nothing special, till I read paragraph 4 with the RE and battery requirements, cool. Also funny to have chargers every 5km, that'll encourage men to see just how far they go on 'empty', we do love a challenge. 

New South Wales Working To Support Its 50% Electric Vehicle Market Share Target

It aims to place an ultra-fast charger every 100 km in regional areas and every 5 km in metropolitan areas (particularly in areas with limited off-street parking). Not only is the government encouraging the uptake of EVs, but also of renewable energy, as all charging stations must be powered by renewables, and onsite battery storage is encouraged.

JKenH

Andy Burnham says new Clean Air Zone scheme will be 'substantially different' - but can't rule out charges

The controversial scheme was due to come into force in May but has been put on hold, allowing for the plan to cut air pollution to be redesigned by July.

It comes after the government agreed to delay the deadline by which councils in Greater Manchester must comply by legal standards on air quality to 2026.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Greater Manchester's Clean Air Zone after dramatic u-turn

The Labour mayor had asked for a delay until 2027, saying this could mean all charges would be scrapped – but he said the 2024 deadline was 'unworkable'.

https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/andy-burnham-says-new-clean-22994873

JKenH

Climate change: Tesco using electric lorries in 'UK first'

We hear a lot of hype about a certain EV manufacturer which hasn’t quite got round to supplying any trucks despite promising them in 2019 and meanwhile legacy manufacturers are quietly getting on with the job.

Tesco has started using battery-powered delivery lorries in what it said was a UK supermarket first in a bid to reduce its carbon footprint.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-60084457