After the Prime Minister announced an additional £106 million for R&D in green vehicles, new batteries and low carbon technology at the UK’s first Zero Emission Vehicle Summit on 11 September, LeasePlan UK’s managing director Matt Dyer made the following comment:
The UK new car market enjoyed a boost in August, as year-on-year demand rose 23.1 per cent, according to the latest figures published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). 94,094 new cars were registered in the month as the market responded to regulatory changes, with cost-savvy buyers taking advantage of some compelling deals in what is always one of the year’s smallest months.
Chargemaster, which is now part of BP, has been selected as the official charging provider for Cenex-LCV2018 and will deliver both exhibitor and visitor charging at the event, which is in its 11th year.
Research from Auto Trader shows that many drivers are looking to move away from petrol and diesel cars but lack of charging infrastructure and confusing terminology remain significant barriers to electric car adoption among UK drivers. Drivers say they will wait an average of nine years to buy an electric car; drivers are split as to whether the proposed 2040 ban is a positive thing – with 40 per cent each in favour and against; and 74 per cent did not know that the government offers plug-in grants for buyers of electric and hybrid vehicles.
Prometeon Tyre Group has signed a tyre supply agreement with the SmartBUS project which is being developed by the Eco – Hev company, a spin-off of the Politecnico di Milano, active in the development of innovative electro mobility systems for the spread of sustainable mobility. The project involves the installation of an innovative fast charging system using a charging station located at the end of the urban line. This energy storage system, being tested on a bus circulating in the city of La Spezia, is based on the Ultracapacitor system developed by Eco – Hev in collaboration with the Politecnico di Milano. The system eliminates the need for batteries on board the vehicle, ensuring a considerable reduction in charging times (from 8 hours to 5 minutes).
It boasts ingredients that include vegetable oil and resin extracted from conifer pines, and it may be coming to a tyre shop near you in 2019 – Hankook Tire has introduced its second generation of electric vehicle tyre, the Hankook Kinergy AS EV.
The FIA World Rallycross Championship is to postpone the introduction of electric cars until 2021. The decision has been taken to allow optimal time for all manufacturers investigating the possibility of competing to develop their plans. Manufacturers will now have until 29 March 2019 to confirm their commitment to the electric format.
A report published by E4TechA shows that UK companies are well-placed to supply valuable materials needed for batteries to be built in UK, representing a potential £2.7 billion per year business opportunity. The report was commissioned by Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) at the University of Warwick, was launched to the Chemical Industry Association at the Chemistry Growth Partnership meeting in London, chaired by Steve Foots, chief executive of Croda, and attended by Richard Harrington MP.
The NIO EP9, in the hands of racing driver Peter Dumbreck, has become the fastest electric production car to ever ascend the iconic hill in front of Goodwood House at the weekend. With a time of 44.32 seconds in the Festival of Speed’s ‘Final Shoot Out’, the time also represents the fifth fastest official timed run to be set during the event’s entire 25-year history.
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) is urging the UK government to act to support the sale of traditionally fuelled vehicles following the news that the UK new car market declined moderately in June. Year-on-year demand fell by -3.5 per cent, the SMMT stated, as 234,945 new cars joined British roads, representing relative stabilisation considering recent turbulence over the past year or so. While alternatively fuelled vehicle sales continue to rise, they are not yet at a level that can relieve the decline in traditionally fuelled vehicle sales, and the SMMT argues for government to provide increased support for petrol and especially new technology diesel vehicles.
The UK is committed to a total ban on the sale of all petrol and diesel cars by 2040, but, in its annual progress report to Parliament, the Committee on Climate Change has suggested that this is too late and should be imposed a decade earlier, in 2030.
A new initiative has been launched in Nottingham with the aim of increasing the uptake of electric vehicles, as well as improving air quality in the city.
The Workplace Travel Service: ULEV Experience programme held its first event – a ‘Ride and Drive’ Electric Vehicle showcase – on Friday 22nd June 2018 at Nottingham Racecourse, which was attended by a range of Nottingham businesses and public sector organisations.
Vredestein’s Ultrac Vorti ultra-high performance tyres have been specified for a unique project: a Tesla Model S-based Shooting Brake commissioned by a Dutch collector, designed by award-winning Niels van Roij Design and built by renowned Dutch coach-builder RemetzCar.
Bridgestone is pushing its high performance tyre design into new areas with its supply of the sporty new BMW i3s electric car.
LeasePlan has released its annual Car Cost Index, with the latest analysis showing that electric vehicles (EVs) are now becoming cost competitive in several European countries, including the UK. The UK has been ranked as the fifth most cost-effective country in Europe to own an electric vehicle. According to the Index, the total monthly cost of owning an electric vehicle in the UK is £630 (€719), 14 per cent lower than the European average of £719 (€819).
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