Manufacturer Confident That the Ampera Will Give Electric Car Sales a Boost

Posted on May 4, 2012 by admin

Vauxhall are expecting to give a boost to the electric car sector by launching a new model in their showrooms. The Ampera is one of the newest vehicles eligible for the Coalition’s £5,000 plugged-in car discount scheme and they claim it will end the fears over range anxiety due to a limited battery life.

Last year, the then transport secretary Phillip Hammond claimed that 2011 would be the year the electric car finally took off. However, only 1,000 were sold last year, and figures for the first four months of this year show that registrations of new electric cars have disappointingly flat-lined. Vauxhall however are confident they will sell 3,500 units of the £30,000 car this year, or 5,000 in a full year. The car goes on sale in twenty-four dealerships throughout the UK and Vauxhall predict it will be a “conquest” vehicle that will lead to drivers deciding to buy from the company for the first time and that car insurance providers will be inundated with quote enquiries.

Marc Rinkel, senior analyst at analysts IHS Automotive, said “In 2011, the Nissan Leaf accounted for most of electric vehicles sales in the UK. However, the launch of the Vauxhall Ampera is a stepping stone to broaden the electric car offering. Buyers now have the option to go for the range extender with the Ampera. Although currently low consumer spending is not in favour of expensive vehicles, this model will become popular amongst company car buyers as the exemption of company car tax for electric vehicle drivers looks very appealing indeed.”

The Ampera’s biggest selling point is that when the battery runs out after fifty miles of electric power, a petrol engine will provide back-up power for up to 310 miles. But because the petrol will be driving the electric motor, Vauxhall claim the car should be classed as a “range extender” and not a hybrid car.

Top Gear Win Court Case Involving Electric Car

Posted on March 1, 2012 by admin

With the car industry still trying to convince the UK’s motoring millions that purchasing motor insurance on an electric car is a good idea, the latest failure to sue a top TV show by American electric car maker Tesla will not be welcome publicity.

The story behind the court case goes back to 2008 when Jeremy Clarkson, the effervescent presenter of BBC’s motoring show Top Gear, predicted that the Tesla Car would run out of power after 55 miles when driven fast round a motor test circuit. This was just a quarter of the range the manufacturers said the car could cover in one charge when used in its optimum conditions.

The car undertook one of the shows famous test runs and the commentary included Clarkson saying: “This car was really shaping up to be something wonderful but then although Tesla say it will do 200 miles we have worked out that on our track it will run out after just 55 miles and if it does run out it is not a quick job to charge it up again.”

The car was then showed being pushed by some of the crew and it was this that upset Tesla, they said the car had not run out of fuel and that the Top Gear film was “completely phoney”.

Tesla owner, Elon Musk, stated the show did the car no favours, saying: “The fundamental thing with Top Gear is that the show was about as authentic as a Milli Vanilli concert, but the problem is most viewers don’t know that. For European investors, every single one, except one, specifically asked us why our car broke down on Top Gear.”

Tesla lost the first court case in October of last year but came back to court again this week. However, the same judge still refused to grant an amended lawsuit saying the Top Gear segment: “Was not capable of being defamatory at all, or, if it is, it is not capable of being a sufficiently serious defamatory meaning to constitute a real and substantial tort.”

A BBC statement was issued saying: “We are pleased Mr Justice Tugendhat has ruled in favour of the BBC on both the issues before the court, first in striking out Tesla’s libel claim against the BBC, and secondly in describing Tesla’s malicious falsehood claim as so ‘gravely deficient’ it too could not be allowed to proceed.”

New battery for electric cars will cost almost as much as the vehicle

Posted on August 5, 2011 by admin

The current drive to try and get more drivers to get motor insurance quotes for an electric vehicle has had a worrying setback after it has been revealed that a new replacement battery could cost the owner a whooping £19,000.

A lithium ion battery is made up of 48 modules which would each cost £404 to replace. It is this type of battery that powers the world’s best-selling electric car, the Nissan Leaf. If the entire 48 modules all need replacing at the same time it would cost £19,392 to get the car back on the road.

Andy Palmer, Nissan’s senior vice-president in the United Kingdom, said “The battery could last a decade providing the driver makes relatively short journeys each day. However, it may need replacing much quicker if motorists frequently use the fast-charge points which only takes three hours, as opposed to a standard 13 amp socket that takes 10 hours for a full charge. Driving in extremely hot or cold weather will also reduce the life of the battery significantly.”

Nissan is only recommending the Leaf to those who are likely to be driving less than two-hundred miles a day. It is still ideal for the 33% of all UK drivers who never drive more than 80 miles in one day but negative news about zero emission vehicles seems to be coming in thick and fast at the moment. The news comes in the same week that Nissan have been involved in a row with the BBC motoring show Top Gear whom they claim deliberately ran down the battery prior to testing the car.

Some good news for Nissan is that they have just unveiled a prototype system in Japan this week which can be used to supply electricity to a house during a power cut. The device used to charge the car can be reversed to feed power back into the household circuit. The lithium ion battery in the Leaf can store up to 24kWh of electricity, which Nissan say would be more than enough to power an average Japanese home for about two days.

Drivers are not in any rush to buy green vehicles

Posted on July 22, 2011 by admin

The number of drivers taking advantage of the Coalition scheme to promote green vehicles has been less of a success than was first forecast. The RAC Foundation say
Official Government figures show that only 215 electric cars were bought via the scheme in the three months to June 2011.

This figure is less than half of the vehicles sold during January-March 2011 when 466 were purchased. The Coalition had hoped more drivers would be getting car insurance quotes for green vehicles. Under the scheme both drivers and businesses can get a huge discount of £5,000 on the purchase of a vehicle that produces 75g or less of CO2 per one kilometre. Despite the huge discount of £5,000, the vehicles that qualify for the scheme will still cost around £20,000 even after the Government discount. The Government and manufacturers are all hopeful that these vehicles will come down in price once there has been a significant number sold. This of course is of no help to drivers who wish to buy one now but just do not have the cash.

A spokesman for the RAC said: “Low-carbon vehicle take-up has been less than electrifying. The figure of 681 vehicles represent (in grants) just £3.4m of the £43m the Coalition put aside for the scheme until March next year. The figures show the mountain we have to climb if the national car fleet of 28 million vehicles is to turn truly green. Even with the grants, electric cars are still much more expensive than similar-sized petrol and diesel models.”

Everyone knows that the much lower fuel costs associated with electric cars make them highly desirable, but the high purchase price means it will take drivers many years to enjoy the financial benefits of driving an electric vehicle. In the short term it looks as if motorists will have to think long and hard about whether to change to an electric car which will mean finding £20,000 in what are still tough times for everyone.

Renault award British Gas the contract to install charging points for their vehicles

Posted on June 17, 2011 by admin

Renault have announced that British Gas will be their supplier of vehicle charging points for their brand new range of zero emission fully electric cars and vans throughout the United Kingdom. The motor manufacturer was involved with several utility companies about the contract but finally opted for the household name supplier.

The agreement was officially announced during the technical forum for the RAC Future Car Challenge which was held in London. The partnership means that British Gas will install charge points in both homes and businesses across the country and then supply the electricity to charge the vehicles. In a few months time Renault will launch their new electric Kangoo Van Z.E. and this will be followed by a number of fully electric cars and an innovative urban two-seater, called the Twizy. The Twizy will get its power from a rear-mounted 20bhp electric motor and a full charge will allow the vehicle to run for up to 72 miles.

Within the next eight years it is predicted that electric vehicles will probably account for at least 10% of all vehicles which are sold and protected by a car insurance quote. To be ready, customers will pay from £995 for the domestic installation of a charging point which is much more convenient and safer than having to plug the vehicles directly into the electricity system of the home. British gas research shows that by 2020, 60% of charging points will be installed at motorists homes and only 10% will be public chargers.

Dean Keeling, managing director of British Gas Smart Homes, said “The market for electric vehicles in Britain is growing fast. With our national network of electrical engineers, our electricity supply business, our solar panel business and our roll out of smart meters, British Gas is well placed to be at the forefront of that market. We can help electric car owners power their car for less money and from renewable sources.”

Renault UK selected British Gas because of the strength of their service network, their quality and competitiveness and also the strength of their marketing.

UK faces a race against time to meet its electric car targets

Posted on April 15, 2011 by admin

Anyone driving an electric car in North London can head to Sainsbury’s in Islington where they will be guaranteed a free parking place and charging point. They have been there for over 12 months waiting for an electric car customer. In all the time they have been there hardly anyone has used them, and it must becoming a concern for the industry.

2011 is supposed to be the year when getting a motor insurance quote for an electric car starts to become a reality throughout the United Kingdom. Even Formula One’s governing body is to stage a championship series for electric cars to increase public interest for the new technology. Nissan, General Motors and Peugeot Citroen have already launched battery powered models in America, Japan and Europe. By the end of 2011 there will be 12 models for buyers to pick from, as manufacturers including Renault and BMW will be bringing out new vehicles.

March saw Nissan deliver hundreds of its new Leaf model and by the end of the year the Government expects to have between 1,200 and 1,500 Electric Vehicles on the roads of Great Britain. Although that does not sound like a high number, it is worth remembering, in 2009 there was less than 60. The Coalition Government wants to see 1.7 million by 2020.

The Leaf has been hailed as the first mass-market electric car, but the reality is its £30,990 price tag is putting buyers off. Besides the cost, the other factor putting motorists off is the range it can be driven and the fear that they could be stranded with a flat battery during the journey. Given that there are only between 400 and 500 charging points throughout the country, this is a real concern.

This week Norman Baker, a junior minister in the department of transport, said “There is not public opposition to electric cars, but public lethargy. However, once drivers see the cars around, they will like them.”

Electric cars have the potential to aid Britain’s manufacturing industry. With the Leaf being built in Sunderland from 2013, the Coalition is confident they will not only meet the target for 2020, they will beat it.

Newcastle at the forefront of a greener future

Posted on August 17, 2010 by admin

Newcastle City Council have secured a multi million pound contract which will boost the region’s aim to be one of the leaders of the electric car revolution, now funding for 580 charging points for electric powered vehicles has been secured.

The Council will now strategically place the plug points around the city and surrounding areas. The hope is that the investment of £3.5m from the development agency One North East, will persuade drivers to purchase greener vehicles. Engineers from the council will be responsible for the installation of the charging points on the streets and in car parks across the target area. To use the charging points, the driver will need a fob which will log not just the details of the car but also the person using the charger. The council then plan to use these details to send out a bill to the user. This is part of the Plugged in Places initiative whose aim is to have 1,300 charging points installed during the next three years.

Wendy Taylor, portfolio member for Environment, Sustainability & Transport, said: “We are delighted that the work and capability of the Technical Services Team of the council has been recognised in this way by awarding this work to the council. Our team are doing an excellent job rolling out the network of charging points, which will form the blueprint for the rest of country and demonstrate Newcastle’s role at the forefront of the efforts to create one of the first low carbon regions in the UK.”

The Council hope that this will be an incentive for local motorists to apply for a motor insurance quote for electric cars such as the Nissan Leaf, which is to be manufactured in the North East from 2013. Newcastle City Council are already helping the environment as they have a fleet of 20 electric vehicles.

No long term commitment on electric cars

Posted on August 2, 2010 by admin

A coalition government grant scheme which gives drivers up to £5,000 off the price of a new electric car has been slashed by 80%, according to opposition politicians and green campaigners. If a motor insurance quote for an electric car turns out to be cheap, the scheme could well be over subscribed. The fate of charging points to power such low emission vehicles also hangs in the balance. In the face of lobbying from the electric car makers, who argued that cancelling the incentive, would not just harm the take up of cars but also hit the creation of green jobs, Transport secretary Philip Hammond confirmed the grant will go ahead in January 2011. He said “The coalition government is absolutely committed to low-carbon growth, tackling climate change and making our energy supply more secure. This will ensure that the UK is a world leader in low-emission vehicles.”

However, the coalition government has only committed to an initial £43m, which will run until March 2012; this will be reviewed in January 2012. When Labour announced the original £230m scheme in March 2010, there was no plan to review the scheme yearly. Despite this news there is still uncertainty over a “plugged-in places” project which was announced by the Labour government, the project was to build thousands of new charging points enabling drivers to charge the vehicles on a public street. Nearly all of the cars to be released by manufacturers have a maximum range of 100 miles. The Coalition Government confirmed that the decision on the financing of the charge points would not be made until the comprehensive spending review in a few months.

Greenpeace transport campaigner Vicky Wyatt said: “Electric cars are one of the ways we can cut our dependence on oil and move towards a clean, green transport system. That’s why it’s good news that the government has announced this first chunk of funding. But if the government is serious about putting hundreds of thousands more electric cars on Britain’s roads, it’s vital that Philip Hammond makes a long-term commitment and stumps up the full £230m, as promised by the previous government.”