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Strong policy and falling battery costs drive another record year for electric cars

David Winterbourne 18/06/2019

China remained by far the largest electric car market in the world, accounting for half sold last year. Nearly 580,000 electric cars were sold in China in 2017, a 72% increase from the previous year. The United States had the second-highest, with about 280,000 cars sold in 2017, up from 160,000 in 2016. Nordic countries remain leaders in market share. Electric cars accounted for 39% of new car sales in Norway, making it the world leader in electric vehicle (EV) market share. In Iceland, new EV sales were 12% of the total while the share reached 6% in Sweden. Germany and Japan also saw strong growth, with sales more than doubling in both countries from their 2016 levels. Electric mobility is not limited to cars. In 2017, the stock of electric buses rose to 370,000 from 345,000 in 2016, and electric two-wheelers reached 250 million. The electrification of these modes […]

Electric Light Aircraft Order Rush: Deeply Significant

David Winterbourne 14/06/2019

Not long ago it was just dreams. Small internal-combustion aircraft provide taxi services, serve the declining market for private flying and a few other needs. Some are over 30 years old because total cost of ownership is an issue. Designing electric replacements seemed like entering a dust bowl. Spotting that there is more money in larger aircraft, some raised investment to jump in at the deep end and make 8-100 seat pure-electric aircraft or, more realistically, hybrid interim versions first, such as the Faradair BEHA. It is well analysed in the new IDTechEx report, Manned Electric Aircraft 2020-2030. NASA did a concept video of something disturbingly like a coffin lifting you out of your garden. Resonantly, it was called Puffin. About 100 organisations have raised money or concepts in that quirky vertical take-off and landing VTOL arena, mainly offering pure-electric zero-emission. However, batteries do not yet exist to lift […]

Mayor announces £6m funding for projects tackling toxic air

David Winterbourne 13/06/2019

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has invested £6 million from his Air Quality Fund in 15 new projects being established across London with the aim of improving the capital’s air quality and tackling our climate emergency. The new schemes include initiatives to cut pollution from river craft and construction machinery, as well as establishing hundreds of car free and pedestrianisation schemes. Four new Low Emission Neighbourhoods (LENs) will be established in Hackney, Dagenham, Southwark and Camden. LENs receive funding and support to install electric vehicle charge points, expand cycle lanes, establish green walls and investigate traffic reduction schemes. This funding will be matched with almost £3 million from the relevant boroughs. Boroughs across London will also work with the Mayor to deliver 11 further projects to improve air quality, including: a project to tackle emissions from South London construction sites, an anti-engine-idling campaign spread across 27 boroughs, school streets […]

EV charging locations outnumber petrol stations in the UK

David Winterbourne 04/06/2019

Data from electric vehicle (EV) charging station location service Zap-Map has revealed that the number of public charging locations in the UK has now surpassed petrol stations. The company’s data shows that, as of 22 May, there are 8,471 public charging stations across the UK compared to 8,400 petrol stations. These charging stations host a total of 13,613 charging devices. The UK market for public EV charging has grown drastically in the last year, with the number of locations increasing by 57 per cent in this time. This network is supporting the growing number of EVs on the road, estimated at more than 210,000 currently, from a figure of only 3,500 six years ago. Zap-Map pointed to forecasts which predict that by the end of 2022 there will be over one million EVs on the UK’s roads. Last year saw a record number of EV registrations, with almost 60,000 new electric […]

9 reasons why you should switch to an Electric Vehicle in Ireland

David Winterbourne 17/04/2019

The shift to electric vehicles (EV) is well and truly underway, with more electric cars than ever on our roads. There are also more industry and government initiatives available to help people to make the switch. It’s estimated there are currently around 5,500 electric cars on the roads in Ireland, but the Government plans to increase this to 20,000 vehicles by 2020. With so many benefits for both the environment and your pocket, driving an electric car makes so much sense. Here’s why electric vehicles really are the transport mode of the future. 1. They’re more affordable to run An electric car can reduce your transport costs by 74pc, compared to a similar diesel engine car. The SEAI is offering grants of up to €5,000 towards the cost of an electric vehicle and motorists can avail of up to €5,000 VRT (Vehicle Registration Tax) relief. There is also a €600 […]

How electric cars are dominating the Geneva Motor Show 2019

David Winterbourne 17/04/2019

The car industry is charging ahead with electrification. The shift away from fossil fuels is a massive trend across the sector, with the majority of the firms showing cars at the Geneva International Motor Show having at least some kind of electric-powered device on offer. The electric pulse races from the fastest to the slowest car at the Swiss event. One of the fastest is from new brand Automobili Pininfarina, the Battista, with technology from Croatia’s Rimac it develops 1,900bhp. Automobili Pininfarina development driver Nick Heidfeld told Euronews: “It has nearly 2,000 horsepower, the thing closest to that I have driven is a probably an F1 car, with nearly 900 horsepower, and this car will have more than double,” As Citroën celebrates its centenary, it’s showing off the slowest car at the show – the electric Ami One Concept. “We don’t call it a vehicle, we call it an object, for urban areas. So, big cities,” says Linda Jackson, […]