Workbench Logo
Workbench Logo
Workbench Logo

Alex Grant

EnBW extends German motorway rapid charging network

7 years ago / 0 comments

Utility company, EnBW has placed an order for 117 rapid chargers which will deployed along major motorway routes in Germany by the end of the year.

Road Test: Hyundai Ioniq Plug-in Hybrid

7 years ago / 0 comments

Although there’s no shortage of tax-efficient plug-in hybrid products in the UK, Hyundai’s is different to most. Rather than trying to offer warm performance behind a short electric range, the Ioniq is laser-focused on … Read More »

Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi plan shared EV line-up

7 years ago / 0 comments

The alliance between Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi has set out a five-year plan which will launch long-range fully electric vehicles across all main segments, based on shared technology.

Q-Park charging network spans the Northern Powerhouse

7 years ago / 1 comments

Franklin Energy has now installed 22kW charging points at the north of England’s four largest cities, following a two-year partnership with Q-Park.

European Commission rolls out first 60 EV chargers

7 years ago / 0 comments

The European Commission is rolling out 60 electric vehicle chargers at its office car parks across Brussels this month, working with Dutch energy product specialist Alfen.

Hyundai to launch EV sharing scheme in Amsterdam

7 years ago / 0 comments

Hyundai Motor will launch a car sharing programme in Amsterdam next month, with a fleet of 100 Ioniq Electric vehicles available for use around the city.

Chery’s plug-in SUV is aimed at fleets

7 years ago / 0 comments

Chinese carmaker Chery has revealed the first of its European-market products, a crossover with hybrid and electric powertrains which will target fleet and retail customers across the region.

TomTom adds live charging point data to its maps

7 years ago / 0 comments

TomTom has launched a new service displaying real-time charging point availability for electric vehicle drivers within its navigation devices.

Vauxhall Grandland X to include plug-in hybrid

7 years ago / 1 comments

Vauxhall’s first plug-in hybrid will be a version of the forthcoming Grandland X crossover, utilising technology from PSA Group, the carmaker has confirmed.

Daimler boosts PHEV ranges with new battery tech

7 years ago / 0 comments

Mercedes-Benz has boosted the range and charging times of the S-Class plug-in hybrid, previewing technology likely to be rolled out across its other plug-in models in the near future.

GKN reveals two-gear bolt-on hybrid system

7 years ago / 0 comments

GKN Driveline will begin on-road tests of a two-speed electric axle in early 2018, offering a ‘bolt-on’ solution to add hybrid drive to existing vehicles, or for developing new models.

Bosch e-axle to cut cost, R&D for electric vehicles

7 years ago / 0 comments

Bosch has developed an electric axle claimed to cut the cost and development time for electric and hybrid vehicles, predicting “billions” of sales for the technology.

Road Test: Smart ForFour Electric Drive

7 years ago / 0 comments

The pace of evolution in electric vehicles is rapid. Less than a decade ago, most were either low-volume, hand-built cars, or quirky short-range city runabouts. As battery ranges have grown, and vehicle choice has … Read More »

Scotland aims to phase out petrol and diesel by 2032

7 years ago / 0 comments

The Scottish Parliament has outlined plans to phase out petrol and diesel cars by 2032, supported by part of a £60m funding pot for low-carbon technologies.

Spotlight: Nissan LEAF

7 years ago / 0 comments

The second-generation of Nissan’s pioneering electric hatchback will arrive in Europe early next year, offering more range, extra power and less controversial styling. Alex Grant finds out more.

Long-range EVs could require “charging forecourts”

7 years ago / 0 comments

A national network of high-powered electric vehicle charging stations will be essential as new models start to offer hundreds of miles of range, according to a new report by the National Grid.

Electric and diesel variants drive H1 uplift for Nissan GB

7 years ago / 0 comments

Nissan GB has seen little slowdown in demand for diesel engines, despite the electric LEAF accounting for almost a third of its UK sales growth in the first seven months of 2017, according to … Read More »

Volkswagen Bus to return as an EV

7 years ago / 0 comments

Volkswagen has greenlighted production of an electric van and MPV, said to be inspired by the split-screen Transporter and Microbus of the 1950s.

Q&A: Simon Lonsdale of ChargePoint

7 years ago / 0 comments

With the first of a network of its 200 easily-upgradable ultra-fast charging points about to be deployed in a partnership with InstaVolt, Simon Lonsdale, vice president, business development at Californian manufacturer ChargePoint explains the … Read More »

Port of Southampton deploys first EVs

7 years ago / 0 comments

Associated British Ports has deployed 13 electric vehicles at the Port of Southampton, in a move aimed at improving local air quality in the city.