Workbench Logo
Workbench Logo
Workbench Logo

Alex Grant

Q&A: David Martell of Chargemaster

7 years ago / 0 comments

As Chargemaster moves to renewable energy sources for its POLAR network, and opens the first multi-brand, all-EV showroom in Milton Keynes, CEO David Martell says it’s a case of ‘when’ instead of ‘why’ for … Read More »

National Grid: only 8% rise in peak energy demand by 2040

7 years ago / 2 comments

Charging the UK’s electric vehicle fleet in 2040 would only require a 5GW increase in peak energy demand – six times lower than some news reports have suggested, according to the National Grid.

Hybrids could soon change driving mode to suit local air quality

7 years ago / 0 comments

Hybrids could soon be remotely switched to drive on electricity when local air pollution is high, using technology which is about to undergo on-road trials in Leeds.

Shell extends its hydrogen filling network

7 years ago / 0 comments

Shell has added four hydrogen filling stations to its network in Germany, bringing the country’s strategically-deployed network to 32 sites.

Toyota and Mazda to co-develop electric vehicles

7 years ago / 0 comments

Toyota and Mazda have formed a partnership to co-develop electric vehicles, in a move aimed at increasing the speed at which new technology can be brought to market.

ULEVs added to government greenhouse gas data tables

7 years ago / 0 comments

The UK government has included plug-in vehicles on its greenhouse gas conversion tables for the first time, aimed at helping fleets to better understand their environmental impact of new drivetrains.

Study suggests estimated grid demand from EVs is exaggerated

7 years ago / 0 comments

Moving to 100% electric vehicle sales in the UK by 2040 would only cause a 10% increase in demand on the electrical grid, according to a study from Cambridge Econometrics.

Cenex to overhaul National Chargepoint Registry

7 years ago / 0 comments

Cenex is to take charge of the UK-wide database of charging points, in a move aimed at providing better live data to drivers and routing companies.

Queensland to get 1,000-mile electric highway

7 years ago / 0 comments

Queensland is to get a network of rapid electric vehicle charging points spanning the 1,000-mile Bruce Highway along the state’s east coast.

DfT mulls changes to gross weight limits for electric vans

7 years ago / 1 comments

The Department for Transport is considering raising the weight threshold for light commercial vehicles from 3.5 tonnes to 4.25 tonnes to offset their heavier drivetrains, in turn making them more cost-effective to operate.

Government air quality plans: what you need to know

7 years ago / 2 comments

As the UK government sets out its plans to curb air quality issues across the UK, Alex Grant picks out the key points for fleets.

POLAR network switches to renewable energy

7 years ago / 0 comments

Chargemaster’s POLAR network of 5,600 charging points will be supplied by renewable energy from the 1st of August, aimed at cutting carbon emissions for users.

Battery-electric MINI due in 2019

7 years ago / 1 comments

MINI’s first electric vehicle will be based on its three-door hatchback, and launch in 2019, the company has confirmed.

Hyundai to electrify several core models by 2020

7 years ago / 0 comments

Hyundai will add 14 electrified models to its line-up by 2020, including hybrid, electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, according to its European COO, Thomas Schmid.

AA Trust to offer free EV driver training

7 years ago / 0 comments

The AA Trust is to begin a pilot programme, offering free electric vehicle driving lessons in Milton Keynes to demonstrate how to get the best performance of the technology.

Shell to offer EV charging in the UK

7 years ago / 1 comments

Selected Shell service stations in the UK and Netherlands are to gain rapid charging points for electric vehicles, due to go live by the end of 2017.

Mercedes-Benz to launch diesel PHEV next year

7 years ago / 1 comments

Mercedes-Benz will launch its first diesel plug-in hybrid next year, likely to be a derivative of the facelifted C-Class, with UK head of fleet, Rob East, stressing that diesel still has a place in … Read More »

Peer-to-peer network makes revenue from idle charging points

7 years ago / 0 comments

Businesses and residents in California will soon be able to offer their charging points to other drivers through a mobile app, in what’s said to be the first network of its kind in North … Read More »

Audi A8 plug-in hybrid due in 2018

7 years ago / 0 comments

Audi will launch its first plug-in hybrid A8 saloon early in 2018, a few months after the arrival of the rest of the new-generation range.

Norway now buying more plug-in cars than diesels

7 years ago / 1 comments

Almost half of all cars registered in Norway in the first six months of this year were hybrid or electric models, with plug-ins outpacing petrol or diesel sales for the first time.