Alex Grant
EVs to offer five-minute, 300-mile charges by 2020
Electric vehicles with a 300-mile range and five-minute charging times could reach the market within three years, following a breakthrough in battery technology.
BMW 5 Series PHEV to get wireless charging
BMW will introduce wireless charging as an option for the 5 Series plug-in hybrid next year.
Tesla’s ‘Supercharger’ network to double in size this year
Tesla is to double its global network of ultra-fast charging points during 2017, as it prepares for the launch of the compact-executive Model 3 electric car and growth of its current models.
‘Future-proof’ UK rapid charge network due late 2017
A network of 200 rapid chargers, capable of being upgraded to offer eight times the charging speed of today’s quickest units, will begin rolling out along the UK’s major routes this summer.
Road Test: Renault ZOE Z.E. 40 Dynamique Nav (R90)
It’s a sign of a changing automotive sphere that, five years after it launched, the Renault ZOE can undergo an under-the-skin change and become one of the most significant new cars on sale in … Read More »
Panasonic extends global EV battery production
Panasonic has opened an 80,000m2 electric vehicle battery factory in China – one of three it will operate worldwide as it steps up production ahead of consumer demand.
Recharge fees are curbing EV demand, says Rolec
“Extortionate” fees to access public charging networks are damaging uptake for electric vehicles in the UK, Rolec EV has warned, adding that drivers should only have to pay for the energy used.
Road Test: Mercedes-Benz E 350 e AMG Line
With Lexus seemingly the only brand to carve out a decent-size niche for executive-class hybrids in Europe, its German rivals are making the switch to plug-in technology. Which, for the E-Class, seems a bit … Read More »
Public Service
Erik Fairbairn, CEO of POD Point, discusses the challenges for the UK’s charging networks, and the tipping point for EV demand.
Room for Growth
Mike Potter, managing director of FleetDrive Electric, discusses the changing role of EVs on fleets, and how to support the UK’s growing market for plug-ins.
C-Class PHEV registrations outpace Nissan LEAF
The Mercedes-Benz C-Class plug-in hybrid was the UK’s second most registered ultra-low emission vehicle last year, outnumbering the diesel hybrid more than three to one, according to new Department for Transport data.
DfT data shows Birmingham has more plug-in vehicles than London
Drivers in Birmingham are four times more likely to drive a plug-in hybrid or vehicle than those in London, according to the latest Department for Transport figures.
Road Test: Lexus IS 300h Advance
In the 20 years since Toyota pulled the covers off the original Prius, it’s shown itself to be a manufacturer with a taste for doing things a little differently.
Ford hybrid cuts police pursuit fuel bills in half
Ford has revealed the first “pursuit-rated” hybrid police car in the United States, with combined fuel economy said to be twice that of its non-hybrid alternative.
Ford boosts EV R&D ahead of new launches
Ford is to begin developing and manufacturing electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles in China, for local customers, by the end of the decade.
UK rush for hybrids and EVs ahead of April VED changes
Electrified vehicles accounted for one in 25 registrations during the first three months of the year, figures from the SMMT reveal, with hybrid and electric cars recording the fastest growth.
Road Test: Toyota C-HR Hybrid Dynamic
The C-HR feels like a meeting of worlds for Toyota; a convergence of its aggressive new family styling, lighter and sharper-driving platform and more versatile hybrid technology, all sensibly rolled into a car engineered … Read More »
Road test: Toyota Prius PHV
It’s unquestionably clever, but the Prius PHV has a major sticking point, explains Alex Grant.
Chargemaster offers free upgrades as Source East network closes
Former Plugged-in Places charging scheme, Source East, is to close at the end of the month, with Chargemaster offering hosts complimentary upgrades to join its own POLAR network.
First Drive: Tesla Model X
Insurgent luxury brand Tesla can only widen its appeal with an electric SUV, reckons Alex Grant.
