Alex Grant
BMW launches smart charging trial
The BMW i ChargeForward project is a collaboration with Californian energy provider Pacific Gas and Electric Utility Service (PG&E), and is now taking applications for the planned 100 participants in the Greater San Francisco … Read More »
Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV becomes emergency power source
It means cars equipped with the rapid charging socket are now approved for use with several vehicle-to-home (V2H) units, including one made by Mitsubishi Electric, the EVPower Station from Nichicon and the Tsubaki Elink. … Read More »
Nissan doubles public sector EV fleet specialist team
The new team is headed by national EV manager, Karl Anders, who joins the company from the Energy Saving Trust where he was a fleet consultant for the agency. Ben Grocott and Tony Machin, … Read More »
Range and charging upgrades for Tesla range
Owners of the Roadster, Tesla’s first production car launched in 2008, will be offered an upgrade package based on knowledge gained from the Model S, claimed to increase the range to around 400 miles … Read More »
Bolloré to double French charging network
The company, which manages the Autolib electric car sharing service in Paris and the Source London charging point scheme in the UK, presented its plans to French Ministry for the Economy and Finance earlier this month. … Read More »
Charging network in The Hague to quadruple
The city’s first charging points were installed in 2012, and there are now 300 located across The Hague, the management of which will be taken over by private enterprise within the next four years. … Read More »
Plug-in sales to double in 2015, says Alphabet
The company’s CEO, Richard Schooling, says the plug-in market has reached a crucial tipping point, where customers are more likely than ever to discuss the possibility of using them on fleet. It’s a trend … Read More »
OLEV funds 39-strong Siemens rapid charge network
Funded by the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV), the network comprises 20 Siemens QC45 units in South Tyneside and 19 in Dorset, each compatible with the CHAdeMO DC, Type 2 AC and Combined … Read More »
Hendra Holiday Park to run plug-ins on renewables
The newcomers will be used by the directors of Hendra Holiday Park, in Newquay, which generates the power for the 100-acre site using its own solar and wind farms. Will Dexter, financial director at … Read More »
Nissan e-NV200 Combi joins Cornish electric taxi fleet
C&C Taxis, based in St Austell, already has a fleet of six Nissan LEAFs, and says each of its electric vehicles save around £10,000 in fuel bills per year. The newcomer was deployed earlier … Read More »
Extraordinary in ordinary: Living with the Tesla Model S
Game changer, revolutionary, upstart. Tesla’s all-electric luxury car has caused a stir in the industry, but does it work as a day-to-day car? Alex Grant spent a week with the Model S to find … Read More »
AlphaElectric exceeds first year target by 24%
The multi-marque service launched in November 2013 with a target of 595 units in its first year, and 12 months on can count West Middlesex University Hospital and London-based last mile delivery specialist Gnewt … Read More »
Shared charging network to enable trans-European EV touring
Under the agreement, British network Charge Your Car, which has 2,000 points and The New Motion, which a network of 15,000 spanning the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Luxembourg and Belgium, will share their networks under … Read More »
New Audi Q7 to get <50g/km plug-in hybrid drivetrain
The Q7 e-tron quattro combines a 255bhp 3.0-litre V6 diesel engine with a 126bhp electric motor housed in its eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox. As the name suggests, the car offers four-wheel drive traction in electric … Read More »
Renault reveals 10% smaller electric drivetrain
Designed in-house and built at the Cléon factory, the synchronous motor produces the same 88bhp as the unit in the ZOE, but integrating components, moving to air cooling and not using external cables has … Read More »
Renault ZOE cleans up Sepur's Parisian fleet
The first order, for 61 vehicles, was placed through Alphabet France, with 11 delivered to the company’s headquarters in Yvelines recently. Sepur has a 17 outlets in Paris, and the fleet will be branded … Read More »
Road Test: Mercedes-Benz C300 BlueTEC Hybrid Sport
This is an incredibly tough segment, and one which is dominated by diesel engines, which can make a comparatively expensive hybrid a tough sell. But Mercedes-Benz has been clever here, with a modular system … Read More »
Qualcomm invests in UK wireless charging network
The technology is similar to that used in electric toothbrushes, transmitting energy via a magnetic field between a pad on the ground and another on the vehicle itself, allowing charging without cables. Chargemaster, based … Read More »
Ten-fold growth for Thriev's BYD e6 EV fleet
The company deployed 20 of the Chinese manufacturer’s electric MPVs in London in January 2014, and has charging equipment including BYD’s own units at its headquarters. Its vehicles are also available through the Kabbee … Read More »
South Yorkshire Police deploys 10 Vauxhall Amperas
The fleet will be used for non-emergency or pursuit duties, such as visiting the victims of crime to take statements, and are supported by a network of 13 charging points across Sheffield, Barnsley, Rotherham … Read More »
