The booming number of electric vehicles on the roads may be considered good for the environment, but it is causing concern among fire fighters. Although electric vehicles are statistically less likely to catch fire than an internal combustion engine car, incidents involving a lithium-ion battery can be far more serious and difficult to extinguish – especially if in an enclosed space such as an … [Read more...]
EV batteries’ life expectency misunderstood
More than half of consumers “hugely overestimate” the time it takes for used electric car batteries to lose range, according to April’s Startline Used Car Tracker. Asked to estimate typical range loss after five years, 56% said they expected the fall to be 30% or more. In fact, research shows the real world result is likely to be less than half this figure. The average degradation for … [Read more...]
Ford BlueCruise tech warning from FleetCheck
The arrival of Ford’s new BlueCruise – the first legal hands-free driving product available on UK roads – raises a whole series of questions that fleets need to answer, says FleetCheck. Peter Golding, managing director at the fleet software specialist, said, “The fleet industry has been discussing the theoretical implications of hands-free driving for some time but the real-world availability of … [Read more...]
Britons get back into their cars
More Britons are getting back into the driving seat following the pandemic, according to new annual Motorparc data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. However, the provision of public ev charge points has slowed and has not kept up with increasing registrations of PHEVs and BEVs. The Moorparc data shows the number of cars in use on UK roads in 2022 rising by 124,393 units to a … [Read more...]
Britain’s EV charging network not fit for purpose
Britain’s EV charging network not fit for purpose, according to transport experts. The UK is way behind schedule in installing chargers and many regions in the country are being forgotten. Asif Ghafoor (below) is a veteran of infrastructure delivery and the co-founder and CEO of national charging network Be.EV and said,“The government’s target of ‘300,000 chargers by 2030’ has been plucked from … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: McLaren Artura
Exclusive sports car maker McLaren has turned the corner. A huge multi-million pound investment, new management with encouragement for a brand which has uncompromisingly delivered drivers' cars, has now enabled, embraced and enriched the latest hybrid powertrain technology. But, of course, being McLaren it always does things a differently, distinctively - the McLaren way - and the new Artura … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: GWM Funky Cat 1st Edition
The UK’s electric car revolution is becoming a bloody affair. From initially resisting the new technology on cost grounds including writing off established investments in petrol and diesel engine technology and having to develop hybrid or pure electric powertrains, along with making tens of thousands of workers redundant, manufacturers have struggled to convince buyers into showrooms or on-line … [Read more...]
One-in-six new cars sold now electric
In March, electric cars accounted for 16.21% of all new car registrations in the UK, as the exponential growth in EV uptake seen in recent years begins to stabilise. While demand for electric vehicles is still high, it is likely that slower rates of growth will continue until the ZEV Mandate is implemented in 2024, and supply is able to consistently match consumer demand. Ben Nelmes, Chief … [Read more...]
Bamboo bikes have the right balance
It's the ultimate green machine - a bike which grows in trees. In an article published on Wheels-Alive on 6 January 2023 on Wheels-Alive I described how the Roots Bamboo Bikes which use sustainable bamboo – ethically-sourced and fairly-traded – for their frames were developed in Ghana and how they came to be sold in Lostwithiel. In that feature I mentioned that a future ‘road test’ might follow … [Read more...]
Tradelines 5 April
Zero-emission, long-range hydrogen-powered commercial vehicle innovator, Hydrogen Vehicle Systems, has confirmed its state-of-the-art zero-emission hydrogen-electric Heavy Goods Vehicle will have a range of up to 370 miles depending on load and route coupled with an industry-leading refuelling time of just 15 – 20 minutes. The eagerly anticipated HGV will be revealed at the Commercial Vehicle … [Read more...]