Spring 2019 Issue

M AG A Z I N E

ELECTRIC VEHICLES > FLEET > CHARGING > BUSINESS > INNOVATION

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

06

IS WIRELESSCHARGING THE WAY FORWARD

12 - 13

MY DIRTY DIESEL DETOX SARA SLOMAN

16 - 17

NEW EV PARTNERSHIPANNOUNCED

02

03

EDITOR’S LETTER

06

WIRELESS CHARGING - THE WAY FORWARD?

Contents

08

VOLKSWAGON DUNE BUGGY

12-13

SARA SLOMAN - DIESEL DETOX

14

ELMTRONICS ANNOUNCEEXPANSION

18

WHAT’S NEXT FOR GREEN CARS?

26-27

ONE OF THE LARGEST GREEN TAXI FLEETS ACROSS UK

Image - Elmtronics HQ

We hope you enjoy the magazine and the topics we have covered, if you would like to feature in this magazine or have any suggestions we would love to hear from you. Email us at info@hubsta.co.uk

EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT THE FUTURE! BUT LOOK AT WHAT’S HAPPENING NOW?

03

Guest Editor

Simon Tate

Head of Sales

Elmtronics

Drivers are increasingly looking to ditch fossil fuels, but which electric vehicle (EV) should you buy, and is an electric car right for you?

In this latest spring edition of Hubsta Magazine, we’ll give you all the very latest news and views from across the industry. Read insights into the Jaguar i-Pace, Mini Countryman PHEV and Tesla Model S, to forthcoming electric SUV rivals, the Audi E-tron, Mercedes-Benz EQ C and Tesla Model 3 launching this year.

We feature the potential, growth in wireless charging – this isn’t exactly new, although its viable application has been limited to low power devices like smartphones. But what if you could take that technology and install it into cars? You’d end up with a car that you’d never have to plug-in and it would automatically charge itself as long as it was parked in the correct place. Well, that’s exactly what’s happening. Although still in the very early stages, manufacturers are starting to experiment with wireless charging technology in cars and we’re seeing it applied in different ways. The practical routes are having a charging pad fixed to the floor and one fixed to the car, when you drive over the pad, your car charges. These charging pads could be installed in residential garages or public car parks and even along the roads to charge while you drive…now that makes sense!

It seems that both the government and now the public are fully embracing eco-friendly driving and at the current rate, it is easy to see the ban coming into place in 2040. A world with electric vehicles is finally becoming a reality, I just hope the car makers can cope with the demand.

There’s finally a degree of excitement as well as acceptance across the automotive industry, that the future is EV! And about time too…

Slowly but surely, the UK is moving to electric cars. Brits bought nearly 60,000 plug-in cars last year and the next two years will see the trickle of battery vehicles, turn into a flood, as prices reduce to become more competitive with petrol and diesel cars.

30

NHS TRUST SWITCH EV CHARGEPOINT NETWORK

10-11

DIFFERENCE BETWEENEV TO A HYBRID?

TO ACCELERATE THE WORLD’S TRANSITION TO SUSTAINABLE ENERGY

IS WIRELESS CHARGING THE WAY FORWARD FOR CHARGING YOUR ELECTRIC CAR?

06

How does wireless electric vehicle charging work?

Charging cars without wires work in a similar way to a wireless phone charger you might already own, just on a bigger scale. You might have noticed how you can lift your phone very slightly off the charger without stopping the flow of electricity - wireless car chargers work in the same way, but in a distance measured in inches instead of millimetres.

Using a technology called inductive charging, electricity is transferred through an air gap from one magnetic coil in the charger to a second magnetic coil fitted to the car. All you have to do is park in the right place so the coils are aligned, and charging will begin.

Commercially available wireless car chargers, like those sold by US firm Plug-less, pass electricity across an air gap of four inches, and require a wireless adaptor to be fitted to the underside of your vehicle.

Which cars can be charged wirelessly today?

BMW states it will start selling wireless charging pads for it’s 530e iPerformance hybrid later this year. This connects to a regular power outlet in your garage and feeds the car with electricity when it is parked in the right position. BMW says 3.5 hours is enough to charge the car’s 9.5kWh battery.

Crucial for autonomous cars

It doesn’t take much imagination to see how useful such a road would be for autonomous cars of the future. Instead of robotic taxis taking themselves to the charger every few hours - or, even worse, requiring a human to jump in and take them - they would be constantly charged from the road as they drive along.

It’s sometimes easy to dismiss wireless charging as a gimmick - after all, you don’t really need to charge your phone without a cable. Similarly, jumping out and plugging in an electric car only takes a few seconds.

The Holiday Inn at Gosforth is the first in their group of hotels to introduce electric car charging, installing two dual EVE smart chargers.

Everything about EV’s and EV infrastructures was new to Ailantus Hotels Group, who own the

Holiday Inn at Gosforth, so working with Elmtronics throughout the whole journey was important

and has been invaluable to the group and staff.

Having experts who understood all the various requirements of the hotel and working with an

organisation that reacts quickly and effectively was also important to the group.

Elmtronics worked with the Holiday Inn’s, General Manager, Norrie Oswald, to understand the

hotel EV charging needs and to ensure quality equipment with the right specification, in the right

place, was installed.

Elmtronics continue to work with the hotel, offering support when needed and provided staff

training on the equipment to further educate on electric vehicles and charging.

Smart and reliable chargers are an essential component to any business. As we start to see an

uptake in EV’s over the next few years, future proofing your business now will put you in a better

position with your consumers, staff and competitors.

Having car charging points has been an important move for the hotel, as we see the demand

increasing for EV’s, customer will start to look for places with electric charge point to either top-

up or charge overnight.

HOLIDAY INN GOSFORTH PARK, NEWCASTLE FUTURE PROOF THEIR BUSINESS BY INSTALLING SMART ELECTRIC CAR CHARGING

07

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VOLKSWAGEN’S DUNE BUGGY IS AN ELECTRIC DREAM

Described by VW design boss Klaus Bischoff as a “Modern, non-retro interpretation of a classic”, the ID Buggy bears no styling resemblance to any current VW model, and appears to lack both doors and a roof, like the unofficial kit car original.

A free-standing windscreen, sturdy roll-over bar and large wheels shod in off-road tyres also give a nod to the past, while modern touches include a circular LED lighting signature.

The ID Buggy is said to be under “active consideration” as a possible addition to Volkswagen’s upcoming line-up of zero-emissions ID models.

The first of these, a production version of the earlier ID hatchback concept, is due to be unveiled during the third quarter of 2019.

The original Manx was designed for desert racing by Californian Bruce Meyers. It was produced between 1964 and 1971 in the form of a kit car based around the shortened chassis of the Beetle.

Purely electric vehicles allow VW designers to take full advantage of the flexibility electric power offers. Electric motors are small and can be placed out near the wheels while the big and heavy battery packs can be shaped to fit down in the floor. This allows a car like the ID to have the interior space of a mid-sized VW Passat within the exterior dimensions of a compact Golf.

Electric drive technology also makes it even easier to create different body styles using the same basic engineering.

There’s a good chance that the underlying tech from the ID Buggy will feature in similarly in quirky cars from other brands.

08

Volkswagen has resurrected the classic Beetle-based Meyers Manx dune buggy as an electric concept, previewed ahead of an unveiling at the Geneva Motor Show.

What is the difference between a fully electric car and a hybrid? Are some hybrids different? What else is availa-ble opposed to petrol and diesel cars?

There’s a great deal of confusion sur-rounding this. Car manufacturers’ pri-mary concern is selling cars rather than educating the public about the technology and the real differences between a fully EV or PHEV. (Plugin hybrid electric vehicle)

What is an electric car, or ‘EV’?

An electric car runs on and is ‘charged up’ with, electric power. Petrol or die-sel is never used to refuel an electric car. The electricity that powers an electric car is stored in batteries be-fore being used by electric motors to drive the car; the addition of a fossil fuel engine would make it a hybrid.

Hybrid cars, meanwhile have elec-tric elements to their powertrains but cannot be considered ‘electric cars’ due to the presence of a petrol en-gine. This has caused some confu-sion recently, not least because cer-tain manufacturers are very keen to describe as "electric" a car which still burns fossil fuels to move; misleading at best, and deceptive at worst.

Electric cars are becoming com-monplace thanks to certain financial advantages, including government grants and the lower cost of “top-ping up” compared to a tank of pet-rol. They’re considered better for the environment due to the fact they emit no exhaust gases. Popular examples of electric vehicles (often abbreviated to “EV”) include the Nissan Leaf, Re-nault Zoe, and Tesla Model S but the choice is expanding rapidly.

Electric vehicles have several key benefits when compared to ordinary petrol and diesel cars, as well as in-creasingly popular hybrid cars. Elec-tric vehicles emit no pollution at the tailpipe, which means they have a much smaller local environmental impact. They operate very quietly and are generally extremely easy to drive, with no real gearbox to speak of and a great deal of power at low speeds.

You can drive an electric car on an automatic-only driving licence.

Most importantly, they can be charged up at home. You can 'refuel' an elec-tric car using a smart home charger designed to 'plugin' at home for faster charging, it's perfectly possible to use the existing setup on your drive or in your garage. Faster chargers, such as those found in car parks, workplaces and at petrol stations, are also useful for EV owners.

Disadvantages include that need to ‘charge’ an electric vehicle, which takes longer than filling a tank of pet-rol or diesel – usually several hours in comparison to a couple of minutes. Most electric cars can be charged on rapid chargers in a shorter time, this will ordinarily be around 30 minutes. During this time, the vehicle must be physically connected to a plug socket,

What is a hybrid, a plug-in hy-brid or mild hybrid car?

The term ‘hybrid’ is technically quite vague, but in the context of cars al-most always refers to a petrol-electric powertrain. This means the car uses a combination of electricity stored in batteries and petrol stored in a tank to propel the car forward. The details of this arrangement will vary from car to car.

A hybrid vehicle will almost always be able to charge its own batteries using the petrol engine. In some cases, this is all the petrol engine is there for – to recharge the batteries, which pow-er the electric motors. In other types of hybrid, the petrol motor drives the wheels directly, but an additional bat-tery/motor combination adds some electric drive.

The Suzuki Ignis is a mild hybrid, and one of the cheapest hybrid cars avail-able

In ‘mild hybrids’, the amount of elec-tric power that drives the wheels is limited. The car won’t normally drive on electric power alone, but a small electric motor can be used to fill in the gaps. These systems are cheaper

than ‘full hybrid’ models but have a much smaller benefit it terms of emis-sions.

Some hybrid cars are what’s known as ‘plug-in’ hybrids. As the name sug-gests, these cars can be plugged-in to the national grid by means of a cable, as you would an electric car. This will charge the cars batteries, enabling some electric-only range (usually be-tween 20 and 40 miles) and usually reducing the amount of petrol used over longer journeys. This in turn re-duces the cost per mile as well as the overall exhaust emissions of the car, when used correctly; there is no re-quirement to plug the car in (unlike with electric cars) and many owners choose not to.

The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV is a plug-in hybrid (that's what PHEV stands for)

Examples of hybrid cars include the ubiquitous Toyota Prius, the gener-ously-proportioned Mitsubishi Out-lander PHEV, and the sporty BMW i8. In fact, there are well over 50 hybrid cars currently on sale in Britain, rang-ing in price from around £13,500 (for the Suzuki Ignis mild hybrid) to more than ten times that (for the top-spec £147,000 Porsche Panamera hybrid).

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN A FULLY ELECTRIC VEHICLE AND A HYBRID EXPLAINED...

10

‘Educating consumers is

a major part of driving the

future forward.’

11

To make things more confusing, some models are available as a petrol car or as a hybrid. And more bafflingly still, some hybrids have a plug-in op-tion as well as a non-plug-in version. You’d be surprised at how many cars are now available as a hybrid of some description, though – the Volkswagen Golf, Mercedes E-Class, Volvo XC90 and BMW 3-Series are all now availa-ble with hybrid powertrains.

The primary reason for using a hybrid car is to reduce the amount of liquid fuel you use. The secondary reason is to be able to drive without emitting any pollution for relatively short dis-tances. Ordinarily, this will save buy-ers money, as well as reducing dam-age to the environment. However, it’s important to remember that any savings you make (financial or envi-ronmental) will depend on the way in which you use your vehicle, and that the increased cost of buying a hybrid might outweigh the amount you save on fuel.

What do people mean by 'internal combustion', and what is an ICE car?

The car motor as we've known it for the past hundred years is an 'internal combustion engine'. There are sever-al variations on the theme, but they nearly always involve burning a liquid fuel (generally petrol or diesel) inside a cylinder, to move a piston, to create motion. Internal combustion engines were chosen over their rivals (such as the steam engine) because they're relatively well-suited to powering au-tomobiles.

Now, though, the environmental cost is becoming clear. Not only do they normally run on fossil fuels, a finite

resource, but the pollution they cause has a harmful impact on both local and global levels. This is why the gov-ernment has announced plans to stop sales of pure internal combustion ve-hicles from 2040 onwards.

This does not mean the end of the in-ternal combustion engine altogether, however. The technology remains an integral part of hybrid cars – whereas a conventional 'ICE' (Internal Com-bustion Engine) car uses its engine to turn the wheels directly, a hybrid car uses its engine in conjunction with a battery and electric motor.

To most consumers, the difference is slight. Apart from quieter operation and reduced fuel bills, many motorists wouldn't notice any change if they swapped a conventional ICE car for a hybrid. The impact of the planned ban on petrol and diesel cars has been, we feel, exaggerated.

Hybrid cars, electric cars, and the 2040 petrol/diesel ban

If this new law is enacted, what will we be left with? Well, pretty much anything you want. It sounds like the only cars that won’t be on sale after 2040 are pure petrol and pure diesel cars, which are a dying breed anyway; manufacturers in every segment are embracing hybrid, electric and other technologies to save their customers money and reduce pollution.

If you walk down a British street to-day, many of the cars you see already have enough electric capabilities to be sold after 2040. And remember that the 2040 rule only applies to sales – driving and owning a petrol or diesel car will, as far as we’re aware, also be perfectly legal after this date.

which is stored in rechargeable bat-teries. One of the primary benefits of an EV is the lack of tailpipe emissions.

Types of electric cars

The term electric vehicle (EV) is com-monly used to refer to three main types of automotive drivetrains. These are Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV), Hy-brid-Electric Vehicle (HEV), and Plug-in Hybrid-Electric Vehicle (pHEV).

Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV)

A BEV is a ‘true’ electric vehicle in that the only source of propulsion is from electrical energy. Battery electric ve-hicles store electricity on-board with

high-capacity battery packs. This bat-tery power is used to run all on-board electronics as well as the main-drive electric motor(s). BEVs are powered by electricity from an external source, an electrical outlet or specialty elec-tric vehicle charging stations.

Hybrid-Electric Vehicle (HEV)

A hybrid-electric vehicle has a two-part drive system, a conventional fuel engine, and an electric drive. HEVs contain all the components of both internal combustion engine (ICE) and electric vehicles. These include an ICE engine, fuel tank, transmission as well as battery pack and electric motor. Some vehicles classified as HEV may have only a small electric motor and battery system to propel the vehicle at low speeds. Other HEVs may have smaller fuel engines and relatively larger electric drives. The degree to which the vehicle is propelled, either by fuel or electric power determines on the specific make and model of the vehicle. In all HEVs the only en-ergy source is fuel, electrical energy is generated secondarily via alternator or regenerative braking.

Plug-in Hybrid-Electric Vehicle (pHEV)

Plug-in hybrid-electric vehicles (pHEV) are similar to HEVs except that the proportion energy used to pro-pel the vehicle is electricity, not fuel. These vehicles have larger electrical drives and battery storage capacity than HEVs and are also equipped with a smaller internal combustion engine. The vehicle is designed to engage the fuel engine when battery electricity is running low or to replace the electric drivetrain when more power is re-quired. Since pHEVs can be recharged from an electrical outlet it is possible to drive them entirely on electrical energy.

1312

MY DIRTY DIESEL DETOX

SARA SLOMAN - EV CHAMPION,PRINCIPAL OFFICER AND EV PROJECT MANAGER - NORTHSOMERSET COUNCIL

200 miles over five days...6 apps...3 rapid charges and 1 top up on a fast charger.I love my car. I love the freedom my car gives me and I don’t even wince at the £3,500 it’s going to cost me next 12 months in the usual servicing, tax, insurance and dirty, dirty diesel. It’s so versatile I can lie down in it when the seats are flat, get a mountain bike in the back without even removing the child seat and it hasn’t ever let me down on a family holiday. It’s an outdoor enthusiasts dream but its killing me. It’s time to detox.

Like all vices they need a reality check. I can’t keep driving it 13,000 miles a year and choking the cities and mountains with my fumes. That’s 13,000 even with my other addiction (cycling, but also an endless patience with public transport) to keep a lid on those miles...and I only work four days a week.

I committed to an EV for five days. A beautiful 2018 plate 30kW Nissan Leaf with all the trimmings from E-Car. The kids loved it, I loved it! It didn’t pass the mountain bike test

(too small) but most of all, it made me feel a sense of relief. The guilt had gone.

I didn’t make a huge financial saving over the 200 miles (and what I did save I spent on coffee, chocolate and magazines whilst I observed the three rapid charging sessions).

I needed six apps and ended up with £80 suspended transactions whilst the real payments got processed. I spent £16.97 minus the £2.89 free Costa I got at Shell for using their charge point. That said, those 13,000 miles last year cost me roughly £2,000 in my 45.9mpg diesel, which is double the estimated cost of charging the EV at 30p/kWh on a rapid charger. Home charge is half that price again. I am very excited by these savings.

But beyond the savings, what it gave me, was time. I can’t recall the last time I read a magazine cover to cover or took my time over a coffee. Our rapid charging hubs in the West of England will be next to leisure centres, shopping centres, retail centres and food/drink centres. This is because we want to value people’s time, even if they have to queue for a charge. In 2019 and 2020 we will oversee the installation of 130 new

chargepoints for our West of England residents, visitors and businesses to benefit from and install four rapid charging hubs.

Next, I want to see health and fitness taking a part in the EV revolution. Gyms popping up at motorway services. Cars designed to be suitable for outdoor equipment with boot space to rival the diesel estates. This EV thing is going to make me very very lazy so I hope all leisure centres and gyms get behind this motion.

I want a massive EV.

A MASSIVE battery.

I want tons of charging options to match my massive #smugface that the EV gave me.

I miss it already.

1114

One of the UK’s largest independent supplier and installer of electric vehicle charging equipment have announced the opening of their fourth office in the UK.

New premises, based in Orega MediaCity UK, Manchester, comes after the announcement of a three-year growth plan to create 30 new jobs throughout the UK, largely within the North East, due to the ever increasing demand for EV charging stations.

Anthony Piggott, Technical Director said: “The electric vehicle market is predicted to expand rapidly over the next decade and Elmtronics’ strategy, coupled with this market boom, will unlock huge growth potential.”

The Manchester office will be the company’s fourth location, along with its HQ in County Durham and existing office near Heathrow Airport in London, since forming in 2014.

With sales of electric vehicles expected to grow from 100,000 to over 10 million by 2030.

Elmtronics operate predominantly in the private and public sectors, working with some of the largest councils and NHS Trusts, including North Somerset Council and Southern Health NHS, as well as large private companies such as Nike, Keepmoat and Arriva.

A BREED APART

THE NEW ALL-ELECTRIC I-PACE

The new I-PACE. Jaguar’s � rst all-electric performance SUV. 292 mile range.* Ground-breaking cab-forward design. Intelligent interior space. And underneath, 400PS that delivers 0-60 mph in 4.5 seconds with zero tailpipe emissions. Not all cars follow the same pattern.

Contact us to book a test drive.

Westover JaguarBarrack Road, Bailey Drive, Christchurch, Dorset, BH23 2BN01202 462222

westovergroup.co.uk/jaguar

Fuel consumption: N/A. CO2 Emissions: 0 (g/km). EV Range: Up to 292 miles. *EV range � gures are based upon production vehicle over a standardised route. Range achieved will vary dependent on vehicle and battery condition, actual route and environment and driving style.

STRAY FROM THE PACK. ELMTRONICS ANNOUNCE

COMPANY GROWTH, WITH EXPANSION TO MANCHESTER

16 17

County Durham’s Great Annual Savings Group (GAS) will now help businesses prepare for a low carbon future by offering the installation of electric vehicle (EV) charging points.

GAS has teamed up with leading EV charging expert Elmtronics in order to offer a range of solutions for any sized business. The Consett-based company is the UK’s largest independent

supplier and installer of charging points, which have a variety of commercial benefits, from supporting an electric fleet to generating an income from public use.

EV Charging will become GAS’ 13th service area, all of which centre around reducing the variable costs that come with running a business. The services include energy procurement

and management; business water; merchant services; telecoms; business insurance; and more.

The new service was launched on 5 February 2019 with a presentation and EV test-driving day for staff at GAS’ headquarters in Seaham. The event featured presentations by EV giants Tesla and Elmtronics, who provided an insight into

EV does it for GAS with new partnershipA growing North East company has expanded its portfolio of cost-saving services with the launch of a new regional partnership.

future electronic transportation trends that could benefit businesses.

GAS Business Solutions Managers were introduced to the new technology and were treated to a look around the luxurious Tesla Model S.Mark Jones, Associate Business Solutions Director (UK) at GAS, said: “We’re encouraging our customers to think about their energy strategy as a whole and not just see it as an unavoidable cost. Businesses should consider how the new technology emerging can be used for development and long-term cost reduction.

“We’ve seen legislation encouraging low carbon solutions for years now and it’s just the right thing to do. But, when you couple this with access to Elmtronics’ first-class equipment and GAS’ cost reduction expertise, it becomes an opportunity with a harder business edge and a pr “We’ve received interest in the service already and we’re looking forward to contributing to the low-carbon future of business transportation in the UK.”

Dan Martin, CEO at Elmtronics, said: “We’re excited about this new partnership, which will give us another route to market.

“We’ve received interest in the service already and we’re looking forward to contributing to the low-carbon future of business transportation in the UK.”

“We’re finding that there’s a genuine desire for our service, which we successfully deliver on its own, but it also fits neatly into GAS’ strategic work with its clients.

“EVs are the future and our experience in both public and private sectors makes us the perfect partner to provide a quality option for any of GAS’ wide variety of clients.”

“Our focus is on being an end-to-end solution, which makes the whole process from scoping to installation and servicing completely seamless.”

18 19

WHAT’S NEXT FOR ELECTRIC CARS?Take a look at what the Geneva Motor Show had to offer on some of the future EV Range.

CAR OF THE YEAR AWARD 2019 FOR JAGUAR Car of the Year 2019! Jaguar’s I-Pace has scooped the World Car of the Year 2019 title, taking the overall prize from the Audi e-tron and the Volvo S60/V60.

To have two pure-electric models in line up says a lot about how quickly the electric car market has grown.

Two years ago, it was the Jaguar F-Pace winning the award and Volvo’s XC60 took the title last year. Despite all three being SUVs, this is the first time since 2011 that an EV has won the prize, when the Nissan LEAF took the title.

The I-Pace won its section in the ‘World Green Car of the Year’ category and also was awarded the ‘World Car Design of the Year’ title. Out of the six categories, including the outright prize – the I-Pace lost out on the ‘Ur-ban’, ‘Luxury’, or ‘Performance’ awards.

Jaguar’s win comes soon after the prestigious ‘Car of the Year 2019’ prize, which is a European award, on the eve of the Geneva Motor Show in March. It also won the ‘UK Car of the Year’ title, completing a hat-trick for the electric Jaguar.

Smart driving. Eco-Friendly.

The Tonale at Geneva marks the proper start of Alfa Romeo’s venture into electrification by using a new plug-in hybrid power-train. The Tonale is a rather pretty thing – arguably prettier than its larger sibling, the Stelvio, and has classic Alfa design touches like the 21-inch ‘phone dial’ wheels pilfered from the 33 Stradale from the ‘60s. Note also the lovely redrawing of the Alfa snake badge, morphing into a charging cable. Neat!

Kia is building up a head of steam with the e-Niro and Soul EV electric cars - and the daftly named Imagine is the latest chapter of electrification from the Koreans. While sister brand Hyundai swerved the 2019 Geneva motor show, Kia was there - with bells on. The overall look of the concept is almost like a brawny, American muscle-car look.

Alfa Romeo Tonale

Kia

Bugatti Voiture Noire

Aston Martin Vanquish Vision Concept

The new Bugatti La Voiture Noire pushes even more bound-aries, costing a cool €11 million (£9.5m), and that’s before local taxes. Based upon the running gear of a Chiron and produced for one of the company’s most special collectors (rumoured to be VW grandee Ferdinand Piech),

This is the drop-dead gorgeous Aston Martin Vanquish Vi-sion Concept, a close-to-production look ahead to the first mid-engined supercar from the storied British brand. That’s right: Aston is entering the sector previously dominated by the Italians with the Ferrari 488 and Huracan, and latter-ly McLaren with the 720S. It’s all wrapped up in a uniquely British, aluminium-bodied mid-engined sports car with V6 power. That’s the first inhouse built engine from Aston in nearly two decades!

1520

LATEST STATISTICSTOP GREEN CARS IN 2019

Did you know?

• 10,642 battery electric cars are owned by women, making up a fifth of those on UK roads, this number is growing by 31.7% year-on-year.

• The average new or updated car model emits -8.3% less CO2 than the model it replaced, highlighting the impor-

tance of fleet renewal.

Source: SMMT

EV market stats

The last four years have seen a remarkable surge in demand for electric vehicles in the UK – new registrations of plug-in cars increased from 3,500 in 2013 to more than 186,000 by the end of October 2018. There has also been a huge increase in the number of pure-electric and plug-in hybrid models available in the UK with many of the top manufacturers in the UK now offering a number of EVs as part of their model range.

Source: Next Green Car, for further please visit: www.nextgreencar.com

A QUICK GUIDE TO CHARGER LEAD PLUGS

ELMTRONICS GUIDE TO YOUR EV CHARGING LEAD PLUGS:

TYPE 1 The main choice for Asian vehicle manufacturers including the Generation 1 Nissan leaf, Mitsubishi PHEV Outlander. A good deal of US vehicles use this connection but we are seeing a shift (including by Nissan for their generation 2 Leaf) toward the type 2 connection.

TYPE 2Most manufacturers to the market are adopting the Type 2 as standard for all new models in particular the German & European manufacturers such as BMW, Audi, Mercedes & Porsche. Its believed that this connector will become the standard.

CCS (Combined Charging System) Adapted by European manufacturers such as BMW, Jaguar & Volkswagen as the standard for rapid charging. Rapid chargers have the cables attached to the units (rather like a petrol pump so need for a rapid charger cable to be carried on the vehicle. The CCS gets its name from combining the type2 AC charging standard with two rapid charging pins.

CHA-de-MO A rapid charging only connection, popular with Asian vehicles including Nissan & Mitsubishi. The electric highway in the UK, which is a network of rapid chargers at every service station in the UK , has rapid charging standards.

RAPID CHARGING (DC)

FAST CHARGING (AC)

21

202,000Plug-in cars

Reg. UK Dec 2018(Approx.)

10,000Plug-in vans

Reg. UK Dec 2018(Approx.)

120Plug-in models

Available Dec 2018(Approx.)

22,607UK charge Points

May 2019(Zapmaps)

EQC – pricing announced to start from £64,925 including VAT. First production to start in June 2019 with an 1886 Edition which will be very limited in numbers in the UK. November 2019 for the regular line up which will consist of Sport, AMG Line, AMG Line Premium, AMG Line Premium Plus and Edition 1.

EQC will have a range of 295 miles and will carry 408hp worth of power. Rapid charging will be available whereby you can charge the vehicle from 10% to 80% in just 40 minutes. 8 year, 100k battery warranty. More details to follow in due course.

The Model 3 has been well received in the US, with demand far outstripping supply initially. With manufacturing issues ironed out though, Tesla is now selling its smallest model in other markets, with the UK set to get right-hand drive versions in the second half of 2019.

Quick, spacious, and with a driving range of between 220 and 310 miles on a single charge depending on specification, the Model 3 is a challenger to BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Jaguar, and Lexus, offering pure-electric motoring at the traditional small-executive price tag. Expect a fair few company car drivers switch from their petrol, die-sel, or PHEV saloons to the Model 3 in the next year or so.

Mercedes Benz EQC

Tesla Model 3

Porsche Taycan

VW ID -NEO

From the previous Volks-EV to something more high-end, Por-sche’s Taycan is certainly not going to sell in huge numbers, but is a very important model for the industry nonetheless. Early reports indicate that its driving range will be at least a match for Tesla’s line-up, though with greater flexibility in terms of performance. Most importantly though, is the ultra-rapid charging capability that will see the Porsche accept up to 350 kW.

Despite having a battery that will be around the 100 kW mark, this means a conventional rapid top-up will take only around 10-15 minutes on the right charge point.

Volkswagen’s ID. could well become the most important car launched in 2019, and in fact the German manufacturer is pitching it as being as crucial to the company’s success as the original Beetle and best-selling Golf.

Comparable to the popular Golf, the ID. badge is confirmed for a Samba-bus inspired MPV, and a coupe-SUV in the next few years. However, the hatch will be along first, and likely be the biggest seller.

Based on a new electric-only MEB platform, the ID. will come with three battery sizes available eventually, and the option of two- or four-wheel drive.

Previously linked with the A3 and Q7 PHEVs, the e-tron badge will be electric-only going forward, and the stylish SUV looks fit to wear it.

A range of around 250 miles and capable of charging at up to 150 kW, the Audi e-tron is also the first production car in the world available with cameras in place of wing-mirrors. It’s a little more efficient, but greater engineering work has been put in beneath the surface, with the e-tron’s brake energy recuperation system claimed to be capable of extending the range by 30% under normal driving conditions.

Audi E-TRON

Source: Next Green Car, for further please visit: www.nextgreencar.com

Finance subject to status. Terms and conditions apply. Applicant must be 18 or over. Guarantees may be required. At the end of the Personal Contract Purchase there are three options: (i) Part exchange the vehicle. (ii) Pay the GFV (Guaranteed Future Value) to own the vehicle or (iii) Return the vehicle. Further charges may be made subject to the condition or mileage of the vehicle. Selected Annual Mileage is 10,000. Excess mileage will be charged at the rate of 9 pence per mile (plus VAT) for the first 5000 miles and at twice that rate thereafter. Metallic Paint excluded. Hyundai Capital UK Ltd T/A Hyundai Finance RH1 1SR. Westover Hyundai (Poole) (LD) is a credit broker not a lender for this financial promotion. We can introduce you to a limited number of carefully selected finance providers and may receive a commission from them for the introduction. Westover Group act as a non independent credit intermediary. We can introduce you to a limited number of lenders to assist you with your purchase, who may pay us for introducing you to them.

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MINI COUNTRYMAN PHEVAND I3 REVIEW

Reviewed by: Victoria Lewis, Houghton-le-Spring.

I had the privilege of test driving the PHEV MINI Countryman and the PURE electric BMW i3 each for 72 hours…read on to find out what I thought.

MINI COUNTRYMAN PHEVTo put you in the picture I currently drive a Mini Cooper, so transferring to the Countryman was always going to feel strange. The Countryman in comparison to the Mini Cooper is hugh side by side. When I first drove the Countryman home that night, it did feel larger but in the best possible way, the drive home was so much smoother I felt higher from the road which made me feel safer behind the wheel. Looking round to the back seats I still feel the mini range is a two adult, two child vehicle having four adults in any Mini in my opinion would be too much.

Driving it felt amazing and what’s more impressive is its able to run on electricity alone and not just in urban traffic areas but also using top speeds.

The Mini is fitted with a navigation system and when route guidance is activated, the energy management

system ensures that appropriate sections of the route are run on electric power alone. Considering the navigation data, the operating strategy of the hybrid system is geared towards drawing on the energy capacity of the high-voltage battery to maximum amount.

If you are still concerned about range and driving full electric the plug-in hybrid combines you with the best of two worlds. Giving you the chance to see what driving an electric car is like and the benefits that co-inside with electric cars but the freedom to also drive the hybrid like any combustion engine.

Thanks to the compact structure and arrangement of the eDrive components, the plug-in hybrid model variant of the new MINI Countryman has a versatile interior. The high-voltage battery is housed underneath the slightly raised rear seat, as is the 36-litre fuel tank.

The entire hybrid technology is installed in such a way that you don’t notice it inside the car at all except for the controls used to activate the various driving modes.

The countryman is definitely a car I would invest in, especially as a home charger is not an option for me currently but having the benefit of charging at work, would mean I can still drive electric.

BMW i3Consistent further development of BMW eDrive technology once again ensures enhanced driving pleasure in the purely electrically powered models of the BMW i brand.

The BMW i3, powered by a 125 kW/170 hp electric motor, accelerates in 7.3 seconds from zero to 100 km/h impressive yes!

The interior of the i3 is possibly one of the best bits about the car. Nice spacy seats and easy access via the rear suicide doors, the i3 has interesting shapes, textures, materials. I would call the i3 interior very futuristic, and yet remains practical and rational. The grain on ‘recycled’ carbon structures also makes a good talking point.

With the i3 you also get a decent amount of standard equipment to go with the high list price: LED headlights, BMW Professional Multimedia, Heated front seats, BMW Connected Drive (BMW Emergency Call, BMW Navigation, BMW Online Services, BMW Teleservices and Real Time Traffic Information).

The i3 as standard allows you to charge DC and AC, which is ideal for topping up on long journeys. In my opinion the i3 is still the best premium, small fully electric car on the market.

Smart driving. Eco-Friendly.

Phoenix is a family run business that operates from a central office in Blyth, Northumberland to provide taxi, minibus, and coach services across Northumberland, Tyneside and Newcastle. Led by Alex Hurst, the company has made huge steps towards becoming environmentally sustainable.

Phoenix were the first UK company to use 100% electric taxis, and we now have a fleet of around 30 electric taxis and more than 50 hybrid low-emission taxis. With Phoenix Taxis and Buses, you have the option of a sustainable taxi service both for personal and corporate taxi services.

Scope of Work

Elmtronics worked with Alex to understand the needs of the company, their ultimate goals and EV ambitions.

Elmtronics wanted to understand how the charging points would be used and for how often, to provide them with the best solution for their fleet. Elmtronics went on to provide a full EV charging infrastructure report, which included smart and reliable equipment at a competitive price.

Elmtronics provided a full turnkey installation which included;

• Full ground work and civil’s• Electrical installation • Commissioning • Training and handover

All installation work was carried out by a qualified Electrician to BS7671 (2011) and IET Code of Practice Standards and completed within a few days.

Prior to handover, Elmtronics engineers fully inspected the installation and an electrical certificate was issued, certifying the units were ready for operation. Upon handover, the firm was fully briefed and trained on

the equipment and given training on their software portal to monitor and manage infrastructure remotely.

Phoenix Taxis are delighted to operate the largest electric vehicle fleet in the North of England. Both current and prospective clients are always interested to learn more about our electric vehicles and this has helped us stand out from our competitors.

Alex Hurst, CEO Phoenix Taxi said, “Businesses are increasingly focused on sustainability and our electric vehicles allow us to offer businesses an easy way to significantly reduce their carbon footprint. As part of our business account service we produce monthly carbon reports to show our clients the carbon emissions saved, which we can access via the smart charging infrastructure and network management portal.”

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ONE OF THE LARGEST GREEN TAXI FLEETS ACROSS UK, PHOENIX TAXI’S...WITH 25+ 100% ELECTRIC VEHICLES AND OVER 50 HYBRID VEHICLES

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AS THE ULTRA LOW EMISSION ZONE COMES INTO FORCE IN LONDON COMBINED WITH G O V E R N M E N T INCENTIVES AND FUNDINGT O W A R D S ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING POINTS. “THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A BETTER TIME TO CONSIDER MAKING THE SWITCH TO ELECTRIC.”

The world’s most advanced electric taxi is now officially available to buy from Glasgow’s first franchised LEVC dealer.

LEVC Glasgow, located at Taggarts’ Volvo showroom in Hillington Park, Glasgow, is the new home of the LEVC TX in Scotland’s largest city.

Run by Head of Business Derek Muir, the retailer operates as part of Taggarts Motor Group, which is itself part of the larger Lookers group.

With around 20 TX electric taxis already operating across Glasgow, the appointment of an official dealer will further support the adoption of zero emission capable taxis.

With the TX, LEVC has completely redesigned the taxi, helping taxi drivers to lower their running costs, while offering passengers a more premium experience. Gary Bowers, the first taxi driver in Glasgow to take delivery of TX last year, said: “The most surprising thing about the TX is the savings on maintenance and fuel.”

Overall, Gary has saved “several thousand pounds” maintaining the vehicle and regularly saves at least £75 per week on fuel.

On-board wi-fi, phone and laptop charging are all included, effectively making the new taxi a mobile office. In addition, the more spacious and comfortable interior includes six seats and class-leading forward-facing wheelchair accessibility, while a panoramic roof and active and passive safety systems complete the package.

The official arrival of the LEVC TX in Glasgow comes at a time when Scotland is heavily investing in improving air quality and encouraging the adoption of electric vehicles.

Glasgow City Council has already begun to implement its electric vehicle strategy with £625,000 awarded by Transport Scotland to develop an existing charge point network - consisting of over 100 charge point locations.

Meanwhile, Edinburgh has just announced plans to install a further 66 charge points across the city.

Drivers of TX will be able to make the most of any charge point on offer with the flexible charging options available on TX: both CHAdeMO and CCS are available. TX boasts a pure electric range of 81 miles and a total range of 344 miles, including use of the ‘range extender’.

To support the roll out of electric taxis in the region, Energy Saving Trust (Funded by Transport Scotland) will provide interest-free loans up to £120,000 to replace conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) hackney cabs regardless of age.

Derek Muir, Head of Business of LEVC Glasgow said: “We are delighted to announce the opening of our new LEVC Glasgow business operating from our Volvo showroom in Hillington. Our dedicated team are on hand to provide information on the amazing technology behind the TX and look forward to welcoming taxi drivers to come along and see our display vehicles and demonstrators.’

Steve Cootes, Sales, Marketing and Aftersales Director at LEVC, said: “We are very much looking forward to working with Derek and the team at LEVC Glasgow to deliver our purpose built electric taxis into the West of Scotland. So far, we have had some really good feedback on the product from drivers in Scotland, with reported savings of around £100 per week in fuel - in addition to the added comfort and smoother ride.”

To see this story on the Lookers website, as well as further news content, visit: https://www.lookers.co.uk/news/

TAGGARTS VOLVO APPOINTED AS GLASGOW’S FIRST ELECTRIC TAXI DEALER

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Smart driving. Eco-Friendly.

Northumbria NHS Foundation Trust have announced a network change to their public charge points across nine of their thirteen sites. The charge points installed are accessible to the public and can also be used by staff, patients and visitors with an added incentive of being FREE to charge your electric car!

Previously connected to Charge Your Car (CYC) network the Trust have made the switch to the newly launched Hubsta network, after its successful launch with other UK wide companies with an EV infrastructure.

The Trust is set across semi-rural locations with an approximate population of 316,028 and a charging infrastructure of 28 AC fast charging dual intelligent points that offer the public access to 54 sockets and 4 DC rapid charging points for the more immediate charge across its locations.

Anthony Piggott, Technical Director of Elmtronics says: “We have launched Hubsta as an intelligent network to provide our customers a wider level of service, communication, which works for them, managed and owned within the UK. Hubsta allows customers to have full control over their charge point and data, enabling them to control and manage their EV fleet vehicles. Hubsta also allows the customer, the ability to remotely log

in and manage each charge point in real time, making the control and audit of their fleet an essential part of their EV infrastructure. We are now working with many customers to switch them over to the Hubsta network and we can only see this increasing over the next few months as more and more customers see the benefit”.

Customers now wishing to use the charge points across Northumbria NHS Foundation Trust can now register with Hubsta via the Hubsta app using a smartphone or online at – www.hubsta.co.uk.

Hubsta is an intelligent network that connects to over 55,000 Charge points worldwide, with the network it’s never been easier to charge your electric vehicle or manage your EV charging using an app!

For further information https://www.elmtronics.co.uk/about-elmtronics/ or visit https://www.northumbria.nhs.uk/our-locations/

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NHS TRUST ANNOUNCE NETWORK SWITCH FOR THEIR ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGE POINTS

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MANAGE YOUR ELECTRIC VEHICLE FLEET INFRASTRUCTURE IN ONE PLACE

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