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Welcome to another edition of Turning Electric, this month we’re celebrating the ever-expanding nature of the EV world.
There’s sometimes a perception (especially if you listen to the bores on Twitter) that every new electric vehicle is an identikit SUV or crossover and that the EV market is a homogenous lump.
So this issue, to disprove that, we’ve got news about the Kia EV3, the Audi A6 and reviews of the MG Cyberster and Mini Cooper, plus bikes, trucks, vans and even planes.
What’s so encouraging is that even the few snippets we have this month demonstrate the growing variety and maturity of the electric vehicle market and the passenger car sphere in particular. Yes, SUVs and crossovers have tended to dominate the market in the last few years because they’re profitable for car makers and popular with buyers. But they’re not what everyone wants and we’re seeing a refreshing and growing variety of models to meet the needs of those who want an EV that isn’t pretending it can go off-road.
Already this year we’ve had the BMW i5 saloon and estate join the Mercedes EQE in the executive market and now we’ve got the Audi A6 and A6 Avant e-trons to look forward to (see p7 for details).
At the other end of the market, we’ve already got small fun hatchbacks like the Mini (reviewed on p20), with the budget-friendly Dacia Spring and Citroen e-C3 on their way. Hot on their heels will be the more premium Renault 5 and its hot hatch sibling the Alpine A290, and there are vague but positive rumblings that the Ford Fiesta could return in electric form.
Between them we have a growing selection of traditional family hatchbacks, from the VW ID.3 and Cupra Born to the MG4 and Renault Megane. And then we have sports cars – something the naysayers claimed electric would never get right but which cars like the Cyberster (reviewed on p12), Hyundai Ioniq 5 N and Porsche Taycan prove can be every bit as good as their ICE counterparts.
So there’s far more to the EV sector than cookie-cutter crossovers and every month brings new options and opportunities for drivers seeking to go electric in a way that suits them.
All that being said, there’s definitely a place for straightforward family SUVs and I recently went to Germany to see how Ford’s new Explorer is put together in a fully refitted Cologne factory. You can read all about that on page 8, and find a comprehensive review of the Explorer on EVPowered.co.uk.
Taking the EV variety even further, this month we were at the Farnborough International Airshow to see the burgeoning world of electrified aircraft and how electric power is being used to help a new generation of vertical takeoff and landing vehicles literally get off the ground.
And alongside all that we’ve got the latest news and reviews from the world of electric vans and trucks, plus e-bikes, motorsport and a Goodwoodinspired top 10.
Next month I’ll be banging the variety drum once again with reviews of the latest Porsche Taycan Turbo S and the Kia EV9 but in the meantime, enjoy the read.
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The Kia EV3 will cost from £32,995 when it goes on sale later this year, making it Kia’s cheapest all-electric model.
Kia’s baby EV, which is set to rival the Volvo EX30, Smart #1 and Peugeot E-2008 will opened for orders on Thursday, 1 August, with first customer deliveries due in late 2024.
As with Kia’s EV6 and EV9 models, the EV3 comes in three trim levels, with prices ranging from just under £33,000 for the entry-level Air to £42,995 for the top-spec GT Line S. The compact family SUV also comes with two battery choices, depending on the specification level.
The standard-range EV3 Air uses a 58.3kWh battery with a maximum range of 267 miles but
an extra £3,000 brings a step up to the long-range battery. This 81.4kWh unit is the same that will be fitted to the updated EV6 (due out later this year) and offers up to 372 miles of range.
Higher-spec GT Line and GT Line S models come exclusively with the larger battery and both offer a maximum range of 347 due to their larger wheels and more extensive equipment list. All versions of the EV3 are powered by a frontmounted 201bhp motor.
Every version of the EV3 comes with LED lights, keyless entry/start, a three-screen digital
dashboard with wireless Android and Apple connectivity and a seven-year Kia Connect subscription. Heated front seats and steering wheel, automatic air conditioning, front and rear parking sensors and a reversing camera are also standard across the range. Standard driver assistance ranges from highway assist 2 with adaptive cruise control and lane change assist, to rear-cross traffic collision avoidance assist and safe exit warning.
Stepping up from Air to the £39,495 GT Line grade automatically brings the larger battery. It also upgrades the Air’s 17-inch alloy wheels to 19-inch designs, adds an automatic power function to the flush fit door handles and brings a more aggressive exterior design with ‘small cube’ headlights, high-gloss body trim and rear privacy glass. Inside, it adds two-tone upholstery, wireless phone charging, ambient lighting and a sliding centre console.
Top-spec GT Line S builds on this with a powered tailgate, front sunroof and electrically adjustable, cooled ‘premium relaxation’ front seats. It also adds heated rear seats, a head-up display, Harman Kardon sound system and vehicle-toload charging, while expanding the assistance systems with remote parking and a 360-degree camera system.
There is no options list for the EV3. Buyers can choose between the free sunset orange paint or one of four £625 ‘premium’ shades, and can opt to add a heat pump on GT Line S models for £900.
At 4.3m by 1.85m, the EV3 slots into the Kia range between the Soul EV and the Niro but could easily act as a replacement for both as Kia’s electrification process accelerates.
The EV3 is part of Kia’s ‘Plan S’ strategy, which will see the brand launch 15 EVs by 2027, including passenger cars and vans. We’ll get nine of those in the UK, including the EV4 and EV5.
Porsche has begun real-world testing of its new Cayenne all-electric SUV ahead of a planned launch next year.
The German sports car specialist announced that it had started open-road testing the battery-powered SUV but also said it planned to continue selling combustion and hybrid versions of the Cayenne beyond 2030.
While the electric model will be a brand-new vehicle based on Porsche’s Premium Platform Electric (PPE) architecture, ICE and hybrid models will be based on the previous generation, which was launched in 2017 and updated in 2023.
The Cayenne will be Porsche’s third all-electric model, joining the Taycan and new Macan in the brand’s range. It will be based on the same 800V platform as the Macan and Audi A6 e-tron.
While technical details are under wraps, we know that platform currently supports a 95kWh battery and two- or four-wheel drive. Given the Cayenne’s positioning and Porsche’s claim that the new model will blend performance, comfort and off-road ability, we’d expect it to stick with two-motor, four-wheel-drive powertrains. We would also expect more top-of-the-range variants to pack more power than the 630bhp of the Macan Turbo.
Charging network Gridserve has opened a new test laboratory dedicated to improve the reliability of the UK’s EV network.
The firm is the UK’s first charge point operator to open a dedicated charging test lab, which aims to test existing charging infrastructure to its limits as well as explore new ways to improve the EV charging experience.
Based at the Gridserve Innovation and Operations Centre in Swindon, the new EV charging test lab
features a mix of high power and medium power EV chargers, with enough space to trial multiple charging bay configurations.
Pete Bishop, chief technology officer at Gridserve Technologies, said: “The speed, ease of use and prevalence of high power DC charging has become an important factor in the rapid
adoption of electric vehicles across the UK, and the reliability of networks like the Gridserve Electric Highway is critical to solidifying consumer confidence.”
Since the lab opened, Gridserve’s engineers have conducted thousands of hours of tests between chargers and a huge variety of electric vehicles, including cars, motorcycles, trucks and preproduction prototypes from some of the bestknown automotive brands.
The super-slippery new A6 e-tron is being offered in two body styles – the familiar Avant estate shape and a Sportback with a roof-hinged tailgate instead of a traditional saloon boot.
The A6 e-tron uses the same PPE platform as the Q6 e-tron SUV and Porsche Macan and comes with the same 95kWh battery and 270kW DC charging capability. Fully charged, the Sportback will cover more than 450 miles. The less aerodynamic Avant will manage over 430.
At launch, two powertrains will be available. The rear-wheel-drive A6 e-tron performance uses a single 362bhp motor to get it from 0-62mph in 5.4 seconds and on to a top speed of 130mph.
The S6 uses an all-wheel drive setup with a total of 496bhp, which can be temporarily boosted to 542bhp. This enables a 0-62mph time of 3.9 seconds and top speed of 149mph.
Audi says more models will follow later, including more two- and four-wheel-drive variants. Full pricing will be announced on September 2, when orders open, but expect it to start at around £65,000.
Audi has taken the wraps off the new A6 e-tron, revealing its most aerodynamic car ever.
The cost of kerbside charging dropped in June, according to new data from the AA.
The organisation’s Recharge Report showed that the average peak rate on a slow onstreet device fell from 67p/kWh in May to 59/pkWh in June It also found a 3p drop in off-peak rates, which fell to 42p/kWh.
The changes mean that a driver who charges off-peak from a kerbside supply is saving 3.3p per mile compared to equivalent petrol costs. However, those with access to a private charger and domestic tariff of 24p/ kWh are saving at least 7.4p a mile.
The figures showed the average cost-per-mile of a 1.2-litre Vauxhall Corsa was 12.85p. A Corsa Electric costs just 5.42p per mile on a flat rate of 24p/kWh. However the data also showed that exclusively using fast and rapid chargers would make the EV more expensive, at between 16.95 and 17.85p/mile.
The AA’s head of road policy, Jack Cousens, said the figures showed the need for tax parity between public and domestic charging costs and urged the new Labour government to embrace ‘easy wins’ in helping drive the shift to EVs.
We get an exclusive peek inside the factory where Ford’s next generation of electric cars is being built
Ford has been building vehicles in Cologne since 1930 and over the last 90 years more than 18 million cars have rolled off its production line, from the Model A and Capri to the original Puma and eight generations of the Fiesta.
Over the years the plant has been expanded, redeveloped and retooled several times but the last few years have seen perhaps the biggest transformation in its history as it gears up for an all-electric future.
Fiesta production ended at the German site in mid-2023, to be replaced with the Explorer - Ford’s first EV designed and built in Europe specifically for Europe.
The shift from making a small petrol-powered hatchback to producing a large electric SUV is clearly enormous and Ford has spent $2 billion redeveloping the entire site to cope with the shift.
At the heart of the whole operation is a new production line where every Explorer goes from a collection of unidentifiable components to a completed car. More than 600 new self-learning robots have been designed and fitted to manage everything from cutting and pressing to painting and dusting, working in a strangely balletic harmony to roll out a completed car every 54 seconds. Other automated systems pick and deliver components around the site without human direction.
The site has gone from two chassis lines to six and added a brand new battery line where
batteries, motors and suspension elements are brought together.
Following the line through the various buildings we see individual panels combined to form a body then experience the peculiar feeling of half-finished shells swishing along on rails above our heads. From there body and chassis elements are brought together so a combination of machines and more than 1,000 human staff can marry the Ford ‘top hat’ of body and interior to the Volkswagen-sourced MEB powertrain ‘decking’.
Despite the new automated processes, Ford says staff levels at the factory have been maintained at more than 3,300 through retraining and redeployment. And although the site no longer manufactures engines, the former engine plant will reopen as a battery facility after the summer shutdown, allowing Ford to build its own batteries for the Explorer rather than bringing them in by train from Seat’s factory in the Czech Republic.
Everywhere you look, the refit has seen massive changes and innovations around the plant. Among them are new electroplating facilities which now fully rotate the entire body in a 320,000-litre bath of anti-corrosion liquid instead of simply dipping the shell from an overhead hanger.
These are housed in an all-new seven-story body pretreatment building which had to be squeezed in among existing buildings on the 125-hectare site.
Also new to the site is the industry-first Scanbox, which scans every surface and measures every dimension of the car to identify flaws that aren’t even visible to the human eye. From here corrections to the tooling or processes can be identified before they become a problem.
Central to the entire new production process is another industry first in the shape of the Cologne plant’s ‘digital twin’. Developed by the on-site IT team, this tracks every station along the production line, logging every task, part and tool needed and highlighting any issues in real time. Controlled via a massive 10mx2.5m touchscreen in the main building, this monitors every detail right down to the quantity of every nut at each workstation.
With mass production now ramping up, Ford will soon be building 640 cars per day (144,000 per year) in Cologne. That’s across two shifts but the plant has capacity to add another shift and build up to 250,000 cars per year, should there be demand. If demand outstrips that, we’re assured, Ford will find a way to accommodate. Perhaps on the two dormant Fiesta lines which have been retained for training.
Ford’s second new EV — the reborn Capri — will be built on the same line at the same time as Explorer and our tour gave glimpses of that model’s elongated and sloped bodywork as pre-production examples moved along the line amid hundreds of Explorer shells.
The Explorer and Cologne factory are clearly central to Ford’s drive towards an all-electric future. But it’s a drive that has slowed. Ford announced in May that its plan to have a fully electric passenger car and LCV line-up by 2030 had been pushed back to 2035. But the Blue Oval insists that it remains fully committed to EV.
Anna Lena Strigel, director of sales and brand management for Model e in Europe, said: “We are committed to a full electric line-up on passenger cars and light commercial vehicles by 2035.
“We have seen the transformation towards electric vehicles simply takes a bit longer than we anticipated.
“Currently EV market growth has slowed down a little but we have no question that [electric] is the clear future. It’s the only technology that will help us decarbonise our fleet, so we are absolutely committed to being full electric by 2035.
“But through the transition there we want to take our customers along and give them the choice, so we decided not to only give them electric vehicles but a combination of combustion engines, hybrids and electric until then.”
That means hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants of cars like the Kuga and Puma will remain on sale alongside electric equivalents, and there will be a similar balancing of drivetrains in the various iterations of the Transit.
However, more electric models are on the way. As well as the E-Transit Custom which has just gone on sale, 2024 will bring the new Capri built in Cologne as well as an all-electric version of the best-selling Puma built in Ford’s Croatian factory.
esla is, apparently, going to wow the world any day now with an electric roadster that can do 0-60 in the blink of an eye, use rocket power, drive itself around the world and be powered by unicorn farts.
But while Mr Musk’s minions work out how to achieve this, MG has beaten the Californian firm to the punch with an all-electric drop-top sports car you can actually buy right now.
MG used to be famous for its compact two-door, two-seat convertibles. It’s where the brand started back in 1914 and it’s what it was building right until the administrators came knocking in 2005.
After being bought by China’s Nanjing Automobile Group (since taken over by SAIC), MG emerged as a very different brand. First churning out cheap but not very cheerful fare like the MG6 before finding its feet and enjoying rapid growth as the purveyor of budget friendly electric cars.
While cars like the MG4 have helped revive the brand, there’s always been a feeling that the marque’s heritage deserves a little more. And it’s a feeling shared by MG’s bosses, who decided to mark its 100th anniversary by launching a modern take on the cars that made MG famous.
Let’s start off by addressing the elephant in the room, or on the road.
While the Cyberster looks like a traditional MG, it’s a lot bigger. In fact, at 4.5 metres long and 1.9m wide, it’s as big as the Ford Explorer SUV. And it’s a bit of a tubster too, weighing in at a whisker under two tonnes.
But don’t be discouraged because, for all that it is a big machine, it looks brilliant. MG’s London-based designers have stayed true to the traditional roadster layout, with a long, low bonnet, mid-mounted cabin and gently sloping rear deck with broad haunches and a neat little flick of a spoiler.
Some photos make the Cyberster look awkward but the shape really works, especially when darker bodywork is complemented with the optional red fabric roof. It looks exactly as you’d want a 21st century MG to.
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It’s not just the overall shape that works, smaller details such as the arrow-shaped rear lights and the black belt line that run across the rear deck add to the style. And there’s those dramatic electric scissor doors that sweep up at the touch of a button.
Inside, the cabin is surprisingly tight. If you’re more than six feet tall, you’ll struggle for leg and head room. If you’re shorter than that, there’s plenty of adjustment in the seats and steering wheel and decent width for two to sit side by side. The 249-litre boot is big enough for a couple of overnight bags or, apparently, a golf bag.
The cabin is mostly finished in faux suede and faux leather. Material quality feels like a significant step up from other MGs, reflecting this car’s place as the brand’s halo model. It won’t cause sleepless nights in Stuttgart but, overall, the Cyberster feels solid and well put together, with tactile touches such as metal paddles for selecting regen strength and driving modes.
Unfortunately, the dashboard appears to have been designed by someone who’s watched too much Knight Rider. It’s dominated by a wraparound three-screen ‘cockpit’ that places a 10.25-inch instrument display between two seven-inch touchscreens for media/navigation and some vehicle settings.
It sounds like a neat idea and the main instruments are clear and useful but the two smaller screens are almost entirely blocked by your hands as you drive, rendering them nearly useless on the move. A fourth screen in the centre console controls the air condition and various vehicle settings.
Sadly, like their layout, the MG’s systems are nowhere near as smart as KITT. Each screen houses a baffling array of menus and submenus that take an age to swipe and scroll between. Some of these are vital, such as the vehicle settings, others utterly unnecessary – a five-day weather forecast – and there’s no logic to their arrangement. The problems extend to the driver ‘assistance’ systems which are overly intrusive and inaccurate, and continue to beep and bong even when you think you’ve deactivated them.
It makes me despair that such poorly considered technology makes it through testing. Especially when elsewhere the car has been so thoughtfully engineered.
Which brings me, conveniently, onto how the car drives.
MG wants the Cyberster to be a worthy celebration of its heritage and it really nails that brief.
There are two powertrain options. The Trophy uses a single rearmounted motor producing 335bhp, while the GT adds another motor on the front axle for a total of 503bhp. In both cases, energy comes from a 77kWh battery with a range of 276-316 miles.
The Trophy’s 0-62mph sprint of five seconds feels pretty rapid, accompanied by a subtle but noticeable electronic whirr. But the GT delivers a true gut punch of acceleration, whether that’s from a standstill – 62mph takes just 3.2 seconds – or piling on pace out of a corner.
As is so often the case, what the extra motor adds in pace it takes away in agility. The Trophy, shorn of 100kg compared with the GT feels lighter and pointier but neither disappoints on the open road.
Our test route took in some spectacular but challenging roads in and around the Cairngorms where the Cyberster shone. Perhaps its biggest talent is disguising its size and weight, which it does
remarkably well. Once you’re pressing on along a twisting road it feels far more nimble than the on-paper stats would suggest.
The steering is sharp but not fidgety, and turns in with precision, pivoting beautifully thanks to perfect 50:50 weight distribution. It’s not too hard to get the Trophy’s back end wriggling around on the exit of a corner, but the GT is more composed but more brutal.
Bespoke Pirelli tyres provide plenty of grip and the brakes are really positive as well, with well-balanced regen and powerful four-pot Brembos.
Double wishbone suspension at the front and a multilink arrangement at the rear help ensure surefooted progress and while there’s a hint of roll in the corners the payoff is a ride that’s impressively composed.
The Cyberster is MG’s halo model and, as such, it’s not cheap. The Trophy model is £54,995, while the GT is £59,995.
The two grades of car are only distinguishable by the wheels – 19 inches on the Trophy and 20 inches on the GT. And that’s the only equipment difference too, apart from the GT’s second motor.
All cars get heated seats and steering wheel, an eight-speaker Bose stereo, smartphone mirroring, sat nav, all-round parking sensors and a reversing camera. Keyless entry and the powered doors are also standard along with a hefty but not entirely welcome list of driver assistance systems.
It’s an entirely different league to MG’s usual positioning but it’s also an entirely different product. Not just from other MGs but from almost anything else on sale – apart from the Maserati GranCabrio this really is the only all-electric roadster on offer right now.
What’s pleasing about the Cyberster is that it’s a great advert for electric sports cars.
It looks the part but, more importantly, it backs that up with an engaging and grin-inducing driving experience.
If MG was looking for a car worthy of marking its 100th anniversary, it has found it in the Cyberster.
PRICE: £59,995
POWERTRAIN: Two-motor, all-wheel-drive
BATTERY: 77kWh
POWER: 503bhp
TORQUE: 535lb ft
TOP SPEED: 125mph
0-62MPH: 3.2 seconds
RANGE: 276 miles
CONSUMPTION: 3.2m/kWh
CHARGING: up to 105kW
The aviation industry is witnessing a transformative shift towards sustainable and autonomous air travel, as evidenced by the groundbreaking innovations showcased at the Farnborough International Airshow, Richard Alvin investigates.
self-flying, all-electric four-seater air taxi represent significant milestones in the journey towards a cleaner, more efficient, and technologically advanced future in aviation.
Joby Aviation has garnered considerable attention for its innovative approach to sustainable air travel. Their hydrogen-electric eVTOL aircraft, unveiled at the Farnborough International Airshow, promises to redefine urban and regional air mobility. Combining hydrogen fuel cell technology with electric propulsion, Joby’s eVTOL offers a glimpse into the future where emissions-free air travel becomes a reality.
Joby’s eVTOL is designed to take off and land vertically, making it ideal for urban environments where space is limited. The integration of hydrogen fuel cells allows for longer flight ranges compared to traditional battery-powered electric aircraft. Hydrogen fuel cells generate electricity through a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, producing only water vapor as a byproduct. This not only reduces the carbon footprint but also addresses the limitations of battery energy density, a significant challenge in electric aviation
The aircraft’s advanced electric propulsion system ensures quiet operation, reducing noise pollution in urban areas. With a focus on safety and efficiency, Joby’s eVTOL is equipped with multiple
redundant systems and cutting-edge avionics. The aircraft is designed to carry up to four passengers, making it suitable for both urban air mobility and regional transport.
The environmental benefits of hydrogen-electric eVTOLs are substantial. By utilizing hydrogen as a clean energy source, Joby’s aircraft significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions compared to con-
ventional fossil fuel-powered planes. This aligns with global efforts to combat climate change and transition towards sustainable transportation solutions. Moreover, the ability to operate quietly in urban areas opens up new possibilities for air travel within cities, reducing congestion on roads and providing a faster, more efficient mode of transport. The vertical takeoff and landing capability eliminates the need for extensive runway infrastructure, further enhancing its suitability for urban environments.
While Joby Aviation focuses on hydrogen-electric propulsion, Wisk Aero has made waves with its self-flying, all-electric four-seater air taxi. As the world’s first autonomous air taxi, Wisk’s aircraft represents a leap forward in the evolution of autonomous transportation.
Innovation Behind Wisk’s Air Taxi
Wisk Aero, a joint venture between Boeing and Kitty Hawk Corporation, has developed an air taxi designed to operate without a human pilot. This self-flying capability is made possible through advanced autonomous technology, including sophisticated sensors, artificial intelligence, and robust flight control systems. The aircraft is designed to ensure passenger safety with multiple layers of redundancy and fail-safe mechanisms.
The four-seater air taxi is fully electric, emphasizing sustainability and zero-emission travel. Wisk’s focus on autonomy addresses several key challenges in urban air mobility, including pilot shortages, operational costs, and scalability. By removing the need for a human pilot, Wisk aims to make air taxis more accessible and economically viable for a broader range of passengers.
The introduction of autonomous air taxis raises important questions about safety and regulatory compliance. Wisk Aero has been working closely with aviation authorities to ensure that their aircraft meets stringent safety standards. The company’s rigorous testing and certification process aims to build public trust in autonomous air travel.
Wisk’s autonomous technology is designed to handle various scenarios, including adverse
weather conditions and emergency situations. The aircraft’s AI-driven flight control system continuously monitors and adjusts flight parameters to ensure a smooth and safe journey. Additionally, remote monitoring and intervention capabilities provide an extra layer of security, allowing human operators to oversee flights from the ground.
The advancements presented by Joby Aviation and Wisk Aero at the Farnborough International Airshow highlight the rapid progress being made in urban air mobility. The integration of hydrogen-electric propulsion and autonomous technology has the potential to revolutionize how we travel within cities and beyond.
As these technologies continue to mature, we can expect a future where air taxis become a common sight in urban landscapes. The combination of sustainable energy sources and autonomous flight will not only reduce the environmental impact of aviation but also enhance the efficiency and convenience of air travel.
TEAM BRADY, OWNED BY NFL LEGEND TOM BRADY, SECURED THEIR THIRD E1 SERIES TROPHY IN FOUR RACE WEEKENDS IN MONACO, QUICKLY REBOUNDING FROM A SETBACK IN PUERTO BANUS.
Following earlier victories in Saudi Arabia and Venice, the team experienced their first defeat of the season near Marbella. However, they reclaimed their winning form on Sunday in Monaco, a locale renowned for its motorsport heritage.
This victory propels Team Brady, with pilots Sam Coleman and Emma Kimilainen, back to the top of the E1 championship standings. Three races remain in the inaugural season of the all-electric speed boat racing series, set to take place in Lake Como, Geneva, and Hong Kong.
“It’s great to see the team win here in Monaco,” said Brady. “The teamwork has been incredible – all weekend we’ve been grinding through different issues but we proved again that we can deal with any conditions. I am so proud of Emma, Sam, the whole team and the resilience that we have. I have full confidence and we’re going to keep fighting. I love our team and I love what we are doing.”
Team Brady now leads the title race with 63 points, 13 points ahead of their American rivals, Team Miami. Will Smith’s Westbrook Racing holds third place, followed by Team Drogba and Team Rafa in the top five. Sergio Perez Racing remains at the bottom of the standings. With the championship heating up, all eyes will be on the upcoming races as Team Brady strives to maintain their lead and secure the inaugural E1 Series title.
Can the new all-electric Mini Cooper still deliver the smiles per mile of its predecessors?
It’s now been more than 20 years since BMW reinvented the Mini as a retro-inspired premium hatchback but the recipe has never really wavered much. Every generation has been a gentle evolution of the previous in terms of looks, equipment and powertrains.
That was until the fourth gen, which suddenly threw an electric drive option into the petrol mix. Now we’re onto the fifth gen and for the first time the Mini has a bespoke electric variant built on a different platform and officially named the Mini Cooper.
There are two versions – E and SE – and while the milder E is competing with the likes of the Peugeot E-208 and Fiat 500, – the biggest rivals to the more powerful Cooper SE I’m testing here are the Abarth 500e and incoming Alpine A290.
The new Cooper does a neat trick of looking like an entirely new car while still clearly being related to the old one.
It still has the basic proportions that have marked out every era of BMW Mini, with short overhangs, a long bonnet and the distinct shape to the glazing that’s emphasised on cars with a contrast roof.
The big, round headlights that bulge out of the wings are also still very much in evidence but this time come with the option of three running light
signatures. However, the front is less vertical than it used to be, with a more obvious slope to the lights and bonnet. The weird droopy moustache motif of the old cars has gone and there’s a new contoured octagonal grille that comes either in white, silver or gloss black depending on the car’s trim level. Chrome has been banished completely.
Different grades also bring other exterior options including wheels and the roof. Regular Classic-spec cars get a body coloured roof but you can fork out for a contrast colour. Sport models get a red roof and optional bonnet stripes while the Exclusive trim comes with a three-colour multi-tone roof.
The difference between this and the old Mini Electric are more obvious at the rear where the blobby curved tail lights have been replaced with pointy, almost triangular affairs and a much sharper fold on the tailgate.
The interior follows a similar ‘keep it simple but update’ mantra. So there’s still a massive central dial and a toggle panel underneath which features a neat power switch that twists like the key in an original 60s Mini. Beneath that, the centre console is low and simple, with cupholders, a wireless charging pad and a decent open storage area, which in high-spec cars features a neat lidded box. It helps
make the car feel more spacious, which is handy. This new model is fractionally smaller than the old one and while there’s loads of space up front, the rear seats are definitely still reserved for people you don’t like. And the boot remains a tiny 210 litres.
New for this generation is a woven fabric finish to the dashboard and door tops. It’s made from recycled polyester and is a fantastically tactile, attractive and modern approach.
The round screen lies at the heart of the Mini’s interior and finally fixes the old issue of cramming a small rectangular infotainment screen into a giant circle. For the new car, Mini has developed
a world-first OLED system that uses every pixel of the 24cm circle as a touchscreen.
It’s a neat system that has permanent zones for different functions, such as driving information (at the top), heating controls (around the sides) and media/navigation (at the bottom). It also allows you to swipe and select elements and shortcuts or turn the whole thing into a giant speedo. Seven different ‘experiences’ alter the look of the screen, the soundscape and the ambient lighting as well as changing certain driving dynamics in ‘go-kart’ and ‘green’ modes.
The last electric Mini was brilliant to drive but the range was comically bad. Mini quoted about 135 miles but in the real world it was closer to 100. So this car tries to fix that with two new bigger batteries that offer between 190 and 250 miles. Charging speeds still aren’t brilliant, with 75kW on the smaller battery and 95kW on the larger.
The entry-level Cooper E gets its 190-mile range from a 41kWh battery and comes equipped with a 178bhp motor that gives a 0-62mph time of 7.3 seconds. The more potent SE gets a 215bhp motor at the front wheels, along with a 54kWh battery for a 250-mile range. There are no chassis differences between the two, which means you’ll have a blast at the wheel of either.
The throttle is calibrated to give really immediate response and there’s a decent amount of shove in the SE (plus a fair bit of torque steer) but in terms of outright pace it’s no great shakes – 0-62mph takes 6.8 seconds in the SE. But, like earlier cars, the fun of this Mini is the snappy way the power comes on and off and how you can hurl it into corners and carry your speed through them.
The steering response is immediate and accurate and the little car tucks into corners with gusto, gripping impressively and communicating far more than a lot of ‘sporty’ EVs. There’s the merest hint of body roll that’s at odds with the distinctly firm ride –another common factor with previous generations.
The Cooper is lively and characterful in any drive mode but go-kart predictably adds weight to the steering and more urgency to the pedal response, as well as a synthesised ‘engine’ noise borrowed from the BMW i5 and which sounds oddly out of place in the Mini.
Prices for the new Mini Cooper start a whisker under £30,000 for the E and £34,500 for the SE. That’s not exactly cheap, especially when Fiat has just dropped the 500e to less than £22,000, but the Mini is arguably more of a premium product and comes pretty well equipped.
There are three trim levels - Classic, Exclusive and Sport – with their own cosmetic touches but every car gets two-zone climate control, a heated steering wheel, rear view camera, parking assistance
and dynamic cruise control, plus driving assistance, smartphone mirroring and built-in sat nav. There are three simple, but not cheap, options packs. These bring everything from heated seats and a head-up display to electric seats and an interior camera (for on-the-go selfies, presumably). Truthfully, Level 1, which is standard on SE, is as far as you need to go unless you’re desperate for a panoramic sunroof or Harman Kardon stereo.
BMW-era Minis have always been about premium style and image first and value second but they’ve also been about the joy of driving.
And in those terms, this latest electric version is a worthy successor. The exterior looks might split opinions but the new interior is classy, modern and packed with high-end tech.
And it delivers on the road, too, with sharp handling and enough pace to put a grin on the grumpiest of faces.
PRICE: £34,500 (£43,550 as tested)
POWERTRAIN: Single-motor, front-wheel-drive
BATTERY: 54kWh
POWER: 215bhp
TORQUE: 243lb ft
TOP SPEED: 106mph
0-62MPH: 6.8 seconds
RANGE: 250 miles
CONSUMPTION: 4.2m/kWh
CHARGING: up to 95kW
PASCAL WEHRLEIN clinched the FORMULA E WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE in a thrilling double-header finale at the EXCEL IN LONDON, delivering standout performances across two action-packed races that captivated fans and defined the season.
Saturday’s race was a showcase of skill, strategy, and resilience, with Pascal Wehrlein of TAG Heuer Porsche securing his third victory of the season. This win propelled him to the top of the championship standings, setting the stage for a nail-biting final showdown.
Wehrlein demonstrated exceptional driving, edging out Jaguar TCS Racing’s Mitch Evans, who finished second, while Sebastien Buemi of Envision Racing rounded out the podium in third place.
The race was filled with incidents and strategic battles, beginning with a challenging start for championship contender Nick Cassidy, also of Jaguar, who started in 17th place but fought his way back to a commendable seventh-place finish.
Early drama saw Jake Dennis collide with Robin Frijns, sending Frijns into the wall and causing a safety car deployment. Once racing resumed, the field began activating their ATTACK MODES. Cassidy faced difficulties, missing a sensor and losing valuable time, while Oliver Rowland aggressively battled with Jean-Eric Vergne, eventually leading to a collision that forced Antonio Felix da Costa to retire, ending his threerace winning streak.
Buemi overtook Evans for the lead on lap 10, while Wehrlein conserved energy and strategically moved into the lead by lap 22. Cassidy’s woes continued as he hit the wall again while fighting with Stoffel Vandoorne, further complicating his race.
In the closing stages, Wehrlein and Evans fiercely contested the lead. Despite Evans’ efforts, Wehrlein defended his position effectively. Maximilian Guenther moved into second place but faced heartbreak as his car failed in the final moments, dropping him down the order. The race concluded with a last-minute crash involving Norman Nato and Sacha Fenestraz, but Wehrlein maintained his composure, securing the win and setting up a decisive final race.
Sunday’s race brought even more drama and excitement as Pascal Wehrlein secured his first Formula E world championship title by finishing
second, behind Nissan’s Oliver Rowland. The race saw Mitch Evans, Wehrlein’s closest title rival, finish third after missing ATTACK MODE twice in the critical final laps.
Wehrlein’s triumph was underscored by Rowland’s strategic victory in his home race, capitalising on the intense championship battle.
Starting from ninth, Rowland navigated through the chaos to seize the lead with just three laps remaining. Meanwhile, Wehrlein’s focus was on outperforming the Jaguar duo of Cassidy and Evans to claim the overall crown.
Speaking after his championship win, Wehrlein expressed his elation: “I don’t know where to start. The race was hard. I knew I had to attack and get in front of the Jags. Mitch defended quite hard, but I still tried to overtake. I think what we did this weekend, especially knowing that these days were crucial, shows our focus and determination. This track has never been good for our car, but we showed great pace. I’m very happy for myself and even more for the team.”
The race dynamics were intense from the start, with Cassidy leading early on from pole position, supported by his teammate Evans. However, a puncture dashed Cassidy’s title hopes, causing him to crash out. Evans led for most of the race, locked in a fierce duel with Wehrlein. Both drivers delayed their ATTACK MODES until late in the race, but Evans missed the marker twice, giving Wehrlein the opportunity to move into second place and secure the championship.
Rowland, reflecting on his unexpected win, said: “It was amazing. Starting ninth, we never expected to win, but it was a crazy race. I picked my moments early on and didn’t want to interfere with the title fight. I
waited and hoped something would happen, and it did. I managed to pick up the pieces and win the race.”
Wehrlein, under pressure despite his slender championship lead, started fourth on the grid. He had to pass Maximilian Guenther before closing in on the battling Jaguar teammates. As Cassidy and Evans fought each other, Wehrlein stayed close to Evans, applying relentless pressure.
Mitch Evans, speaking about the season’s end, remarked: “I want to be happy for the team for winning the Teams’ Championship, but I feel like we’ve been off our game this weekend. I’m a bit surprised at some of the calls made against me today. This was the most realistic chance we had, and it felt like my own team were working against me at one point.”
In the final laps, despite Rowland’s victory, Wehrlein kept his composure, ensuring his second-place finish and ultimately emerging as the deserving champion. His consistent performances and strategic acumen throughout the season have earned him the top spot in the Formula E world, highlighting a memorable and fiercely contested championship.
As the dust settles on Season 10, Pascal Wehrlein’s triumph stands as a testament to his skill, determination, and the strategic prowess of the TAG Heuer Porsche team. The dramatic London finale will be remembered as one of the most exciting conclusions in Formula E history, setting a high bar for the seasons to come.
E.ON Next Veloce Racing clinched another victory at the Hydro X Prix, taking first place in Round 4 of Season 4, marking their second consecutive win.
Drivers Kevin Hansen and Molly Taylor narrowly edged out the ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team (ASXE) to extend their lead in the Extreme E championship, with Andretti Altawkilat rounding off the top three in Dumfries and Galloway.
In a challenging Grand Final, Rosberg X Racing (RXR) finished fourth after suffering a puncture, while the NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team triumphed in the Redemption Race, finishing ahead of LEGACY MOTOR CLUB IN ASSOCIATION WITH JIMMIE JOHNSON.
E.ON Next Veloce Racing now leads the Extreme E standings with 87 points, nine points clear of their closest competitors, ASXE.
Molly Taylor of E.ON Next Veloce Racing commented, “Today was a real scrap. In Extreme E, with such close competition, getting to the Grand Final is an intense fight and anything can happen. Thanks to our fans’ support in GridPlay, we were able to start in a strong position. It’s one thing to be fast on track, but executing under pressure is crucial, and it feels great to have managed
that. Leading the championship heading to Sardinia is fantastic, but we must keep pushing.”
Kevin Hansen added, “Another win on home soil is incredible. Double-headers are tricky as you can’t lose focus for a moment. The road to this win wasn’t straightforward, which makes it even more satisfying to have executed such a great race in the Final.”
In the Round 4 Grand Final, Kevin Hansen of E.ON Next Veloce Racing took an early lead, ahead of ASXE’s Laia Sanz. RXR and Andretti Altawkilat followed, with Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky and Catie Munnings vying for third place.
By the Switch Zone, Hansen had built a 10-second lead. RXR’s puncture allowed Catie Munnings in the Andretti Altawkilat ODYSSEY 21 to pass during the second lap, despite a time penalty for dropped flags.
After the driver change, Molly Taylor maintained an 8.8-second advantage over ASXE’s Fraser McConnell. McConnell tried to close the gap but Taylor held on, securing a clean sweep for E.ON Next Veloce at the Hydro X Prix. Andretti Altawkilat completed the podium.
In the Redemption Race, Jenson Button’s JBXE started strong with Andreas Bakkerud in the lead, followed by Legacy Motor Club’s Patrick O’Donovan. O’Donovan took the lead with a decisive overtake up the hill during the first lap, with NEOM McLaren XE’s Christina Gutiérrez ahead of SUN Minimeal’s Timo Scheider.
A fierce battle ensued between Scheider and Gutiérrez, with Scheider receiving a 10-second penalty for a Waypoint flag infraction. All four teams were closely matched entering the Switch Zone. Legacy M.C’s Gray Leadbetter emerged first, followed by NEOM McLaren XE’s Ekström, who quickly took the lead, celebrating his birthday with a win. JBXE and SUN Minimeal encountered issues that dropped them out of contention.
After over two years of anticipation and extensive secret testing, the Extreme H car, known as Pioneer 25, finally made its public debut at the Hydro X Prix in Scotland.
This landmark event marked the first time the car ran on a full Extreme E course and was benchmarked against the venerable Odyssey 21.
The excitement surrounding the Pioneer 25’s first public outing was palpable. The car completed 1,100 miles of testing across various locations in France last year, but this was its first appearance on the demanding Hydro X Prix track. Extreme E and Extreme H technical director Mark Grain expressed his satisfaction with the car’s performance throughout the race week.
“I’m very happy,” Grain shared with RACER. “Running the car alongside the Extreme E cars, using the same course and conditions, allowed us to perform essential tests that private testing couldn’t match. It was the first time a hydrogen car ran in these conditions, not just for show but for genuine development purposes.”
Extreme E podium finisher Hedda Hosaas was at the wheel in Scotland, as her fellow tester Romain
Dumas was busy at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Hosaas enjoyed extended seat time due to the successful tests, noting the challenges and rewards of the rigorous program.
“It’s been a good week,” Hosaas remarked. “Driving the Pioneer 25 more than planned was beneficial. We faced new challenges and niggles, but that’s what testing is for. By the end, we were putting in consecutive hard laps, including on proper mud, and the car handled really well. It’s definitely an improvement on the Extreme E car.”
While much attention has focused on the car’s hydrogen power source, the Pioneer 25 boasts numerous enhancements. Spark, the manufacturer, introduced new suspension from Fox, a central driving position, and a revised battery placement for better balance and handling. These improvements were evident on the track, where the Pioneer 25 demonstrated superior performance compared to the Odyssey 21.
“You’ve got an Extreme E car turning laps, and then shortly afterwards you’ve got the Extreme H car turning laps,” Grain pointed out. “You can see the step in performance and the way the Extreme H car is handling and performing compared to Extreme E.”
Hosaas echoed this sentiment, highlighting the car’s enhanced low-speed performance and improved visibility due to the central positioning. “It feels better, especially at low speed where we can gain the most because of the power we have now. It felt smooth and fast in the technical slow-speed sections — I was pushing, and it gives you a lot of confidence now.”
Despite the positive feedback, Grain refrained from revealing specific lap times but confirmed the hydrogen car’s superior speed and performance. The car ran multiple race distances on the Hydro X Prix track and a shorter course at the site, providing valuable data for further development.
“The short course is quite developed, allowing us to understand braking forces in the slow stuff,” Grain explained. “The high-speed left-hander provided a high degree of lateral G, benefiting our software and program testing.”
Next on the agenda for the test team is a trip to Sardinia, known for its challenging race conditions. The Pioneer 25 will undergo further tests alongside the Extreme E car over consecutive race weekends.
“We’ll have even more testing days because it’s a back-to-back event,” Hosaas noted. “Sardinia’s fast track, big jumps, and extreme conditions make it ideal for testing. It’s going to be exciting because the car is so responsive in those areas.”
Grain outlined the comprehensive testing program planned for Sardinia, aiming to complete a cumulative race weekend of mileage on a championship track during an actual event.
“We’ve got an extensive program there with two full days on the full course, and we’ll use the shorter course again in Sardinia,” Grain said. “We also want to run the car on the Sunday as well, mirroring the race conditions.”
The Extreme H car’s race testing program will resume in the second week of September, coinciding with rounds 5-8 of the 2024 Extreme E championship.
YT Industries has launched its latest electric mountain bike (eMTB), the YT Decoy SN, also known as the SuperNatural.
Priced at £8,499, the Core 4 model promises to be the ultimate enduro bike, combining power and performance with innovative design.
The YT Decoy SN features a robust yet lightweight carbon fibre frame, offering 160mm of rear-wheel travel and a 170mm fork in a mixed-wheel ‘MX’ setup. This new eMTB incorporates the Fazua Ride 60 motor, coupled with a 430Wh battery seamlessly integrated into the down tube.
Central to the Decoy SN is the Fazua Ride 60 motor, delivering a smooth and natural riding experience with up to 60Nm of torque. The Nitro mode offers a dynamic 12-second power boost for tackling challenging terrains. The motor’s placement ensures optimal weight distribution, contributing to the bike’s impressive agility and control.
YT’s V4L suspension linkage, a four-bar Horst-link system, provides a balanced ride with 29.5 per cent progression through its stroke. The Core 4 is equipped with high-end Fox Factory suspension units, including a 170mm 38 fork and a DHX2 Factory coil shock, designed to handle the roughest trails with ease.
The Decoy SN’s design draws inspiration from iconic vehicles like the Porsche 911 and Ferrari Testarossa. It includes a new headbox with a cable entry port system and rubberised protection for silent, smooth rides. The bike’s geometry, with a reach of 475mm in size Large, a 78-degree seat angle, and a 63.9-degree head angle in the Low setting, ensures comfort and stability.
The bike boasts SRAM’s GX Transmission for reliable gear shifting, Crankbrothers Synthesis wheels for durability, and SRAM’s Maven brakes with 220mm rotors for exceptional stopping power. The adjustable YT Postman dropper seat post further enhances the riding experience, offering a range of lengths and travel adjustments.
The Decoy SN’s design and components deliver an intuitive and responsive ride. The suspension system, combined with the Fazua motor, provides a balanced and powerful ride without overwhelming the rider. The bike’s geometry and weight distribution make it ideal for both technical trails and high-speed descents.
The YT Decoy SN Core 4 sets a new benchmark for enduro eMTBs, blending innovative design, advanced motor technology, and superior components. Its ease of use and exceptional performance make it a top choice for enthusiasts looking for a powerful and reliable electric mountain bike.
Electrifying commercial vehicles and HGVs is not just about the vehicles themselves – it involves a detailed consideration of how to keep them on the road without disrupting existing operations. Mer has the experience and knowledge to support you on this journey.
Download Mer’s free eguide for fleet managers to learn more about installing the right EV charging to keep your vehicles powered for their mission-critical journeys
Click here to find out more
At first glance, the E-Transit looks almost identical to the regular Transit. Aside from some blue detailing, there’s precious little to indicate the presence of an electric motor and battery pack instead of a diesel engine.
Given the Transit’s significance — it’s the ‘backbone of Britain’, of course — it makes sense that Ford kept the styling familiar. However, substantial changes have been made beneath the surface.
Converting an existing vehicle to an EV is challenging, as seen with the early versions of the
Citroen e-Relay and Peugeot e-Boxer. Ford has spent serious money on updating the underpinnings in the E-Transit, replacing the rear leaf springs with a new rear subframe and independent coil-sprung suspension, creating space for the electric motor on the rear axle.
The electric large van market is reinventing itself, with a revised Vauxhall Movano Electric (and its Citroen, Fiat and Stellantis clones), a new Toyota Proace Max on its way, Chinese rivalry from the Maxus eDeliver 9 and an updated Mercedes-Benz
eSprinter. Despite the heavy investment, the Ford E-Transit won’t have an easy ride.
As with the exterior, the E-Transit’s cabin closely resembles that of the regular diesel-powered model, although the gear lever and handbrake have been replaced by electric switches on the dashboard. This change creates more space in the cab, making it feel airier and, crucially, giving the middle passenger somewhere to put their legs.
A 12.0-inch infotainment screen dominates the dashboard, serving as the central hub for most functions. With Ford’s impressive Sync 4 software installed, the screen is crisp, clear, and responsive, although some functions are slightly hidden. It’s a shame that most climate controls are now on the screen instead of physical switches, but that’s indicative of the continuous march of technology.
Leader-spec vans are rather bare-bones models suited as fleet vehicles to be used and abused. Trend vans, as we had, are a little more refined, with smarter seats, climate control, and a few other toys. There are no high-spec Limited models in the E-Transit range or rugged Trail vans, which makes it clear where Ford sees its market.
The E-Transit has a 68kWh battery pack that powers a 181bhp electric motor, with a higher-power 266bhp version available. Both models produce
317lb ft of torque, crucial for carrying heavy loads, but don’t be too tempted by the higher-power option — unless you mash the throttle pedal to the floor, it operates with the same 181bhp limit, so there’s no difference in day-to-day driving.
While not huge, the battery is big enough to promise a WLTP range of 196 miles. Ford suggests a more realistic (and arguably worst-case) range of 100 miles under full load, motorway conditions, and winter temperatures. Even then, this should be sufficient for the average Transit user, who apparently drives about 59.5 miles each day.
We covered hundreds of miles in the north of the country, achieving 2.5 miles per kWh, which works out at about 170 miles from a full charge. That’s not great considering the van was empty, but we spent a lot of time hammering down various A roads and motorways around the Scottish Borders, which does nothing for efficiency.
When we needed to stop, recharging from 15% to 80% took just over half an hour at 115kW, which is enough time for a quick break at Greggs before getting back on the road.
An extended range option with an 89kWh battery pack improves range by another 53 miles, but at the expense of payload limits.
Ford’s modifications to the suspension have improved the Transit’s handling, comfort, and refinement, which wasn’t bad to start with. You might not be able to have much fun behind the wheel, but you certainly won’t be fatigued after a day on the UK’s roads.
Ford offers the E-Transit in 15 different configurations, including three body lengths, two roof heights, and three gross vehicle weights, so finding a suitable version for your business should be relatively easy. With no loss of space from the battery pack and motor, the cargo volume remains consistent with the diesel-powered Transit, which ranges from 9.5m3 to 15.1m3
Although the payload capacity is slightly reduced due to the battery pack’s weight, it can still reach up to 1,785kg. At the other end of the range, there’s just 790kg to play with on the L4H3 models limited to a GVW of 3.5 tonnes.
Load lengths run from 3,083mm to 4,256mm, with the two roof heights offering internal clearance of 1,786mm or 2,025mm.
The mid-size L3H2 panel van with a 350GVW chassis, which we tested, had a payload limit of 980kg and a cargo volume of 11.0m3 thanks to its 3,533mm load length. Vans up to 4.25 tonnes GVW are available, which can be driven on a car licence under some circumstances, which adds 750kg of payload capacity to each model.
PRICE: £52,035 plus VAT and OTR
POWERTRAIN: Rear-motor, rear-wheel-drive
BATTERY: 68kWh
POWER: 181bhp
The Ford Transit price list runs to 72 pages, so consider this a very brief and oversimplified view of the range. The entry point to E-Transit ownership is £49,545 plus VAT and other fees, but before any government grants. That gets you the 135kW model in Trend spec with an L2H2 body. If you want the vast L4H3 model with a 198kW motor in plusher Trend trim, you’ll need £57,235 plus VAT.
You’ve also got double-cab panel vans, chassis cab models, tippers, Luton vans with tail lifts, welfare vans, and dropside bodies to pick from, which is a comprehensive range nobody else can compete with.
If you want anything other than a regular panel van, it’s probably best to visit a Ford dealer and discuss the myriad options.
It took Ford some time to bring the E-Transit to market, potentially giving the likes of the Vauxhall Movano Electric a head start, but what
TORQUE: 317lb ft
TOP SPEED: 81mph
0-62MPH: N/A
RANGE: 196 miles
CONSUMPTION: 2.9m/kWh
CHARGING: up to 115kW
Ford turned up with blew the competition into the weeds.
Even now, two years later, it’s the class of the field — although the revised large vans from Stellantis look interesting. The compromises made to switch the Transit from diesel to electric power are so subtle that, unless you desperately need every kilogram of payload or every mile of range offered by ICE versions, you could find plenty of competitive advantages for putting the E-Transit on your fleet.
The asking price is steep compared to a diesel model, although it broadly matches its competitors. However, lower running costs and energy costs, Ford’s innovative Liive active monitoring, and very competitive finance deals mean the total cost of ownership could well swing in the eLCVs’ favour. With a Ford service centre on every corner and an industry dedicated to maintaining Ford’s finest, it’s incredibly easy to recommend.
Toyota has teamed up with Coca- Cola to lead a new trial of hydrogen fuel cell-powered trucks in Europe.
The new partnership with the drinks giant and clean energy specialist Air Liquide represents the next step in testing for the hydrogen-powered HGVs. In 2023 Toyota announced it would be testing them on a number of supply routes between its own European factories.
The new trucks, developed in partnership with VDL, will be used on Coca-Cola’s supply route to test the viability of FCEV vehicles in heavy-duty transport situations.
The truck’s fuel cell system uses modules which combine hydrogen and oxygen molecules to produce water, simultaneously generating electricity. As a result, water is the only tailpipe emission. The system offers the further benefit of fast refuelling.
Air Liquide, a leader in clean energy, is supplying the project with hydrogen sourced from renewables.
While many manufacturers, including Volvo and Mercedes, are developing long-range fully electric HGVs, Toyota believes the hydrogen FCEVs can also support the decarbonisation of heavy-duty road transport and provide a more rapid refuelling option than BEVs.
Heavy-duty haulage accounts for a quarter of Europe’s freight transport, based on tonnesper-kilometre carried. Toyota argues that HGVs equipped with hydrogen fuel cell technology have the potential to reduce the carbon footprint of long-haul logistics operations and stimulate the development of a sustainable hydrogen refuelling infrastructure.
It also claims that commercial trucks’ usage patterns and their demand for large volumes of hydrogen make them key to the development of sustainable hydrogen infrastructures. The lack of such infrastructure has been seen as part of the reason that FCEV passenger cars such as Toyota’s own Mirai have failed to attract buyers.
Thiebault Pacquet, vice president of R&D for Toyota Motor Europe, commented: “To help speed up the expansion of hydrogen technology implementation in our society, we are expanding the use
of our Toyota Fuel Cell Module beyond passenger cars and into trucks, buses, coaches, trains, boats, near-shore and short-sea vessels, stationary generators and so on.
“It is a great pleasure to collaborate with like-minded partners and demonstrate our shared vision of sustainable mobility. The insights gained from these proofs-of-concept will serve as crucial milestones on our path towards achieving
zero tailpipe carbon emissions in our logistics operations by 2040.”
Eric Desbonnets, vice president of Paris 2024 operations for Coca-Cola, said: “We are pleased to partner with Toyota and Air Liquide to test hydrogen solutions for our long-distance logistics operations. We want to learn from this experience as we continue to work towards reducing our carbon footprint.”
Renault has announced pricing for its new all-electric rival to the Ford E-Transit Custom.
The Trafic E-Tech sits between the Kangoo and Master E-Tech models and comes in a choice of three variants with two lengths and heights.
Using a 52kWh battery, the Trafic can cover up to 186 miles on a charge and features 50kW DC charging that can fully recharge the battery in around an hour.
The Trafic E-Tech comes with a choice of two body lengths (5.08 and 5.48 metres) and two heights (1.967 and 2.498 metres), offering a load space that ranges from 5.8m3 to 8.9m3. The van offers up to 920kg of towing capacity and a maximum payload of up to 1,222kg.
In the new-look cabin there’s up to 88 litres of storage, plus Renault’s ‘mobile office’ which folds the middle seat flat to act as a work surface.
Prices start at £34,500 before VAT but after the plug-in van grant for the standard wheelbase, low-roof model. LWB, low-roof versions are £1,000 more and the higher roof adds another £1,000 to the LWB price.
The battery-powered Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 has proven its mettle in the UK by completing a demanding five-day, 1,400-mile journey across the country.
This accomplishment was part of the 2024 EV Rally, held from July 1-5, showcasing the capabilities of electric vehicles.
Hauling a standard road trailer at a fully loaded 40 tonnes GVW, the eActros 600 was one of 50 electric vehicles of various types that started from Oldbury in the West Midlands, visiting 26 locations from A to Z across the UK.
James Venables, Daimler Truck UK’s head of future sustainability, said: “We’ve proved that our engineers are right when they say the truck can cover 500km on a single charge. The EV Rally is all about showcasing today’s electric vehicles, and the fact that a multi-day marathon journey is very much achievable using the current network of charging points. As the national infrastructure develops, that will only get easier.”
Squint a bit, and you might think the Nissan Townstar EV looks like some other vans. Yes, most vans have a simple two-box design, so you could argue they all look similar, but there’s more than a passing resemblance between the Renault Kangoo and the Townstar.
There’s a good reason for that, as most of what you see is a Renault Kangoo, but it’s one that Nissan’s engineers have tweaked and adjusted.
Competition in the sector is fierce, with a long list of rivals fighting for the same limited number of customers. The Townstar will have to be good to stop buyers looking at the Citroen e-Berlingo, Fiat E-Doblo, Maxus eDeliver 5, Mercedes-Benz eCitan, Peugeot e-Partner, Toyota Proace City Electric, or Vauxhall Combo Electric, as well as its Renault Kangoo cousin. And then there’s the forthcoming Ford E-Transit Courier. That’s quite a list.
Nissan has filled Townstar’s cab with light-coloured plastics, which makes the space feel bright and arguably more spacious than it is.
There are plenty of cubby holes for a driver’s detritus — a big glovebox, a dash-top tray, a driver’s
dash-top lidded cubby, deep door pockets, a central storage bin, a pair of cupholders, and an overhead shelf ideal for hiding charging cables.
An 8.0-inch touchscreen dominates the centre of the dash, which looks smart until you use it. It’s a dated Renault system with low-resolution graphics and slow touch responses. Still, it’s got smartphone mirroring, so you can ignore it and rely on Android Auto or Apple CarPlay instead.
Our Tekna+ test model comes with a 10-inch digital instrument panel for the driver, which is clear
and neat, although not exactly configurable. You have a few design styles to choose from, though, so you’ll have something stylish to stare at.
There’s also plenty of kit (which we’ll run through later), including some surprisingly high-tech options for a panel van.
According to Nissan’s figures, you’ll be able to cover 183 miles in the Townstar EV. That’s pretty good from a 45kWh lithium-ion battery pack and roughly matches the range available from Vauxhall, Peugeot and Citroen with their 50kWh battery.
With a light load in the back, we covered hundreds of miles and returned 3.6 miles per kWh, translating to a real-world range of 162 miles. Not great, not terrible.
Recharging can be done at rates of up to 80kW, where a 15-80% top-up will take 37 minutes. On an ordinary home charger unit, empty to full takes seven hours, so any top-up will be easily achieved while sleeping.
Performance is a little pedestrian, with Nissan claiming the Townstar EV will reach 62mph in 14 seconds. It certainly feels like it takes a long time, although the initial surge off the line makes urban
driving a cinch. That pep fades away as speeds increase, though.
The ride is firmer than many of its competitors, but that pays dividends in the corners where it feels pleasingly solid, even if the steering is a little over-assisted.
Two body lengths give the Townstar some flexibility, with load volumes of 3.3m3 in the L1 van rising to 4.3m3 for the longer L2 model. There are no roof height options, so that’s your lot, but it’s about the same as you’ll get in the back of a Vauxhall Combo for the L1 model and is significantly more spacious than the L2 Combo.
PRICE:
£37,345 plus VAT and OTR
POWERTRAIN:
Front-motor, front-wheel-drive
BATTERY: 45kWh usable
POWER: 121bhp
TORQUE: 181lb ft
TOP SPEED: 84mph
0-62MPH: 14 seconds
RANGE: 183 miles
CONSUMPTION: 4m/kWh
CHARGING: up to 80kW
Loads of up to 1,810mm can be slotted into the cargo area of the smaller model — that’s less than 10mm shorter than the Combo — but expands by 420mm on the L2 van, which extends the load length to a class-leading 2,230mm.
Whichever length you pick, as with its rivals, you can slide two Euro pallets in the back through rear swing doors that open to 180 degrees. On the longer L2 model, the side door is also wide enough to take a pallet, extending flexibility in tight locations.
What’s not so impressive are the payload limits. The entry-level L1 van can only take 478kg, including the driver and any passengers. If, like me, you’re not the most svelte of people, then your load limits will start dropping very quickly. It’s also a massive 303kg less than a Combo will take. The L2 is better, at 681kg, but still falls well short of its rivals.
This is definitely a van for businesses delivering polystyrene cups, rolls of bubble wrap, or candy floss.
Nissan makes the Townstar available in three grades, with the Acenta getting some impressive ticks on the equipment list; there are LED headlights, electric mirrors, an 8.0-inch infotainment screen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, climate control, cruise control, and LED lights in the load area. Tekna adds body-coloured bumpers, built-in navigation, parking sensors, a rear camera and keyless entry and start, while the top-spec Tekna+ includes alloy wheels, a heated leather steering wheel, and a suite of extra safety technology.
It’s a great combination, but it doesn’t come cheap. The range starts at £33,995 before VAT, charges and any government grants or incentives, rising to £38,545 for a top-of-the-range model. The Renault Kangoo that the Townstar is based on is a cheaper option, and the range-topping Vauxhall Combo, the Pro L2, comes in at £32,850, undercutting even the entry-level Townstar.
The Nissan Townstar EV is a lovely compact van that would be well-liked by many urban businesses. Its 183-mile range is broadly similar to its rivals, and it’s a nicer environment than Vauxhall’s finest to spend the day in. It’s loaded with tech, too.
Its load area is also larger than its rivals, although payload limits are woefully low in some cases, which will suit many but exclude some.
But it’s all undone by the list price. It’s thousands more than similar rivals, and with a recently updated Vauxhall Combo Electric van on the market and the new Ford E-Transit Courier on its way, it’s not special enough to compete.
The celebration of all things automotive included a record number of electric models
The recently launched MG Cyberster roadster has already signalled that there’s more to the marque than worthy but dull EVs and at Goodwood it hinted at further exciting developments. The Cyberster GTS is effectively a coupe version of the Cyberster but with four proper seats instead of the two-seat arrangement of the roadster. It’s technically just a concept but MG has suggested that if public reaction is positive it could go into production as a spiritual successor to the MG B GT. The fact that 2025 is the 60th anniversary of that classic coupe’s launch is, we’re sure, entirely coincidental.
Alongside the parade of wildly powerful and exotic petrol-powered racers and hypercars, there were a whole host of new electric cars to get excited about, from established brands such as Ford to emerging marques such as Hongqi.
The hot new version of the electric Mini is due to go on sale later this year and we got our first look at it at Festival of Speed. The Mini John Cooper Works E PROtotype that ran up the hill was effectively a camouflaged version of the final car – the first purely electric version in the history of the JCW line. We don’t have technical details yet but in keeping with previous JCW editions, expect a sharper, tuned chassis and performance hike over the current Cooper SE’s 215bhp and 7-second 0-62mph time.
A day after being unveiled to the world, the new Ford Capri was making its global dynamic debut up the famous Goodwood hill. A sibling to the new Ford Explorer, the new Capri is a coupe-styled fourdoor crossover. Ford calls it the ultimate sports car for the family and while it doesn’t have the low-slung looks of the original it does have sporty performance with a 0-62mph time of 5.3 seconds from a two-motor arrangement, plus up to 390 miles of range.
Hispano Suiza is among the oldest car companies in the world but you’d be forgiven for never having heard of it. The Spanish firm, which was also involved in aerospace engineering, last built a car in 1938. But it’s on its way back with grand plans. The Carmen Sagrera is a 1,099bhp hypercar expected to rival the Rimac Nevera and Pininfarina Battista at the ultra-rarified end of the EV market. With four motors, a 103kWh battery and ‘bold’ looks, Hispano Suiza says the Carmen Sagrera is a high-performance luxury model with ‘racetrack-born’ capabilities.
The Alpine A290 has already been revealed but Goodwood marked the production car’s UK dynamic debut. The A290 is a proper hot hatch for the electric era. It’s based on the new Renault 5 but fitted with a 217bhp motor from the larger Megane and equipped with a host of chassis and drivetrain upgrades to offer a more thrilling experience. It even features a coaching mode that will help owners master lift-off oversteer so they can pretend they’re driving a classic 5 Turbo.
We’ve seen the Evija before but the car shown at the Festival of Speed was notable for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the Evija X was a heavily modified track-ready version of the hyper coupe designed entirely to chase lap times – it’s the third fastest car ever around the Nordschleife. And, secondly, because it piled into the hay bales straight off the start line as to the driver struggling to control 1,257lb ft of torque being produced by its four motors. According to Goodwood Road & Racing the rear wheels were spinning at 170mph and the fronts at 150mph in the spectacular burnout that preceded the equally spectacular end to the Lotus’s run.
After starting out with a focus on refinement and luxury, Genesis is now venturing into the performance market. The Korean brand’s Magma line will produce tuned versions of several of its cars, including the GV60, which made its dynamic debut at Festival of Speed with racing legend Jacky Ickx at the wheel. Technical details are scarce but Genesis says it will bring battery and motor enhancements over the existing 483bhp GV60. We’d expect something similar to the 640bhp Hyundai Ioniq 5 N when it goes on sale in Korea next year.
Polestar has already revealed the spectacular looking Polestar 6 roadster but Goodwood saw the Swedish brand take its open-top two-seater sports car to another level with the Concept BST. Described by boss Thomas Ingenlath as a ‘Polestar turned up to 11’, it’s a beefed-up version of the sporty 6 with a huge amount of aero-optimised bodywork, widened track and 22-inch forged alloys. It also, reportedly, has almost 900bhp and a 0-62 time of under three seconds.
The Xpeng G6 is already on sale in Europe (and we’ve reviewed it on EVPowered.co.uk) but Goodwood 2024 marked its UK debut ahead of going on sale here later this year. The five-seat coupeSUV is lining up to challenge the Tesla Model Y, VW ID.5 and Kia EV6 with UK models set to offer either 255bhp or 282bhp from a rear-mounted motor, along with between 270 and 354 miles of range and up to 280kW charging.
Hongqi is among the oldest Chinese car makers and is among the wave of brands looking to secure a place in Europe with its EV range. It showcased two cars at Goodwood – the EH7 saloon and EHS7 SUV – both of which look set to reach the UK in coming years. The EH7 is a large saloon that Hongqi wants to position against the BMW i5 and Mercedes EQE, while the EHS7 is a high-riding SUV based on the same underpinnings. Both models feature a 610bhp two-motor powertrain and a choice of 85kWh or 111kWh batteries, which offer up to 360 miles of range in the saloon and 329 in the SUV. There are also plans for a single-motor version with more than 400 miles of range.
The UK has almost one EV charger per vehicle and is set to ‘comfortably’ meet demand for new devices by 2030, according to new figures.
There were 930,000 public, home and workplace chargers around the country at the end of June, compared with a total of around 1.1 million registered electric cars.
The figures were revealed by ChargeUK, an industry body which represents 40 of the biggest chargepoint installers and operators, in a new white paper looking at the current and future charging provision.
Its findings showed that charge point numbers have doubled in the past two years and, on average, a new charger was installed every 26 minutes in the second quarter of 2024. According to the paper, current infrastructure can provide enough power to enable every EV in the UK to drive 580 miles a day – 25 times the average daily car journey.
The paper also said that, based on current levels of infrastructure growth and predicted vehicle volumes, the UK will ‘comfortably’ have enough public and private chargers to meet demand in 2030, with more than 300,000 devices.
Charger provision is often held up as a factor holding drivers back from switching to an EV but ChargeUK’s CEO, Vicky Read, said the research showed the infrastructure is already in place to support the move.
She commented: “In little more than a decade, the UK’s charging sector has grown to become a major player in the green economy, providing the infrastructure that more than a million EV drivers rely on today and scaling fast to deliver the charging needed through to 2030 and beyond.
“Convenient and affordable charging for all is key to the UK’s switch to EVs. This new analysis will give current and future EV drivers confidence that the charging infrastructure will be there for them.”
The Labour government has pledged to move the ban on new petrol and diesel car sales back to 2030 after the previous administration pushed
it to 2035. Despite this shift, ChargeUK said the infrastructure could be in place in time. However, it warned that delays around planning and permits, grid connections and government funding for local councils schemes could slow the roll-out.
Read noted: “While the outlook is positive, there is still work to be done. Delivering what the UK needs by 2030 means continuing to grow at pace, ensuring that deployment ramps up in locations that have been hampered by delays, and ensuring the UK has a thriving EV market, so that investment in infrastructure continues at scale.”
“ChargeUK’s members are committed to this, but we cannot do this without the backing of the new Government, who we call on take the steps needed to remove delivery barriers, help us offer affordable charging and support our investment, as set out in our manifesto.”
Tom Bloor, managing director of charging specialist evec, believes the industry needs to work smarter to make sure it provides the best access and value possible.
More than 130,000 EVs have been sold in the UK, in the past year, up almost ten per cent on the previous 12 months. That’s amazing.
But there is still so much more to do, if we want EVs to be the first choice for British families and businesses. A lot of responsibility rests on the shoulders of the companies that are making, supplying and installing EV chargers. We need more innovation – not just around technology but pricing and ways to integrate charging to people’s daily lives, too.
There are now around 63,000 public chargers. Numbers have been rising and we may reach 100,000 by 2025. However, we are still way short of the government’s target of 300,000 by 2030 and creating a national charging infrastructure that drivers can afford to use and rely on, when on longer journeys. Fast-charging DC charging stations generally cost £30,000 upwards to buy
and install. That’s out of the reach of most smaller town centres, garages and office buildings. Public charging stations also charge up to 79p per kWh or more versus 10p/kWh or less for private ones. EV charger companies need to find ways of upping or maintaining charging speeds, whilst reducing prices. Do we always have to rely on 300kW chargers in locations such as university campuses, villages or rural service stations? Our new DC 40kW vecBOLT can increase the power in a car by 80% in as little as an hour.
There are still massive hurdles around charging access and security for consumers who don’t have driveways. EV charger companies need to work with local authorities to find imaginative ways to provide public charging points. Innovation here means working out how public chargers can most benefit drivers, EV charger firms and local shops, restaurants and the like who may benefit from people frequenting them, while their cars power up. Cable gully charge points, such as Kerbo, have tremendous potential that needs to be realised. Many chargers use apps that allow only the EV owner to start and stop charging, but what features can be added to these to increase security and alert consumers about misuse?
Too many domestic chargers still cost over £1,000, including installation. For a small family who only makes short trips to work or school, that’s very off-putting. Rather than developing flashy displays or designs, firms need to look at how to make chargers as functional and day-to-day as other domestic electricity sources. We shouldn’t have a race to make chargers over-clever, and they certainly shouldn’t be hard to operate for anyone who isn’t tech savvy. They need to be simple-to-use, while as effective as possible. It also needs to be easier for EV chargers to integrate with consumers’ solar panels, including having a solar-only function. This shouldn’t be a pricey added extra.
At evec, we are hoping to launch vehicle-to-grid options with chargers, in 2025, that will enable users to import energy when it is cheapest and get paid to export surplus energy to the grid. Charger companies must work with electricity suppliers to find new ways that 3.7kW or 7.4kW domestic chargers and larger commercial ones can tap into the lowest-tariff power. Ideas that give people and companies an incentive to go electric from a cost and sustainability perspective grow increasingly vital to sector growth.
The EV charger sector has the potential to make a bigger difference to UK sustainability than almost any other. If spend our time thinking how to make EVs the everyday norm for drivers, not a novelty, we can achieve this.
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The UK is on the brink of a rail revolution as solar-powered trains gain traction. This pioneering initiative aims to drastically reduce the carbon footprint of the nation’s rail network by integrating solar farms with existing infrastructure, promising a greener future for public transport.
Leading the charge is Riding Sunbeams, a social enterprise dedicated to decarbonising the railways. They have recently launched their latest project in Hampshire, where solar panels are directly connected to the railway’s traction system. This innovative approach is a worldfirst, showcasing the potential of solar energy in powering trains.
“We are thrilled to see the progress made with solar-powered trains,” said Leo Murray, Director of Riding Sunbeams. “This project demonstrates that renewable energy can be seamlessly integrated into our existing rail infrastructure. Not only does it reduce emissions, but it also provides a reliable and sustainable energy source.”
The Hampshire project involves a 3.75MW solar farm, which is expected to supply around 30% of the energy needed to power the local rail network. This initiative is part of a broader strategy to
decarbonise the UK’s transport sector, aligning with the government’s commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
Former Transport Secretary Mark Harper commented, “The integration of solar energy into our rail network is a significant step towards a cleaner, greener future for the UK’s transport system. This project highlights the innovative solutions being developed to reduce our carbon footprint and demonstrates the government’s dedication to supporting sustainable transport initiatives.”
One of the critical aspects of this project is its potential to scale. Solar farms can be established near railways across the country, reducing reliance on traditional energy sources and enhancing the resilience of the rail network. This decentralised approach to energy production is not only environmentally friendly but also costeffective in the long term.
Jenny Curtis, a local commuter and environmental activist, expressed her enthusiasm for the project. “Knowing that my daily commute is powered by renewable energy is incredibly reassuring. It’s a tangible way to contribute to the fight against climate change, and I hope to see more projects like this across the UK.”
The success of the Hampshire project could pave the way for similar initiatives nationwide. By harnessing the power of the sun, the UK’s rail network could become a global leader in sustainable transport, setting an example for other countries to follow.
As the project progresses, further research and development will be crucial to optimise the technology and expand its application. Collaboration between government, industry, and environmental organisations will be key to ensuring the long-term success of solar-powered trains.
Power generation from coal, oil, and gas dropped by 17% during this period compared to the same timeframe in 2023. This shift has contributed to a one-third reduction in the power sector’s emissions since the first half of 2022.
Chris Rosslowe, an analyst at Ember, remarked on this significant change: “We are witnessing a historic shift in the power sector, and it is happening rapidly.” The report highlighted that EU power plants burned 24% less coal and 14%
less gas from the first half of 2023 to the first half of 2024, despite a slight increase in electricity demand following two years of pandemic and conflict-induced declines.
Rosslowe emphasised the importance of maintaining momentum in wind and solar deployment for achieving freedom from fossil fuel reliance. Europe’s accelerated shift to renewables has been driven by the urgent need to meet ambitious climate targets and reduce reliance on fossil fuels, especially in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
However, while solar power has seen significant growth, the wind industry faces challenges such as high inflation and political opposition. Despite installing a record 16.2GW of new wind power capacity in 2023, the EU still fell short of its climate targets for the end of the decade, as noted by Wind Power Europe.
Big Green Coach, the UK’s premier provider of sustainable event travel has announced the launch of its first electric vehicle within its regional coach network.
This zero-emissions coach will serve the official Tottenham Hotspur Football Club route, marking a significant step forward in eco-friendly transport for sports enthusiasts.
The Yutong TCe12 electric coach, equipped with a 281kw battery providing a 200-mile range per charge, will begin transporting fans from Maidstone, Hempstead Valley, Gillingham, and Dartford Bluewater to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium at the start of the 2024 season. Big Green Coach is committed to incorporating more electric vehicles into its fleet as part of its Sustainability Strategy.
Danny Newby, Director of Big Green Coach, expressed his excitement about this milestone: “As the owner of Big Green Coach and an electric car driver myself, offering electric coaches has been a longstanding ambition. It’s fantastic to see this green technology finally making its way
into the coach market. Launching this service for Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is particularly fitting, as the Club has been recognised as the Premier League’s greenest club for the fifth consecutive year. We look forward to expanding electric coach services to festivals and major music events, where we are also the official coach partner.”
This launch coincides with Big Green Coach’s sixth season as the official transport supplier for Tottenham Hotspur Football Club and Stadium. The eco-friendly travel options provided by Big Green Coach significantly reduce the carbon footprint of matchday travel, supporting the Club’s sustainability initiatives.
Donna-Maria Cullen, Executive Director of Tottenham Hotspur FC, stated: “As the Premier League’s greenest club, we are committed to offering our fans sustainable travel options. We
In a landmark development, wind and solar energy have eclipsed fossil fuels to account for 30% of the European Union’s electricity generation in the first half of 2024, according to a report by climate think tank Ember.
Scenarios modelled by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the International Energy Agency (IEA) indicate that most of the electricity for a clean economy will come from solar and wind power. The Ember report found that 13 member states, including Germany, Belgium, Hungary, and the Netherlands, generated more electricity from wind and solar than from fossil fuels for the first time.
Andrea Hahmann, a scientist at Denmark Technical University and co-author of an IPCC report chapter on energy systems, called the development “significant but not surprising.” She noted that strong winds in northern Europe during the first six months of 2024 contributed to this milestone, demonstrating the feasibility of the EU’s electricity transition.
are delighted to work with Big Green Coach to further reduce private car usage on event days. The new electric coach service from four key locations is a crucial step in our journey towards net zero and highlights Big Green Coach’s ongoing efforts to make our stadium a green travel destination.”
Prince William is considering overturning his father’s longstanding opposition to windfarms on royal land.
The Prince of Wales has initiated a comprehensive review of renewable energy options for his 130,000-acre Duchy of Cornwall estate, aiming to address the climate crisis and achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2032.
The review will explore the potential for largescale solar farms, geothermal energy, biomass from organic matter, and onshore wind turbines. This move marks a significant shift from King Charles’ previous stance, who once described windfarms as a blot on the landscape, fearing Britain would resemble Denmark with its extensive wind turbine networks.
William, 42, chairs the Duchy’s council, which will assess a detailed study on renewable energy later this year. Alastair Martin, secretary and keeper of records at the Duchy, highlighted the pressing need for action, citing increased weather extremes, rising sea temperatures, and prolonged droughts affecting the estate. “Our farmers have seen a marked increase in weather extremes. Our marine estate has seen a rise in sea temperature. And the impact of prolonged drought on cropping is a real issue,” Martin said.
This initiative aligns with government efforts to expand both onshore and offshore wind energy, a strategy recently strengthened by a partnership between the Crown Estate and the new publicly owned company, Great British Energy. Despite his historical opposition to onshore wind, King Charles supports offshore wind turbines and stands to benefit financially from the booming profits of the Crown Estate.
The Duchy of Cornwall estate, known for its scenic landscapes, particularly in the southwest of England, has traditionally faced aesthetic opposition to wind turbine projects. However, officials have reevaluated their stance since William took over, vowing to support wind turbines where feasible.
The Duchy’s annual report underscored the potential for renewable energy generation and storage across its estate, contributing to William’s £23.6 million income last year. However, the estate recently sold its stake in JV Energen, a company
running the country’s first full-scale anaerobic digester and biomethane-to-grid plant, following an investigation into health and safety breaches.
Despite this divestment, the Duchy remains committed to exploring renewable energy opportunities. A spokesperson affirmed, “We continue to investigate opportunities for the generation and storage of renewable energy across the estate.”
Labour’s Energy Secretary, Ed Miliband, has confirmed the party’s commitment to honouring the £11.6bn pledge in overseas climate aid, a crucial step in reestablishing the UK as a global leader in climate crisis efforts.
This announcement was made during an unprecedented meeting of past and present COP presidents, aiming to revitalise international climate discussions.
In preparation for this year’s climate-emergency summit in November, Miliband hosted Mukhtar Babayev, Azerbaijan’s government minister leading COP29, and Ana Toni, Brazil’s top climate official for COP30 in 2025. They discussed strategies to ensure the success of the next two UN climate COPs.
Alok Sharma, former Tory cabinet minister who chaired the acclaimed COP26 summit in Glasgow, also attended. Despite concerns over the challenging nature of meeting the aid pledge, Miliband emphasised its importance for countries devastated by climate disasters and the need for wealthy nations to lead by example.
“We are almost at the halfway point in this critical decade to halt climate change, and the case for urgent and unified global action is greater than ever. We must lead by example with action starting at home – which is what we are doing through our bold 2030 clean power mission, our commitment not to issue new oil, gas or coal licences, and our £11.6bn commitment to international climate finance, sending a powerful signal to the world that we are serious about the leadership role the UK can play in driving global climate action,” said Miliband.
The Labour government plans to enhance its domestic climate policies, including a 2030 clean power mission and a halt on new oil, gas, and coal licences. This, alongside the climate aid pledge, is aimed at demonstrating the UK’s dedication to combating climate change on a global scale.
Developing nations and climate experts welcomed the reaffirmation. Mohamed Adow, director of Power Shift Africa, and Harjeet Singh, global engagement director for the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty initiative, both highlighted the UK’s significant responsibility due
to its historical pollution contributions and the necessity for its leadership.
Babayev and Toni expressed their gratitude for the UK’s commitment. Babayev, who will work to increase climate finance from billions to trillions,
praised the UK’s leadership. Toni urged the UK to strengthen its greenhouse gas reduction targets, noting the symbolic and crucial role of the UK, the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution, in the transition to clean energy and green finance.
The meetings took place at Lancaster House in London, followed by a reception with King Charles at Clarence House. The King, who attended COP28 in Dubai last year, is likely to be invited to COP30, though his attendance at COP29 remains uncertain.
Catherine Pettengell, executive director of Climate Action Network UK, stressed the importance of rebuilding the UK’s credibility on the global stage, especially with partners in low and middleincome countries. She called for fulfilling existing commitments and exceeding them to address the worsening impacts of climate change.
The UK has long been a leader in the adoption and development of offshore wind energy, a sector that promises not only to provide a significant portion of the country’s electricity but also to play a crucial role in meeting ambitious net-zero targets.
As we look towards the future, the potential for offshore wind farms in the UK is immense, but so are the challenges that lie ahead.
The UK boasts the largest offshore wind capacity in the world, with numerous projects in the North Sea and other coastal areas. As of 2024, the UK has over 10 gigawatts (GW) of installed offshore wind capacity, enough to power millions of homes. This success is largely attributed to strong government support, favourable geography, and significant investment from both public and private sectors.
Technological innovation has been a driving force behind the growth of offshore wind. Turbine design has seen remarkable advancements, with turbines now reaching heights of over 200 metres and featuring blades that span up to 107 metres. These larger turbines can capture more wind and generate more electricity, making offshore wind farms more efficient and cost-effective.
Floating wind farms are another exciting development. Unlike traditional fixed-bottom turbines, floating turbines can be installed in deeper waters where winds are stronger and more consistent. This opens up new areas for development and reduces the visual and environmental impact on coastal communities.
The offshore wind sector is a significant contributor to the UK economy. It has created thousands of jobs in manufacturing, installation, maintenance, and operations. The UK government’s commitment to renewable energy has spurred investments, leading to the establishment of a robust supply chain that supports domestic and international projects.
Moreover, the economic benefits extend beyond job creation. Offshore wind farms generate substantial revenue through the sale of electricity and the export of expertise and technology. The UK is positioning itself as a global leader in offshore wind, exporting knowledge and services to countries looking to develop their own offshore wind capacities.
While offshore wind energy is a cleaner alternative to fossil fuels, it is not without environmental concerns. The installation and operation of wind farms can impact marine life, including birds, fish, and marine mammals. Noise and vibrations from construction and operation can disturb marine habitats, and there is also the risk of collision for birds and bats.
Mitigating these impacts is crucial for the sustainable development of offshore wind. Environmental impact assessments (EIAs) are now standard practice, helping to identify and address potential issues before projects commence. Innovative technologies, such as bubble curtains, are used to reduce underwater noise during construction. Moreover, ongoing research and monitoring are essential to adapt practices and minimise environmental footprints.
Government policy and regulation play a pivotal role in the development of offshore wind farms. The UK has set ambitious targets, aiming to achieve 40GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030. This goal is supported by various initiatives, including the Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme, which provides financial incentives for renewable energy projects.
However, the regulatory landscape is complex and can pose challenges. Securing permits and
navigating environmental regulations can be time-consuming and costly. There is also a need for coordinated planning to ensure that offshore wind development is harmonised with other marine activities, such as fishing and shipping.
Several offshore wind projects in the UK stand out as exemplars of success.
Looking ahead, the future of offshore wind in the UK is bright but contingent on overcoming several challenges. Continued investment in research and development is essential to further improve turbine efficiency and reduce costs. Enhanced grid infrastructure is also critical to accommodate the growing influx of wind-generated electricity and ensure its reliable distribution.
Furthermore, fostering collaboration between government, industry, and academia will be key to addressing regulatory hurdles and advancing technological innovations. With the right support and strategic planning, the UK can maintain its leadership in offshore wind and achieve its renewable energy targets.
The Hornsea Project, for instance, is the largest offshore wind farm in the world, capable of powering over a million homes. Located off the Yorkshire coast, it features stateof-the-art turbines and has set new benchmarks for efficiency and scale.
Another notable project is the Beatrice Offshore Wind Farm in Scotland. This wind farm not only generates clean energy but also provided a significant boost to the local economy during its construction and continues to support jobs in the region.
Community solar projects, also known as solar farms or solar gardens, are shared solar power installations that multiple community members can invest in or benefit from. These projects are typically larger than residential solar setups but smaller than utility-scale solar farms. They allow individuals, businesses, and local organisations to participate in solar energy production without having to install panels on their properties.
Community solar offers a practical solution for those who cannot install solar panels due to financial constraints, unsuitable roofs, or rental situations. By pooling resources, communities can create a collective investment in renewable energy, making solar power more accessible and inclusive.
The transition to renewable energy is critical in addressing the climate crisis, and solar power stands out as a pivotal component of this shift. In the UK, community solar projects are gaining momentum, offering a unique approach to harnessing solar energy. These initiatives not only contribute to the green energy landscape but also foster community engagement, economic benefits, and environmental stewardship.
Several community solar projects in the UK have set benchmarks for success, demonstrating the viability and benefits of this model. One notable example is the Brixton Energy Solar 1 project in London. Launched in 2012, it was the first innercity, community-owned solar power station in the UK. The project installed solar panels on the roofs of housing estates, generating clean energy for the residents and reinvesting profits into the community.
Another example is the Westmill Solar Cooperative in Oxfordshire, one of the largest community-owned solar farms in the world. With over 5,000 solar panels, it generates enough electricity to power around 1,500 homes annually. The cooperative model allows members to have a say in the project’s operations and share in the financial benefits.
Community solar projects offer significant economic and social benefits. By generating local renewable energy, these projects reduce dependence on fossil fuels and lower energy costs for participants. Profits from the sale of electricity can be reinvested into the community, funding local initiatives, and providing dividends to investors.
Moreover, community solar projects foster a sense of collective ownership and responsibility towards sustainable practices. They create opportunities for local job creation, from installation and maintenance to administrative
roles. Educational programmes and workshops can also be developed, raising awareness about renewable energy and promoting community engagement.
Despite their advantages, community solar projects face several challenges. Securing funding can be a major hurdle, as initial costs for purchasing and installing solar panels are high.
Community groups often rely on grants, loans, and crowdfunding to raise the necessary capital.
Navigating the regulatory landscape can also be complex. Planning permissions, grid connections, and compliance with local and national regulations require substantial time and expertise. Additionally, there can be logistical challenges in coordinating among multiple stakeholders and managing the project’s ongoing operations.
Government support plays a crucial role in the success of community solar projects. The UK government has introduced various schemes to promote renewable energy, such as the Feed-in Tariff (FiT) and the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG). These programmes provide financial incentives for generating and exporting renewable energy to the grid, making community solar projects more financially viable.
Local authorities and regional bodies also offer grants and funding opportunities specifically aimed at community energy projects. The Rural Community Energy Fund (RCEF) and the Urban Community Energy Fund (UCEF) are examples of initiatives that provide funding for feasibility studies, project development, and implementation.
The future of community solar in the UK looks promising. As technology advances and solar panels become more affordable and efficient, the potential for community solar projects will continue to grow. Innovations such as energy storage solutions and smart grid technologies will enhance the reliability and integration of solar energy into the broader energy system.
Policy support and public awareness will be critical in driving the expansion of community solar. Continued government incentives, streamlined regulatory processes, and targeted funding can help overcome existing barriers.
Engaging communities through education and outreach programmes will also be essential in fostering a culture of sustainability and collective action.
Emerging trends such as peer-to-peer energy trading and blockchain technology could revolutionise how community solar projects operate, allowing participants to trade excess energy directly with each other. This could further democratise energy production and consumption, making renewable energy more accessible and equitable.
By harnessing the collective power of communities, these initiatives not only contribute to the green energy transition but also bring economic, social, and environmental benefits. With the right support and innovation, community solar can play a pivotal role in creating a sustainable, resilient, and inclusive energy future for the UK.
AS THE UK INTENSIFIES ITS EFFORTS TO ACHIEVE NET-ZERO EMISSIONS BY 2050, HYDROGEN ENERGY IS EMERGING AS A KEY PLAYER IN THE GREEN ENERGY LANDSCAPE.
This versatile energy source has the potential to revolutionise various sectors, from transportation to industry, offering a viable solution to some of the most challenging aspects of decarbonisation. However, realising the full potential of hydrogen energy involves navigating a complex set of challenges.
Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe, and when used as an energy carrier, it produces no carbon emissions, only water vapour. Hydrogen energy can be categorised based on its production methods: green, blue, and grey. Green hydrogen is produced using renewable energy sources, such as wind or solar, to electrolyse water. Blue hydrogen is generated from natural gas with carbon capture and storage (CCS) to mitigate
emissions. Grey hydrogen, the most common form, is produced from fossil fuels without CCS, resulting in significant CO2 emissions.
Green hydrogen is considered the gold standard due to its minimal environmental impact, but it is currently more expensive to produce than blue or grey hydrogen. Despite this, advances in technology and economies of scale are expected to drive down costs, making green hydrogen increasingly competitive.
The UK is actively investing in hydrogen technology as part of its broader strategy to decarbonise the economy. The government’s Hydrogen Strategy, launched in 2021, aims to develop 5GW of low-
carbon hydrogen production capacity by 2030. This initiative is supported by a £240 million Net Zero Hydrogen Fund, which aims to stimulate innovation and scale-up of hydrogen projects.
Several pilot projects are already underway. For instance, the H21 project in Leeds is exploring the feasibility of converting the city’s gas network to hydrogen. Another significant initiative is the HyNet North West project, which aims to create a lowcarbon industrial cluster by integrating hydrogen production with carbon capture and storage.
Hydrogen’s versatility makes it a promising solution across various sectors. In transportation, hydrogen fuel cells can power vehicles with
zero emissions, offering an alternative to electric batteries, particularly for heavy-duty applications like buses, lorries, and trains. The UK’s first hydrogen-powered train, HydroFLEX, has already completed successful trials, showcasing the potential for hydrogen in rail transport.
In the industrial sector, hydrogen can replace fossil fuels in high-temperature processes such as steelmaking and cement production, which are difficult to electrify. Hydrogen can also be used for energy storage, balancing the intermittency of
create jobs in engineering, manufacturing, and maintenance. The export potential of hydrogen technology and expertise also presents a significant economic opportunity for the UK.
Despite its potential, scaling up hydrogen production and infrastructure faces several challenges. The
the safe production, transport, and use of hydrogen. Government policies and incentives will be essential to stimulate investment and create a favourable market environment for hydrogen technologies.
The future of hydrogen energy in the UK looks promising, with significant advancements on the
renewable sources like wind and solar by storing excess energy and releasing it when needed.
The adoption of hydrogen energy promises significant environmental benefits. By replacing fossil fuels in transport, industry, and heating, hydrogen can substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Moreover, the production of green hydrogen can help integrate more renewable energy into the grid, addressing the challenge of variability in wind and solar power.
Economically, hydrogen presents opportunities for job creation and industrial revitalisation. Developing a domestic hydrogen industry can stimulate investment, foster innovation, and
high cost of green hydrogen production remains a significant barrier. Electrolysis, the process of producing hydrogen from water, is energy-intensive and currently more expensive than producing hydrogen from natural gas. Continued research and development are crucial to improving the efficiency and reducing the costs of electrolysis.
Infrastructure development is another critical challenge. Transporting and storing hydrogen requires specialised infrastructure due to its low energy density and high flammability. Existing natural gas pipelines may need to be upgraded or replaced to handle hydrogen, and new storage facilities will be necessary to accommodate large-scale hydrogen production.
Regulatory and policy frameworks will also play a crucial role in the hydrogen transition. Clear regulations and standards are needed to ensure
horizon. Investment in research and development is expected to yield more efficient and costeffective production methods. The development of hydrogen hubs, where production, storage, and utilisation are co-located, can create economies of scale and reduce costs.
Collaboration between the government, industry, and academia will be key to overcoming the challenges and unlocking the full potential of hydrogen. Public-private partnerships can drive innovation, share risks, and accelerate the deployment of hydrogen technologies.
Public perception and acceptance will also be critical. Raising awareness about the benefits and safety of hydrogen energy can help build public support and drive demand for hydrogenpowered solutions.
The renewable energy sector in the UK is experiencing an unprecedented surge, not only in its contribution to sustainable energy production but also in creating a significant number of green jobs.
As the country aims to achieve its ambitious net-zero emissions target by 2050, the demand for skilled professionals in the renewable energy industry is growing rapidly, offering promising career opportunities and driving economic growth.
The renewable energy sector, encompassing wind, solar, bioenergy, and hydroelectric power, is one of the fastest-growing industries in the UK. According to a recent report by the Renewable Energy Association (REA), the sector supports over 250,000 jobs, a number expected to rise as the government continues to invest in clean energy initiatives. The offshore wind industry alone, a cornerstone of the UK’s renewable energy strategy, is projected to create around 27,000 jobs by 2030.
The green energy revolution is generating a diverse range of employment opportunities across various fields. Key roles include:
Engineers and Technicians: Responsible for the design, construction, and maintenance of renewable energy infrastructure, such as wind turbines, solar panels, and bioenergy plants.
Project Managers: Overseeing the planning, execution, and completion of renewable energy projects, ensuring they are delivered on time and within budget.
Environmental Scientists: Conducting impact assessments and ensuring that projects comply with environmental regulations.
Research and Development (R&D) Specialists: Innovating new technologies and improving existing ones to enhance efficiency and reduce costs.
Sales and Marketing Professionals: Promoting renewable energy products and services to consumers and businesses.
Skills in high demand include technical expertise in renewable energy systems, project management capabilities, and a solid understanding of environmental regulations. Additionally, there is a growing need for digital skills, particularly in areas like data analysis and smart grid technologies.
To meet the increasing demand for skilled professionals, various training and education programs have been developed. Universities and colleges across the UK offer specialised courses
in renewable energy engineering, environmental science, and sustainability. Apprenticeship programs are also available, providing hands-on experience and practical skills in the industry.
Organisations like the Energy Institute and RenewableUK offer professional development courses and certifications to help individuals advance their careers in the renewable energy sector. These programs ensure that the workforce is equipped with the latest knowledge and skills to drive the industry forward.
The expansion of the renewable energy sector is not only beneficial for the environment but also for the economy. The industry attracts significant investment, with billions of pounds being channelled into new projects and technologies. This influx of capital supports job creation, stimulates local economies, and contributes to the UK’s overall economic growth.
With over 80% of EV charging taking place at home, we spoke with Jordan Brompton, cofounder and CMO of myenergi, about the essentials of buying and installing a home charger.
The automotive landscape is rapidly changing. With more than 1.1 million EVs on UK roads and the upcoming ban on new petrol and diesel cars, the popularity of ICE vehicles is plummeting while the demand for plug-in alternatives soars.
Though public charging networks are expanding quickly, most EV charging occurs at home due to cheaper tariffs, overnight efficiencies, and convenience. While public charge points are crucial for long-distance travel, the UK is on track to meet its target of 300,000 public charging points by 2030.
Charging at home is easier, more convenient, and cheaper. Home charging can save the average household over £1,000 per year compared to using public networks. With the surge in EV registrations, numerous home charging options are available, making the choice potentially overwhelming.
The cost of buying and installing an EV charger ranges from less than £1,000 to over £2,000, depending on the make and model. While this may seem steep, grants are available to make this more affordable. The initial outlay is balanced by
the low running costs of EVs, with home charging costing as little as £5 using a time-of-use tariff.
For those generating their own energy with solar panels or wind turbines, ‘eco-smart’ chargers like the myenergi zappi optimize green energy consumption, allowing cars to be charged for just a few pounds.
There are numerous options when specifying an EV charger, from simple plug-and-play to full control of the home charging experience. Legislation now mandates smart functionality in chargers, allowing them to connect to the internet and optimize charging times based on grid services. Features like load management, restricted access, remote start-stop, and session monitoring are standard.
First-time buyers should look for chargers with app connectivity to manage not only the car’s charging cycle but also other connected devices like solar
panels, leading to increased cost savings. Wi-Fi connectivity is also a beneficial feature.
Chargers come in 7kW and 22kW sizes, dictating the speed of charging. For most users, a 7kW charger is sufficient. Multi-EV households usually do not need multiple chargers; alternating charging evenings typically suffices, with one charger keeping multiple cars topped up.
Buyers must also decide between “tethered” (built-in cable) and “untethered” (no built-in cable) options. Tethered chargers offer convenience, while untethered units provide flexibility with different types and lengths of leads.
For those without driveways, solutions like Kerbo Charge’s patented pavement gully allow home charging by running the EV cable underneath the pavement.
Home charging is now easier and more cost-effective than ever. EV owners, or those considering an EV, should shop around for a charger that suits their needs. A system with smart connectivity to other eco home devices, especially solar panels, is highly beneficial.
By Matt Tormollen, CEO, POWWR
The recently launched Quarterly Energy Barometer Report provided valuable insight into just how much energy UK businesses are consuming, and what they are paying for it. The report is based upon over 361,000 separate data points covering a verity of businesses, from boutique start-ups to large industrial and commercial organisations, making it a must read.
The report shows that energy usage across the UK continues to decline quarter on quarter, likely due to initiatives brought upon by a mixture of environmental concerns and fears of rising energy prices. The average UK business now consumes 23 MwH of energy a year, 12.3% less than they did last year. However, it is very large companies that use over 100MwH a year that continues to drive the trend. Energy usage of small and medium sized businesses has actually slightly increased over the same period.
good news is that the change to the standing charges is a natural correction that shouldn’t be seen again for quite some time.
Due to the wide variety of climate conditions seen across the UK and the type of industries that frequent each region, what businesses pay for their energy continues to vary massively across the UK. Companies in North Wales pay the most (£6761) on average, compared with those in the North East of England paying the least (£4300).
The report shows that energy usage across the UK continues to decline quarter on quarter, likely due to initiatives brought upon by a mixture of environmental concerns and fears of rising energy prices.
Whilst it is great to see that UK businesses continue to use less and less energy, the average amount they are spending on electricity has actually increased this quarter from £4584 to £5160. This is down to a number of factors. Firstly, despite market conditions being far more stable than at certain periods during the past two years, the unit cost of energy has actually increased this quarter due to concerning weather patterns. Secondly, there has been an industry-wide increase to the standing charge (the daily charge set by the supplier regardless of energy usage). This has mostly been felt by smaller companies who have historically been likely undercharged. The
With the huge variances in energy prices over the past couple of years it is no surprise that UK business leaders continue to want to lock in their energy costs for extended periods of time. Not only is the average contract length being agreed now 25 months, but they are seeking to lock in future contracts up to two years ahead of start date to enhance their peace of mind. This is particularly true of smaller companies.
There is no doubt that the energy sector remains extraordinarily complex, with numerous factors influencing energy pricing and consumption. However, the Energy Barometer Report proves that progress continues to be made by UK businesses to use less energy and secure longer-term contracts. And this will hold them in good stead, as increasing variability in markets due weather changes and geopolitical instability will inevitably affect prices.
As the UK continues its push towards a greener future, the integration of renewable energy with smart home technology is emerging as a pivotal development. This seamless blending of innovation not only optimises energy use but also enhances the efficiency and sustainability of households.
Smart home systems, when combined with renewable energy sources like solar panels or wind turbines, offer unprecedented control over energy consumption. These systems allow homeowners to monitor and manage their energy use in real-time. By using smart meters and home automation devices, residents can track how much energy is being produced and consumed at any given moment. This transparency enables more informed decisions about energy usage, helping to reduce waste and lower utility bills. For instance, during peak sunlight hours, smart home systems can prioritise the use of solar energy for high-demand appliances such as washing machines or dishwashers. Conversely, during periods of low renewable energy production, these systems can automatically switch to stored energy or the grid, ensuring a constant and efficient power supply. This dynamic management not only optimises energy use but also maximises the benefits of renewable energy investments.
One of the most significant advantages of integrating renewable energy with smart technology is the ability to monitor and control energy consumption remotely. Through mobile apps and online platforms, homeowners can access real-time data on their energy systems from anywhere in the world. This remote accessibility means that adjustments can be made on the go, ensuring that energy is used efficiently even when no one is home.
Imagine being able to turn off unnecessary appliances while at work or setting your heating system to pre-warm your home just before you arrive. Such capabilities not only provide convenience but also contribute to substantial energy savings over time. Additionally, smart systems can alert homeowners to any issues or inefficiencies in their energy usage, allowing for prompt action and maintenance.
Smart homes equipped with renewable energy systems are inherently more energy-efficient. Automation plays a crucial role here. Smart thermostats, for example, can learn household patterns and adjust heating and cooling systems accordingly, ensuring optimal energy use without compromising comfort. Similarly, smart lighting systems can adjust the brightness based on natural light availability, further reducing energy consumption.
Moreover, integrating renewable energy with home automation can significantly cut down on energy wastage. Appliances can be scheduled to run during off-peak hours or when renewable energy production is at its highest, making the most of available resources. This synchronisation between energy supply and demand leads to more efficient energy use and lower carbon footprints.
Several UK homeowners have already experienced the benefits of smart home integration with renewable energy. Take the case of Jane and Mark Thompson from Surrey. By installing a combination of solar panels, a home battery system, and a smart home hub, they’ve managed to reduce their electricity bills by 40%. Their system automatically stores excess solar energy generated during the day and uses it during the evening, seamlessly balancing their energy needs.
80% reduction in embodied carbon - delivered
Three local roads in the North-East of England have become what we believe are the UK’s lowest carbon road resurfacing schemes. By combining material and plant technology, carbon emissions were reduced by 80% compared to conventional approaches.
