EV Powered Magazine - DECEMBER 2022 EDITION

AEHRA A NEW ERA

More and more businesses are using smart meters to help them feel more in control of their budgeting.

Smart meters send gas and electricity readings straight to their supplier. So rather than estimates, Frank here knows he’ll receive accurate energy bills. And that means he’ll know exactly how much he’s spending each month.

Search ‘get a smart meter’ today.

Thank you 2022! EDITOR’S NOTE

What a year it’s been, ey? It might not have been all sunshine and rainbows – from a fuel crisis, soaring energy prices and cost of living crunch – but there has been one ray of light this year, and that is the continued growth and success of the EV industry.

It has been another stellar year for electric vehicles; we have seen record sales of EVs, with there now being more than a million battery-powered cars on the roads in the UK, as well as the impressive rollout of EV charging infrastructure across the country. As we take another step towards that magic year of 2030, we are well and truly accelerating towards the future of mobility.

I have been lucky enough to witness the growth of the industry first hand, and I’ve had some amazing experiences this year, from testing the Nissan Ariya along the coast of Stockholm on my birthday, to having a front row seat to the Formula E in Rome and Berlin.

More recently, I had the pleasure of witnessing the unveiling of AEHRA; a brand new, Italian automotive brand that has just launched its first vehicle, an ultra-premium SUV that has been designed in true supercar style! Unsurprisingly, AEHRA is the centre of attention for this issue, with interviews from the men behind the project (page 7) and a special, four-page feature to tell you everything you need to know about the car (page 17).

Our ‘Top Ten’ feature this month looks at the most popular electric supercars in the world, according to social media. See which cars are going viral on Instagram, TikTok and good, old-fashioned Google on page 27.

We also have a special feature from Zap-Map which reveals the best (and worst) charging networks in the UK! You can find out who the winners and losers are on page 11. There is also a round up the final weekend of Extreme E’s second season, a look at some of the most exciting cars coming out in 2023, as well as all the usual columns and features that you know and love! If you’re stuck for Christmas presents, too, we’ve handpicked a few EV-specific gifts for your special someone on page 21!

ELECTRIC CAR OWNERS to pay road tax from 2025

As part of his Autumn Statement, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt confirmed that drivers of electric vehicles will have to pay road tax from April 2025 in an effort to the motoring tax system fairer.

Whilst Hunt did say that tax for EVs will remain cheaper for EVs, zero emission vehicle registered on or after 1st April 2017 and 31st March 2025 will pay the standard rate of road tax of £165. New electric vehicles, registered on or after 1st April 2025, will be liable to pay the lowest rate of vehicle excise duty of £10 for the first year, increasing up to the standard rate from the second year.

RAC head of policy Nicholas Lyes said: “After many years of paying no car tax at all, it’s probably fair the Government gets owners of electric vehicles to start contributing to the upkeep of major roads from 2025. While vehicle excise duty rates are unlikely to be a defining reason for vehicle choice, we believe a first year zero-VED rate benefit should have been retained as a partial incentive. But we don’t expect this tax change to have much of an effect on dampening the demand for electric vehicles given the many other cost benefits of running one.”

Sadiq Khan gives green light to ULEZ expansion

The move will see the ULEZ zone expanded to cover areas such as Harrow, Barnet and Bromley. From August 29th, vehicles that do not meet ULEZ requirements will have to £12.50 a day to enter to the Greater London Authority boundary. According to the Mayor of London, a further five million people will benefit from cleaner air.

He said: “The ULEZ so far has been transformational, reducing harmful pollution levels by almost a half in central London. But there is still far too much toxic air pollution permanently damaging the health of young Londoners and leading to thousands of early deaths every year, with the greatest number of deaths in the outer London boroughs.”

As part of the announcement, Khan confirmed that the scrappage scheme fund will be increased to £110m, with drivers of the most polluting cars also to be offered travelcards. Disabled drivers will be entitled to a grace period until 2027, too.

London’s Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) is to be expanded to cover all of London, Sadiq Khan has confirmed.

PUBLIC SMART CHARGING could save EV drivers over £600 a year

The government-backed project, delivered by a consortium of companies including EV infrastructure specialist Connected Kerb, also shows that peak energy demand – the time of day when energy demand is greatest – would be reduced by as much as 240MW, equivalent to boiling over 1.4m kettles. Achieving the same peak demand reduction by using lithium-ion battery storage would cost around £83m plus an annual operating cost of £1.5m. Smart charging also reduces the demand on local grid connection capacity, enabling more chargers to be installed to support the UK Government’s target of installing 300,000 public EV chargers by 2030.

Data released today from the UK’s first-ever trial of smart metered on-street electric vehicle (EV) chargers – Agile Streets – demonstrates that smart charging at public charge points could save drivers £604.65 per year in charging costs compared to traditional non-smart public charging – equivalent to UK-wide collective savings of over £4.1 billion a year by 2030.

EVs shine in latest round of EURO NCAP safety scores

Euro NCAP has released the results of its most recent safety tests, with all but one of the cars tested achieving the maximum five-star rating.

The cars tested this November include the fully electric Tesla Model S and the new-to-market NIO ET7. Also released are the five-star results for the longawaited electric Toyota bZ4X and its official twin, the Subaru Solterra. The other cars achieving 5-star results were another family car, the Hyundai IONIQ 6, scoring a commendable 97% in Adult Protection, the Nissan Ariya and the Honda Civic e:HEV.

FESTIVE MINI ELECTRIC is driving home for Christmas in 2022

The Festive Electric MINI is back for 2022 as the dazzling EV aims to raise money for MS Trust and Duchenne UK.

First started over four years ago, the MINI Electric is wrapped in 3,000 app-controlled twinkly lights, capable of generating customisable animations including light patterns and messages, and rhythms synced to your favourite song. This year each individual light is available to sponsor for just £2, with creator Nicholas ‘Nico’ Martin also visiting as many streets as possible in his hometown throughout the festive period.

RIMAC NEVERA hits 258mph to become world’s fastest production electric car

The Rimac Nevera has set a top speed of 258mph, making it the fastest electric production car in the world.

NEWS IN BRIEF

Charging network char.gy is looking to tackle rising energy prices with a new Night Saver tariff for on-street EV charging.

Product design consultancy Duku has revealed its accessibly designed electric vehicle home charger with a motorised cable.

The record-breaking feat follows on from the Nevera’s independently verified 8.582 -second quarter-mile run in 2021, which made it the world’s fastest accelerating production car.

The Rimac team looked specifically for an oval with straights long enough to achieve the Nevera’s top speed, eventually settling on the

Automotive Testing Papenburg track in Germany, with two 4km straights.

Miro Zrnčević, Rimac’s Chief Test and Development Driver, said: “To travel at 412kph, or 258mph, means travelling at a third of the speed of sound. I’ve driven Nevera since it first turned a wheel and to see the perfectly honed car that is today is a really emotional moment.”

Ealing Council is set to expand its EV charging infrastructure with the installation of new on-street chargers from Liberty Charge.

VEPower Ltd has debuted its autonomous drop-in electric vehicle (EV) charging solution with no grid connection requirement.

INTRODUCING

AEHRA

Meet the men behind AEHRA, the new, Italian challenger brand that is aiming to redefine the image of electric vehicles.

In this special feature, we speak to Hazim Nada, the founder and CEO of AEHRA, and Filippo Perini, the iconic designer that created this fully-electric, ultra-premium SUV.

Filippo: First, the concept was to build the car. Hazim is a pilot, and he comes from a aeronautics field and he told us: “I dream a car that is made with a wing profile shape.” We we were starting from this, and you can recognize this initial concept in the car.

It is built around a single line in the silhouette. This is also very innovative and modern, but also used it in the past many times; we are the first to put in production this kind of a concept. What is important to say is that this is not a concept; it’s the car that is ready to be produced. The team did not do a concept car just for the motor show, just for fun, and not to test the design languages - We are doing cars that can be produced.

Q: Take us through the journey of AEHRA so far – What was the initial inspiration behind the company? Have you had any challenges?

Hazim: It’s had many challenges. Every step has and has had its challenges. First was really trying to make substance of the core idea that we had. The feedback that we were getting were many people telling us “don’t do it, don’t do it, it’s a very difficult market, very difficult sector. The best way to make money in the in the automotive sector is to start with a lot of money and lose half of it.” That was the feedback by many people, obviously, but we had the strong belief that what we were doing was different, that we had to see this change happen, and the more and more we kept going, the more we validated these ideas.

Hazim: Design language. The emotionality the exterior expresses, the resulting cabin space and the materials that then translate both in energy savings and also in vehicle dynamics. This is a vehicle that can act as a supercar and performance wise, but at the same time can act as an autonomous saloon when you need it to. So the type of usages that any type of customer would want to have in any type of vehicle, I think are summarized in this.

Hazim: We’re targeting a power output between 550 and 600 kilowatts that will be addressed by either two axles or three axles. The vehicle will have full torque vectoring even with two axles because of the fact that we have rear steering with the long wheelbase that we’ll have to have rear steering, which means that even with two axles, we’ll be able to have full torque vectoring.

Having said that, the choice between 550 or 600 is primarily down to the and supplier that we’ll be signing up with in terms of range. Our target range is 800 kilometers. This is a result of primarily the weight savings that we’re doing along with the aerodynamics that we’ve put in place, the materials that we’re using allow us to have significantly lighter vehicles compared to the traditional EVs in circulation of their size, and also properties of vehicle dynamics in terms of torsion and structural strength.

Q: What makes this car so different to anything on the market today?

Q: Filippo, as the head of design for AEHRA, what are some of the key design principles that you can see when you look at this car?

Q: Hazim, talk to us about the cars performance. What can we expect in terms of range, charging and power?

Hazim: What you’re seeing today is the beginning of the transition. There are many vehicles in circulation. There are many vehicles in development. But what you take out of all the process that’s going on is an ecosystem of powertrains and ecosystem of components that are already reaching the typical limit of potential usage of any type of customer.

You have vehicles in circulation with thousands of horsepower, with 800 kilometers range. Once these numbers begin to be mainstream and you develop a third-party ecosystem of such components, what does the customer look for when anybody can pick and choose components to make a system that can fit into these numbers? It’s all the other elements that make the difference. It’s the design. It’s the emotions you get out of the vehicle. It’s the fact that when you want to drive it, you can drive it like you really want to drive it. When you don’t want to drive it, you can have a system in place that assists you to the drive, but you also have a saloon experience in the in the vehicle. It’s all these elements that need to be addressed because all the rest of the elements are already being addressed.

It’s fairly senseless to have 1.9 seconds accelerations when you’re driving a three tonne vehicle or a two and a half tonne vehicle that significantly under-brakes, for example, you have all sorts of safety issues to address as well. These numbers were always numbers of the hypercar segment where you maybe have five cars per year in production or maybe ten cars per year in production. Imagine a market where hundreds of thousands of vehicles in circulation have zero 0 to 60 below two seconds. It also becomes an issue of regulation. We think sooner or later the regulators will have to step in and address these issues. The past fights between the supercar producers for the last 10-15hp is completely gone now in the electric system, as it’s very, very simple to have an additional 200 horsepower with a simple electric motor that you can find off the shelf with dozens and dozens of suppliers. So stacking up power is really simple in the EV segment. And is that the direction the market should go into? Once you’ve reached the emotions of the customer needs, there are other elements that you need to address.

Filippo: It absolutely is the best of the SUVs we’ve designed because it’s the most advanced one. Probably the sedan will be the best of the sedan’s I have designed. The best car will always be the next one. Every designer knows it is a never-ending story. So when there is another project, you have the chance to do something perfectly, but you will not, so you wait for the next one!

Q: Hazim, you said before that you believe the design of a car will become one of the most important factors for a prospective customer when it comes to buying a car. Why is that?

Q: Filippo, you have designed some iconic cars across you career. Where does the AEHRA rank in your portfolio?

THE UK’S BEST AND WORST RATED EV CHARGING NETWORKS REVEALED

Zap-Map, the UK’s leading charge point mapping service, has released its annual public charging network satisfaction rankings for 2022

Now in its fifth year, the league table comes from Zap-Map’s annual EV charging survey conducted in September 2022. The survey, which is the most established and comprehensive survey of EV drivers in the UK, saw record responses from more than 4,300 EV drivers.

This year, Zap-Map is again awarding a ‘Best EV Charging Network’ accreditation to the top scorers, with the others in the top five also receiving an ‘EV Driver Recommended’ title.

As part of the survey, respondents rated their overall satisfaction for the networks they use regularly, which is then used to rank each network out of a maximum of five stars. They also rated their level of satisfaction with the networks in five key areas: reliability, ease of use, customer support, value for money, and payment options.

– But which network has come out on top?

SUSTAINED GROWTH IN EV ADOPTION AND CHARGE POINT INFRASTRUCTURE

2022 has continued to see significant growth in the number of new EV drivers across the country, despite supply chain issues hampering the automotive sector overall. There are now around 600,000 pure-electric cars now on UK roads, roughly 200,000 new EV drivers this year, with a parallel increase in the charging infrastructure that supports them.

The UK now has almost 36,000 charging devices, an increasing proportion of which are ultra-rapid chargers ideal for longer journeys. Indeed, as of October there has been a 76% increase in the number of ultra-rapid devices across the country since the same period last year.

While the number of new charging networks entering the market has slowed a little, the growth of high-power charging hubs across the country and the expansion of options for on-street charging has only increased.

Looking ahead, these trends are only expected to continue – with many networks receiving significant investment over the course of the year to facilitate expansion plans, and some even eyeing up markets abroad.

In joint-first place this year, and with a rating of 4.0 stars each, ultra-rapid charging networks Fastned and MFG EV Power share the top spot.

It is no coincidence that both these networks provide ultra-rapid charging facilities in the form of eye-catching hubs around the country.

With only 60 rapid and ultra-rapid charging devices across the country, Fastned may currently have a small UK presence, but not for much longer. The European network is quickly establishing a strong foothold in the UK and has plans for rapid expansion. Watch out for many more of Fastned’s distinctive yellow canopies popping up over the next few years.

Reliability and ease of use were key to Fastned’s position this year, with the network coming in joint-first and first respectively. Feedback highlighted Fastned chargers as “Very reliable” and focused on the “superb charging experience.”

While respondents to the survey were overwhelmingly positive about charging on Fastned devices, some did pick up on the current limited coverage: “Only a few locations but superfast” and “Love their plug and charge service, but not many chargers in the South.”

At the very least, it seems Fastned’s Autocharge feature is a hit: “First class. Remembers my car, plug in, charge, unplug, go.”

Tom Hurst, Fastned’s UK Lead & Network Development Manager, said: “We are incredibly honoured to be voted joint-top CPO for 2022, particularly given that this award is decided by our customers.

“That means everything to us, and validates the efforts of our design, construction, and operations teams – all of whom are dedicated to rolling out the best customer experience possible through the EV revolution.

“EV drivers have rightly set the bar high, and we will continue to do our best to exceed expectations as we exponentially grow our UK network.”

•

•

•

MFG EV Power, the ultra-rapid network from Motor Fuel Group, has more than 220 chargers up and down the country, but is aiming to install some 3,000 ultra-rapid devices by 2031.

A new network last year, MFG EV Power has moved up from second place to share the top spot with Fastned this time around. MFG EV Power sites are typically at traditional petrol station locations, and are installed in charging hubs with at least four charging devices.

As with Fastned, reliability and ease of use were integral to MFG EV Power’s position this year, with the network coming in joint-first for reliability and second for ease of use. Feedback highlighted “Good reliable chargers” from MFG EV Power plus a “Good large number of chargers at each site”.

While some respondents described MFG sites to “Excellent. My favourite at present,” others noted price in their responses. “Very expensive but easily available,” said one. “Good, reliable but expensive,” said another. Although perhaps the pithiest was this one: “Their sites are brilliant, more please.”

The network also came in joint-first for customer support – largely due to the fact that its devices are located at service stations – and first for payment options, which include Zap-Pay, contactless and the MFG EV Power app.

“We’ve been working really hard to improve user experience over the last 12 months, so it’s great to see that our customers think the hard work is paying off,” said Ed Chadwick-Till, EV Director at Motor Fuel Group.

“Our aim is simple: to make charging easy, reliable, and convenient. We believe we deliver this through our ultra-rapid hub format, and thanks to continued customer support we’re planning to accelerate our roll-out for 2023.

“We’re thrilled to be voted the UK’s joint favourite charging network – thank you to all who voted for us.”

•

•

•

With nearly 900 rapid and ultra-rapid charging devices across the country, InstaVolt has the largest rapid network in the UK (second if including Tesla Superchargers).

The network, which provides reliable rapid and ultra-rapid chargers with simple contactless payment from Scotland to Cornwall, came in third place for both reliability and ease of use.

Respondents to the survey described InstaVolt devices as “Expensive but fast and reliable.” Others highlighted the breadth of the network too: “Great, reliable, easy PAYG and lots of chargers.”

While many “Never had a problem” and “can always trust that an InstaVolt site will have a working charger,” drivers did find a little room for improvement, referencing “Tight parking spaces sometimes.”

InstaVolt CEO Adrian Keen commented: “I’m once again delighted that InstaVolt has had such a strong showing in the annual Zap-Map driver survey.

“The results this year really demonstrate the increased competition in the industry, and ultimately it is the consumer who will benefit through greater network coverage, reliability, and ease of use.

“Such great progress in just 12 months shows that the networks are really ramping up their efforts and will be ready for 2030. InstaVolt is playing its part by targeting 10,000 chargers by 2032 across the UK.”

•

•

With a rating of 3.5 stars each, on-street charging network Connected Kerb and rapid charging network Osprey share fourth spot this year.

With nearly 1,200 on-street charging devices across the country, Connected Kerb has grown quickly over the past year – and enters the league table for the first time. This growth is only set to continue, with the network recently securing up to £110 million from Aviva Investors in order to support its plans of delivering 190,000 on-street EV chargers by 2030.

Connected Kerb scored the highest of any on-street network for reliability and it was a similar story for ease of use, with the network tabling a strong joint-fourth. Its only middling score was for payment options, due in all likelihood to its chargers not having contactless payment, although looking ahead the network will soon become a live Zap-Pay partner.

Most feedback highlighted Connected Kerb chargers as “Good” and “Excellent and Reliable.” However, others focused on payment options, stating that it is “Easy once you download the app,” or that they “Would prefer contactless payment.”

Chris Pateman-Jones, Connected Kerb CEO commented: “We are delighted to achieve such a high position in the Zap-Map rankings, a feat which is testament to the hard work and continued innovation of the Connected Kerb team.

“We are focused on remaining a trusted provider of reliable, affordable and accessible charging infrastructure solutions as we grow our network and fulfil our mission to bring sustainable mobility to everyone.”

This year, Zap-Pay launch partner Osprey moves from third place last year to share joint-fourth position with Connected Kerb.

With more than 350 rapid and ultra-rapid across the UK, Osprey has committed to creating safe, accessible charging points – and recently launched a newly designed charge point to make this commitment a reality. The network has also partnered this year with British Garden Centres, and opened an important new hub at Paisley Pear in Northamptonshire. Osprey comes in fourth in terms of reliability this time around, down from third position last year. As with last year Osprey tables a strong fourth for ease of use, although this year it shares the position with Connected Kerb.

Feedback highlighted the reliability of Osprey chargers and the space provided at its new chargers. As with other rapid providers, survey respondents highlighted high prices, but perhaps the best description is this one: “good locations and tend to work well.”

Ian Johnston, CEO at Osprey Charging, commented: “Osprey is delighted to be awarded the title of Recommended Network for the second year running by Zap-Map, recognising our commitment to building a reliable, accessible and easy-to-use rapid EV charging network.

“Between 2022 and 2023, Osprey will quadruple the size of its network to over 1,000 rapid chargers, and this recommendation from Zap-Map once again shows that we are building infrastructure that customers trust for their journeys.”

ELECTRI INTRODUCING

As the world moved from ICE cars to electric we launched EV Powered, so will homes swap gas power for solar, wind turbines, air source heatpumps and more...

OVO provides 13,000 heated electric throws and 1,700 free thermostats to customers

Over 90% of UK households think energy suppliers should be focused on supporting those in need, with over three quarters of the public having searched online about support their energy supplier is offering with bills.

OVO’s £50m Customer Support Package launched on the 1st October to help customers with a real and immediate need.

During the first month OVO provided: over 450 electric throws a day, over 1,700 free Smart thermostats, 1,150 free boiler services and over 200 customers identified for discounted boilers. Additionally, for prepayment customers, approximately £300,000 of temporary credit has been issued each week.

Over the past month OVO has also increased its support for charities StepChange and the Trussell Trust who play a vital role supporting people in immediate need. Recent polling has revealed that more than one third of low income households say that they’ve specifically used resources from charities to help them identify support available for their energy bills.

Additional support includes a £500,000 partnership with the Trussell Trust to support food banks who are meeting increased need this winter and help people facing hardship access practical support to get through this crisis and to a place where they can afford the essentials.

OVO has also continued its support with StepChange worth £2m, announced at the start of the energy crisis, to support anyone facing financial difficulties.

Raman Bhatia, CEO of OVO, said: “We launched OVO’s Customer Support Package to focus on doing everything we can to keep the lights on and help our customers stay warm this winter. In the first month we’ve supported over 15,000 customers who need us most right now. By working with partners like StepChange and Trussell Trust we can continue to ensure those facing hardship from the rising cost of living are supported this winter and beyond.”

Phil Andrew, Chief Executive at StepChange Debt Charity, said: “The cost of living crisis has been a shock to household finances, and those on the lowest incomes have been hit the hardest as the price of energy, food and fuel has increased rapidly over the past year. The support that continues to be offered to its customers by OVO is invaluable, particularly as we approach the winter. Our own research has revealed that 45% of UK adults have found it difficult to keep up with household bills and credit commitments in the last few months. This demonstrates how important it is that firms step up to provide a similar level of support which protects the most vulnerable consumers from falling into problem debt and financial hardship during this crisis.”

BRITISH GAS chalks up first 1,500 heat pump installations

British Gas has announced that it has installed more than 1,500 air source heat pumps since January, including the first installation supported by the Government’s Boiler Modernisation Scheme.

The company announced the sales milestone, confirming it will now offer standard air source heat pumps up to 7kW for £4,999 to help customers cut emissions and energy bills. The fee covers the mechanical and electrical installation, as well as a deaf cylinder with a volume of up to 200.

“Heat pumps are an important part of the UK’s journey to a decarbonised future,” said Andrew Middleton, managing director of net zero businesses at British Gas. “While we understand that many households are cautious about their spending in the current climate, we encourage those customers who can switch to low-carbon heating to do so now and benefit from government incentives for early adopters.”

British Gas said it has also installed the first heat pump to be subsidised as part of its £450m boiler upgrade programme, which opened in April 2022 and offers £5,000 in grants for heat pumps. It is planning to install 1200 heat pumps per year in private and social housing.

The government has set out plans to roll out 600,000 heat pumps every year by 2028 and phase out gas boilers by 2035, but the current rate of heat

pump deployment falls well short of the government’s target, with figures from the European Heat Pump Association showing that just last year by country 43 thousand heat pumps were installed. Industry insiders warn that much more grant funding, enabling policies, better communication and a broad skills agenda will be needed to meet the 2028 targets and beyond.

Heat pumps are an important part of the UK’s journey to a decarbonised future.

“

FRANCE to require all large car parks to be covered by solar panels

All large car parks in France will be covered by solar panels under new legislation approved as part of president Emmanuel Macron’s renewable energy drive.

Legislation approved by the French Senate this week requires existing and new car parks with space for at least 80 vehicles to be covered by solar panels.

The owners of car parks with between 80 and 400 spaces have five years to comply with the measures, while operators of those with more than 400 will have just three years. At least half of the area of the larger sites must be covered by solar panels.

The French government believes the measure could generate up to 11 gigawatts of power.

Politicians had originally applied the bill to car parks larger than 2,500 sq metres before deciding to opt for car parking spaces.

French politicians are also examining proposals to build large solar farms on empty land by motorways and railways as well as on farmland.

The former UK prime minister Liz Truss considered blocking solar farms being built on agricultural land.

The sight of parked cars under the shade of solar panels is not unfamiliar in France. Renewables Infrastructure Group, one of the UK’s largest specialist green energy investors, has invested in a large solar car park in Borgo on Corsica.

Macron has thrown his weight behind nuclear energy over the past year and in September announced plans to boost France’s renewable energy industry. He visited the country’s first offshore windfarm off the port of Saint-Nazaire off the west coast and hopes to speed up the build times of windfarms and solar parks.

The move comes as European nations examine their domestic energy supplies in the fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Technical problems and maintenance on the powerhouse French nuclear fleet has exacerbated the problem while the national operator EDF was forced to cut its output in the summer when French rivers became too warm.

The government has also launched a communication campaign, “Every gesture counts”, encouraging individuals and industry to cut their energy usage, and the Eiffel Tower lights are being turned off more than an hour earlier.

The French government plans to spend €45bn shielding households and businesses from energy price shocks.

“

The French government believes the measure could generate up to 11 gigawatts of power. ”

GOVERNMENT plans cap on renewable energy revenues

The move could hit the profits of energy companies, like SSE and Scottish Power, generate from record-high wholesale power prices.

Ministers say the proposal would ensure consumers and businesses pay a fair price for energy.

But energy bosses say the plan – for which there are few details – could put off investors.

Currently in the UK, wholesale electricity prices are set by gas-fired generation.

With the price of gas rocketing in recent months, some nuclear power plants and solar and wind farms have made big profits.

This is different at newer facilities, which produce power at an agreed price.

The temporary cap, which will limit the amount generators can make, is set to be introduced in the House of Commons on Wednesday as part of the Energy Prices Bill.

In its announcement, the government gave no details of the expected price limit on revenues generated by renewable energy companies.

The government said it would launch a consultation on how the revenue cap would work before introducing the measure at the start of 2023.

At a committee hearing, Climate Minister Graham Stuart said the cap would “help pay for the cost of other schemes, to reduce customers’ energy costs”.

When asked how much money the cap scheme would raise for the government, Mr Stuart said he did not have the figures “immediately to hand”.

Jonathan Mills, the senior civil servant in charge of energy policy, said “it will be possible to assess the impacts in terms of pounds” once the details of the cap had been finalised.

Renewable energy companies say the UK government’s proposed cap on their revenues

would effectively amount to a windfall tax, something Prime Minister Liz Truss has said she was opposed to.

A windfall tax on the UK oil and gas sector was introduced on 26 May, described as a 25% Energy Profits Levy, applying to companies that extract British fossil fuels.

Renewable energy generators and nuclear power plants could have their revenues capped under a new government plan.

Unlike traditional windfall taxes, the cap will not be a retrospective tax on excessive profits made by renewable energy companies.

Instead, the cap will in effect limit the amount of money these energy companies will make, but the details have not yet been revealed.

myenergi launches libbi battery to complete home energy ecosystem

myenergi, the eco-smart technology manufacturer recently recognised as one of the UK’s top 10 fastest growing companies, is continuing its growth into new markets with the launch of its own home battery, called libbi.

POWERING YOUR HOME

A new product for the Lincolnshire-based company, libbi will sit alongside eddi (the smart solar diverter) and zappi (the world’s first solar EV smart charger) in myenergi’s eco-smart product line-up, and crucially, will allow customers to complete their home energy ecosystem, helping them to maximise self-consumption from their own renewable generation and significantly reduce energy costs.

Jordan Brompton, co-founder and CMO of myenergi, said: “We are incredibly excited to bring a smart home battery to the UK market. Around one million homes in the UK now have solar panels, and as electric vehicles sales continue to rise and the transition to electric heating accelerates, we know that there will be huge growth in domestic renewable generation and demand for battery storage to maximise it.”

The myenergi libbi home battery solution incorporates the battery, inverter and controller, allowing customers to complete their domestic energy ecosystem. Like all myenergi products, libbi is eco smart, making intelligent decisions about when it provides and stores electricity based on how much energy is used, how much is generated from solar and the customer’s electricity tariff. The hybrid battery system can adapt to a wide range of installation setups, accepting both solar and grid charging.

Unlike other home storage batteries, libbi will allow customers to prioritise loads

as they wish within the myenergi app, for example to avoid the battery discharging automatically when they plug in their electric car, or conversely, to charge their EV directly from their home battery when their zappi is in ECO+ mode.

The modular design uses 5.1kWh battery packs, scalable up to a total of 20.4kWh of storage, with either a 3.68kW or 5kW inverter. Customers can choose whether to charge the libbi from solar, grid energy, or a mixture of both – with the latter being optimised around a time-of-use or agile tariff.

Not only can storing cheaper off-peak electricity save customers money, by avoiding using more expensive energy at peak times; it also lessens the strain on the grid. In addition, the libbi is available with optional Blackout Backup, providing instant energy to a dedicated circuit in the event of a power cut.

While a study from the University of Oxford showed that average selfconsumption – the amount of solar generation that a household actually ends up using – is around 45% in the UK, modelling by myenergi shows this rising to closer to 100% for a home energy ecosystem encompassing the eddi solar diverter, zappi EV charger and libbi home battery.

MAKING

HOW MANY SOLAR PANELS DO I NEED?

Solar

But you don’t want to make a mistake and get the wrong number of solar panels installed, especially as the cost has shot up as the option becomes more main-stream as people look to the sky as the cost of living crisis.

Getting too many is an unnecessary expense, and too few could make your purchase unprofitable – or lead you to pay your installer to put up more panels another time.

This guide will help you work out how many solar panels your home needs – though

getting it exactly right will still require the help of an expert.

How many solar panels are needed for a house?

The average one-bedroom house needs six solar panels, a typical three-bedroom house requires 10 panels, and a five-bedroom house will usually need 14 panels.

These solar arrays will generate roughly the same amount of electricity that each household uses in a typical year.

Annual electricity usage is measured in kilowatt hours (kWh).

1 kWh is how much electricity it would take to run a 1,000 watt (1 kW) appliance for an hour – so for example, if you had a 500 watt dishwasher, you would use 0.5 kWh in an hour of use.

MAKING THE SWITCH

In each case, the panels will produce enough electricity to cover around 50% of a household’s annual usage – or more, if you don’t leave the house very often.

Without a solar battery around half of this energy will go unused by your home, because you won’t always be there to use it when it’s generated.

Not to worry, though – you can sell this extra power back to the National Grid via the Smart Export Guarantee

The savings you’ll gain from the SEG and from not having to pay for expensive National Grid electricity mean you’ll typically break even in 10.4 years.

Calculate your annual electricity usage

The first step is to look up how much electricity you use every year.

After all, if you were deciding how many loaves of bread to buy for the week, it’d be great to know how many sandwiches your household typically eats.

Thankfully, you can find out how much electricity you use by simply checking your energy bills.

If you don’t have an annual summary or the past 12 months’ bills, just contact your supplier, and a representative will let you know your yearly total.

They’ll measure your annual electricity usage in kilowatt hours (kWh).

Compare your electricity usage with the table above to get a rough idea of how many panels

you’ll need to generate roughly the amount of electricity you use each year.

For context, a three-bedroom house typically uses 2,900 kWh per year, according to Ofgem.

Work out how many panels you need

A typical solar panel is rated at 350 W. In the UK, it’ll produce 265 kWh per year, on average.

That means if you divide your annual electricity usage by 265, you’ll end up with roughly the right number of panels for your home.

Find out if your roof is suitable

Check your building plans or hire a professional to measure your roof, to see if you can fit the panels you need up there.

Bear in mind that the average panel is two square metres, and that you shouldn’t use panels on a north-facing roof.

If your roof is on the small side, don’t worry – you may be able to simply use fewer panels that all have a higher power rating.

These calculations are tricky – but fortunately, we’ve done the hard work for you.

Just fill in the solar panel calculator above with the your house’s number of bedrooms and where you live, and we’ll tell you how many solar panels you’ll typically need.

SMART

ITS TIME TO GET SERIOUS ABOUT THE TRANSITION TO ELECTRIFICATION

The latest UK vehicle registration data shows that momentum continues where the adoption of EVs is concerned. However, Jordan Brompton, co-founder and CMO of myenergi, believes that – with demand now outstripping supply – we need greater volume from OEMs to maintain our impressive progress.

The UK’s transition to electrification is accelerating at pace. Indeed, according to recent data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), more than 10,000 battery electric vehicles (BEVs) were registered nationwide in August, alongside 3,884 plug-in hybrids (PHEVs).

To date this year, 199,178 UK drivers have embraced electrification – an impressive increase of 20.3% compared to the same period in 2021.

One in every five new cars now boasts an electric powertrain, while the decline of the internal combustion engine continues. Indeed, compared

to 2021, diesel car sales have already dropped by 47% year-on-year, while petrol registrations have fallen by 17.7%.

With the 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars looming, vehicle manufacturers are quickly pivoting their production models. At the

12 SMART CHARGING

MARKET PRESSURES BEGIN TO BITE

Surging global demand, combined with a widespread shortage of semiconductor microchips, part supplies hit by the war in Ukraine and the continuing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic is putting pressure on the availability of the latest electric models. According to insight from This Is Money, EVs that just a few months ago were freely available (such as the Vauxhall Corsa-e, Mokka-e and the Renault Zoe) now have a waiting list of up to 16 weeks.

At the top end of the market, customers looking to purchase a new Audi e-tron, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Porsche Taycan or Lexus UX300e can expect a build timeline of upwards of 12 months. Production of the

Tesla Model X and S have even been temporarily paused, with the company’s production facilities struggling to keep up with demand for its more affordable Model 3 and Model Y alternatives.

The SMMT suggests that the motor retail sector is facing its ‘most challenging year for three decades’ as supply impacts sales, forecasting total registrations of just 1.6 million vehicles in 2022 (31% less than in 2019). While 2023 could see numbers begin to rise, predictions have been revised downward since the April estimate, with overall registrations anticipated to reach just 1.89 million.

end of 2021, there were 50 BEV models available to buy in the UK. By the end of 2022, there will be upwards of 200.

Already this year, Mercedes-Benz has confirmed that – from 2025 – its portfolio of new cars will be fully electric, while Ford has just announced

seven new all-electric models and RenaultNissan has announced a global investment of more than €23bn in electric vehicle technology over the next five years. This is simply the tip of the iceberg when it comes to global investment into electrification.

Yet while the speed of EV uptake and everincreasing public demand is positive news, global supply challenges are beginning to hamper the sales of new electric models. If the EV car park is going to grow, the UK needs to secure greater volume from manufacturers.

VOLUME NEEDED TO MAINTAIN MOMENTUM

As a global leader in the race to electrification, the UK has – for a number of years now – acted as somewhat of a talisman for the industry. Indeed, with legislation passed that will see us ban the sale of new ICE-powered cars faster than any other nation, combined with a rapidly increasing EV adoption rate, we’re tracking far ahead of targets.

What’s more, while range anxiety and charging infrastructure have long been considered barriers to adoption, the UK’s national roll-out of public charge points continues to accelerate.

According to the latest insight from EV mapping service Zap-Map, for example, 1,594 new public charge points were added to its database in July. There are now a total of 33,996 charge points across 20,534 locations – a 34% increase since August 2021.

Of this total, more than 18% (6,236 devices) are classed as either rapid or ultra-rapid, providing speeds of up to 100kW and offering up to 70 miles of charge in as little as 15 minutes. The rise of ultra-rapid devices alone has shown hugely impressive growth, with installation rates rising by more than 75% in the past 12 months.

The continued growth of the public EV charging network means that there are now almost four times more charging points than petrol stations in the UK. What’s more, with almost 80% of charging now taking place on consumer driveways, our ever-developing domestic infrastructure is providing a reliable and cost-effective solution for EV drivers to rely on.

So, while the support network is there and consumer attitudes towards electrification are now overwhelmingly positive, the fact remains that UK demand for EVs is outstripping supply. If we’re to maintain momentum and retain our position as a world leader in EV adoption, we need far greater volume from vehicle manufacturers. Resources need to be channelled towards alternatively-fuelled cars and demand from the UK should be prioritised.

Without this, we run the risk of slowing positive progress and unintentionally putting the brakes on transitioning to an all-electric car parc. A significant step backward, both from an industry and environmental perspective.

LOOKING TO THE USED MARKETPLACE

But as a consumer looking to make the switch, what should I do? Add myself to a 12-month waiting list? Drop the desired spec of my vehicle to cut production lead times? Or simply hold on to my existing car? At myenergi, we believe that looking towards the used market is a great option for savvy motorists.

A quick search on Autotrader brings up more than 8,500 results for used BEVs and nearly 7,000 results for used plug-in hybrids. There’s a huge choice of cars for far less than £17,173 – the

average UK spend on a second-hand vehicle. While you might have to compromise a little when it comes to colour, features or mileage, the listings are packed with brilliant buys!

It may be a short-term fix, but drivers shouldn’t rule-out the second hand market. This said, it’s not the silver bullet solution. New vehicle volume is still the key to unlocking the transition to electrification and support from OEMs to meet increasing demand is critical.

As the transition towards electrified mobility continues to accelerate at pace, myenergi is committed to operating at the forefront of the industry. Not just as a technological leader, but also as a supporter and enabler of EV adoption. The days of ICE-powered vehicles are numbered and we must all prepare for the technological shift... supply, however, is currently the missing piece of the jigsaw puzzle.

UK must move to renewable power to avoid future crisis says Octopus boss

Greg Jackson highlighted the fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as an example of how dependency on oil and gas can leave countries in trouble.

Global prices of gas and oil have soared amid the war in Ukraine, filtering down to householders who are facing huge rises in energy bills.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, he said: “You know, this is a fossil fuel crisis.

“Make no mistake, the cause of this crisis is that we’re too dependent on fossil fuels, often from regimes where, you know, we see what Putin’s doing in Ukraine – the fossil

fuels give those regimes both the funding and the leverage.

“We need to escape from the clutches of fossil fuels. And we’ve heard fossil fuel crises periodically ever since I was a kid and probably before that.”

Mr Jackson said that the UK already had the option to ditch fossil fuels altogether by moving to a system powered by electricity “coming from homegrown renewables”.

He added: “We have the ability to build a system that isn’t dependent on fossil fuels anymore, and it will be cheaper than the one we’re in even before the crisis, and it will

stop us being at the mercy of crises like this.”

Several experts have suggested the UK Government should have reduced its reliance on fossil fuels earlier.

Instead, ministers have given companies incentives to keep drilling oil in the North Sea. The move came in May when the Government also unveiled a package of measures to help ease the cost of living crisis.

In March, after Russia – one of the world’s biggest oil and gas suppliers –invaded Ukraine, academics at Oxford University said that if the UK was to

have energy security, it needed to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels.

They warned that global fossil fuel energy markets would remain volatile over the next decade amid the geopolitical disruption.

“The choices made now will determine the course of the next 10 years – in terms of energy security, cost and our future environment,” said Professor Sam Fankhauser, Dr Steve Smith and Dr Anupama Sen from the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, at the University of Oxford.

They added: “More renewables actually raises security and lowers cost.”

The founder of Octopus Energy has urged the UK to “escape from the clutches of fossil fuels” and move to renewable energy swiftly to avoid a future energy crisis.

NEW BUILD HOMES SAVE OWNERS £1629 A YEAR ON ENERGY BILLS

According to Energy Performance Certificate data, more than 8 out of 10 new builds have the top A or B rating for energy efficiency compared to just 2.2% of existing properties.

Government data shows that as a result, new homes are using on average 103kWh/m2 worth of energy compared to an average of 294kWh/M2 for existing homes.

This means that new build home owners will spend on average £443.30 a year (£276 heating / £108 hot water / £60 lighting), well under half of the £1,072 the owner of an older home can expect to spend – saving, on average, £52 a month, or £629 a year.

The report also explains how owners of new build properties could choose to spend the money they are saving to:

Buy a season ticket at their favourite Premier League football club;

• Pay their monthly broadband and mobile phone bills

• Take a return trip to New Zealand

• Cover almost a month’s mortgage costs

With fuel costs having already increased by around 36% in the past decade, and likely to increase even further, new homeowner savings are likely to grow. And with housing accounting

16 NEW BUILD HOMES

New homes being built in England and Wales are considerably more energy efficient than their predecessors, saving owners hundreds of pounds a year in energy bills, a new report ‘You’ve got the power’ shows.

for nearly 30% of the UKs energy use, new build homes are also delivering significant benefits for the environment.

In accordance with modern regulation, house builders are driving energy savings through a combination of innovative design and more efficient materials; for example, by installing boilers that only give you hot water when you need it, fitting modern double glazing filled with argon gas, using quality insulation in the roof and walls, and by creating sophisticated water drainage systems.

Stewart Baseley, HBF’s executive chairman, said: “Today’s new homes are significantly more energy efficient than their predecessors,

delivering huge benefits both for their owners and the environment. Owners are saving hundreds of pounds a year in energy bills due to the modern design of their homes and the materials used to construct them.

With energy bills expected to increase further, households will continue to reap the financial rewards in the future allowing families to spend more of their money on the things they want instead of simply keeping warm.

With house builders’ ongoing investment in innovation, it is clear that the industry is committed to driving yet more savings for homeowners.

RANGE, BATTERY AND POWERTRAIN

The event in Milan was purely focused on the design of the car, however, Hazim was able to share certain details on range and the vehicles powertrain.

With “at least two or three” motors delivering between 550 to 600kW, with a battery of up to 120Kw, the aim is for the car to offer a range of up to 800km (497 miles). It will supposedly dish out around 790hp, which has been roughly worked out from the brands claims of a power output of between 550 to 600kW. Hazim and his team remained tight lipped on the interior of the vehicle, but the main priority will be to maximise space. The dramatically short front overhang will also result in extra space in the cabin, with enough room to “comfortably seat four NBA players over two metres tall,” so it says.

Like most electric vehicles, AEHRA has also placed sustainability at the heart of its vehicle. Made almost entirely out of recycled carbon fibre, with only the crumple zones to be made of aluminium, the materials have also helped the car reduce its total weight.

THE FUTURE OF AEHRA

Not only is the design of the car ambitious, but AEHRA has grand plans for the rollout of its first electric vehicle.

With another model set to be announced next year, AEHRA is hoping to produce between 15,000 to 25,000 models per year for both vehicles. To put that in context, AEHRA is planning to produce more vehicles per year than Lamborghini.

Those plans will be helped by both vehicles sharing 70% of components, and the concerted effort to reduce the weight of the SUV to less than two tonnes, which will help reduce costs and the impact on the environment.

And yet, the ambition from AEHRA has to be admired. To many, the brand’s objectives feel like a gamble, but to those in charge, there is no way this can fail. There is a sense of certainty amongst them. This project will reportedly cost a staggering $700 million, but having spoken to Hazim and others involved in the project, it is a price worth paying.

From the targeted range, the expected performance and the design of the car in front of us, it is hard to see why this wouldn’t succeed. However, all we know for certain at the moment is what the car will look like, and it is not just the hundreds of journalists that have applauded the cars appearance.

“It is the best SUV I have designed with my team,” Filippo commented, after reminiscing over his work on the likes of the Lamborghini Urus.

Of course, on the day after the launch of the vehicle, AEHRA’s head of design is going to say that it is one of the best cars he has designed. However, the eccentric Italian designer was notably serious when he revealed that the electric sedan, which AEHRA is set to reveal early next year, is his best work.

The electric sedan, also to be known as the AEHRA (as all models will be - that’s right, they’re not naming their cars) will be a step change in design language from the SUV, whilst

21 AEHRA

simultaneously retaining the same philosophy, as Filippo cryptically explained.

Still, if the first model is anything to go by, then the standard of electric car designs has almost

certainly been raised. Hazim, Filippo and the rest of the AEHRA team spoke frequently about the number of electric models on the market that look the same and have almost identical shapes and dimensions. They set out to purposely redefine

what a modern EV looks like, and they have done that in spectacular fashion. As Filippo eloquently describes, the AEHRA is the “evolution of design.”

“We want to create a soul for the car, and the first step is to make something unique,” he added.

You may be wondering where the name AEHRA comes from. Put simply, it is the Latin word for ‘era’, and with this stunning, ultra-premium Italian SUV, which will proceed a fully electric sedan, the arrival of AEHRA certainly marks a new era in the age of electrification.

Earlier this year, Ford revealed that the electric Mach-E had outsold the petrol Mustang by eightto-one in 2022. Chances are you might know someone who owns one (or, if not, you definitely know someone who wants one) so why not treat them to this Ford Mustang Mach-E Zip-Hoodie?

Described by Ford as “thick, warm and stylish to boot,” this stylish hoody is marked with the traditional Ford pony logo and with blue details on the cords and zip fastening to add a bit of colour to even the greyest of days.

We all have ‘dream cars’ and for many EV fanatics, the Tesla Cybertruck is right up there. Unfortunately, you’ve got more chance of being kicked by a snake than getting your hands on one of them, so why not get the next best thing remote control Cybertruck from Hot Wheels?

Available for just £192.99 (it might sound expensive, but it is A LOT cheaper than the real one), This sleek, futuristic vehicle includes the free-rolling Cyberquad that can be added and removed from the open truck bed. The Cybertruck has functioning headlights and taillights and can reach speeds up to 12 mph! Warning: this one isn’t bulletproof!

We all enjoy a little tipple at Christmas and now, thanks to this Tesla Decanter, you can pour a glass of your favourite poison in true EV style. Inspired by Tesla Tequila, the Tesla Decanter comes in the mould of a lightning bolt silhouette, each hand-blown bottle holds up to 750 mL of your favourite spirit. Featuring both a Tesla wordmark and T logo in gold and cradled atop a polished metal stand, this £130 Tesla Decanter will make a great addition to your home bar.

This photobook offers readers a ‘behind-thescenes’ look at the Taycan, Porsche’s first purely electrically powered sports car. Often regarded as one of the most premium electric vehicles around, this book details the various stages of testing in such locations as South Africa, Sweden and Shanghai. The photos were taken by Christoph Bauer, who has been photographing for Porsche since 1985, and most of the images are exclusively published here for the first time.

Whether you are fans of the Taycan or just an admirer of Porsche in general, the photo volume ‘Roads to Taycan’ is a fascinating insight into the development of one of the most revered electric vehicles.

This may be a slightly more premium option than some of the other gifts on our list, but the the Makka Polestar edition by CAKE would certainly be a gift to remember. The Makka Polestar edition is a lightweight, durable, and fully electric moped, jointly charged with a Polestar.

It has a top speed of 45 km/h and two separate ride modes for extended range or balanced performance. The Polestar edition of the Makka in matte Snow features a sleek design with slim headlights and Öhlins dampers which makes “urban transportation more flexible and sustainable,” according to Polestar. That’ll be £4,116, please.

As Formula E prepares to embark on its ninth season and its third generation of racing, the series will be travelling to more countries and continents than ever before in its most expansive campaign yet.

With a calendar including the likes of Cape Town, Hyderabad and Jakarta, as well as the usual highlights of Monaco, Berlin and London, the Season 9 calendar presents a number of exciting opportunities for vans to take in the exhilarating action of the fully electric motorsport series.

Fans returned to the stands last season after the disruption from the Covid-19 pandemic, and with fan parks reopening and a driver lineup that will feature the likes of McLaren and Maserati for the first time, 2023 is the perfect time to experience Formula E.

Visit the Formula E website today for more information on tickets, and be sure to keep your eyes peeled on this magazine and EV Powered’s website and social media channels for FE coverage throughout the year.

Porsche

CLAIMS FIRST X44 EXTREME E TITLE

Lewis Hamilton’s X44 Vida Carbon Racing claimed its first Extreme E title by the narrowest of margins in an enthralling season finale in Uruguay.

X44 entered the final on Sunday with three of the top four teams in the championship standings missing out, including leaders and reigning champions Rosberg X Racing.

As their closest rivals watched on from the paddock, Sébastien Loeb and Cristina Gutiérrez secured the podium finish needed to take their maiden Extreme E title, just two points clear of RXR in the standings, having bagged a crucial five points from the Continental Traction Challenge in Qualifying 2.

Cristina Gutiérrez, X44 Vida Carbon Racing, said: “I still can’t believe it! It was a very tough weekend for us, especially after my roll yesterday. The team did a crazy job with the (spare) car and Qualifying 2 was the first time we had driven it.

“As for the Final, on the radio they told me someone was going to be penalised but still I didn’t know.

I wanted to be sure that we won so I did not celebrate before it was official. It was a rollercoaster, but it is much better than that for us as we can now believe in what we have achieved.”

Sébastien Loeb, X44 Vida Carbon Racing, said: “We could only go and compete with everything we had and try to score maximum points. In the Final, it was a critical moment because I was fourth and we needed to be third. We had some contact here and there, but there was nothing I could do to overtake. Cristina did a great job to stay very close to the car in front and we knew potentially we were third. At the end it was what we needed so I’m really relieved to be here and really proud to win this championship.”

CRISTINA GUTIÉRREZ AND SÉBASTIEN LOEB BRING HOME FIRST EXTREME E TITLE FOR X44 VIDA CARBON RACING

AS IT HAPPENED

If the X44 team were going to bring home their first Extreme E title, then it was never going to be easy and, from the opening sequence of corners, the other teams were making life difficult for them.

ABT CUPRA XE’s Nasser Al-Attiyah and Veloce Racing’s Kevin Hansen surrounded Loeb, however a fantastic move from the veteran allowed him to squeeze through the tiniest of gaps to grab second place just behind Al-Attiyah.

In a weekend that was full of incidents, Loeb and teammate Gutiérrez would have to mix caution with aggression if they were to bring home the Championship.

With the title on the line, Loeb kept the ABT CUPRA XE within reach, but as the leading teams tussled for supremacy, NEOM McLaren Extreme E’s Tanner Foust timed his attack perfectly, charging through to take second away from X44 Vida Carbon Racing.

Championship glory slipped further and further away from the challengers, as Timmy Hansen managed to get past the recovering Loeb to secure third for Genesys Andretti United Extreme E. A masterclass in defending followed, with Hansen keeping Loeb at bay as the teams approached the Switch Zone, where Gutiérrez would pick up the fight with Catie Munnings.

A five-second penalty for Veloce Racing, from Hansen hitting a waypoint flag on his stint, took the pressure off X44 Vida Carbon Racing from behind, but the heat was on to overtake Genesys Andretti United Extreme E.

Gutiérrez threw her ODYSSEY 21 into every corner but was struggling to gain enough ground on Munnings up ahead. The Spaniard was also under investigation for a collision with Veloce Racing’s Molly Taylor, for which she would later receive a five-second penalty.

Just as time seemed to be running out for X44 Vida Carbon Racing, a sevensecond penalty came through for Genesys Andretti United Extreme E for speeding in the Switch Zone.

This was the lifeline that Gutiérrez needed as she fought to stay close enough to the Genesys Andretti United Extreme E ODYSSEY 21. The Spaniard crossed the line in fourth but within two seconds of Munnings, thus securing third place and the championship title for X44 Vida Carbon Racing, just two points clear of RXR.

Further up the field, a measured drive from Klara Andersson kept Emma Gilmour in her mirrors as the NEOM McLaren Extreme E driver chased a maiden podium for the team. Gilmour secured second, while Andersson and Al-Attiyah’s performances earned ABT CUPRA XE their first X Prix win and back-to-back podiums during the pair’s first Extreme E campaign.

Alejandro Agag, Founder and CEO of Extreme E, added: “I think the season finale was an amazing rollercoaster. Everything was open!

“There was an incredible comeback from X44 Vida Carbon Racing and bad luck for Rosberg X Racing, who have done some incredible things this season. Once again the championship decider was close, with the season going down to the wire, so we’re ready for a fantastic campaign next year!”

NASSER AL-ATTIYAH AND KLARA ANDERSSON OF ABT CUPRA XE SECURED THE TEAM’S FIRST EXTREME E VICTORY

FIVE EVs COMING IN 2023

As we turn the corner into 2023, we showcase five electric vehicles that are set to launch over the next 12 months. Take a look at this special feature to find out which EVs we’re most excited for.

FISKER OCEAN

Spring 2023

The highly anticipated Fisker Ocean SUV is due for release next year, with the American automotive start-up looking to disrupt a burgeoning segment of electric SUVs.

The striking design of the Fisker Ocean will be backed up by a ‘Sport’ model which pumps out 275hp to achieve a 0-60mph time of 6.9 seconds. ‘Ultra’ and ‘Extreme’ trims will follow, offering a significant upgrade of power to 550hp, which drastically reduces that 0-60 time to just over three seconds.

With ranges between 250 and 350 miles, the Fisker Ocean will be looking to compete with some of the more premium electric SUVs around, particularly with prices for higher end models starting from around £59,900.

AUDI A6 E-TRON

Spring 2023

Audi’s plan is to have more than 20 fully electric models in its portfolio by 2025 continues early next year with the release of the new A6 e-tron.

The new model is expected to be based around the A6 Avant e-tron concept that was revealed earlier this year at the 2022 Annual Media Conference. Prototype versions of the vehicle had been spotted in testing just a few months ago, with images seeming to confirm certain details about the car, such as size and design. Despite being camouflaged, the A6 e-tron looks to be one of the longest Audi’s ever produced, which follows the blueprint of the Avant concept, which sat at over 16 feet long. The all-new e-tron is expected to deliver a range of 435 miles and deliver 0-62mph in less than four seconds.

As we sit and wait patiently for more details on Audi’s next electric vehicle, we can be pretty certain that it will sit towards the top end of the ‘premium EV’ list, with a starting price of around £60,000 rumoured.

BMW I7

Winter 2023

BMW’s ultra-luxury i7 saloon is set to go on sale in November 2023, and it has a range of eye-catching features which makes it one of the most interesting EVs on this list.

As well as a 388 mile range and a 0-60mph time of just 4.7 seconds which will challenge its main rival, the Mercedes EQS, the i7 also comes with an amazing interior which includes a theatre screen in the back.

This 31-inch, 8K display folds down from the roof to turn the back seats into your very own private cinema. Combined with 36 speakers with surround sound, it also has built in 5G internet connection with Amazon Fire TV, giving your passengers the most entertaining and premium in-car experience.

ROLLS ROYCE SPECTRE

Q4 2023

Rolls Royce’s first electric vehicle has received a great deal of attention since it was announced by the luxury manufacturer, and it *should* be available towards the end of next year. The Spectre has been put through its paces this year, having completed a winter testing programme in Sweden, before it continued its 2.5-millionkilometre testing phase along the French Riviera.

The Rolls will be powered by two electric motors delivering a mighty 577 horsepower, propelling the near 3 tonne vehicle from 0 to 60mph in just 4.4 seconds and up to a top speed expected to be limited to 155mph.

Prices, as you would expect, are dear for the Spectre, with the electric vehicle to cost around £300,000, placing it between the Cullinan and the rang-topping Phantom.

POLESTAR 3

Winter 2023

The new year will mark the start of a new wave of electric vehicles for Polestar, with the Swedish manufacturer set to launch at least two new cars in 2023, starting with the Polestar 3. The Polestar 3 will be the brands first SUV and the first vehicle to be produced on two continents.

According to the manufacturer, the Polestar 3 will, over time, offer autonomous highway piloting powered by the best-in-class LiDAR sensor from Luminar and centralized NVIDIA computing power. At launch, the Polestar 3 will feature a dual-motor drivetrain and a large battery, with a range target of over 370 miles (WLTP). “Polestar 3 is a powerful electric SUV that appeals to the senses with a distinct, Scandinavian design and excellent driving dynamics,” said Thomas Ingenlath, Polestar CEO. “It takes our manufacturing footprint to the next level, bringing Polestar production to the United States. We are proud and excited to expand our portfolio as we continue our rapid growth.”

The Polestar 3 will precede the aptly named Polestar 4, an all-new electric SUV coupe which is also set to launch next year. A Polestar 5 and Polestar 6, also known as its O2 concept, are also planned, but details on their release have not yet been confirmed.

TOP TEN Most Viral Electric Cars In The World

New research from Confused.com has revealed the most viral electric supercars in the world! Dive into this special feature to see which electric supercar comes out on top!

Supercars are street-legal, high-performance sports cars that look amazing and feel fantastic to drive. These cars are often seen littering social media posts and appearing in high-budget films.

Supercars certainly don’t come cheap, and car insurance for high performance models can be considerably more expensive. Most insurers consider supercars as non-standard vehicles

and automatically classify them as higher risk. But what are the most popular supercars that you can buy today?

By analysing global Google search data over the last 12 months, as well as social media metrics, the team at Confused.com has ranked the ten most popular electric supercars in the world and given them a ‘popularity score’ out of ten – And the results are in:

Tesla Roadster has proved to be the most popular electric supercar on this list. The Roadster is the most searched for on Google and the most talked about on Instagram and TikTok.

Lotus Evija scores 8.4/10, making it the third most popular electric supercar on this list. Even in third place, the Lotus Evija has significantly less popularity across Google, Instagram, and TikTok than the Tesla Roadster.

This 100% electric Spanish supercar marks the halfway point of our list, and this Formula E powered masterpiece is also the manufacturer’s first car in 74 years. With 820kW of power and over 1,000bhp, it’s easy to see how a car like this has chalked up so many views on TikTok – and how it commands a price tag of £1.4 million.

Although it is only the fifth most popular car on this list, that number seems quite fitting as Hispano Suiza has planned to only produce five of these supercars. It might not be the most popular, but it is certainly one of the rarest electric cars in the world.

2.7 seconds, it’s also one of the fastest cars in the virtual world, too.

In seventh place on this list is the Aspark Owl, which claims to be the fastest accelerating car in the world with a 0-62mph time of a terrifying 1.69 seconds. A quick search on TikTok and you can see this Japanese hypercar demonstrating its lighting acceleration, as well as its diminutive

in the world, standing at just 99cm.

Not only can this thing hit a top speed of 248mph with 1984 hp, but it also boasts an impressive range of 279 miles!

also now known as

WHAT FEATURES SET EVs APART FROM STANDARD CARS?

ya includes a smart charging system, which allows drivers to schedule home charging through an app. This gives owners the flexibility to plan their charging routine around fluctua-tions in electricity prices, helping them to save money every time they top up.

As reported in this guide by Autotrader about the sustainability of electric cars, 72% of re-spondents in one survey agreed that charging an electric car takes too long. And whilst con-cerns around charging remain a barrier to EV adoption for some, features like this will only make it easier for drivers to top up the tank, and encourage more people to make the switch.

LESS IS MORE

Electric vehicles (EVs) are no longer the cars of the future – they’re the cars of today, cropping up more and more regularly on roads all around the world, as drivers seek to play their part in the race against climate change.

But there are still some barriers that are making some people reluctant to adopt this new technology. As such, it’s important to improve the sharing of information regarding EVs, to help individuals to make more informed decisions about the type of car they want to drive.

Here, we explore just some of the features that set EVs apart from petrol-powered cars, to highlight the many benefits they can provide to both drivers and the world around us.

ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS

It’s impossible to ignore the fact that one of the key points of difference between EVs and traditional cars is their environmental impact. With the latter running on polluting fossil fuels, every time you switch on the ignition, you’re adding to your carbon footprint and thus global greenhouse gas levels.

EVs, meanwhile, produce no tailpipe emissions when on the road, which is a clear selling point for many drivers interested in switching to electric.

In the UK, the government has imposed a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars, which is set to be enforced in 2030. With this deadline on the horizon, EVs are better positioned to provide longevity to drivers, who could future proof their household’s fleet by making

the switch. EVs currently stand as the most viable alternative to petrol-powered vehicles, which are steadily being phased out by governments across the world.

MODERN TECHNOLOGY

Leading EV brands in the market are continuing to push the technological boundaries of their products. For example, Tesla has rolled out a software update that enables dog owners to leave their furry friend in the car with the air conditioning still running, whilst the touchscreen displays a message informing passers-by that the driver will be back soon.

Meanwhile, EV charging is constantly evolving, and the premium models on the market are making the most of the latest innovations in this field. For instance, the highly-rated Nissan Ari-

Whilst, as we’ve explored, there are certainly state-of-the-art features in the most premium EVs on the market, it’s a common misconception that tech is crammed into these cars for the sake of it. Particularly when we look under the bonnet, you will find far fewer moving parts to an EV’s internal makeup compared to a petrol/diesel vehicle. With fewer components, there is less need for regular maintenance tasks to be performed, and less is likely to go wrong. This not only can help to save money on expensive servicing costs, but it can also help to improve the safety and reliability of your motor.

With a smaller engine, and fewer moving parts, you will also typically find that EVs are more spacious than their petrol-powered counterparts. This helps to provide an enhanced level of comfort for both drivers and passengers, particularly on those longer drives.

WHAT’S RIGHT FOR YOU?

EVs won’t be right for everyone straight away – even if you decide you want to switch to electric, there will likely be a period of adjustment. But whether you’re thinking about making a change now, or may be interested in investing further down the road, it’s useful to know the key features of these contemporary cars to help you decide whether or not they could work for you.

TODDINGTON HARPER: GRIDSERVE AND THE FUTURE OF CHANGING

As GRIDSERVE continues its nationwide rollout of EV chargers, Toddington Harper, the founder and CEO of the company, says it is now time to speed things up.

It has been a busy year for GRIDSERVE. As one of the country’s biggest electric vehicle charging networks, Toddington Harper and his team have been on a mission to electrify the UK’s motorway network, in conjunction with Moto.

“It’s a very interesting partnership,” Toddington said on the Everything EV Podcast. “The original Electric Highway network was started around ten years ago by Dale Vince of Ecotricity and he was looking for a partner to take that to the next stage. He selected Gridserve as that partner and then we stepped in about 18 months ago with a view to replacing all of the old chargers with new chargers and really helping to work closely with Moto and build the infrastructure that’s fit for purpose for the mass market and do it as quickly as possible and deliver the best possible charging experience.”

That “best possible charging experience” consists of a number of factors, according to Toddington. Firstly, availability; GRIDSERVE has installed a minimum of six chargers at every Moto site in the country and is now on a mission to up that to 12. Secondly, the customer experience, which has been targeted through GRIDSERVE’s Electric Super Hubs and Moto Hospitality’s facilities.

The third, and arguably most important factor for the future of EV charging, is speed. “The future is about high-powered charging,” Toddington explained.

at GRIDSERVE’s Braintree Electric Forecourt. The testing of the next generation High Power EV chargers includes an all-new charging bay that’s been designed to specifically serve long-load and light commercial electric vehicles.

Two vehicles will be able to plug in and charge simultaneously, thanks to the chargers’ dynamic dual-charging, which will distribute the power between both vehicles.

Commenting on the new chargers, Toddington said: “Theoretically, they can charge more than 100 miles in less than five minutes, but practically, it’s going to probably still take ten to 20 minutes to give people most of the energy that they need to complete their journey.

“Originally, 150kW was considered high-power charging, and that’s still the government classification. But we’re putting in chargers up to 350 kilowatts, and actually there’s a new 360 kilowatt charger that’s just become available as well.”

These high-powered chargers come in the form of ABB’s Terra 360 chargers, which have been trialled

“That’s really where our thinking is going as well. Hopefully we can start thinking that a minimum of six at every site is the basics.”

The future of electric vehicle charging is here, and with the rollout of these high-powered chargers expected to continue and accelerate throughout 2023, GRIDSERVE is at the forefront of the evolution.

SCAN THIS QR CODE TO LISTEN TO THE EVERYTHING EV PODCAST WITH TODDINGTON HARPER.

Manage your fleet like a master

Your fleet is optimised, you’re on top of regulations, your drivers are happy. You even have enough time for your day job. This is what managing a fleet with Alphabet feels like.

Get everything you need to be at one with your fleet. Welcome to Fleet Dreams.

Alphabet.co.uk/FleetDreams