EV Powered Magazine - FEBRUARY 2023 EDITION

FULL ELECTRIC HUMMER EXCLUSIVE FIRST LOOK

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.

EDITOR’S NOTE

The Times They Are a-Changin’

Thankfully, the EV industry is cracking on at its typical ‘ultra-rapid’ pace. Over the past month, we have seen more charging hubs open all over the country and even more electric vehicles hit the road. As Bob Dylan once said, ‘the times they are-a changing’, but it’s business as usual in the world of electric vehicles. It’s business as usual from us at EV Powered, too, with another magazine packed full of all your favourite news, reviews and features.

Our cover story for this month is a review of GMC’s fully-electric Hummer, which our Managing Director, Richard Alvin, went to see back in December. As you’ll find out on page 19, this thing is BIG, but it’s also packed full of innovative features which you can discover in our six-page article.

I also sat down with the leader of the Max Adventure team, Mac Mckenney, for a chat about his mammoth EV expedition from Oslo to Lisbon last year. You can read all about his journey and the challenges that come with a 3,000-mile trip in an EV on page 7.

As we begin to settle into 2023, it dawned on me that the magical year of 2030, where the ban on sales of petrol and diesel is to come into effect, really isn’t far away at all.

As an industry, 2030 is seen as the year where the UK will become completely electric, autonomous cars will roam the streets, and there will be eVTOL’s whizzing around the skies like something out of ‘Back To The Future 2’.

However, that all important date is only seven years away, and in a podcast recorded with Ash Tate, the CEO and founder of EV charging firm Mina, the real deadline is actually a few years before that. Sure, the ban might come into effect by then, but particularly for businesses and fleets, it’s going to take a little bit of time to transition over to electric vehicles. Even for consumers, lead times for EVs are quite long at the moment, and as demand continues to grow, they are going to get even longer.

As we approach the middle of the decade, suddenly, the clock is ticking and you may need to get a bit of a wiggle on to avoid being left behind in the EV revolution.

Elsewhere in this issue, we have our usual Formula E and Extreme E coverage, a breakdown of some of the most interesting facts and figures regarding the EV industry, and a ‘Top Ten’ feature that reveals the most interesting EV-finds from the CES exhibition in Las Vegas!

Charlie Atkinson

The

Editor

Charlie Atkinson

Associate Editor

Cherry Martin

Graphic Designer

Grace Moseley

Videographer

Jacob Pinchbeck

Content Sales Manager

Laura Phillips

Capital Business Media, Group MD

Richard Alvin

Business Development Director

Stephen Banks

Chief Creative Director

Stuart Hyde

Finance Director

Andrew Martin

There’s much more inside, so enjoy the read!

EV OUTPUT surges to new heights in 2022

Electric vehicle production soared to new heights last year as UK factories turned out a record 234,000 electric vehicles.

According to the latest figures issued today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), a record 234,066 battery electric (BEV), plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and hybrid (HEV) electric vehicles were registered in 2022, with combined volumes up 4.5% year-on-year to represent almost a third (30.2%) of all car production.

Total BEV production rose 4.8%, with hybrid volumes up 4.3%, and boosting output of these vehicles will be critical in the attainment of net zero, for both the UK and major overseas markets.

The figures come as fresh SMMT analysis confirms the increasingly important role of electrified vehicle production to the UK economy, especially

the value of exports. Since 2017, the value of BEV, PHEV and HEV exports has risen seven-fold, from £1.3 billion to more than £10 billion. As a result, electrified vehicles represent 44.7% of the value of all UK car exports, up from a mere 4.1%. BEVs, in particular, are critical to the future prosperity of the UK, with their export value up more than 1,500%, from £81.7 million to £1.3 billion.

Overall, UK car production declined -9.8% in 2022 to 775,014 units. December rounded off a volatile year, with output down -17.9% in the month after growth in October and November, with most of the year’s volume loss occurring in the first half.

Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, said: “These figures reflect just how tough 2022 was for

UK car manufacturing, though we still made more electric vehicles than ever before – high value, cutting edge models, in demand around the world. The potential for this sector to deliver economic growth by building more of these zero emission models is self-evident, however, we must make the right decisions now.

“This means shaping a strategy to drive rapid upscaling of UK battery production and the shift to electric vehicles based on the UK automotive sector’s fundamental strengths – a highly skilled and flexible workforce, engineering excellence, technical innovation and productivity levels that are amongst the best in Europe.”

UK’S FIRST electric autonomous bus service to launch at Milton Park

The UK’s first ever fully electric, autonomous bus service is set to launch to the public at Milton Park in Oxfordshire.

This is following the project’s successful demonstration day on Monday 23rd January that took place at the Park’s flexible workspace, the Bee House, attended by local leaders, occupiers, Buses Minister Richard Holden MP and the project’s consortium partners.

Led by First Bus, the consortium comprising Fusion Processing Ltd, Oxfordshire County Council, University of the West of England (UWE Bristol) and Zipabout with Milton Park (as the host location) has together brought this five-year project into fruition.

Using cutting-edge technology, the Mi-Link project features a 16-seat, single decker minibus which uses Fusion Processing Ltd’s CAVstar Automated Drive System that combines a range of sensors including radar, LiDAR and optical cameras with state-of-the-art artificial intelligence to control all steering, acceleration and braking without the need for human intervention.

The innovative bus service offers passengers a free and green mode of travel from the Park’s flexible workspace, the Bee House, to its Milton Feast street food market area in a circular operation. A qualified safety driver is on board at all times, able to take control of the vehicle if required. The bus is also fully accessible for wheelchair and pram users.

UBITRICITY to treble Liverpool’s EV charging network

Liverpool City Council has appointed ubitricity to install a network of 300 on-street electric vehicle charge points across the city.

The additional charge points are set to treble Liverpool City Council’s existing network of 150 charge points to 450. According to Government statistics from October 2022, this will make Liverpool the third largest public charging network in the UK behind London and Coventry.

By investing in charging infrastructure, Liverpool City Council is looking to address the north-south divide in EV adoption and take a big step towards achieving its carbon net zero target by 2030. A lack of accessible public EV charging points is a common barrier to EV adoption, and analysis from the Department of Transport found that as of July 2022, the North-West had 76% fewer public EV chargers per 100,000 people than in London.

HERTZ and UBER to bring 25,000 EVs to European capitals by 2025

Hertz and Uber have confirmed an expansion to their partnership which will see 25,000 EVs available to Uber drivers across Europe by 2025.

The partnership between the two brands in North America has already benefited tens of thousands of drivers on the Uber platform. To date, nearly 50,000 drivers have rented a Tesla through this program, completing more than 24 million fully-electric trips and over 260 million electric miles.

Hertz is to make up to 25,000 electric vehicles available to Uber drivers in European capital cities by 2025, with a wide range of suitable EVs to be on offer, including vehicles from Tesla and Polestar.

The European expansion of the partnership will begin in Hertz Europe’s London base in January 2023 and aims to expand to other European capitals, such as Paris and Amsterdam, throughout the year and beyond. Further details will be announced in due course.

GRIDSERVE launches fuelService assistance at Electric Forecourts

GRIDSERVE is building on its commitment to making EV charging accessible with the help of fuelService at Electric Forecourts.

The fuelService app was developed to help those with accessibility needs to be able to fuel or charge their car. Using the app, drivers can search by fuel type and location. Once the driver has selected one of the Electric Forecourts, fuelService will contact the GRIDSERVE gurus and ask them if they can help. Once assistance is confirmed, all the driver needs to do is arrive at the charger and let the app know they have arrived. To keep drivers up to date, the fuelService app will let drivers know how long assistance will be.

Niall El-Assaad, Founder of fuelService, said: “The challenges for disabled drivers remain as we transition from petrol to electric cars. It’s great news to see an organisation like GRIDSERVE making sure they are looking after disabled drivers.”

NEWS IN BRIEF

Moto has brought the number of ultra-rapid EV chargers available on its network to 211 with 12 new chargers at Moto Reading Westbound.

The new Candela C-8 ‘powered by Polestar’ is the first product from a partnership between Polestar and Candela. The two Swedish premium mobility brands reached an agreement in August 2022 for Polestar to supply batteries and technology to power Candela’s electric hydrofoil boats.

StoreDot’s has confirmed its extreme fast charging batteries are now being tested by over 15 global automotive brand manufacturers.

Italian electric vehicle manufacturer AEHRA has appointed former-Ferrari engineer Franco Cimatti as its Chief Engineering Officer.

Fortescue’s decarbonisation journey has taken a major step forward today, with WAE Technologies (WAE) completing and delivering to Australia the largest battery of its kind, ready to be installed in a prototype zero-emission battery electric mining haul truck that Fortescue it is developing with Liebherr.

TAKING

ELECTRIC VEHICLES TO THE MAX!

Last year, Mac Mackenney, the leader of expedition specialists Max Adventure, made history in the EV world when he and his team recreated Stirling Moss’s 3,600-mile journey across Europe in a fully electric vehicle.

In this special feature, Mac talks about his career so far, where the idea for the challenge came from, as well as answering a few quick fire questions, too.

Scan this QR code to listen to the full interview with Mac on the Everything EV Podcast!

Q: How did ‘Max Adventure’ start?

A: I’m ex-military. I was a trainee fighter pilot but not a very good one, so there wasn’t a plan B, so I disappeared off around Africa, driving backpackers around in a big overland truck. I didn’t have a clue what I was going to do in my life and it was almost like a delayed gap year. So off I went, came back and thought, “oh, I kind of like this adventuring thing, but I’ve got no idea how to get into it or earn money from it.” I heard about the Camel Trophy and entered into that and, I believe there was something ridiculous like 10,000 applicants, I got down to the last four and represented the UK and the International selections, but the PR girls chose a male model and an actor to represent the UK for what they call the proper tough Camel Trophies. I thought, “okay, so I love adventuring travel, and I’ve been introduced to this world of Land Rovers and extreme driving, and I love that as well, how can I put the two together?” I registered my name with the Royal Geographical Society in London to say I was a driver mechanic from my Africa days and before I joined the Air Force, I was in the Army fixing helicopters, but they used to teach you how to fix Land Rovers as well, so I’ve got quite a good mechanical background. I got a call from a deputy director of the Geographic Society saying there’s a gentleman that’s seen your CV saying you’re available for expeditions, he would like you to attend a selection weekend, and it was Sir Ranulph Fiennes, the world’s greatest living explorer. I got selected onto the team and that was in 1996.

Q: What have been some of your most memorable expeditions?

A: I’d seen in the Guinness Book of Records years ago, the record for the fastest drive from London to Cape Town. I must have been a teenager. I thought one day I’m going to beat that, but you can’t really go from nothing to racing across Africa to try and beat a record that had been held for nearly 50 years by the time we got to do it. We did a little UK record, with all the counties of the UK and Ireland sponsored by Land Rover. Then we did what was called Cape to Cape, from the top of Europe to the bottom. For another client, I was doing some work for a classic car company. I was an off-road driving and rally driving instructor. One of the clients, a very good friend of theirs was Sterling Moss and he became our patron for the London to Cape Town record. We were going to film it. So we thought we need to just practice filming; there’s no time to stop set up cameras to do a nice drive by, you’ve got to keep moving. The record’s only 13 days to get to Cape Town with 20 odd countries, 10,000 miles. I said, “well, we need to practice this, let’s go and do something.” We were

just going to go from Land’s End to John O’Groats a few times, then I found out that Sterling Moss, as well as being a racing driver and a rally driver, he was also a promotional driver for the Roots Group that owned Hillman and Humber cars. They were challenged in 1952 to visit 15 countries in Europe in less than five days to promote the newly launched Humber Super Snipe, starting in Oslo, finishing in Lisbon and going all the way out to Yugoslavia. They did it in three and a half days.

I don’t like just driving for the sake of a holiday. I like driving because there’s a purpose. You’re trying to achieve something. I’m very interested in the whole EV thing, and I’ve been pushing the EV thing for a long time. Everyone can assume a car would do 200,000 miles before you check the oil level, but I’ve always felt with EVs that same uncertainty from the public. What will happen? What’s the range like? How long will it take to charge? Do I want to invest my money into that relatively new technology? So I’ve been pushing the argument to manufacturers to do exactly what the guys did in the 1940s and fifties, but do it with EVs. And finally, Kia stepped up and said, okay, go for it. We recreated the challenge that Sterling Moss did - Could an EV do what he did? but we actually beat Sterling Moss’s time by about 47 minutes.

Mac’s Euro EV Marathon from Oslo to Lisbon

In September 2022, the Max Adventure Team completed its Euro EV Marathon having driven a fully electric Kia EV6 Air from Oslo, Norway, to Portugal, beating its original target by arriving in just 3.75 days and having added an extra country to its itinerary.

Covering 16 countries and 3,174 miles (5,109 kms) in a little over 89 hours, the challenge was designed to show how easy it is to cover huge distances in a short time using a standard EV and existing charging infrastructure. The adventure started as the team were waved off from Kia’s Norwegian headquarters in Oslo, with Kia Portugal in Lisbon welcoming the travellers at journey’s end.

The team improved on the time set by racing legend Sir Stirling Moss, who undertook the drive in 1952, by 47 minutes. This is understood to be the first time the route has been attempted in a fully electric vehicle. Having completed the epic 3,174-mile adventure, the team arrived in Lisbon to mark World EV Day on September 9th.

Q: What did you learn about EVs on that journey?

A: Prior to working with Kia, I’d never driven one before. I drove a Nissan Leaf for about a hundred yards down a runway, and that was my entire knowledge of an EV, so I was as apprehensive as everybody else about the charging. I did an awful lot of planning trying to figure out where all these charging points were, thinking it was going to be a major mathematical strategic undertaking. But within a few hours, and once you’ve charged it once and you’ve lost your charging virginity as it were, then it’s no different to driving a petrol or diesel car. It becomes very, very easy. It was far easier than I thought.

Max Adventure’s ‘Fen to Fell’ Challenge

In preparation for the Euro EV Marathon, Max Adventure took the fully electric Kia EV6 Air from Britain’s lowest road to Britain’s highest road on a single charge.

The Kia EV6 ‘GT Line S’ AWD completed the 209mile drive, with an ascent of 2791 ft., and finished with a range of 107 miles remaining. If that wasn’t enough, the Max Adventure team then decided to continue to Britain’s highest public house, the Tan Hill Inn.

To celebrate the success of the Fen to Fell drive, the team then decided that a drink in Britain’s highest pub, the Tan Hill Inn, was essential. Far from straight forward, the 31-mile trip involved the car descending 2,300 ft. before climbing to 1,732 ft. and the historic hostelry.

Finally, at the end of its challenge, and having covered 239 miles that day, the Kia EV6 still had a remarkable 86 miles remaining as indicated range. This meant that once ready to leave there was charge left to descend the Yorkshire Dales to the nearest charging point, before the team began its journey home.

Q: What challenges did you face along the way? Were there any surprises?

A: The surprise was the capability of the vehicle. We took a Kia EV6 Air before to have a little practice run so we’ve got half an idea before we just dive straight in and try and take on Sterling Moss. We drove between the highest road in the UK, just under 3000 feet, about 600 feet higher than the highest publicly accessible road in Scotland, and the lowest point in the road, just south of Peterborough. It’s a distance about 210 miles uphill the whole way.

I thought “could this car actually do 210 miles uphill continuously?” Off we go at a very steady 50 miles an hour because the book is saying at best 300 miles and at best 250, but that’s going to be with some downhill as well and we’re just going up the whole way. Anyway, we got to the top of this thing with a hundred and something miles left in the tank. It was ridiculous. It was just brilliant what the vehicle could do. It was quite easy. The hardest bit was staying awake and trying to sleep in the back, but the car breezed it.

QUICKFIRE QUESTIONS

The Max Adventure journey from Oslo to Lisbon saw Mac and his team travel to 16 countries in 89 hours 12 minutes, so we asked him 16 quickfire questions!

Favourite EV? Kia EV6 Air.

First electric car you ever drove? Nissan Leaf.

First electric car you ever drove? Mongolia. It’s huge and you’ve got it all to yourself and it’s stunningly beautiful.

Favourite holiday destination? Skiing in the Alps.

Best country to own an EV in? I think the Norwegians have got it hands down.

Which country has the best drivers? Probably the Scandinavians again, either the Norwegians or the Swedes.

Which country has the worst drivers? Mauritania wasn’t brilliant. They thought the line down the middle of the road meant that you drove your wheels should straddle it.

Country you’ve not been to yet that you want to go to? I haven’t been to South America yet. Chile, Bolivia, Argentina. I definitely want to do that one day.

Scenic route or just get there as quickly as possible? If I’m beating a record, then as fast as I can, but if not then I’ll always take the scenic route.

Playlist, radio or audiobook? Playlist. I need some good eighties tunes to keep me going.

One random thing on your bucket list? That London to New York record still needs to be beaten and I want to be the person to do it.

If you could convert one classic car to electric what would it be? I think the only classic car that that would really suit electric would be a Rolls Royce.

Dream road trip? London to Sydney.

Favourite in-car snack? Haribo Tangfastic’s.

Dream celebrity roadtrip partner? Ewan McGregor.

DENNIS DAZZLES IN MEXICO

Avalanche Andretti’s Jake Dennis produced an energy management masterclass to win the first race of Formula E’s Gen3 era.

ABB FIA FORMULA E WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP – DRIVERS’ STANDINGS

*MAGAZINE WAS PUBLISHED BEFORE ROUNDS 2 AND 3 IN DIRIYAH, SAUDI ARABIA

The Brit managed the race and the conditions perfectly to climb from second on the grid, pipping Porsche’s Pascal Wehrlein and Mahindra Racing’s Lucas Di Grassi.

With Di Grassi claiming pole earlier in the day, Dennis wasted no time in his move to the front, with the Andretti driver eventually making his way past Di Grassi on lap 12.

From there, Dennis showed no signs of slowing down and all-but cantered across the finish line, picking up the fastest lap in the process, too.

Dennis, who also sealed a win in Mexico last season, peeled away from the rest of the chasing pack, finishing seven seconds ahead of Werhelin and 11 seconds in front of Di Grassi.

It was a good day at the office for Dennis’ teammate, Andre Lotterer, who just missed out on a podium himself, finishing in fourth ahead of McLaren’s Jake Hughes, who produced a storming drive on his Formula E debut.

Envision’s Seb Buemi, who moved from Nissan this year, finished in sixth ahead of Porsche’s Antonio Felix da Costa. Jaguar’s Mitch Evans started his campaign with an eighth placed finish, coming in ahead of Envision’s Nick Cassidy and

reigning World Champion Stoffel Vandoorne of DS Penske.

“To win by that margin, to start on the front row and get a Porsche [powertrain] one-two is absolutely incredible,” Dennis said about his fourth Formula E victory. “Big shout out to my team.

“These cars are so hard to drive physically. Obviously, with a lower grip as well, it just makes everything so challenging but even more rewarding when you win you win by 7.5 seconds.

“The fans here have just been sensational on that final lap. I could really hear them cheering.”

EXTREME E GEARS UP FOR SEASON 3

Extreme E returns next month for its third season, and it’s set to be bigger than ever!

It has been almost four months since the dramatic finale to Extreme E’s second season, which concluded with Lewis Hamilton’s X44 Vida Carbon Racing pairing of Sébastien Loeb and Cristina Gutiérrez claiming the title on the very final day of the season.

SEASON 3 CALENDAR

With the series returning next month, the teams and drivers are preparing to do it all again. In this feature, we’ll preview the upcoming Season 3 calendar, as well as assessing the favourites to bring home the title in 2023!

Last year saw Extreme E embark on its most expansive calendar yet, racing across three different continents in some of the most remote destinations on the planet, and it will be more of the same this year. As always, the Extreme E calendar will begin with the traditional curtain raiser in Saudi Arabia, where the drivers will have to battle mountainous dunes and searing temperatures. Rosberg X Racing will be looking for a repeat of last season, as they started their title defense by claiming the Desert X-Prix last year. The series will then make its long-awaited return to the UK, as Round 2 will be hosted in Scotland. Extreme E has not raced in the UK since the finale of the Season 1, which was held in Dorset as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the midway point of the season, Extreme E will return to Sardinia, where it has raced in each of its past two campaigns.

The fourth X Prix of Season 3 will see Extreme E race in another new setting, with the championship heading to either the USA for its inaugural round in North America or to remote parts of Brazil. Despite being unable to compete in Brazil so far due to Covid restrictions, Extreme E has continued its legacy work in the Amazon. Extreme E has partnered with TNC

ONES TO WATCH IN 2023

The Season 2 Championship went down to the wire last year, with X44 Vida Carbon Racing beating reigning champions Rosberg X Racing to the title in dramatic fashion.

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.

Having been the most dominant team in Extreme E since its inception, Rosberg X Racing will surely be looking to regain the Championship this year, but they will have much stiffer competition once Season 3 kicks off.

With just two points separating the teams, this year looks set to be just as close, and X44 will be doing all they can to retain the title, but Hummer EV Chip Ganassi Racing, which claimed its first win of Extreme E in the first Island X-Prix last year, will also be in the mix.

Although the win came as a technicality following RXR’s Kristoffersson collision with Carlos Sainz Snr. in the early stages of the final, Hummer EV Chip Ganassi Racing certainly made an impression in its debut season, finishing fourth overall.

McLaren’s paring of Emma Gilmour and Tanner Foust will be desperate to improve this year, finishing in fifth place of the Team’s Championship in their rookie season, but with one season under their belts, they will be confident of improving this time round.

to develop its Amazon-based Legacy Programmes, which funds native forest restoration and a well-established cacao-based agroforestry programme. The final round of Season 3 will take place in a familiar setting, with Extreme E returning to Chile, where Cristina Gutiérrez and Sébastien Loeb of X44 claimed their first win of the season this year.

Alejandro Agag, CEO and Founder of Extreme E, said: “We have had two spectacular seasons of Extreme E so far and the third promises to be even more thrilling.

“All of us here at Extreme E are looking forward to revisiting some of the amazing race locations we have

visited so far, and to build on the impacts we have made in those areas and further develop our vital legacy programmes as we continue to raise awareness of the climate crisis.

“I am proud to see the positive impact our electric series has had and to see what more we can bring to the communities there.

“It is also extremely exciting to potentially add a race in the USA or Brazil to our global championship, while returning to the UK, the birthplace of top-level motor racing, is fitting. We cannot wait for the 2023 campaign to begin as the race for the planet continues.”

It is new beginning’s for JBXE this year as well, with Fraser McConnell replacing the outgoing Kevin Hansen. McConnell stood in for JBXE in the final round of last season, and with a rich background in motorsport which consists of winning the ARX2 title in 2019, Jenson Button’s side will be hoping for much better this year.

THE LATEST FACTS AND FIGURES FROM THE EV INDUSTRY EV IN-DEPTH:

EV RUNNING COSTS CHEAPER THAN CRITICS’ CLAIM

EV costs actually rose only marginally in the past three months despite claims to the contrary, a new survey has found.

According to EV charging firm Mina’s EV Report – Autumn 22, motorists who could charge at home saw real life costs rise by only 4p per kWh since the end of last summer to an average of 30p per kWh.

For those that need to charge in public though, the story was different, with an average price rise of 14p to 70p per kWh over the same period.

Mina’s data across more than 60,000 charging events showed the average price of home electricity for EVs stayed level during September at 26p, then rose to 30p in October, and 31p in November.

“The claims that the cost of running an EV is now matching, or costs more, than petrol and diesel, is just not accurate when you look at how people really charge,” said Mina CEO Ashley Tate.

“Our data shows that home is by far the main source of electricity for most drivers, with 92% of all charging undertaken there.

“Home charging is still incredibly good value, and our data shows that there is scope for more savings because the 30p per kWh average suggests not enough drivers are accessing the much lower EV-specific or off-peak tariffs available.

“But even at the current 30p per kWh average, a 70 kWh capacity EV being charged fully at home in September would have cost, on average, £18.20. By late November it would have been £21.70. Assuming a 250-mile range, that’s an average increase of only 1.4p per mile.”

When the increasing efficiency of new electric cars is factored in, Mina has found that the average real-life pence per mile cost across all journeys only went up 2p per mile during those three months.

“Even with the on-set of winter affecting battery efficiency and the electricity price rises, the increasing number of new, more efficient cars and drivers getting smarter about how they use and charge them has seen real-life, onthe-road costs rise only marginally. It doesn’t play to the vocal number of EV critics, but this is the reality,” Tate added.

One issue that still hits drivers though is the Advisory Electricity Rate for business mileage reimbursement. Mina’s analysis found that despite the rise

to 8p per mile in the autumn, 80% of all journeys charged at home (and 100% of public charging) still cost more, meaning business drivers would be out of pocket using today’s rate. When compared to the previous 5ppm AER figure, a staggering 96% of charges at home, and 100% in public, were over this rate.

Mina’s data also allows it to see behavioural trends, and in the vast majority of cases public charging is being used as a top up rather than for a full charge. In that sector, prices have risen far quicker because unlike home electricity, which is capped, public charging energy is not so providers have no choice but to pass it on.

They have also been hit by increased business rates and all the other inflationary issues that companies face: rising maintenance costs, wages and interest rates. Added to which is that through the autumn and winter there is usually less cheap renewable energy available.

“Yes, there is a need for public charging, and costs have risen in that sector, but when you look at real- life examples rather than making theoretical assumptions, the vast majority of EV drivers aren’t doing full charges in public, which mitigates against the price rises,” Tate added.

KEY FINDINGS FROM THE MINA EV REPORT – AUTUMN 22:

The average cost of home charging was 30p per kWh, up 4p from the summer.

Public charging rose 14p, to 70p per kWh. 92% of all charging is undertaken at home. 80% of all journeys charged at home, and 100% of public plug-ins, cost more than the Government’s 8p per mile Advisory Electricity Rate. The peak plug-in time on the UK’s public network is between 7 and 8am on weekdays, and the second busiest time is between 11am and midday. There are more than 800 home electricity tariffs, making it confusing for drivers to pick the right one for them.

In this feature, we look at two recent reports which uncover interesting facts, figures and truths from within the EV industry.

GOVERNMENT ON TRACK TO HIT EV CHARGER TARGETS

The government is on track to reach its target of 300,000 public chargers for electric cars by 2030, a report by New AutoMotive has found.

On the Road to 2030, a new report by New AutoMotive, provides the first clear snapshot of the UK’s charging infrastructure network, but findings show that industry uncertainty over future demand for electric vehicles (EVs) was holding back growth in charger numbers.

It pinpointed the government’s Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate as a key guarantee of EV supply, meaning future demand could be matched and ensuring the charging network grows quickly.

A major barrier identified by the report is a lack of clarity around future demand amongst industry stakeholders. The forthcoming ZEV mandate is the government’s most effective means of driving EV uptake by ensuring the supply of electric cars, providing industry with certainty around future demand, and thus ensuring that the UK’s public charging network continues to expand at pace.

Many of the barriers identified in the report have slowed charge point installations in recent months. In some cases, the report found reasons for optimism that these would cease to be a problem in the future. Other barriers explored by the report included:

REGULATORY CHANGES.

The report found that recent changes to regulation around installing and operating charge points had disrupted some charging infrastructure operators’ plans in the short term, but that this should cease to be a problem in 2023.

ELECTRICAL CONNECTION COSTS.

A key barrier to installing additional infrastructure identified by the report has been the cost of upgrading local electricity connections to accommodate higher usage. The report finds that a recent decision by Ofgem to reform charges for electrical grid connections should reduce a significant barrier to future new charge points being installed.

LAND ACCESS AND PLANNING PERMISSION.

Another barrier identified by the report is the difficulty in securing permission to lay new electrical cabling across land. The government recently consulted on reforming access rights to remove this barrier, and the report urges the government to proceed with this work in 2023.

UK CHARGING ROLLOUT ON TRACK

The report has found that the UK’s infrastructure rollout is on course to meet key government targets. Based on current trends and available data, New AutoMotive project the public network will continue to grow in the lead up to 2030, delivering the government’s goal of 300,000 chargers.

Additionally, New AutoMotive has calculated that charging via the public network often offers significant running cost savings for electric car owners. Electric cars charged at 68.7p/kWh work out cheaper to run per mile than diesel and petrol cars, and around seven in ten public chargers are below this price point. The average cost of charging via Podpoint (47p/kWh), Chargeplace Scotland (30p/kWh), Ubitricty (42p/kWh), and BpPulse (52p/kWh), collectively the four largest public providers in the UK, all fall well below this figure, meaning they offer significant running cost savings to motorists.

Ciara Cook, Research & Policy Officer at New AutoMotive, commented: “Before they make the switch to an electric car, motorists need the confidence that they will be able to charge their cars when and where they need to. There have been a lot of concerns recently about the UK’s electric car charging infrastructure. This report represents the most comprehensive examination thus far carried out on the UK’s fledgling charging infrastructure industry. The findings are reassuring, especially given recent concerns around the rate of network growth.

“The network is not perfect – it is still a work in progress, and there are definitely still teething problems with both the existing infrastructure and the rollout of new infrastructure. However, the rollout is progressing at an adequate pace, growing by a third every 12 months, and the UK is on track to meet the government’s target of 300,000 public chargers by 2030.”

“The government can speed up the rate of the network’s growth by addressing the barriers identified in this report. The most crucial barrier the government can help industry overcome is uncertainty about future demand for public charging services. The forthcoming ZEV mandate is the most powerful tool at the government’s disposal as it seeks to overcome these barriers; it will ensure the supply of EVs in the UK meets demand, resulting in more electric cars on the road, and providing the charging infrastructure industry the security and certainty it requires to continue to grow at pace.”

The UK is on track to meet the government’s target of 300,000 public chargers by 2030.

High-performance and luxury car specialist Clive Sutton has brought the first GMC Hummer EV Pickup to the UK, and we’ve got an exclusive first look at this fully electric, 1,000hp beast!

The electric vehicle market, and indeed the EV conversion industry, has seen some classic gas-guzzling machines transformed into fully-electric, zero-emission alternatives. And whilst many hardline petrolheads will claim that ripping out the engine of their much-loved classic cars and replacing them with electric motors is nothing short of sacrilege, the end result is usually a tasteful reimagining of an iconic motor, which has been given a new lease of life in this new age of electrification.

Although the majority of EV conversions are delicate reimagining’s of beautiful antiques, the electric Hummer from London-based retailer Clive Sutton is about as delicate as a chokeslam from a WWE Superstar.

The all-new, high performance GMC Hummer EV Pickup has touched down in the UK, and it signals a new era for the electric vehicle market. This could finally be the EV that turns the head of even the most ardent EV-despiser.

Clive Sutton, Founder and CEO, commented on the arrival of the Hummer in November last year. He said: “As soon as the GMC Hummer EV was announced our customers have been desperate to see the model in the UK!

“Now that we have imported the first one, we anticipate orders outstripping supply as buyers clamour to be among the first in Europe to own this electric supertruck.”

NOTHING BUT SIZE

Electric vehicles are slowly creeping up in size, with a bourgeoning SUV market and off-road brands like Rivian also getting in on the act with their battery-powered pick-ups. In many ways then, it is the perfect time for the Hummer EV.

If you thought the Rivian was big, then this thing will blow you away. Measuring 2.0 meters high, 2.34m wide, and more than 5.5m long, the Hummer also offers up to 16” ground clearance, depending on the spec.

It is available as a traditional pickup and also as an SUV, with an Extract mode offering additional benefits such as an air suspension that works to optimise aerodynamics by lowering the car at motorway speeds. Specially engineered 35” Goodyear Wrangler Territory tires are suitably large, for an optimal balance of on- and off-road performance. As EV Powered’s Managing Director Richard Alvin states in our exclusive first look at the Hummer EV, this thing is going to be fun in car parks, but it will be most at home off-road, thanks to its ‘extreme off-road capabilities’, according to GMC.

Watch our exclusive first look at the Hummer EV on the EV Powered YouTube channel

Standard independent front and rear suspensions will enable off-pavement handling and highway comfort, while front e-lockers and virtual rear lockers will optimize traction for the harshest of terrains. Heavy-duty ball-spine half shafts will help maximise articulation and reduce unwanted steering feedback during hard cornering and off-roading.

It is also protected with full underbody armour, rock sliders and the optional ‘Ultravision’ system, which utilises 18 cameras to provide every possible viewpoint, enabling accurate navigation around obstacles or in tight spaces. Four-wheel steer also helps the Hummer EV reduce its turning radius, with GMC claiming “nimble maneuverability similar to a compact sedan.”

In terms of design, the GMC Hummer EV stays as close to the core DNA of Hummer as possible, with a few tweaks here and there to welcome its new era of electrification. Both the SUV and pickup versions feature a headlight display which showcase unique animations as you approach or depart and whilst charging, too.

The pickups Multi-Pro tailgate helps improve accessing, loading and unloading from the spacious cargo bed. This is replaced by Power Rear Drop Glass with transparent sky panels on the SUV version.

POWER, POWER AND MORE POWER

The fully-electric truck pairs more than 350 miles of zero-emission range and with 1,000hp and 1,200lb-ft torque delivered by three electric motors (two for each rear wheel and one shared across the front axle) the electric Hummer can hit 60mph in just 3.3 seconds.

The performance package differs slightly depending on the spec, with the SUV offering slightly less horsepower than the pickup variant, with just 830hp, but both models will offer up to 11,5000 lb to feet of available torque. The SUV option will also have a decreased range of 300 miles, with the pickup offering the full 350 miles.

The electric drivetrain is powered by GMC’s new ‘Ultium’ battery pack, which will be able to support 350kW DC fast-charging, meaning you will be able to recoup around 100 miles of range in just ten minutes.

INSIDE THE HUMMER EV

The interior of the Hummer EV is dominated by a 12.3” diagonal colour Driver Information Centre display and the centre mounted 13.4” diagonal colour touch-screen position customizable data, settings and controls within the drivers reach.

Two trims are available – Lunar Shadow and Lunar Hoirzon – which give the interior of this car an appropriately cool appearance, with either bronze or light grey accents offsetting the otherwise jet-black seats and furnishings.

All-weather flooring is combined with a cargo area that includes rear flat folding seats, with other handy touches such as a 110-volt power outlet, cargo tie-downs and a large storage compartment on the driver side rear quarter panel. A Bose 14-speaker audio system featuring Centerpoint with the Electric Vehicle Sound Enhancement (EVSE) is also included on both specs “to create a multisensory experience” for the Hummer EV cabin.

For a car that is all about size, there is a surprising lack of legroom in the back, although headroom shouldn’t be an issue as you can take the roof off if need (and if the weather in the UK permits). The ‘sky panels’, also known as the roof, can be stowed either in the back or the ‘power eTrunk’ up front.

HUMMER EV REVIEW

HUMMER EV STAT PACK

25 HUMMER EV REVIEW

BUILT FOR OFF-ROAD

Although we were unable to drive this car as part of our review, GMC has detailed specific attributes of the Hummer EV that make it perfect for off-roading.

The vehicles trademarked ‘CrabWalk’ setting utilizes the Hummer’s 4-Wheel steer (its rear wheels can turn up to ten degrees in either direction) to drive diagonally at low speeds, helping it traverse tight trails “with a capability that no other competitive pickup will match,” according to GMC.

The ‘Extract’ mode, available in the SUV spec, also activates the Hummer’s Adaptive Air Ride suspension to raise approximately 6” to ease through (and over) touch obstacles, from fording water to large boulders.

The Hummer’s UltraVision technology – with up to eighteen cameras on the pickup and seventeen on the SUV – include a waterproof underbody forward-and-rear facing cameras for real-time views of the terrain to help you pick the best line along the trail. A washer function and replaceable lens protectors help you see clearly whilst navigating your way through any environment.

Offering the latest version of Super Cruise, the Hummer EV with driver-assistance technology for hands-free driving and automatic lane change works on 200,00 compatible roads, and all Hummer EVs come with a threeyear subscription to this tech.

WANT ONE?

When the Hummer lands in the UK, it costs substantially more with international shipping, VAT duty, local registration fees, and vehicle conformity testing taken into account. So, the Edition 1 model costs around £320k onthe-road (subject to the US price and current exchange rates). Within the price the Sutton team handles the entire process from end-to-end providing a manufacturer-style experience for customers. The Sutton team also offers a two-year / 50,000-mile warranty with each Hummer EV.

EV Powered’s e-bike specialist

Richard Alvin puts the Zooz Urban Ultralight 250 under the spotlight.

ZOOZ URBAN ULTRALIGHT 250 REVIEW

The Zooz Urban Ultralight borrows its design from the classic BMXs of the 1980s and its 24-inch cruiser-class wheels bring usability into the equation too. An epically long chopper-style seat sans backrest, that also doubles up as a cover for the large removable battery, rounds out the build.

With an unmovable saddle, the Zooz isn’t exactly what you’d call practical, and neither is it a full-on BMX like the 29-inch wheeled GT Power Performer I tested back in the summer.

The Zooz Urban comes in three models – this 250W version that complies with UK electric bike laws, and two much more powerful 750W and 1,100W options. UK electric bike laws mean the latter two would be illegal to use on the roads because they’re not classed as an EAPC. For US readers, the more powerful options will add both speed and range.

Images courtesy of Zooz Bikes

E-BIKE REVIEW

ZOOZ URBAN ULTRALIGHT 250 RIDE IMPRESSIONS

It’s not designed for long rides to work, like the best bikes for commuting, though the 576Wh battery has given me an exceptional range of 45 miles or more between charges.

The Zooz has nimble handling, and the steep head angle and tall bars will be familiar instantly to anyone with any BMX experience in their past (even distant past, in my case).

The big, rounded Kenda tyres have plenty of grip, so you can zip the bike through corners, or even carve your local skatepark with confidence.

The Zooz is great fun when sweeping through traffic, taking shortcuts down steps, launching off curbs and cutting through parks.

ZOOZ URBAN ULTRALIGHT 250 MOTOR

The rear-hub motor has plenty of punch and I was impressed by how smoothly it picks up.

Unlike most rear-hub electric bike motors, which usually incorporate sensors into the hub itself, the Zooz uses pedal sensors to power up.

The bike comes with a throttle that’s designed to assist you getting away from the lights, or to provide a gentle uphill boost.

Assistance can be switched between five levels via two buttons on an LCD control unit.

This unit is a familiar off-the-peg model I’ve seen on other similar-priced electric bikes from the likes of Mycle. It’s robust and easy to use.

The display shows speed, mileage and battery life, and you can scroll through average and maximum speed, and voltage.

The five modes feel distinctly different. I found riding around in mode three gave the best balance of power to range, but the Zooz isn’t designed for sensible range-busting riding. To enjoy the bike as intended, I would encourage you to whack it up to full power and make the most of the powerful motor to zip through traffic.

The lower modes are best reserved for sit-down steady cruising on the way to the coffee shop or bar.

ZOOZ URBAN ULTRALIGHT 250 SPECIFICATIONS

The Zooz build kit is comprised of good solid stuff.

I was impressed by the Zooz-branded hydraulic disc brakes working on nicely waved and machined 160mm steel rotors.

The braking is powerful yet controlled, and you can lock the rear wheel for some proper sideways BMX-style cornering on dirt.

The single gear is fine for round-town riding and gentle hills, though I was happy to have the throttle fitted when I tried a couple of steep local climbs to see how the Zooz faired.

The big, long bench of a saddle is plush and comfortable. However, because it’s fixed at one height, it makes pedalling something of an oddity when seated. If you’re not as tall as me, you’ll probably find it a much easier proposition.

The broad seat initially feels weird when standing and pedalling because you can feel it on your inseam.

I soon got used to it and found myself using the plush seat as something to brace my leg on leaning into turns when my riding got spirited.

Though it’s called the Ultralight, the Zooz really isn’t at over 20kg, but I never found it overly heavy.

Its compact shape is easy to move around, and the big seat gives you plenty to hold onto.

The weight distribution with the battery set in its midriff means it’s easy to lift up and wheelie around too.

ZOOZ URBAN ULTRALIGHT 250 BOTTOM LINE

Overall, the Zooz is a bike that absolutely should not work. It’s not that practical, it’s not that light, and it only comes in one size.

Despite all of that, it’s one of the most fun ebikes I’ve tried to date.

Cruising around and sitting on the plush couch of a seat that’s long enough to give a friend a lift is bound to put a smile on your face.

Stand up and spin the cranks and you have a slice of bicycle motocross fun that’s as at home in the city as it is on a track or skatepark.

The sensible side of my psyche couldn’t really muster up a reason to buy the Zooz over a similarly priced practical ebike with lights, racks and mudguards, but I want the Zooz over any of those grown-up options.

So, I fully recommend embracing your inner child and having fun on this classy cruiser. It’ll make you smile every time you sling a leg over that twofoot long saddle.

TOP TEN EV Finds at CES 2023

Global tech giants descended on Las Vegas in January to showcase their new gadgets and innovations. Electric vehicles were the centre of attention at the four-day event, and we have compiled a list of the ten best pieces of electric vehicle tech on display at CES 2023.

PEUGEOT REVEALS INCEPTION CONCEPT

Peugeot has unveiled the INCEPTION CONCEPT, heralding a new era for the brand and embodying its vision for future electric vehicles.

Featuring a revolutionary exterior and interior design, including the next-generation Peugeot i-Cockpit and innovative Hypersquare control

system with steer-by-wire technology, the INCEPTION CONCEPT will inspire Peugeot’s future products from 2025, with the goal of bringing most of its innovations to production.

Based on the STLA Large platform, the fully electric INCEPTION CONCEPT is powered by a 100kWh battery

providing a range of 497 miles. With two electric motors, the INCEPTION CONCEPT produces almost 680hp and accelerates from 0-62mph in under three seconds. The model also features 800V technology, enabling it to add 93 miles of range in just five minutes, and is capable of wireless induction charging.

Linda Jackson, CEO of the Peugeot brand, said: “Peugeot is committed to the electrification of its range. In 2023, our entire line-up will be electrified and in the next two years, five new 100% electric models will be launched. Our ambition is simple: to make Peugeot the leading electric brand in Europe by 2030. This objective and ambitious vision pave the way for a radical transformation for the brand, as represented by the INCEPTION CONCEPT.”

The Peugeot INCEPTION CONCEPT is a showcase of the new techniques Peugeot will introduce to reduce its carbon footprint by more than 50% by 2030 in Europe and to become fully Carbon Net Zero by 2038.

Over the next two years, Peugeot will launch five new 100% electric models and by 2030, all Peugeot cars sold in Europe will be electric.

HYUNDAI FLYING CAR

Electric vertical take-off and landing – or eVTOL – vehicles were a key theme throughout CES 2023, and Hyundai and Uber’s SA-1 concept was one of the most eyecatching aircrafts on display.

According to the Hyundia and Uber, the SA-1 could be set to take to the skies this year, with Eric Allison, the head of Uber Elevate, claiming that Hyundai could build Uber Air vehicles “at rates unseen in the current aerospace industry”

and contribute to the company’s plans to launch an air taxi service.

The SA-1 can fly at speeds up to 180 miles for a range of 80 miles, with plans for the vehicle to be autonomous one day. The

eVTOL would also take just seven minutes to recharge, and guests at CES were able to experience the being inside the SA-1 thanks to a virtual reality demonstration hosted by Hyundai.

Image credit: Hyundai

HYUNDAI IONIQ 5 ROBOTAXI

Hyundai, along with Motional - a joint venture from Hyundai and Aptiv – also revealed their latest driverless IONIQ 5 based robotaxi at the CES convention.

Based on the all-electric Hyundai IONIQ 5, the robotaxi is an SAE Level 4 autonomous vehicle that can operate without a driver. The fully-electric vehicle will feature 30 sensors to give the vehicles 360-degree vision, as well as the redundant coverage needed for operating safely in a wide range of driving environments. Combining the input from different types

of sensors allows them all to support one another by combining their strengths to give a full, comprehensive view of the world. For example, radar isn’t impacted by weather, LiDAR provides range and distance data, and cameras can identify different objects.

With plans for the IONIQ 5 robotaxi to launch this year, Motional confirmed that the vehicle will first be available in Los Angeles, before rolling out to other cities.

BMW IVISION DEE

Perhaps the most viral electric car from the CES 2023 show is BMW’s ‘colour changing car,’ the iVision Dee.

The futuristic mid-size sedan turned a lot of heads when it pulled onto the stage in Las Vegas, and it soon did the rounds on social media when BMW demonstrated its ‘Digital Emotional Experience’ – Dee – which is represented by the car’s colour changing technology, with the body of the car able to switch between 32 different shades.

“With the BMW i Vision Dee, we are showcasing what is possible when hardware and software merge. In this way, we are able to exploit the full potential of digitalisation to transform the car into an intelligent companion. That is the future for automotive manufacturers – and, also, for BMW: the fusion of the virtual experience with genuine driving pleasure,” said Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG. “At the same time, BMW i Vision Dee is another step on the road to the NEUE KLASSE. With this vision, we

are looking far into the future and underlining the tremendous importance of digitalisation for our upcoming product generations.”

The vehicle will also feature an innovative head-up display which will extend across the whole windscreen, something BMW has already confirmed will be available in the models of the Neue Klasse platform of models released towards the middle of the decade. Production for the iVision Dee is scheduled for 2025 and will be the successor to the manufacturer’s i3 saloon.

MERCEDES’ ‘AVATAR’ INSPIRED CAR

Movie director James Cameron has shifted his attention from creating masterpieces on the big screen to creating masterpieces for the road. Cameron has worked alongside Mercedes-Benz to create the concept ‘AVTR’ – an electric vehicle inspired by the recently released Avatar sequel.

The concept – which will not enter production any time soon, if at all – features spherical wheels which were based on seeds from the films ‘Tree of Souls’, and the body of the car also features 33 “bionic flaps” which supposedly represent scales. The car will also be completely

BYTON M-BYTE

From the ridiculous to the realistic, new Chinese electric vehicle brand Byton unveiled its M-Byte which is set to rival the likes of the BMW X3 with a burly frame but with a 268-hp electric motor and a 0-60mph time of 7.5 seconds.

Whilst the exterior of the car is modest in comparison to the other vehicles on display at

CES, the M-Byte’s interior is fittingly futuristic with a 48-inch infotainment screen which stretches all the way across the dashboard, which it claims will be the largest infotainment screen ever used in a production vehicle.

The steering wheel will also feature another tablet-styled screen, with the passenger also

autonomous, hence the lack of steering wheel. The car may just be a bit of fun between Mercedes and James Cameron, but it represents the direction of the electric vehicle industry and the endless possibilities available to it.

Image credit: Byton

able to interact with the display using their very own touchpad.

Details on production and a release date are few and far between, however Byton have confirmed the range of the vehicle, with 72-kWh and 95-kWh variants offering ranges of 224 miles and 286 miles respectively.

HOLON AUTONOMOUS ‘MOVER’

Benteler-owned Holon has showcased its autonomous ‘Mover’ shuttle designed for ride-hailing and ride-sharing applications.

It might be hard to imagine considering its boxy, toaster-inspired design, but these ‘Mover’s’ are part of a collaboration with Pininfarina, the Italian design company responsible for the Pininfarina Battista hypercar.

The Mover won’t quite be able to keep up with the Battista’s top speed of 217mph, far from it – it will be limited to approximately 37mph with a range of 180 miles and level four autonomous driving, although full technical information has not yet been released.

Holon plans to begin manufacturing of the Mover in the United States in 2025, with plans for factories in Europe, Asia and/or the Middle East to also build the Mover in the future.

SONY HONDA MOBILITY’S AFEELA

There has been a lot of speculation surrounding Sony’s venture into the EV market ever since the tech giant conformed plans to manufacturer electric vehicles in January 2022. With the launch of Sony Mobility followed by a partnership with Honda to develop its first EV ready for 2025, the company used CES 2023 to unveil a new autonomous concept car.

Sony expects autonomous vehicles to be the “mega-trend” of the decade, and so Sony Honda

Mobility took to the CES 2023 stage to pull the covers off ‘Afeela’. Previously named ‘Vision S’, the vehicle will contain 45 cameras and sensors, ranging from lidar to radar and in-car cameras.

As expected, Sony is staying close to its tech-routes with the introduction of a huge, dashboard-length infotainment screen, and the vehicle’s capabilities will supposedly be able to cope with up to 800 trillion (yes, trillion) operations per second.

Sony Honda Mobility will also use augmented reality and cloud data, as well as partnering with Epic Games to “seamlessly integrating real and virtual worlds, and exploring new entertainment possibilities through digital innovations such as the metaverse.”

Deliveries of the new electric sedan are expected for 2026 in North America, with pre-orders open from the first half of 2025.

Sony Honda Mobility Representative Director, Chairman and CEO Yasuhide Mizuno

POLESTAR VEHICLES TO GAIN

LATEST IN-CAR GOOGLE TECH

Polestar vehicles will benefit from the latest enhancements and developments showcased by Google at CES 2023.

Developments include Google’s new HD map that will debut in Polestar 3, and the roll-out of remote actions for Polestar 2.

“These developments are the direct result of our strong relationship with Google and show the advantages of integrating the innovative Android Automotive OS in our cars,” said Thomas Ingenlath, Polestar CEO.

Polestar 3 is planned to be the first car in the world to feature Google’s new HD map – a comprehensive map that provides highly

detailed and up-to-date road information. With the HD map, Polestar will be able to combine its vehicle sensor technology and Google’s precise lane-level and localisation data to facilitate driver assistance features like Pilot Assist, as well as future autonomous driving functionality.

An HD map is a highly precise map that contains details not normally available in traditional maps. The enhanced level of detail is critical for assisted driving computation, improving recognition of details like lane markings and localisation objects, including road signs.

“Building on our long history of mapping the world, Google’s new HD map is designed

VOLKSWAGEN ID.7!

One of the highlights of CES 2023 was the official unveiling of the Volkswagen ID.7! the manufacturer’s first fully-electric sedan based on the modular electric drive matrix (MEB).

According to Volkswagen, the brand-new EV, which was camouflaged for its public debut, follows the design language of the fully electric ID. model family with an aerodynamic front section and roof, which both help to reduce energy consumption and increase the range up to 434 miles

The interior of the vehicle will feature a new display concept, with an augmented reality headup display as well as a 38-centimeter (15-inch)

screen. The new air conditioning concept with intelligent vents offers a number of functions. For instance, the ID.7 can detect when the driver is approaching based on their key and will already start to cool the interior on hot summer days or heat the interior on cold days before the driver gets into the vehicle.

“With the new ID.7, we are extending our electric model range into the upper segments. The sedan will offer top-class technology and quality. The ID.7 is one of ten new electric models that we are planning to launch by 2026. Our goal? To deliver suitable products for our customers in every

specifically for automakers and we’re excited to continue partnering with leading car manufacturers like Polestar to improve the safety and comfort of drivers everywhere,” said Jorgen Behrens, VP and General Manager of Geo Automotive at Google.

Polestar 2 owners can now control their car remotely using a compatible Google Assistantenabled device, with the introduction of remote actions. This enables the ability to check vehicle status and control certain functions like starting climate preconditioning, checking battery status and unlocking doors, amongst other functions. Initially available to users in the United States, functionality will roll out for more markets over time.

single segment,” said Thomas Schäfer, CEO of Volkswagen Passenger Cars.

After the ID.3, ID.4, ID.5 and ID.6 (only in China) models and the new ID. Buzz, the ID.7 will be the sixth model from the ID. family and is Volkswagen’s second global car to be based on the MEB after the ID.4. It is planned to launch the electric sedan in the three primary markets of China, Europe and North America. The ID.7 for the European market will be produced at the Volkswagen Emden plant. After the ID.4, it will be the second model based on the modular electric drive matrix to be built in Emden.

DRIVING GENDER

DIVERSITY

EV charging infrastructure is a significant cog in the machine that is building an electric future. The scale of the challenge and the pace of change required to switch to electric vehicles has formed a fast moving and exciting industry; striving to be innovative with the welfare of the environment at its core.

As the Legal Director at Liberty Charge, a charge point operator (CPO) on a mission to deliver the UK’s most reliable and publicly accessible EV charging network, I need to ensure that sparks don’t fly, and when they do, that they’re in the right direction. The most important part of my role is to work with the senior leadership team to define what “good looks like” and to turn strategies into action by shaping, negotiating and driving projects to completion.

In what is a relatively new industry, this provides an exciting opportunity to build best practice and ways of working. As a woman, my role as Legal Director and as a member of the leadership team provides a valuable opportunity to rewrite and undo stereotypes about women working within the automotive industry.

LACK OF DIVERSITY

With a background in the acquisition and deployment of mobile telecommunications networks, I have worked in a male-dominated industry of engineers, builders, and surveyors. I quickly learnt how to voice my opinions and be heard, particularly in board rooms and project negotiations. Although it wasn’t without its challenges, I generally have had positive experiences. However, I understand this is not the experience of all women in working in this industry.

Traditionally both the automotive and legal sectors have been male dominated, and in the EV

Amanda Pun, Legal Director at Liberty Charge,

world, you see a perpetuated myth that women aren’t passionate about vehicles, technology, or the engineering that creates reliable, sustainable infrastructure. And in law, when thinking of a lawyer or judge, many imagine a strong male protagonist. However, in recent times these myths are being dispelled.

This is crucial in encouraging more women into these sectors.

By not encouraging women to occupy roles in the automotive, engineering and legal sectors, businesses are in danger of missing out on a talent pool that offers different perspectives, experiences and knowledge. Poor gender equity isn’t only a negative in terms of providing equal opportunity, it’s also bad for business.

Visible gender diversity, “seeing is believing” is vital, and the more opportunities women are given to become a part of this industry, the more will follow, and I firmly believe that having more women at the table offers a richer discussion.

ACCELERATING CHANGE

As it is at the start of its journey, the EV charging infrastructure industry has a valuable opportunity to unravel unhelpful stereotypes and gender bias in the workplace, thereby ensuring it is robust and sustainable for the future. To do this,

it’s crucial that women have a seat at the table, especially in leadership positions.

Having a diverse workforce means that CPOs can better represent the society they serve, and therefore have a better understanding of EV drivers and their needs.

I’m proud that at Liberty Charge our workforce is 50% female. From engineers to marketing, sales to operations, and within the leadership team women are key to the development and roll-out of our EV charging network.

Certainly, looking at the industry through a legal lens, my assertive character and experiences have stood me in good stead to understand what both the business and our diverse range of stakeholders require when advising on strategy, negotiating contracts and managing any differences of opinion.

Looking to the future, we’re committed to defining best practice. Liberty Charge is looking at initiatives to ensure diversity and inclusion are a vital element in its success and longevity.

I’m excited to be a part of an industry that is not only facilitating our switch to an electric future, but one that is helping switch the narrative on women in historically male-dominated industries, actively encouraging women to follow their interests and passions and not be held back by the stereotypes of yesteryear.

discusses the role of women in the EV industry and the importance of gender diversity within the automotive sector.

THE ‘NEW WAVES’ OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES BY McLAREN APPLIED

Stephen Lambert, Head of Automotive Electrification at McLaren Applied, talks about the challenges the industry has faced over the past few years, how electric motorsport has influenced the new age of EVs, and what the future of the sector might look like.

McLaren is one of the biggest names in the automotive sector and is one of the most successful motorsport brands of all time, and large part of that success can be attributed to McLaren Applied, which develops and delivers advanced engineering and technology solutions.

McLaren Applied is also at the heart of the company’s commitment to electrification, too. In the year that McLaren makes its debut in Formula E and continues its journey in Extreme E, the manufacturer’s future is very much an electric one.

Stephen Lambert is spearheading that journey, and in his role as Head of Automotive Electrification at McLaren Applied, Stephen has helped develop and accelerate the move to electric vehicles, such as developing inverters and power electronics for EVs.

Speaking on The Everything EV Podcast, Stephen spoke about the influence that motorsport has on the wider automotive sector and the challenges the industry has faced through the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as supply chain issues like the semiconductor shortage.

However, having worked in the industry for over 20 years, Stephen has seen the growth of the electric vehicle industry first hand, from the early adopter stage to the “third wave” of EVs that we are about to see.

Stephen said: “I spent some time in in Formula One myself and McLaren Racing, and Formula One is a great place to really develop technology and to understand it. A lot of the learning that we get from that directly trickles down into mainstream automotive. One example is Formula One, and Formula E to some extent, but Formula One is all about efficiency, so the electric systems and the hybrid systems are all about increasing the efficiency of the drivetrain.

“All the cars are the same apart from the driver and the drivetrain. You’re limited on power, so the efficiency is the key differentiator. Similarly, in Formula One, the Energy Recovery System (ERS) is there to make the engine more efficient, so you need less fuel. You’re not allowed to refuel anymore, so if you can carry less fuel, you’ll be lighter and therefore you’ll be faster. And what we’re seeing now is a parallel happening in the automotive industry where we like to call it the third wave of automotive. The first wave was the Tesla’s, the Fisker’s, where you have early adopters coming into the market with EV technology and EV vehicles.

We’re in the second wave at the moment, which is where there’s a scramble to bring vehicles to market, and you can’t go into a dealership now without seeing an electric vehicle and then very soon we’re going to transition into the third wave, which is all about efficiency.

SCAN THIS QR CODE TO LISTEN TO THE EVERYTHING EV PODCAST WITH STEPHEN LAMBERT.

“To make these electric vehicles more competitive as more of them come onto the market, they’re going to be more efficient, meaning a smaller battery, so the buying cost is less. More efficiency means less energy needed to go at given range, so your recharge time is going to be less to go given range. More efficiency means your components can be smaller, so it will be lighter and will need less energy, and there’ll be more passenger space, for example, or the cars will be smaller or have a smaller coefficient of drag, so efficiency has a really, really big impact.”

Stephen also looked ahead to the fourth wave of electric vehicles: “We’re expecting the 4th wave of electrification to be around vehicle driveability and controllability. EV’s can be a little one-dimensional. They accelerate very fast. But perhaps don’t have a lot of character, so we’re expecting the 4th wave to be around control, character and drivability. Engineering these into the vehicle and a lot of the work we’re doing at McLaren applied is enabling our drivetrains to have more character through software, which will help the automotive industry as well.”

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EV CHARGING 2023 TRENDS FOR

The latest news and updates for everything Electric Home

Three times as many HEAT PUMP ENGINEERS needed to hit net zero targets

The Energy and Utilities Alliance (EUA) estimates almost three times as many installers than planned for will be required if the Government is to meet its targets for rolling out electric heat pumps.

Mike Foster, chief executive of the EUA, says underestimating the number of workers “deals a hammer blow” to the heat pump rollout ambitions.

He added: “The world and his dog know it takes considerably longer to fit a heat pump than replace a gas boiler, yet it seems this basic fact has been ignored by Whitehall officials desperate to stick to a plan no one believes in.”

Most homes in Britain are heated by gas-fired boilers, but this is a major source of carbon emissions and will need to change if thc country is to meet its aim of net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Replacing gas boilers with electric heat pumps is one way to do this, and the Government wants roughly 600,000 to be installed each year by 2028.

It has pointed to research by the Heat Pump Assocation, a rival trade group, in 2020 which indicates about 50,200 heat pump installers will be needed by 2030, climbing to 69,500 by 2035. However, the EUA argues the figure is likely to be more than 140,000 by 2028 to hit the roll-out target, given the time it takes to fit heat pumps and the other work and admin tasks that generally occupy a heating installer’s time.

Mr Foster added: “We are both suggesting that the target figure is wrong and won’t deliver 600,000 heat pumps a year and also suggesting ways in which the industry can help the government train more installers.” More than 40,000 heat pumps were installed in the UK in 2021.

The Heat Pump Association, which said its members represent 95pc of the heat pump market by manufacturing share, said it was “confident that the resources are in place to meet government heat pump installation targets and

that the installer base is robust enough to help ramp up heat pump deployment”.

A spokesman for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial strategy said heating engineers could train to install heat pumps in one week, adding there are more than 110,000 domestic heating engineers in the UK.

The spokesman added it was confident its plans would “deliver the skilled workforce we need as

we accelerate our progress towards net-zero greenhouse gas emissions”.

He added: “Industry groups are confident of enough capacity to train installers as heat pump deployment increases.

“The Heat Pump Association has estimated that we will need at least 50,200 heat pump installers by 2030 and their modelling accounts for the time taken to install a heat pump.”

National targets for replacing gas boilers in the push to net zero are based on unrealistic assumptions about the number of installers required, a trade group has warned.

UK solar innovator NAKED ENERGY continues European expansion with new partnerships

British solar thermal design and engineering company Naked Energy today announces further international expansion after partnering with two leading European manufacturing firms.

Portuguese business Tech4Food will now offer Naked Energy’s cutting-edge solar thermal and photovoltaic thermal (PVT) products as part of its engineering solutions for the food and beverage, textiles and hospitality sectors.

Also added to Naked Energy’s roster of distributors is the Greek division of German engineering contractor Menerga. The solar collectors are set to provide cleaner, more efficient heating to hospitals, swimming pools and manufacturing facilities across the country.

The announcement comes as part of a string of partnerships secured by Naked Energy and the deals will further strengthen the British company’s position in the European Union.

The technology is already enabling businesses across the continent to reach their net zero goals

and will now support both territories with achieving their ambitious renewable energy targets.

Naked Energy’s VirtuPVT collector combines solar photovoltaic (PV) and solar thermal technology to generate both electricity and heat from a single collector. Their unique modular design makes them the world’s highest energy density solar technology.

The VirtuHOT collector, which generates solar heat, recently received the gold standard TÜV international certification. Both technologies are proving instrumental to the decarbonisation of heat and will provide both regions with clean and efficient energy.

Speaking about the partnership, Christophe Williams, CEO and co-founder of Naked Energy said: “Both Menerga Hellas Group and Tech4Food are renowned for excellence in their field and

we’re delighted to announce our collaboration. The Virtu product range perfectly complements both businesses products and services portfolio, and we are excited to support the decarbonisation of heat across the two countries.”

PEOPLE PAID to use less electricity in January & February to reduce coal power station usage

National Grid said its Demand Flexibility Service, which has only been used in tests so far, would continue to be run into February on certain days between 17:00 and 18:00.

Those who have signed up will get discounts on their bills if they do things like delay using their oven.

The cold snap has seen energy use rise as more people turn on the heating.

It is also uncertain whether the UK will be able to import the power it needs via undersea cables from Europe.

The scheme is only available to homes with smart meters.

Up to a million households in England, Scotland and Wales were been paid to use less electricity during the evenings of the last weeks of January as part of a scheme to avoid blackouts.

OCTOPUS ENERGY launches new tool that tells you exactly how much your bills will be

It allows you to see how increasing or decreasing your monthly direct debits will affect your account balance overall.

More than half of consumers pay their energy bills by direct debit, according to energy regulator Ofgem.

Paying monthly by direct debit means you pay the same each month even though your actual usage can vary, and is usually higher in winter and lower in summer.

Many energy customers have complained of higher direct debits despite using less energy in the warmer months.

Now Octopus has created a balance forecast tool. It works out what your overall balance will be based on different monthly direct debit amounts.

It also explains why the company sets the direct debits it does.

The tool is only available to certain Octopus Energy customers – you won’t be able to use it if you have a different supplier.

The following Octopus Energy customers won’t be able to use the tool yet: you have a smart tariff, you don’t pay monthly by direct debit, or you switched tariffs recently.

Those who can use it can find it when they log into their account online.

You can enter an amount for a monthly payments and it will give you a rough price for what your account balance will look like overall – and whether you can expect to be in a credit or debit.

Greg Jackson, Octopus Energy CEO, called for tools like this to become industry standard.

He said: “Our customers find this really useful. “It’s often hard to understand if your direct debit is set correctly when energy use varies so much from winter to summer.

“All companies should do this – it makes energy less confusing and puts customers in control.”

Consumer champion Martin Lewis said more than 20million households which are on default tariffs could see the increase in October.

The energy price cap is set by Ofgem twice a year and limits the per unit price of energy suppliers can charge.

The typical dual fuel bill is £1,971 but this number can change depending on usage.

However, Lewis said experts at Cornwall Insights, calculate bills could go up by around £1,000 later this year.

Octopus Energy has launched a nifty new tool which tells you just how much your bills could shift after changing your direct debit.

UK sets new record for wind power generation

Britain has set a new record for wind generation as power from onshore and offshore turbines helped boost clean energy supplies late last year.

National Grid’s electricity system operator (ESO), which handles Great Britain’s grid, said that a new record for wind generation was set on 30 December, when 20.91 gigawatts (GW) were produced by turbines.

This represented the third time Britain’s fleet of wind turbines set new generation records in 2022. In May, National Grid had to ask some turbines in the west of Scotland to shut down, as the network was unable to store such a large amount of electricity when a then record 19.9GW of power was produced – enough to boil 3.5m kettles.

The ESO said a new record was also set for the share of electricity on the grid coming from

zero-carbon sources – renewables and nuclear – which supplied 87.2% of total power. These sources have accounted for about 55% to 59% of power over the past couple of years.

The surge in wind generation represents a remarkable reversal in fortunes as a cold snap that enveloped Britain and Europe quickly turned to milder weather.

Power prices had soared as the freezing weather forced Britons to increase their heating use, pushing up demand for energy despite high bills.

The cold weather came with a period of low wind, reducing the production of Britain’s windfarms to close to zero.

Emma

Some of UK’s favourite celebrities call on HIGH STREET BANKS to stop financing fossil fuel projects

It follows criticism that HSBC, Barclays, Santander, NatWest and Lloyds are funding “fossil fuel expansion” despite making green pledges.

Businesses and charities like Greenpeace also back the campaign.

HSBC and Barclays said they were helping their clients to cut emissions.

The Make My Money Matter campaign points to research by environmental charity Rainforest Action Network, which claims that between 2016 and 2021, HSBC, Barclays, Santander, NatWest and Lloyds funnelled almost $368bn (£298bn) towards the fossil fuel industry.

It added that in the same time period, the lenders financed the 50 companies making the biggest investments in oil and gas projects to the tune of $141bn.

It added that while HSBC and LLoyds had made “welcome new announcements” on stopping direct finance for new fossil fuel expansion since then, “there is a long way to go”.

“HSBC was this month found to have provided $340m to a company opening a new coal mine in Germany,” it said.

The campaign, which is also backed by actor Mark Rylance and musician Brian Eno, urges the

Emergency coal-fired power units at Drax in North Yorkshire were put on standby but ultimately not used, while gas-fired generation accounted for nearly 60% of the UK’s power output at times. However, milder weather in the UK and Europe in recent days has led to a reduction in demand from consumers and a fall in wholesale gas prices. It has also reduced the risk of power cuts this winter, which National Grid had warned could be a possibility.

public to sign an open letter asking the banks to stop directly financing projects that expand fossil fuel use, or end relationships with clients that do.

The campaign’s founder, filmmaker Richard Curtis, said he wanted to put “a fire under the banks”.

“It’s clear that new oil and gas fields are not only hugely damaging to the planet, but they’re also wildly unpopular with the public,” he added.

Almost one third of HSBC, Barclays, Santander, NatWest and Lloyds’ customers surveyed by the campaign said that they would switch bank if they discovered that theirs was financing the expansion of fossil fuel projects.

Thompson, Stephen Fry and Aisling Bea are among celebrities calling on the five of the UK’s biggest High Street banks to stop financing new oil, gas and coal projects.

WELSH GOVERNMENT SETS TARGET THAT 100% OF ITS ELECTRICITY FROM RENEWABLES BY 2035

More heat pumps in homes and community energy projects are part of the Welsh government’s target to meet 100% of its electricity needs from renewables in 12 years time.

IMPROVING INFRASTRUCTURE

Energy infrastructure, like the grid and connecting the energy generated by windfarms in the sea to that grid, are some of the huge challenges.

As part of the announcement, the minister said the Welsh government will provide £1m of funding to explore the potential of offshore wind in the Celtic Sea.

The money will be match-funded by Associated British Ports (ABP) which says it will be used to “kick-start the development of a major green energy hub at Port Talbot”.

The latest estimates show renewables cover 56% of our energy consumption but Climate Change Minister Julie James called the new target “ambitious but credible”, even with energy demand set to soar with the move towards electric cars and away from gas boilers.

It is considerable scaling up of ambition, as the previous target was to reach 70 per cent by 2030.

The consultation includes plans to increase the capacity of renewable energy but also to reduce the demand for it.

But there is no room for complacency, according to the leading think tank the Institute for Welsh Affairs (IWA).

Auriol Miller from the IWA said “there’s nothing automatic” about hitting these targets, and the government must focus on “finding new and alternative sources of energy”, as well as reducing consumption through retrofitting homes.

Speaking in the Senedd, the minister announced a consultation on the new targets, which “propose a pathway for us to meet the equivalent of 100% of our annual electricity consumption for renewable electricity by 2035, and to continue to keep pace with consumption thereafter”.

The plans include a target for at least 1.5 gigawatts (GW) of energy capacity to come from smallerscale community-owned projects.

And, subject to strengthened support from the UK government and reductions in cost, the minister wants 5.5GW of energy to be provided by heat pumps in the same time-frame.

The latest estimates, published in 2020, show Wales already meets 56% of it electricity needs from renewable sources like wind, sun and water, but to reach 100% in just over a decade many barriers will need to be overcome.

Andrew Harston from ABP said the £2m “is key to the construction of transformational infrastructure, which will enable the manufacturing, integration and assembly of floating offshore wind components at Port Talbot”.

Julie James conceded that the Welsh government’s investment of £1m was a drop in the ocean, considering the level of funding needed to deliver floating wind offshore in south west Wales.

But she said the investment signals to the industry Welsh ministers’ commitment, and added “this is not the end of our support”.

Meanwhile, the UK government has acknowledged that a “step-change is needed” to boost grid capacity in Wales.

A group of MPs has published a report looking at the problems with the grid here and, in a response published on Tuesday, the UK government said it will continue to work on “strategic planning, regulatory approval, planning consents and streamlining connections across Great Britain, including Wales”.

SURPLUS WIND ENERGY USED TO HEAT WATER FOR FUEL-POOR HOUSEHOLDS IN IRELAND

An Irish social firm that provides free hot water to low-income households using surplus wind energy year across the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

In order to heat hot water tanks overnight for inhabitants of social housing, EnergyCloud employs the programme will be implemented in 10,000 households in the Republic of Ireland this year following homes in 2022, in collaboration with the Irish housing charity Clid Housing.

“It’s looking at the social housing sector, at people who are in poverty, and thinking ‘how can they transition’,” says EnergyCloud founder Derek Roddy.

A trial of 300 homes in Northern Ireland is also scheduled to begin this year and work is underway England and Wales.

The plan involves installing a digital switch on a home’s hot water tank, which enables EnergyCloud heater anytime there is extra wind energy available on the grid.

It has agreements with electricity providers, cable owners, and grid operators that allow those residences instead of shutting down wind turbines.

Participating families are notified the night before that free hot water will be available overnight with the approach, wasteful usage of renewable electricity is avoided, gas use is decreased, and tank of hot water they receive.

“It is quite a simple solution with very few downsides,” says Jon Ferris at energy consultancy LCP Growing surplus

Grid operators are finding it difficult to determine what to do with excess power as electricity systems renewable energy.

According to energy giant Drax, the UK wasted enough renewable energy in 2020 and 2021 to power more green energy available than there was a need for it.

By the end of the decade, new offshore wind farms constructed in the UK might imply that 53 per cent solar, and nuclear power exceeds the demand.

“Towards the end of this decade, the scale [of growth] in offshore wind is going to be really dramatic,” says John Radcliffe at the University of Birmingham. “So there will be massive amounts of power that’s being generated the demand.”

Although experts believe that demand from homes and businesses will need to become more responsive patterns, interconnectors and grid-scale energy storage will help to ease the situation.

This could entail setting up intelligent electric vehicle chargers that turn on when there is an abundance with thermal reserves so they can operate throughout the night.

“We’ve lost that concept of storing in the home, which is, actually, something that we might need to do” Says Radcliffe.

Large amounts of excess power generated by the growth of renewable energy are being wasted, method to give residents of social housing free access to electricity.

IS THE UK BEING LEFT BEHIND IN THE GLOBAL FIGHT FOR GREEN INVESTMENT?

When the US Congress passed Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act last summer, the bill seemed built on good intentions.

Designed to boost America’s green economy and tackle climate change, the act included billions of dollars of subsidies for the purchase of electric cars and other eco-friendly products. But a provision that those subsidies will only be available to consumers who buy Americanmade products has enraged many European nations. They see it as a thinly-disguised attempt to grab a share of Europe’s high tech manufacturing sector, including Britain’s, by luring European companies to relocate factories to the US.

Welcome to the global race for dominance of green technology, where the future of the planet and the global economy are entwined in a potentially risky geopolitical game.

It is the US and the EU at loggerheads, but some East Asian nations are registering their displeasure too, and some in British business are wondering exactly where the UK stands in this growing row.

While most countries subsidise green technology, it was Joe Biden’s specific targeting of funds solely for North American-made cars that spooked many allies. People who buy passenger vehicles assembled in America now qualify for a tax credit of up to $7,500 (£6,000) .

45 GREEN INVESTMENT

BUY EUROPEAN?

Many European firms were on the list of investors in US car production read out by Joe Biden when he unveiled the Inflation Reduction Act. But it isn’t just cars that will be affected.

Svein Tore Holsether, the boss of Norwegian fertiliser manufacturer Yara, said: “The US is putting in place a system that provides rewards for sequestering carbon and also for switching to green production at a level that really incentivises and drives investment.

“Questions are being asked in many [European] companies right now. Where are the incentives?

Businesses are shutting down. New investments are being made in the US.”

Meanwhile, the French finance minister Bruno Le Maire told me: “We shouldn’t underestimate the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act... [French President Emmanuel] Macron has been very clear... First of all, we want to get some concessions from the US administration. We are friends and allies so we want to get some exemptions.”

Mr Le Maire said he would go to Washington with his German counterpart soon to raise these concerns. In fact, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has already held direct discussions with top US senators and members of Congress over the Inflation Reduction Act.

Mr Le Maire also wouldn’t rule out the idea of Europe launching its own “Buy European” subsidies for green tech in response.

“Everyone understands that at some point in strategic sectors like green industry, there is a need to invest more and to have a kind of European buyback.”

Leo Varadkar, leader of Ireland, traditionally the closest US ally in Europe, was more direct. He said his country was “not happy” about the Inflation Reduction Act.

“There will have to be a response from the European Union and that will almost certainly involve providing state

aid and subsidies to European businesses. The difficulty with that is you end up in a subsidy war, a subsidy competition,” he said.

What is clear is that the EU is about to respond to the massive American plan, despite concerns among members about sparking a trade war. And the White House is aware of the issues, having set up a US-EU task force to consider them.

WHERE DOES THE UK STAND?

Where the UK stands in all of this is less certain. While it is understood that both the Business and Trade Secretaries have raised their concerns with their US counterparts, their precise demands are unclear. The Business Secretary Grant Shapps says the UK doesn’t need a US-style package of green incentives, because the UK is already “ahead of the game”.

“Actually we’ve done our investment to get renewable energy, which is what the US Inflation Reduction Act is all about. We’ve done it a decade ago,” he told me. “Which is why we don’t just have the world’s largest offshore windfarm, we’ve got the second largest and the third, the fourth and we’ve got another coming along that’s bigger still.”

He’s also confident the UK won’t be overlooked in what may end up being an EU-US carve-up on this issue.

He said he had also spoken to his opposite number in the Biden ministry, Climate Envoy John Kerry, and Mr Shapps says much of what the US is doing is welcome. “The bits that actually could affect us, the protectionist bit, they’re the edges that need to come off [this new bill].”

The Crown Estate seals landmark agreements for offshore wind energy to power 7 million homes

Signing these agreements represents a significant moment in the UK’s response to climate change and energy security, and further bolsters the country’s thriving offshore wind industry, reinforcing its position as the second largest offshore wind energy generator in the world.

Three of the six projects are located off the North Wales, Cumbria and Lancashire coast, and three are located in the North Sea off the Yorkshire and Lincolnshire coast.

Following The Crown Estate’s final decision to proceed in August 2022, the agreements are the culmination of The Crown Estate’s Offshore Wind Leasing Round 4, adding further strength to the offshore wind sector’s track record in leading the UK’s net zero energy transition. Round 4 follows three previous leasing rounds by The Crown Estate which, along with investment in cuttingedge data and evidence and a commitment to increasing collaboration across sectors, has paved the way for the development of a worldclass offshore wind market in the UK, with The

Crown Estate having now awarded rights totalling 41GW.

With agreements signed, developers can now further progress their plans for the projects which have the potential to make a major contribution to delivering sustainable, renewable energy for the UK, as well as the Government’s target of 50GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030.

Dan Labbad, CEO of The Crown Estate, said: “The UK’s offshore wind achievements to date are nothing short of remarkable, and this next generation of projects point to an even more exciting and dynamic future.

“They demonstrate the far-reaching value that our world-class offshore wind sector can deliver for the nation: home grown energy for all, jobs and investment for communities, revenue for the taxpayer, clean energy for the benefit of the environment and a considerate, sustainable approach which respects our rich biodiversity.

“Moving forward, working with our stakeholders to continue unlocking this value is what drives us, and we are more committed than ever to lead the way in ensuring this important benefit is realised for our environment and for the nation.”

Gus Jaspert, Managing Director, Marine, at The Crown Estate, added: “Today marks a significant milestone for the UK on the road to net zero, unlocking green energy potential for more than seven million homes and demonstrating to the world that the UK offshore wind industry is growing at pace to help meet the climate challenge.

“As we face up to energy, climate and biodiversity challenges, we will continue to convene the best minds and support new technologies which will help realise the potential of the seabed as a key component of the UK’s renewable energy system; a home to a thriving natural environment; and a route to energy security.

“I’d like to thank all those who have collaborated with us on this leasing round to ensure the UK continues to lead the way in rebalancing energy provision away

In a major milestone for the UK’s energy security and net zero commitments, The Crown Estate has announced it has signed Agreements for Lease for six offshore wind projects which could begin to generate green electricity by the end of the decade and have the potential to generate c.8GW of renewable electricity, enough for more than seven million homes.

from fossil fuels for the benefit of present and future generations.”

Minister for Energy and Climate Graham Stuart said: “Britain’s position as the European leader in offshore wind shows no signs of letting up. These six projects demonstrate how areas across the UK can contribute to ensuring Britain meets its world-leading ambition of deploying up to 50GW of offshore wind by 2030.

“Offshore wind is at the heart of our goal to secure clean, affordable and resilient energy supply for all in the UK, while bringing major business, investment and job opportunities along with it.”

A PIONEERING APPROACH TO ENVIRONMENTAL HABITATS

The Crown Estate will now lead a pioneering programme of work to oversee the development of strategic environmental compensation plans for two protected sites, ensuring that the health

of the natural marine environment remains at the centre of development plans.

The Crown Estate will establish a Steering Group for each of the protected sites, comprising government and statutory nature conservation bodies and the relevant project developers, which will drive the development of the detailed plans to ensure appropriate delivery of the commitments made by The Crown Estate through its plan-level HRA.

OFFSHORE WIND MOMENTUM

Recognising the urgent need for green, homegrown energy provision, The Crown Estate is committed to unlocking opportunities for emerging and new technologies which can help shape a UK energy system fit for the future, in line with government policy. Key to this is bringing together a wide range of partners, experts, insights, data and evidence to build a holistic view of the seabed to inform how it can sustain a wide variety of industries and biodiversity for the long term.

This includes:

UNLOCKING VALUE FOR THE NATION

The seabed is a valuable national asset and through Round 4, significant value has been secured for the benefit of the nation.

Under the Agreements for Lease, The Crown Estate receives an annual option fee from each project developer, until they are ready to enter into a lease for the seabed site. The option fee sum was determined by the project developers themselves through an open market process to ensure fair value for seabed rights was captured. Option fees will contribute toward The Crown Estate’s net revenue profit, 100% of which is paid to HM Treasury for the benefit of the nation.

The total commitment across all six projects is approximately £1bn per year, reflecting the confidence in the UK’s world leading offshore wind sector and Government’s commitment to grow the low carbon economy.

Using 5% of UK commercial rooftop space for solar could save £12.6 billion annually

The results of a new study show that if the UK used 5% of available UK commercial rooftop space for solar, it could lead to an estimated £12.6 billion per year in energy cost savings.

Detailed within the findings of the PowerMarket Solar Feasibility Study, the results have shown that the 5% of the unused rooftop solar space amounts to around 2,500 hectares of south facing roof space. This coincides with statistics identified by the United Kingdom Warehousing Association (UKWA) which fund that unused roofs on warehouses total 18,500 acres of land meaning the UK is missing out on 15GW of solar energy.

PowerMarket also indicates that zero upfront capital expenditure for solar rooftop installation projects is viable via win-win power purchase agreement (PPAs) financing. This makes it “almost negligent” to not seriously evaluate if the

space above offices, warehouses, data centres or science park campus’, amongst others, are “hidden cash cows”, the firm said.

Solar could also significantly contribute to the reduction of energy costs especially amid the cost-of-living crisis. Due to the volatile global gas market, renewable energy has been touted as a means to not only reduce energy bills, but also gain energy independence.

The study also recognised that out of the 30 leading Science Parks dotted around the UK, only around 5.4% of the current suitable roof space had installed solar. These are recognised as energy intensive buildings and thus switching to renewable energy could reduce the strain on the energy system and also reduce the cost in energy.

PowerMarket has estimated that the science and technology start-ups who utilise these science parks are also missing out on over £65 million of annual energy cost savings combined.

Scotland recently made a move to reform the planning rules to incentivise rooftop installations across the nation. Earlier this month, the Scottish Government stated that it had pledged to consult on lifting the need to obtain planning permission for larger solar installations on non-domestic buildings early next year, bringing it in line with planning rules in England.

By implementing policy that does not require planning permission for non-domestic solar installations, this could make the process simpler and could rapidly scale the Scottish solar industry much like the rest of the UK.

EV CHARGING 2023 TRENDS FOR &THE FUTURE OF ELECTRIFICATION

Jordan Brompton, co-founder and CMO of myenergi, gives her thoughts on the EV charging trends we’re likely to see in 2023 and discusses why the next 12 months will be a pivotal period for the UK’s transition to electrification.

Most trends come and go, but it’s safe to say that the future of transport is electric. Indeed, despite global production challenges, microchip shortages, supply chain disruptions and the lasting impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, 2022 was yet another record-breaking year for EV registrations.

According to data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), more than 300,000 battery electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles were collectively registered throughout the year – almost four times the number of diesel cars sold. Insight from Statista suggests that this growth will only increase, with a CAGR of 13.89% projected between now and 2027, leading to sales of more than 637,000 new EVs per annum.

As a result, alongside the burgeoning growth of the used EV marketplace, demand for charging solutions continues to increase at pace. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), this will continue to see both public and private infrastructure grow rapidly – with significant investment expected in support.

So, as we kick-start 2023, what themes are we likely to see emerge from the EV charging sector? New products? New legislation? New tech developments? New brands coming on-stream or developing their footprint in the UK? While it may just be speculation, I’ve put together five key trends that I expect to see impact the marketplace (as well as consumer charging behaviours) over the coming months.

THE PUBLIC CHARGING NETWORK WILL CONTINUE TO EXPAND

According to insight from McKinsey & Company, the growth of the UK’s public charging network continues at pace. Zap Map suggests that there are now more than 36,000 charging devices (and 60,0000 connectors) spread across almost 22,000 locations nationwide. This represents an increase of 33% since November 2021.

With significant investment already planned from the market’s leading brands, we’re likely to see the network develop further in 2023. From new locations popping up on an almost daily basis, to more superfast chargers being fitted than at any other time, it’ll be easier than ever to charge your car ‘on-the-go’.

Charging as a Service (CaaS) is therefore expected to grow in 2023. Put simply, it’s the idea that offering a service for motorists to charge their vehicles isn’t enough to generate significant revenue (unless delivered on a mass scale). Instead, if drivers are sat waiting for their EV to charge, CaaS sees this free time used as a tool to encourage purchase behaviour – think free charging at supermarkets, or the development of charging ‘destinations’ featuring shopping centres, retail facilities and restaurants.

Companies like Gridserve are dominating the marketplace and, with more and more consumers starting to consider EV charging as part of their daily routine, I only see this corner of the market continuing to expand.

TECHNOLOGY WILL IMPROVE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

Although it’s positive to see more EVs than ever plugged in to public charging points across the UK, keeping charging stations free has become somewhat of a challenge. In the past, the bugbear for any EV driver was petrol or diesel vehicles blocking working charging points. However, now we have a new enemy – EV users that don’t move their cars once charging has finished.

For consumers, this leads to frustration and unnecessary delays. For providers, a clear loss of revenue. In 2023, we’re likely to see new and innovative solutions unveiled to tackle the challenge. From charging point sensors and a wealth of new apps, to charges/fines for malpractice.

DOMESTIC CHARGING WILL BECOME KING

While the headlines often surround public charging, it’s important to remember that more than 85% of charging takes place at home. As such, I’m confident that the domestic charging market will see the fastest growth in 2023 – resulting in an increase in unit sales and installations, alongside a wealth of new products and technologies making it to market.

For those who don’t have a driveway, I’m certain that we’ll see progress made towards developing safe, secure, hazard-free on-street charging solutions for those who previously had to trail charging wires across the pavement. We’ve already seen a number of developments here that will start to pick up pace as the year progresses.

With legislation introduced last year mandating the installation of smart chargers, as standard, to all new property developments, the accessibility of domestic charging is quickly pushing range anxiety and public charge point availability issues into the history books.

ECO-SMART CHARGING WILL BECOME COMMONPLACE

Continuing the theme of domestic charging, it’s worth mentioning the importance of futureproof tech and the ability to harness selfgenerated energy to charge your EV. After all, data from the Microgeneration Certification Scheme suggests that more householders than ever are adopting renewables to offset their reliance on mains supply and reduce their carbon footprint.

This trend is expected to continue in 2023 –especially when it comes to solar and domesticscale wind generation. After all, the energy price crisis rumbles on with no sign of abating any time soon, meaning consumers are being forced to take matters into their own hands.

My advice is therefore to consider installing a renewable-compatible EV charger, even if you don’t yet have solar panels installed. I predict that self-generation will boom over the coming years, with more households than ever opting for decentralised, green supply (especially as return on investment periods are dropping fast). Think ahead and make sure you don’t have to buy twice – it’s a false economy.

V2G TECHNOLOGY WILL DEVELOP FURTHER

In the same sentence as smart charging, you’ll often hear the terms V2H (vehicle to home), V2X (vehicle to everything), V2L (vehicle to load) and V2G (vehicle to grid). After all, EVs are basically just mobile batteries.

The idea behind V2G is the opportunity to store energy in the EV battery and return it to the grid in times of peak demand. This would not only earn you money, but also help to flatten electricity usage curves.

It’s a smart idea and one that could deliver significant value from a decentralised energy perspective. At myenergi, we’re working on numerous demand side response trials to see how the load balancing capability of EVs could work in practice – it’s set to be a major talking point in 2023.

THE TRANSITION TO ELECTRIFICATION

While I may have referred to the above themes as ‘trends’ for the new year, in all honesty they’re far more. The transition to electrification is growing in momentum and the industry is progressing quickly to support its future.

From CaaS and technology improvements, to the incremental growth of domestic charging and its ability to balance the grid, these ‘trends’ are actually some of the key areas supporting growth – rather than gimmicks that will soon be forgotten.

At myenergi, we’re excited to be driving the industry forward in 2023 and supporting the global transition to electrification. We have a number of exciting announcements planned for the next 12 months and look forward to seeing the sector continue to grow.