Car Enthusiast - click here to access the home page


 


The future of electric vehicles. Image by MINI.

The future of electric vehicles
The future of electric vehicles.
<< earlier article     later article >>

 


News homepage

In the past few years, the landscape and availability of electric vehicles has changed dramatically - they are no longer a futuristic concept, but instead have become much more commonplace in driveways across the country. Here, Vince Pemberton of Rivervale Leasing looks at some of the new and upcoming developments in the electric vehicle field that could make them more widespread across our country over the coming years.

In the past few years, the landscape and availability of electric vehicles has changed dramatically - they are no longer a futuristic concept, but instead have become much more commonplace in driveways across the country. Here, Vince Pemberton of Rivervale Leasing looks at some of the new and upcoming developments in the electric vehicle field that could make them more widespread across our country over the coming years.

Sales of Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) and Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEV) continue to grow in the UK - BEV sales were up by 70.6 per cent in July 2019 compared to the same period in 2018 and HEV sales were also up in the same period by 19.2 per cent. Interestingly Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle sales were down year on year by 32.4 per cent. The feeling is that this can be attributed to the removal of the government grant last October. At present, the grant of £3,500 is only available for full electric vehicles. Established manufacturers are now committing to offering a wider range of pure electric cars, whilst diesel models are beginning to see a drop in sales.

The availability of charging has long been a consideration for those interested in electric vehicles. When it comes to charging, there are now a number of public electric car charging networks across the UK - however, each brand takes a different approach to charger access. Some operate 'pay as you go' systems, some have subscription options and others offer free power and cheap sign-up fees. The most common national charging networks in the UK include Polar (BP Chargemaster), Ecotricity, Pod Point and Charge Your Car.

Charging at home is convenient for electric car owners since there is no need to worry about making countless trips to a charging station. Most importantly, it is also much cheaper than charging at a station. Thankfully, the government also provides £500 grants for the installation of home electric car charging points, and additional £300 grants are available from the Energy Saving Trust (EST).

One of the main barriers to widescale uptake of electric vehicles is the cost. Currently there are only a few models below £50,000, but prices are beginning to fall. With more and more electric vehicles being made, the cost of production is likely to drop, and with more choice there should be more competitive prices. Whilst electric vehicles are unlikely to be "cheap" anytime soon, you should still expect to see slightly more affordable models in the coming years.

So, what are some of the more consumer-friendly models that you could soon be cruising around in?

Peugeot e-208

The e-208 will be Peugeot's first foray into electric vehicles and will be fundamental to the French manufacturer's target of an all-electric line-up by 2023. The sprightly hatchback will launch with a 50kWh electric battery version that delivers a range of 211 miles.

MINI Electric

Keeping the classic MINI looks, the MINI Electric is likely to fit in easily with the rest of the family. With a 0-62mph time of 7.3 seconds and a 32.6kWh battery offering 124-144 miles of range, the MINI Electric looks to offer good performance for urban commuters.

Tesla Model 3

This car isn't out yet and it's already proving its popularity - in fact, Rivervale has had more enquiries on the Model 3 than any other make or model ever before! The Long Range version of the Model 3 can reach 60mph in just 4.5 seconds, while Tesla estimates a range of around 258 miles.

SEAT El-Born

The El-Born uses VW's MEB platform and has a range of 260 miles, with a 0-62mph time of 7.5 seconds. With a similar footprint and layout to the current Leon hatchback, the El-Born is sure to be a suitably versatile family vehicle.

BMW iX3

The iX3 will use BMW's fifth-generation eDrive technology, meaning the electric motor, transmission and power electronics are all in one singular unit. The iX3 produces 270hp and up to 249 miles on a single charge and will support 150kW fast charging - that means a full charge in just 30 minutes.

Vince Pemberton is Chief Operating Officer at Rivervale Leasing
Rivervale specialises in business and personal car leasing, van leasing and minibus leasing and supply every make and model. Based in Brighton, Sussex, Rivervale works closely with manufacturers, large motor groups and major leasing partners to secure the most competitive leasing prices.
For more information please visit rivervaleleasing.co.uk



Promoted by Vince Pemberton - 14 Aug 2019


2009 MINI E. Image by MINI.2009 MINI E. Image by MINI.2009 MINI E. Image by United Pictures.2009 MINI E. Image by MINI.2009 MINI E. Image by MINI.

2009 MINI E. Image by MINI.2009 MINI E. Image by MINI.2009 MINI E. Image by MINI.2009 MINI E. Image by MINI.2009 MINI E. Image by MINI.









    - images






Land Rover teases new flagship Defender Octa. Image by Land Rover.
Land Rover Defender Octa teaser
The forthcoming, high-performance, top-of-the-range Defender takes its name from the shape of a diamond, apparently.
 
Volkswagen unveils hot ID.3 GTX models. Image by Volkswagen.
VW ID.3 GTX reveal
High-performance electric hatchback will be offered in ‘standard’ and Performance guises.
VW adds go-faster GTX model to ID.7 range. Image by Volkswagen.
VW ID.7 GTX reveal
The hot ID.7 GTX gets 340hp and all-wheel drive, and it’ll be offered in saloon and estate body styles.

 
 215 Racing
 9ff
 A. Kahn Design
 Abarth
 Abt
 AC Cars
 AC Schnitzer
 Acura
 Aehra
 AIM
 Alfa Romeo
 Alpina
 Alpine
 Amari
 APS Sportec
 Arash
 Arden
 Ares
 Ariel
 Arrinera
 Artega
 Ascari
 Aston Martin
 Atalanta
 Atomik
 Audi
 Austin
 Auto Union
 Autodelta
 Autofarm
 Autosport
 AVA
 Avatar
 Axon
 Aznom
 BAC
 BAIC
 Bentley
 Bertone
 Bizzarrini
 Bloodhound
 Bluebird
 BMW
 Bosch
 Bowler
 Brabham
 Brabus
 Breckland
 Bridgestone
 Brilliance
 Bristol
 Bugatti
 Buick
 Burton
 BYD
 Cadillac
 Callaway
 Callum
 Caparo
 Capstone
 Carlsson
 Caterham
 CCG
 Chang'an
 Changfeng
 Chevrolet
 Chevron
 Chongfeng
 Chrysler
 Citroen
 Climax
 Connaught
 Cooper Tires
 Corvette
 Cummins
 Cupra
 Dacia
 Daewoo
 Daihatsu
 Daimler
 Dartz
 Datsun
 David Brown
 David Brown Automotive
 DDR
 De Tomaso
 Delta
 Detroit Electric
 Devon
 Dodge
 Donkervoort
 Drayson
 DS
 Eagle
 Eagle E-type
 EDAG
 edo competition
 Eterniti
 Everrati
 Evisol
 Exagon
 FAB Design

 
 Factory Five
 Faralli & Mazzanti
 Fenix
 Fenomenon
 Ferrari
 Fiat
 Fisker
 Ford
 G-Power
 Geely
 Gemballa
 General Motors
 Genesis
 Ginetta
 Giugiaro
 Glickenhaus
 GMC
 Goodwood
 Google
 Gordon Murray
 Gordon Murray Automotive
 Gordon Murray Design
 Gray Design
 Great Wall
 GTA
 GTM
 Gumpert
 Hamann
 Hartge
 HBH
 Heffner Performance
 Hennessey
 HERE
 HiPhi
 Holden
 Honda
 Hulme
 Hummer
 Hyundai
 I.D.E.A
 Icona
 IFR
 Infiniti
 Ionity
 Isis
 JAC
 Jaguar
 Jeep
 Jensen
 Jetstream
 JJAD
 Joss Developments
 Kahn
 Kamala
 Keating
 Kia
 Koenigsegg
 KTM
 Kumho
 Lada
 Lagonda
 Lamborghini
 Lancia
 Land Rover
 Lexus
 Liberty
 Lightning
 Lincoln
 Lister
 Loma Performance
 Lorinser
 Lotus
 LupiniPower
 Luxgen
 Mahindra
 Mansory
 Maserati
 Mastretta
 Maybach
 Mazda
 McLaren
 Mercedes
 Mercedes-AMG
 Mercedes-Benz
 Mercedes-Maybach
 Mercury
 Metrocab
 MG
 Michelin
 MINI
 Mitsubishi
 MMI
 Monte Carlo
 Mopar
 Morgan
 Mosler
 MTM
 Munro
 NAC MG
 Nichols Cars
 Nissan
 NLV

 
 Noble
 Novitec
 Opel
 Overfinch
 Pagani
 Perodua
 Peugeot
 Piaggio
 Pininfarina
 Polestar
 Pontiac
 Porsche
 Praga
 Preview
 Prodrive
 Project Runningblade
 Project Velocity
 Proton
 Protoscar
 Qoros
 Radical
 Range Rover
 Red Bull
 Renault
 Reva
 Rimac
 Rinspeed
 RoadRazer
 Rolls-Royce
 Ronn Motor Company
 Rover
 RUF
 Saab
 SAIC
 Saleen
 Saturn
 Scagliarini
 SCG
 Scion
 SDR Sportscars
 SEAT
 Sin
 Singer
 Skoda
 Smart
 Soleil
 Spada
 speedArt
 Sportec
 Spyker
 SRT
 Ssangyong
 SSC
 Startech
 STaSIS
 Subaru
 Suzuki
 Suzusho
 TAD
 Tamiya
 Tata
 Techart
 Tesla
 The Little Car Company
 THINK
 Thunder Power
 Tojeiro
 Tommy Kaira
 TomTom
 Toray
 Toyota
 Trabant
 TranStar
 Trident
 Tushek
 TVR
 UKCOTY
 Vanda Electrics
 Vauxhall
 Velozzi
 Vencer
 Venturi
 Veritas
 Vizualtech
 VL Automotive
 Volkswagen
 Volvo
 VUHL
 WCA
 WCotY
 Webasto
 Westfield
 Wiesmann
 Xenatec
 Yamaha
 Zagato
 Zarooq
 Zeekr
 Zenos
 Zenvo



 
 






External links:   | Irish Car Market News |

Internal links:   | Home | Privacy | Contact us | Archives | Old motor show reports | Follow Car Enthusiast on Twitter | Copyright 1999-2024 ©