March was a big month for electric vehicles and to help you stay updated we’ve rounded up all the top information below, from the reduction in EV grant to the new affordable Tesla hatchback.
Electric Vehicle Grant Reduced
We’ve done an entire post on the reduction of the electric vehicle grant but think it’s important for you to know if you’re looking at a new electric vehicle.
The grant available on cars is now up to £2,500 but is capped at 35% of the vehicle’s total price.
It also excludes vehicles that are over £35,000 so a lot of the premium models, like Tesla, are no longer eligible.
For more information on the changes and the grant for vans or trucks check out our previous article.
Help for Renters with Home Charging
The Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) has announced that they plan to transform the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS) in order to give greater support for drivers who live in rented and leasehold properties.
The planned changes come after the government announced funding of up to £50 million to support the installation of home and workplace charging, including in rural areas and the charity sector.
The current EVHS scheme will run until the 31st of March 2022, when the OZEV believes the market will be able to operate without government intervention.
From April 2022 the scheme will then focus on rental and leasehold properties where installing home charging units can be a little more complicated and difficult to secure.
The aim of this change in direction for the EVHS is designed to ensure that driver’s property ownership status is not a barrier to them being able to choose an electric vehicle for their next car.
In their announcement, the OZEV advised the switch of focus will come in the form of a new digital platform that is launched in late 2021. This platform will allow people in rented properties, or those where they are the leaseholder, to continue to be able to access the EVHS funds and also allow non-resident landlords to apply for a grant on behalf of their tenants.
There will also be an additional fund available to help with the cost of ducting for people in buildings occupied by multiple residents like a block of flats.
As we get more updates on the changes and the new digital platform we will let you know
Tesla Confirms Plans for New Hatchback Model
Tesla have confirmed that they will be launching an all-new electric hatchback in 2023 that’s expected to cost around £18,000 and have a range of up to 180 miles.
In March Elon Musk confirmed that the fully electric car manufacturer will be producing its smallest and hopefully cheapest car in under two years.
Ever since the first Tesla hit the roads in 2008 the company has gradually been expanding its range to include an SUV, saloons and now a hatchback.
During the 2020 Tesla Battery Day Conference the company confirmed their plans to expand into the hatchback sector with a vehicle that has been a rumour for several months now.
Although Tesla is known for its premium quality vehicles this new model notes a shift in the affordability of the brand, with its expected lower price tag, as well as the overall affordability of electric vehicles as a whole. The technology required to produce electric cars is becoming cheaper whilst still evolving, meaning you can get more miles for your money even on smaller models.
The announcement of the new hatchback came alongside Tesla advising of a new kind of battery that’s more powerful, safer and cheaper to produce due to its tables design that uses a new kind of connector to join the individual cells together.
The battery is expected to be about 35% smaller than a conventional one and there is less risk of overheating with a tabless battery.
Tesla also plans to use the new battery as a structural part of the car’s construction to help make the model lighter and stronger, as they are supporting the car’s underpinning rather than the other way around.
Though the price of $25,000 which is around £18,000 for UK drivers will be the cost of a base model Elon Musk has confirmed that there will be different versions available, with a fully autonomous option at some point as well.
Peugeot Hope to be Fully Electric by 2023
Peugeot has announced that they plan to offer a fully electrified range by 2023.
A 100% electric fleet means that there will no longer be traditional combustion engines fuelled by either diesel or petrol, but they have not yet confirmed whether these plans include hybrid models or will be pure EVs.
Peugeot currently already offer a range of fully electric, battery and plug-in hybrids including the e-2008 or the hybrid 508.
In 2018 the PSA Group had announced it would offer electric or hybrid driving trains for all 40 models on offer across all their brands, including Peugeot, by 2025 and to be 80% electrified by 2023.
The announcement that Peugeot will be 100% electrified by 2023 shows an improvement on the earlier pledge and the new target indicates that Peugeot will be one of the first companies to transition to a fully electrified fleet.
Volkswagen Group Announce Single Electric Platform
The VW Group will introduce a single platform for most of the electric vehicles across all their brands in the future.
The new platform is being developed by Volkswagen’s Project Trinity and will eventually replace the current MEB and PPE platforms that are currently in use across their brands.
The new platform will be the Scalable Systems Platform (SSP) and is set to be used for the first time on Audi’s Project Artemis in 2024/25.
The increased use of platform sharing across the VW Group’s brands will enable a greater economy of scale and helps to ensure that the company can continue to develop market-leading electric and digital technology.
It’s likely that the system will be built to a standard form and then have optional extras that can be purchased and activated online.
Though the shared platform has been announced in the last month it won’t be in use for several years yet and introduction across the brands will take time so it’s unlikely we’ll see it replacing the MEB and PPE platforms until the mid-2030s.
New Kia EV Named
Kia has given us the details of the new naming strategy for their electric vehicles, the first of which is due to land in the next few weeks.
The new model which has been seen tested in recent months and was previewed to the public in 2019 with the Image concept will be called the EV6.
Each of Kia’s bespoke electric vehicles will have the EV prefix and then a number that corresponds to its size.
The performance-orientated crossover model that’s due to be unveiled shortly will be named the EV6 and will sit towards the top of Kia’s electric line-up.
Not only will the EV6 debut bring in the new electric naming schedule but it will also be the first model to use Kia’s new logo, which was revealed in early 2021 as part of a wider company transformation.
As we get more information on the Kia EV6 we’ll let you know.
Honda Unveil New Hybrid Only HR-V
Honda has revealed the third generation of their best-selling HR-V crossover, which will only be available with a hybrid powertrain and is set to hit the European market later this year.
The hybrid only model comes as part of the brand’s commitment to electrify all of its top European models by 2022.
The petrol-electric hybrid system is expected to deliver great efficiency for drivers though we’re yet to have any technical details confirmed.
The above images have been released by Honda and show an SUV that’s dramatically different from the previous generations. The slim headlights have a distinctive design and the front grille has been redesigned, which along with the longer bonnet gives a whole new look to the front of the vehicle.
Honda has said this new model will embody the seamless, clean and modern design we’ve seen in their recent models.
On the interior, the cabin has been redesigned to maximise the sense of space, with a minimalist dashboard, more leg and shoulder room for passengers and L-shaped air vents.
More details including the specifications available and pricing are due to be revealed in coming months.
VW ID 4 Goes on Sale
The all new ID 4 electric SUV is now on sale from VW, available to purchase and lease now for an expected delivery from early May onwards.
There are three new specs that all use the same power train ad the First Edition model which was introduced earlier in the year. These three specs are the Life, Family and Max and purchase prices start at £41,570.
All have a 77kWh battery and can offer a range of up to 323 miles, putting it towards the top end of mileage ranges available on the market today.
On the inside you get a touchscreen infotainment display screen, wireless smartphone charging, and various other features designed to make it as comfortable a journey as possible for you and your passengers.
The ID 4 is the second model to be built on Volkswagen Group’s MEB electric architecture and is the first electric VW that has towing capabilities. It can be fitted with a tow bar in order to pull trailers or caravans that weigh up to 1000 kg.
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