The Best Car Finance Blog In The World

Transport for London (TfL) is launching a consultation on the congestion charge, which could reduce the hours of operation.

They were extended in June 2020 when the Government had to bail out TfL after a financial crisis caused by the onset of the pandemic.

The operational hours of the charge were extended to include evenings and weekends, and the charge was increased from £11.50 to £15.

The consultation is seeking views on the future operation of the congestion charge, with the main proposals including no charges in the evenings to support London’s recovery, operating between 12-6pm on weekends and retaining the current charge level of £15.

The proposed new weekend charging hours are targeted at reducing congestion at the busiest times, says TfL.

Weekend car and private hire traffic before the pandemic was higher than during the week and made up 70% of traffic in the charging zone on a Saturday and Sunday.

If the proposed new weekend hours are brought in it is estimated there will be an increase in sustainable travel compared to before the pandemic, with around 8,000 new public transport trips and 3,000 walking and cycling trips each day on the weekend, it claims.

The proposal to stop the congestion charge at 6pm on weekdays is in line with the pre-pandemic hours, rather than the current 10pm finish time.

Evening traffic data will be kept under review, given that weekday travel patterns in particular remain uncertain, says TfL.

Following feedback from those living in central London, the plans include opening up the 90% residents’ discount to new applicants. The discount has been closed to new applicants since August 1, 2020.

Other proposals include: no charge between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day inclusive; the charge to be in operation on bank holidays from 12-6pm; and being able to pay up to three days after travel.

TfL is also consulting on retaining recently expanded reimbursement schemes for NHS patients, care workers, local councils and charities during epidemics and pandemics.

The pre-pandemic NHS staff and patient reimbursement arrangements will continue.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “As we look to the future it’s vital the charge strikes the right balance between supporting London’s economic recovery and helping ensure it is a green and sustainable one.

“These proposals support the capital’s culture, hospitality and night-time businesses which have struggled so much, as well as encouraging people to walk, cycle and use public transport.

“We must not replace one public health crisis with another due to filthy polluted air, and our measures to create more space for walking and cycling have already had a huge impact. I urge Londoners to have their say and take part in the consultation.”

It is proposed that the discount for using AutoPay will be removed and the current £17.50 charge for paying three days after travel will be retained. The ability of residents to pay for consecutive days online and via the app will also be removed, following the widespread take-up of AutoPay.

Other discounts and exemptions, including the Blue Badge Discount and Cleaner Vehicle Discount, are unaffected by the new proposals.

If they are agreed following the consultation, the changes to hours will take place on February 28, 2022. Other proposals will be implemented immediately after a mayoral decision on the changes.

Natalie Chapman, Logistics UK’s head of policy in the south, welcomed the proposal to revert the operational hours of the congestion charge back to the original weekday timings in place before the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Logistics UK has long campaigned for flexibility surrounding delivery hours to encourage and enable businesses to carry out their deliveries at less congested times to reduce emissions, improve the safety of vulnerable road users and increase operational efficiency, she said. Moving back to the original timings provides additional flexibility to retime deliveries and is supported by our members. 

“However, Logistics UK opposes the proposal to retain the higher £15 charge and weekend charging, which simply amounts to an additional tax for logistics businesses who currently have little alternative but to use lorries and vans to keep London stocked with all the goods the population needs.”

Nick Bowes, chief executive of the Centre for London, labelled the congestion charge as being an “ageing and clunky technology”.

“When it was first introduced, the congestion charge was world-leading, but its effectiveness has diminished with the pace of growth in London and changing travel patterns,” added Bowes.

“As a matter of urgency, Transport for London should make the most of new technology and develop a simpler, smarter and fairer system of road user charging in the capital.

“It will take bold political leadership but, done properly, a smart road user charging scheme would improve air quality, promote active travel and reduce congestion, and play a key role in filling the hole in Transport for London’s budget.”

The consultation closes on October 6, 2021. To respond, visit : tfl.gov.uk/ccyourview  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

MPs on the transport committee are warning that unless charging habits change, or the National Grid is strengthened, the charging needs from millions of new electric vehicles (EVs) will cause blackouts to parts of the country.

In Zero emission vehicles, published in July, the MPs have set out a series of recommendations to Government to boost the production and purchase of EVs.

The report questions whether the Government’s current plans are enough to deliver the public charging infrastructure needed across all regions of the UK and whether it will benefit everyone.

Drivers who live in rural or remote areas or who do not have off-street parking, for example, are at risk of being left behind, it says.

The MPs warn that a clear policy framework is essential to ensure that industry can deliver the vehicles and charging infrastructure required to deliver the Government’s net zero ambition.

Huw Merriman MP, chair of the transport committee, said: “Putting guarantees in place on infrastructure is crucial, but one report after another flags concerns to Government about the provision of electric car charging infrastructure.

“Let ours be the last; it’s time that ministers set out the route map to delivering a network of services for everyone across the UK.”

Just last week, a Competition and Markets Authority investigation found that some areas of the development of the UK’s charging infrastructure are facing problems which will hinder the roll-out of electric vehicles (EVs).

It says that this could impact the Government’s plans to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030 and its wider commitment to make the UK net zero by 2050.

EV infrastructure strategy

The Government’s transport decarbonisation plan promises an EV infrastructure strategy by the end of the year, which will set out the its vision for infrastructure rollout, and roles for the public and private sectors in achieving it.

By 2030, it expects to have 2,500 rapid charge points across the strategic road network, and 6,000 by 2035.

It says it is also working with Ofgem on the deployment of the Energy Networks Association’s £300 million Green Recovery Scheme, announced in May, to accelerate motorway service area and wider EV charging infrastructure investment.

The UK has around 25,000 charge points currently and, while there is still uncertainty, forecasts suggest more than 10 times this amount will be needed by 2030.

The transport committee report says that the Government must work with the National Grid to map national coverage to eradicate ‘not-spot’ areas and identify locations where the Grid will not cope with additional usage.

It should also make public charging provision a requirement of local development and provide funding for local planning and transport bodies to hire staff with a mandate to deliver charging infrastructure.

Furthermore, it suggests that it needs to protect the consumer from excessive charges and multiple accounts when charging in public and address the discrepancy between the 5% VAT incurred for home charging and 20% VAT for on-street.

The report insists that industry uses price to change consumer charging behaviour to a ‘little but often’ approach and at times when the National Grid can meet total demand.

17 electric vehicle charging tariffs

Research from Cornwall Insight shows around 17 EV tariffs are available, with some of the tariffs still in testing phases and not available to all customers. On top of this number, there are 11 Time of Use (ToU) EV tariffs on offer.

Katie Hickford, an analyst at Cornwall Insight, said: “EV tariffs can provide households with savings compared to a standard tariff offering, but there is reduced choice currently, with comparisons between the different offerings challenging, although improvements are being made for consumers.

“As EV sales continue to rise, we would expect more innovative tariff offerings to cater for this section of customers, especially as the uptake of EVs moves to mass adoption.”

The transport committee report notes that with charging at home substantially cheaper than on-street charging, pricing must be fair for people who charge their EVs in public spaces.

It welcomes the Government’s commitment to regulate interoperability between charge points and pricing transparency for public charge points later this year. However, mandating industry to use pricing to move consumer behaviour towards a ‘little and often’ refuelling habit will also help, it says.

Zero-emission vehicle mandate

The MPs are also calling on the Government to introduce a zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate as a matter of priority if it is to hit its target of 100% ZEVs by 2035.

A ZEV mandate would incentivise car manufacturers to steadily increase sales of zero emission vehicles towards the 2030 target for all new vehicles to have ‘significant zero emission capability’.

This, it says, would bring ZEV vehicles within reach of more consumers encouraged by cost-effective ways to support purchases compared to taxpayer-funded incentives.

Merriman says that the Government’s inclusion of a ZEV mandate in a recent consultation is welcome but not enough on its own.

He continued: “Charging electric vehicles should be convenient, straightforward and inexpensive and drivers must not be disadvantaged by where they live or how they charge their vehicles.

“Shifting the subsidy from the taxpayer to the manufacturer will incentivise those who deliver the fewest electric vehicles in our showrooms to up their game.

“Unless the National Grid gains more capacity, consumer behaviour will have to alter so that charging takes place when supply can meet the additional demand. The alternative will be blackouts in parts of the country.

“We also cannot have a repeat of the broadband and mobile ‘not spot’ lottery which would mean those in remote parts cannot join the electric vehicle revolution.”

Jack Cousens, head of roads policy for the AA, says that for most drivers, the opportunity to charge an EV in their garage, on their driveway or in a dedicated parking space offers cheaper running costs.

However, he said: “For the 30% of homeowners with no access to dedicated off-street parking or workplace charging, they have no choice but to pay the rates set on the public charging network.

“On the road to electrification, we cannot allow one group of drivers to benefit while others struggle – in effect, a two-tier system of have and have-nots.

“An independent body overseeing the fees being charged on the public network would help reassure drivers that they are paying a fair price.

“Rather than focusing on tying manufacturers up in red tape to meet EV sales targets, we need to improve the incentives offered to consumers to buy electric vehicles. Scrapping VAT would be the most influential policy to help spark the electric revolution.”  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Up to 800 Shell electric vehicle (EV) charging points will be installed in as many as 100 Waitrose shops across the UK by 2025.

Each site is expected to have six 22kW and two 50kW rapid charging points so customers can charge their vehicles while they shop.

The first charge points are expected to go live early next year and will represent Shell Recharge’s first move into ‘destination charging’, whereby customers charge their vehicle while it is parked at a location they are primarily visiting for another activity such as shopping.

Shell’s ambition is to grow its Shell Recharge-branded network to 5,000 charge points on forecourts and other locations by 2025.

Bernadette Williamson, general manager Shell UK Retail, said: “This is great news for EV drivers across the UK, knowing they can easily, quickly and reliably charge up at Shell charge points while shopping at Waitrose.

“We want to make EV charging as hassle-free as possible and support our customers wherever they want to charge.”

Waitrose executive director, James Bailey, added: “We’re delighted to bring our customers 800 new charging points for electric vehicles, including new rapid charging capabilities, as the UK moves more and more towards a sustainable transport network.”

The charge point deal comes as a Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) investigation has found that some areas of the development of the UK’s charging infrastructure are facing problems which will hinder the roll-out of electric vehicles (EVs). 

It says that this could impact the Government’s plans to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030 and its wider commitment to make the UK net zero by 2050. By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Sprint Power is leading a multi-million-pound Government-backed project that aims to demonstrate the suitability of wireless charging technology for fleets.

The company has developed a series of wireless charging modules ahead of the trial beginning in Leeds, Nottingham and Warwick next month.

Funding for the wireless charging project has been awarded by Innovate UK.

In addition to Sprint Power, the consortium includes the University of Warwick, the University of Nottingham, Loughborough University, Leeds City Council and MyEVS.

Sprint Power has developed an electrical distribution system (EDS), a power distribution module (PDM), and a high voltage harness assembly that will enable a fleet of vehicles to charge wirelessly via pads attached to the ground.

It automatically recognises which power source to draw current from, with each vehicle featuring both wireless and plug-in charging capability. A display screen inside the cabin of each vehicle will indicate to the user the status of each charge.

Founder and CEO of Sprint Power, Richie Frost, said: “As we move steadily towards the UK’s ban on pure ICE vehicles in 2030, more commercial operations will be switching their fleets to electric vehicles.

“We are delighted to be part of this pioneering trial that aims to make this transition easier through the development and implementation of wireless charging. I strongly believe these solutions will be key to this country’s shift towards sustainable mobility.”

Project AMiCC (AMiCable Charging) will trial eight modified Nissan Leaf and Nissan ENV200 models to evaluate the benefits of using wireless charging systems for security, estate and pool car fleets.

An AI (artificial intelligence) machine learning algorithm will capture information such as vehicle movement and optimum charging behaviour, while drivers will report back on their experiences using the technology.

Key success factors will include user acceptance, the readiness of the technology and its reliability. The results will be shared with the UK Government, and if successful, will become a code of best practice and could subsequently be implemented by industry.

The first Nissan ENV200 featuring wireless charging capability has been completed and has been delivered to the University of Nottingham for commissioning before the trial begins next month for a period of between six and nine months.

The first wireless Nissan Leaf will be delivered in early August, with the additional models set to follow soon after.

The trial comes as authorities around the country continue to look at schemes aimed at improving local air quality, reducing noise pollution and cutting carbon emissions.  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Transport for London (TfL) has invested in 50 new cameras to enforce banned turns, bus lanes, yellow box junctions and weight restrictions.

The cameras, which can be moved around the road network to where they are most needed, can be adapted for each new location.

A trial of the cameras carried out in 2020 saw an improvement in compliance of up to 60% in six months, says TfL.

The ability to relocate the cameras also means that they can be used to target non-compliance ‘hot-spots’. This capability ensures that TfL can target junctions with the most dangerous driver behaviour and can remove cameras from locations where enforcement activity has been successful in cutting danger and making drivers’ behaviour safer, it said.

Improving enforcement at junctions on the TfL road network will also help to cut congestion on the capital’s roads, by keeping junctions clear and ensuring traffic can move through them as intended.

A contract has been awarded to P Ducker Systems (PDS) for the new enforcement cameras.

Will Norman, London’s walking and cycling commissioner, said: “Most collisions on London’s roads happen at junctions and it’s absolutely vital for everybody’s safety that we can enforce effectively against the minority of drivers who break the rules.

“We’re determined to meet our Vision Zero goal of eliminating death and serious injury and our partnership with PDS to deliver these innovative new cameras will give us much-needed extra capability to tackle danger hot-spots on our road network.

“We’ll be closely monitoring the success of this new technology and will continue to work closely with the police and others to keep our road network safe, efficient and sustainable for everybody in the capital.”

The new cameras will be introduced to the TfL road network from this autumn and it will be closely monitoring how successful the cameras have been at cutting road danger, reducing congestion and improving bus journey reliability.

All money recovered by drivers being penalised is reinvested in maintaining a safe and efficient road network for everyone travelling in the capital, it said.

The cameras will be used for enforcement of civil traffic rules only and will be fully compliant with data protection legislation. By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Orders for diesel and petrol cars at Zenith in June were surpassed by those for battery electric vehicles (BEVs) for the first time.

The top 10 FN50 leasing and fleet management company says that pure electric vehicles (EVs) accounted for more than half (54%) of orders in June, compared to almost a third (32%) in the same month last year.

Over the past 12 months, Zenith reports that 41% of orders were for BEVs.

Demand for electric vans also increased in June to account for 69% of van orders compared to 1% in June 2020. Over the past 12 months, demand for fully electric vans has built to account for almost one in three van orders.

Ian Hughes, CEO, car and van division at Zenith, says orders had increased as the wider economy reopens. “In June, year-on-year total car orders almost doubled and, we have seen an almost nine-fold increase in total van orders as customers invest in fleet and fast-track their journey to net zero through the adoption of new technologies,” he added.

“Company car and salary sacrifice car scheme drivers continue to be attracted to the significant benefit-in-kind tax savings that can be made when choosing an EV, the ever-growing choice in vehicles and confidence in the charging infrastructure.”

Zenith says that salary sacrifice is helping company car drivers to transition to BEVs. In one scheme, 85% of orders have been for BEVs, with the remaining 15% for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.

SAL SAC HELPS NEGATE GREY FLEET

Fleet Evolution reports that, with more employees buying used cars to avoid public transport on the commute, salary sacrifice could help alleviate a potential growing grey fleet issue.

Andrew Leech, managing director at Fleet Evolution which was one of the early introducers of EV salary sacrifice schemes, says that salary sacrifice car scheme offers employees a number of benefits.

Typically, all maintenance, road tax, business insurance and breakdown cover costs are included within the monthly cost, which is deducted from the employee’s gross salary. This creates savings in income tax and National Insurance Contributions which can be significant.

While benefit-in-kind (BIK) tax is payable on the car provided, if employees select EVs with zero emissions they benefit from a tax rate of just 1% in the current tax year.

Employers, as a result, see monthly savings in NIC and VAT, as well providing employees with clean, fully maintained vehicles which helps manage their grey fleet risk.

Leech continued: “We are currently seeing that 97% of our forward orders through our salary sacrifice car schemes are battery electric or plug-in electric hybrids.

“Customers are realising the benefits of offering employees, who would not normally qualify under the company car scheme, access to low cost, low emission EVs.

“Our figures show that an electric car which travels 10,000 miles a year has transport costs of under £20 per month. And to show how cost effective EVs can be, a customer at automotive components manufacturer, Unipres, was able to travel 31,000 miles at just £320 per annum in electricity charges, which is a huge saving over conventional motoring costs.”

He added: “For employees who may be feeling under financial pressure, and who also may not want to risk public transport when they return to work, a salary sacrifice electric car scheme could be the prefect answer.”  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Used car values continue to outstrip expectations by a significant margin, with the market expected to remain bouyant over the coming months.

Figures from Cap HPI, published earlier this month, showed that, on average, trade prices for used cars have increased by £1,700 or 13.5% in the past three months.

Now, new data from BCA shows that average used car values at the auction house rose above £9,000 for the first time on record in June.

It reports average used car values rose by £835 month-on-month, equivalent to a 10% increase and averaging around 3% ahead of guide values.

The acceleration of price rises had showed some signs of easing towards the end of June, but the July market has continued the trend of steady improvements seen over the past few months.

Stuart Pearson, chief operating officer, said: “There is no doubt that the used car sector has seen some exceptional price movements this year, in the main fuelled by extraordinary levels of demand for the right vehicles.”

He continued: “Whilst there will always be some nervousness in a market that continues to rise, based on BCA’s current intelligence, it would seem highly unlikely that any significant changes will occur over the next few months.”

Premium used cars most in demand

Aston Barclay has revealed its latest Used Car Desirability Index for July, which highlights premium SUVs and used sports cars are the most in-demand stock across both its physical and online auction channels.

Its data takes into consideration three key metrics: web views prior to sale, number of physical and online bids per sale, and the sale price achieved as a percentage of CAP average.

The BMW 7-series and BMW M4 tied for first place with the Mercedes S-Class and Range Rover Velar close behind.

This is the first month where no full electric cars have made the top 25, previously Tesla had made the June list, while the Lexus NX was the only hybrid on the list.

In July, 19 out of the top 25 places were taken up by BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Jaguar, Range Rover and Lexus. Higher end SUVs and sports cars are most sought after, as the new car supply challenges caused by the semiconductor shortage have increased used car demand.

The Fiat 500C, the Suzuki Jimny and the Skoda Yeti reflects the high demand at the lower price end of the market for cars that are in short supply.

Martin Potter, Aston Barclay’s managing director – customer, said: “Our latest index highlights the current demand for premium vehicles.

“At this end of the market consumers do not want to wait long periods for a new car to arrive so they have switched their attention to the used market to source their next car. This has meant many dealers are competing for the same make and model of car which continues to push up prices.”  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

A “handful” of BP petrol stations have been closed temporarily due to driver shortages impacting the delivery of fuel.

However, the oil firm told the BBC that the “vast majority” of shortages were being “resolved within a day”.

The issue had been further exacerbated by a distribution centre having to close last week after some staff had been told to isolate.

“We are working hard with our haulier supplier to deliver fuel into sites and minimise any disruption to our customers,” said BP. “We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

“Our supply chain has been impacted by the industry-wide driver shortages across the UK and was exacerbated by the temporary closure of our Hemel Hempstead fuel distribution terminal last week because of necessary Covid-19 isolations amongst staff. The terminal is now operating as normal once again.”

Ministers have unveiled a package of measures to tackle the HGV driver shortage and ease pressure on the sector.

They include launching a consultation on allowing drivers to take one test to drive both an articulated and rigid lorry. This, says the Government, would streamline the process for new drivers to gain their HGV licence and would increase lorry test appointment availability.

The pandemic has resulted in the loss of about 12 months of driver training and testing, while online retail averaged 28.1% of retail sales in 2020, according to Logistics UK, up from 19.2% in 2019.

In an effort to help alleviate the pressure, ministers have pledged to work with industry leaders to attract new drivers, simplify training and encourage people to stay in the industry in an open letter to the road haulage sector.  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Tesla will enable cars from other manufacturers to use its Supercharger network later this year, according to Elon Musk.

The company’s CEO made the announcement on Twitter, but no further details of the arrangement have been outlined.

His tweet said: “we’re making our Supercharger network open to other EVs later this year.”

Currently the Tesla Supercharger Network is available exclusively to Tesla drivers, meaning units in the UK do not have to meet the Government’s requirements for ad-hoc access to public charging.

The Supercharger points provide up to 250kW of charging power, but would require users of non-Tesla vehicles to use a socket adapter for compatibility. There are currently 600 charge points in the network.

Telsa’s Supercharger network was found to be the nation’s favourite in a recent poll by What Car?

Users rated it very highly for reliability, charging speed, ease of payment and value for money, giving it an overall score of 89.8%.

Drivers of other electric vehicles told What Car? that the Instavolt network was their preferred public charger. It achieved an overall score of 81.2% and was the top scoring network for reliability with 92.6%.

Gridserve’s Electric Highway gained the highest score of 74.9% for location, the motorway network was rated worst for reliability, scoring just 23.7%. This network was previously operated by Ecotricity and has only recently been taken over by Gridserve, which has promised to revamp every location by the end of this year.  

Steve Huntingford, editor, What Car?, said: “Our investigation highlights the significant differences between electric car public charging networks. Those that offer the fastest charging speeds are not necessarily the best to use, and some of the most affordable can also be the most inaccessible. As more people switch to EVs the demand for public chargers will increase, and EV owners really do need to shop around to find the best charging solutions.”

When it comes to charging speed, Tesla took the lead and scored 95.5%, followed closely by Ionity with 95.3% – both providers offer charging speeds of above 200kW.

Tesla’s flat charging fee of 28p per kWh helped it gain the best score for value for money, too, whereas Ionity’s 69p per kWh charge earned it a rating of just 19.5%, the worst in What Car?’s data. 

The easiest networks to use were those that allowed drivers to tap and pay and didn’t require them to register, while those with glitchy apps, lengthy sign-up processes or a requirement to use a physical charging card to activate a charge point were rated down in this area. Worst of all was Charge Place Scotland, which has a complex registration process and took 10 days to send out a charging card, without which you can’t access the network.

However, it was Charge Your Car that came last overall because its charge points were deemed unreliable and in What Car?’s experience were frequently blocked by other vehicles because they were at the roadside with no dedicated electric car bays. It scored just 26.6% for reliability and 34.4% for location, and managed only 43.5% overall.

What Car? charge point survey results:

Company	Reliability	Location	Charging speed	Value for money	Ease of payment	Overall score
1 Tesla	83.7%	74.3%	95.5%	95.5%	100%	89.8%
2 Instavolt	92.6%	63.5%	79.0%	71.0%	100%	81.2%
3 Osprey	80.6%	71.3%	61.7%	69.8%	100%	76.7%
4 Shell Recharge	75.0%	53.5%	91.7%	57.5%	100%	75.5%
5 Pod Point	70.3%	69.9%	54.7%	93.0%	70.0%	71.6%
6 Gridserve Electric Highway	23.7%	74.9%	84.6%	67.6%	100%	70.2%
7 BP Pulse	36.9%	45.0%	87.2%	52.0%	100%	64.2%
8 Ionity	60.6%	61.4%	95.3%	19.5%	70.0%	61.4%
9 Engie	53.8%	54.5%	59.5%	91.9%	40.0%	59.9%
10 Charge Place Scotland	55.0%	63.7%	60.5%	90.9%	20.0%	58.0%
11 GeniePoint	58.5%	34.6%	55.0%	70.8%	70.0%	57.8%
12 Charge Your Car	26.6%	34.4%	49.2%	67.2%	40.0%	43.5%

By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Electric cars in traffic jams – will your battery cope? Which? tested how air-con, lights and heated seats affect an electric car’s battery

Your electric car’s battery is already at 60%. It’s getting late and there’s still another hour of driving to do yet – but then, disaster. A standstill traffic jam. You’re not going anywhere soon and naturally your eyes drift to how much battery power you have left. Will your electric car make it?

Electric cars are still relatively new and there is a lot of misinformation out there about battery range, including dystopian style warnings of dormant electric cars strewn across our roads because the air-con (or lights, or similar) drained the battery in a traffic jam.

But is this for real or can electric cars cope in dormant traffic? We put it to the test and simulated a traffic jam in an electric SUV, the VW ID.4. Scroll down to see our video and find out what happened. Our independent lab and road tests reveal the best electric cars for 2021 Electric cars and traffic jams – here’s what we did.

Coming to a halt in a traffic jam in an electric car can be nerve wracking, and you’ll likely question whether you can still listen to the radio or keep the air-con going. We simulated a traffic jam in a VW ID.4 electric SUV and had:

Music streaming through Android Auto Both front heated seats turned up to max

Air-con going Dipped headlights on (not on automatic, but manually on)

Tablet plugged into a USB socket playing a film.

And here’s what happened:

We lost just 2% of battery from a 77kWh battery That’s the equivalent of only 8 miles of range. We then took the car for a short drive to make sure the car hadn’t given us an overly optimistic remaining range based on the car’s lack of movement.

In this case, it hadn’t. In short, a very small amount of the electric car’s battery was used to keep the car comfortable. However, this was on a summer’s day.

Cold weather will have more of an affect on the car’s power usage as batteries don’t like the cold. We’ll return to this subject in winter, when the temperature starts dropping, to look at what happens.

The VW ID.4’s battery may have lived up to our traffic jam challenge, but what’s it like to drive and does its range meet VW’s claims? Find out in our expert, independent Volkswagen ID.4 review.

What happens if my electric car runs out of charge? There will be cases of people in electric vehicles (EVs) running out of charge. Perhaps someone had set off without much charge in their battery, or had problems using a public charger and were trying to get to the next charger and fell short – see our news story on fiv

e problems with public car charging and how to fix them.

An electric car running out of juice is potentially problematic. A little known fact about EVs is that they can’t be towed. So if you were to somehow run out of battery, you can’t hook up a tow rope and be dragged the final leg to a charger.

Instead you need a breakdown service to retrieve your car for you, or possibly even charge it on the spot. See 8 things electric car owners should know. Electric vehicle warning and tortoise/turtle mode

Your EV should give ample warning as the battery starts to empty, making you aware of your need to find a charger. If the worst happens, an EV’s so-called ‘turtle mode’ (also called tortoise mode) will kick in before the car cuts out to allow you to pull over, out of traffic’s way.

In the ID.4 we drove for this video, according to the manual, a yellow tortoise symbol will show on the dashboard to indicate the car has gone in to a restricted power mode, and then will turn red to indicate that deactivation of the drive is imminent due to a very low battery.

When it’s red, you will only be able to move the car at speeds of up to 4mph, and start the car twice if already deactivated. So while a traffic jam may not have the draining effect that some say it does, it is still important to keep an eye on your car’s remaining state of charge (SOC) and plan to reach a charger with a healthy buffer of charge, just in case. Not yet ready for an electric car? See our expert pick of the best hybrid cars.

By Graham Hill thanks to Which? and good friend Greg Gregory.