The Best Car Finance Blog In The World

Highways England has launched a new campaign advising drivers to “go left” if they break down on the motorway.

The multi-million pound exercise is aimed at improving safety on smart motorways following a review by the Transport Secretary last year.

It is being supported by partners across the recovery industry and independent road safety campaigner Meera Naran.

Set to the tune of the Pet Shop Boys’ hit version of the ‘Go West’ song, the advert delivers a clear, single-minded message – go left.

Highways England Acting Chief Executive, Nick Harris, said: “No one plans to break down on a motorway, but if the unexpected happens then I want all motorists to know what to do so that they can keep themselves and others safe.

“Everyone wants a safe journey and raising awareness is a vital part of helping to make sure that happens.

“This new campaign and its ‘Go left’ message is designed to deliver crucial information in an accessible way and to help make motorways safer for the people who use them.”

The campaign is part of an 18-point action plan set out in the Evidence Stocktake published by the Department for Transport in March last year.

The Transport Secretary called on Highways England to deliver the campaign to improve safety and public confidence on smart motorways. However, the Transport Committee has launched a seprate inquiry into the benefits and safety of Smart Motorways in response to numerous calls for them to be scrapped.

Campaigners against Smart Motorways have labelled them as ‘death traps’. One coroner concluded that smart motorways ‘present an ongoing risk of future deaths’ while another has referred Highways England to the Crown Prosecution Service to consider if corporate manslaughter charges are appropriate following the 2018 death of a grandmother on the M1 in South Yorkshire.

Meera Naran is campaigning for Safer Drivers on Safer Roads following the death of her eight-year-old son Dev on the M6. She said: “Having successfully campaigned for the implementation of the 18-point safety plan – this education campaign is an integral step in the right direction to support motorists.”

In 2019 there were almost 230,000 reported breakdowns across the Highways England network including around 207,500 on motorways. In the 12 months from June 2019, around 40,000 breakdowns were recorded as being due to tyre issues while more than 6,000 incidents were a result of vehicles running out of fuel.

AA president, Edmund King OBE, added: “As motorway design has changed since many of us passed our test, it is vital to inform drivers what they should do in rare but worse-case scenarios.

“This welcome new campaign reminds drivers to ‘go left’ should their vehicles develop faults and if possible, get off the motorway. However, if they can’t, then they should head for the next emergency zone.

“Some breakdowns can be avoided completely, so drivers should take five minutes before setting off to ensure their tyres are inflated correctly, that they have enough fuel or electric charge and that engine fluids are topped up.” By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Batteries capable of fully charging in five minutes have been produced in a factory for the first time, marking a significant step towards electric cars becoming as fast to charge as filling up petrol or diesel vehicles.

Electric vehicles are a vital part of action to tackle the climate crisis but running out of charge during a journey is a worry for drivers. The new lithium-ion batteries were developed by the Israeli company StoreDot and manufactured by Eve Energy in China on standard production lines.

StoreDot has already demonstrated its “extreme fast-charging” battery in phones, drones and scooters and the 1,000 batteries it has now produced are to showcase its technology to carmakers and other companies. Daimler, BP, Samsung and TDK have all invested in StoreDot, which has raised $130m to date and was named a Bloomberg New Energy Finance Pioneer in 2020.

The batteries can be fully charged in five minutes but this would require much higher-powered chargers than used today. Using available charging infrastructure, StoreDot is aiming to deliver 100 miles of charge to a car battery in five minutes in 2025.

“The number one barrier to the adoption of electric vehicles is no longer cost, it is range anxiety,” said Doron Myersdorf, CEO of StoreDot. “You’re either afraid that you’re going to get stuck on the highway or you’re going to need to sit in a charging station for two hours.

But if the experience of the driver is exactly like fuelling [a petrol car], this whole anxiety goes away.”

“A five-minute charging lithium-ion battery was considered to be impossible,” he said. “But we are not releasing a lab prototype, we are releasing engineering samples from a mass production line. This demonstrates it is feasible and it’s commercially ready.”

Existing Li-ion batteries use graphite as one electrode, into which the lithium ions are pushed to store charge. But when these are rapidly charged, the ions get congested and can turn into metal and short circuit the battery.

The StoreDot battery replaces graphite with semiconductor nanoparticles into which ions can pass more quickly and easily. These nanoparticles are currently based on germanium, which is water soluble and easier to handle in manufacturing.

But StoreDot’s plan is to use silicon, which is much cheaper, and it expects these prototypes later this year. Myersdorf said the cost would be the same as existing Li-ion batteries.

“The bottleneck to extra-fast charging is no longer the battery,” he said. Now the charging stations and grids that supply them need to be upgraded, he said, which is why they are working with BP. “BP has 18,200 forecourts and they understand that, 10 years from now, all these stations will be obsolete, if they don’t repurpose them for charging – batteries are the new oil.”

Dozens of companies around the world are developing fast-charging batteries, with Tesla, Enevate and Sila Nanotechnologies all working on silicon electrodes. Others are looking at different compounds, such as Echion which uses niobium oxide microparticles.

Tesla boss Elon Musk tweeted on Monday: “Battery cell production is the fundamental rate-limiter slowing down a sustainable energy future. Very important problem.”

“I think such fast-charging batteries will be available to the mass market in three years,” said Prof Chao-Yang Wang, at the Battery and Energy Storage Technology Center at Pennsylvania State University in the US. “They will not be more expensive; in fact, they allow automakers to downsize the onboard battery while still eliminating range anxiety, thereby dramatically cutting down the vehicle battery cost.”

Research by Wang’s group is being developed by the company EC Power, which he founded. It carefully increases the temperature of the battery to 60C, which enables the lithium ions to move faster, but avoids the damage to the battery usually caused by heat. He said this allowed a full charge in 10 minutes.

Wang said new research published in Nature Energy on Monday showed this battery could be both affordable and eliminate range anxiety. “Finally we are achieving parity with gasoline vehicles in both cost and convenience.

We have the technology for $25,000 electric cars that race like luxury sport cars, have 10-minute rechargeability and are safer than any currently on the market.”

Wang noted that fast charging must also be repeatable at least 500 times without degrading the battery to give it a reasonable life and that the EC power battery can do so 2,500 times.

Myersdorf said the StoreDot battery could be recharged 1,000 cycles while retaining 80% of original capacity.

Anna Tomaszewska, at Imperial College London, UK, who reviewed the fast-charging batteries in 2019, was more cautious about the speed of their rollout. “I think technologies [like StoreDot’s] could start entering the market in the next five years or so.

However, since they will be more difficult and expensive to manufacture, we’re likely to initially only see them in niche markets that are highly performance-driven and not as price-sensitive as electric vehicles,” she said.  By Graham Hill thanks to The Guardian

Recommendations for who will be legally liable if an autonomous vehicle is involved in a collision or commits an offence are set to be published by the Law Commission before the end of the year.

The organisation has completed a consultation into the legal ramifications of the technology and is now assessing responses before making its final recommendations.

Jessica Uguccioni, lead lawyer of the Law Commission’s autonomous vehicles review, says: “One of the big things we’ve determined is that you can’t just keep the current system for enforcing road traffic rules when it comes to automated vehicles.

“At the moment you can basically lock people up if they do something really, really bad on the road, like dangerous driving, but that is just not going to work with the automated driving regime.

“We need to have a system which is much more based on ensuring safety to begin with, but then understanding why things have gone wrong and preventing them happening again because a single incident can have ramifications for many other vehicles.”

In the Law Commission’s consultation document, the organisation says different levels of automation should affect where liability lies.

If the vehicle is fully autonomous and can travel without a driver in them then any people in the vehicle are merely passengers so have no legal responsibility for the way the vehicle drives and are under no obligation to take over the driving.

Determining liability for autonomous vehicles which require a human driver to be in control of the vehicle at times is more complicated.

While there will be periods when the vehicle is fully autonomous or when it is being fully controlled by a human, there will also be times when the vehicle is transferring control to the driver.  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

The fuel consumption of plug-in hybrid (PHEV) models was found to be 61% lower, on average, than official figures suggest, in a new independent test.

Which? put 22 PHEV models through a laboratory test, which it claims is “more stringent” than the official WLTP cycle that manufacturers must use.

The cars were tested on the road, including on the motorway, with their batteries in varying states of charge. Which? claims each model was driven 62 miles.

“A fuel-efficient plug-in hybrid vehicle is an attractive feature for prospective buyers, as many will expect to spend less on fuel and reduce their carbon footprint. Yet our research shows many popular hybrid models are not as efficient as the manufacturer’s claim, which means motorists could be spending more on fuel than they anticipated,” said Natalie Hitchins, head of home products and services at Which?.

“It is clear that the standard set for calculating fuel efficiency rates is flawed and should be reviewed to reflect real-life driving conditions. This would ensure manufacturers advertise more accurate rates and consumers have an accurate understanding of how much they should expect to spend on fuel,” she added.

More than 66,000 PHEVs were sold in 2020, an increase of 91% on the previous year. Company car drivers can benefit from the lower CO2 emission figures when compared to equivalent petrol or diesel models, making them a deisreable choice.

A previous study by Fleet Logistics found that the average PHEV returned 37.2mpg and 193g/km of CO2, as a result of many business drivers not charging them regularly.

The best performing vehicle in the Which? test was the Toyota Prius, which achieved 114mpg versus the official 188.3mpg claimed figure. A difference of 39%.

BMW’s X5 plug-in hybrid was the furthest from its official figure of 188.3mpg, returning 52.8mpg in the Which? test.

By law, manufacturers are required to test all vehicles to the same WLTP standard, which is independently verified by government authorities. It is these results that manufacturers must publish within any advertising communications.

Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: “There will, however, always be a difference between lab tests and real-world use. Fuel use will vary greatly depending on the type of journey made, the conditions, driving stye, load and other factors which is why the WLTP test is a standardised test designed to overcome these variables and provide consumers with accurate and comparable results across all vehicles.

“The WLTP tests consistently demonstrate that plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) offer comparable range to pure petrol or diesel equivalents but deliver substantial emission reductions, with zero emission range typically 25-40 miles, which is more than ample given that 94% of UK car journeys are less than 25 miles. PHEV range and performance will continue to improve meaning that, for many drivers, they are the essential stepping-stone to a fully electric vehicle.”

Which? PHEV fuel economy test results:

By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Before I get into the article I should point out that in my opinion the class actions, widely advertised, are unlikely to succeed as the lawyers will need to prove that customers had lost money as a result of the actions of the manufacturers. This will be very difficult to prove.

Some claims companies are trying to sign everyone up that owned or leased any diesel between dates when some have been shown to be fiddling the emissions. That way if there is a future action you cannot claim yourself, you are now under contract to the claims company. My advice at the moment is do nothing and certainly don’t sign up to any of the many claims companies. On to the article:

Emissions cheating allegations are now being levelled against all car manufacturers who sold diesel vehicles in the UK between 2009 and 2018, by London law firm Harcus Parker.

Businesses, company car drivers and the rental and leasing industry could be eligible for compensation if the claims are successful.

Following the dieselgate scandal, Volkswagen Group was the first brand to face civil action with some 90,000 UK owners seeking compensation. The carmaker, however, is defending the claim and says that claimants did not suffer any loss. The case is ongoing.

Class action lawsuits have since been launched against Daimler, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Renault, Nissan and Vauxhall by numerous firms in the UK and Harcus Parker plans to begin legal proceedings against all other manufacturers of diesel vehicles in the coming weeks. The cases are expected to last for around two years.

All the car brands involved in existing claims deny the allegations.

Damon Parker, partner at Harcus Parker, said: “My clients bought diesel vehicles after believing the messages pushed on them from all sides that ‘clean diesels’ offered a win-win solution to the problem of increasing CO2 emissions.

“Unfortunately, this ignores the difficulties manufacturers have always faced in controlling emissions of nitrogen oxide (NOx). The effects of diesel fumes on air quality is now becoming more well known, and my clients hope that by holding vehicle manufacturers to account for breaching regulatory limits, they can help to protect the environment, air quality and our health in the future.”

Car manufacturers are accused of using illegal defeat devices to manipulate the emissions performance of vehicles at certain times, such as during emissions tests, to make their cars appear to be more environmentally friendly.

All vehicles registered between 2009 and 2018 underwent the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) test, in order to gain type approval. While EU law bans the use of ‘defeat devices’, exceptions within the regulations allow the effectiveness of emissions control systems to be reduced if it’s required to protect the engine against damage or ensure its safe operation.

Nick Molden, founder and CEO of independent vehicle emissions testing firm Emissions Analytics, told Fleet News: “The regulations set a NOx limit in ‘normal driving’ but, in Europe, there was no description of what normal driving was – only the official NEDC cycle, which varied totally from normal driving.

“Manufacturers have worked through the regulations and found what specific tests they had to meet. No carmaker has failed to meet what they had to do under NEDC, but the lawyers argue that they should always meet that.”

A 2016 investigation by the Vehicle Certification Agency, on behalf of the Department for Transport, found that only Volkswagen Group vehicles featured defeat devices designed specifically to beat official testing.

However, the tests provided further evidence that NOx emissions from diesel vehicles were higher in real-world conditions and on the test track than in laboratory conditions.

The investigation concluded that the EU regulations provided uncertainty about how emissions control systems may be reduced or deactivated in certain conditions and did not detail how the exceptions to the ban on defeat devices should apply, whether or how manufacturers should apply these exemptions, or how a type approval authority should evaluate the validity of their use.

Parker said: “For a vehicle to perform significantly differently below 20oC, 17oC or even 15oC is simply unacceptable and in our view is a transparent attempt to manufacture vehicles which purport to pass the relevant tests but which perform very differently in the real world. After all, the average temperate in the UK is around 9oC.”

The excess diesel emissions issue is estimated to affect around 40 million cars in Europe and around 11 million in the UK, including non-RDE Euro 6 models.

The Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP) said it is not aware that any of its members are engaging with class action suits and believes fleet operators are unlikely to seek compensation unless residual values were affected.

Molden said the weakness in class action suits is in establishing that car owners have suffered a loss.

“The consequence of higher NOx is better fuel economy and lower CO2. Consumers have been benefiting – there is no financial loss there. Secondhand car values are also still very strong. People like the fuel efficiency of a diesel vehicle,” he explained. By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Road pricing is back on the political agenda. Government sources suggest Chancellor Rishi Sunak is considering replacing fuel duty, as electric power gradually replaces petrol and diesel.

Meanwhile, the Transport Committee of the House of Commons has launched an inquiry into zero carbon vehicles and road pricing.

We have been here before. In 2007 some of my colleagues were working on a study for the Department for Transport (DfT) into the public acceptability of road pricing when an email went round the university urging people to sign an e-petition urging the Prime Minister to “scrap the planned vehicle tracking and road pricing policy”.

It went on to attract 1.8 million signatures, prompting Blair to abandon the plans.

I interviewed Peter Roberts, the man who started that petition, for Roads, Runways and Resistance: From the Newbury Bypass to Extinction Rebellion*.

The book tells the inside story of the most controversial transport issues in Britain since the late 1980s, the ones which provoked widespread protest, through interviews with ministers, civil servants, advisers and protest leaders.

It outlines how, in 2000, a small group of farmers and hauliers closed down the UK economy faster than Covid-19 in protest at rising fuel taxes.

The Government made small concessions at the time, but the enduring legacy of those protests is illustrated in the fuel tax graph below; fuel tax has fallen by more than a third since then.

Those stories, and that graph, illustrate the biggest problem with plans for road pricing today. Over the next few years, decarbonisation is the main challenge for the transport sector.

The sixth carbon budget now before Parliament would require the whole sector to cut its emissions by 70% by the mid-2030s. There are only two ways to do that: take petrol and diesel vehicles off the road and/or reduce the distances they drive.

Fuel tax rises would be the most effective way to create a ‘push factor’, and yet, governments continue to cut them, with hardly a murmur of opposition.

Road pricing could create a push factor if it increases the cost of driving conventional vehicles. It would make driving more expensive on congested roads, but if it replaces fuel taxes, it could make it cheaper to drive on uncongested roads, which have more capacity. That would increase carbon emissions.

It all depends on how the prices are set. Would politicians really use this as a way of making motoring more expensive? If not, then road pricing might make sense after the fleet has electrified, but not before, as I have written in my evidence to the Transport Committee.

In the meantime, governments should reverse those fuel tax cuts aim to accelerate the shift away from petrol and diesel.  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Company car drivers charging an electric vehicle (EV) at home could save up to £1,250 a year by choosing the right tariff, says Rightcharge.co.uk.

With energy prices rising in the UK as from 01 April 2021, many households will be paying larger electricity utility bills, including those drivers who charge their company vehicles at home.

However, the vehicle home charger and energy comparison site says that this is the perfect opportunity for fleet drivers to find more generously priced EV-friendly energy tariffs that cover charging for fully-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles – providing a combined home and vehicle charge saving on household energy costs.

For example, a fleet driver covering 20,000 miles annually would expect to pay £2,344 on a standard variable tariff from one of the big six energy suppliers, which would include both household energy use and £1,300 for the charging of the vehicle.

From April that total will increase to £2,599 a year, including £1,454 for charging the same car, representing an annual price increase faced by the driver of £154 for just the charging alone, potentially impacting any financial benefit-in-kind (BIK) taxation gains drivers may have gained from swapping from a conventional diesel car to an EV.

Yet users who switch to a lower-cost alternative EV energy tariff after April 1, could find themselves paying only £1,349 a year – with the charging element representing just £459 of that amount – says Rightcharge.

This represents a massive saving of £995 on charging a vehicle at home, with an additional £255 saved on household energy bills. That’s a total saving of £1,250 a year.

Charlie Cook, founder of Rightcharge, said: “EV-friendly energy tariffs are so incredibly cheap in comparison to a standard tariff, that a homeowner can actually start charging their car at home and reduce their total energy bill at the same time – effectively getting from A to B for free.

“A fleet driver doing 20,000 miles per year can save £1,250. That’s a huge saving EV fleet drivers could be making by simply switching.”

Rightcharge allows users to compare EV-friendly energy tariffs by taking their car into account as well as their home, helping customers to minimise costs for running EVs – plus special payment available for fleets. Rightcharge also helps users to select the correct charger for vehicle and home offering.

Cook said: “We want to help drivers minimise their EV costs – and we suspect many just don’t realise what they can save. Our price comparison website points them in the right direction.”  By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Petrol and diesel pump prices could rise by 10p per litre as the price of oil hits a 13-month high.

Analysts are predicting dramatic fuel price hike as the price of a barrel of oil is set to soar from $64 to $80.

The RAC is warning that UK drivers need to brace themselves for further potentially dramatic pump price increases.

Having dropped to just $13 last April, the price of a barrel of oil has now recovered, jumping by $20 in three months. Some analysts are now predicting oil could reach $80 a barrel this year, a price last seen in October 2018, and petrol prices could rise to around 130p and diesel to 134.5p based on today’s exchange rate.

At $100 a barrel – a price that JPMorgan has said is a possibility next year – petrol and diesel could hit records high of 143p and 148p respectively.

RAC Fuel Watch data shows that petrol prices have already been rising for 13 straight weeks, with a litre now 8.03p more expensive than November 22, 2020, at 121.84p per litre.

The situation with diesel is even more pronounced, with prices now having risen for 14 weeks (up 7.68p since November 15, 2020) at 124.91p per litre.

RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams said: “When the pandemic hit last year, the effect on forecourt prices was nothing if not dramatic – those still driving through March and April paid less to fill up than they had done since mid-2016, when the price of oil plummeted as a result of deliberate over production.

“But by the summer the oil price had rebounded and today is at a level not seen since the start of 2020, meaning storm clouds are once again gathering over UK forecourts. Ironically and rather unfortunately, as economic confidence grows as measures to combat the coronavirus take effect, it’s likely to mean drivers end up paying more to fill up in the coming weeks.

“The last thing drivers, and possibly the economy, need is a fuel duty increase – not least as petrol prices have now been rising for 13 consecutive weeks. A hike in duty at a time of rising fuel prices could put unprecedented pressure on lower-income households and might have the negative effect of forcing everyone who depends on their cars to consider cutting back on other spending.” By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News

Electric vehicle (EV) drivers can pay more than four times as much for the same amount of electricity when they use different public chargers, new research reveals.

A study carried out by What Car? has highlighted that charging a BMW iX3, with an 80kWh battery, from 10%-80% could cost between £9.32 and £40.66, as a result of the different tariffs and charges offered across the UK charging network.

BP’s Pulse 7.4kW pay-as-you-go tariff was the cheapest found, with a charge costing £9.32 for the iX3, at a cost of £0.18 per kWh.

While other providers were found to offer cheaper kWh rates, they often required a subscription fee or one-off payment, which inflated prices.

With a subscription, these networks would help owners save money in the long run. However, charging up at home is still the cheapest option, with the 10-80% boost for the iX3’s batteries costing £7.25.

Source London Flexi (7.4kW) delivered the most expensive charge in the study, costing £40.66 – despite providing the same 7.4kW charging speed as BP Pulse.

Available to London residents in Camden, Kensington & Chelsea, and Westminster, the charge included a £10 one-off sign-up fee and £0.073 per minute tariff.

The network’s 7.4kW chargers automatically stop charging a fee after four hours for cars being charged up between 8pm and 7pm, so an overnight charge for the iX3 on the Flexi tariff would cost £27.52, including the initial £10 fee.

The one-off fee also makes the first daytime charge on a 22kW Source London Flexi subscription expensive at £38.79. That said, subsequent charges are more affordable and frequent users will recoup the cost of the initial fee. It’s also important to note that Source London only charges its highest rates in the three London boroughs listed above; prices are lower elsewhere and many of its chargers are free to use.

A spokesperson for the company said: “Source London is the only network to include on-street parking in its usage fees. This gives our members the ability to park anywhere in London, including Central London, without having to pay any additional on-street parking fees which would often have to be paid separately at other locations.”

Outside London, Ionity’s rapid 350kW network proved most expensive, with a £0.69 per kWh fee to use its rapid chargers. The 80% charge would take just 35 minutes, though, compared with more than seven hours using a slower 7.4kW charger.

What Car? editor Steve Huntingford said: “Unlike petrol and diesel prices, which are relatively stable across the country, tariffs for the UK’s public charging network can vary wildly due to different electricity and subscription fees. Our research highlights the importance of doing your research before you leave home to find the most cost-effective way to make your journey.”

The findings follow the launch of a Government consultation to investigate ways to improve the public charging experience for drivers.

Among the key points is a proposal that charge point operators have to make pricing information more readily available, along with location and power output data.

The Government says that this is essential for ensuring costs are fair, for driving competition, and for increasing the confidence of both existing EV drivers and those considering making the switch.

Cost of charging a BMW iX3 (80kWh), according to What Car?’s study:

Cost of charging a BMW iX3 (80kWh), according to What Car?’s study:

Network and tariff	Monthly fee (£)	Fee per charge (£)	Cost per kWh (£/kWh)	Total 10-80% charge cost (£)
Source London Flexi (7.4kW)*	0.00	0.00	0.073 per min	40.66
Source London Flexi (22kW)*	0.00	0.00	0.13 per min	38.79
Ionity (350kW)	0.00	0.00	0.69	35.74
Source London PAYG (7.4kW)	0.00	0.00	0.084 per min	35.28
Source London Full (7.4kW)	4.00	0.00	0.05 per min	25.00
Source London PAYG (22kW)	0.00	0.00	0.157 per min	22.18
BP Pulse subscription (150kW)	7.85	0.00	0.27	21.84
BP Pulse PAYG (150kW)	0.00	0.00	0.42	21.76
BP Pulse PAYG contactless (150kW)	0.00	0.00	0.42	21.76
Shell Recharge (43kW, 50kW)	0.00	0.00	0.39	20.20
ESB subscription London (50kW)	4.99	0.00	0.28	19.49
Source London Full (22kW)	4.00	0.00	0.109 per min	19.40
Osprey (22kW to 50kW)	0.00	0.00	0.36	18.65
Instavolt (50kW)	0.00	0.00	0.35	18.13
Geniepoint London (43kW, 50kW)	0.00	1.80	0.30	17.34
Char.gy PAYG (7kW)	0.00	0.00	0.33	17.09
Ubitricity SmartCable Membership (7.4kW)	7.99	0.19	0.16	16.57
Geniepoint Rapid (43kW, 50kW)	0.00	1.00	0.30	16.54
ESB contactless London (50kW)	0.00	0.50	0.30	16.04
Geniepoint (7kW, 22kW)	0.00	0.50	0.30	16.04
BP Pulse subscription (50kW)	7.85	0.00	0.15	15.62
BP Pulse PAYG contactless (50kW)	0.00	0.00	0.30	15.54
Ecotricity (43kW, 50kW)	0.00	0.00	0.30	15.54
ESB PAYG London (50kW)	0.00	0.00	0.30	15.54
BP Pulse subscription (7kW)	7.85	0.00	0.12	14.07
BP Pulse PAYG (50kW)	0.00	0.00	0.25	12.95
Ubitricity PAYG (7.4kW)	0.00	0.00	0.24	12.43
Pod Point (43kW, 50kW)	0.00	0.00	0.23	11.91
BP Pulse PAYG (7.4kW)	0.00	0.00	0.18	9.32

*£10 sign-up fee, the cost per minute on 7.4kW chargers is capped at four hours between 8pm and 7am, making overnight charging cheaper

Winter conditions can reduce the range of a battery electric vehicle by up to 40%, participants in the Optimise Prime EV trial have reported.

The Ofgem-funded programme is the world’s largest commercial EV project and aims to discover how the UK’s electricity infrastructure will cope with the mass adoption of EVs, as well as how businesses can accelerate their transition.

It features three fleet partners – Royal Mail, Centrica and Uber – who each have different operating modes, as well as Hitachi and electricity distribution networks UK Power Network and Scottish and Southern Electricity networks.

James Rooney, fleet engineer at Centrica, said: “In 2014, we took on some Nissan eNV200s and they were a really good van in the summer, not so good in the winter.

““Bearing in mind this is old tech, we could get 70 miles out of them in the summer but in winter that could be down to 40 miles with a mix of what the cold does to the battery in terms of potency as  well as the driver using the heaters.

“It’s less of a problem now with battery preconditioning and liquid-cooled batteries, but we certainly see a seasonal disparity.”

Royal Mail has had a similar experience. “We introduced our first 100 EVs throughout 2018/19 so we’ve had them for a couple of winters now,” says Anna Pearson, fleet innovation and environment manager at Royal Mail.

“The colder and darker conditions means we have to use the heaters and lights more, and we have seen a drop in range.

“We’ve probably seen a drop of about 25% to 30%, definitely. That obviously depends on how the vehicle is being driven as well.” By Graham Hill thanks to Fleet News