Vehicle-to-grid
This ultra-smart technology effectively allows you to plug your car into the grid, and for it to either charge up when electricity is plentiful and low-priced, or return power into the grid when demand is high. Not all electric cars or homes are capable of it, but more and more are. Such clever energy management might not qualify you as the next Wolf on Wall Street, but it could net you a tidy income just for plugging your car in.
EV range measures and efficiency
Manufacturer official claimed range
Prior to a car going on sale, manufacturers submit official ranges for their vehicles based on prescribed conditions. However, while this is useful for comparing capabilities of different cars, these conditions are rarely perfectly reflected in the real world.
As a rule of thumb you should expect to take 10-20% off the official range, with factors such as driving style and temperature making a huge difference.
To help EV buyers get a more accurate indication of range, car-buying experts What Car? created its Real Range test.
NEDC
Before the introduction of the WLTP (see below), new cars underwent the New European Driving Cycle, which was used to test new car engines’ fuel economy and emissions output. The NEDC test was replaced for being too optimistic and typically provides more generous range figures for EVs.
WLTP
Deep breath: WLTP stands for the Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicles Test Procedure, a rigorous emissions and efficiency test, which has effectively replaced the NEDC test. Its purpose is to discover how far a car can go in the real world with one tank of fuel or one full charge, as well as looking at how much energy or fuel a new car uses. There’s also a big focus on emissions – not that tailpipe-free BEVs have to worry about that.
Warning! Incoming bill possible!
ULEZ
Alongside the London Congestion Charge Zone (CCZ) the capital now has an Ultra Low Emission Zone. As a rule of thumb, if you hear the word zone it often means you owe someone money – the ULEZ is no exception.
If you have a petrol car which does not meet Euro 4 standards or a diesel car which does not meet Euro 6 standards then you will have to pay a fee for entering the zone, which is in operation 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Registered electric cars are free, however.
London’s ULEZ expanded recently to cover all areas within the North and South Circular roads. It is also worth noting that Birmingham as well as Glasgow have similar zones, and more cities are expected to jump on the bandwagon as the Government pushes to meet its net zero targets.
OLEV
No this isn’t an Overpriced Levitating Electric Vehicle. As fun – and expensive – as that sounds, this actually stands for the Office for Low-Emission Vehicles, which is the department in charge of looking after Ultra Low-Emission Vehicles. Shame, as our version sounds much more fun.
Some important extras
Range
How far your car will go depends on how much energy you have in your battery. More energy in the battery means more range.
Range anxiety
Uh-oh. This is the technical term for the sweat-inducing fear that EV drivers get when they are running low on charge when driving an electric car. It’s become less of an issue as the charging network has grown and charging speeds improved, but the current rise in the uptake of EVs has – reasonably – led to calls for an even faster rollout of more chargers.
Regenerative braking
When energy created through braking is harnessed and then used to charge the batteries while on the move. Modern electric cars are fitted with this feature, with many allowing the driver to set the effectiveness of the regenerative brakes. In some cars the force of regenerative braking, instigated just by lifting off the accelerator is so strong that you rarely need to hit the actual brakes.
The only person who got all his work done by Friday was Robinson Crusoe.
Anything i post over three lines long please assume it is an article lol.