[BigDave]

Rafa wrote:

We’ve just signed deal at our local Williams MINI in Bolton last Saturday… today I’ve just found that great BigDave response with cashback at Partridge of Hampshire. It’s nearly 4 hours drive from us, so now thinking how to scrap deal at Bolton and sort out new one (with 500 cashback) with down south dealer (hopefully over the phone). Vehicle should be available for 29th Nov as current lease expiring Nov 30th….

You are going to have to work out whether the £500 off the AP is worth it in light of how far away you are from Hampshire.

You will need to make two trips to the supplying dealer’s premises – one to order the vehicle, the second to collect it. You cannot order over the phone, it has to be done in person at the dealer’s premises.

In light of traveling time and fuel costs etc, would looking at the £250 off from Stratstone be a better proposition, particularly if they have a branch much closer to you?

Another alternative would have been to copy out the offers available at other dealers and ask Williams Mini to match them, however this is a bit late if you have already ordered the vehicle at full price.

[ChrisK]

I’m on car number 4 now and overall I’ve not had too much trouble but yes your right there are times when they seem to have no time for you.

One thing is to keep ahead of them knowing as much, if not more, about the cars there selling that what they do, that way they can’t spin yarns.

It’s hard I know but I spend 20 times more time on YouTube reviews than the time I spend at the dealers, in fact time in the showroom is mostly sitting in the cars there and playing with things for there suitability to my disablement then I simply ask “can I order one or should I walk, the choice is yours”.

The only real big issue I’ve had apart from a couple of yarns and a lie is one guy refusing to go to his computer and double check the AP for a car I was going to order with it being just a day or so after a new price list had been release.

I put the phone down on him and travelled 70 miles to another dealer and ordered the car there and cut a long story short the manager of the first dealer rang to ask why I had not gone in to order the car and I told him about the “can’t be bothered attitude of some of his sales staff”, he apologise and said he hoped I’d come back to them next time and I said I would be but just remember my name in 3 years time.?

[Evbear]

Thanks so much Oscarmax for the gcb confirmation. That’s great news. I most certainly won’t bother getting mine removed then!

Good to hear about the Outlander PHEV – it’s on my watchlist but I see it’s getting a radical overhaul late 2020/early 2021 so I’m keeping my fingers crossed it stays on the scheme and at a similar ap. I think the new Kuga boot might be fractionally bigger (I may be wrong) but unless I find a much better Ford dealer not too far away, I’d feel very reluctant to get one. There’s a great Mitsubishi dealership c45mins from me, where I used to live and near my parents, so I’ll pay them a visit when the new Outlander is out.

I’m hoping Motability will put on their shows again early next year as it’s my only way of test driving cars myself. I’m more anxious about my next change because I will need to switch to electronic hand controls as the push/pull free option is too uncomfortable on my hand. I won’t know what type will be best unless I get to see/try them? I ordered my GT purely on my dad test driving one with me as a passenger. I got to test an adapted one myself a few months later at the 2018 summer show. Luckily I found it ok but I had reservations about the push/pull. The adapter set mine as light as possible when I got my car later but it’s still not enough. It was my first time needing them as I’d previously got by with just the left foot accelerator. My left leg has since deteriorated further, making me even more reliant on hand controls. I’ve not been able to drive with my right leg for many years. My 3-month order time will be early June but I don’t really want to risk needing an extension on my lease as I need more suitable adaptations ASAP. I had to extend last time as my GT took 5 months to arrive. I was going for another Tiguan but the order time then was 9 months. I know COVID-19 has screwed up order times but from what I’ve read, they’re often longer than 3 months anyway. I saw a YouTube video the other day saying there’s a year‘s wait for a RAV4 (not Motability related)!  Motability’s website states not all adaptations are suitable for all cars, so I don’t think I can order a car and specify the right adaptations afterwards. I really don’t know what to do?

[Oscarmax]

Saintsman wrote:

I took one for a test drive on Monday. It’s a lovely car until you drive it and I’m not referring to the CVT gearbox. When I started it up there was various annoying bings and bongs. I was expecting silence after they stopped but there was a constant electronic buzz or hum which continued as I drive along. The buzz was eventually silenced as I hit speed as it was drowned out by the wind noise against the door mirrors. The drive itself was really smooth, it took those middle of the road speed bumps with hardly a bump, the CVT was still fine. The adaptive cruise worked a treat as did the steering assist even on some newly painted country roads. I assume the engine kicked in but it was really quiet, or at least I couldn’t hear it over the wind noise and the now faint buzz. So, the CVT gearbox, not a problem it drives like any other automatic and better than a lot…… until you floor it, you get a lovely noise, you feel the acceleration a bit, but then that lovely noise doesn’t change note so it feels like you’re always waiting for the gear change which never happens. Oh, another annoying thing is the centre display screen, it could do with being turned slightly towards the driver, it’s too flat and from my driving position I had to lean over to see it properly. I wanted to like this as I like the look of the RAV4 and since I would like a hybrid/plug in and since the BMW 225e Active Tourer or X1 aren’t on the list this was one of my top choices. So it looks like if nothing else appears in Q3 I’ll be ordering the Skoda Superb iV estate.

I was looking at Skoda Superb iV estate but could not justify the high £3749 AP plus over a £1000 for a towbar as against £1699 for the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV and £438 for a towbar, at the end of the day it is only a lease car.

Unfortunately I have suffered a brain injury and occasionally I get confused and often say the wrong thing.

[Saintsman]

I took one for a test drive on Monday. It’s a lovely car until you drive it and I’m not referring to the CVT gearbox. When I started it up there was various annoying bings and bongs. I was expecting silence after they stopped but there was a constant electronic buzz or hum which continued as I drive along. The buzz was eventually silenced as I hit speed as it was drowned out by the wind noise against the door mirrors. The drive itself was really smooth, it took those middle of the road speed bumps with hardly a bump, the CVT was still fine. The adaptive cruise worked a treat as did the steering assist even on some newly painted country roads. I assume the engine kicked in but it was really quiet, or at least I couldn’t hear it over the wind noise and the now faint buzz.

So, the CVT gearbox, not a problem it drives like any other automatic and better than a lot…… until you floor it, you get a lovely noise, you feel the acceleration a bit, but then that lovely noise doesn’t change note so it feels like you’re always waiting for the gear change which never happens.

Oh, another annoying thing is the centre display screen, it could do with being turned slightly towards the driver, it’s too flat and from my driving position I had to lean over to see it properly.

I wanted to like this as I like the look of the RAV4 and since I would like a hybrid/plug in and since the BMW 225e Active Tourer or X1 aren’t on the list this was one of my top choices. So it looks like if nothing else appears in Q3 I’ll be ordering the Skoda Superb iV estate.

 

[Brydo]

The new all-electric Volkswagen ID.3 is finally on the road, and we’re one of the first to get behind the wheel

Verdict
A well-balanced chassis setup, impressive range and a reasonable price wrapped up in a great looking package. Viewed from this point of view, the ID.3 truly delivers on its promise to become the Golf of the electric age. However, it’s not a perfect debut for the upcoming ID line-up. Cheap interior materials, missing functions from launch and the continued absence of the cheaper 45kWh version mean that the ID.3 has some areas to address in order to deliver its promises in full.

This is the Volkswagen we’ve been waiting a long time to drive, the ID.3, the most important new car Europe’s largest car maker has launched since the first-generation Golf in 1974.

After delays contributed not just to worldwide shutdown from coronavirus and plenty of bug-fixing required on Volkswagen’s end, the all-electric ID.3 – the brand’s first purpose built, mass produced electric car – is finally on the road. Sales begin in Europe later this month, with potential British buyers able to finalise their purchases in July, ahead of first deliveries in September.

The arrival of the ID.3 heralds the beginning of what will be a transformative period not just for the Volkswagen brand but for the VW Group as a whole. This is the company’s first real swipe at Tesla on its own turf, and to arm itself properly for the electric future, VW will invest the not so insignificant sum of €30bn over the next three years in a brand new electric car platform called MEB.

By 2025, the Volkswagen Group hopes to have 50 all-electric cars on sale across its various brands, many of which will use the new MEB underpinnings. As a C-segment family hatchback, the ID.3 is not quite a direct rival for either of Tesla’s smaller offerings – the Model 3 saloon and Model Y compact SUV. While it could appeal to Tesla buyers, it’s best to think of it as an all-electric alternative to the Golf.

From launch, British buyers will only be offered the 1st Edition Plus version of the ID.3 – set to be priced from around £39,000 before any government incentives, but with one or two features missing from day one. Software updates for features such as the head-up-display parking assistance and smartphone app connectivity will be available to download not long after the first cars hit the road. Importantly, when the entry-level ID.3 arrives it will be offered from around £27,000 – around what you’d be expected to pay for a decently specced Golf.

For ease of production, the launch version of the ID.3 is only available with one powertrain option. A 150kW electric motor drives the rear axle, providing up to 201bhp, while a 58kWh battery pack sits under the floor. Maximum range on a single charge is claimed at 261 miles. While more powerful versions aren’t planned, a cheaper ID.3 with a 45kWh battery and a claimed range of 205 miles is coming, as is a more expensive long range variant, with a 77kWh battery and up to 341 all-electric miles on a full charge.

Fast recharging can be achieved at speeds up to 100kW, enabling around 180 miles of battery power replenished in half an hour. It’s a standard feature on the 58kWh 1st Edition, but cheaper versions will likely be capped at a 50kW charge rate on a 3-phase plug. For recharging at home, the ID. Charger Connect wallbox is offered, enabling 11kW charging on a 3-phase connector, and the standard 7.2kW speed on a 1-phase plug. Either way, a full recharge overnight is possible.

Start driving though, and one figure immediately leaps out – the 310Nm of torque, delivered instantly with a dip of the pedal. The ID.3 does 0-37mph in roughly 3.7 seconds, which is likely to even outpace a Golf GTI from a standstill. And beyond the instant burst of power we’re now accustomed to in EVs, the electric newcomer doesn’t show itself up – far from it. It accelerates smoothly and unlaboured up to motorway speeds, up to a limited top speed of 99mph. VW says 0-62mph takes 7.3 seconds in 1st Edition models by way of a small performance upgrade. Standard versions of the ID.3 will do the benchmark sprint in around 9.0 seconds.

One thing in particular that sets the ID.3 apart from the competition is not how it feels to get on the move, but how it feels to bring it to a stop. The braking system feels far more natural than in competitors. By default the ID.3 coasts with no brake or throttle input as a petrol car would, while engaging the energy recuperate system gives the one-pedal driving you get in many other electric cars. But hit the brake pedal and it feels all very normal, without the inconsistencies of other EVs. That’s because most energy is recovered not at the wheels, but well within the powertrain, by inverting the motor while coasting or slowing down.

The ID.3 sits taller than a Golf and at almost two tonnes thanks to the large battery pack it also weighs around a third more, too. However, Volkswagen’s engineers have done an admirable job with the MEB system, so the battery sits very low in the chassis of the car. As such, the centre of gravity is far lower than in other electric vehicles, and it feels lighter and more agile than you’d expect.

It rides well, too, again defying the overall weight of the car by not allowing its sheer mass to drag the ID.3’s wheels too harshly into imperfections and potholes with a thud. However, while the dynamics impress for an electric car, those coming from a petrol hatchback like the Golf may feel the extra body roll in corners. Adaptive dampers will be available at some point in the ID.3’s life and may address this. Similarly, VW says the steering will improve with a progressive setup that reduces the amount of input needed to make tight turns.

The interior of the ID.3 represents a total revolution over what Volkswagen has previously offered customers, with a decluttered dashboard relying on very few buttons. Two displays take centre stage – a large central 10-inch touchscreen, plus another tablet style display sitting behind the steering wheel in place of traditional instruments. Alongside it is the drive selector, placing everything the driver may need right at hand, given all other controls and functions are either on the steering wheel or on the central display.

Many early adopters and forward minded buyers will love the look, but perhaps not the feel of the cabin. Electric cars are made on tight profit margins, and often the first casualty of this is the interior quality. Sadly, the ID.3 is no different to others in this respect. There’s not much in the way of soft touch materials, with plenty of hard plastic weaving around the doors and dashboard. It’s beneath the premium standards the brand has set in its other cars, and a slight let-down to the touch, when the cabin looks so good to the eye.

One big advantage of going electric is the space inside though, with the small, rear-mounted motor and underfloor battery bringing important practicality gains. The ID.3 is 20mm shorter in length than a Golf, but space inside trumps its combustion powered sibling, with Volkswagen able to exploit the interior dimensions thanks to there being no engine and gearbox up front.

The wheelbase is 130mm longer, for example, because the front wheels can be pushed right up to the front corners of the car, and the windshield can be brought right forward too, creating a bright, airy and spacious place to sit. There’s no transmission tunnel running down the spine of the interior – great for space up front and in the middle of the rear bench. Up front, ancillaries for features like climate control take up all the space, so there’s no front boor. The rear boot isn’t impeded by the electric motor though. In fact, at 385-litres, there’s actually more storage space in the back than a regular Golf. It all combines to make use of space one of the most convincing aspects of the new ID.3, alongside its range and performance for the price.

As for equipment, the 1st Edition cars add not only faster recharging and acceleration as standard, but a smattering of comfort and design features over the upcoming regular versions of the ID.3. Ambient lighting with 30 colour options brightens the interior even more, heated seats are standard, as are LED matrix headlights, a leather wrapped steering wheel, and exclusive touches such as a silver exterior styling pack, 19-inch wheels, four exterior colours and three interior colour schemes to choose from. How limited personalisation options on the base car will be remains to be seen.

[Brydo]

The electric van market is set to take off in 2020, with numerous models on the way from manufacturers. Here’s what to expect

While the focus has been squarely on electric cars in recent times, manufacturers are now coming round to the idea of electric and hybrid vans – especially as regulations shift to encourage businesses to use zero-emissions vehicles for last mile deliveries.

Already available are the likes of the LDV EV80, Nissan e-NV200, Renault Kangoo Z.E. and Renault Master Z.E., while Ford has launched a plug-in hybrid Transit and Mitsubishi offers a commercial version of its Outlander PHEV plug-in hybrid SUV.

With ever more cities planning to introduce low-emissions zones in the coming years, vans like these are set to become more and more important to businesses that want to keep working in urban areas.

If you’re a business owner, or run a van for daily errands, you could save a fortune by switching to electric. And as technology develops, electric vans’ range and payloads are improving, too.

Here’s a rundown of some of the most important models on the way in the next 18 months or so…

Citroen e-Dispatch
The PSA Group – parent company of Citroen, Peugeot and Vauxhall – is launching electric versions of all its mid-size vans in 2020. Citroen’s is called the e-Dispatch and will offer a choice of two batteries: 50kWh for a 124-mile range, or 75kWh for a 186-mile range.

As with the diesel-engined Dispatch, there’ll be a variety of body lengths to offer flexibility in terms of payload and carrying capacity. Citroen says the electric Dispatch will offer improved comfort compared to the diesel, with “limited noise or vibration” thanks to the electric powertrain.

Citroen Relay Electric
The larger Citroen Relay and its PSA siblings are also getting electric conversions. The Relay Electric will be built at a factory in Val di Sangro in Italy, with the electric conversion carried out by Citroen’s partner BD Auto.

It’ll be offered in ‘L1’ and ‘L3’ bodystyles, with the latter featuring a longer wheelbase and greater cargo-carrying capacity. Citroen says the L1 version will travel 141 miles on a charge, and the L3 will manage 169 miles. However, these figures were calculated under the now-discontinued NEDC testing process, so it remains to be seen how they’ll get on in real-world conditions.

Fiat Ducato Electric
A sister model to the Citroen Relay above and Peugeot Peugeot Boxer below, the Ducato Electric was announced in July 2019, before the merger between Citroen and Peugeot’s parent PSA and Fiat’s parent FCA came about.

Fiat says the Ducato Electric will be offered in the same range of body variants as the diesel equivalent, with load volumes from 10 to 17 cubic metres and a maximum payload of 1,950kg. Its motor will produce just over 120bhp, while a range of battery sizes will offer ranges from 136 to 223 miles (albeit calculated using the old NEDC test method).

LEVC VN5 plug-in hybrid van
The Coventry-based, Chinese-owned London Electric Vehicle Company – which also builds the electric London Taxi – is planning to introduce a new plug-in hybrid electric van called the VN5.

It’ll use a 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine from sister company Volvo, as well as an additional electric motor to power the rear wheels. The same system can be found in the current LEVC taxi, and the same pure-electric range of 80 miles is promised here.

Initially, the van will be available in just one body style: a regular medium-sized panel van with ‘barn doors’ at the rear and a sliding door on the side. However, LEVC hasn’t ruled out different variants in future, while cargo space and load capacity are also unclear at the moment.

Maxus E Deliver 3
The E Deliver 3 was first unveiled at CV Show in 2019 as the LDV EV30, but following LDV’s rebrand to Maxus earlier this year, the van has been renamed. A smaller counterpart to the company’s EV80, the zero-emission small van comes in two body lengths (short wheelbase and long wheelbase) offering drivers flexibility in terms of payload and carrying capacity.

The van also come with a choice of two battery sizes: 52.5kWh (which offers up to 149 miles from a charge in the short-wheelbase model, or 142 in the long-wheelbase) and 35kWh, which gives short and long-wheelbase ranges of 98 and 93 miles respectively. The van is available to order now, with prices starting at £24,000 before VAT, but after the government plug-in van grant has been deducted.

Mercedes eVito
The eVito will have a range of 93 miles on a single charge, which Mercedes says is sufficient for mainly urban work – particularly for drivers or companies that complete planned, recurring routes on a regular basis.

A 41kWh battery stores power for the 113bhp electric motor, which has the same power output as the entry-level diesel Vito. The battery can be fully recharged in six hours from a wallbox charger.

Mercedes eSprinter
The eSprinter is Mercedes’ second all-electric van, basically a larger version of the eVito above. You can order it with three (35kWh) or four (55kWh) battery packs; with the smaller pack, range is 71 miles and the payload is 1,040kg, while the larger one manages 104 miles and 891kg.

Maximum gross weight is 3,500kg and maximum load volume is 10.5 cubic metres. Like the entry-level diesel Sprinter, the eSprinter is front-wheel drive, with an electric motor sending 114bhp to the wheels. Integrated fast charging means the battery can be topped up to 80% capacity in 30 minutes.

Peugeot e-Boxer
Sister model to the Citroen Relay and Fiat Ducato above, the e-Boxer is another large electric van on the way in 2020. As with those vans, an exact UK price for the Boxer Electric will be confirmed closer to its on-sale date.

No technical details have been revealed at this stage, but as the e-Boxer shares its platform with the Relay Electric, a similar range figure of around 170 miles on the now-defunct NEDC efficiency tests can expected, translating a real-world figure in the region of 120-130 miles.

Peugeot e-Expert
The e-Expert is Peugeot’s equivalent to the Citroen Dispatch Electric further up this list and the Vauxhall Vivaro-e further down. Like them, it goes on sale in 2020 and will come with a choice of two battery sizes, so buyers can prioritise range or carrying capacity as needed.

Its 50 or 75kWh battery packs will give a range of 124 or 186 miles respectively. With either pack the e-Expert and its sister models will have the same amount of load space as their diesel-engined sister models.

Vauxhall Vivaro-e
Hot on the heels of its Corsa-e electric passenger car, Vauxhall will be launching a Vivaro-e electric van in 2020. It’s identical under the metal to the Citroen Dispatch and Peugeot e-Expert above, with the same choice of 50 and 75kWh batteries for a 125- or 185-mile driving range.

Vauxhall has also mooted the possibility of a sporty ‘VXR’ version of the Vivaro-e, which initially would feature only visual upgrades such as large alloy wheels and a bodykit, but could eventually entail a power upgrade, too.

Volkswagen e-Crafter
The e-Crafter competes in the same category as the Renault Master Z.E. and LDV EV80. This class is set to get very busy in the coming months with the arrival of other models on this list like the Mercedes eSprinter, Fiat Ducato Electric, Peugeot e-Boxer and Citroen Relay Electric.

Volkswagen is biding its time a little with the e-Crafter, however, with UK sales not due to start until mid-2021. The large van uses the same powertrain as the e-Golf passenger hatchback, which means a 134bhp power output, a 107-mile range and a five-hour recharge time when using a 7.2kW wallbox charger.

Volkswagen ABT e-Transporter
In 2019, Volkswagen revealed a two electric vans at the Commercial Vehicle Show in Hanover, Germany. The e-Caddy and e-Transporter are electric versions of the standard van, developed in conjunction with Formula E racing team and Volkswagen Group tuning specialist ABT.

The Volkswagen ABT e-Caddy won’t be coming to the UK; it’s based on the previous-generation van and hasn’t been engineered for right-hand drive markets. The e-Transporter, which will use the recently-updated T6.1 van as a base, will join the e-Crafter in the UK line-up later in 2020.

The e-Transporter will look much like the standard diesel version. ABT has announced a pair of battery packs – either 37kWh or 75kWh – though it’s expected that UK models will use the former, allowing a real-world driving range of around 80 miles. There electric system has no affect on load space, and scalable battery technology means other capacities can be included.

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.

[Brydo]

Article

A plug-in hybrid version of the BMW X1 SUV is available to order now, boasting a 35-mile electric range and CO2 emissions from 43g/km

The BMW X1 plug-in hybrid SUV is available to order now, priced from £38,200. It goes into competition with other compact premium plug-in hybrid SUVs, such as the Volvo XC40 T5 and DS 7 Crossback E-Tense, and joins the X3, X5, 225xe, 330e, 530e and 745e in BMW’s plug-in hybrid line-up. The X1 shares much with the forthcoming X2 xDrive25e too.

The X1 xDrive25e can manage a claimed 35 miles of electric, zero-emissions running thanks to its 9.7kWh battery. Recharging takes around five hours from a normal domestic socket, dropping to just over three-and-a-half hours from a BMW i home wallbox.

All-wheel drive features, with a 123bhp, 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine powering the front wheels and a 94bhp electric motor driving the rears, with a total combined output of 217bhp. That translates to a 0-62mph time of seven seconds a maximum speed of 119mph. Top speed in electric mode is 84mph.

‘Auto eDrive’, ‘Max eDrive’ and ‘Save Battery’ modes are available, allowing drivers to decide when to run on electric power and when to let the car work out the most efficient mix. CO2 emissions of 43-48g/km will grant X1 PHEV drivers free access to the London Congestion Charge zone until stricter regulations are introduced in October 2021, while official fuel economy ranges from 135 to 149mpg.

Boot space of 450 litres is available the rear seats in place, expanding to 1,470 litres with them down. The rear seats also split and fold in a 40:20:40 configuration as standard. In addition, a towing hitch is offered as an optional extra, with the car rated to pull a 750kg trailer or caravan.

The introduction of the xDrive25e drivetrain coincides with a mid-life facelift for the X1 range as a whole. The front of the car sports a larger kidney grille and new bumper in addition to reworked LED lights. Meanwhile, the mirror on the driver’s side houses a two-tone ‘puddle light’ which projects the X1 name onto the ground below and makes it easier to see obstacles when getting in and out at night.

Inside, three new upholstery options boost the total number available to 13, while the latest version of BMW’s ConnectedDrive system is included, too. This provides real-time traffic information as well as a ‘Concierge Service’ that allows drivers to book and pay for things on the go.

As standard on all trim levels, the X1 plug-in hybrid gets 17-inch light alloy wheels, two-zone automatic air-conditioning, sports seats and LED headlights. The interior can be pre-conditioned remotely using the BMW Connected app on a smartphone.

Trim levels for the UK market are Sport Line, xLine and M Sport, while BMW says that virtually all options available on the conventionally powered X1 are available for the plug-in hybrid.

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.

[Brydo]

Article

The government has reportedly ordered 50 million new coronavirus test after scientists in Oxford made a “breakthrough” in developing the new form of kit.

The new immunity tests have been devised by researchers working for the government-backed Rapid Testing Consortium, according to The Sun.

Once they go into mass-production, up to one million of the new “lateral flow” tests are expected to be produced each week.

The kits will cost £10 and tell users if they have coronavirus using a similar two-line system to pregnancy tests.

Users will reportedly provide a pinprick of blood for analysis and be given the results after a 20-minute wait.

A source reportedly told The Sun, the development of the tests represented a “breakthrough moment” which they hoped would allow the government to “turn the tide on the virus”.

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Consortium leader Jonathan Allis said: “We are close to picking up 100 per cent of all cases where people have antibodies.

“Now it is just a question of scaling up the manufacturing process.”

Health Minister Lord Bethell said: “This is a great story of how our manufacturers are stepping up to the challenge of Covid, and I am hopeful that their product will make an impact in our battle against this terrible disease.”

The government is currently seeking to hit its 100,000-a-day testing target by next Thursday.

Home Secretary Priti Patel told the Downing Street daily briefing on Saturday that 28,760 tests were carried on Friday.

It comes as the military is to begin operating mobile coronavirus testing units which will travel to care homes, police stations and prisons across the UK.

The mobile facilities can be set up in less than 20 minutes and allow for hundreds of people to be tested each day.

Specially-trained members of the armed forces will collect swabs at the mobile sites before they are sent to “mega-labs” for processing, with results available within 48 hours, the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) said.

National testing coordinator Professor John Newton added: “New mobile testing units will help us achieve our goal of 100,000 coronavirus tests a day, providing tests to vital frontline workers wherever they need them.

“In a matter of weeks, we have worked with Britain’s leading scientists, academics and industry partners to build scores of new testing facilities and Britain’s largest network of diagnostic labs in history.”

https://uk.yahoo.com/news/coronavirus-government-orders-new-testing-kits-091648021.html

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.

[ChrisK]

Reading the thread today here in “Car dealers told they can start to sell and deliver cars again” had me thinking about the current situation with Motability customers waiting to collect or order cars or indeed those like me who already have cars.

A month or so ago it was rumoured that the lock-down could go on for 18 months. That rumour got swept under the carpet in the sea of misinformation news. However it’s resurfaced again yesterday but this time 12 months is being rumoured and let’s face they know as much as we do so 3, 6, 12, 18, 24 months lock-down who knows.

How we use our Motability cars has changed and that changed is linked directly to the lock-down. Since lock-down began I’m using my car for about 10 to 20 miles a week and half of that is getting essentials for my Sister and Brother-in-Law who have had the stay at home for 3 months NHS letter.

With the new DWP PIP rates letter sitting here in front of I see the new PIP rate for Motability cars is £62.25p per week so take my over estimated mileage of 20 miles a week each mile I travel in my car cost me £3-11p plus diesel at about 13p per mile so over a staggering £3-24p a mile.

If we are looking at a travel lock-down of 12 months and say If I were to quit Motability that would be £3,237-00 in my pocket better off or £4,855-50 if it goes to 18 months.

So I asked the question is Motability worth it at the moment?

The cars are not being used much so let’s say pausing Motability for 12 or 18 months could built up a nice little amount to pay for the AP of a car you never thought you could afford in 18 months time.

For myself I will sit on the fence a couple of months for now as I have other financial reasons for sticking with Motability but would love to hear other views of having a costly piece of shiny metal sitting outside your home going nowhere.

[Brydo]

Article

Land Rover has been accused of being behind the curve on electrification, but it’s about to take a big step towards addressing that issue with the arrival of plug-in hybrid versions of two of its most popular models, the Discovery Sport and Range Rover Evoque.

Officially announced this week, the two new models mark a significant development in Land Rover’s model range. They also represent a sizeable investment in the company’s Premium Transverse Architecture (PTA), the platform that underpins its smaller vehicles.

Designed from the outset to accommodate electrified powertrains, PTA means that Land Rover is able to claim a strong pure-electric range for both of its two new arrivals, as well as promising that they will be at least as good as their conventionally powered stablemates off road – and perhaps even slightly more capable.

The two cars will be badged P300e, and they share key components. Under the bonnet is a new member of the Ingenium engine family – a 1.5-litre three-cylinder unit producing 197bhp and weighing 37kg less than the four-cylinder 2.0 that we’re familiar with. This unit drives the front wheels, and at the rear axle there’s a synchronous permanent magnet motor with an output of 107bhp. The battery, sited below the second row of seats, is a healthy size for a PHEV, at 15kWh.

As a result, the Evoque and Discovery Sport have 304bhp, and there’s 540Nm of torque on offer. The gearbox is a new eight-speed auto that is slightly smaller in size to allow for better packaging, and features some components that help to integrate the plug-in system.

Land Rover claims that the Evoque P300e is capable of 0-60mph in 6.1 seconds and can travel up to 41 miles on electric power alone. Official WLTP fuel economy is 201.8mpg (depending on spec and wheel size) and CO2 emissions dip as low as 32g/km.

The slightly larger Discovery Sport P300e manages 0-60mph in 6.2 seconds, a pure-electric range of 38 miles, official economy of up to 175.5mpg and emissions of 36g/km. Both cars are capable of reaching 84mph on electric power alone.

The Evoque’s figures mean that it can qualify for six per cent Benefit-in-Kind company car tax rate in 2020/21, rising to eight per cent in 2022/23. The Discovery Sport sits two per cent higher in both periods.

In most instances the Evoque and Discovery Sport will be driven by the rear wheels only. Chris Carey, Vehicle Engineer for Evoque and Discovery Sport, told us, “We’ve worked extremely hard to identify what are called ‘run requests’ to and from the engine, and eradicate them as effectively as possible. You can drive a considerable proportion of the time in EV mode.”

That setting is one of three offered by the system. The other two are Hybrid, where the car uses a mixture of driving style and GPS data to manage EV and combined power in the most efficient fashion, and Save, where the combustion engine becomes the main power source and the level of battery charge is maintained.

There’s no option to use the engine to fully recharge the battery on the move, incidentally – “It’s a desperately inefficient way of doing that,” Carey said – but the PHEV tech will ensure that electric power is available for the back axle, even when the charge level is at zero per cent. “It has to do that, because it needs to have the capacity to be four-wheel drive at any time,” Carey explained.

The platform integration of the electrified powertrain has allowed the engineers at Land Rover to deliver two further key aspects: no reduction in luggage or cabin space, and a 57-litre fuel tank, which is relatively large for a plug-in hybrid.

“We wanted to totally eradicate any range anxiety,” Carey said. “The lack of a propshaft allows us to fit this size of tank, so while the EV-only range is strong, owners will know they can have huge reserves for a long journey in the hybrid mode.”

Using the charging point, which is at the rear, on the opposite side to the fuel filler, the two models take just under seven hours to recharge using a three-pin socket. A faster domestic wallbox will achieve the same feat in less than 90 minutes, while DC fast-charging on the public network will take the battery from zero to 80 per cent in 30 minutes.

Relatively few Evoques and Discovery Sports get used off road, but engineers are keen to point out that the adjustability of the electric motor’s torque at the rear axle means that the plug-in versions of the cars are as accomplished off road as any of their conventionally powered siblings.

“The amount of torque from the electric motor on the rear axle is a huge help,” Carey told us. “It’s almost overkill, really, but it gives you huge performance in rear-wheel-drive mode, and then if you do take the car off road, the adjustability of the torque delivery is a real advantage.

“We’ve also worked hard to deliver a flat floor underneath to help have the same ground clearance, approach and departure angles as the regular cars. Combined with the electric back axle, this means the PHEVs are maybe even more capable.”

Both of the new PHEVs are available to order now, although Land Rover sources say that amid the current coronavirus crisis, first deliveries won’t be until the autumn at the earliest. The new models slot into the existing line-ups much as any other powertrain, with a choice of trim levels to be made. The Evoque P300e will be available in S, SE and HSE specs, with prices starting from £43,850. The Discovery Sport P300e is offered in R-Dynamic, S, SE and HSE versions, and costs from £45,370.

Rivals: what they need to beat
Volvo XC40 Recharge

Price from: £40,905
EV range: 28 miles
Volvo has made plenty of headlines with its electrification push, and the recently launched XC40 Recharge T5 is at the sharp end of delivering on the firm’s promises. The baby SUV has a 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol motor, a single electric motor and a 10.7kWh battery – some way off the capacity of the new Land Rovers.

Total system power is rated at 258bhp and 425Nm, but the car is front-wheel drive only. It can still crack 0-62mph in 7.3 seconds, but the pure-electric range is a modest 28 miles. Boot space is unaffected by the powertrain, so it has a useful 460-litre capacity.

Toyota RAV4 PHEV

Price from: £35,000 (est)
EV range: 38 miles
Hybrid power has long been at the heart of Toyota’s range, but the firm is only now getting serious about plug-in electrification. Its RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid will go on sale in the second half of this year.

The RAV4 mixes elements from Toyota’s hybrids with fresh tech, so there’s a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and two electric motors to deliver four-wheel drive. A total output of 302bhp means the RAV4 is one of the most potent cars in Toyota’s line-up, and it can manage 0-62mph in 6.2 seconds, as well as an electric range of 38 miles. Boot space takes a minor hit, but is still generous, at 520 litres.

BMW X1 xDrive25e

Price from: £38,200
EV range: 35 miles
BMW’s baby SUV gets hybrid power at roughly the same time as the Land Rovers. A rival for the Disco Sport, the X1 xDrive25e has a 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine and an electric motor on the back axle. Total system output is 217bhp and 385Nm of torque, enough for a 0-62mph time of 6.9 seconds.

The battery is a 10kWh lithium-ion set-up, so there’s an electric-only range of up to 35 miles, and an EV top speed of 84mph. Boot space takes a hit, though, with the 450-litre capacity down 55 litres on the standard X1. A similarly powered version of the X2 is due later.

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.

[Brydo]

Legendary British driver Sir Stirling Moss has died at the age of 90 after a long illness. Mike Rutherford remembers him…

Former Auto Express contributor Sir Stirling Moss has sadly passed away. Here Auto Express chief columnist Mike Rutherford, who knew the great man well, pays tribute to one of the greatest racing drivers of all time…

There is Stirling Moss, the finest, bravest, most respected racing driver of all time. Then there are the many other sides to the great man.

I can’t imagine there’s another Brit whose sporting prowess – the wins, losses, record-breaking achievements, rivalries, controversies, death-defying crashes, et al  – are better documented online and in print in countless books that record all the victories, titles, lap times, dramas and tragedies. If you can, read every last one of them.

But his career proper can best be summed up by that familiar, highly accurate, one liner: Stirling Moss was the greatest Formula One driver never to win a world championship. That said, and for reasons I’ll explain on another day, the fact that he couldn’t be crowned F1 champ didn’t really bother him. Not deep down. He sometimes used to laugh about it.

Besides, he was more than a mere Formula One driver. Unlike most of today’s Grand Prix boys who happily make up the numbers at F1 ‘races’ every other Sunday and do little else in their pampered lives, a near-skint Moss did pretty much everything there was for a competitive driver to do: road racing, off road, track….you name it.

When outside his cars and garages, he was one of Britain’s original celebrities – right up there in the same global league as The Beatles and George Best.  Even in the 1990s and beyond I know (because I was there and personally witnessed it) that whether he strolled down the street, dashed through airport terminal buildings, or took to the roads of his beloved London in a car or (more likely) humble moped, he was spotted and acknowledged for what he was and always will be – one of the most instantly recognised and best loved True Brits of the last century. Hero? Yes, definitely. Icon? The word was invented for this man.

In public he never denied anyone a smile and a handshake. At the lovely, gadget-laden seven-storey mews house he shared with wife Susie at the epicentre of London’s West End, he spent part of every working day signing autographs for fans who requested them, before he personally bought stamps and posted them to folk around the globe….at considerable expense to himself. He was like that. A true class act. On my first son’s first birthday, he sent him a card that said simply: “Dearest Marcus – I hope you turn out to be a better driver than your Dad. God bless. Uncle Stirl.”

Stirling’s columns used to appear in Auto Express regularly during the early days of the mag when he helped get the publication off the ground – for the motoring and motorsport cause, more than the personal financial gain. His ‘system’ for getting his words into print was to invite me to his house, bribe me with pots of tea and packs of M&S biscuits, while telling me to plonk a C90 cassette into my Marantz tape recorder, before he chatted (90 mins max, obviously) about everything from Prost to parking, Senna to speed limits, Mansell to motorways. Yes he was a motorsport  guy. But he was also a motoring nut who was as happy in a cheap old banger as he was in the big, expensive Mercs that were regularly delivered by the German form to his front door.

Once he asked if he could borrow my Golf GTI  for a couple of days because he hadn’t driven one for years. Two days and 200 miles later he returned it reasonably clean and tidy – but with a brand new set of tyres as a little thank you for the loan. Generosity was one of his many strengths. His wicked sense of humour was another. Yes he was as hard as nails, mentally and physically. For goodness sake, he boxed like Tyson and could have been a pro-fighter. But his obvious, sometimes borderline scary, toughness didn’t get in the way of his loyalty, compassion and sense of fun.

Occasionally he’d mischievously ask if he could come with me to a car launch that the mag had been invited to. I always said yes. He always ended up being the undisputed  VIP at such events. We once did a supermini launch together – Polo or Corsa, can’t quite remember. Cheap, little, low-powered runabouts like this are great fun, he assured me, particularly on private tracks or on private land when they can be driven “at or near ten tenths.” That’s the speed he lived much of his life at. I’d often ask why. “Movement is tranquillity, old boy,” he frequently assured me.

It’s true that Sir Stirling Moss left us this weekend. But please don’t think of him being beaten by illness, or losing the fight in his battle for life. Instead he has, I believe, quietly and naturally passed away in peace and with great dignity.

Prior to his passing, he gave himself, wife Susie and other loved ones, Britain and the world 90 glorious years of his life. For this we must feel grateful, honoured and inspired. Let’s all celebrate The Greatest – Sir Stirling Moss.

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.

[Brydo]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-52246319

Apple and Google are jointly developing technology to alert people if they have recently come into contact with others found to be infected with coronavirus.

They hope to initially help third-party contact-tracing apps run efficiently.

But ultimately, they aim to do away with the need to download dedicated apps, to encourage the practice.

The two companies believe their approach – designed to keep users, whose participation would be voluntary, anonymous – addresses privacy concerns.

Their contact-tracing method would work by using a smartphone’s Bluetooth signals to determine to whom the owner had recently been in proximity for long enough to have established contagion a risk.

If one of those people later tested positive for the Covid-19 virus, a warning would be sent to the original handset owner.

No GPS location data or personal information would be recorded.

“Privacy, transparency and consent are of utmost importance in this effort and we look forward to building this functionality in consultation with interested stakeholders,” Apple and Google said in a joint statement.

“We will openly publish information about our work for others to analyse.”

President Trump said his administration needed time to consider the development.

“It’s very interesting, but a lot of people worry about it in terms of a person’s freedom,” he said during a White House press conference.

“We’re going to take… a very strong look at it, and we’ll let you know pretty soon.”

The European Union’s Data Protection Supervisor sounded more positive, saying: “The initiative will require further assessment, however, after a quick look it seems to tick the right boxes as regards user choice, data protection by design and pan-European interoperability.”

But others have noted that the success of the venture may depend on getting enough people tested.

Apple is the developer of iOS. Google is the company behind Android. The two operating systems power the vast majority of smartphones in use.

Some countries – including Singapore, Israel, South Korea and Poland – are already using people’s handsets to issue coronavirus contagion alerts.

Other health authorities – including the UK, France and Germany – are working on initiatives of their own. And some municipal governments in the US are reportedly about to adopt a third-party app.

The two technology giants aim to bring coherence to all this by allowing existing third-party apps to be retrofitted to include their solution.

This would make the apps interoperable, so contact tracing would continue to work as people travelled overseas and came into contact with people using a different tool.

Apple and Google have been working on the effort for about two weeks but have not externally revealed their plans until Friday.

If successful, the scheme could help countries relax lockdowns and border restrictions.

Phone-based matches
The companies aim to release a software building-block – known as an API (application programming interface) – by mid-May.

This would allow others’ apps to run on the same basis.

 

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.

[Brydo]

Article

Over a third of adults said they would increase their usual alcohol consumption if they had a driverless car at their disposal

Driverless cars will reduce drink-driving but increase binge drinking, a new study has suggested.

Researchers from Curtin University in Perth, Australia surveyed 1,334 people of legal driving age who consume alcohol. The goal was to assess the extent to which drinkers may choose to use driverless cars after consuming alcohol, may consume more alcohol if they are using a driverless car afterwards, and whether demographic, alcohol‐related and driverless car-related factors are associated with the likelihood of engaging in these behaviours.

Some 49 per cent of respondents said they would be likely to use a driverless car after consuming alcohol, with 37 per cent saying they would be likely to drink more than they usually would if they had a driverless car to use afterwards.

The study showed that younger age, more frequent alcohol consumption, a positive attitude to driverless cars and a preference for using ride-sharing platforms were all demographics associated with a greater likelihood of engaging in these behaviours.

This led the study to conclude that the introduction of driverless cars is likely to reduce drink-driving rates, while facilitating greater participation in heavy episodic drinking. The researchers suggest this will present a new set of challenges for lawmakers.

Leon Booth, research associate at Curtin University’s School of Psychology, was the lead author of the study. He warned that the benefits of driverless vehicles “may be accompanied by an unintended negative consequence in the form of greater overall alcohol consumption due to increased availability of affordable and convenient transport”.

Co-author of the study Professor Simone Pettigrew added: “Once autonomous vehicles become readily available, they could be used as a means of facilitating out-of-home alcohol consumption and more frequent bouts of heavy drinking.

“Because the introduction of the vehicles will likely bring both positive and negative health effects, this represents a complex challenge for policymakers charged with reducing alcohol-related harms. A particular challenge will be the need to encourage the use of autonomous vehicles after drinking without encouraging drinking per se.”

Self-driving cars will lead to parking chaos
Unlike today’s cars, autonomous vehicles (AVs) will not need to park close to their destination. Instead, they may save on parking charges by dropping their owners off, then proceeding to seek out free on-street parking or returning home.

• Autonomous cars could report drunk drivers to police

It may even be cheaper for driverless cars to cruise around at lower speeds while waiting for their owners instead of parking, according to the Transport Policy paper.

The study used a traffic microsimulation model and data from downtown San Francisco to calculate that AVs could more than double vehicle travel to, from and within dense urban areas.

• Jaguar Land Rover develops “trustworthy” autonomous cars

The paper goes on to suggest cities may be required to see this as an opportunity to implement further congestion charges in order to mitigate the effects of AVs not parking at their destination.

Such a levy could be made up of two charges – a time-based charge for occupying public highways, whether parked or in motion, as well a distance or energy-based charge.

• Autonomous robots to park cars at Gatwick Airport

The paper was written by Adam Millard-Ball, an associate professor of environmental studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Speaking to UC Santa Cruz Magazine, he said the problem he describes in the study could be exacerbated by AVs slowing down to a crawl in order to “kill time”.

He told the publication that, although parking charges “get people out of their cars and on to public transit”, AVs not needing to park could “create havoc”.

• Autonomous cars will never exist says Waymo boss

Millard-Ball compared the situation to people driving slowly through airport arrivals areas to avoid paying for parking. “It just takes a minority to gum things up,” he said.

“Even when you factor in electricity, depreciation, wear and tear, and maintenance, cruising costs about 50 cents an hour – that’s cheaper than parking even in a small town,” he added. “Unless it’s free or cheaper than cruising, why would anyone use a remote lot?”

[Anonymous]

Hi guys I wonder if someone can help me please I ordered Peurgeot Traveller Allure model £5k Deposit on mobility this was beginning of January dealer did say  around 4 to 5 months waiting time but usually arrives much quicker around 3 months on average.

 

I spoke with dealer about 2weeks a go they said they don’t have any updates on the system as yet.

 

My question is will my car still get built if not what will dealer do as our family has grown and we expecting new member of our family in July. Our current car is not big enough for 6 people.

 

I can’t get hold of the dealer because they are closed.

 

Any help would be great

 

Thank you.

 

[Brydo]

Article

Coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, is impacting virtually every aspect of life in countries around the world. The virus has claimed thousands of lives globally and while this human tragedy must be at the forefront of everyone’s minds, there is also a serious effect on the economy both globally and here in the UK.

In the automotive industry, almost all car brands – including the likes of Groupe PSA, Ford, Volkswagen, Toyota and Nissan – have paused car production across Europe. Meanwhile, the UK Government’s advice is to avoid both non-essential travel and crowded places, including public transport. That means the car is likely to be critical transport, and a lifeline for many people.

On these pages we look at what the Coronavirus means for the car industry and for individual motorists. Click on to page two for an overview of the repercussions for car makers and scroll down for the ways in which the virus is impacting the way you use your car. We cover the issues around car finance, fuel supplies, servicing and MoT testing, the suspension of driving tests and the London Congestion Charge plus much more.

Most importantly though. Visit the NHS website for the latest health advice on keeping you, your family and people around you safe.

TfL suspends Congestion Charge and ULEZ
Motorists driving into London will be spared paying the £11.50 Congestion Charge or £12.50 ULEZ (Ultra Low Emission Zone) charge from Monday 23 March “until further notice”, after the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, asked Transport for London (TfL) to suspend the tolls in order to “ensure London’s critical workers, particularly those in the NHS, are able to travel round London as easily as possible during this national emergency.”

The Congestion Charge was previously operational between the hours of 7am and 6pm, Monday to Friday, while the ULEZ operated on a 24/7 basis. The changes are also aimed at making it easier for supermarkets to restock in the wake of panic buying that has seen many shelves stripped bare.

Announcing the changes, Khan said: “People should not be travelling, by any means, unless they really have to. London’s roads should now only be used for essential journeys. To help our critical workers get to work and for essential deliveries to take place, I have instructed TfL to temporarily suspend the Congestion Charge, ULEZ and Low Emission Zone from Monday.

“This is not an invitation to take to your cars. To save lives we need the roads clear for ambulances, doctors, nurses and other critical workers. This is an unprecedented time and I know Londoners are doing everything they can to look after each other. I continue to urge all Londoners to follow the advice of public health authorities and not leave their homes unless it is absolutely essential.”

Coronavirus sees driving tests cancelled
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) previously indicated driving tests would carry on as normal in the wake of coronavirus, but the fast-changing nature of the illness has seen that situation change.

All driving tests have now been cancelled for three months, apart from tests for those with a “critical need”, such as NHS workers and potential delivery drivers.

Announcing the cancellation, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “since it’s impossible to maintain social distancing over a prolonged period we have suspended driver testing for the next 3 months in a further move to protect the public in our national battle against COVID19.

“It is vital that those who need a test can get one so DVSA is offering tests to those who have a critical need, such as the NHS and drivers delivering goods across the UK.”

This decision follows an earlier one by authorities in Northern Ireland that saw driving tests suspended for the same length of time.

Can I get my car MoT tested?
Currently, yes, although the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency says that “Requirements relating to vehicle use and testing are currently under review in light of the Coronavirus, with further updates to be provided in due course.” The DVSA has also said drivers self-isolating as a result of the virus “should not take their vehicle to be tested.”

MoT tests for heavy goods vehicles (HGVs), trailers and Public Service Vehicles (PSV) have been suspended for three months from March 21. All HGVs, trailers, buses and coaches that require an MoT will be issued with a 3-month certificate of exemption (CTE), allowing them to remain on the road.

Separately, the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA) has called on the government for service centres not to be closed under any new emergency measures. With more than 23,000 MoT testing centres around the country, many taking bookings a month in advance, for now, it’s likely you’ll be able to find somewhere to complete the work.

I’m self-isolating so I can’t get my car serviced. Will that invalidate my warranty?
An increasing number of new cars have variable servicing agreements based on mileage, rather than age. Owners of cars under this regime need not worry; if you’re not using the car, self-isolation should not risk invalidating your warranty.

If your car is subject to fixed service intervals and needs scheduled maintenance at a specific time, things are slightly less clear-cut. Most manufacturers have a grace period of around one month or 1,000 miles, so there is some scope for those unable to get to a dealer. However, should self-isolation take owners beyond this period, The Motor Ombudsman recommends contacting you car’s manufacturer for more advice.

A spokesman for The Motor Ombudsman said: “If a case were to come to The Motor Ombudsman under section 3.8 of the New Car Code, the business cannot decline claims or rescind the warranty simply because the service was missed, but can only do so if the lack of care by the vehicle owner caused a fault.

Will I be able to get my car serviced or repaired during the pandemic?
It’s likely you’ll be able to book your car in for servicing, repair or maintenance, but you may end up waiting longer for an appointment, or have to travel further. The National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA) has called on the government to ensure “essential repair and maintenance services for all vehicles will not be closed as part of anticipated wider closures of shops in the UK.”

Sue Robinson, NFDA director said: “Ensuring that essential vehicles remain in a roadworthy condition will reduce the likelihood of mechanical failures and other incidents, ensuring that vital journeys can be made and services fulfilled.”

Will coronavirus cause fuel shortages?
According to Brian Madderson, chairman of the Petrol Retailers Association, motorists have nothing to worry about here. He said his organisation has been in contact with its equivalent in Italy, where the virus is some weeks ahead. It reports Italian fuel sales are down around 60 per cent due to the travel restrictions. “It is the reverse of panic buying”, he said.

In the UK, Madderson says the picture is “mixed”. Fuel sales in urban areas are remaining steady due to reduced journey numbers being counteracted by the number of travellers switching from public transport to cars. More transient filling stations, such as motorways service stations, have reported a slump in demand as fewer motorists embark on long-distance journeys.

Hygiene at petrol stations

Motorists are being urged to use gloves when filling up with petrol or diesel. The Petrol Retailers Association says all its members are offering gloves for motorists to use at the pumps. Madderson said that while petrol pump nozzles are cleaned every day they can’t be cleaned after every use, so pump handles could pose a real risk of transferring the virus.

Madderson added that hand sanitiser is being offered to customers and staff, where available, but he warned petrol retailers are struggling to deep clean forecourts because cleaning companies are prioritising front-line services such as the NHS and care homes.

He said some fuel retailers are taking further steps, with a small number refusing to accept cash due to concerns over contaminated notes, although he stressed that with comparatively few motorists carrying cash, it’s unlikely too many forecourts will become ‘plastic-only’.

Coronavirus: how to clean your car
Like houses and commercial buildings that could have seen an infection, it may be a good idea to deep clean your car if someone with the virus may have been in it. There aren’t many anti-bacterial/viral products available to the consumer that are dedicated to car care, so you’ll be relying mainly on household cleaners.

Before you use any household antibacterial spray, check the instructions to ensure it’s suitable for use on plastics, upholstery or leather, and test on an unseen patch to double-check it won’t cause any damage.

While we’ve not specifically tested any automotive antibacterial sprays or wipes, look for those which have antibacterial properties. Everbuild Wonder Wipes and Big Wipes Heavy Duty are both antibacterial, and impressed us during recent interior wipes tests.

You should pay attention to any touchpoints, such as the steering wheel, gearstick, handbrake, interior and exterior door handles, and seatbelts – and make sure you clean them after every journey. You, and all your passengers, should use a hand sanitiser before getting into the car.

Carpets and cloth upholstery can be cleaned by soaking with an appropriate cleaner, brushing and vacuuming out the moisture using a suitable wet-and-dry  vac. Leather upholstery can be cleaned with specific antibacterial cleaner.

Coronavirus impact on car finance and leasing
The government has announced the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme will provide loans of up to £1.2m to small and medium-sized businesses, which includes some non-bank finance lenders.

However, there’s not a blanket view from industry body the Finance and Leasing Association, who advise any consumer in financial difficulty as a result of coronavirus should contact their finance lender as soon as possible. Depending on your circumstances, assistance may be available.

[Brydo]

Article

SEAT has been scoring big sales with its SUVs recently, but the company’s revival was really kick-started by the third generation of its Leon family hatchback, first introduced in 2012. Now the fourth iteration of the VW Golf and Ford Focus rival is here, ahead of the first UK sales in late spring at prices starting from around £18,750.

The Mk3 Leon sold more than a million units and it was always known as one of the more striking offerings in the family car class. As such, SEAT’s design team hasn’t interfered too much with the Leon’s looks; the styling shift between Mk3 and Mk4 is clearly evolutionary, with a recognisable side profile. The car also uses the same platform as before: the ubiquitous MQB architecture that underpins most of the bread-and-butter models in the VW Group.

• Best hatchbacks on sale right now

But that doesn’t mean that there are not significant differences. The new car is almost 90mm longer than before, and 50mm of that increase has been inserted into the wheelbase in a bid to improve one of the Mk3’s biggest failings: rear cabin space.

That aside, the bonnet looks longer because the windscreen has been made more upright than before. The same goes for the Leon’s nose, which now has a stronger, prouder stance. The rear incorporates SEAT’s familiar tail-light motif into a full-width LED set-up, and higher-end versions will also get ‘welcome’ and ‘farewell’ animations displayed when the car is locked and unlocked. There’s a change of badge, too, because the old techy Leon script is replaced by a ‘signature’ that will be rolled out across all the SEAT range in the near future. This car’s bodyshell is eight per cent more aerodynamically efficient than the outgoing model’s.

Engines and plug-in hybrid tech
As with the recently announced Mk8 Golf, the new Leon gets a refreshed powertrain line-up that incorporates varying levels of electrification. The range will start with a 109bhp three-cylinder 1.0-litre turbo petrol engine. Then there’s a 1.5-litre four-cylinder unit with either 128bhp or 148bhp, and a 2.0-litre with 187bhp. There are two 2.0-litre diesels, too, with either 113bhp or 148bhp.

The standard transmission is a six-speed manual, but the petrol engines can all be ordered with an automatic gearbox. Going auto also opens up the possibility of adding 48-volt mild-hybrid technology on the 1.0 and 148bhp 1.5 petrol variants, to boost efficiency. For buyers who really want to cut fuel bills, the range also includes a 1.4-litre petrol-based plug-in hybrid edition that can travel up to 38 miles on electricity alone.

Interior design and space
Inside, the dashboard is a lot cleaner and simpler than before, because the infotainment screen now sits on the front of the fascia instead of being accommodated within it. The car in our images has the top-spec 10-inch system, complete with the same sliding controllers for temperature and infotainment volume that you’ll find on the latest Volkswagen Golf.

SEAT’s engineers have also worked hard to make the Leon’s ambient lighting more than just a personalisation gimmick. So while the shades and hues will continue to be user-configurable and can match the selected driving mode (red for sport, green for efficiency), the car will also flash the interior strip light if it really needs to get your attention quickly, such as for a blind- spot warning or if it senses oncoming traffic as you’re reversing out of a parking space.

Based on our time with the Leon in the studio, SEAT looks set to deliver on one of the new car’s key targets: better cabin space. It’s noticeably easier than before to get into the rear seats, while leg and kneeroom are definitely more generous than in the Mk3 Leon. The boot is basically unchanged, at 380 litres, but there’s now 617 litres on offer if you choose the estate model. That bodystyle continues into the Mk4, but there’s no return for the three-door Leon SC, which was dropped from the third-generation car’s line-up almost 18 months ago.

Equipment and trim levels
The range will start with SE, which brings keyless entry, LED headlights, 16-inch alloys and an eight-inch infotainment screen. Stepping up to SE Dynamic adds 17-inch wheels, the 10-inch infotainment set-up complete with nav, a digital instrument panel, front and rear parking sensors, plus tinted rear side windows. The sportier FR variant, as pictured here, has revised front and rear bumpers, a different design of 17-inch alloys, lower, stiffer suspension, full LED tail-lights with animations, three-zone air-con and a wireless smartphone charging tray. SEAT will also offer FR Sport, which includes a Winter Pack (with heated front seats, steering wheel and windscreen washers), wraparound ambient lighting and 18-inch alloys.

As with the Mk3 Leon, Xcellence will offer higher-end buyers a more luxury-focused option instead of FR. It has the same Winter Pack and ambient-light tech, but gets its own design of alloy wheels, plus chrome trim on the side windows and a suede cloth finish on some of the interior. Xcellence Lux takes this specification and adds leather seats and 18-inch wheels.

The SEAT will be available in a choice of seven colours, with metallic paint standard across the range. The new Leon, in five-door and estate forms, is due on sale in the UK at the end of March. There’s no word on pricing yet, but the extra kit and tech should mean a small increase compared with the outgoing car, giving a starting price of around £18,750.

Q&A with SEAT’s Marcus Keith

SEAT vehicle and chassis development engineer Marcus Keith joined us to explain more about the latest Leon.

Q: When did the project for this Leon actually start?

A: “About four years ago. We sat down and discussed the characteristics of the Mk3 Leon, looked at how it compared with its peers and rivals, and then took on board advice from our colleagues in product marketing on trends and the areas that we needed to focus on.”

Q: The car looks very similar to the previous model and has the same boot capacity as before. So practicality wasn’t an issue for existing Leon customers?

A: “Actually, the boot size is the same on the five-door, but it’s larger on the estate. And the big thing is inserting the 50mm into the wheelbase, because that allows us to address one key area: rear cabin space. It’s much improved in the fourth-generation Leon and the aperture to get into and out of those back seats is wider.”

Q: Have you enough scope to differentiate the upcoming Cupra model from the regular SEAT?

A: “Yes, very much so. Of course, there’s a SEAT Leon FR, but we have known all along that there would be a Cupra Leon and this has been taken into account when we have been tuning across the range. You won’t have to wait long and you will see and feel it is a very distinct product.”

[Oscarmax]

Carl wrote:

Oscarmax, that is a very valid point. The beauty of the phev is not reliant on electric only. I test drive the outlander phev and it is outstanding…. Decisions decisions!!

We test drove the Outlander PHEV and like you we loved it, all he bull about whining transmission and engine revving away are completely unfounded. We found the transmission and ride ultra smooth and when the engine kicked in you struggle to hear it.

Our test drive: we test drove the dealers top of the range demonstrator so not quite the same as the Design. The dealer filled in the insurance and gave us some basic instructions. The Outlander has just under 3/4 of a charge, it was freezing cold, the heater, aircon, electric steering wheel and electric seats on high, we did not have much of a clue so we carried on.

The Outlander was showing 42mpg, we travelled along the A5 to Telford about 20 mile at approximately 50/55mph, we left the car setting alone as we did not have a clue. By the time we reached Telford the battery was almost depleted but we were recording about 120mpg.

On the way back the wife managed to turn off the heated seats, we returned going down the M54 travelling at the traffic speed, slowly the fuel consumption dropped by the time we came off the motorway we were recording about 67/68 mpg, travelling along the A road back to Cannock fuel figures started to get better, by the time we got back to the dealer we were recording 70mpg. If we new what we were doing these figures could have been improved.

When we got back to the showroom the dealer had the order forms on his desk and asked us how we got on with a smile? guess what we did next.

I have added a link of a long term family test of the 2.4 Outlander PHEV.

https://www.greencarguide.co.uk/car-reviews-and-road-tests/mitsubishi-outlander-phev-4wd-2019-review/

 

 

Unfortunately I have suffered a brain injury and occasionally I get confused and often say the wrong thing.

[Brydo]

Article

All-new compact van features bigger interior dimensions and latest in connectivity and safety technology, plus the option of three diesel engines.

The new, fifth-generation Volkswagen Caddy has been revealed with a larger interior capacity, plethora of new technology and three diesel engines to choose from.

The new Caddy will come in panel van, MPV and campervan form. Buyers will welcome the 93mm of extra length and 62mm of additional width over its predecessor, with extra width between the wheel-arches making for superior load and passenger capacity to its forbearer.

The Caddy also receives VW’s ‘Digital Cockpit’ that sees an entirely redesigned dashboard (featuring less buttons) mated to infotainment screens ranging from 6.5 to 10 inches, depending on which spec is chosen. An electronic handbrake will replace a traditional unit as standard on all models.

“Always connected”, the Caddy also features an all-new infotainment system with the likes of We Connect allowing the compact van constant connection to the internet and other services.

Featuring 19 driver assist functions, emphasis has been put on safety as well as technology; Travel Assist (never before seen on a Volkswagen Commercial Vehicle) uses a mixture of Lane Assist, Adaptive Cruise and others to keep the driver in check. Trailer Assistance will also make its first appearance (as seen on the Crafter van) and allows for easier trailer manoeuvring.

Three diesel engines (74bhp, 100bhp and 120bhp) will be available and are claimed to be up to 12 per cent cleaner than previous iterations thanks to ‘double-dosing’ AdBlue, in order to reduce NOx emissions. A 114bhp turbo petrol engine will also be available.

The updated, cleaner exterior look is thanks to the MQB platform claims VW, with LED headlights coming as standard on higher models.

A new naming system has also been introduced with the base model simply called ‘Caddy’, the middle ‘Life’ and range-topping coined ‘Style’. Prices and specifications of each is yet to be confirmed, but presales are expected to begin in October this year, with deliveries expected in early 2021.

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.

[Brydo]

Article

The new plug-in hybrid version of the Skoda Superb costs from £31,970 in the UK and is available in two bodystyles, with orders open now

The Skoda Superb iV plug-in hybrid is priced from £31,970 in the UK and is now open for ordering, with hatchback and estate versions on offer. Four trim levels are available: the entry-level SE Technology, plus SE L, SportLine Plus and Laurin & Klement variants costing £31,915, £34,755, £38,490 and £38,960 in hatchback form respectively.

All benefit from Skoda’s latest MIB3 infotainment system, featuring a built-in SIM card offering wireless connectivity to Apple CarPlay. It also provides real-time traffic information, rerouting the sat nav to avoid congestion as it develops.

Meanwhile, SportLine Plus and Laurin & Klement cars receive the 10.25-inch, Virtual Cockpit instrument display as standard. The Skoda Superb iV PHEV is also available in larger estate form, costing £1,280 more than the equivalent hatchback versions.

CO2 emissions of 35 and 38g/km have been confirmed for the two bodystyles, with a Benefit-in-Kind company-car tax rating of 16% across the range.

The Superb iV entered production at the firm’s plant in Kvasiny in the Czech Republic in September 2019. The Czech manufacturer has spent €12 million (around £10.6 million) upgrading the facility to produce electrified vehicles: it has the capacity to build 60 Superb iVs per day, alongside the internal-combustion-engined versions of the car.

The plug-in hybrid model was announced earlier in 2019 as part of a mid-life facelift for the Superb; it’s the first time the big saloon has been offered with an electrified powertrain. It uses the same technology as the latest Volkswagen Passat GTE: a 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine plus a gearbox-mounted electric motor. Together they generate 215bhp, with power for the motor coming from a 13kWh battery.

Skoda says charging will take three-and-a-half hours from a 3.6kW wallbox, with three-pin and Type 2 cables included as standard. An exact fuel-economy figure hasn’t been confirmed yet, but Skoda says the Superb iV will be able to travel up to 578 miles on a tank of fuel and fully charged battery.

The Superb has welcomed a series of visual updates, with new LED matrix headlights, a refreshed front grille, a new front bumper design, revised rear lights and strip of chrome trim along the bootlid. Modern digital gauges and infotainment screens can be found inside.

Alongside the PHEV setup, the line-up will encompass three petrol and three diesel engines, with the former offering outputs between 148 and 268bhp and the latter between 118 and 188bhp. As is customary with Volkswagen Group cars, six-speed manual and seven-speed DSG automatic gearboxes will be offered.

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.

[Brydo]

Article

Electric car sales UK: 2019 sees 144% rise in demand

Strong electric car sales in December drives total market share up to 1.6% for 2019

Last Updated: 06 Jan 2020 tweet
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Electric-car sales shot up by 220% in December 2019, ensuring that battery-electric vehicle registrations ended the year with a record 1.6% share of the overall market.

37,850 electric vehicles joined the UK’s roads last year, up from 15,510 in 2018. This is despite total car sales – which are still dominated by petrols and diesels – falling by 2.4% over the last 12 months.

While the overall market share remains low, demand for electric cars is rising at a rapid rate: Kia has recently boosted supply of its popular e-Niro SUV in order to clear its lengthy waiting list.

Elsewhere, plug-in hybrid registrations rose for the second month in succession, with 21.8% more PHEVs sold last month than in December 2018. Total sales for the year remained significantly down, however, with 17.8% fewer plug-in hybrids being registered compared to the year before.

The 34,734 PHEVs sold in 2019 was less than the figure achieved by battery-electric vehicles, however this is likely due to the fact that several of the most popular models were taken off sale for a large portion of the year.

Sales of petrol-electric mild-hybrids increased on 2018 levels: 26,316 sales represents a 172.1% increase, although that number is dwarfed by the 740.5% increase achieved by diesel-electric hybrids.

Late in 2018, the Government’s plug-in car grant was restructured in such a way that all plug-in hybrids became ineligible for the previous £2,500 incentive. A discount for fully electric vehicles remains – albeit reduced from £4,500 to £3,500 – and future plug-in hybrids could qualify for this under the new rules, although they’d need to be capable of travelling at least 70 miles with zero tailpipe emissions.

At the time of writing, the BMW X5 xDrive45e comes closest with 54 miles of electric range.

Reacting to the latest figures, SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said: “A third year of decline for the UK new-car market is a significant concern for industry and the wider economy. Political and economic uncertainty, and confusing messages on clean-air zones, have taken their toll on buyer confidence, with demand for new cars at a six-year low.

“A stalling market will hinder industry’s ability to meet stringent new CO2 targets and, importantly, undermine wider environmental goals. We urgently need more supportive policies: investment in infrastructure; broader measures to encourage uptake of the latest, low and zero emission cars; and long-term purchase incentives to put the UK at the forefront of this technological shift.

“Industry is playing its part with a raft of exciting new models in 2020 and compelling offers, but consumers will only respond if economic confidence is strong and the technology affordable.”

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.

[DaveyG]

Hi All

My first post and some possible good news  . I suspect the Toyota RAV4 might make it back on the list again soon if the current  delivery dates are anything to go by.   I placed an order for a 2WD dynamic in sliver with the pan-roof option  on the 8th of September with an estimated delivery date of June 2020.  I visited the dealer over the weekend to see how things were going and was told that the car would be with them on the 30th of Jan.. much to my surprise . I have asked them to hold the registration until March the 1st for the 20 reg.  Other people on the Toyota forums are also quoting much improved delivery dates for both 2WD and 4WD variants .

[wmcforum]

The Full Electric Mazda MX30 has been released with deliveries due early 2021. This is my new favourite BEV but two points that are alarming to me:

1. The 35.5kWh battery will only give a range of 124 miles

2. In a years time will that be considered a bit of a laughing stock.

Or  – is this the sweet spot for Electric cars? In order to have a 300 mile range, that so many talk of as the entry point to electrification, you have to carry around a lot of heavy batteries which will decrease the fun of driving, is more expensive and takes longer to fully charge.

Are Electric cars only an option for city dwellers and commuters? Or will we see in the near future two types of electric cars, one light, small and affordable and the other heavy, expensive and capable of travelling great distances.

Is the technology actually good enough for us to move en mass to electric, is there tech breakthrough around the corner or is this the conundrum we have to live with for some time.

Am I rambling!!

 

 

[Brydo]

Article

Innocent motorists are being unfairly picked on as a result of the diesel ban by Bristol City Council, says Mike Rutherford
If you live in or need to travel to the bottom-left-hand corner of Britain, you deserve deep sympathy from me and, I suspect, other fair-minded folk who regard freedom of movement as a basic human right.

It’s bad enough that the motorway ‘network’ in this quarter of our green and pleasant land is woeful when compared with other large, populated regions of Blighty. And I’m deeply saddened that, in what is supposed to be ‘modern Britain’, the anti-car politicians in parts of the south west (and further afield) seem to be waging a vicious war on cars and their occupants.

• ULEZ explained: everything you need to know

Coincidentally (or was it?), on the same day in early November, Bristol City Council and the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) in effect announced that they’re dumping yet more transport-related misery on the south west.

I’m not sure if this pair of giant, powerful, organisations are guilty of ineptness, mindless sabotage, political game-playing or plain bullying of defenceless, salt-of-the-earth folk merely trying to get from A to B. But I know the declarations from Bristol Council and RMT will absolutely sabotage many people who use diesel cars, and/or the trains that are supposed to (ha!) serve as alternatives to our 24/7 personal mobility machines powered by seemingly politically incorrect internal combustion engines.

In short, across some busy sections of the fiefdom it controls, Bristol City Council is slapping a blanket ban on privately owned, new and old diesel cars at certain times of the day. It’s the first British city promising to outlaw even brand-new, expensive, state-of-the-art cars with D designations. While we wait for that, the RMT ‘workers’ at South West Trains are, as we went to press, refusing to work for 27 days over the busy Christmas holiday. This, after the serial strikers tasked with working on neighbouring Southern Railway trains have paralysed the service during their recent years of brutal industrial action/work inaction.

It’s true that Bristol City Council’s decision to effectively slap prohibition orders on private diesel cars (but not its own diesels, and many other derv-powered vehicles, strangely enough) is still a year or two away. But it has been given the nod of approval by this local authority. Make no mistake, this is a ban on new, nearly new and old perfectly legal cars purchased, owned, serviced, taxed and insured by law-abiding individuals. These are the innocent victims of the discrimination I refer to.

If Bristol City Council really cared about air quality and had the courage, it would ban all diesel modes of transport, including buses and coaches, taxis, trucks, vans and other goods vehicles, never mind the countless ships that use Bristol Docks. Go on Bristol, I dare you.

Ironically, many of those ocean-going, cargo-carrying, marine diesel-burning vessels deliver brand-new diesel cars to the city’s colossal quayside. The council’s apparent position is that the motor manufacturers of the world can send shiploads of such vehicles to the area – but they can’t be driven by real-world motorists on many of the city’s streets. It’s insane. And the stench of hypocrisy is overwhelming.

[Brydo]

Article

For those looking at electric vehicles, there is quite a choice available. The EV market is developing at a rate of knots, and there are a raft of new models either here already, or on their way soon.

As such, we’ve updated our Price vs Range guide, which looks at one aspect of an EV’s affordability – how much it costs to buy a mile of range in a new EV.

We’ve highlighted the best value model in the manufacturer’s range as the champion for each particular badge. There are models with different trim levels and various ranges available, but to include them all would make the below table about a hundred rows long – and that’s just for the models currently available to buy or order.

Notes: Figures compiled by Next Green Car based on OTR of base models including the UK Plug-in Car Grant (PiCG) at £3,500 where possible, and official WLTP range supplied by manufacturers.
Models not yet on the road, but with confirmed UK prices and specifications are included, with the PiCG taken off its price for fair comparison, despite it being too early to be approved. All models in the table meed OLEV Category 1 specifications at the time of publication, and would be expected to receive the PiCG in full.

Having been a long-term leader in the price-vs-range table, the Renault Zoe has regained its top spot thanks to a new, larger capacity battery and competitive pricing. It replaces the Kia e-Niro in pole position, with third place taken by a new entrant in the shape of Peugeot’s e-208.

Seat’s Mii Electric is another newcomer, straight into the top five at number four. As the first of the VW Group triumvirate of electric citycars – which includes the updated VW e-up! and new Skoda Citigo-e iV – to arrive, we can expect similar success from these forthcoming models.

These new arrivals push the new Kia Soul EV into fifth, despite having a large battery and similar pricing to the e-Niro. Kia’s group stablemate Hyundai sits behind the Soul EV with the similarly sized Kona Electric, while the Peugeot e-208’s group buddy – Vauxhall’s Corsa-e – is another newcomer, this time in seventh.

Tesla’s Model 3 has been included in the list for the fist time, and is the most expensive model in the top ten. It reaches these heights however, because of a long range, and relatively good pricing. All three Tesla models – 3, S, & X – are represented by the Long Range specification.

Nissan’s Leaf e+ rounds out the top 10, where once it was right towards the top of the Price vs Range table, while new or significantly updated models make up the next four places.

Mini enters the fray with what is surely going to prove a popular model, the Electric hatch. Hyundai’s Ioniq Electric benefits from a larger battery pack, the Polestar 2 looks set to challenge the Tesla Model 3, the DS 3 Crossback E-Tense rounds out the PSA Group’s three new compact EVs – all of which share a platform and powertrain – and MG provides a practical EV with a decent range and reasonable price.

The MG ZS EV is currently, at the time of publication, even better value thanks to an additional discount from MG. This discount for a set number of new customers sees the ZS EV move from 14th to eighth thanks to a new figure of £135.

Further down the list, other new entrants include the Honda e, which is pitched as a premium model without a focus on range, Mercedes Benz’s EQC – a direct challenger for the Audi e-tron, and to a certain degree, Jaguar’s I-Pace – while the latest premium German model to arrive is the Porsche Taycan, which will rival the Tesla Model S.

Analysis
The market has moved on significantly since we last carried out this analysis at the start of the year. In January 2019, there were 19 models listed, whereas now there are 27.

We’ve trimmed down the list too, and could reasonably add the BMW i3s as we did before, plus a few other variants. However, there is becoming an increasing need to keep things tight.

Previously, there were six models listed as having a range of 200 miles or more on a single charge. This table sees seven in the top 10 alone, and 15 in total – more than half the listings.

Only five have a range of less than 150 miles, and of those, four are older models that are either set to be replaced, or so compact that a longer range simply isn’t required for the audience.

Clear benchmarks are being established in various sectors, though these aren’t set in stone. As the EV market becomes increasingly ‘normal’, improved options are coming along.

For example, the Honda e, and to a lesser extend, Mini’s Electric show that manufacturers are happy to bring out shorter range EVs for those without a need for long-distance travel, or for those looking at an EV as a second car.

That’s not to say long trips can’t be made in these shorter range EVs, but manufacturers must believe that a focus on style and performance is key for some buyers, rather than outright range.

The benefit of these models of course is shorter charging time, and greater efficiency. At the other end of the spectrum, models like the Porsche Taycan show that by allowing for ultra-rapid charging, long distance EVs with a range of around 300 miles will prove viable for a large number of drivers, reducing charging times by speeding up the charging, rather than shrinking the battery.

Going forward, we’re surely going to see greater choice available from a variety of manufacturers. There are a number of EVs on the horizon, which is only good news for buyers.

Our notes
All models listed use the official WLTP range figure, which we have found to be a reasonable and achievable distance on the whole, in day-to-day driving. Clearly various driving styles, environments, and weather conditions will have an effect on the range available from a single charge, but we are yet to find a WLTP figure that seems unattainable.

The only exception to the above is the Polestar 2, which is yet to be homologated in Europe. As such, there is no official WLTP range, and we are going off the manufacturer’s expectations for that test procedure.

Judging from past models, an expected range from a manufacturer is pretty close to the final official figure, so we are happy to work with that for now, and update it when possible. To be included in the list, all models must have a UK price confirmed – with or without PiCG – which is why the likes of the VWs ID.3 and e-up! and BMW iX3 are not yet factored in. They will appear in future updates.

As mentioned above, all model pricing is inclusive of the £3,500 UK Plug-in Car Grant. Again a few models, including the Polestar, aren’t yet eligible for the grant, but all models meet the OLEV Category 1 criteria and will be expected to be approved. By applying it ourselves in this list, it makes it a fairer comparison.

Equally, only those full-purchase costs have been included, to keep comparisons fair. The Renault Zoe for example is available with a mandatory battery lease, which reduces the OTR cost. It would be unfair to compare this set-up against a conventional OTR price from rival EVs.

While we hope that this simple but useful metric will help if you are looking to buy an EV, it is worth remembering that price-vs-range is only one aspect of choosing which EV is right for you. As new models become available, we will attempt to update the table to reflect the changes they bring, so keep checking back for more information.

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.