Latest news with #Ohme
Auto Express
07-08-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Express
Suzuki's first EV has already dropped in price
Suzuki is the latest manufacturer to respond to the Government's Electric Car Grant by announcing a £3,750 price cut for its new e-Vitara. The e-Vitara is Suzuki's first – and so far only – pure-electric car, so it's the only model in the firm's range that can benefit from any electric car incentive. The 'Suzuki Granted' discount of £3,750 mirrors the Government's Band 1 amount rather than the £1,500 Band 2 grant. Advertisement - Article continues below We've seen the first manufacturer – Citroen – officially confirmed as qualifying for the Government grant, and other brands such as Suzuki have declared their own grants in an attempt to keep buyers interested while they await news of their eligibility. In short, only cars that meet the Government's strict rules regarding emissions based on production, assembly and sourcing of materials will be able to qualify for grants of £1,500 or £3,750 – depending on how well they perform. We expect more manufacturers to join Citroen in the coming weeks, although Suzuki's offer will run up until 31 December – possibly suggesting the brand doesn't think it'll meet the Government's criteria to qualify for a grant. With Suzuki's £3,750 offer in place, the e-Vitara now starts at £26,249 in 49kWh Motion guise with two-wheel drive. The larger-battery 61kWh model comes in at £29,249, while the cheapest all-wheel-drive e-Vitara with the same battery starts at £31,249. The Suzuki Granted offer also includes a free Ohme home charger. If those prices don't interest you, don't forget you can always check out the Auto Express Find a Car service for amazing deals on loads of used electric cars . Find a car with the experts Car Deal of the Day: MGS5 EV for under £200 a month is a true bargain Car Deal of the Day: MGS5 EV for under £200 a month is a true bargain The ZS EV's replacement is an excellent small electric SUV, and our Deal of the Day for August 4 BYD gives up on EV grant, and offers five years of maintenance instead BYD gives up on EV grant, and offers five years of maintenance instead With a Government grant looking unlikely, BYD has announced a new warranty and maintenance scheme to tempt buyers How green is an EV? BMW reveals the surprise truth about EV vs ICE carbon footprints How green is an EV? BMW reveals the surprise truth about EV vs ICE carbon footprints The new BMW iX3 will have less of a carbon footprint than the petrol-powered X3 after just 12,428 miles of driving
Daily Mirror
03-07-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Mirror
Brits charging their EVs at home urged to act now following major announcement
Major changes that came into effect across the nation earlier this week mean more than a million drivers in the UK might be paying significantly more than they need to — unless they take action now UK motorists with electric vehicles (EVs) have been issued a costly warning if they don't take action swiftly. The new Ofgem energy price cap has officially come into effect, which is particularly relevant for more than a million EV owners who charge their cars on their drive at home. Experts say now is the perfect time to explore potentially switching your energy tariff to save money by opting for a fixed-term deal or an EV-based tariff. David Watson, CEO of Ohme — a company that specialises in EV smart home chargers — said: "Charging at home will always be the most affordable place for EV drivers to charge their cars and this lower electricity price is great news to help them reduce their running costs. However, any EV driver charging at home should look at switching to one of the wide range of energy tariffs that drop those costs still further to help save them even more money." Switching from a standard variable tariff to a fixed-term deal could result in major savings for many households — but particularly those with home-charged EVs. Many energy firms now also have energy tariffs specifically for EV drivers, allowing them to charge their cars at night using cheaper off-peak electricity. For example, British Gas currently has an EV energy tariff that charges customers 7.9p per kWh between 12am and 5am. Similarly, Eon's Next Drive tariff charges Brits 6.7p per kWh when you plug in your car between 12am and 7am. As previously reported, UK energy industry regulator Ofgem announced that from July 1, 2025, the price cap for the average dual-fuel household paying by Direct Debit would be set at £1,720. This represents a reduction of £129, or seven per cent from the previous annual rate of £1,849. While this decrease will be welcomed by many, the new cap remains 34 per cent higher than the rates in place before the UK energy crisis began towards the autumn of 2021. The energy price cap was lowered to £1,568 in July 2024 — the lowest point since the onset of the energy crisis — before increasing to £1,717 in October 2024, then to £1,738 in January 2025, and up to the previous limit of £1,849 in April 2025. Ben Gallizzi, senior content editor at Uswitch, also said: "The price cap will drop by seven per cent in July, but customers can start saving now by fixing their deal. There are deals available to switch to that can save around £250 a year against the price cap. If you have the option of getting off a standard variable tariff and ditching the price cap, it's worth doing that now." The government intervened in October 2022, when Ofgem's price cap was projected to soar to £4,279 by January 2023. In an effort to help households manage these escalating costs, the energy price guarantee was introduced, initially setting a 'safety cap' of £2,500 a year for an average dual-fuel customer — with government subsidies covering the difference. By May 2023, this guarantee was increased to £3,000, and the measure has since been scrapped entirely.
Daily Mirror
01-07-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Mirror
New driveway rule in force from today as motorists are warned
The new price cap comes into effect from tomorrow morning, so if you haven't already, it might be worth checking to see if you could save money by switching to a fixed-term deal now Major changes to UK driveways are set to kick off from today, with a stark warning for over a million electric vehicle (EV) owners. Those who charge their EVs at home need to be aware of the new Ofgem price cap that are now in effect. David Watson, CEO of Ohme, a company specialising in smart home chargers for EVs, said: "Charging at home will always be the most affordable place for EV drivers to charge their cars and this lower electricity price is great news to help them reduce their running costs. READ MORE: Pet owners rush to claim free flea treatment as UK heatwave sees pests rise "However, any EV driver charging at home should look at switching to one of the wide range of energy tariffs that drop those costs still further to help save them even more money." Ofgem, the industry regulator, has announced that starting from 1 July 2025, the price cap for the average dual-fuel household paying bills by Direct Debit will be £1,720. This rate represents a £129 (or 7%) reduction from the current annual rate of £1,849. Yet, it's important to note that this new cap is still 34% above the rates before the energy crisis. Therefore, while the reduction is welcome, it must be viewed within the broader context, reports Yorkshire Live. Additionally, since July 2024, when the cap was lowered to £1,568 – the lowest point since the onset of the crisis – there hasn't been a further decrease. Ben Gallizzi, senior content editor at Uswitch, said: "The price cap will drop by 7% in July, but customers can start saving now by fixing their deal. "There are deals available to switch to that can save around £250 a year against the price cap. If you have the option of getting off a standard variable tariff and ditching the price cap, it's worth doing that now." In October 2022, when Ofgem's price cap level was expected to rocket to £4,279 by January 2023, the government intervened with the Energy Price Guarantee as a buffer for households grappling with escalating energy costs. Designed as a "safety" price cap, it was initially pegged at £2,500 annually (subsidised by the government) for an average use dual fuel customer. Come May 2023, Ofgem and government officials announced that the Energy Price Guarantee would be hiked to £3,000. This measure has since been scrapped entirely.
The Courier
11-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Courier
Dundee to Arran road trip in the Kia Niro plug-in hybrid
Want a car that's practical, economical, pleasant to drive and doesn't cost the earth? May I present to you the Kia Niro. I write this shortly after returning from driving my test Niro from Dundee to Arran for a four-day family holiday, during which I developed a lot of affection for Kia's little SUV. One great thing about it is there's a Niro for everybody. You can go for a hybrid petrol model on one end of the scale to a fully electric version at the other. I tested the middle-ground model. The plug-in hybrid Kia Niro has a 1.6 litre petrol engine that's paired with a 11.1kWh battery and electric motor. The result is a car that can cover up to 38 miles on battery power alone but has a petrol engine so there's no range anxiety or concern about finding a charger. I plugged the Niro into the Ohme home charger I had installed a few months ago and topped it up ahead of our trip. A few hours later the battery was reading 100%. A button allows you to set the car's mode to 'save' which preserves the battery charge until you want to use it. This meant I didn't empty the battery blatting along the M77, where it wouldn't have added much efficiency. Instead I was able to drive through Troon, onto the Ferry, and halfway around Arran on pure electric power. I could have filled up the battery at the charging station in Brodick but I didn't. Public charging costs three times more than I pay at home (and can be up to 10 times more if you're on an EV tariff at home). This made it at least as expensive as filling with petrol. It's an efficient car, however. Ignore the official fuel economy figure of 314mpg – that's ludicrous. Over our Dundee-Arran trip we averaged 57mpg, which I was more than happy with. After plugging in again back at home, where electricity it more affordable, I was able to pootle around Dundee using fully electric power. This is where the car really can be run for pennies. If you have a cheap overnight tariff you'll pay 5-7p per unit, compared to 55-85p at public chargers. You can top up the Niro's modest battery for around 60p and enjoy 30-35 miles of real-world electric driving. This is the second generation Niro and it has been redesigned from the ground up to have more interior space and better technology. The new interior mimics that of the excellent Kia EV6. The materials are softer touch and higher quality than the previous version, and there are more gloss black and chrome details to enhance the upmarket feeling. A pair of screens swoop round from the centre of the dashboard to behind the steering wheel. You get a mixture of dials and haptic buttons for the heating and media/navigation controls. Frustratingly you can't have both at once – you need to toggle between the two systems using a little icon. It makes the dash less cluttered but I can't believe it's the most user-friendly system Kia could come up with. Still, it's better than dumping everything onto a touchscreen. Although it has a modest footprint the Niro is a practical car. Leg and headroom are good in the front and back and the boot is a decent size. We were able to fit our baby daughter and our luggage on the back seats and our two golden retrievers in the boot. As long as you're not expecting a hot hatch, the Niro drives well. A 9.8 second 0-62mph time doesn't endow it with blistering pace but it pulls strongly enough even when fully laden. Ride and refinement are above average for the class and it's particularly quiet when in fully electric mode. Prices for the Kia Niro start at around £30,000. There are three trim levels, which, inexplicably, are labelled 2, 3, and 4. My plug-in hybrid in 3 spec cost a very reasonable £37,865. It came with plenty of kit, including heated seats, an electric driver's seat, and wireless smartphone charging. Even entry level models get adaptive cruise control, a reversing camera, keyless entry and a 10.3in touchscreen. My only real gripe is Apple CarPlay only works if you connect your phone with a cable – virtually all the Niro's rivals can connect wirelessly. All Niros come with Kia's industry leading seven-year, 100,000 mile warranty. Apart from a couple of very minor niggles the only thing to criticise the Niro for is that it's not terribly exciting. But it isn't meant to be. It's affordable, practical, cheap to run, well equipped, and should be reliable. It is, in short, everything most people look for in a car. Price: £37,865 0-62mph: 9.8 seconds Top speed: 100mph Economy: 313.9mpg CO2 emissions: 21g/km
