Latest news with #electricCars
The Sun
02-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Sun
Kia EV6 GT is a ridiculously fast SUV that even boils your kettle – but can it beat a £158k Porsche 911 in a drag race?
YOU join us at Santa Pod drag strip for a little 'run what ya brung' showdown. That's Sully in his box-fresh Golf R. 5 5 5 Nosh with his dreamy 911 GT3 Touring. Nice cars. Very nice cars. Except I'm going to smoke them in a Kia. Then make a cup of tea with it afterwards. Don't get me wrong, the Golf R is a lovely bit of kit. Nailed-on future classic. Sully's got 333 horses to play with and sticky four-wheel drive to go round significant corners at considerable speeds. But we're doing a quarter-mile drag race here, buddy. Eat my rubber. What can I say about Nosh's Porker? Dang. Inside Kia's refreshed Sportage including comfy cabin, punchy new looks and driving mode young families will love The noise — 510 horses, manual gearbox, red lines at 9,000rpm. No rear wing. Absolute weapon. Just stay away from those concrete barriers, eh, Noshy lad. They look hungry. Right, let's hit you with some times. The Golf R's quickest run was 12.5 seconds, reaching 110mph. The 911 edged it with 12.2 seconds and 119mph. Then it was my turn in Kia's EV6 GT. When electric cars accelerate — even the cheaper ones — they leave your head buried in the back of the headrest. This one, with 641 horses and 770Nm of torques, scrambles your eggs. Needless to say, we blitzed the £158k Porker by more than a second, flashing up 11.165 seconds and 124mph on the iconic Santa Pod gantry. Wallop. 5 With more road in front of us, like an unrestricted autobahn, we could have kept on pushing to a very un-Kia-like 161mph. New virtual gearshift technology adds simulated gear changes and fake engine sounds if you want them. Otherwise just pin it to win it. My new friend Nosh, an architect from Manchester, was clearly impressed. He said: 'It's amazing isn't it, ridiculously fast. "Eventually, when we have to, I'll probably get one. 'But I'm going to enjoy a manual gearshift and loud engines for as long as I can.' Fair play. He's owned some tasty motors over the years including a Ferrari 430 Scuderia and Porsche 930 Turbo 'Widowmaker'. Right, back on topic. Not only is the newly-updated EV6 GT faster than before, it goes further, recharges more quickerly — like 18 minutes — and the cabin's been given some love too. OUT goes the glossy piano black, replaced by less smudgy brushed plastic. IN comes lots of cool neon-green detailing. The twin-screen dash carries all the latest tech. You can use the car's power supply to boil a kettle or inflate an air bed on festival weekends. Last observation. Price. EV6 GT is actually £2,690 cheaper than before at £59,985. For a better car. Kia is going to take some catching at this rate. 5
Bloomberg
01-07-2025
- Automotive
- Bloomberg
Tesla's Sluggish Sales Return to the Fore After Robotaxi Debut
Tesla Inc.'s rally off the back of launching a limited driverless taxi service is about to be tested by what analysts expect will be another downbeat quarterly sales report. The electric-car maker likely delivered around 390,600 vehicles in the three months that ended in June, according to analysts' estimates compiled by Bloomberg. That would be down roughly 12% from a year earlier, following a 13% drop in the first quarter.
Auto Express
22-06-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Express
Self-driving cars will cost many talented people their jobs
Car drivers and their passengers waited more than 100 years for a revolution. Then two came along at about the same time. First, it was the arrival of pure-electric cars. But the talk is now rapidly diverting to the next big, even more revolutionary thing – autonomous vehicles. I'm comfortable confessing that I instinctively love cars and vans that can be, er, driven. Those that drive themselves I merely, and cautiously, like. Motorised vehicles with four or more wheels and purportedly requiring zero human input at point of use just ain't appropriate for everyone on every road. Advertisement - Article continues below For blind or partially sighted people, folk with other disabilities or the elderly living in the remotest areas, fair enough. Otherwise, it's a definite no from me. I have previous with notoriously expensive self-driving cars designed to make the roads safer (possible) and drivers redundant (inevitable). I've served a 30-odd-year 'apprenticeship' as an autonomous vehicle test passenger who, on one occasion, almost doubled as an involuntary crash test dummy. On a surreal Sunday morning close to the foot of Mount Fuji in the late eighties, scientist-like boffins introduced me to the displeasure of sitting back and not enjoying the ride from the rear seat of a slow-moving Toyota, whose front pews were hauntingly and needlessly unoccupied. Further autonomous rides in Japan, South Korea, China, Germany and North America gave me more opportunities to not sit back and relax. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below More importantly, I feel even more uneasy about the prospects for a massive number of innocent part or full-time drivers. They'll be cruelly robbed of their jobs, livelihoods, hope and pride when the UK passes legislation allowing cars, vans, taxis and other transport to use public highways and private land, minus their highly trained drivers. Assisted by financial institutions, safety organisations and other interested parties, the British automotive industry establishment last week talked with greater enthusiasm than ever about such autonomous products landing in a city, town or village near you. UK trade body the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders calls it Connected and Automated Mobility (CAM) tech, with the claimed 'potential' to avert 60,000 serious collisions and save 3,900 lives between now and 2040. Plus there 'could' (not 'will') be a positive annual economic impact of between £55-£77 billion, and an 'estimated' extra 342,000 jobs – although only 12,250 of those will be in automotive manufacturing. I asked the SMMT if those extra positions will be outweighed by a far larger number of job losses or redundancies for professional or semi-professional drivers of cars, taxis, vans, HGVs, PSVs and the like? In response, the society confessed that the 'displacement of existing [driver] jobs has not been factored in'. Our dealer network has 1,000s of great value new cars in stock and available now right across the UK. Find your new car … View Model 3 View Model 3 View Model 3 View Model 3 View Model 3 View Model 3 View Model 3 View Model 3 View Model 3 Find a car with the experts Toyota GR Corolla hot hatch is on the way to the UK Toyota GR Corolla hot hatch is on the way to the UK The success of the GR Yaris has persuaded Toyota that there's room in its UK range for the high performance Corolla Car Deal of the Day: Blistering BMW M135 for a bargain £301 a month Car Deal of the Day: Blistering BMW M135 for a bargain £301 a month Not many hot hatchbacks are as complete as BMW's recently updated M135. It's our Deal of the Day for 19 June. Car Deal of the Day: a potent 335bhp Volkswagen ID.7 GTX for a rock bottom price Car Deal of the Day: a potent 335bhp Volkswagen ID.7 GTX for a rock bottom price GTX Plus gives some extra punch to an already excellent electric saloon. It's our Deal of the Day for 20 June.
Telegraph
21-06-2025
- Science
- Telegraph
Exploding cars and power cuts: how heatwaves will trigger ‘net zero meltdown'
Net zero technologies will backfire during heatwaves, Ed Miliband has been warned. Heat pumps, electric cars and solar panels are among the various decarbonisation initiatives being pushed by the Energy Secretary to help the UK reach net zero by 2050. But these technologies are at risk of breaking down, exploding and causing power cuts, and may need to be turned off in hot weather, experts have warned. A report commissioned by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero warned that much of the energy grid and infrastructure was at risk from warm weather over 27C (81F). Britain is set to have its first heatwave of 2025 this weekend, with health officials warning of a risk to life from temperatures of more than 30C. The report offers multiple warnings about the fallibility of net zero technologies in such temperatures. Solar panels In temperatures above 25C, solar panels become less effective by up to 0.5 per cent for every degree, the report warns. Heat also can speed up degradation of the panels themselves. Scientists say they are safe in weather up to 50C but they become significantly less efficient on days where the sun is at its most powerful. Two measures to address the solar panel shortcomings include creating 'oversized' products that are better able to handle heat, but need even more space. Simply turning the solar panels off in heatwaves is another way to prevent them being damaged in the long term by exposure to high temperatures. Curtailing solar energy production in the event of extreme heat would allow 'renewable energy supply to remain operational following extreme heat events', the report authors say. The technical shortcomings of solar panels have been well documented, but Mr Miliband has repeatedly pushed ahead with expanding solar energy production. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero is considering installing solar panel canopies over car parks and Mr Miliband recently stated his desire for every new-build home to come with solar panels as standard. Heat pumps Newly built homes will all come with heat pumps as standard by 2027 under expected new regulations, but this technology is not without its own issues. Heat pumps broadly work by drawing in heat from the outside – the air, water or ground – and transferring it into the home. Unlike conventional boilers, heat pumps are able to cool a home, as well as to heat it. This will lead to greater electricity usage in future summers than in the past. Currently, only one in 20 homes have air conditioning but with the Government pushing heat pumps as an eco-friendly alternative to boilers this is expected to rise. The report states: 'Significant growth is expected in domestic cooling demand, driven by rising temperatures and increasing adoption of heat pumps for heating and cooling as part of the UK's decarbonisation strategy.' A 2021 government study found that the peak energy demand for cooling could increase from 12GW to 19GW by 2100. This is likely to be in the evening. However, this spike comes after the peak of solar power generation and there could also be insufficient energy production to meet the demand for cool air. The issue is worsened during heatwaves because solar panels perform suboptimally and may be switched off. In 2022, when the UK breached 40C for the first time in recorded history, the UK was close to having insufficient electricity to meet demand as a result of decreased output and efficiency. The study authors warn that the combination of heat-inhibited energy generation, high demand for cooling and peak usage in the evening could lead to load shedding and rolling power cuts. The report authors write: 'The increased loading on electricity networks caused by active cooling may coincide with the periods of direct heat impact on the energy system. 'These factors may compound to increase the likelihood of electricity shortfalls and load shedding.' The last Conservative government declared that 600,000 heat pumps would be installed annually in British homes from 2028. But Labour has refused to commit itself to this pledge, first announced by Boris Johnson in 2020, and reports suggest the target is to be scrapped. Electric cars Another net zero goal that Mr Miliband had to relax was the Tory plan to ban the sale of new petrol or diesel cars by 2030. This is still in place, but hybrid vehicles can now be sold until 2035. Electric vehicle batteries struggle in hot weather and pose efficiency concerns, as well as safety woes. Lithium-ion batteries degrade quicker and break down sooner in temperatures above 35C. This level of heat can also lead to slower charging times, inhibited power output, and 'irreversible damage to the batteries', the report states. As well as subprime performance, the heat can also cause the batteries in electric vehicles to catch fire and blow up, the report warns. 'Prolonged operation under high temperature can overwhelm [battery energy storage] cooling systems posing safety risks such as thermal runaway and explosions,' the document says. 'Prolonged exposure and operation under extreme heat are expected to pose a significant challenge to their optimum and safe operation.' Nuclear power The Government is pushing ahead with its switch from greenhouse-gas-emitting power generation such as coal, oil and gas to renewables, which includes nuclear. The National Energy System Operator quango that manages the network is looking to go without gas at some point this year. It is hoped that 95 per cent of energy is from renewables by 2030. Nuclear is considered to be key in allowing for this transition to occur and Mr Miliband has announced several billion pounds of extra funding for Sizewell C, and Rolls-Royce is now approved to begin manufacturing football-field-sized SMR reactors. But the extreme heat report found nuclear power plants are also potentially vulnerable to hot weather and may have to be taken offline for safety reasons. Extended hot weather accelerates degradation of the sites, the report warns, as well as making the water needed to cool the reactors less readily available. The electricity output of nuclear power plants decreases by up to 0.5 per cent for every 1C increase in ambient air temperature and the reactors are slower to cool down. Extreme heat also makes nuclear power plants less efficient. 'Extreme heat may therefore force nuclear plants to reduce operations or shut down, straining the electrical grid during periods of high electricity demand,' the report states. A government spokesman said: 'The best way to tackle extreme weather is to tackle the climate crisis. 'Our robust electricity system is already set up to cope with extreme scenarios. We will continue working with our partners to ensure future energy infrastructure is resilient to all hazards, including extreme heat, securing the safe, secure and resilient supply of electricity as we move to clean power.' 'Lacks real-world perspective' Michael Kelly, Prince Philip professor of technology at the University of Cambridge, said the report is missing key information from hotter climates. He said the real-world examples of Arizona and Riyadh show grids are more robust than believed. 'While they say things that are right, it is a bit over-alarming in the sense that people with enough notice would make the changes necessary,' Prof Kelly added. 'What they have done is just take models and data for the UK. 'They are right as far as it goes – but to the extent that it is used to spread doom and gloom, I would say they are probably overstating their case because they have not compared it. 'It is lacking any validation from a real-world perspective.' Richard Tice, the deputy leader of Reform UK, said: 'Another government report highlights yet more risk of net zero. 'Solar panels and heat pumps may not work in heatwaves, exposing us all to risk of blackouts and major disruption. 'This will require ever more back-up systems, thus ever more extra cost. This means net zero bills will go up not down.'
Motor Trend
19-06-2025
- Automotive
- Motor Trend
Is It Time for EV Charging Stations to Simply Offer Quick-Time Battery Swaps?
John and Jane Public aren't warming to electric cars at the rate many in the automotive industry thought they would, and that's mostly because EVs still can't match the cost and convenience of gasoline-powered alternatives. The steady march of progress is chipping away at EVs' cost, boosting the distance they can drive on a single charge, and hastening their charging speeds (1-megawatt or better is almost here). But maybe there's a holistically better idea. The article advocates for battery swapping in EVs, citing Chinese company Nio's success with its extensive swap stations. Benefits include quick swaps, cost savings, and greener energy use. The author suggests adopting this system in the West to boost EV adoption and to be able to compete globally. This summary was generated by AI using content from this MotorTrend article Read Next Perhaps it's time we dust off General Electric's plan from 1910, when it equipped its GeVeCo electric trucks with separately leased Hartford Electric batteries designed specially to be swapped quickly when depleted. Together, these electric trucks covered 6 million miles between 1910 and 1924. Electric forklifts have used battery swapping since the mid 1940s, and Israeli startup Project Better Place (later just 'Better Place') endeavored to revive that idea for electric cars beginning in 2007. Better Place was neither a battery company nor a car company, and the challenges of engaging those stakeholders, combined with an immature electric-car market, ultimately doomed the enterprise. And while Israel and Denmark might have been reasonable launch markets, our nation's size seemed logistically daunting, even if enough car companies could come to agree on a battery size, shape, or performance envelope to achieve critical mass. But experiencing Nio's Power Swap experience in Shanghai felt like gazing into a brighter EV future. CATL Goes All In Chinese automaker Nio (founded in November 2014) made battery swapping its unique selling proposition, building a network of more than 3,200 swapping stations in much the same way Tesla built its own Supercharger networks. In the seven years Nio has sold cars, it's revised the battery and station designs a few times. Its newest model, the Firefly EV, uses yet another new swappable battery, designed in conjunction with battery giant CATL and a consortium of companies. One of these, Changan, just delivered 1,000 Oshan 520 taxis in Chongqing, using similar batteries that can be swapped at any of 50 CATL swapping stations promised by the end of 2025. (Swapping is particularly valuable for taxis, ride-share services, delivery and similar commercial vehicles.) Chocolate-Bar Batteries CATL got into the battery swapping concept a while back with small 25-kWh packs that resembled two blocks of baking chocolate that could be used individually or ganged two or three to a vehicle, heightening the baking chocolate allusion. CATL's QIJI swap solution for trucks still follows this model, and the name Choco-Swap, or Choco-SEB (Swapping Electric Block) has stuck. CATL's light-vehicle strategy, however, has morphed to now covering the breadth of vehicle sizes and range needs with two battery form factors, each offering a choice of LFP or NMC chemistry. Swap Station Design Both Nio and CATL swapping stations require approximately the footprint size of three normal parking spaces, with the car driving up a ramp high enough for battery packs to shuttle underneath to begin the process. The two adjacent parking spaces typically house 24–30 batteries that remain bi-directionally connected, charging at moderate rates (up to 100 kW) to a level just past 90 percent. Nio's stations assemble like Legos, allowing a new station to be set up and operational in 4–5 hours overnight. Nio owns and operates most of its stations but is now allowing investment groups or provinces to buy, operate, and share revenues generated as power companies pay to tap this stored energy. Having sold 700,000-plus cars, 80 percent of which are still in service, Nio claims its inventory of swap-available batteries amounts to 6 or 7 percent of the on-road fleet. And to prep for big-travel weekends like Chinese New Year, heavy incentives go out to entice large-capacity battery owner/lessees who don't plan to leave town to swap down, making bigger batteries available for travelers. Anatomy of a Swap Using your car's native navigation system, a trip is plotted including convenient swap stations. As you approach one, a specific time slot is allotted, and a particular battery gets assigned to your car. Your car's battery temperature is shared, and the station adjusts the coolant in the replacement battery to match, thereby preventing expansion or thermal shock. When it's your turn, the station talks you through the process (explaining what the automatic system is doing). You sense the station lift the car slightly, you hear 10 bolts simultaneously undoing, the swap occurs, the bolts tighten, you drop back down and you're on your way. (Note: CATL says Choco-Swap batteries are air cooled, sidestepping the temperature-alignment issue.) What are the advantages? Quicker My Nio Power Swap experience replaced a depleted battery with one charged to 91 percent in less than three minutes, which included the time needed to maneuver into and out of the station. CATL's Choco-Swap requires the driver to pull in, as when entering a car wash. It then swaps packs in 100 seconds (presumably more if adding extra batteries). My ET9 showed 352 miles of range following the swap. Even 1-megawatt charging can't add that many miles that quickly—especially when multiple charging-station users lower the peak rate. Cheaper Drivers can buy most Nio cars with or without batteries included. Opting for the battery-lease deal knocks $17,900 off the luxury ET9's $110,320 price, adding a monthly battery lease of $179. Owned or leased batteries can be swapped, with drivers paying the net difference in energy at a price higher than home charging but lower than high-speed DC fast charging. Then there's the savings of leasing a small battery and simply upgrading and paying for a longer-range one only when traveling. Car companies could slash both time to market and program budgets by offloading or sharing the R&D, safety testing, warranty, and other liability costs that batteries entail. And these standard form-factor batteries can potentially be upgraded over time as new chemistries or solid-state cells become available. Infrastructure pricewise, a battery swapping station is also way cheaper to install than a bank of 1MW chargers able to serve the same number of customers. Power companies faced with adding grid capacity, sub-stations, and transmission lines to support multimegawatt charging banks could save a lot by investing in swapping stations, each of which draws way less power, can absorb excess solar or wind energy, and will help even out loads during periods of peak usage. Greener Batteries that are regularly charged at level-2 rates to 90ish percent should last longer than those that are frequently fast-charged. Each battery has a digital twin in the cloud, and when monitoring detects bad cells or modules, they can be replaced while out of the car, extending the pack's useful life. When usable capacity drops below 80 percent of new, a pack can be reassigned to non-EV use. When drivers use a lighter commuting-sized battery most of the time, they use less energy to operate and generate less wear on the tires and brakes. What exactly changed my mind on swapping? My Shanghai adventure proved China's auto industry is miles ahead of ours. It seems to me that to be at all competitive in the global market, we need to quickly overcome buyers' reluctance to electrify and up our collective EV game. It also seems like high time 'the west' teams up to fight off this Chinese threat, and an automaker/energy-industry collaboration on a battery-swapping ecosystem that ends buyers' battery-life worries while delivering gas-station refueling convenience—all at gas-vehicle operating cost parity—looks like the quickest way to get there.
