They call it range anxiety when you’re worried that your electric car won’t have sufficient charge in its battery to complete your journey. But what happens if you do then run out of charge? And is there any way you can stop it happening?
Electric car sales are booming in the UK. New figures reveal that in the first 10 months of 2020, purchases of new battery-powered motors were up by 195 per cent in the UK on the same period the year before. As well as an ever-expanding choice, much of it is down to a growing number of car buyers waking up to the benefits of electric motoring.
Rather than just being easier and cheaper to fuel – power for electric cars costs about a third of conventional fuels – electric cars are also cheaper to run. Here we look at why they cost so much less than internal combustion models.
You might have heard the term hydrogen fuel cell car and wondered what it was. It’s an eco-friendly alternative fuel that’s already on sale, and which some claim represents the future of motoring. There is certainly a growing shift for car makers to develop this new tech. But how viable is it? Read on to find out all about fuel cells.
Nissan’s Leaf has now been on sale in the UK since 2011 (Picture © Nissan)
Electric cars have become increasingly popular among savvy drivers looking to plug into cheaper running costs. With the most successful model ‑ Nissan’s Leaf ‑ now five years old, ever more used electric cars that are no longer covered by a manufacturer’s warranty will be for sale. This guide should ensure you end up with a car that puts some spark into your life rather than leaving you feeling flat.
There might not be much to do beneath the bonnet of an electric car, apart from topping up the windscreen washer bottle, but there are still
Is this what the electric highway of the future could look like? (Picture © Highways Agency)
Electric car charging roads that will refuel battery-powered motors as they drive along are to be tested in the UK. The pilot project, a first in Britain, has been set up by the government’s Highways England. The aim is to boost the number of low emission vehicles on the road by making them easier to live with.
Electric car sales in the UK increased by 167 per cent in 2014, according to data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. The government wants to ensure this trend for switching to low emission vehicles continues. It’s investing £500m in alternative fuel transport technology over the next five years. Part of this will be on roads that can charge electric vehicles. In July 2015, Highways England published a feasibility study: Powering electric vehicles on England’s major roads. The testing of electric car charging roads result from that.
The government’s plan is for major roads such as motorways and A-roads to feature the new charging technology. Trials will take place at a special testing facility later this year. Pure electric vehicles will be fitted with wireless technology enabling them to receive a charge on the move. Equipment installed beneath the road will generate an electromagnetic field to charge the cars.
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