News

During the last few months 4 DC charge points delivering 150kW (also known as HPC – High Power Chargers) have been installed and been free to use for the time being, so that ESB can see how these work for the users.
This test phase is finishing now and from the December 1st 2020, we will have to pay to use these, like any other charge point. Pricing is set at 37 cents per kWh for pay as you go customers, and 34.5 cents per kWh for members (membership being at €4.60 per month). There is an introductory offer : till March 1st, 34.5 cents pricing will apply to PAYG customers.

Pricing is rather reasonable compared to 50kW DC charge, and this is a good news, as it means will be only a small premium to pay to charge faster a 50+kW capable vehicle.
Let’s see the cost and average charging time for a vehicle charging 30kWh of energy at 30.5c (DC) vs 37c (HPC).

As we can see, the extra cost of around 20% is very reasonable considering the time saved, of course depending on the vehicle you drive. ESB Ecars has announced today the rolling out of 50 of these charge points across the country

By Guillaume Séguin – October 23rd, 2020

The Honda e finally landed on our shores in a version that is really close to the original prototype, and that’s really refreshing to see !

Like Mazda with the Mx-30 or the Mini Electric, Honda decided to put a small-ish battery pack (35.5kWh) and to keep the pricing contained to keep it affordable for the commuter that doesn’t need the 52kWh of a Renault Zoé battery. WLTP range is just 222km. The pack allows 7.4kW AC single-phase charging and 50kW DC charging. Its rear wheel drive configuration allows a tight turning circle. And combined with the swift acceleration (0-100 in 9seconds, and even 8.3 seconds for the Advance model), the one-pedal driving capability will make it one of the favorites urban EVs, along with the BMW i3 and the Mini Hatch.

Consequently the package is quite attractive with a very comprehensive equipment level for the asking price. The Honda e is very compact (3.89m long), unfortunately a small boot (and no frunk), and limited space in the back. But everything inside of this car is made so you feel good, it is a premium product with quality materials, attention to detail and loaded with technology (multiple screens, door cameras replacing the door mirros, etc.)

The base version called simply “e” has the 136hp motor, and a decent kit with as standard alloys, climate control, connected navigation, front are rear parking sensors, reverse camera, adaptive cruise control or Smart entry & Start . The Advance version adds for an extra €3,000 a more powerful 154hp motor, the multi-view camera, the cool 230v 1500w outlet, a premium sound system, the camera mirror, parking pilot, plus other features.

No factory option for either of these versions, but the choice of 4 distinctive colors : pearl white, blue, yellow or grey !

Prices:
Honda e – €29,995
Honda e Advance – €32,995

Prices exclude delivery charges, include VAT, VRT, VRT rebate and SEAI grant.

Photo credit: Simon Acton

ESB eCars introduced paid for charging on their standard AC network on 10th August 2020 so we would like to gather some feedback from you, our community and members, before we meet with them next later on this week. Thank you !

>>>>>Click here to fill out the survey<<<<<

By Guillaume Séguin – 2nd September 2020

Another month, another great push for PHEVs. 228 new vehicles were registered with the Niro leading ahead of the Kuga. Since July and its launch in Ireland, 28% of all Kugas were Plug-in, which shows that if you get a PHEV variant in your range, these will sell more than just a few units. And this is how we’re getting PHEVs representing already 4.68% of the total market.

More than the new car sales, the used imports have again hit a monthly record, with 406 vehicles brought into the Republic in August, almost 1 of every 20 vehicles imported. The hype for the Outlander seems to slow down but German Premium are getting huge interest, BMW being by far the most imported brand.

By Guillaume Séguin – 1st September 2020

On an August market almost stable (-4%), BEVs shine with sales up 72% and 296 units, brining the 100% electric cars market share above 6%! The year to date share is at 3.75%.

This month Kia is doing great with both E-Niro and E-Soul on top. followed by their cousin the Kona. The Zoé and Model 3 sold 27 models each. The Tesla is still 2nd year to date behind the Leaf but September (end of quarter) sales could give the American model the lead. And big up for whoever ordered a Renault Twizy 🙂

Used imports are back into negative territory after growth in July and are now becoming marginal, less than 10% of the level of new sales.

By John Doyle with Eamon Stack and Barry McMahon – August 8th, 2020

I’m John Doyle. The beginning of my Vectrix story goes like this:
I returned to motorcycling in April 2010 (after a 30 year hiatus) when I saw an Irish Times article on a new motor scooter, the Vectrix VX-1. I went on to purchase the ex-demo bike I had used for my demo ride.

After 3.5 years of ownership, the battery temperature sensor circuit failed having been exposed to water after driving through a flooded road. In turn, this prevented the NiMh battery pack from charging and it died. This resulted in a temporary halt to my EV dream.

Early in 2014, I noticed a Vectrix parked on Amiens Street, Dublin. Intrigued, as these bikes are a rarity, I waited to meet the owner who turned out to be Eamon Stack. After a chat we exchanged contact details. It was the beginning of an enduring friendship and meeting of minds in the world of electric motorcycles and cars. It was also the start of putting my Vectrix back on the road. In March 2014, with Eamon’s help, we sourced 40ah CALB LiFeP04 (Lithium Iron Phosphate) cells from Anne Klopenberg in The Netherlands (New Electric) and a BMS kit from Matt Casey in Perth, Australia. (Ireland, The Netherlands, Australia, Poland – the EV community is global). We put my Vectrix back on the road with I creased range.

Eamon and myself are now part of a Vectrix community of 5 EV owners with Vectrix bikes we have successfully converted from NIMH to LiFeP04 and now to Leaf cells.

The Vectrix VX-1 was designed around the millennium and launched in 2006. It is a maxi- scooter similar to the Honda Silverwing or Yamaha XMax and many similar bikes very commonly used by European commuters. The Vectrix, unlike many Asian small electric scooters, was a high-spec bike using quality bike parts like Brammo brakes, alloy frame by Lockheed martin aerospace and Italian forks. Its brushless motor gave 24 BHP of torque (equivalent to 350cc ICE bike) and its regen braking, by reversing the throttle, was revolutionary. Even Eddie Jordan had a Vectrix!

The Achilles heel of the bike was the battery pack – it was designed too early for the Lithium battery revolution and relied on a battery chemistry that was great for Duracell bunnies but inadequate for Vectrix’ big motor. After a rumoured $100m investment, Vectrix went bankrupt, twice and there inventory was purchased by Vectrixparts.com in Poland set up by some emplyees from the original manufacturing plant.

While our early Vectrix conversions were a success, the real breakthrough for Vectrix enthusiasts came when a Nissan Leaf was kindly totalled by its owner. Eighteen modules of a Leaf pack, entirely by coincidence, fit snuggly into the Vectrix battery case and have the right total voltage for the motor. Our latest project has been delivered by Barry McMahon using cells from the battery pack of a Gen2 40kwh Leaf. The BMS for the Leaf modules is designed by Vectrixparts in Poland and the result is a bike with I creased power and range of 160km. This is ​60% better than the original design. Barry and Eamon now drive these beefed-up maxi scooters. Our friend Sean O’Callaghan is currently rebuilding a bike for his friend and plans to put Eamon’s old bike back on the road later in the year.

Our EV community has learned the skills to upgrade the battery of any EV. The two challenges for reliable upgrade: to source affordable Lithium cells and for someone in our worldwide EV community to develop a upgrade kit. As Sean, Eamon and Barry have Gen 1 Leaf EVs, they are keen to upgrade their Leafs. Please read our other article on “Leaf – how to quadruple your range”.

Keeping EVs on the road, for as long as possible, is an important aspect to living a more sustainable lifestyle. EVs can outlast ICE vehicles threefold. While the early vehicles suffered from underdeveloped or short-range battery packs, this need not be a fait-accompli with no or excessively expensive options. It is important that the EV community demonstrate the reality that we can upgrade older EV to give them a fully and happy long life.

As we are all also EV car drivers, we share the delights of the EV community with the increased range of new and used EV cars for the public. However, we note that unlike the automaker sector, the motorbike sector has been very slow to design EVs. The only maxi-scooter alternative to the Vectrix is the BMW C-Evolution (BMW’s only e-bike to date). In the mainstream motorbike market, Harley-Davidson have the Livewire and Zero, the Tesla of motorbikes, have a good range of powerful bikes at different levels. Our concerns is that the price premium of EV motorbikes is 50% over their ICE equivalents and there is no Government grant to soften the financial hit.

We invite anyone interested to campaign for the introduction of a €3k EV grant for motorcycles, equivalent to the grant available in UK and most EU countries.

By Guillaume Séguin – 7th August 2020

After the e-208 (and the 3008 PHEV as well as the 508 PHEV), Peugeot keeps developing its plug-in range this year with the much anticipated e-2008.

Just like for the e-208, the e-2008 is a derivative from the ICE version, with the same 136hp motor, 50kWh battery, and a logically slightly lower WLTP range (310km vs 345km) as its smaller sister. And exactly like the e-208 it has only a very few aesthetic changes, such as the body colored grill and the dichroic badging. It goes from 0 to 100kph in just 8.1 seconds, and can charge on DC at speeds of up to 100kW, but just 7kW on AC (11kW tri-phase is a €390 option).

The great thing about the e-2008, is that it is (again, just like the e-208) not just an expensive trim, limiting is popularity, but a range of 4 versions : 4 trims, just like the ICE version, from the frugal Active to the sporty GT.

The e-2008 Active offers already a great basic kit, with climate control, alloy wheels called “Elborn” (yes that’s the name of a Seat EV – still better than Mini SE’s “Corona” wheels), leather steering wheel, LED headlights, 4 USB sockets, rear parking sensor with 180° Camera (that’s front and back), 7 inch central screen with Android Auto and Apple Carplay.

The Allure adds larger 17 inch wheels, the fancy 3D i-Cockpit, rear privacy windows, front parking sensors and other features. The GT Line has a larger 10′ infotainment system with navigation, black roof, more powerful LED headlights with the claws design, a frameless electrochrome rear view mirror and the GT adds handsfree access, Adaptive cruise control with lane assist, 18 inch wheels, smartphone induction charging and Alcantara seating.

If the range is not best in class, the price is very reasonable for a family SUV. At € 38,135 in its top trim, it is still cheaper than the Kia e-Niro (€39,495) and the Active version is just €2,000 more expensive than the base Leaf (SV 40kWh) which has a similar kit but a bit less range, and slower charging capabilities. Find out more about the e-2008 on www.peugeot.ie

Peugeot e-2008 Active – €31,845
Peugeot e-2008 Allure – €33,785
Peugeot e-2008 GT Line – €36,315
Peugeot e-2008 GT – €38,135

Prices include the battery, VRT relief, SEAI grant and exclude metallic paint and delivery charges

By Guillaume Séguin – August 5th, 2020

This is a record-breaking month for new PHEV sales in Ireland, with 751 new registrations recorded, and 3.5% market share, almost as many as BEV sales.

This month, 30 different PHEVs were registered, a record number. But on that, there were no less than 6 new PHEVs entering the market ! 37 BMW X1, 15 Audi Q5, 8 Peugeot 508, 3 Audi A6, 2 Ford Transit Passenger and 1 VW Passat CC.

The leader this month is the Ford Kuga PHEV helped by a price very similar to the diesel version and many other PHEVs are very competitive in regards to their diesel equivalent, helping further sales to buyers who did not necessarily thought about getting a car with a plug !

Used imports are also growing rapidly with 384 units registered (+110%). The Mitsubishi Outlander is back in the lead.

By Guillaume Séguin – August 4th, 2020

With a new semester, and new registration period (202) come surprises in EV Sales. The BEV market is now up 5% to 771 registrations in July in a market down 14%, which means once again, a growing market share of 3.53% (up from 2.97% in July 2019) for 100% Electric cars.

Surprisingly, the Renault Zoé is at the top of the charts in Ireland in July with 112 sales, bringing the small French car up to the 6th position so far this year. The Kia E-Niro is also doing pretty well with 109 units up 114% over last year. The Leaf comes 3rd and cements its year-to-date lead over the Kona down 57% this month.

Down in the charts, we can note no less than 14 Porsche Taycan registered. Could the German saloon beat the Tesla Model S in 2020 ?

Finally, once again we have a brand new arrival this month : The Peugeot e-2008 family SUV, with its 50kWh battery pack, giving a good alternative to the Kia e-Niro or Nissan Leaf.

Used Imports are also finally into the greenzone, with sales up 16%, Year-to-date tally is at -40%.

By Peter Bracken – 3rd August 2020

The Covid-19 pandemic has made electric cars “more inevitable,” said Volkswagen Group of America senior VP of strategy Reinhard Fischer in an inhouse interview.

“The dramatic decrease in exhaust emissions during the early days of the pandemic, when most countries enforced strict stay-at-home orders, also showed the potential environmental benefit of electric cars. Municipalities will want to “hold on” to that cleaner air by enacting stricter emissions rules, Fischer said.”

There is a change coming so why has mass adoption of EV’s not happened yet?

So here are 9 reasons why EVs are not currently dominating the market:

1.Cost Myth: Even though from a total cost of ownership basis, EVs are cheaper than equivalent petrol/diesel cars, and significantly cheaper in a lot of cases, the sticker price is still a barrier for most people. EVs have the potential to be much cheaper to manufacture once the price of batteries comes down, and this has been happening very steadily. That’s why in about 3 years’ time we will see the crossover point where capable EVs are cheaper (unsubsidized) than fossil fuel vehicles, and EVs will start to dominate the market.

2. Related to cost is the fact that up until now, only the mid- to high-end range of vehicles was served by EVs. SUV’s are in fashion globally right now and only now are Electric SUV’s being sold. The Hyundai Kona and the Kia E-Niro have been here a little while and are now joined by SUVs such as the Nissan Airya, Tesla S, Polestar 2 etc. This is a game charger in EV adaption.

3. The old guard do not want to make Electric Cars. Only for Tesla there would be no Electric Cars being made by the legacy automakers (the big guys, the household names!). Resistance on the part of legacy automakers: Legacy automakers have 100 years of expertise in internal combustion engines under their belt. They do not want to throw that all out in favour of a new technology they know a lot less about. They also have the problem of EVs eating into their entire product range. Tesla is forcing their hand here, but if they had their way, they would slow down EV manufacture indefinitely.

4. Car dealerships: not all, but many auto dealers are reluctant to sell EVs. For one thing, it will greatly reduce their service department revenue because EVs need almost no maintenance and are very reliable. But EVs are also harder for them to sell and they don’t understand them well. So, if you want to screw a car salesperson you know what to do!

5. Perceived lack of capability: lots of people are stuck in the petrol station paradigm and believe they need a vehicle with a range the same as their petrol/diesel car, even though they only need to fill up the fossil fuel car every week or two. They also believe they need to be able to recharge it in 5 minutes, even though EVs can be charged overnight, at work, or while at the supermarket. Where do you charge your mobile phone? When do you charge your mobile phone? Answer are the same for an EV!

6. Perceived lack of infrastructure: again, people believe they need to see giant charging stations everywhere before an EV would be practical for them. The fact is people already have all the infrastructure they need right at home, and that there actually are plenty of public charging stations around, they just don’t look like petrol stations. You really only see EV Charging stations when you’re driving an EV, when you drive an EV you see them everywhere!

7. The vast majority of people over-estimate how much driving they actually do. Very few people drive more than 400km (250 miles approx.) in one go on a regular basis and even if they do, safety advice from road safety authorities would suggest they should take a break every 2 hours or so. Perfect time to charge the car and recharge themselves (anyone for a coffee!). The car doesn’t have to be fully charged every time.

8. Vested interest in fossil fuels is significant. The oil industry is most certainly waging a disinformation campaign, not just against EVs themselves, the batteries being bad for the environment myth, but they are even behind the climate science denial movement. I would not say this interference is stopping EV adoption, but it certainly is slowing it down. Que the deniers!

9. Like any new technology, it will take time for EVs to ramp up in acceptance. Cars in particular will take even longer, because they are typically kept for over a long time. But EVs have experienced significant growth since 2011 and are nearing a steep point in the adoption curve. In 3 years, we will see quite significant numbers of EVs being sold, and in 6 years it will most probably be the majority. EV’s are already the majority of cars sold in Norway. So globally, we are not far away!

Fortunately, as more people’s friends, family, co-workers and neighbours drive EV’s, the true story is being told and the positive word of mouth surrounding EV’s is growing. The fact is everyone who drives an EV loves them and would never go back to a petrol/diesel car. EV’s are just better cars!

With the increased up take of electric commercial vehicles such as vans, buses, etc people are driving EV’s at work, experiencing the benefits first-hand and sharing these benefits with colleagues and in many cases converting their personal transport to EV.

That, combined with rapidly falling cost, increasing range, and expanded vehicle segments being covered will cause the adoption curve of EV to grow significantly in the next few years.

By Simon Acton – 31st July 2020

In early July 2020 we asked our members for feedback on which events they would like to participate in for the remainder of the year, COVID-19 permitting. We would like to take this opportunity to thank those of you who took the time and effort to participate, this is very much appreciated.

Survey Results

We received 232 responses in total with averaged results indicating preference for the suggested events in the following order:

1. Autumn Meet-Up – Cars & Coffee Style – 72.5%
2. Best EV Photo Competition – 60%
3. Christmas Social – 60%
4. 500km EV Challenge – 57.5%
5. Photo Rally – The 32 Counties Challenge – 55%

We also received 63 suggestions of which 52 actually related to events. Other suggestions and feedback on the survey have been noted.

The 52 events related suggestions can broadly be categorised as follows:

1. Regional Meet-Ups – 19 respondents indicated a preference for more regional based EV meets with a variety of locations and formats suggested.
2. EV Challenge – 15 respondents indicated support for some form of EV Challenge through a variety of different ideas and formats.
3. Charging Explainer – 8 respondents requested some sort of event relating to gaining more information about charging, whether that be home or public chargers, but also drawing in information about complementary home energy solutions such as solar PV and battery storage.
4. Presentations – 6 respondents indicated a preference for more online informational events and presentations, particularly for new owners.
5. Demonstration – 2 respondents suggested some form of public demonstration of EVs to generate publicity, possibly directed as government.
6. Track Days – 2 respondents suggested some sort of track days for trying out EVs, either their own or cars provided by manufacturers.

Analysis & Planning

Firstly, for the purpose of planning and considering the COVID-19 restrictions still in place we have decided not to plan any events before September.

Regarding the ‘32 Counties Photo Rally’ which we have run in every previous year, considering the considerable time it takes to complete this challenge, where we are already at in the year, the waning number of participants over the past two years and feedback from the survey we have taken the decision to rest this event for the time being. We wonder if this event is now less relevant and indeed less of a challenge with many longer range EVs now on the market.  We will however consider it again for 2021 come the next AGM. We will however still run the ‘Best EV Photo’ competition as this involves considerably less effort and we love seeing pictures of your EVs in exciting locations or situations!  A trophy will be awarded to the winner at next year’s AGM.

With a clear appetite for an Autumn Meet-up and so much input from our members about regional events we have decided that we would like to plan an EV meet-up in each of the four provinces in late September or early October. Since we are currently working on a re-branding exercise we would also like to take this opportunity to relaunch IEVOA. As part of this we will therefore be offering some free IEVOA merchandise to members who attend these events.  More information, dates and venues to follow on this.

Regarding an EV Challenge, the 500km Lucan-Cork-Lucan EV Challenge has been well supported over the past two years and there is a clear appetite to run something similar once again.  We must however emphasise that this IS NOT A RACE and there will be strict rules in place to ensure that it is not treated as such.  This year we will run the event in three categories for BEVs based on battery capacity: up to 24kWh, 25-40kWh and 41kWh and above.  We will also allow challengers to participate on the basis of time (elapsed total journey time) or efficiency (total kWs consumed).  Trophies will be awarded at next year’s AGM for the winners in each of the six categories.  More information, dates and venues to follow on this.

We will look into the idea of some sort of Christmas Social event or events later in the Autumn, once we know where things stand with COVID-19.  We would like to do something but only if it is responsible to do so.

If you got this far, many thanks for reading. There were a lot of great suggestions and we will keep these in mind for the future but considering our limited resources and means we have decided to focus on the above for the time being. We will provide more details of all events soon.

Best Regards,

Simon Acton, IEVOA Chair.

Did you know that Renault was the first manufacturer to sell a plug-in electric vehicle? The Kangoo Elect’road was actually a range extender BEV (Like the BMW i3 Rex), launched in… 2003. Around 500 were sold but since this model, Renault has denied any sort hybrid options preferring to focus on BEVs for the last 10 years. In 2020 Renault launches an E-Tech series of products, available with a plug (Captur, Mégane Estate) or without (Clio). The Captur is the first to arrive in Ireland.

The powertrain is interesting: 160hp out of 2 electric motors and a 1.6-liter petrol engine, that can work in parallel or series, with a very innovative clutch-less gearbox (similar to what Renault uses in their formula 1 vehicles), with 4 gears for the engine and 2 gears for the electric motor.

The battery pack has a capacity of 9.8kWh, for WLTP range of 50km, and can charge at up to 3.7kW on a type 2 connector (in 3 hours). It will take a bit over 4 hours on a 3-pin household socket. The boot is slightly affected by the hybrid equipment, with a floor that’s not as low as int he ICE version (but that can still conceal charging cables underneath)

In terms of technology, this Captur has the best of what Renault currently offers: A 10” digital driver’s display, seen in the Zoé, a 9.3” portrait central screen and flying console (also seen in the Zoé), all standard, and optional adaptive cruise control with lane centring and stop and go function.

As for the rest of the equipment, the Captur comes as a unique S-Edition trim, that is at the top of the Captur ICE range, with added flying console and fully digital driver’s display. Despite these extra features, the Captur E-Tech remains just under €30,000, at a similar price as the less powerful petrol automatic engines, and even €1,500 below the 1.5 dCi 115 automatic version! There is also an E-Tech launch edition, with a specific presentation, for €1,000.
At this price point, there are very few PHEVs available, the closest competitor being the Kia e-Niro, slightly larger but €3,000 more expensive and less powerful. The Hyundai Ioniq is €5,000 more expensive with better equipment, but without offering more interior space. This makes the Captur, already appreciated for its looks, a very good proposition for anyone looking for a family PHEV.

Renault Captur E-Tech 160 S-Edition – €29,995
Renault Captur E-Tech 160 launch edition – €30,995

Prices include VAT, VRT, VRT rebate and excludes delivery charges