Category Archives: Electric Vehicles

Electric Vehicles, News

DF Capital launches electric vehicle salary sacrifice scheme

DF Capital today announced that it has launched an innovative electric vehicle salary sacrifice scheme. Similar to the Cycle to Work scheme but with electric cars, the programme is run in partnership with Octopus Electric Vehicles. Owning a new electric car becomes more affordable for employees as payments are made using part of their gross salary, making savings on income tax and national insurance.

There are over 30 cars available to DF Capital employees – including vehicles such as the Tesla Model 3, Nissan Leaf, BMW i3 and the Hyundai KONA – ensuring the switch to electric is more accessible to a wider audience and very cost effective.

The process is very simple. Employees have to select their choice of car, the length of term and mileage and the vehicle is then ordered for eligible participants. There is no initial payment to be made, no complicated individual credit checks to go through and maintenance, servicing, insurance or breakdown cover are covered by the payments to the scheme.

Charlie Michael, chief sustainability and people officer, DF Capital, (above) commented: “We are very excited about being able to help make electric dreams come true for our colleagues at DF Capital. We already offer great rewards to everyone who works here, but this new perk is something special as it allows us to unlock affordable, clean, green driving for all our employees. It was a natural extension to our benefits package as it aligns to our social conscience and sustainability ethos. We look forward to contributing towards a more climate friendly environment as a business moving forward.”

Natalia Peralta Silverstone, Head of Propositions at Octopus Electric Vehicles said: “Our electric vehicle salary sacrifice scheme is a win, win. DF Capital gets to supercharge its employee benefits package and everyone within the business is happy saving money, while doing their bit for the planet. The latest stats show that EVs aren’t a thing of the future, but what customers want now. We will see hundreds of thousands more UK drivers sitting behind the wheel of an electric-powered car in 2022 and beyond. We look forward to working with DF Capital to help contribute to that number and speed up the transition to zero emission cars.”

This latest scheme joins an impressive list of employee benefits on offer at DF Capital, which includes access to a group pension plan – providing a full 10% employer contribution with no mandatory employee contribution – private medical care for everyone, gym membership and 30 days annual leave as standard.

 

Electric Vehicles

How mechanics are adapting to the shift to electric cars

As the motor industry moves towards electric cars, mechanics must change their practices to effectively deal with an increase in demand for them. Currently, 7% of all new vehicles sold in the UK are electric, and this is expected to rise to 20% in 2025, to 40% in 2030, and by the time we reach 2040, it is estimated that most new cars sold will be electric. The shift comes with a global commitment to mitigate the effects of climate change by reducing emissions that emit c02 and other harmful gases. It is now more important than ever that mechanics must adapt to the recent progression in the motor industry, otherwise businesses will find themselves struggling to survive in the coming decades. So, how are they doing this?

 

Retraining

Unfortunately, adapting to an industry-wide increase in electric cars means that around 97% of mechanics will have to retrain to mean they are suitably qualified to work on electric vehicles. If you are currently working as a mechanic and are uncertain about your knowledge when it comes to electrical engineering, there are an abundance of courses which will help you to upskill in this area. We will also see a change in the curriculum for practical courses aimed at aspiring mechanics. Furthermore, there may be an increase in graduate electrical engineers entering the trade.

 

Equipment

With a new type of car, comes a whole host of new tools and equipment that are required so you can competently work on electric vehicles. Some of the classic equipment used by mechanics will still remain important, like engine hoists to lift the engine from the car. However, as we move towards a predominantly electric market, more sophisticated and complex equipment will be required, like diagnostic and electric power testing tools, which in themselves will require adequate training to use properly.

 

Technology

Compared to manual petrol and diesel cars, electric versions are usually a lot more complex in their make-up. Whilst traditionally, those in the field are trained to deal with the mechanical issues which can occur on any of the 2,000 moving parts in a petrol engine, an electric powertrain has less than 20. Therefore,  mechanics will now have to learn how to fix more technical issues, which arguably threatens the job prospects of traditional mechanics in the future, as many may find it difficult to adapt. Instead, we may see a new wave of younger professionals who have trained specifically to work on electric cars.

The future is most definitely electric, and the change is occurring exponentially. Like how many occupations and trades became redundant in the industrial revolution, we are arguably seeing the same thing occur in the motor industry. Therefore, it is vital that employees in the field must adapt by retraining and upskilling.

 

Electric Vehicles, News

Rapid charging expert Heliox launches New 180kW Flex Charge System ™

he Flex Charge System is compatible with multiple vehicles, removing barriers to entry and enabling a giant stride ahead in the e-mobility revolution.

Today, rapid charging expert Heliox has announced the launch of its 180kW Flex Charge System™, designed for high-powered depots and overnight charging across multiple vehicles, including buses and trucks. The Heliox 180kW Flex Charge System™ has recently been rolled out by Multiobus in Belgium, with GVB Amsterdam and Transdev Hermes in Eindhoven to follow shortly.

From 1 January 2025, at least 30 cities must have established a zero-emission zone as per their commitment to the Paris Climate Accord of 2015. The goal brings into focus balancing the immediacy of transition with an eye on being future-proof. Flex Charge also allows fleet owners to scale up charging infrastructure as their fleet grows, as opposed to a higher up-front cost, reducing upfront payments and in the long run, lowering the total cost of ownership.

“With Heliox Flex Charge, fleet operators can expand their charging infrastructure at the same time as their fleet and add power as needed. Startup and capital costs are the biggest challenge for electric vehicle adoption, and we are excited to be leading the charge with Flex, at a pivotal moment for the industry.” said Michael Coljin, CEO of Heliox Group.

The Heliox 180kW Flex Charge System™ is a simple plug-in system designed to be compatible with vehicles and interfaces built to last over 15 years.

Other benefits include:

Dynamic charging: Flex Charge can deliver the right amount of power as needed – 180, 120 or 60 kW – while charging multiple vehicles at the same time.

Scalable and modular: Expand as you grow, Flex Charge allows fleets in transition to start slowly and scale in the long run.

Flexible installation: It is not necessary to design the fleet around chargers, especially as the Flex Charge System™ is compatible with any interface, including pantograph, contact cap, dispenser box, etc.

Small and cost-effective footprint: Cost per point of sale is lower than a standard charging system, reducing the total cost of ownership for operators.

High-Powered: A single hour of charge allows an e-bus to travel up to 180 kilometers in urban environments.

In the last 6 months, Heliox has supplied over 1 million high power charge sessions, or 6000 sessions per day, with over 25,000 commercial EVs powered by Heliox globally. On average, this equates to a daily carbon saving of 3000-4000 tons per day. Simply put, this is the equivalent of lighting up 3000 homes annually. Additionally, cities that have adopted Heliox’ solutions for public transportation are working towards a 97% reduction in emissions en route the 2025 zero-emissions target.

“For both environmental and economic reasons, the decision to electrify a fleet or switch to an electric vehicle is now clearer than ever. Total cost of ownership is competitive with diesel, with EV expected to be nearly a dollar a mile cheaper by 2030. This is an attractive switching argument for any ambitious fleet owner,” says Colijn.

About Heliox

Heliox provides world class smart energy management solutions that are tailored and scalable within a fast changing e-mobility landscape. We are working towards a sustainable world where a seamless charging experience is the standard for every electric vehicle, and this transforms the way we power our everyday. Founded in 2009, Heliox is the market leader in fast charging systems within public transport, e-trucks, marine, mining and port equipment. In 2017, the company installed one of Europe’s first and largest rapid charging networks for the e-bus fleet in Eindhoven, The Netherlands; and over the past two years, has created ‘model city’ energy ecosystems around the world in Den Bosch, Netherlands, Glasgow, Scotland and Montgomery County, Maryland (USA).

Operating globally, the company is headquartered in the Netherlands with local presence in Germany, Sweden, United Kingdom, Spain and the United States.

For more information, visit us at: https://www.heliox-energy.com

Electric Vehicles, Energy, News

Energy giant and EV smart charging service provider join forces to balance the grid

SSE and Jedlix aim to drive forward the UK’s biggest Virtual Power Plant

Energy company SSE and electric vehicle (EV) smart charging service provider Jedlix have signed a deal to deliver grid balancing services from EVs, harnessing smart charging technology to better manage grid supply and demand.

With the UK’s electricity network increasingly reliant on renewable energy assets, the partnership will allow domestic customers with EV charging to provide flexibility into the balancing market at times of system need, while reducing their energy bills.

Latest figures (August 2021) show that there were more than 600,000 plug-in vehicles registered in the UK. Last year saw the biggest annual increase in the number of registrations, with growth of 66 per cent compared to 2019. [1]

Stephen Stead, Director of Strategy and Digital Services at SSE Energy Solutions, said:

“With now less than a decade until the ban on sales of fossil fueled vehicles, we’re seeing exponential growth of electric vehicles on the UK’s road. With transport responsible for nearly 30% of the nation’s carbon emissions, this is a vital and timely step if we’re to meet our collective 2050 net zero ambitions.

“The significant increase in EVs also has the added potential benefit of enhancing power generation – boosting the capacities of distributed and renewable energy resources across the country.

“Acting as a network of hundreds-of-thousands of mobile batteries, EVs can help reduce renewable energy assets’ dependency on traditional battery storage by creating a Virtual Power Plant that can provide the grid with greater system flexibility.

“Our milestone partnership with Jedlix will not only help tackle the grid balancing challenges faced by networks, but reward EV customers for enabling a more sustainable and robust energy system.”

Jedlix, from the Netherlands, is one of the leading smart charging service providers in Europe and has a growing number of car and charge point manufacturers integrated on its cloud platform. Its operation is fully automated in line with user settings, vehicle, and charger data. In return for their flexibility EV drivers are awarded a cashback on top of any savings they make on their energy bill.

SSE’s partnership will help Jedlix users and partners, such as car manufacturers and charge point operators, minimise costs through SSE’s access to the balancing mechanism. The partnership is the latest venture within SSE’s strategy to build a portfolio of distributed energy resources, to provide energy and grid services.

Looking ahead, the two companies envisage entering other flexibility markets such as providing services to the Distribution Network Operators – the firms that operate power lines and infrastructure.

Serge Subiron, CEO at Jedlix, said: “We are thrilled to have this cooperation with SSE, one of the leaders in the British energy sector. This has the potential to establish the largest VPP for EVs in the UK. By opening the capacity to bid on the balancing mechanism, we have the perfect set up to enable existing and new B2B platform partners and also local energy retailers.

“We welcome local innovators in the e-mobility and energy domain to join our initiative to make sure any EV driver charging in any situation can benefit from smart charging.”