Weekly News Round-up 18.11.2022

Evios sets out plans for Andersen as part of their acquisition and Volvo cranks the dial to 11 with their new in-car sound system developed in collaboration with Bowers & Wilkins

Used EV sales beat the market

The SMMT has revealed that Q3 EV sales have beaten a downward general used car market trend. "Activity rose 44.1% to 16,775 transactions, adding up to 48,032 in the year to date. Plug-in hybrid (PHEV) transactions, meanwhile, fell -5.8% to 13,899 in Q3, though they remain up 7.1% since January at 44,724," the SMMT said.

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Audi announces prices for Q8 e-tron lineup

Audi has announced UK pricing for the Q8 e-tron lineup, which comprises four specifications – Sport, S Line, Black Edition and Vorsprung. There are three powertrain options – Q8 50, Q8 55 and SQ8 – and two body styles. Prices begin at £67,500 for the 340PS Q8 50 e-tron SUV form, with Sportback models carrying a £2500 premium throughout the range. The 408PS Q8 55 e-tron starts at £77,800, while the SQ8 e-tron starts at £97,500. They're available to order now, and the first deliveries are due in April 2023.

Evios sets out Andersen plans

Following the takeover of Andersen by Evios, the latter has revealed a 12-month, £1.5m investment in the home charging firm. Not only will the Konnect+ app be regularly updated, but all existing warranties will be honoured and customer care hours will be extended over the weekend. The Andersen A2 home charger will be upgraded too.

Volvo turns up the volume

Volvo has released more details about the sound system it has produced for the new EX90, in association with Bowers & Wilkins. The optional extra features 25 speakers that provide 1610 watts of power, along with Dolby Atmos decoding capabilities. Rather than simply rock up with a sound system, Bowers & Wilkins has worked alongside Volvo's engineers from the outset.

Inside the EX90, the system features double-etched brushed stainless steel speaker grilles and debossed brand logo, each housed in backlit wood panelling.

More stability needed to drive EV take-up

A study by Tusker has shown that most drivers would not choose EVs over petrol or diesel without Benefit in Kind (BIK) taxes being more stable, and the availability of salary sacrifice schemes. Of the 2000 working drivers study, 60 per cent would go electric or hybrid if salary sacrifice was available, but 61 percent would choose a petrol, diesel or hybrid with out it.

78 per cent said that low BIK rates were the deciding factor in their choice to go electric, and 55 per cent would not choose an EV if BIK rates rise in line with petrol or diesel cars.

Rimac Nevera smashes speed record

The Rimac Nevera now holds the world record for the fastest EV production car – 258mph, to add to its title of the world's fastest-accelerating car – it can hit 100mph in 4.3 seconds, having swept past 60mph in 1.85 seconds. The 1914bhp machine is currently in build, and some lucky customers have already received their cars. However, customers will only be able to achieve the 258mph top speed at special customer events with support from Rimac – the standard car is 'limited' to a mere 219mph…

EVera recruitment finds 100 new jobs

More than 100 highly skilled EV-related jobs have been found at the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC), thanks to the help of EVera Recruitment. UKBIC is based in Coventry and helps firms scale up battery manufacturing and skills within the sector.

Smart charging is the smart answer, says the report

According to a government-backed trial delivered by Connected Kerb, drivers could save £600 per year by charging twice a week using a smart charger rather than non-smart chargers. EV drivers could save £4.1bn per year collectively by 2030 and EV ownership increases and smart charging is taken up widely. "Smart charging also protects the energy grid, cutting peak energy demand by 240MW by 2030 – the equivalent of boiling over 1.4m kettles.

Achieving the same results with battery storage would cost £83m plus £1.5m in annual operating costs," says Connected Kerb.

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VW delivers more ID models than planned

Volkswagen has announced it has delivered 500,000 all-electric ID models one year ahead of schedule. VW is planning to curtail ICE car production by 2033, and will launch ten new electric models by 2026, with a promise to produce a sub-€25,000 car one of them.

Electrogenic expands range

Electrogenic has expanded its range of 'drop-in' EV conversion kits to include the Land Rover Defender, Jaguar E-Type and Porsche 911. The kits will be offered worldwide via an network of installation partners. A variety of power plants are available for each conversion, and variants are capable of up to 6.6kW AC charging, as well as rapid CCS charging, for total convenience. A full charge via CCS takes circa 50 minutes for a 62kWh battery, and 75 minutes for a 93kWh battery.