Tag: #electricvehicles

Volkswagen ID. Buzz Takes Irish Car of the Year Title for 2023

At an awards ceremony today at the Westin Hotel in Dublin, the Volkswagen ID. Buzz was named as the 2023 Irish Car of the Year in association with Continental Tyres.

Members of the Motoring Media Association of Ireland (MMAI), the grouping that brings together some 32 of Ireland’s most experienced motoring journalists, hosted the awards event attended by Ireland’s leading car brands, importers and distributors. The awards are voted on by the members of the MMAI who individually assess each new car model that is launched in Ireland each year.

Volkswagen took the top award with its latest all electric ID. Buzz model and, the van version, the ID. Buzz Cargo, won the Irish Van of the Year title at the same ceremony, a first in the history of the awards.  It is the third time that an electric vehicle has taken the award as Kia EVs also won the 2022 and 2020 Irish Car of the Year titles with the all electric EV6 and e-Soul respectively.

Chairman of the MMAI, Joe Rayfus: “The Volkswagen ID. Buzz is a really worthy winner of the Irish Car of the Year title, it is a truly stand-out vehicle.  As the third electric vehicle to win the title, it really does confirm the onward march in Ireland towards an electric motoring future.  Just look at our field of runners for this year’s awards, more than half of the contenders are available as either partial or full electric vehicles”. 

Tom Dennigan of awards sponsor, Continental Tyres said: “After the Covid disruption that impacted on the Irish Car of Year awards over the past couple of years, we are delighted to be back with these awards for 2023.  The MMAI jurors provide a great service to Irish motorists in providing a really helpful insight into the broad range of increasingly sophisticated car models that are launched here each year.  No doubt, the Irish Car and Irish Van of the Year titles will be a huge boost to the popularity of the ID. Buzz in the new vehicle market in January and throughout 2023.”

The all electric ID. Buzz uses the same 77kWh battery as the Volkswagen ID.4 and delivers a 420km range from a single charge.

The Irish Car of the year category winners:

  1. Irish Small Car of the Year: Fiat 500e
  2. Irish Compact Car of the Year: Opel Astra
  3. Irish Compact Executive Car of the Year: Mercedes-Benz C-Class
  4. Irish Compact Crossover / SUV of the Year: Kia Niro
  5. Irish Medium Crossover / SUV of the Year: Kia Sportage
  6. Irish Large Crossover / SUV of the Year: Citroen C5X
  7. Irish MPV of the Year: Volkswagen ID. Buzz
  8. Irish Luxury Car of the Year: Mercedes-Benz EQS
  9. Irish Large Executive Car of the Year: Mercedes-Benz EQE
  10. Irish Performance Car of the Year: BMW i4 M50

Actavo launches new EV Charge Division

Actavo, a leading international infrastructure operations partner, headquartered in Dublin, has launched its first-ever direct-to-consumer offering, Actavo HomeCharge, specialising in the installation of electric vehicle (EV) chargers in homes. The new service is available to customers nationwide and leverages Actavo’s over 40 years of experience in managing In-Home installations for leading brands, as well as its expertise in installing EV charge points in Ireland and the UK.

All of the chargers offered by the company are smart EV chargers, which allow consumers to manage their car charging from a mobile app and avail of the best tariffs. In addition, all of the EV chargers in the Actavo HomeCharge product range qualify for the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) grant of up to €600 for home charging units, which is available to homeowners regardless of whether they currently own an electric car.

Actavo’s In-Home team of over 500 service engineers, customer service staff, and technicians, currently carries out over 40,000 home visits per month under household brands such as Sky, SIRO, Virgin Media, and Prepay Power.  In a new departure, under the Actavo HomeCharge brand, a nationwide team of highly experienced electricians is being deployed to roll out this new service directly to consumers across the country.

Brian Kelly, CEO of Actavo said: “Actavo is delighted to launch its new EV Charge division, HomeCharge. This is an exciting opportunity for the company in the rapidly growing market for Electric Vehicle chargers. We will be leveraging the talent and expertise of one of the country’s largest and most experienced in-home installation teams, in our first-ever direct-to-consumer offering.

As electric vehicles become more and more ubiquitous, the demand for the installation of smart EV chargers in the home will increase at a fast pace in the coming years. We believe this offering will benefit consumers as it provides a fast, reliable, nationwide service from an expert team and it also speaks to Actavo’s commitment to operate sustainably, as we increase our focus on sustainable practices and services.”

According to the Central Statistics Office, In the first seven months of 2022, 21% of all new cars licensed for the first time were electric or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles compared with 14% in the same period in 2021.

Actavo HomeCharge will facilitate the installation of a wide range of EV chargers, compatible with all major electric car brands.

EV charging startup Monta secures €30m Series A+ for EU expansion

Monta, the only all-in-one EV charging management platform, today announced it has closed an additional EUR 30 million as part of a Series A+ round led by Energize Ventures, a leading global investment manager accelerating digital innovation for energy and sustainability, with participation from returning investors Creandum, Pale Blue Dot, byFounders, and Headline. The latest financing brings Monta’s total to EUR 50 million.

While 2021 European EV sales increased by more than 65% compared to 2020, the lack of EV charging infrastructure is still one of the biggest hurdles to mass adoption. Not only do nearly 3,000 new public charge points need to be built each week for Europe to reach its target of operating one million charge points by 2025, but the customer experience is often hampered by a highly fragmented ecosystem of charge point operators and owners. 

Led by a team of seasoned entrepreneurs with experience managing large software development organizations, Monta is delivering an all-in-one EV charging platform that simplifies and streamlines deployment, use, and management of EV charging infrastructure. Via the Monta platform, charge point owners have full visibility into charge point use, pricing, access, and transactions. For EV drivers, Monta provides reservation, virtual queuing, and payment features under one platform as well as access to public charge points. 

“We are aiming to fully digitalize the EV ecosystem to tackle all the immediate challenges within the industry and build toward a more transparent and flexible future. By partnering with hardware OEMs we can deliver new features straight out of the box, like our new feature that allows operators to set a percentage on top of the spot price in order to follow the market fluctuations and automatically offer a fair price for charging, ” says Casper Rasmussen, Monta CEO. “The investment from Energize and our returning investors is a strong vote of confidence in our vision, team, and software as the cornerstone of the mobility infrastructure of the future.”

Monta’s EV charging management platform is used by notable utility, aviation, and transportation industry companies such as Vestas, CPH Airport, and PostNord as well as wholesalers, who are leveraging Monta to upskill installers. Since the company’s latest financing in January 2022, Monta has secured strategic partnerships with hardware manufacturers to launch its Powered by Monta (PBM) program in multiple markets. Key partners include Garo, CTEK, and ABB which each boast a range of charge points in Europe as well as Zaptec, which recently launched Zaptec Park, a co-branded app for its users.

“The market penetration of electric vehicles is climbing sharply as economic, regulatory, and climate levers accelerate EV adoption – and deployment of charging infrastructure has to keep pace. We expect more than 1.6 million public chargers and 20 million private charging stations to be deployed in the U.S. and Europe by 2025,” said Juan Muldoon, Partner at Energize Ventures. “As the market for charge point hardware grows and commodities, Monta offers a software solution that enables a consistent, improved charging experience for players throughout the EV charging value chain – from installers to drivers. We’re thrilled to partner with the Monta team as they pave the way for a more scalable and sustainable EV infrastructure.”

Monta will leverage the additional investment to open up new markets including North America, while consolidating its position in Scandinavia, the UK, and Germany, all of which have legislation in place slated to ban new ICE vehicle sales by 2025, 2030, and 2035 respectively. To further support the needs of the EU and the US – which has set a goal for 50% of its car sales to be EVs by 2030 – Monta will ramp up its product innovations and develop critical features to help EV drivers and charge point owners seamlessly navigate the industry.

Looking further ahead, Monta seeks to expand its product development to include grid management services amid challenges as more EVs hit the roads. Ultimately, the company expects to facilitate the sale of excess power back to the grid (V2G), manage interoperability with other zero carbon technologies (V2H, V2X), aid in the creation of local energy markets, and empower end users with ownership over their energy consumption. 

“The ability to take advantage of these new opportunities requires changes in information flows among grid devices as well as innovations in communication and coordination tools that increase the observability, predictability, and controllability of the grid. The societal impact and environmental potential of these technologies are massive. Monta is at the forefront of developing the systems needed to monitor and reward this flexibility to create an equitable energy solution for all EV drivers,” said Casper Rasmussen. 

The deal is expected to close later this year, subject to regulatory approval.

Electric vehicle owners believe the Government is not doing enough to facilitate the adoption of EVs

New snapshot research undertaken by Energia and the Irish Electric Vehicle Owners Association has found that while large numbers of EV purchasers are driven by environmental concerns (40%), almost as many are enticed by the financial savings offered by electric charging (39%).

More than half of respondents to the survey, which took place in June 2022, are paying less than €5 to charge their car, a clear illustration of the cost benefits of EVs versus traditional petrol and diesel vehicles. Furthermore, the number of people charging their electric vehicle daily has dropped by 7%, with charging 1-3 times a week the most common response.

The survey also found that electric vehicle owners feel the Government is not doing enough to promote electric vehicles, with 87% of respondents stating so. Almost a third (28%) lack confidence that the government’s target of 1 million EVs by 2030 would be reached.  However, respondents were positive about the available SEAI grant, with nearly a fifth stating that they wouldn’t have purchased a home charge point without it.

 

91% of respondents charge their electric vehicles at home. Free chargers, such as those provided by a third of survey participants’ employers, along with range anxiety, were the main reasons stated by the 9% who do not charge at home.

In terms of charging technology, most home charge points continue to come from charge point installers (47%) despite a decrease of 19% since 2021. Being able to connect their home charge point to their solar panels was of importance to 31% of respondents, an increase of 18% since 2021. There has been a 3% increase since 2021 in those using public chargers.

Ciara Moane, Electric Vehicle Product Owner with Energia commented: “We know that the environment is the most important factor for those deciding to buy an electric vehicle, and as Ireland’s greenest electricity supplier, we take pride in providing 100% renewable energy to our customers with charge points located at their home. Over the past year, the number of home charge points we have installed has increased tenfold. With one in five cars licensed so far this year being electric or plug-in hybrid, we are confident that we will see these numbers continue to grow significantly, along with the numbers of customers on EV specific tariffs. Energia’s EV offers include reduced night rates and tariffs bundled with discounted home charge points. We are delighted to be energy partners with some of Ireland’s largest electric car manufacturers including Hyundai, Kia, Opel, Honda, FIAT and Citroën. Energia are very proud to play our part in assisting customers to make cleaner energy choices and help them on their exciting journey to owning an EV.”

Kevin Dowling, Chair of the IEVOA added: “Over the past few years we have seen the shift to EVs accelerate, and from this research we know that Irish people’s deep concerns about their carbon footprint and their household running costs are prompting this. Being able to charge at home is a huge benefit for owners and alongside public transport, walking, and cycling, switching to an EV becomes low hanging fruit for households to play their part in efforts to reach net zero.”

Monta signs partnership in Ireland with Core Solutions bringing 50 new EV charge points

Electric vehicle (EV) software provider Monta and Core Solutions, one of Ireland’s largest installation providers, have partnered together to provide robust charging solutions across Ireland.

The partnership will kick off with the installation of 50 charge points in workplaces and multi-unit developments across Ireland, combining high quality hardware installation with easy-to-use charging software.

Chargers will be equipped with Monta’s software to enable easy management of the charge point. Users will also be able to access Monta’s feature rich app which provides roaming, payments via Google Pay and Apple Pay, and other useful tools for EV drivers.

Core Solutions will be using Monta as its exclusive software provider in Ireland, and the two companies say that the partnership will provide seamless charger installation with reliable servicing and management.

“We’re excited to launch our first partnership in Ireland” said Max Scherer, COO at Monta. “Core Solutions have a great reputation for providing thoughtful and purposeful EV charge point installations. Our platform will support Core Solutions by providing reliable software that makes EV charging flexible and fuss free in the workplace” Scherer concludes.

John McDonagh, Managing Director at Core Solutions, said: “We are incredibly excited to partner with Monta, the most reliable, scalable, and seamless EV charging solution there is. Working together with Monta we will unlock the full potential of our EV charging installations and place our clients on the best path for success in the new EV landscape.”

Since 1981 Core Solutions has been providing innovative electrical installations from their office in Dublin. Their mission is to provide outstanding end to end experiences for their customers and to create a greener, quieter, safer driving future for businesses and homes across Ireland.

 

Available as a web-based app, Monta allows businesses to manage their charge points, track energy consumption, usage, and costs in real time. Monta also provides a consumer app which allows users to share their charge point, access roaming networks, and view their charging data.

Seven of the World’s Ten Most Successful E-Vehicles’ Manufacturers Rely on Continental Tyres Ex Works

As sales of EVs continue to grow across Europe, premium tyre manufacturer, Continental Tyres is highlighting that its tyres are now relied upon by seven of the ten highest-volume manufacturers of electric vehicles. In Ireland, we have seen a 132 percent growth in the sale of electric vehicles year to date 2022 versus the same period last year.

Brands using Continental tyres as original equipment for their electric vehicles include Tesla, Porsche and Mercedes-Benz, as well as Kia and US manufacturer Ford.

Co. Meath native David O’Donnell, who leads the original equipment business at Continental Tyres, commented: “We develop tyres for different electric vehicles and their fields of application – whether they are small cars for city traffic or off-road SUVs.

“As the only vehicle-to-road connection, the tyre makes a very important contribution to underlining the required driving characteristics of the vehicle model.

“We are proud that so many manufacturers around the world are equipping their vehicles with our premium tyres – this is proof of our development expertise and the premium quality of our products.”

Continental’s research has shown that tyres are responsible for up to 20 percent of a vehicle’s total resistance and therefore have a significant impact on energy efficiency.

Energy efficiency is important to vehicle manufacturers – and therefore for Continental’s original equipment tyre business – as they work hard to reduce the CO2 emissions of their fleets.

Low rolling resistance is also in high demand for the owners of electric cars, for whom efficient driving is understandably a priority. Reduced rolling resistance has a clearly measurable positive effect on the environment, as well as ensuring maximum mileage per charge.

Dr. Holger Lange, who heads up tyre development for Continental’s original equipment business, added: “With our specific rolling resistance-optimised tyres, we are contributing to more climate-friendly and sustainable mobility. We combine our decades of experience in tyre development with findings from various practical tests and development co-operations with well-known manufacturers.

“Recently, we introduced a special tyre for vehicles of the Stellantis brands Peugeot, DS and Opel/Vauxhall which exceeds the requirements of the EU tyre label rating A for energy efficiency by around 17 percent. This tyre is particularly low in rolling resistance but has also received the top EU tyre label rating A in wet grip – an outstanding achievement by our engineers and material experts.”

Continental has developed a series of special technologies that meet other tyre requirements specific to electric vehicles, which are available in original equipment and replacement products.

These include ContiSilent technology, which reduces rolling noise levels in the cabin by as much as nine decibels – something that’s especially important to EV drivers, because the absence of noise from the engine makes road noise significantly more noticeable.

ContiSilent is a special foam layer applied to the inside of the tyre tread to absorb vibrations from the road. It’s compatible with all commercially-available rims and does not affect a vehicle’s performance, fuel consumption, load capacity or top speed.

Another innovation designed to put drivers’ minds at ease and support road safety is ContiSeal, whereby a highly elastic protective layer on the inside of the tyre encloses penetrating foreign bodies in fractions of a second and seals the damaged area when the foreign body is removed from the tread – which can be achieved simply by the tyre’s ongoing rotational movement.

Around 80 percent of punctures can be remedied immediately in this way, ensuring safe continuation of driving and eliminating the need for added load in the form of a spare tyre.

EVs are already heavier than vehicles with internal combustion engines because of the battery units they carry. In fact, the increased weight of vehicles on the road has partly influenced the requirement for a new HL (high load) designation for tyres.

Continental has been producing passenger tyres with the new HL load index designation since 2021. When inflated to the same pressure, the new ‘HL’ marked tyres have a higher load capacity than those built to the familiar XL standard.

The load capacity of the HL tyre with load index 101 is 825 kg, which is a ten percent increase over the XL standard

How Do Electric Cars Work?

Electric cars, as the name suggests, run on electricity. Their rechargeable batteries power the electric motor that turns the wheels. Due to the increased acceleration in the wheels, the vehicles tend to be faster and lighter than traditional cars. If you’re in the market for one, Carplus will help you understand how it works and find you the ideal car if you need one. Let’s find out what makes the electric car the possible future of car travel.

Batteries

The placement of a car battery helps to maintain the center of gravity low, thereby keeping the car from oversteering off the path in corners. For this reason, the battery in an electric car is usually placed low down in the car or, in some cases, run along the floor. Since the entire machine now runs on electric power, these cars have an auxiliary battery to cover the smaller electronics like the lights, windows, and so on. This way, the car will still work even if the main battery stack runs out.Electric vehicles are more than just a car. With Dcbel bidirectional power flow charger implemented in home solar system EV’s battery becomes a very powerful energy storage system on wheels.

Despite their sustainable nature, electric cars are heavier than their petrol or diesel counterparts are and can weigh as much as 2000 kilograms.

Electric Motor

Just as the use of batteries is compartmentalized, there are different electric engines used for different purposes too. The smaller electronics, like the windshield wipers, use direct current motors. However, a DC motor is not sufficient to drive the vehicle, for which an alternating current motor is used. 

There are two types of AC motors used to create traction for an electric vehicle:

  • Asynchronous motors, also known as induction motors, have a stator that creates a rotating magnetic field. This further pulls the rotor into the spin. Since the rotor is trying to catch up to the spin of the stator, the engine provides high power output and is a commonly found motor in electric vehicles. 
  • Synchronous motors, on the other hand, do not have the rotors trying to catch up with the stator and, in fact, turn at the same speeds. The presence of this engine makes it an ideal vehicle for urban drivers due to the high torque it produces even at a low speed and its compact and low weight. 

Charging

Electric or hybrid cars have a charge port and need to be plugged in to recharge. This could be done from a domestic socket, the same ones used to charge laptops, or from a fast charger available at your closest motorway or parking. Note that weather changes will affect the performance of your car, while warmer temperatures allow farther travel, colder temperatures tend to require an extra charge to travel the same distance. 

Fuel Cell Vehicle

These electric vehicles are classified as zero-emission vehicles as their only outputs are water and heat. An FCV uses fuel cells, commonly in combination with a small battery or a supercapacitor, in order to power an onboard electric motor. Electricity is generated from the oxygen in the air and compressed hydrogen, leaving byproducts, water, and heat. 

Fuel cells are made up of three parts, an electrolyte, an anode, and a cathode. Despite the lack of hydrogen filling stations, the fuel cells are used in large machines like the forklift and submarines.

Control Unit

Control units are the decision-making centers of the machine. They are used to decide the amount of power to send to the electric motors from the batteries. Don’t think of the control unit like a switch that only goes on or off, though. If it did that, you would not be able to drive at all. Instead, the control unit feeds power to the motors a few thousand times per second depending on the acceleration you provide, thereby emulating the feeling of being in an actual car. 

Don’t be fooled, though – electric cars can accelerate like a beast. This is because all the torque is right there at your service as soon as you push the pedals down, you can also check this page on car starter parts. 

Regenerative Braking

When you brake, your car loses some of the energy guiding it forward. This is a very normal thing. However, electric cars have a feature called regenerative braking. Every time you brake, the mini electric car saves some of the energy it would otherwise lose in braking and channels it right back to the main battery. While this gives the sensation of the car slowing down, what this does is increase your range with every brake. 

There will be settings, of course, for you to control just how strong you want this effect to be. Overall, though, it makes the driving experience better and safer all around. In fact, you can drive some electric cars out there with just one pedal!

Conclusion

Hopefully, this article helps you understand some of the inner workings of an electric car and what makes its components different. Even better, more advanced electric cars are waiting across the horizon, so it is exciting to see what the future holds for this industry.

FREE NOW and Pinergy partner in drive to help facilitate more electric rides by 2030 #evs #Pinergy #FREENOW

Pinergy, the smart energy provider of clean electricity, has today announced a new energy partnership with FREE NOW, Ireland’s leading ride-hailing app, which will see Pinergy provide expert support to FREE NOW drivers who want to make the transition to electric vehicles. The initiative supports FREE NOW’s goal of having 100% zero emission rides in all key FREE NOW markets across Europe by 2030 with plans to have at least 50% fully electric vehicle rides by 2025.
As part of this new partnership, Pinergy will provide advice and services to FREE NOW partner drivers, including the installation of electric vehicle (EV) home charging points and guidance. Pinergy’s newly launched smart energy ‘Lifestyle’ plans will also be available, with exclusive benefits for FREE NOW drivers to make the most of Pinergy’s smart tariffs.
Today’s announcement supports FREE NOW’s Green Pledge for 100% of trips to be zero emission by 2030 in all key European cities. As part of this, FREE NOW is investing €6million in an effort to encourage more drivers to switch to electric vehicles (EVs), by enabling them to install home chargers. FREE NOW has also recently launched its brand new EV expert team, which is dedicated to helping drivers make the move to an electric vehicle and avail of the generous grants now available. In addition, FREE NOW last year launched its ‘Eco’ booking option, which enables passengers to choose electric or hybrid taxis to support Ireland’s drive to reduce carbon emissions and contribute to better air quality.
FREE NOW offers every driver who successfully avails of the SEAI (Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland) Home Charging Grant Scheme an opportunity to save an additional €600 through the FREE NOW EV Home Charger Grant Match. As part of this partnership Pinergy can supply and install the home EV charger at drivers’ homes while also advising and consulting drivers to help them manage their energy supply efficiently and in a cost-effective manner. FREE NOW drivers that have already made the switch to electric report saving up to as much as €5,000 a year on running costs on top of the savings made by taking advantage of the various grants available.
Jon Jerromes, Head of Sales at Pinergy commenting on the partnership, said: “We at Pinergy are always excited to partner with forward thinking and innovative companies like FREE NOW who share our vision of an electric future and are committed to taking positive action in playing their part for a sustainable energy future. FREE NOW is leading the way in the electrification of Ireland’s taxi fleet and today’s announcement marks another important step towards the rollout of greener vehicles and achieving their zero emission rates targets.”
Niall Carson, Irish Country Manager at FREE NOW said: “Making the decision to partner with Pinergy to help FREE NOW partner drivers that want to transition to electric vehicles was an easy decision. At FREE NOW we’re excited to help and incentivise our drivers to move to electric vehicles as part of our Green Pledge commitments to push further the drive towards a greener, zero-carbon community. It is great to receive Pinergy’s knowledge and support to help our partner drivers, amplifying FREE NOW’s efforts to be a greener company.”
Pinergy’s recently announced Lifestyle Plans, designed around smart meter technology and its award-winning app, will also be available to FREE NOW drivers as part of the exclusive energy partnership deal between the two companies. Pinergy’s Lifestyle Plans are comprised of a choice of different discounted time-of-use tariffs to suit the particular lifestyle needs of energy consumers and include a “Work from Home” plan, a “Family Time” plan and a “Drive Time” plan for those families looking to charge their electric vehicles overnight, when energy supply is typically at its cheapest rates. Further information about Pinergy Lifestyle is available online at: https://pinergy.ie/home-electricity/fixed-price-plans/

The 24 Million Electric Vehicles of 2020, Reveals IDTechEx. #ElectricVehicles #EVs #Motoring

The electric vehicles market across land, sea and air will be 24 million unit sales this year, which represents a decline of roughly 19% year on year from the impact of COVID-19. Urban vehicles such as electric cars and two-wheelers have the highest unit volume, battery demand and motor demand, and, as consumer-driven markets, bear the brunt of the pandemic’s impact. Ireland has a pretty ambitious plan going forward when it comes to EVs however the infrastructure is not there yet, pricing is another factor and range anxiety is still a thing for many also the lack of incentives is another struggle for Irish consumers despite the push towards them the uptake is not really great by any stretch.

Chart represents BEV and PHEV cars, vans, trucks, buses and E2W, and BEV, PHEV and HEV boats, ships and aircraft. Source: “Electric Vehicles: Land, Sea and Air 2021-2041” (www.IDTechEx.com/EV)

 

The volume of the electric two-wheeler market, which is just over 90% of the 24 million sales, may seem surprising. This volume comes from China, where the market is not growing. In fact, the S- curve is already over: the market peaked at roughly 30 million sales in 2016 after twenty years of growth and has stabilized at a slightly lower level (some 26 million were sold in 2019).

 

Since consumer purchasing power has surged, China’s urban mobility preference and future growth is now with the car. However, due to the sheer volume of Chinese electric two-wheelers, it will take a while for other motorcycle-dominated regions with a will to electrify (like India) to make a dent in the global market (we predict the 30 million mark will be surpassed again in 2029). Despite making up over 90% of unit sales today, Li-ion battery demand from two-wheelers takes only 11% of the market due to small battery sizes per vehicle and the dominance of lead-acid batteries in Asian micro-mobility segments.

 

In contrast, electric cars have the second-highest sales volume alongside relatively large battery capacities per vehicle, making up 7% of unit sales but over 70% of the battery demand in the new IDTechEx report “Electric Vehicles: Land, Sea and Air 2021-2041“: a share which increases for the next two decades.

 

The question is, against the backdrop of COVID-19, how have plug-in electric cars (BEV + PHEV) fared in 2020? The logic is that COVID-19 and a global recession increases consumer price sensitivity, which is a setback for more expensive electric cars. However, due to a backlog of orders from popular models, less price sensitivity from today’s electric car demographic and the continued commitment of governments to emissions targets, sales have shown resiliency in Europe and the US and were mostly flat during national lockdowns. IDTechEx expects H2 to show a modest recovery, but uncertainty remains high against the backdrop of a ‘second wave.’ In contrast, China’s growth has been negative, but this was the trend before the pandemic with purchase subsidy reductions of up to 60% from July 2019: COVID-19 amplified but did not set-off this trend.

 

Moving to the seas, Li-ion battery adoption on ships has flourished in recent years as start-ups have capitalized on falling battery cell prices from automotive battery suppliers. However, while the industry is used to much longer sales cycles and a decline is less immediately visible, the impact is likely to be less fundamental and isolated to specific subsegments. For example, the cruise sector has seen passenger demand evaporate due to the risk of being confined out at sea with thousands of passengers: IDTechEx has learned of some major orders for hybrid cruises being delayed, whilst other projects have stayed on track.

 

For more information, the new IDTechEx report “Electric Vehicles: Land, Sea and Air 2021-2041” puts IDTechEx’s core electric vehicle forecasts in one place: unit sales, battery demand, market sizing and more. Each chapter summarizes the main drivers, trends and forecasts for a vehicle subsegment (two-wheelers, cars, vans / LCV, trucks, buses, leisure boats, commercial short and deep-sea ships, manned aircraft) or enabling technology (Li-ion batteries, electric motors).

 

By providing a clearer understanding of relative market sizes, battery demand and the fastest-growing electric vehicle markets beyond cars, our aim is to give those in the industry the knowledge to make more informed decisions on their investments and focus into the electric vehicle industry.

For more information on this report, please visit www.IDTechEx.com/EV or for the full portfolio of Electric Vehicle research available from IDTechEx please visit www.IDTechEx.com/research/EV.