Nissan

Switch On to Driving Electric

Switch On to Driving Electric https://wvl.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Electric-featured.jpg 660 300 Anthony Anthony https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/a9c4089fd91833b9d9ac3cd2423e0fcb?s=96&d=mm&r=g

If leasing’s the budget-savvy way to drive, then ‘leasing electric’ is surely the ultimate win-win. Want to drive a high value, top-tech, greener than green vehicle for an affordable monthly fee… and with impossibly low running costs? Then leasing electric is the smartest way to drive!

Electric Vehicles

Back in the mid-2000s forward-thinking motorists (and fans of Logan’s Run and The Jetsons) firmly believed the industry was on the brink of an electric car revolution – that by 2010 every household would be refuelling their cars from a plug socket; petrol and diesel would be a reserve of the Classic car and our combined eco-drive would collectively be saving the planet from being greenhouse-gassed. The shift, however, didn’t come and electric vehicles (EVs) remained in their infancy.

But as more and more manufacturers have joined the EV race, the pace of development has picked up with many of the major car manufacturers investing millions of pounds into the development of electric/hybrid vehicles: BMW with their ‘game changing’ i3; Toyota with the ever-popular Prius; even McLaren with their hybrid hyper car the P1. Mainstream models rightly vie for today’s car-buyers’ attentions as taxes, fuel costs and eco-awareness continue to rise. The time is right, and this new technology is clearly here to stay.

Sales data reflects this upward trend: although there are only 13,000 electric vehicles on the UK roads, sales in Europe more than doubled in 2013 compared to 2012.

graph

Whilst gaining pace, the switchover to electric won’t happen overnight, not least due to lack of vehicle choice, but also because the change from petrol/diesel to electric is a mindset shift too, with anxieties over charging, recharging and range in particular. Let’s have a look at these in more detail and see if we can help switch you on to considering an EV for your next car!

Charging ahead

Charging an electric vehicle is much simpler than you think: every vehicle comes with a charging cable that can be plugged into a domestic plug socket. Of course, whilst most home sockets are suitable for EV charging, it’s worth checking with a qualified electrician to ensure that your wiring is up to the required standards. Once confirmed, plug in, recharge and drive!

For a range of approximately 100 miles, it will require around 6–8 hours’ AC charge in the UK, costing just a couple of pounds.

Manufacturers also offer higher power home charge units (around £1,000) which significantly reduce the recharge time, generally from 0 to 100% in 4 hours, some restoring 80% charge in just 30 minutes.

home-charging

 

Charging on the go

Since the UK Government made £30 million available to provide vehicle recharging points around the UK, infrastructure is already being put in place with eight ‘Plugged In Places’ so far securing the investment: East of England, Greater Manchester; London, Midlands; Milton Keynes; North East; Northern Ireland; and Scotland. Electric Vehicle Charging Stations in city centre car parks such as this one we recently spotted in Manchester, will soon become a common site:

charging-station

 
There is also an increasing number of public DC fast-charge points such as Tesla’s ‘Supercharger’ and others for the e-Golf and BMW i3 providing 80% charge in just 30 mins – perfect for a coffee break on your road trip.

rcn-logoAlready supported by BMW, Nissan, VW and Renault and co-funded by the EU, the Rapid Charge Network across the UK and Ireland, so far provides recharging coverage for 1,100km of major roads. It’s growing fast: many service stations such as Welcome Break have had them installed already, and they’re being rolled out across IKEA, Waitrose and various other locations to give rapid recharges whilst drivers take a break or shop.

That said, since 85% of motorists charge either at home or at work, and given the range-per-charge (see below), these stations are not seen as a necessity for day-to-day driving or work commutes since an overnight charge should provide more than ample range for a typical day. Recharging on-the-go will only be needed when on longer journeys, and that’s no different to petrol/diesel; so for most of our motoring, charging up looks to be a far more convenient way to drive.

The technology really is there to give these new vehicles a natural place in our über-connected modern world. And of course, there are apps too – from monitoring your EV’s charge remotely via smartphone, to also helping you navigate to the nearest recharge station when your battery’s running low. EVs are now showing us the way forward.

charging-app

 

Current Trend

We’re catching on. The British market showed a rapid growth of EV sales this year, likely driven by the introduction of several new models.

  • Registrations of all-electric cars were up 132.9% year-on-year (and plug-in hybrid registrations were 261.4% up from a year earlier)
  • Jan – July: 3,058 plug-in electric cars were registered in the UK
  • …with the Nissan Leaf the most popular, selling 2,029 units, and a total of 5175 since its introduction in March 2011 – affirming its position as the UK’s top-selling plug-in electric car.

leaf

New EVs in 2014

There have been some superb EVs launched to the market this year – here are our favourites:

e-up

VW e-up!

Price: £19,270
Range: 93 miles

leaf

Nissan Leaf Acenta

Price: £23,490
Range: 124 miles

i3

BMW i3

Price: £25,670
Range: 80–100 miles

e-golf

VW e-Golf

Price: £25,845
Range: 118 miles

e-focus

Ford Focus Electric

Price: £28,580
Range: 100 miles

tesla

Tesla
Model S

Price: £49,900
Range: 240 miles

The Plug-in Car Grant program reduces the up-front cost of eligible cars by providing a 25% grant towards the cost of new plug-in cars, capped at £5,000. Both private and business fleet buyers across the UK are eligible for this grant.

The Tesla is arguably the most highly acclaimed EV of 2014 with the top spec model boasting a range of 312 miles, but the performance and luxury comes at a price at just under £50,000. The initial outlay for an EV is no doubt deterring many drivers with the majority of our list costing between £20,000 – £30,000 after grant, though prices will surely fall as manufacturing costs decrease over time.

tesla-costs

But factoring the cost per mile in terms of electricity (around 2–4p), zero road tax, zero Congestion Charge, great Benefit In Kind for business drivers, plus no more spark plugs, oil changes, timing belts, oil filters, smog checks etc… financial benefits will come as you drive. Don’t forget safety benefits too, with no fuel tanks to rupture or flammable spills in the event of an accident.

Lease your EV and have the best of both worlds!

Whilst the initial outlay does reflect manufacturers’ investment in new technologies and designs for these futuristic cars, there’s no disputing they’re more expensive than their fossil-fuel stablemates. So don’t buy one… lease one! Leasing enables you to drive an EV affordably since payments are based on the vehicle’s depreciation over the contract period, not the purchase price.

Contact us at WVL and ask about leasing an Electric Vehicle – it’s about more than just going green… with drastically reduced running costs, there’s never been a smarter, more budget-friendly way to drive! Call us to discuss options, prices and benefits on 01753 851561.

 

The Week In Motoring #5

The Week In Motoring #5 https://wvl.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/taxi.jpg 660 300 Anthony Anthony https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/a9c4089fd91833b9d9ac3cd2423e0fcb?s=96&d=mm&r=g

100% Electric Nissan e-NV200 Taxi Heads for Amsterdam

Amsterdam-based Taxi Electric is to become the first private taxi company to add the Nissan e-NV200 taxi to its fleet of zero emission taxis.

The 100% electric e-NV200 taxi will join the 25 LEAFs that Taxi Electric have been using since it became the first private taxi company to operate a fleet of 100% electric taxis in November 2011.

Reliability has not been an issue for the company who have amassed over 1.5million KM since going completely electric which Andy Palmer, European vice President of Nissan says is testament to Nissan’s electric technology.

“(Taxi Electric) have covered an astonishing distance in their fleet in such a short time and have shown just how reliable our electric technology is in a demanding environment. Their pioneering spirit closely matches ours and we are certain they will continue their success with the ground-breaking Nissan e-NV200.”

Cars on UK Roads Reaches 10-year high

2013 saw a 1.4% rise in the number of cars on UK roads reaching a total of 31,917,885 units – over 436,000 up on 2012. Not only demonstrating a 10-year high in industry growth, they also reflect greater vehicle longevity.

It’s said that improvements in car reliability as well as several economic factors have seen the lifespan of cars significantly extended – the average age now being a year older compared to a decade ago. Additionally, numbers of cars over 12 years old rose by a staggering 11.3% in 2012 further proof that cars are being kept on the road for longer.

Chief Executive of SMMT, Mike Hawes, added ‘With more cars bought and less scraped in recent years, the total number on UK roads reached an all time high last year.’

Formula 1 Returns

Looking ahead, we’re very much looking forward to the upcoming Formula 1 season that gets underway this weekend in Melbourne. Let’s face it, the last four seasons have hardly been filled with edge-of-your-seat excitement as Sebastian Vettel’s Red Bull has calmly jogged to four consecutive world titles, but there have been murmurings that this season’s championships is set to be one of the most exhilarating in 30 years.

We suggest that this sense of anticipation is down to the sheer unpredictability of the year ahead. New engines, new rules, new regulations, new drivers; this really is impossible to call.

Some bookies have Lewis Hamilton down as a potential favourite for the title but it would still take a brave punter to lump on with him at this early stage. Perhaps most encouraging for those wanting a more competitive season this year is the fact that Red Bull are still experiencing significant issues with their latest car, the RB10, meaning that we are unlikely to see Vettel with one hand on the championship trophy as we enter June.

The RedBull RB10

Whatever happens this year, we can’t wait. But what about you? Are you excited for the new season or have recent years meant you’ve found a better way to spend your Sunday afternoons?

Predictions:
• Drivers Championship:– Lewis Hamilton
• Constructors Championship:– Mercedes

Car of the Week

Our vehicle of the week is the excellent Kia Cee’d – we have two on loan as demonstrators at our showroom at the moment. Here’s the spec. of the vehicle we’ve been driving:

Year / Reg 2013
Mileage New
Engine 1.6L
Fuel Diesel
Gearbox Manual
Body Hatchback
Colour Black

Kia C'eed

You can read our full profile on this vehicle here (and watch the video too!). If you’d like to book a test drive and talk to us out about our latest leasing options, then don’t hesitate to call on 01753 851561.

Top Cars for 2014 – Our Leaderboard

Top Cars for 2014 – Our Leaderboard https://wvl.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014_jaguar_f-type_group_13-la-as_1118132_1600.jpg 800 520 Anthony Anthony https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/a9c4089fd91833b9d9ac3cd2423e0fcb?s=96&d=mm&r=g

With some stunning cars set for launch in 2014, we couldn’t resist giving you a run-down of our top 5. Whether you’re looking for a cheeky runaround, an all-weather 4-by-4, a sharp business cruiser, or an all-out star performer, we’ve selected something here for everyone. Start your engines and read on!…

MINI Hatchback

mini-2014The new MINI hatchback will arrive in March and is expected to add to MINI’s continually successful sales figures.

One of the most notable features of the latest model to come out of the Oxford based manufacturer is the size. Being 98mm longer, 44mm wider and 7mm taller, the new (not so) MINI is substantially larger than the MKII. The increase in dimensions not only means the MKIII is more spacious inside but the extended wheelbase also means that handling is improved.

MINI is one of the most iconic cars in the world today, and we predict that trend to continue with this latest model.

Prices from £15,300

 

Mercedes C-Class

mercedes-c-classThe interior of the new C-Class is very much at the forefront of the majority of the car’s accolades.

With regards to the previous model, Car Magazine say the interior is ‘like being upgraded from cattle-cart Ryan Air to Business Class British Airways.’

Elsewhere in the design of the car there are many similarities with the new S-Class, providing a much more stylish vehicle.

The AMG model is likely to arrive in 2015 and will be fitted with a 4.0l twin turbo V8 engine, going from 0-62mph in around 4 seconds.

With 102 Mercedes on our Fleet, it is one of the  main manufacturers we deal with and we can’t wait to get our hands on this new C-Class!

Prices from £23,000

 

Porsche Macan

porsche-macanPorsche Cayenne’s little brother, the Macan, is arriving in early 2014 and is set to rival the Range Rover Evoque, the Audi Q5 and the BMW X3.

Similar in looks yet much smaller than the Cayenne, the Macan can be bought with three different engines: Macan S, Macan S Diesel and Macan Turbo. The S, and S diesel, have top speeds of 158mph and 143mph respectively, whilst the Turbo can reach 165mph with its 3.6l twin turbo petrol engine.

The success of the Cayenne coupled with the success of the Range Rover Evoque suggest that we should expect the same success with the Macan!

Prices from £43,000

 

Nissan Qashqai

qashqai-2The latest edition of the Qashqai brings with it a new design, new technology and more internal space than its predecessor.

The feature that Nissan are perhaps most proud of is its parking attributes, with the manufacturers themselves calling it the ‘world’s most parkable car.’

With the aid of Park Assist and Around View Mirror, the Qashqai is able to parallel park itself in spaces that are just 80mm longer than its own dimensions. There is even a small washer able to clean the rear view parking camera to give you a clear image!

The Qashqai comes in 4 different models: Visia, Acenta, Acenta Premium and Tekna which can been acquired in engines ranging from 1.2l – 1.6l.

We’ve continually been impressed with the latest technologies that cars are fitted with nowadays, and the Qashqai does not disappoint in this area!

Prices from £17,595

 

Jaguar F-Type Coupe

jaguar-fWhen a car looks as beautiful as the F-Type Coupe does, who cares what’s under the bonnet?

Well, unfortunately for their competitors, Jaguar clearly do and they have produced a car that is as good inside as it is out. They, themselves claim to have created the ‘most dynamically capable, performance focused road car in its history,’ and early reviews don’t disagree.

The top of the range V8R carries an outstanding 5.0 V8 550PS supercharged engine and is able to get from 0-60mph in 4.0 seconds. Fair enough!

Dare we say that this is the car that we are most excited about in 2014?!

Prices from £51,235


If you’d like to get behind the wheel of any of these vehicles, and would be interested in talking leasing, call us on 01753 851561.