Tag Archives: Britain

VauxhallUk

VAUXHALL PARTNERS WITH CARWOW AS ELECTRIC STREETS OF BRITAIN PROGRAMME EXPANDS

  • Vauxhall has teamed up with carwow for the Electric Streets of Britain programme
  • The partnership with carwow provides valuable insights into consumer attitudes towards electric vehicle adoption
  • Data from carwow shows that 15% of car enquiries are for electric vehicles
  • Vauxhall’s Electric Streets of Britain programme aims to accelerate the installation of on-street charging points
  • According to Vauxhall, 72% of UK councils have no strategy for residential on-street charging
  • About 80% of EV charging occurs at home, leaving residents without off-street parking reliant on public charging
  • Vauxhall launched ElectricStreets.co.uk to support households without driveways
  • Register your street at http://electricstreets.co.uk/  

Vauxhall has partnered with carwow, an online car marketplace, as part of its ongoing Electric Streets of Britain programme. By utilizing carwow’s extensive database, Vauxhall can work with local councils to identify areas of high interest in electric vehicles (EVs) across the country. This collaboration will help prioritize the installation of on-street charge points in those areas.

Data from carwow reveals that 15% of car enquiries this year have been for EVs, based on an analysis of over 320,000 car enquiries in 2023. This highlights the growing interest in EVs as the UK government plans to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2035. However, the current gap between EV interest and the availability of charging infrastructure indicates the need for significant growth in the UK’s charging network.

Last month, over 45,000 EVs were registered in the UK, accounting for a peak of 17% of the new car market. In contrast, only 1,432 public EV charging devices were added to the ZapMap database during the same period.

The Electric Streets of Britain programme by Vauxhall aims to address the lack of on-street charging infrastructure in the UK, which poses a significant obstacle for many motorists. Research shows that more than 70% of UK councils have no published strategy for residential on-street charging, and 69% of local authorities have yet to install any on-street chargers.

The majority of EV charging, approximately 80%, occurs at home due to its cost-effectiveness and convenience. However, around 40% of UK households, and over 60% in urban areas, do not have access to off-street parking. This means that residents in these areas heavily rely on public charging facilities.

Vauxhall’s Managing Director, James Taylor, emphasized the importance of assisting local authorities in installing charging infrastructure to support the increasing number of EVs on the road. To facilitate this, Vauxhall has launched the Electric Streets website (ElectricStreets.co.uk), allowing the public to register their charging needs.

Carwow’s Commercial Director, Sepi Arani, stressed the collective effort needed to install more charging points in the right locations to ensure a smooth transition to electric vehicles. This collaboration aims to avoid potential infrastructure bottlenecks that could hinder the adoption of EVs and help the UK meet its net-zero targets.

Vauxhall plans to offer fully electric versions of all its car and van models from 2024. The company is currently the top-selling electric van manufacturer in the UK and has transformed its Ellesmere Port plant into Stellantis’ first facility dedicated to electric models.

1Data provided to Vauxhall by carwow – January 2023 to September 2023, 321,758 new car enquiries made through carwow.co.uk by fuel type.

2Vauxhall’s Freedom of Information research took place between May – July 2023, issued to 414 councils across the United Kingdom.

3Energy Saving Trust: Charging Electric Vehicles

4TfL Feasibility Study into Electric Vehicle Uptake and the Impacts of Associated Infrastructure (Source: TfL Electric Vehicle Charging Study)

5Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, September 2023

6Zapmap EV charging statistics 2023 https://www.zap-map.com/ev-stats/how-many-charging-points

Technology

The Top 10 Submarines of World War II, Ranked from Worst to Best

During the 1930s, the Royal Navy of Great Britain made the decision to replace its underperforming overseas patrol submarines of the Oberon, Parthian, and Rainbow classes. This led to the construction of the T Class submarines, also known as the Triton Class, starting in 1934-35.

The T Class submarines had strict design requirements, including a strong armament and the ability to patrol for at least 42 days for long-distance missions. The construction of these submarines was also limited to a total of 16,500 tons due to the London Naval Treaty. The Admiralty went on to build 53 T Class submarines, each weighing around 1,575 tons, just before and during World War II.

The initial T Class submarines were 275 feet long and featured a unique bulbous bow design to accommodate external forward torpedo tubes. However, this design adversely affected speed while surfaced. As a result, the Admiralty built nine slightly modified T Class submarines with a more streamlined bow shape and moved the external bow tubes further back.

During the war, the T Class submarines achieved a reasonable level of success against enemy submarines, sinking a total of 13 enemy subs, including six Italian, four German, and three Japanese vessels. However, their record is marred by a tragic incident that occurred in September 1939. The crew of HMS Triton mistakenly identified another submarine off the coast of Norway and, after receiving no response to their radio communications, fired two torpedoes, sinking the first British submarine lost in World War II, the HMS Oxley.

[Featured image by Stewart Bale Ltd via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC Public Domain]

VauxhallUk

VAUXHALL LAUNCHES NEW INITIATIVE TO BOOST EV CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE AS INVESTIGATION REVEALS MORE THAN 70% OF UK COUNCILS HAVE NO CHARGING STRATEGY FOR RESIDENTIAL STREETS

  • Vauxhall ‘Electric Streets of Britain’ initiative launched after exclusive data reveals 71.6% of UK councils have no published strategy for residential on-street charging
  • 40% of British households do not have a driveway, leaving millions of potential EV owners unable to charge – this rises to over 60% in urban areas1
  • Study also reveals London has more than twice the number of residential on-street charge points of all other regions of the UK combined
  • UK database launched for residents to register interest in having charge points installed, so councils and charging operators can focus investment where demand exists today
  • ‘Enablement Fund’ established by Vauxhall to help improve Local Authority understanding of residential on-street charging needs
  • Three specialist on-street charging operators – char.gy, Connected Kerb and SureCharge – have signed up to access the programme, to elevate local authority understanding of the topic
  • From 2024, every model in the Vauxhall line up will be available with a fully electric version, and from 2028 Vauxhall will only offer all-electric cars and vans
  • To find out more, or register your street, visit http://electricstreets.co.uk/

Vauxhall has joined forces with leading charge point operators to address the findings of an exclusive investigation revealing that over 70% of UK councils do not have a published strategy for residential on-street charging for electric vehicles (EVs). This leaves millions of potential EV drivers without access to charging facilities.

The investigation, carried out through a Freedom of Information application to 414 councils and local authorities across the UK, also found that 69% of local authorities have yet to install any on-street chargers.

Data provided by 289 councils up to July 1st showed that only 14,188 new charge points are planned for installation this year, which is insufficient to meet the government’s target of 300,000 charge points by the end of 2030.

In response, Vauxhall has launched the ‘Electric Streets of Britain’ initiative to ensure that drivers without driveways are not left behind in the transition to electric mobility. This initiative is in line with Vauxhall’s commitment to offer a fully electric version of every car and van model in its line-up from 2024, and to sell only electric vehicles in the UK by 2028.

Working with charge point operators char.gy, Connected Kerb, and SureCharge, Vauxhall has established an ‘Enablement Fund’ to help local authorities understand the challenges and available solutions for on-street charging. The aim is to prepare for the government’s planned ban on the sale of new combustion engine cars in 2030.

Vauxhall has also created a national database, accessible at http://electricstreets.co.uk/, where the public can register their charging needs. This will enable councils to better understand the demand for on-street charging from existing and potential EV drivers.

On-street charging is crucial for EV adoption, as 80% of all EV charging currently takes place at home.2 However, approximately 40% of UK households do not have a driveway or off-street parking, rising to 60% in urban areas. On-street charging solutions include lamp post chargers, which can be installed and operational within 30 minutes, and pavement-mounted bollards.

London currently has 12,708 residential on-street charge points installed, with plans to install an additional 6,397 over the next year. This means that London will soon have a total of 19,105 on-street charge points, more than double the number available in all other UK regions combined.

Of the councils that responded to the investigation, 45% confirmed that they have no plans to install residential on-street chargers this year.

James Taylor, Managing Director of Vauxhall, emphasizes the importance of access to charging points near homes for the successful transition to electric vehicles in the UK. He states, “We want to galvanize the needs and interests of everyone, from the public, to the councils and the charging operators to make sure that anyone without a driveway is part of that journey. We want to help educate and inform the decision-makers and enable the installation of more chargers, more quickly.”

On-street charging solutions benefit not only private motorists but also businesses. About 40% of company-owned electric vans are charged at home by employees, so the availability of on-street charge points supports businesses in transitioning to electric by providing convenient charging options for van drivers while attending residential jobs.3

Vauxhall is already a popular choice for electric cars and vans, and by 2024, every model in its lineup will have a fully electric version. From 2028, Vauxhall will exclusively offer all-electric cars and vans. Additionally, Vauxhall’s Ellesmere Port plant is set to become the first manufacturing site within the Stellantis group dedicated to producing electric vehicles.

Vauxhall’s Freedom of Information research took place between May – July 2023, encompassing 414 councils across the United Kingdom.

1 TfL Feasibility Study into Electric Vehicle Uptake and the Impacts of Associated Infrastructure (Source: TfL Electric Vehicle Charging Study)

2 Energy Saving Trust (Source: Charging Electric Vehicles – Best Practice Guide)

3 Fleet News Survey 2022