Super-reliable hybrids, a lack of public charging stations and the long-awaited arrival of the Volkswagen ID.3: it’s all here in the latest EV news roundup.
Volkswagen ID.3 review: is their first EV any good?
For a while now, Volkswagen have been talking up the ID.3, the first in their family of all-electric cars that are set to launch over the next couple of years. Some at the German carmaker’s head office even said it was their most important launch since the original Golf, from which the ID.3 draws elements of its design (and certainly size). But is Volkswagen’s great electric hope any good? Early reviews suggest the motor is a solid entry into the EV market for VW, with the comfort and useful features drivers have come to expect from the company’s famous ‘people’s cars’. The downside? It’s a little bit lacking in oomph, with a crawl from 0-60mph spread out over seven seconds, for a start. Also, because of its target of appealing to everyone, the car is fairly reserved in its design choices, with nothing too futuristic or that you wouldn’t see in a Golf being featured. Let’s see how they develop things over the course of the ID family rollout.
Public charging points increase – but not enough
New data from the Department for Transport says that on 1 July this year there were 18,265 public EV charging units available in the UK. While the number has reportedly increased fivefold over the past five years, it is still far from being enough. It is believed that there are more than 330,000 plug-in EVs on UK roads, meaning there is only one public charging station for every 18 cars that need it. And that’s before you take into account that most of these are in either London or Scotland, which has the biggest public charging infrastructure in the British Isles. With supply of public charging points lagging far behind the need for them, it is little wonder that more and more people are opting for a home car charging station. With units being unobtrusive in design, easy to install, and likely to save you money, now is the perfect time to find out more.
Hybrid cars more reliable than petrol or diesel
A new study by Which? has found that hybrid cars are more reliable than their petrol or diesel counterparts, with results showing owners of “full hybrid” petrol-electric cars had experienced the fewest mechanical problems over the previous 12 months. The watchdog found less than 3% of full hybrid owners had required mechanical work on their car in the past 12 months, compared to 6% for petrol owners and 10% for diesel. Harry Rose, Editor of Which? Magazine, commented: “It’s great to see so few people reporting issues with their petrol-electric hybrid car. Despite the complexities of two motors working in harmony, they are mechanically simpler than conventional petrol or diesel cars, which is good news for motorists as it reduces the likelihood of problems.