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TeslaEnergy

Great day yesterday at the Solar and Storage Live London.

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Ford Mustang Mach-E review.

It was vital that Ford hit the ground running with the new Mustang Mach-E, and the blue oval’s first all-electric SUV certainly hasn’t disappointed. Competitively priced, the Mustang Mach-E delivers a premium air with great family space and decent levels of standard kit, while also offering a reassuringly useful range and practical charging capability.

Ok, you’ll have to wait for the Mach-E GT model to experience true Tesla-like acceleration, but the Mustang Mach-E is the more engaging car to drive and, crucially, brings plenty of style and desirability to help it stand out in a rapidly expanding electric SUV market.

About the Ford Mustang Mach-E

With the Government decision to ban sales of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030, the race is on for manufacturers to deliver a range of battery-powered alternatives. All-electric cars that are able to meet the day-to-day needs of drivers, while also offering good value, plenty of style and the all-important kerb appeal that can help to close the deal.

But, building a brand that customers are attracted to and will actually invest in is quite a difficult job, which may explain why Ford has chosen to name its first all-electric SUV after one of its most iconic sports cars: say hello to the Mustang Mach-E.

First on the to-do list for the Mustang Mach-E is to persuade customers away from a rapidly growing list of rivals. The Tesla Model 3 is pretty well established in the market and is a marquee player, while the Volkswagen ID.4, Skoda Enyaq and Kia EV6 are sure to offer further mainstream competition.

Further down the price range, the Kia e-Niro and Hyundai Kona provide capable family transport, although the more expensive versions of the Mustang Mach-E could well stand up to scrutiny against the likes of the Jaguar I-Pace and the BMW iX3.

With a starting price of just over £41,000, the Mustang Mach-E range is split into rear- or all-wheel-drive models, each offering Standard or Extended Range set-ups with usable battery capacities of 68kWh and 88kWh respectively.

Power outputs range from 265bhp for the Standard Range cars, through to the 290bhp RWD Extended Range model and the top-of-the-range AWD Extended Range version with 346bhp.

The ability to travel a reasonable distance on a single charge is often uppermost in the minds of potential customers, and particularly those who aren’t used to their car being solely reliant on all-electric power.

If you opt for a Mustang Mach-E RWD Extended Range version you’ll benefit from up to 379 miles on the road without needing to top up the battery. There are inevitable compromises with selecting a cheaper variant, but Ford claims even the AWD Standard Range car will deliver 248 miles before you need to plug in.

Standard equipment is generous with a substantial 15.5-inch, portrait-style touchscreen given pride of place at the center of the dash, while other creature comforts include heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, a smartphone charging pad, adaptive cruise control and front and rear parking sensors.

Are you looking for a charging lead for your plug-in vehicle? For the best prices go to www.powerp.co.uk

Volkswagen ID.4 verdict!

Volkswagen ups the ante with its new electric car.

VW is investing heavily in electric vehicles and the ID.4 is the second car, after the ID.3 hatchback, to be based on all-new underpinnings designed specifically for electric power and comes as part of an €11bn (£9.5bn) investment in electric vehicles up to 2023.

The ID.4s available at launch are the models with a long-rang battery and high specification but multiple versions of the crossover SUV will roll out in due course, including one with a smaller battery (making it more affordable), a version with a coupé-style rear end and the recently announced hot ID.4 GTX, which boasts 295bhp.

For VW to hit its ambitious target of producing 1.5 million electric cars per year by 2025, the success of the ID.4 at luring family car buyers away from their petrol and diesel motors is critical. No pressure, then.

It may take time before we start seeing the ID.4 on the road en masse, as it’s not the sort of car that many will think they need to have on their driveway immediately, but it could happen over time as regular drivers finally switch out of their petrol and diesel cars. Though some will scoff at the £50,000-or-more range-topping versions, prices for the entry-level models, which just about attract the government’s measly £2,500 electric vehicle grant are keen.

And while the interior may not be to everyone’s tastes, I really like its unfussy minimalism. There are better-looking electric cars to drive, more advanced ones and faster ones, but VW’s everyman EV is likely to steal sales away from the likes of the Kia e-Niro and Hyundai Kona Electric (about time, one could argue).

Its biggest issue is that VW’s stablemate Skoda has just launched the Enyaq, which is based on the same underpinnings but has more traditional styling and a more impressive touchscreen infotainment system. The Ford Mustang Mach-E is a further threat. But VW fans may feel that the ID.4 is just their kind of quirky, and in truth it’s very easy car to live with day-to-day.

If you are looking for a charging cable for your ID 4, visit

EV Charging Shop - Powerpac helps customers through the design and installation of electrical vehicle charging stations, Solar PV systems and Commercial Electrical Contracting.

Future Homes Standard Update

How to Prepare!

Net-Zero Goals

Decarbonisation is a long-term goal for the UK, which has set a 2050 target for net zero emissions from carbon. This is a hugely ambitious goal, which will require wholesale revamping of our energy landscape.

In order to achieve these lofty targets, we will need many streams of advancements to take us into the new energy era. One such area is domestic emissions, which typically accounts for roughly 20% of the average Carbon Footprint.

The Future Homes Standard (FHS)

The FHS was set out to help achieve part of these goals. By providing homes with the ability to gradually upgrade their energy infrastructure, it was hoped that both the overall decarbonisation goal and also massive savings would be made for the individual.

Whilst Scotland and Wales have different but similar legislation, we’re focusing on the Part L updates from the English Future Homes Standard.

Part L Update

The initial FHS consultation outlined two clear strategies for tackling the carbon crisis across the UK. The most recent update means that the most-aggressive option to tackle carbon emissions has been taken.

This option means there will be a 31% reduction in CO2 from new dwellings compared to current standards, through low-carbon heating & renewable gains.

One of the Government’s clear methods is the use of Photovoltaic Solar Panels to achieve these ambitious targets.

“Solar PV is the most mature, cost-effective and maintenance free tool that house builders can use to achieve these targets” Paul Hutchens (CEO of Eco2Solar)

What does this Mean?

The Government has announced a July 2022 cut-off for these new plans to come into place. From that date, no new planning applications will be accepted with the old building standards.

In real terms, that means a 31% reduction in CO2 from new dwellings after this date, which means a huge shift in focus within the industry towards renewable tech.

Hyundai have come a long way since their first car, the Pony.
The new Hyundai Ioniq 5 is on sale in the UK now, priced from £36,995. It’s the first model from the Korean manufacturer’s new pure-electric sub-brand, and is a crossover designed to rival both the Volkswagen ID.3 hatchback and the ID.4 SUV.
It’s based on the Hyundai Group’s new E-GMP electric underpinnings, which will form the foundations for the brand’s assault on the electric car market. Shortly, the Ioniq 5 will be joined by a saloon and a larger SUV, as well as smaller models.
The Ioniq 5 is offered with a choice of two battery packs, three power outputs and either rear or four-wheel drive. The entry-level £36,995 model has a 58kWh battery and a single electric motor mounted on the rear axle, with 168bhp and 350Nm of torque. It has a maximum range of 240 miles and a 0–62mph time of 8.5 seconds.
Stepping up a rung, there is the 73kWh battery version, which is fitted with a slightly more powerful electric motor with 215bhp. The extra battery capacity sees the hatchback’s maximum range climb to 300 miles, while its 0–62mph time falls to 7.4 seconds. Prices start from £41,945.
The range topping model features the same 73kWh battery pack, but an extra electric motor on the front axle which gives the Ioniq 5 four-wheel drive and an output of 301bhp and 605Nm of torque. The extra grunt slashes the EV’s 0–62mph time to 5.2 seconds, although its maximum range figure takes a slight hit at 287 miles.
Charging shouldn’t be too laborious a task, either, as the Ioniq 5 comes with 800v electrical architecture as standard, meaning it’s capable of super-fast charging normally reserved for premium vehicles, such as the Porsche Taycan.
Hyundai says the system can receive DC charging feeds of up to 350kW, which allows both batteries to charge from 10 to 80 percent capacity in just 17 minutes. When connected to a more accessible 50kW feed, the 58kWh battery can be fully recharged in 46 minutes, while the 73kWh model takes 56 minutes.
In addition, the Ioniq 5’s charging system has bi-directional functionality. This is most likely to be used in the cabin, where a conventional 220V power socket will allow users to plug in a laptop, for example. But the car’s charging port – situated at the rearmost tip, beyond the back wheel – can also export charge as well as receiving it. So in theory, the 5 could provide electricity to another vehicle at up to 3.6kW via a conventional Type 2 cable.

If you are looking for a charging cable for your Ioniq, visit https://www.powerp.co.uk/shop

EV Charging Shop - Powerpac helps customers through the design and installation of electrical vehicle charging stations, Solar PV systems and Commercial Electrical Contracting.