Electric Car News Roundup – 56

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Aston Martin’s electric sports models to be made at Gaydon plant

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Luxury car giant Aston Martin has pledged to manufacture all of its electric cars in the UK from 2025. As first reported in the Financial Times, owner Lawrence Stroll said all of its battery sports cars will be made at its plant in Gaydon, Warwickshire. Its electric SUV models will be made at St Athan in Glamorgan, he confirmed.

The company is due to start making hybrid versions of its cars over the next four years, followed by battery-only models.

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This is indeed much welcome news for the UK automotive industry, given the challenging trading conditions over the recent years, as a result of BREXIT and also the ongoing pandemic.

The narrative of electric mobility has to change from ‘selling electric cars in the UK’ to ‘manufacturing and selling electric cars in the UK’. It is imperative for the long-term growth of the EV industry that generating employment is central to the migration to zero-emission cars.

We certainly applaud Aston Martin for its commitment to the UK market, but also encourage plug-in car automotive manufacturers and suppliers across the value chain to follow this example. The UK has significant potential and talent to support the rapid growth of the electric vehicle (EV) sector, and neither the UK government or the private sector should fail to harness this exponential opportunity to create employment within the UK.

To achieve the above, it is imperative that the UK government and vehicle manufacturers work closely together to enable innovation and growth with the appropriate legislative and financial support.

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Electric bike sales grew by 145% in the US last year – here’s why that matters

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Sales of bicycles have taken off in the US during the COVID-19 pandemic – they were up 65% between 2019 and 2020, according to a report in the New York Times.

The ability to get around while remaining socially distanced from other people could be one reason for bikes’ booming popularity. And with more people working from home, fewer cars on the road will make some cyclists feel safer. Plus, there are the obvious health benefits from the additional exercise. In Europe, it’s predicted that twice as many bikes as cars will be bought each year by 2030.

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We at e-zoomed have been vocal about the adoption of ‘active travel’ to include walking, cycling and yes, pedal-assisted electric bikes. The significant increase in the sale of e-bikes does not surprise us.

Electric bikes have made ‘active travel’ accessible to a much wider audience than conventional cycling. The reason is simple. The ‘power-pedal-assist‘ allows a rider to either increase or decrease the level of physical exercise and fatigue as per their ability and choice. Therefore a ride can be as strenuous or relaxed as an individual chooses. In a conventional cycle this option does not exist and hence the reason conventional cycling does not attractive a demographic base as wide and e-bikes.

This electric pedal-assist option has allowed individuals of all ages to either revert to e-cycling or take up electric biking. It is true, in that, the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic has influenced the uptake in active travel, as socially distanced measures became more prominent.

However, this is not a passing phase. Individuals and families that have adopted an active lifestyle via e-bikes have experienced the significant benefits for pedal-assisted electric bikes. These families and individuals have now incorporated an ‘active lifestyle‘ at the core of their lifestyle choices. We expect many more families to do the same across the world in 2021 and beyond.

We at e-zoomed sell a fantastic range of high quality e-bikes. Simply follow this link to learn more.

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Widerøe Joins Rolls-Royce and Tecnam Partnership to Launch All-Electric Aircraft Service

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Rolls-Royce, Tecnman, and Widerøe are partnering to launch an all-electric passenger-carrying aircraft for the commuter aircraft market in Scandinavia, according to a March 11 release. The aircraft would start service in 2026. 

“We are highly excited to be offered the role as launch operator, but also humble about the challenges of putting the world’s first zero-emissions aircraft into service,” Andreas Aks, chief strategy officer at Widerøe, said in a statement. “Our mission is to have all new capabilities, processes and procedures required for a zero-emissions operator, designed and approved in parallel with the aircraft being developed and certified.”

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One cannot overestimate the significance of this update. Norway is committing to making all its domestic flight zero-emissions by 2025. Indeed, electric aircraft are well suited for shorter distance flights in the medium term, given the current development of battery technology. We would encourage all governments to follow the example of Norway and aim to also convert domestic flights into zero-emission flying. The positive environmental impact, improvement of air quality and reduction in aircraft noise, will benefit us all.

In the longer-term, we expect zero-emission aircraft to become a reality for longer-distance flights. It is only a matter of time!

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Electric Cars: The Basics

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For those of you new to zero-emission electric driving, we recommend a read of the following articles:

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