What’s the latest news around alternative fuels?
With Labour winning the election by a landslide, we could be seeing the 2030 petrol and diesel ban being re-introduced. However, the manifesto pledge was not mentioned during the King’s Speech which took place on Wednesday 17th July. In fact, there was no mention of anything regarding electric vehicles (EVs), leading the UK car industry to call for “urgent measures” to review the UK infrastructure for EVs. Fueling the Future: Exciting Developments in Alternative Energy - July 2024!
Fleets invited to try out new vehicle-2-grid charging.
The vehicle-to-grid (V2G) project, which is being led by Hangar 19 in partnership with DriveElectric and CrowdCharge, will allow businesses to save money on electricity bills for both their vehicles and their office buildings. The V2G technology will allow businesses to charge their EVs at off-peak times when prices are low and then put energy back into the grid or a building when energy prices are higher. This will be the first V2G trial in the UK to use alternating current (AC) charging, the previous trials for V2G used CHAdeMO DC charging technology which is typically found in older EV vehicles.
Businesses taking part in the trial will be given all the necessary tools and equipment but if they wish to continue using the technology after the trials, they will have to then pay for the charger installation along with the software package to optimise the charging. A 7kW AC bidirectional charger will be given for free. It is believed that this technology can help reduce the load on electricity networks at peak time, as well as lowering costs and carbon emissions.
“Greenest Olympic games ever” are not so green after all according to scientists.
As one of the lead partners for the 2024 Paris Olympics, Toyota have supplied the Games with around 1,700 vehicles, including 500 hydrogen-powered Toyota Mirai’s which is this year’s official vehicle.
Although the organisers stated that this year would be the “greenest-ever games”, 120 scientists have got together from around the world and sent an open letter to the organisers of the Paris Olympics slamming the use of hydrogen vehicles. They claim that most hydrogen-fuelled vehicles, like the Toyota Mirai are only “marginally cleaner” then ICE (internal combustion engines).
While many vehicle manufacturers have decided not to focus any development on hydrogen powered vehicles and continue developing their electric vehicle technology, some have decided to invest into hydrogen fuel, such as Toyota and Hyundai. It seems this investment could be a waste after scientists have come out and said that it is much more polluting than battery electric vehicles.
Second hand electric car market soars.
Over the last couple of months, we have seen a rise in the demand for second-hand electric cars as drivers across the UK are looking to play their part in the Government’s ambition to become net zero by 2050.
There has been a surge in the supply of EVs due to corporate leases expiring and former fleet EVs coming onto the market. This surge has led to larger range of available second hand EVs at lower prices. Buyers may now be more likely now to choose an EV over a petrol or diesel vehicle which are currently rising in price for popular models.
What does the future look like
With no mention of EV, or the infrastructure it needs, during the King’s speech, it seems that no major changes will be made by the Government over the coming months. However, this doesn’t mean to say that businesses should pause their plans to switch to electric.
With the second-hand market becoming more appealing for companies looking to save money and the number of charge points continuing to grow, now is the time to start thinking about your business’s decarbonisation plan.
 | Matt DoddsWith over 14 years of experience across two of the leading fuel card companies in the UK, Matt Dodds joined RFC Edenred to help lead the development of products to support our customer's move to EV and other alternative fuels, a transition he feels passionately about. |
