EV News: First Battery Passport, and Dog-Friendly EVs
Read on for our summary of the latest EV news, including the world's first battery passport launch and more!
New battery passport set to transform EV market
The UK EV market will need to get ready for a significant change with the introduction of the "battery passport," a pioneering initiative led by Volvo.
From February 1st 2027, all EVs sold in Europe must feature a battery passport detailing the origins of raw materials, recycling content, and the lifecycle carbon footprint. This will also impact vehicles sold in the UK, despite leaving the European Union (EU).
Volvo is looking to get ahead of the competition by introducing the digital document for its upcoming EX90 SUV. It will be the first of its kind, offering comprehensive insights into the environmental impact of each battery. Available to all owners helping consumers make informed decisions, and aligning with manufacturers' requirements to move towards the ban of sales of new internal combustion engines by 2035.
The passport will include a QR code for easy access to detailed information about the battery’s entire lifecycle, from sourcing of raw materials to manufacturing processes, usage, and recycling.
Boosting transparency in the EV industry this initiative aims to ensure compliance with the EU's stringent environmental regulations and promote ethical sourcing and recycling practices. As well as addressing growing consumer and regulatory demands for greater environmental accountability and traceability in the automotive sector.
The introduction of the battery passport is expected to influence other automakers and stakeholders in the EV market to adopt similar measures and foster a broader industry-wide shift towards sustainability, looking to overcome concerns about the ethical sourcing of materials, such as cobalt and lithium, which are often linked to human rights and environmental issues.
As the UK advances its commitment to EVs, innovations like the battery passport will play a crucial role in ensuring a more transparent and eco-friendly future for the automotive industry.
V2G technology: A revenue stream for parked EVs
Vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology is another innovation gathering attention this week. Fleetnews covered how fleet operators in the UK will be able to earn money from their parked EVs through V2G technology.
The cost-saving benefits of enabling V2G are widely acknowledged. In short, V2G enables EVs to send energy back to the electricity grid during peak demand periods, typically when it’s more expensive, and recharge during off-peak times when it’s cheaper. In 2022 trials by National Grid and Octopus Energy’s Powerloop demonstrated individual household savings of up to £840 a year compared with unmanaged charging on a flat tariff.
But now the discussion includes extending the benefits to fleets to be able to potentially earn from V2G technology too. This system enhances grid stability and uses excess renewable energy, turning EVs into small power stations, and generating revenue even when they are not in use.
Adam Hall, director at Drax Electric Vehicles commented “Historically, fleet vehicles have generated revenue only when operational. What V2G offers, in principle, is the opportunity for fleets to generate revenue in their downtime too.”
How much a fleet could earn is as yet unknown.
To make V2G a practical and widespread reality for EV charging we’ll need bi-directional chargers and V2G-capable vehicles to become the norm. It’s an exciting opportunity for those ready to invest in an EV future.
Electric car sales outperform the market with more than 26,000 registered in May
While it's fair to say that EV sales figures have received their fair share of scrutiny in the past six months, there was undoubtedly good news to be found in the latest figures released for May.
This comes after The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) recorded registrations for 26,031 such vehicles in May, an increase of 6.2% from the same time last year. In contrast, new car registrations of any type only saw a 1.7% yearly increase.
Breaking down these figures, it’s clear to see, as covered in previous round-ups, that fleet registrations are still one of the key drivers of EV sales figures, seeing an increase of 10.7% on last year’s numbers.
While registrations of new EVs are down slightly in the private sector by 2%, a 70% uptake in private buying on the secondhand market suggests that this is down to pricing, not to lack of demand. As new models lined up for UK launch are set to provide the market with lower-priced EV opportunities.
This should go some way to easing what Ian Plummer, Commercial Director at Autotrader, described as the “pressure on affordability”, underlined by the fact that “the share of new models for sale below £20,000 in the past five years has dropped from 17% to just 4%”. We’re certainly excited to see the impact of new more affordable models like the Dacia Spring to help make EVs more affordable to the majority of drivers.
SMMT Chief executive Mike Hawes added: "As Britain prepares for next month's General Election, the new car market continues to hold steady as large fleets sustain growth, offsetting weakened private retail demand.”
He added, alluding to the industry’s persistent calls for assistance in reaching BEV sales quotas: "Their success so far should be a signpost for the next government that a faster and fairer transition requires carrots, not just sticks."
UK Bestseller ‘Perfect for dog owners’
In lighter news this week, The Electric Car Scheme has shared the best new and used ZEVs for dog lovers.
The firm has recommended the Tesla Model Y and our CEO’s favourite the Kia EV9 as perfect pooch transporters, citing a healthy amount of boot space and a smooth driving experience as key judging points
Thom Groot, CEO and co-founder of The Electric Car Scheme, said: "As a nation of dog lovers, it's no surprise that choosing an EV is as much about the comfort of our canine companions as any other specification.”
"One of the most common questions we receive on a daily basis from customers is whether or not a certain model is suitable for dogs.”
The company sorted its favourite pet-friendly vehicles into those best for large and small dogs:
Head through to their full article for more.
That’s all for our round-up of the last week in EV. Follow along on our socials to keep up with all Clenergy EV news. And if you're interested in how we can help with your EV charging needs, let us know in the contact form below.
