EV News: World Record Journey and Landmark Used EV Sales
World Record Set for Longest Single-Charge Road Journey
To start the news this week, Webfleet broke the Guinness World Record for the longest journey by an electric car on a single charge.
Achieving a distance of 569.64 miles, the new benchmark was set by sponsored drivers Sam Clarke of GreenFleet and Kevin Booker in a Ford Mustang Mach-E SUV.
The attempt was of course meticulously documented, with independently verified footage, odometer readings, GPS, and battery level data provided.
The vehicle itself is fitted with a WLTP range of 373 miles, surpassing expectations to average 6.25 miles per kWh throughout the journey. It took a total of 24 hours to complete the journey over a mix of urban and rural roads to emulate real-world driving conditions.
Booker said: “Breaking this record has been an exhilarating journey and a powerful demonstration of what electric vehicles can achieve.
“It is incredible to see how far we have come with EV technology and efficiency. We hope this inspires more people to consider electric vehicles for their everyday travel.”
And it’s not the first record achieved between them.
With co-driver Fergal McGrath, Booker and Clarke previously achieved the Guinness World Record title in 2023 for the longest distance ever driven in an electric van on a single charge – 311.18 miles (500.8 km).
That leaves Booker with a total of five record titles under his belt, and Sam with two.
We’re sure there’ll be plenty of similar stunts to come from the crew to continue to prove the capabilities of electric!
Landmark moment as used EVs are now cheaper than equivalent petrol cars
The latest numbers from Cap HPI have revealed that after a steady decline in the price of used EVs, they’re now sitting at cheaper prices than their ICE counterparts after three years of ownership.
Cap HPI says the average electric car is around 8.5% cheaper than its petrol or diesel equivalent, rising to 14% when it reaches its fourth year. With price being one of the most common deterrents to making the electric switch, this is great news for those looking to changeover having previously considered the vehicles outside of their price range.
Of course, the data reflects the fluctuation of prices depending on models. The average price of a three-year-old 36,000-mile Vauxhall Corsa Ultimate is around £9,925 for a petrol model and £8,750 for the Electric – despite the latter costing roughly £6,000 more when new.
Cap HPI’s used EV specialist, Chris Plumb, explained how “the growing availability of second-hand electric models is driving demand as motorists want to reduce their environmental footprint and make significant motoring cost savings due to high diesel and petrol prices”.
Plum added that these upfront cost reductions mean there’s “never been a better time” to buy a used EV.
The firm added that the values of used EVs had halved since September 2022, regardless of their age or mileage.
These lower prices are already being reflected in a market entering its sixth consecutive quarter of growth, rising 7.2% in sales numbers in Q2.
The overall increase in used car sales saw an additional 131,128 cars sold compared with the same period in 2023, as sustained growth in the new car market fuelled choice and availability in the used sector.
BYD sets new NEV sales record
Market-leading Chinese company BYD continued to make waves in the industry this past week, as it set a new record for BEV sales in July 2024 - just weeks after being hit with increased sanctions from the EU and agreeing an exclusive fleet deal with Uber.
BYD sold approximately 342,383 NEVs in July, up 30% year over year beating its own record set in June when it sold 341,658.
This increase came despite an initial decrease in fully electric sales, possibly due to these additional EU tariffs forcing a rise in the price of BYD vehicles sold in Europe. Sales of full EVs went down 10%, while hybrid sales increased 8% on the previous month.
All-electric Peugeot E-3008 orders top five figures
And finally in EV news this week, we come to the new Peugeot E-3008.
The Peugeot brand has reported 50,000 orders for its new E-3008 e-SUV, with 25% or 12,500 of these being for the all-electric version, just months after the vehicle was launched. Parent Company Stellantis says the 25% mark is above the average BEV share of new sales in the European C segment.
For reference, the UK sales ZEV mandate dictates a 22% share of all new sales be for EVs as of this year - a figure that many manufacturers are currently having difficulty hitting.
The car debuted in March in its home French market, before extending to “major European markets” in May. It is manufactured at the Sochaux plant in eastern France, close to the Swiss border.
Most orders are for the high-end GT version of the E-3008, which Stellantis says “strengthens the brand's upper mainstream strategy”.
The car has been released to largely positive reviews, with many citing its striking looks, long range of over 326 miles, rapid charging capabilities (sitting at 100kW max input), and comfortable driving experience.
We’re definitely a big fan of the looks here!
Other stories that you may have seen in EV over the past week include the identification of a potential shortfall in EV technicians - something we’ve covered on our round-up before - as industry experts once again cite a lack of resources and a need for upskilling to support the next wave of the electric revolution.
That’s all from us on the past week in the EV industry, however! Make sure to stay tuned in to our socials to keep up with the latest developments, and access useful explainers on the cutting-edge of EV technology as well as learn how software may benefit you in making the most of your EV chargers.
