November was generally a quiet month for news in the world of alternate fuels and it was surprising that there was no mention of anything regarding alternate fuels in the government’s Autumn Statement. Even though an extension on the fossil fuel ban was announced in September there is still no mention of what is happening with the £1bn rapid charger fund that the government has still yet to open, bearing in mind this fund was announced in March 2020 we are still yet to hear anything new about what is happening with this money.
Portable electric vehicle chargers give you more freedom when using your electric vehicle
Swiss company, Juice Technology are leading the industry when it comes to portable car charging technology with its current flagship model, the Booster 2 which has already received strong interest from fleet operators. The Booster 2 is an aluminium-cased cylindrical product, which is 22.5cm long, has a diameter of 7cm and weighs 1kg, and works by being connected to the available electricity socket using the correct adapter and then into the vehicle’s type 2 charging socket. When plugged in, it has charging capabilities speeds of 3kW, or 7.4kW from a single-phase connector and 22kW when using three -phase electricity supply.
Although it’s possible to already charge your most electric vehicles using a standard 3-pin plug, it is advised that this must be used as a last resort but with the Booster 2, this can be done regularly, whether you’re charging from home, travelling for work or at the office.
Demand for 2nd hand electric vehicles doubles in Q3
Even though questions are being asked about the life span of electric car batteries, with battery deterioration being seen as a problem by some, the demand for used electric vehicles doubled in Q3, 2023, reaching a record market share with September showing the strongest gain with a massive 6.3% rise, which lead to deliver the best Q3 performance since 2021. The cost of a used electric vehicles has decreased by 22% compared to prices in Q3 of last year so because of this, some EV models now cost the same as their ICE models, which may remove price as a factor many car buyers are reluctant to make the switch to EV.
Biomethane refuelling station for HGVs opens in Wales
With more and more fleets making the move to using biofuels in their ICE vehicles, the demand for biofuel refuelling sites is slowly increasing with businesses such as DHL, Royal Mail, Warburton’s, Lidl, Amazon and Waitrose all using biofuels in their fleet vehicles. Re-Fuels, who are specialists in sourcing and supplying biomethane and are one of the companies responsible for having these biofuel sites built, have stated that in July 2023 they saw a near 80% increase in biomethane sales compared to July 2022.
A new site in Wales has just opened but even though this will be the first of its kind in Wales, it is their 13th biofuel refuelling station in Great Britain. The new site has the capability to refuel 12 vehicles at once, and enough to re-fuel 500 vehicles per day with biomethane. In order to keep up with the demand for using biofuels in fleet vehicles, Re-Fuels is aiming to open 30-40 stations by 2026 total capacity to refuel 15,000 HGVs every day, and dispense more than 600,000 tonnes of renewable biomethane annually.
Lotus announces new ultra-fast rapid EV chargers.
One of the many concerns people when it comes to making the switch to electric vehicles is how long you’ll have to sit and wait at the charging station with your vehicle as it’s re-charging. But the new range of ultra-fast rapid chargers developed by Lotus will remove any concerns regarding charging time with their new liquid-cooled DC charger which can charge most electric vehicles to around 90 miles in only 5 minutes. In this range they also have a liquid-cooled power cabinet, which is paired with their new Lotus charging terminal, but requires a lot of energy so will mostly be found at motorway stops or other areas that can accommodate for the high energy it requires.
These ultra-fast chargers have already been introduced in China with European and Middle Eastern countries expected to see them in Q2 2024. Lotus is planning to speed up the global switch from ICE vehicles to electric vehicles and are hoping that this new ultra-fast rapid charger will be able to provide people with fast, easy, and efficient charging.
EV charge cards
If your fleet contains electric vehicles or if you’re looking to make the switch, then register your interest in an EV charge card today. We also have a fantastic selection of fuel cards for petrol and diesel vehicles which you can compare here.
 | 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. |
