Premium electric bikes guides and renewable energy new technologies Texas from Daniel Sumanth: Before going electric, it’s worth considering a few things. Do you have off-street parking, or charging facilities at work or available locally, and are most of your trips less than 80 miles? If the answer is no, you might find a plug in hybrid offers a better compromise. Why are electric cars so expensive? According to the latest 2022 findings from the Auto Trader Retail Price Index, most types of used cars’ average prices are slowing in growth while the average asking prices of electric vehicles (EVs) are jumping the trend, growing at a rate of 27.5% year-on-year in March 2022 for mainstream models. The average asking price for an electric vehicle is £23,361 – by far the highest out of all other types of powertrains. Read additional details at Daniel Sumanth
The Mustang Mach-E is Ford’s first all-electric SUV, and is one of the most important cars for the blue oval in a generation. Starting from around £43,000, the Mach-E is a practical and well-priced EV that offers great handling and a generous list of standard kit. It doesn’t compromise on pace, either, with the fastest 346bhp all-wheel-drive version capable of 0-62mph in 5.8 seconds. The model range consists of 68kWh ‘Standard Range’ battery variants with either rear- or four-wheel-drive. The former offers up to 273 miles of range and the latter 243 miles. Move up to the 88kWh ‘Extended Range’ cars and you’ll benefit from more miles on a single charge – a claimed 379 miles for the RWD model and 335 miles for the AWD First Edition SUV. The Mustang Mach-E is nothing like its iconic sports car namesake, but it’s a well-crafted electric SUV that still offers a breadth of skills. And, if you’re after more pace, the 480bhp Mach-E GT performance model is even faster, and boasts ‘MagneRide’ adaptive suspension.
The initial cost of purchasing a solar system is fairly high. Although the UK government has introduced some schemes for encouraging the adoption of renewable energy sources, for example, the Feed-in Tariff, you still have to cover the upfront costs. This includes paying for solar panels, inverter, batteries, wiring, and for the installation. Nevertheless, solar technologies are constantly developing, so it is safe to assume that prices will go down in the future.
Starting at just under £37,000, the Ioniq 5 features a superb infotainment system and generous standard kit, while the available space has to be seen to be believed. It’s comfortable, too, so you’ll relish the chance of racking up the miles. We certainly did, which is why we named the Hyundai Ioniq 5 our Car of the Year for 2021. The Kia EV6 is the sister vehicle to the Hyundai Ioniq 5, so it’s a great pick if you love that model’s technology, but aren’t quite as sold on its retro-futuristic looks. The EV6 is arguably the more conventional of the two, and it’s a bit lower and more sporting. This is reflected in its handling, with slightly firmer suspension offering sharper responses. It’s offered in Long Range RWD, Long Range AWD and a high-performance GT version, and the entry-level version is our favourite. It not only offers the best range figure of up to 328 miles from its 77.4kWh battery, but we also found its 7.2-second 0-62mph time to be quick enough.
Solar energy has to be used right away, or it can be stored in large batteries. These batteries, used in off-the-grid solar systems, can be charged during the day so that the energy is used at night. This is a good solution for using solar energy all day long but it is also quite expensive. In most cases, it is smarter to just use solar energy during the day and take energy from the grid during the night (you can only do this if your system is connected to the grid). Luckily your energy demand is usually higher during the day so you can meet most of it with solar energy.
It’s pretty common to underestimate your generator size requirements. Why? because the generator size impacts the price. You’re probably trying to save money. And no one wants to pay more than they have to. Yet Underestimating your required generator size is a problem. It could lead to overloading. And overloading can lead to unexpected costs for generator repairs, and will eventually cause the generator to wear out much faster. Conversely, oversizing your needs can also be detrimental due to poor operating levels. This just wastes fuel and substantially increases the operating costs.
The Audi Q4 e-tron uses the same underpinnings as the Skoda Enyaq iV and the Volkswagen ID.4, so it has an impressive range of up to 316 miles and 125kW rapid-charging. This also means it’s Audi’s most affordable electric car at the moment, and it makes a great family car because it’s spacious inside and comfortable to drive. The Q4 e-tron’s interior is as upmarket as you’d expect from an Audi, and it’s more user-friendly than the ID.4’s cabin as well, without losing out on the amount of technology available. There’s lots of rear leg and headroom, even for adults, and a big boot. The Audi isn’t as good value as the Skoda, but if you want something a bit more upmarket, the Q4 e-tron is a great option. Read our full review to find out more, and make sure to check out our head-to-head twin test between the Q4 e-tron and the Tesla Model Y here.
Usually the largest single cost factor is lighting. Obsolete light bulbs only use about ten percent of the electricity to make light. 90 percent are lost as heat. They produce heat rather than light, because they are based on a glowing filament made of tungsten. Modern LEDs use almost all of the electricity to make light. You can clearly notice this from the fact that they stay cool, i.e. there is much less loss. A good LED needs about a tenth of the electricity to produce the same amount of light. And because it does not heat up so much, it lasts much longer. And: The price of LEDs has come down so much, that exchanging them for regular light bulbs pays off within one or two years. The same is true for industrial lighting systems which often use mercury vapour lamps. These, too, use up a lot of electricity and can easily be replaced by LEDs.