The top sellers in the UK car market for many years were the likes of the petrol-powered Vauxhall Corsa, Ford Fiesta and Ford Focus. So it may come as a shock to many people that the best-selling car in the UK in March 2022 was the all-electric Tesla Model Y (6,464 units), which has only just gone on sale, and the second best-selling car for the month was the Tesla Model 3 EV (6,457 units). March was also a month when EVs represented 16.1% of new car registrations – an increase of 78.7% compared to the same month last year – according to figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Tra ..read more

The Kia e-Niro has offered affordable family-friendly all-electric motoring since its UK launch in 2019. With its practicality and potential for a real-life driving range approaching 300 miles, it has been a winner for Kia and for owners. Now an all-new Kia e-Niro is due in late 2022. The driving range will be similar, at 287 miles (WLTP) from its 64.8kWh lithium-ion polymer battery, and a 10-80 per cent charge can take just 43 minutes at a DC rapid charger. The all-new ‘Niro EV’, which Kia appears to be calling it, has a 150kW electric motor. This delivers 255 Nm of instant torque and a 0-62 ..read more

Toyota is primarily known for its hybrid vehicles and currently it doesn’t have a battery electric vehicle on sale, but that will change in June 2022 when customer deliveries of the new Toyota bZ4X SUV start in the UK. The bZ4X will have a WLTP driving range of up to 317 miles in front-wheel drive form, or up to 285 miles with all-wheel drive. The front-wheel drive Pure model has an efficiency rating of 14.3kWh/62 miles (4.3 miles/kWh), and the all-wheel drive bZ4X Motion has efficiency of 15.8kWh/62 miles (3.9 miles/kWh). The bZ4X has a 71.4kWh battery, which is supported by an optional exte ..read more

If you want to buy an electric Rolls-Royce today, you can’t – but you will be able to in 2023, when the first electric production Rolls-Royce will be called the Spectre. Described by Rolls-Royce as an ‘Electric Super Coupé’, the Spectre has just completed winter testing in Arjeplog, Sweden. This represents 25% of a testing programme covering 2.5 million kilometres, simulating more than 400 years of use for a Rolls-Royce. The Spectre isn’t actually the first all-electric Rolls-Royce in recent years. Back in 2011 there was the 102EX based on the Phantom, but this was just an ‘experimental concep ..read more

The new Government Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy aims to ensure that motorists can easily charge their electric cars, as the numbers of EVs on our roads rise. The strategy focuses on public charging, with £1.6 billion committed to help increase the number of public chargers to around 300,000 by 2030. New legal requirements for operators will see drivers of EVs able to pay by contactless, compare charging prices and find nearby chargepoints via apps. The aim is to improve the consumer experience at all chargepoints, with significant support for people without access to off-street pa ..read more

Lotus is traditionally seen as a British manufacturer of lightweight sports cars for people who love driving. Some of that perception has now changed with the unveiling of the Lotus Eletre – an electric SUV. Lotus is actually calling it a ‘Hyper-SUV’, for this reason: with its two electric motors, the all-wheel drive Eletre has a power output of (at least) 600hp and a 0-62 mph time of less than three seconds. In terms of electric credentials, the Eletre has a battery that’s over 100kWh in capacity, giving an estimated WLTP driving range of 373 miles. Thanks to its 800v electric vehicle archit ..read more

The BMW iX3 is an X3 with an all-electric powertrain, which means that it’s an SUV with zero-tailpipe emissions and all the normal benefits of a BMW driving experience. Summary   BMW X3 with an all-electric powertrain   Excellent ride comfort    Real world driving range of 240 miles   Rear-wheel drive Quick Facts Model: BMW iX3 (Premier Edition Pro – 80kWh) Fuel: Electric Range (WLTP): 285 miles Real world range: 240 miles Seats: 5 Boot space: 510 litres Length: 4734mm Price to Buy: From £60,970 Price to Lease: Click here for our latest lease offers for ..read more

Nissan will have three all-electric models on sale in 2022 – the Nissan Ariya crossover, the Nissan Townstar van and the Nissan LEAF. The Ariya is Nissan’s first all-electric coupé-crossover, with Nissan claiming that it has one of the most spacious interiors in the segment. The Ariya will also feature e-4ORCE, delivering all-wheel drive thanks to twin electric motors. The Nissan Ariya will be available in four versions – two-wheel drive Advance (63kWh), two-wheel drive Evolve (87kWh), all-wheel drive e-4ORCE Evolve (87kWh) and all-wheel drive e-4ORCE Performance (87kWh). All four versions of ..read more

How many seats are in a five-seat car? Well, with the help of the MultiMac, it can be six! We welcomed MultiMac to DriveElectric HQ, as they wanted to show us their innovative seating solution for growing families in two of our most popular EVs: the Tesla Model 3 and Kia EV6. It’s almost impossible to fit three regular child car seats in a 5-seat car. At best, it’s a squeeze. At worst, they simply don’t fit. Parents shouldn’t be forced to get a new car when expanding their family, or compromise with an MPV if that’s not what they’d like to drive. MultiMac identified this, and have the solutio ..read more

Elon Musk, with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, has opened Tesla’s German Gigafactory. Right under the nose of the Volkswagen Group, BMW and Mercedes-Benz. The site will manufacture the new Tesla Model Y and its batteries. Tesla came from nowhere and beat all the long-established German manufacturers to be a rapidly-growing electric-only car brand. Most recently it has been doing very well with sales of its Model 3 saloon, however UK buyers prefer cars with hatchbacks, and ideally SUVs, rather than saloons with boots. So Tesla will be hoping that the Model Y will be a big success in the UK and ..read more