At one point the Freelander was Europe's best selling four wheel drive, selling over 500,000 units during a 9 year production run for the original model. After an 18 year production run, over two generations however, the Freelander was replaced by the Evoque and Discovery Sport models in the overall Land Rover range.

After an announcement yesterday, Jaguar Land Rover are looking to bring the Freelander name back to the roads in as a brand in it's own right specialising in EV models. This will be done by the expansion of the agreement between JLR and long term partner Chery. Initially these models will be launched for the Chinese market, but JLR hope to bring the range to the global market to support the overall EV market place. No specific timelines have been set for the brand's expansion, so it's unknow when the Freelander will be expected in the UK. When it does arrive, the range is likely to help JLR in providing an small premium SUV EV that forms a entry point into the brand, in the same way the Evoque, and the original Freelander provided for the ICE range.

What it does bring for JLR is an expansion of their range and helping them transition to a larger EV offering. Currently the extended family of Land Rover only offers ICE or PHEV models. With the waiting list for a Range Rover Electric currently at 38,000 and climbing rapidly, there is clearly demand for EV product from the brand. The Range Rover Electric is set to be debuted later this year, and a launch date is still to be set. 

Despite the myths around the long term life of EV's that continue, and industry fears, there is no evidence to suggest that EV cars are being scrapped at a higher rate than equivalent ICE vehicles according to the data from market data experts Cap HPI.

Despite higher repair costs related to the electric drive train, electric cars are being written off at half the rate of their petrol and diesel equivalents. This review of the data came from demands of the automotive industry as a whole to review the rates at which the various vehicles were being scrapped. 

When looking at purely EV to ICE vehicles at 5 years old or newer, of the 1,130,581 EV's registered, only 1,433 had been written off or scrapped. This compares to 10,278,745 ICE vehicles registered in that time, with 33,700 being scrapped. Moving Hybrid vehicles to reflect their electric elements of the drivetrain doesn't significantly change the end result at this 5 year stage.

Jonathan Clay, Cap HPI identification director, commented: “It’s essential that the industry has an accurate picture of emerging trends as the EV market continues to develop. With repair costs for EVs running up to 29% higher than ICE vehicles, according to a Solera study, it’s important to understand the impact on scrappage rates.”

From a consumer and market point of view, this data helps put aside the myth that persists of current EV's having a limited lifespan, and that overall, the market for these vehicles will continue to grow as more of the cars being registered make it to 2nd and 3rd owners. With as high as 35% of dealers reporting that consumers being concerned that used EV would have a degraded battery. 

The importance of a home charger grows with this used EV market place. Where the 1st owner of a new car is likely to have an offer at point of sale for the manufacturers choice of charger, as a 2nd or 3rd owner, you will need a charger that can provide the power needed to drive your vehicle. In a recent study, over 50% of dealers came up against the objection of not having an EV charger at home being a barrier to entry to Zero Emissions motoring. To find out more about the Lemac Chargers and how we can help charge your new or used EV, get in touch.

The BMW 5-series has been an important part of the brand range for over 50 years, and since 1988 the Touring models have been a key part of the range. The latest generation brings a new first to the over range of BMW vehicles with all electric models arriving to help increase the options within the brand for EV driving. 

Dynamically stretched proportions and generously designed surfaces characterise the exterior of the new BMW 5 Series Touring. Compared to its predecessor, the new BMW 5 Series Touring is 97 millimetres longer (5,060 millimetres), 32 millimetres wider (1,900 millimetres) and 17 millimetres higher (1,515 millimetres). The new BMW 5 Series Touring has the longest wheelbase in its class, increasing by 20 millimetres to 2,995 millimetres.

In the UK, the market launch of the BMW 5 Series Touring will also see the introduction of a Sport Edition across both the Saloon and Touring models. This new derivative provides an entry point into the BMW i5 range, which continues to boast a high-level of specification, with 19” light alloy wheels and Phytonic Blue Metallic paint as standard, alongside the comfort and sportiness expected of any BMW 5 Series model. The new edition offers unique exterior styling highlights, featuring satinated aluminium finishes, M Anthracite Headliner and Sun Protection Glass. The modern interior of the new model is finished to a high standard with a Veganza two-spoke steering wheel alongside the state-of-the-art Interaction Bar and Harmon Kardon sound system. Furthermore, the BMW i5 eDrive40 Sport edition is equipped with AC Professional Charging, allowing up to 22kW charging as standard.

At one point the was a choice of just two zero emissions vehicles for UK drivers - the Mitsubishi i-MiEV and the Nissan Leaf. Both could manage around 80 miles on a full charge in ideal conditions. Fast Forward to 2024 and now the average range of an EV in the UK is more than double this figure at 236 miles, and some models stating as much as a maximum of 450 miles. That is more than three times the average drivers distance. 

Every car segment now features an EV option from superminis to sports cars, including some key markets that had been previously ignored including estates and convertibles, meaning that drivers can now choose from 102 options for making the switch to electric motoring. The UK is now the second largest electric car market by volume in Europe, with just short of a million zero emissions vehicles, and a used market place that is starting to reflect the volumes sold over the last few years. 

The increase in range that has been fuelled by manufacturer R&D and improvements in charging, battery, and efficiency technologies that mean the current generation of electric vehicles make the most of the power in the cells. By removing the range anxiety barrier, more drivers will feel confident in make the switch to driving electric. Taking the average range, and then looking at how that would relate to a long journey, a UK driver could drive for around 3 hours on the motorway, to then take a break and recharge both themselves and their car before carrying on. Between cheaper servicing thanks to fewer moving parts, and "fuel" costs as low as 8p per mile, making the switch is easier now than it has been before. 

Key to any driver of an EV is having a place to charge, and fitting a home charger makes a simple, effective way of making sure the power si there when you need it, regardless of which car you choose. 

After launching the fully electric Q6 e-tron with the Quattro powered models last month, Audi have announced the specifications for the e-tron performance model. This highly effiecient model has rear-wheel drive and a 100 kWh lithium-ion battery (94.9 kWh net), the Audi Q6 SUV e-tron performance has a class-leading range of up to 392 miles (according to the WLTP cycle). This capability puts it at the top of the Q6 SUV e-tron family when it comes to electric range. In addition, the scalable Premium Platform Electric (PPE) demonstrates its flexibility with the first purely rear-wheel drive variant. The new Audi Q6 SUV e-tron performance will be available to order in the UK later in the summer, priced at £63,475 (MDP).