Aftermarket March 2022

E lectrified vehicles made up 27.5% of all new cars sold in 2021, according to the full-year sales figures from the SMMT as published in Aftermarket last month. Of that number, 190,727 were battery electric vehicles, more than were sold across all of the five preceding years combined. They made up 11.6% of the total for the year. 114,554 plug-in hybrids (PHEVS) were also sold, which was 18.5% of the total. Another 8.9% of cars sold were hybrid electric vehicles.” While the sheer volume sold in the month was very high, the challenge now is to meet the increase with a commensurate upsurge in charging infrastructure. SMMT Chief Executive Mike Hawes observed: “The biggest obstacle to our shared net zero ambitions is cost and charging infrastructure. Recent cuts to incentives and home charging grants should be reversed and we need to boost the roll out of public on-street charging with mandated targets, providing every driver, wherever they live, with the assurance they can charge where they want and when they want.” London rapid charge point expansion urged London has been urged to fast-track its expansion of rapid charge points in the city. According to Zipcar UK’s 2021 56 AFTERMARKET MARCH 2022 TECHNICAL/EVS AND HYBRIDS www.aftermarketonline.net With EV sales hitting new heights in 2021, and the ratio only set to rise, the need for integrated charging infrastructure is becoming more crucial Sustainability Report, a major acceleration is vital so London can reach the target set in the Mayor’s 2019 Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Delivery Plan. This estimated that the city needs 4,000 rapid chargers by 2025. At present there are only 500. James Taylor, General Manager at Zipcar UK said: “The UK government has set clear targets for stopping the sales of fossil fuelled vehicles by 2030, with a focus on switching to electric vehicles, but there is more that can and needs to be done. We are at a pivotal moment to make urban mobility more responsible, equitable and sustainable.” He added: “While charging infrastructure has improved in the past three years and it is encouraging to see the government set out a commitment to support car clubs to go fully electric, significant further investment is needed in the infrastructure if we are to achieve our vision.” To read the full 2021 Sustainability Report visit: https://bit.ly/3rxHNho Wireless EV charging on the way? With recent studies showing that the ratio of plug-in vehicles to each public charge point has become worse in the UK in the last year as EV sales have out-paced infrastructure investment, a team of engineers at DENSO’s Electrification Systems Engineering Division are working INTEGRATION IS THE NAME OF THE GAME