All Government-funded EV Charge Points To Be Smart
All Government-funded electric vehicle (EV) charge points will have to be smart by 2019, allowing the chargers to receive communications from electricity suppliers. This, in turn, will allow EVs to automatically charge when demand for electricity is low. To facilitate this, the Government鈥檚 home charging scheme will only provide grants for chargers capable of being remotely accessed and receiving, interpreting and reacting to a signals from energy suppliers. The key advantage of smart charging is that it reduces high peaks of electricity demands, minimising the cost of EVs to the National Grid and, in turn, keeping costs down for consumers by encouraging off-peak charging. The Government has also announced that grants to install charge points will be maintained at the current level of up to 拢500, unlike the Plug-in Car Grant, which was recently reduced for EVs, and cut altogether for PHEVs. At present, the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS) provides grant funding of up to 75 per cent towards the cost of installing EV charge points at domestic properties in the UK. Meanwhile, the Workplace Charging Scheme is a voucher-based system that provides support towards the up-front costs of the purchase and installation of EV charge points for eligible businesses, charities and public sector organisations. He added that the new measures 鈥渨ill give more people the opportunity to make the move to electric鈥? Are smart EV charge points a good idea?
German auto manufacturer BMW unveiled the all new 8-Series (G15) Coupe in June, 2018 at the prestigious 24 Hours Of Le Mans. The latest version of the BMW 8-Series succeeds the BMW 6-Series (F13) model range and it marked the return of the 8-Series nameplate after a nineteen year absence. Production of BMW's latest grand tourer began in June, 2018 shortly after the 8-Series was officially launched and ever since BMW have been adding new models to the 8-Series model line-up. When BMW first pulled the covers off of the new (G15) 8-Series Coupe, we at SteveSpeed ZA were left speechless by how good it looked and I am pretty sure that most petrolheads felt the same way. However, since then BMW have unveiled the 8-Series Convertible (G14) and more recently, the high performance M8 and M8 Competition, which BMW offers in both Coupe and Convertible form. However, if you thought that BMW were done adding to the 8-Series model line-up you couldn't have been more wrong, because the German automaker has just unveiled yet another 8-Series model.
This is it, what you are looking at ladies and gentlemen is the all new BMW 8-Series Gran Coupe and doesn't it just look superb? If you haven't already guessed, the BMW 8-Series Gran Coupe is the four-door version of the regular BMW 8-Series Coupe and it is the spiritual successor to the BMW 6-Series Gran Coupe from a few years ago. Inside, the BMW 8-Series Gran Coupe features the same interior design and layout as its Coupe and Convertible siblings. At launch, the all new BMW 8-Series Gran Coupe will be offered with a range of six-cylinder and eight-cylinder engines. To be more specific, in 840i and 840i xDrive guise, the new 8-Series Gran Coupe features a 3.0-liter, TwinPower Turbo, six-cylinder engine which delivers 335 hp (250 kW) and 500 Nm (369 lb-ft) of torque. Mated to the 3.0-liter, TwinPower Turbo, six-cylinder engine is an eight-speed automatic transmission which sends all available power to the rear wheels or to all four wheels if the optional xDrive system has been equipped.
As a result, the BMW 840i can sprint from 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 4.9 seconds, before topping out at 250 km/h (155 mph). In 840d xDrive guise, you will find a 3.0-liter six-cylinder, diesel engine which delivers 316 hp (235 kW) and 680 Nm (501 lb-ft) of torque. Featuring an eight-speed automatic transmission and an xDrive four wheel drive system as standard, the 840d xDrive sprints from 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 5.1 seconds and tops out at 250 km/h (155 mph). If a six cylinder powerplant is not potent enough for you, the new 8-Series Gran Coupe will also be offered in M850i xDrive guise. According to BMW, the diesel powered 840d xDrive model will not be offered in the United States, however the order books for the 840i, 840i xDrive and M850i xDrive are currently open. 2,900 to the base price. 108,900 without any optional extras. According to BMW, the new 8-Series Gran Coupe will start arriving in showrooms from September with first deliveries expected to begin in September or October. Has BMW finally created a proper rival to the Mercedes-Benz AMG GT 4-Door and the Porsche Panamera? Only time will tell of course, but we at SteveSpeed ZA think BMW is definitely on the right track. What's your thoughts on the BMW 8-Series Gran Coupe? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
Taking out a new leasing agreement can be daunting even more so you've never leased a car before because you've always preferred to buy your own Alfa Romeo instead. For instance, you may not have a full grasp of all of the leasing terms or you could be unclear about the stages of finding the right car and then signing a deal. Or you might not know much about all of the leasing options that are currently on offer. So if this sounds a little familiar and you need some tips to find your new leased Alfa Romeo then here are some guidelines to make your choice slightly easier. Firstly, you should make a lot of preparations. By this I mean that you need to figure out if leasing is the right option not just in your current circumstances but in the future too. When you have made this choice you should research the Alfa Romeo you may want to hire. You should consider all of the specific features that you want in your new Alfa Romeo, for instance: seats, doors, interiors, body shape, colour and if the car will match your way of life.