Michelle Little, head of propositions at So Energy explores the next big challenges as the UK looks to build on its EV momentum

New data suggests that the UK’s electric vehicle market has reached a “tipping point”. After years of gradual momentum, the shift to electric mobility is now accelerating into the mainstream, with global EV sales surpassing 17 million in 2024, making it one of the “fastest technology diffusion processes” in the history of transport.

The economic landscape is now also shifting in favour of EVs. For the first time, average purchase prices have reached parity, with some electric models now cheaper than petrol and diesel ones. Additionally, with scaling charging infrastructure and home charging innovations such as solar integration and tariffs, running costs continue to deliver meaningful annual savings for drivers.

There is no doubt about whether EVs will scale, but we need to pay attention to how quick this uptake is, and whether the industry is equipped to grow at the speed of increasing demand.

Transport is no longer a passive energy user

The growth of EV demand fundamentally changes the role of transport within the energy system. Transport has been treated as a passive consumer of fuel or electricity, largely separate from how energy systems are planned and operated. That assumption no longer holds.

Transport is now one of the largest emitting sectors in the UK, responsible for around 29% of total greenhouse gas emissions, with cars accounting for most of that footprint. Electrifying transport is therefore essential to achieving net zero, but it also introduces a more complex form of electricity demand.

Unlike traditional demand patterns, EV charging is dynamic, location-dependent and increasingly concentrated. As more drivers plug in at similar times, whether at home or at public rapid charging hubs, electricity systems face new peaks and pressures than originally planned for the grid.

Transport is therefore no longer simply drawing power from the grid but actively reshaping how that grid must function.

A growing cost imbalance in charging

The UK has made rapid progress in expanding its charging infrastructure, with more than 86,000 public charge points installed by late 2025, representing annual growth of over 20%. This expansion reflects strong investment, and a clear recognition of the role infrastructure plays in supporting adoption.

However, as the market matures, a more pressing challenge of the rising cost of charging away from home is emerging.

For most drivers, public charging is significantly more expensive than home charging, often by a wide margin. While home charging allows EV owners to benefit from lower residential tariffs and off-peak rates, public charging prices, particularly at rapid and ultra-rapid sites, can approach or even exceed the cost of running a petrol or diesel vehicle. This disparity is becoming more visible as UK EV numbers approach two million and reliance on the public network grows, especially among drivers without access to off-street parking and fleet operators with high utilisation needs.

The challenge, therefore, goes beyond simply increasing charger numbers. High energy costs, network charges, and connection constraints are feeding directly into higher prices for consumers, creating an uneven experience between those who can charge at home and those who cannot.

Without action to address the cost structure of public charging, the EV transition risks becoming not only an infrastructure challenge, but an affordability one – potentially slowing adoption among precisely the groups it most needs to reach.

Integrating EV infrastructure in the energy transition

Much of the UK’s energy transition to date has focused on decarbonising generation. However, the transition is not only defined by how energy is produced but also how it is being used.
Electric vehicles are often framed as a source of additional demand, but they also represent a significant opportunity. At scale, EVs could become one of the largest sources of flexible load within the energy system, capable of absorbing excess renewable generation and smoothing peaks if managed effectively.

Realising this potential, however, depends on integration. Charging behaviour must be aligned with grid conditions through smart tariffs and digital tools. Infrastructure deployment must be coordinated with network capacity. And over time, advances such as vehicle-to-grid could allow EVs to operate not just as consumers of electricity, but as active participants in balancing the system

Collaborating with policymakers

While EV uptake is being driven forward through ambitious targets and incentives, energy system planning and policy must keep evolving in tandem.

Transport policy, energy regulation and infrastructure planning must be developed as part of a single, coordinated strategy. Flexibility, accessibility, and smart charging must move from niche solutions to standard practice, from both home and public charging perspectives. Collaboration across all relevant sectors will be essential to ensure that growth is both sustainable and efficient.

Looking ahead

The UK’s EV tipping point is a milestone worth recognising. It reflects years of progress in technology, policy and consumer confidence, and it brings the goal of decarbonised transport within reach.

However, it also marks the start of a more complex phase of the transition. As adoption accelerates, the focus must shift from individual vehicles to the entire energy system.

If the energy system cannot keep pace, the consequences will be felt in higher costs, slower infrastructure rollout and a diminished user experience, especially for those cannot charge at home. Yet, if integration is prioritised, a cleaner, more flexible and more resilient energy system, with transport at its centre can be built.

Read more:
The UK’s EV tipping point is here – how does industry create resilience?

Chinese auto giant’s latest plan to build ‘in Europe, for Europe’ is poised to force the hand of some of the continent’s biggest carmakers, including the Volkswagen Group and Stellantis.

It was going so well until recently, wasn’t it? After years of lagging behind Chinese manufacturers with their oft-superior batteries and tech, European EV manufacturers finally looked ready to take on the best from the Middle Kingdom.

With their 800-volt architecture, the new BMW i3 and iX3 can onboard up to 249 miles of range in just 10 minutes. For comparison, that’s the time it takes to fuel your car, pay for your petrol, and have a wee at the services. Volvo, meanwhile, went one further.

Just recently, everyone’s favourite Swedish carmaker claimed the title for Europe’s longest-range electric car courtesy of its rather lovely EX60 SUV, which can manage up to 503 miles on a single charge. 

And in recent days we’ve seen a raft of new model announcements promising small affordable European cars, from European brands, for European tastes. 

Then China’s big boys threw a spanner in the works. 

BYD, who went from an ‘unheard of’ just a handful years ago to outselling Tesla in Europe in 2025, announced it will begin building a line of ‘Euro-spec’ EVs at its Szeged plant in Hungary. That’s not planned for the end of the decade, either. Manufacturing will commence this July with the Dolphin G plug-in hybrid.

‘Why does this matter, George?’ I hear you ask. Well, it’s a sign of serious intent by BYD, and for the most part, the Chinese EV industry.

By producing electric cars geared towards European tastes (as Kia has done to great effect with the EV4, and will do with future models), it shows that China’s carmakers want to be taken seriously.

While ultra fast-charging batteries are great, in-car gimmickry such as rotating screens, karaoke systems, and overly-intrusive ADAS simply won’t fly with European audiences. And good, too – it’s all a bit annoying.

To paraphrase Christian Horner, then, “fix your car, and we can go from here”. Given how rapidly the Chinese automotive industry has skyrocketed over the last few years, I very much believe they will, especially when it comes to screens and ease of use.

The tech is there. You know this. I know this. It’s now just a matter of tweaking the UX.

China’s march across the European EV landscape doesn’t stop at BYD and its associated premium brands, Denza and Yangwang. With its upcoming 7GT wagon, Geely-owned Zeekr has adopted a ‘Chinese car with a European soul’ approach to things.

The 7 GT is also an incredibly handsome and forward-thinking piece of kit. Not a surprise, really, given Geely holds Polestar, Volvo, and Lotus as just a few of the manufacturers within its multi-brand roster.

And there’s more. Last year, Xpeng – also known as ‘China’s Tesla’ – recorded a 127% year-on-year sales increase in Norway, the world’s leading market for electric cars, with a 97% EV adoption rate.

For reference, Xpeng didn’t exist until 2014.

If you’ve been keeping an eye on the EV Powered website and reading our magazine over the last month or so, you will have seen that Dr. Andy Palmer, a man revered as the ‘grey cardinal of the EV world’, said that the bulk of Europe’s EV makers will have to go into joint-venture partnerships with Chinese companies to shore up their competitiveness and ultimately, their survival.

And that’s precisely what’s happening. Stellantis has just confirmed that a raft of upcoming Jeep and Peugeot models will be built by Dongfeng in China, and that it will build and market Dongfeng’s Voyah cars in Europe. Meanwhile, Volkswagen is open to importing software-defined, VW China models co-developed with Xpeng to bolster sales. 

When asked last week at a joint-VW/Xpeng press conference if the Chinese manufacturer would be open to taking over any of VW’s plants in Germany, the latter’s MD for northeast Europe, Elvis Cheng, described the existing sites as “a little bit old”.

Ouch.

Yet again, it’s down to Europe to catch up.

Read more:
BYD’s latest decision is an all too familiar headache for European brands

The Internet has had much to say about the Ferrari Luce, most of it angry. We asked automotive designer Nir Kahn to cut through the hyperbole and get to the bottom of why Ferrari’s debut EV has caused such a stir.

It was all a bit silly, wasn’t it? Not the Ferrari Luce itself, but the blood-spitting outrage surrounding it.

When Ferrari launched its first all-electric car late on Monday night, to say it split the room is an understatement. And as always happens, the usual contingent were already lamenting the “death of Ferrari” before motoring publications worldwide had written up their reports.

Those of red trousers and matching faces decried its non-traditional looks as “a computer mouse on wheels” or compared it to a Toyota Prius. They also suggested that Enzo Ferrari, a personal friend of theirs, of course, would be “spinning in his grave” at the thought of electricity powering one of Maranello’s finest, rather than a ‘thoroughbred’ V8 or V12.

If you know anything at all about Enzo Ferrari, then you’ll know he’d not care for the exaggerated outpouring of grief and really quite cringy fawning. His primary goal was to sell cars to fund his race teams. Considering the Luce is priced from around €500,000, “The Old Man” would be laughing all the way to the bank.

Then there were the threats of violence issued towards the Luce’s designers, Sir Joni Ive and Marc Newson. Sure, the Luce is no 458 Italia, but to menace those behind what’s essentially a lump of (very expensive) aluminium and quite a lot of cow is pathetic.

That sort of behaviour reflects poorly on all of us in the car community. There is absolutely no place for it.

Finally, and my biggest point of confusion, is that Ferrari has said nowhere that the Luce’s divisive design language will influence its future internal-combustion models. Nor has it said it will become an EV-only brand in the future. So… where’s the problem, exactly?

To cut through the online noise and my one-sided opinions, EV Powered reached out to automotive designer, Nir Kahn, to provide some much-needed clarity around what’s already one of the most divisive and controversial cars of recent years.

Here’s what he had to say: “As the first electric Ferrari, the Luce was always going to have a hard time from people who are very passionate about the brand. The company seems to have leaned into that inevitable ire by making it not very Ferrari-like in appearance either.

“I don’t think that this in and of itself was a mistake or a bad idea. It’s quite acceptable for it to have a different aesthetic from a combustion-engined Ferrari.

“I think that what is bothering most people is not that it doesn’t look like Ferraris of the past, it’s that it doesn’t look like it’s moving. This is the source of the complaint that it looks more like a computer mouse than a car.

“Cars are dynamic products and especially for one with sporty aspirations from the most historied sports car maker on the planet, they really need to project motion in a way that static products don’t. This is what Sir Jony Ive and Marc Newson have seemingly failed to appreciate – they are very accomplished and talented industrial designers, but they are not car designers and it shows.

The Ferrari is not a bad piece of car design in its own right. There is nothing wrong with the overall design language, the problem is that it’s not very Maranello.

“It could have worked just fine for an EV marque selling an appliance, but a Ferrari demands a certain dynamism that the Luce lacks, and its visual weight is pulling it down rather than pushing it forwards.

“It’s not an especially bad design for a car and it has a lot of nice details and surfacing, but the proportions are wrong for a Ferrari and whether the keyboard warriors realise it or not, I believe that this is the source of their anger.”

Read more:
Op-ed: We asked a car designer for his honest take on the all-electric Ferrari Luce

Kyle Brown, CCO at energy data specialists Chameleon Technology explores how revolutionary charging systems can turn cars into household assets and help create a more flexible energy grid

It finally feels like we’ve tipped over the precipice into mass adoption of electric vehicles. With more and more green licence plates on the road, consumer understanding and opinion of EVs appears to have finally overcome the years of misinformation around EV capabilities and costs.

This may feel like a monumental shift – but the biggest change is still yet to come. The next phase of EVs means their recognition as flexible energy assets, capable of storing electricity and feeding it back into homes or the grid during periods of high demand. If encouraging the mindset shift from petrol to electric felt monumental, the industry faces an even bigger mountain in encouraging consumers to see their car not just as a mode of transport, but as a tool for home energy management.

The strides being made in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) functionality are key to the wider vision of a modernised energy grid: a free-flowing, flexible network of energy, where consumers store or feed excess energy back to the grid. This supports the necessary shift to renewable integrations and wider electrification.

This shift from purely transport to a portable battery will require the industry to really distill the benefits of this capability to the core benefits for households, including reduced energy costs, and improved grid stability.

Home energy habits are changing

EVs are becoming one of the most significant and fast-growing sources of home electricity demand. New analysis based on energy data from 48,000 British households shows that overall energy use fell in December 2025 compared with December 2024 – yet EV charging increased by 6%, making it the only household energy category to record an increase. This highlights how EVs are rapidly shifting from a transport consideration into a core part of a household’s day-to-day energy use.

For manufacturers, this shift presents new opportunities. EVs with intelligent, bi-directional charging capabilities can soon become valid tools for home energy management. Brands can capitalise on these new capabilities to show they’re building something different, something for the homes of now, not just the future.

One thing underpins this capability is real-time energy data. It’s absolutely critical for understanding charging patterns, battery levels, and optimisation, and to enable this next shift into V2X.

Transforming EVs into active energy assets

Re-framing the idea of EVs as ‘home batteries on wheels’ will necessitate learning from the original scepticism of EVs. Combating range anxiety meant helping consumers completely re-think how they filled up their cars. It took time, but with the help of special EV energy tariffs and shifting consumer habits, things began to click. The same efforts will be crucial for introducing this idea of mobile batteries with V2X. By framing EVs as a flexible asset for both transportation and helping to bring down energy bills, the idea is to open up the possibilities of what – and how – they can be used. We need to help buyers picture EVs as more than just vehicles alone.

There are a plethora of possibilities to unlock by turning EVs into active energy assets. But cultivating this V2X system relies on real-time energy data. Why? Understanding the amount of energy used, and the behaviours behind this usage, is integral to recognising how best EVs can become active energy assets.

For consumers, this real-time data will be a crucial part of incentivising uptake. For innovators, data overcomes any friction between an initial idea and proving the use case. If they can see how much energy an EV could provide to their house – and how much money this could save them – then they’re far more likely to become active participants in V2X.

Supporting grid flexibility and Net Zero targets

The aim behind vehicle-to-grid (V2G) is that EV owners can provide energy back to the grid to enhance its flexibility and efficiency. In return, these owners receive payment for it. Then, when it comes to vehicle-to-home (V2H), if consumers can see when there are surges in demand they can plug their vehicle into their home at peak times to avoid paying for grid electricity. It’s a mutually beneficial relationship.

Crucially, all of this helps to reduce the level of strain on the grid, while also plugging the gap when renewable energy supplies are naturally lower.

V2X’s success and scale hinges on industry collaboration

When aggregated and anonymised across tens of thousands of homes, the data collected from V2X could provide an invaluable resource for organisations in the sector. For example, energy providers could precisely understand consumer habits when creating their next tariffs, helping them balance demand and offer incentivising more tariffs to encourage flexible behaviour.

Full V2X capabilities are still subject to regulations and further innovation. But to truly unlock scale, the industry – whether that’s manufacturers, dealerships, energy providers or regulators – has to collaborate. With energy, each sector impacts and affects the other.

Real-time energy data can help paint the picture of what is actually happening in homes, and what is needed to move forward. If the industry collectively agrees on best practices and messaging, then V2X has the potential to reach adoption in a fraction of the time it has taken for EVs to reach the mainstream. This is the necessary bridge between consumers and OEMs; real-time, real human energy data is integral to facilitating V2X.

If the industry can collectively drive forward a cohesive vision of EVs not only as vehicles but as strategic energy assets, then the future of a fully-flexible, electrified grid is an awful lot closer to realisation.

Read more:
EVs deliver a home advantage in the shifting world of energy supply

As petrol and diesel prices continue to fluctuate, the benefits of stable, sustainable EV charging are becoming obvious, says Jason Simpson, CEO of RAW Charging

Fuel price volatility has once again put the cost of driving firmly back in the spotlight, with the average prices rising to  almost 158p for petrol and 190p for diesel, as of mid April this year.

This upward trend is causing real and immediate pressure on household budgets and day-to-day confidence behind the wheel for countless motorists. As a result, the conversation around electric vehicles is no longer defined by sustainability and is instead being increasingly shaped by affordability and control.

In other words, the uncertainty around fuel costs is leading more drivers to look at electric vehicles through a practical lens. They are asking whether EV driving can offer greater stability and a more manageable long-term cost base than constant exposure to fluctuations at the pump.

The shift is not a knee-jerk reaction to recent price rises, but part of a growing trend that has been building for some time. According to the RAC, 473,348 new battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) were registered in the UK in 2025, a 23.9% increase compared to 2024. The second-hand market tells a more compelling story, with a record 274,815 used electric cars being sold in 2025 – a massive 45.7% increase year-on-year. This suggests that many motorists are making the switch by opting for more affordable, two-to-three-year-old electric models rather than buying brand new.

In this context, EV charging represents a different relationship with motoring. Instead of relying exclusively on forecourts and being vulnerable to rapid changes in fuel prices, EV drivers can charge in ways that suit their lifestyle, whether at home, at work or while visiting retail and leisure destinations. That ability to plan EV charging around existing schedules and routines can give peace of mind, while also creating a stronger sense of control over travel.

This matters because consumer expectations are changing. Motorists want the confidence that they’re able to travel in a way that is both cost effective and environmentally friendly. A sustained period of fuel price volatility is only going to strengthen that expectation.

For the EV sector, this presents an important opportunity to support the UK’s transition to greener transport by embedding a high-quality, future-ready EV infrastructure. The industry should not assume that the debate must always begin with carbon reduction or technological innovation, however important those themes remain. There is also a compelling and highly relevant consumer story to tell about financial visibility and peace of mind. While fuel prices remain directly exposed to global oil instability, the combination of a falling domestic energy price cap and specialised EV tariffs provides motorists with a more predictable and significantly cheaper long-term financial outlook.

At a time when many households are watching costs closely, the practical case for EV adoption is becoming harder to ignore. Rising fuel prices are not the only factor driving the transition, but they are helping to sharpen the appeal of alternatives that offer motorists more certainty. In the current climate, that may be one of the most persuasive arguments for EVs of all.

Read more:
Fuel price volatility is changing the conversation around EV charging

George Watson creative director at global creative agency forpeople, examines where modern car design is going wrong and how car makers can reengage with drivers

In the early days of electric cars, spec was where it was at. The race was about who could go furthest or which car could accelerate fastest. But we now exist in a space where nearly every EV boasts similar performance, and features an array of shiny new tech. However, we often hear consumers complain that modern EVs feel colder, more complex and harder to trust than their petrol cousins.

So, with brands delivering near‑identical performance claims, drivers would be justified to ask themselves: what really sets one EV apart from another? The answer lies in understanding and designing for real people, not just engineering targets, the answer lies in focusing on experience as the new differentiator.

Experience‑driven development

A people‑first car doesn’t start with a list of features. It starts with a detailed picture of who will be sitting in it, using it and in what way. Nio’s ONVO L60 family SUV illustrates this. Launched in 2024, ONVO was conceived to bring happiness and good products to family users. Happiness is a measurement that is hard to quantify. But for designers it covers the core user needs, and from this point supports engineering the car around those user needs. Instead of simply stretching the wheelbase, they created a cabin that can flex between a mobile living room, a quiet workspace or a play area, reflecting the messy realities of family life.

This approach, sometimes called experience‑defined vehicles, goes beyond technology. Teams storyboard an entire customer journey from pre‑conditioning the car before another school run to how easy it is to charge at night. Designers work with the project team to create a shared narrative that everyone can understand and buy into. When done well, the result should feel like they were designed for you.

Simplicity over saturation

As EVs have become more digital, interfaces have become busy and distracting. Owners want fewer menus and more intuitive interactions. Rather than burying features in deep menus, the system should naturally guide the driver with hierarchy and timing.

Natural interaction can also build trust. AI assistants can learn drivers’ routines, speak in a friendly tone and use light signals, reducing the sense of talking to a robot. As vehicles march inevitably toward greater autonomy, designers should strive for more transparent, easily understood and empathic interfaces, which will be important as any sensor suite.

Designing for all the senses

Human‑centred design engages more than sight and touch. Our brains are not one dimensional, they interpret spaces through sound, light, texture and even smell. Subtle choices can create comfort or tension. Ambient lighting, historically just a decorative touch, now plays a significant role in contributing to safety and driver mood. Low colour temperatures have been shown to increase comfort, while higher temperatures improve driver alertness.

Sound matters too. Well‑tuned chimes, quiet electric drivetrains and natural voice responses reduce stress. Scent is emerging as a design tool as well, using natural materials and purification systems to evoke calm. Multi‑sensory design is not decoration; it’s neuroscience. It turns the cabin into a sanctuary and gives a brand a signature feel.

Experience beyond the car

Finally, a people‑first approach extends outside the vehicle. New EV brands are acting less like manufacturers and more like ‘experience’ companies. Forward-looking brands are investing in ecosystems outside of the vehicles that engage owners in an emotional and personal way – from community hubs to battery swap customer networks to lifestyle products and cultural collaborations. These touchpoints, some mighty and big, often small with outweighed impact, turn routine interactions into positive moments.

EV brands that design every touchpoint to be seamless, personalised and community‑focused stand to build loyalty that survives the next tech cycle.

Why this matters

The shift from performance to experience reflects a broader reality: EV technology is rapidly commoditising. When range and acceleration are similar, what endures is how a vehicle makes you feel, how you interact, experience and connect to mobility. Investing in experience-driven design is not about soft power; it’s an investment in trust and emotional connection that will drive advocacy and repeat purchases. As the original Mini and Beetle proved, cars that resonate on a human level can outlast any spec sheet.

Read more:
EV tech race risks leaving people behind

Lee Sutton, co-founder and chief innovation officer at myenergi, explores the increasing popularity of EVs, dives into the latest second-hand sales data and discusses what this means for the sector in 2026 and beyond.

According to the latest insight from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), sales of second-hand battery electric vehicles (BEVs) grew by an impressive 45% year-on-year in 2025. Hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) also saw a sharp rise, while plug-in hybrid (PHEV) sales reported a modest increase too.

Overall, the UK’s used car market grew by 2.2% year-on-year. Despite this, demand for petrol increased by a meagre 1.5% and demand for diesel actually fell by 3.5%. This suggests that used plug-in vehicles are becoming increasingly popular and, as a result, sales will continue to grow.

While the boom can be partly attributed to soaring demand for cleaner, greener vehicles, the cost efficiency of second-hand EVs shouldn’t be underestimated. Alongside enjoying near price parity with used internal combustion engine (ICE) cars, EV drivers also benefit from lower running costs and notably fewer maintenance requirements.

In addition, electricity is far more affordable than fuel as a day-to-day running cost when charging at home, especially when paired with time-of-use tariffs. Indeed, many EV drivers currently pay as little 3p per mile for electricity when taking advantage of off-peak charging. This means that, regardless of the new “pay-per-mile” EV tax which is set to be introduced in 2028, EV running costs are still much lower than those of ICE vehicles, which typically exceed 13-17p per mile in fuel alone.

Does cost come at the expense of performance?

While perceived battery life is still a concern for some motorists, experts suggest that the average electric vehicle battery can last almost 20 years, or up to 200,000 miles – a significantly longer lifespan than the typical ICE and far longer than today’s typical length of vehicle ownership. What’s more, while battery efficiency will eventually decrease, the average EV will lose just 2% of accessible range per year.

Significant investment from manufacturers has gone into designing ever-more capable vehicles to suit the needs of tomorrow’s drivers. Take the Mercedes EQS, for example, which can travel more than 450 miles on a single charge; or the BMW iX3, which can be charged from 10-80% battery capacity in just 21 minutes. Even a more budget-friendly EV like the Renault 5 can travel 193 miles before needing to charge – more than enough for the general typical home-work-home commuter.

Ultimately, switching to electric makes environmental and financial sense. What’s more, what used to be a major barrier to adoption – range anxiety – is quickly becoming a thing of the past. Not only are modern EV batteries bigger, better and more efficient, but drivers in 2025 have more options than ever for how and when to charge their cars.

The EV charging revolution

Data from Zap Map suggests that there are now 87,168 public chargers installed across 44,326 locations, 17,829 of which are rated ‘rapid’ or ‘ultra-rapid’. In addition, a further £381 million has been earmarked by the UK government for 100,000 additional chargers nationwide.

When it comes to personal charging, there are now upwards of one million home EV chargers installed across the UK, yet another nail in the coffin of owning and running an ICE vehicle.

At home, EV tariffs offer drivers a convenient and cost-effective option for drivers when it comes to charging their EVs on the driveway. Going one step further, households with a solar array and an eco-smart device, like myenergi’s zappi range, can take EV charging to a whole new level. Unique in the marketplace, zappi GLO is part of myenergi’s home energy management system (HEMS) – an integrated network of eco-smart solutions that collectively offer total control over home energy use. With the right setup, users can effectively charge their EVs for free using their self-generated renewable energy, benefit from zero-emissions travel, maximise in-home energy efficiency and achieve far greater energy independence.

As we look ahead to 2026 and beyond, one thing is for certain: the transition to electrification continues to accelerate. With competitive pricing, improved battery performance, greater accessibility to public charging and rapid developments in private charging technology, switching to electric has simply become the logical choice for drivers.

If recent figures are anything to go by, the transition to a fully electric car parc might arrive sooner than once thought…

Read more:
What does the future hold for the EV transition?

At the launch of its Volvo EX60, brand CEO Håkan Samuelsson described Gothenburg’s latest EV as a “new beginning” – it’s so much more than that, though.

After Volvo unveiled its smart-looking EX60 at an unsurprisingly cool and understated event in Stockholm, ‘car people’ around the world breathed a collective sigh of relief.

This group-outpouring wasn’t just because the EX60 is the all-electric equivalent of the much-loved XC60, the best-selling Volvo of all time. Oh no. The EX60 represents so much more than that.

To say Volvo’s switch to electrification hasn’t been easy, is putting things mildly. Under the leadership of ex-CEO – and former Dyson executive – Jim Rowan from 2022 to 2025, the brand sought to re-define Volvo for the 21st century.

Understanding what makes Volvo owners such a loyal bunch is key to understanding Volvo’s core principles of safety, innovation, dependability, and a much-welcome lack of bling ‘n gimmicks.

Yet instead of bringing these fundamentals into a new era of electrification, Rowan sought to transform Volvo from a car maker that uses tech to benefit of its customers, to a tech firm that builds cars.

This radical approach works for relatively new automakers like Tesla, BYD, Rivian and Xiaomi. But to radically un-stitch the (sustainably-sourced) fabric of what makes Volvo Volvo? It was a gamble that would never pay off.

And it didn’t. Volvo’s first crack at a ground-up EV, the EX30 crossover, was plagued by early software issues, and a general sense of ‘un-Volvoness’. The follow-up act, the full-sized EX90 – while now massively rectified and improved – fared worse upon debut.

Volvo’s debut Software-Defined Vehicle, or SDV, the EX90 was built around a big-brained Nvidia Drive computer… that didn’t work. As as result, the EX90 was delayed by a year due to a variety of software issues, and Rowan was promptly, and let’s be honest, correctly, shown the door.

To right the course of the Good Ship Gothenburg, Volvo brought back Rowan’s predecessor, Håkan Samuelsson; a man whose decade-long management of the firm from 2012 to 2022 oversaw some of the greatest Geely-era Volvos ever made: think Polestars V60 and S60, and the second-gen Volvo XC60 and XC90.

At his core, Samuelsson gets Volvo. Most crucially of all, he gets what Volvo buyers want. At the EX60 launch, the 74-year-old told the motoring press that the EX60 was “the most important car” for Volvo. He wasn’t wrong. It simply can’t afford another EX90-style debacle, in either PR or financial terms.

It was that same event that saw the EX60’s range figure steal the front pages. In top-tier, all-wheel drive, twin-motor guise, Volvo’s latest can manage 503 miles from its 117kWh battery. This remarkable feat single-handedly cast range anxiety to the history books.

While only three miles more than one of its main competitors, the recently-released BMW iX3, this headline figure makes the EX60 the world’s longest range EV (by WLTP measures). It’s also significantly more than the 406 miles that similarly-sized Mercedes GLC can achieve on a single charge.

Perhaps most symbolically, it was a clear warning shot that Gothenburg had very much learned from the EX30 and EX90, and awoken from its innovative slumber.

Volvo may have lay dormant for the last few years, but don’t forget that this is the car manufacturer that, amongst several other significant automotive firsts, pioneered the three-point seatbelt, crumple zones, the three-way catalytic converter, the rear-facing child seat, and side airbags.

There’s nothing yet to suggest that the EX60 will capture the very essence that makes a Volvo a Volvo, but it exudes a quiet confidence suggesting that all of the key components are in place.

Oh, and one last thing. Unlike the EX30 and the EX90, the EX60 will be built at Volvo’s Torslanda factory in Sweden, which has been building its cars since 1967.

Perhaps a return home and a return to normalcy were what Volvo’s EV programme needed all along.

Read more:
Third time’s a charm: The Volvo EX60 is a welcome return to normalcy

New EV tax plans were inevitable but their timing and odd choices around incentives indicate a lack of joined-up thinking

So, as expected, Chancellor Rachel Reeves has announced plans to hit EV drivers with a pay-per-mile tax.

In a move that was as inevitable as it is unwelcome, the Budget included provision for a new 3p per mile levy on EVs, on top of existing Vehicle Excise Duty (VED). It’s expected to cost the average EV driver an additional £255 per year.

The Government says the new tax will make motoring costs fairer and help address the declining income from fuel duty on petrol and diesel.

There is no doubt the current outdated vehicle tax system needs to change and that EV drivers – who have enjoyed a privileged almost tax-free position in recent years – need to pay their fair share. But the next few years are crucial in bringing more drivers on board. Hitting them with extra costs at such a tipping point seems counterproductive.

We know that the vast majority of drivers who go electric never switch back. They’re happy with the ease of use, refinement and lower running costs. Even with this new tax, it’s likely that most EV owners will stick with electric.

But higher taxes are the kind of policy that will put off those that are still on the fence.

Having a government tell people to buy an EV, offer them cash incentives to do so, then tell them they’ll be hit with a new tax if they do sends wildly mixed messages.

In raw numbers, EVs will still be cheaper per-mile to run than an ICE car, but for drivers undecided about making the switch, it lessens the economic appeal. The Office for Budget Responsibility estimates that a pay-per-mile tax will shrink projected new EV sales by 440,000 over the next five years.

That’s a major slow down in demand, even if other incentives will partially offset it.

On those other incentives, it feels like the government has missed a trick.

More money for the Electric Car Grant is welcome. Manufacturers say it is clearly helping drive up EV sales, so extra funding and a years’ extension are both good news. So too is the lifting of the Expensive Car Supplement threshold. Cars, not just EVs, have rocketed in price since the “luxury car tax” was introduced and it seems ridiculous it has taken eight years to realign it.

However, all of these incentives are focused on the brand-new market. There was no mention in the Budget of support for the used sector.

The UK’s secondhand car market is more than three times the size of the new car market. If the Government really wants people to get into EVs, it should be incentivising used models just as much as brand new.

Perhaps some of that extra £1.3bn for the ECG could have been put to better use helping those who can’t afford brand-new to pick from the growing pool of excellent used EVs.

Read more:
Mixed messages and missed opportunities in Reeves’ Budget

EV drivers and fleet managers face a Wild West of opaque public charging prices, and it’s time for a change, argues Martijn Versteegen, CEO at car imaging specialists IMAGIN.studio.

Imagine driving a petrol car and the tank is nearly empty, but the prices on the petrol station forecourt signs are blank. You pull over, fill up, and the attendant shrugs, saying, “The bill will follow later.” When the invoice finally arrives, you’re astonished. A litre cost £5, yet at the station just five hundred meters down the road, it was only £1.35. Unacceptable? Absolutely.

Yet, this is the daily, frustrating reality for the EV driver, and a reality few are talking about. Welcome to the ‘Wild West’ of charging prices.

Fleet managers know this best. The promise of electric driving is beautiful: clean, quiet, and a low cost per mile. But in practice, public charging has become a financial minefield. Without warning, you might pay 45p per kWh at one moment, only to be jolted by a rate of closer to £1 in a sudden bout of fast-charging panic.

Who sets this price? The charging point operator? The charging card provider? It’s an opaque mess of parties, roaming fees, and hidden surcharges. This fundamental lack of transparency is the elephant in the electric vehicle room, and in the meantime, various businesses are profiting from the confusion.

The imperative for visual clarity

New regulations aim to change this, mandating prices to be displayed at the station and requiring bank card payment options. This is fantastic in principle, but implementation is proving slow. Some charging points are “future-proof”, others are far from it. Meanwhile, the consumer and the fleet manager feel powerless. You can’t refuse the invoice, but the persistent feeling that you’re paying a premium for an unpredictable service continues to erode confidence.

This isn’t just a consumer problem; it’s a critical issue for leasing companies and fleet managers who need cost predictability to manage budgets.

The key to unlocking the true potential of the EV revolution lies not just in regulation, but in immediate, crystal-clear communication.

We must demand systems that provide unambiguous, visually consistent information. This clarity must extend beyond the simple price on the station to every point of sale and communication. Whether a driver is checking a cost-estimation app, a fleet manager is viewing a dashboard, or a car buyer is configuring a vehicle online, the data -including the fluctuating cost structures -must be presented without ambiguity.

The solution requires advanced systems that prioritise data fidelity and visual consistency, ensuring that a price or a feature is represented accurately, in real-time, across all platforms. Only when we standardise and clarify the visual presentation of these complex, real-time variables can we rein in the charging cowboys. Then electric driving will truly deliver the predictable and affordable future it promises to be.

Read more:
The secret life of the charging price