News Archives - Generation E HQ

9 April 2020

Flipping The Coin - An Event Success Story During COVID-19 Lockdown

Julie Wurtz News, Post, SMW Press Release 0

#smartermobility

#covid-19

#eventsuccess

#virtualevents

#fullydigital

#sustainablecity

#futurecities

#futureconferences

#content

#trending

COVID-19 Causes Chaos Across the World

COVID-19 caused mass panic and chaos for the events industry, as I know it has for many industries and lives across the world. The mention of COVID-19, or ‘the Thing’ as Roger Atkins and Robert Llewelyn have started to call it, ignites real panic and uncertainty for the event industry, as events are inherently built on the fact that people come together on a specific date, in a specific location, for a joint interest or mission. With the Thing it’s currently not possible, and for good reasons, to bring 100s and 1000s of people together.

But when we realised that the Thing was in fact coming our way and it was not just a virus that affected only those in China and Italy, we realised we have to make a plan to adapt, to what became a descent from a 100% physical event called Smarter Mobility World, to a completely digital event called Smarter Mobility World LIVE. I say descent because that’s what it felt like at the beginning, and it was like a steady descent as we didn’t really know how serious the Thing was back in February.

Generation.e recently hosted a fully digital Smarter Mobility World LIVE event from The Sustainable City in Dubai. The Sustainable City (or TSC as we call it) is where the physical event was originally planned to take place. The venue was chosen because it offers a creative outside experience in one of the world’s most loved sustainable city developments, built on the ethos of community and people centric sustainable initiatives. They are also active in smarter mobility and have plans to do even more to deliver and develop smarter mobility solutions for the world. So far they initiated a new government run bus service with the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority, and have designed an urban development that is easy to walk, ride, skate, run or gallop around. They’ve hosted an autonomous vehicle pilot study with BestMile and plan to run another one later this year with another autonomous vehicle company, they are developing an all electric car sharing programme, and they have installed charging stations around the city and most of the management drives electric.

“...we will be including virtual elements into all of our events going forward to ensure business, government, and consumers can join us whether they’re based in Cape Town, Cairo or Conakry.”

Ben Pullen

Co-Founder and CEO at Generation.e

Once we realised what the challenge was, after pulling together as much of the facts and figures around the Thing as possible, we actually realised that while we need to change tactics, this new plan of a fully digital event could actually be quite an opportunity for our partners, speakers, and Generation.e.

Therefore, we can replace the word ‘descent’ to ‘ascent’ as there was a new feeling of optimism and a realisation that the digital version of SMW could in fact be a really unique opportunity for our existing and new audience to engage with the summit, learn about smarter mobility, and network with key stakeholders around the world. For the speakers and partners the new platform created an opportunity to speak to a diverse audience from across the world and to demonstrate resilience and creativity during such a global crisis. Therefore, from here on I refer to the experience as an ‘ascent’ where we were climbing to a new summit that would enable us all to view the world in a refreshed way with positive lenses for how we can create even more impact through inspiring transformation to smarter mobility. With that in mind, the team, partners, speakers, and I began our ascent towards a better world.

We were driven to be able to deliver an event that offered some of the benefits that physical events offer, and to ensure that the two days could be engaging and fun. Our list of objectives for SMW LIVE included:

Be interactive for the audience and speakers
Utilise our amazing hosts to knit the two days of content, speakers, presentations, and session together
Retain the humanistic elements of physical events - which often revolve around mistakes, tech errors, and slightly awkward moments
Create more than just a ‘headshot webinar series’ as that restricts the audience to fully engage with the speakers and topics.

Over 18k peopled tuned in to watch the first Smarter Mobility World LIVE in March.

Organised in partnership with SEE INSTITUTE, COVID-19 risks forced the event to go digital.

The team successfully made the switch with less than 2 weeks to go. #digital #SMWLIVE #smartmobility pic.twitter.com/WRTwSZtvt5
— Generation.e (@generationehq) April 2, 2020

Lead the charge by joining us tomorrow for the Smarter Mobility World Summit LIVE from The Sustainable City on 24-25 March 2020, straight from the comfort of your couch: https://t.co/6O0KiWpWFp #SMWLIVE #AudiMiddleEast pic.twitter.com/co1LnJIrYZ
— Audi Middle East (@AudiMiddleEast) March 23, 2020

Therefore, to adopt this we decided to go for a LIVE event that would be filmed at The Sustainable City, embracing the beauty of the city and bringing the summit to life with a two day TV show.

However, as the Thing began to get worse, and it became clear that we would not be able to host any of the speakers on site we had to rethink how a live event would work if everyone was sitting at their house or office staring at their laptop or phone.

The solution: I would join the two professional hosts that we had invited to host SMW, and I became the TV Anchor based at The Sustainable City, at the SMW LIVE HQ. Roger Atkins (Founder of Electric Vehicles Outlook and most influential person for electric vehicles on LinkedIn) and Nicki Shields (Scientist and Presenter at CNN & Formula E) then became our global correspondents who would host sections, moderate sessions, and bring the event to life. I would be in the TSC studio with the backdrop of TSC, an Audi e-tron, and a Siemens SICHARGE Charging Station, in order to enhance the LIVE and interactive feeling of the two days.

Main highlights:

It was fun for the team and for the audience
We had over 50 incredible speakers join from across the world. We were honoured to have the UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment, H.E Dr. Thani joined us on a video link to give the Welcome Address. This was one reassuring example of how the world came together to make Smarter Mobility World LIVE a success.
Over 18,000 people from over 80 countries tuned in to watch SMW LIVE 2020, and more and more people continue to watch the show online today.
Our sponsors and partners were amazing to work with, adapted to the situation, and embraced the new opportunity as best as they could.
We have two days of incredible knowledge and insights that we will be sharing with the world (the full live versions are available on the Generation.e YouTube page now and we’re editing the footage to release the ‘refined’ versions this week)
The team and I basically had a crash course in running a LIVE TV Show!
We realised that digital should be in all of our events going forward.
1. To mitigate the risk of shocks to physical events
2. Generation.e currently mainly operates in the Middle East and Africa. In these two regions there are business and governments whose budgets may not allow for travelling to events in different parts of the world. There are also countries where the strength of the passports do not make it easy to travel to other countries for summits and events. Therefore, we want to make sure that our summits and events are accessible to all, regardless of budget and passport.

The Challenges:

It was such a steep learning curve for us that it created anxiety and a lot of high pressured work. However, this has been beneficial to our team in understanding what we can achieve when we embrace the unknown with hunger and acceptance that failure is part of the process.
The constant change started to become a bit of a joke for the team and our stakeholders, as we literally had a completely new plan every week, if not every day!
When the tech went really wrong (which was around 3 times) it was really tough for the team and the speakers

Key learnings and advice:

Find the best tech partner that your budget can buy, they will be needed! Especially when things go wrong.
Do as much tech pre-event testing as possible with your team and anyone that will be involved in delivering the event (speakers, partners, tech team etc)
Build a strong running order. This is the document that explains exactly what will happen minute by minute and the whole delivery team should know it inside out. When things are going well - check the running order. Not sure what’s happening next - check the running order. When things are going wrong - check the running order. The running sheet is the go to doc for everything!

The formula we used was ‘daring to be different’ and once we gained perspective of what it meant to be different, were we then able to commit to our idea. While entering the territory of the unknown it was important that we had the right support during our new journey. Our partners and sponsors were that support system we needed in order to forge ahead with a virtual event.

The truth of the matter is it could have gone terribly wrong, but luckily it didn’t. There were mistakes along the way but we quickly learnt to adapt and fix them in real time, to ensure the show could go on. The lessons learnt in building a successful event and business is to boldly face external threats despite fear or doubt. When there is an expectation to be different there is a high possibility that you will consistently be ahead of the pack.

When you take risks you have a story to tell. When you boldly face challenges you become brave. When you learn to listen to your own voice and shut out the noise, you start trends. The ingredients to the success of the event came from finding these characteristics within ourselves and as a team. The irony is that the much dreaded “C” word (COVID-19) or the Thing was able to give us and our audience a platform to “define the next decade of smarter mobility” in a way that we would never have imagined. While this is happening we have the opportunity to redefine the way we live, the way we move and spend our time, and the way that we embrace this beautiful world without causing it such pain and damage.

Really interesting and funny speaker doing the keynote for the conference today!

So much faster to do a conference in Dubai via videoconference than flying to the other side of the globe! https://t.co/tEVWQCxuCB
— Dennis Pascual (@dennis_p) March 25, 2020

22 February 2020

Electric Vehicle Road Trip Announces World Regeneration Challenge, As Vehicle Manufacturers Gear Up To Join The Line Up

Julie Wurtz EVRT Dubai Press Release, News

17 February 2020

Porsche’s first all-electric sports car Taycan gets unveiled in Dubai

Yash Agarwal News

22 July 2019

Dubai EV road-tripper on the benefits of owning an EV

Rebecca Cooke News, Post 1

When Salman Hussain first heard about Electric Vehicles (EVs) he was simply intrigued by the promise and ingenuity of sustainable transport. After doing his research on the electric cars on the market in Dubai, he took the plunge and became Dubai’s first Renault Zoe electric owner, joining EVRT Middle East (known as Emirates EVRT back then) for the adventure of a lifetime!

Behind the wheel of his new EV, Salman discovered an exciting new way to travel that improved his life in ways that he couldn’t have imagined before embarking on a journey across the UAE to prove the power and endless possibilities of an electric future for his country.

In fact, after his first EVRT experience, Salman enjoyed it so much he joined the convoy for a second time, making him an EVRT veteran. On this trip, Salman was introduced to a very special someone, the Chevrolet Bolt EV, a game changer in the electric vehicle space, combining reliability and affordability matched with great styling. Salman upgraded his Renault Zoe electric to become the proud owner of Chevrolet Bolt EV and they’ve been inseparable ever since.

We caught up with Salman to ask about his journey from EV road trips to Chevrolet Bolt EV ownership.

“I’ve generally been a car fan, Ferrari posters and all, but I was intrigued by EVs. The first time I saw an electric vehicle was a Reva in London and I was fascinated.” The REVAi, known as G-Wiz in the UK is a small micro electric car, made by the Indian manufacturer Reva Electric Car Company. “The first EV I ever drove was my Renault Zoe. I love the car, but it was the promise of sustainable mobility that prompted me to get excited.”

Salman said his experience of EVs surprised him in a few ways. Firstly, the pace of technology and the incredible leap from laptop batteries to the creation of a car battery that can power sustainable, practical and durable EVs. The Bolt EV is powered by the all-new cell and battery pack from Chevrolet. Spanning the entire floor of the vehicle, the Bolt EV delivers on both energy and power, making it a fun-to-drive car, on top of its green credentials.

“The Bolt EV is a natural head turner and I was impressed by the eye-catching finish, especially the interior which is spacious and comfortable for five passengers, a surprise when you see it from the outside. This is something I wouldn’t have expected but certainly fell in love with!”

Salman’s Chevrolet Bolt EV boasts a long range of up to 520km on a single charge, making it a viable, everyday clean transport solution. “My real concern about switching to electric was the range and I know this is a common concern for other people who are considering buying an EV – the thought of running out of battery on the middle of Sheikh Zayed Road was not something I wanted! However, the Bolt EV delivers long range reliability as well as multiple charging options, including a fast charge option, so my range anxiety has been put to bed. It has improved my lifestyle and I find my EV a big improvement.”

And when the time comes to power up again, Salman recently got a pin plug for charging, so can now plug in and charge from any electric output.

Another benefit that Salman noticed in comparison to an internal combustion engine vehicle is savings on his maintenance bills. “It was a big consideration when I realized that EVs are cheaper to run than petrol cars. The first check with the Bolt EV is at 10,000km, as with a petrol car, however it will require only a general check and a tire rotation, which is much more friendly on the pocket! The next service, at 30,000 km will need the cabin air filter replaced which will then see me through for another 30,000km. The savings for me are already tangible and this is a huge positive.”

When asked if he would ever consider going back to a car with an internal combustion engine, Salman says: “If I did not have the convenience of a charging station nearby I would have to, but you would have to force my hand!”

If you’re curious about how making the switch to an EV could change your life, we invite you to join us for EVRT Africa. It’s Africa’s first electric vehicle road trip and see for yourself the power and practicality of the latest and greatest EVs. Find out more here https://www.evrtafrica.com/

25 June 2019

Six steps to speed up Electric Vehicle adoption in South Africa

AAEP News, Post 0

3 June 2019

Everything you need to know about EVs in South Africa

Adam Workman News, Post 0

Drivers are increasingly going electric in SA – if you want to join them, here is a guide to the essential information

The electric-vehicle revolution is gathering momentum in South Africa, with modest beginnings starting to blossom into a full-on movement – something that will be catalysed even further by EVRT Africa in October.

According to figures revealed by South Africa’s Minister of Transport, Dr Blade Nzimande, the country had 867 EVs registered as of March this year. And that number is set to increase significantly with a number of manufacturers either entering or planning to enter the market.

Indeed, earlier this year, Jaguar Land Rover South Africa predicted that 43,000 new EVs could be sold in the country in the next six years, which would represent a phenomenal growth – time to get in on the ground floor.

Why should you make the switch ?

The most tangible metric is the carbon footprint of EVs versus that of petrol cars. On average, an EV is calculated to have approximately half the carbon footprint of an equivalent petrol-powered vehicle. And although South Africa’s energy grid is more reliant on fossil fuels than in many other countries, a move towards solar-powered charging stations will help to combat this disparity.

The cost of charging your EV will vary depending on the manufacturer and model. To give a ballpark example, however, according to CAR magazine, one of the most respected automotive media names in the country, in a recent road test, a full 95kWh recharge for an Audi e-tron 55 Quattro SUV at home would cost between R300 and R350.

Which brings us to the next vital question…

Which EV models are currently available in South Africa?

Choices when sizing up which EV to shell out your hard-earned cash on are, admittedly, rather limited right now. But the options are expanding all the time and this year will see several new models go on sale.

The latest contender to throw its metaphorical hat in the ring is the Jaguar I-Pace, the much-celebrated all-electric SUV, which has won numerous prestigious awards across the world since it first saw the light of day last year. Jaguar currently lists its starting price as from R1,687,200.

The BMW i3 is the market veteran, by comparison, with the charming little hatchback retailing from R658,500.

The Nissan Leaf, meanwhile, which was previously on sale in SA, is currently unavailable until the arrival of the new Leaf model, representatives from the Japanese carmaker told us. A date for that arrival is TBC.

So what else is next? The aforementioned Audi e-tron is mooted for the final quarter of 2019, according to CAR, while compatriot carmaker Mercedes-Benz is also preparing its competitor, the EQC, for later in the year.

Away from the household names, NeuWai, a brand of South Korea’s Songuo Motors, has plans to sell a new generation of affordable electric vehicles in South Africa from as early as 2020. Business Insider South Africa recently reported that the brand promised “fun-to-drive vehicles” that “make people happy”, which sounds rather heartwarming.

And what of the most-discussed EV brand on the planet? Well, South Africa’s electric-endorsing expat son, Elon Musk, tweeted in December that he hoped to have Teslas on the roads in his homeland by “probably end of” 2019. Keep your fingers crossed, then, for the Model S, Model X, Model 3 and, farther in the future, the Model Y and the new Roadster.

As it stands, the strict guidelines for personal imports of cars into South Africa don’t include any specific provisions for EVs. So for now, the best route for owning an EV in the country is buying one of the models mentioned above through the official dealerships (and reputable second-hand channels).

How does it work and where can you charge ?

Charging your EV couldn’t be easier – on the go, it’s simply a case of locating a charging station on South Africa’s growing network (either a regular station or a high-power fast charger), plugging in your vehicle and juicing it up the required amount.

The best way to find your nearest charging stations and plan routes using an EV is to consult PlugShare’s nifty website and app (for iOS and Android) – visit www.plugshare.com. PlugShare details information on charging plug types, network providers, locations where you will need to pay for charging and facilities at the charging stations, so you can recharge yourself as well as your four-wheeled friend.

Replenishing from the comfort of your own abode is even simpler – just about every EV manufacturer provided cables and connectors for home charging while you eat, sleep or Netflix to your heart’s content.

9 May 2019

The roadmap to accelerating EV and smart mobility adoption

Rebecca Cooke News, Post 0

9 May 2019

Electric dreams: my memories of taking part in the EVRT Middle East

Adam Workman News, Post 0

Ever since first getting my hands on a Tesla three years ago – a white-knuckle road test through the foothills of the Austrian Alps outside Vienna in a Model S P90D Ludicrous edition – I’ve been an unashamed electric car convert. As I write this, I’m awaiting a pre-ordered Model 3.

Living in Abu Dhabi, the timing was good: the first iteration of the EVRT Middle East landed in the UAE less than six months after my Model S experience, and although I missed that debut event thanks to a pre-arranged trip overseas, when the second helping hit the region in January 2018, I made sure to book myself in.

That first personal taste of the EVRT was, sadly, all too short, with work commitments meaning I was only able to jump on the opening stint from the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi south to the Tilal Liwa Hotel, a desert resort on the fringes of Madinat Zayed.

My ride wasn’t quite as speedy as that Ludicrous-level Tesla, but the 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV demonstrated that there is plentiful life at the opposite end of the electric-car scale, being treated to a preview of the car before anybody else in the Middle East. Accompanied by a revolving cast of fellow motoring journalists, under the watchful, knowledgeable eye of GM comms and product don Ronald Balit, we eked out the little Bolt’s relatively modest range – and my abiding memory is of the whole car gleefully taking photos of a road sign for Million Street. Said amount of UAE dirhams would buy you more than five Bolt EVs in the Emirates.

As the distance went up, the camaraderie did so incrementally a year later on the EVRT Middle East 2019 – this time around, I was able to commit to the 500 kilometres or so that opened the event between Abu Dhabi and Muscat. That longer leg meant that charging stops would become an important focal point.

The first drive saw me grouped with an eclectic team that spanned enthusiasts to industry and showed off the community-crossing potential of the road trips. American EV devotee Charlotte Omoto was first in the driver’s seat, entertaining and informing the other three occupants: myself, green lifer Ben Hill (former vice president of Tesla Europe, Africa & Middle East) and journalist Kyle Hill (of trailblazing US website CleanTechnica). One breakfast break and a team shuffle later, Charlotte and I were joined by the amiable motoring vlogger known to his 150,000-plus YouTube subscribers as Mr Mawater. The teamwork – and an impromptu pub-grub pit stop – that followed in our attempts to keep our Model S charged all the way to Oman’s capital were in fact so successful that we were the first road trippers to reach the day’s destination.

The beating-the-system feeling of locating a squirrelled-away destination charger in Al Ain for a top-up, just before crossing the border into Oman, was only matched by the team bonding that resulted in Omani city Sohar – it was there that we decamped to the aforementioned pub for satisfyingly greasy food and some rounds of pool while the Tesla’s battery refilled outside. You don’t get that kind of socialising at your local petrol station.

Quite aside from clambering into new EV models in a real-world setting before the general public and, for anybody who hasn’t previously been an owner, first-hand experience of the charging lifestyle, what really stood out on my two EVRT events so far is the people I met. Indeed, the friendships forged meant I’ve kept in touch with several of them. The spectrum of nationalities, ages and professions cannot fail to take you enjoyably out of your own social bubble.

Another continent is about to be conquered. EVRT Africa is set to add multiple new dimensions to the whole road-trip format, with rolling South African landscapes – and probably a few wildlife sights – providing the canvas. It feels like something of a new frontier in electric cars’ seemingly unstoppable spread across the planet. And that pioneering spirit seems entirely in keeping with the EVRT ethos.

1 May 2019

How electric cars can help South Africa’s electricity grid

Adam Workman News, Post electric vehicle, news 0

Rather than placing extra strain on power supplies and causing load shedding, EVs have an important role to play in the future of electricity

Load shedding has become a hot topic in South Africa. For anybody who is unaware, in a nutshell, load shedding is a last-resort measure used to ease over-demand on the electricity grid via scheduled temporary localised power cuts.

With electric vehicles beginning to make real inroads around the country and this October’s first ever EVRT Africa set to raise the profile of EVs even further, many South Africans have voiced concerns that load shedding could be worsened by the power demands of charging them.

Ben Pullen, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Generation.e, first experienced load shedding in South Africa in October 2018. He says that concerns that EVs could exacerbate problems are wide of the mark – and that the grid could actually be aided.

“Currently there’s been no load shedding at nighttime – it’s been more of a daytime issue,” he explains. “So you’ll charge your vehicle at nighttime and you’ll be fully charged for the day ahead – it’s very rare you would use all of your battery [in a day] unless you were doing a long-distance road trip, which is rare for the majority of the population.

“What you’re doing actually is helping the grid. The current grids don’t act in a way where they can flick the energy on and off when they like, so [at off-peak times, such as during the night] you have electricity being generated and maybe being wasted. If cars can start taking some of that load at nighttime, it could be good for the grid, because they’ll sell those kilowatt hours instead of generating and wasting them.”

The next stage, indeed, is that electric vehicles are set to be able to feed power back into the grid, as well as via related tech such as Tesla’s Powerwall home battery.

“Nissan is one of the leaders of that technology right now,” Pullen says. “They’re already doing pilots around the world where they’re applying vehicle-to-grid technology, which means it becomes part of the grid – when the car needs energy, it can charge, but if the grid needs energy, it can feed some energy back. While we have a small amount of cars, it’s hard to imagine the impact, but even if we had 1,000 cars in an area, if all of them had batteries at 60kW, that’s 60,000kW of battery power. The car could become a battery storage unit, which the grid desperately needs – across the world, storage is the big challenge with electricity.

“Tesla Powerwall would charge itself from the grid and then you would use it for your home when it needs it, either when the grid’s down or, most likely, because you’re trying to benefit from buying electricity when it’s cheap and then using it when it would be expensive.”

As the owner of a BMW i3, Johannesburg-based Maletlabo Handel has enjoyed plenty of first-hand experience of running an electric car in South Africa. The EVRT Africa Project Coordinator is positive about the future – and the present.

“Load shedding is still a challenge in SA,” she admits, “but this has never affected my daily commute with my electric car. I just need to plug in my car during off-peak periods and in the morning I’m good to go with a guaranteed fully charged battery.

“The infrastructure is slowly being put into place strategically in SA, and with solar-powered charge points, soon worrying about charging your car during load shedding would be a thing of the past.”

It has been theorised in the past that too many EVs being charged in a small area could cause blackouts, but that is, Pullen says, “a lot of scaremongering. Technically, it could be an issue if you had hundreds and hundreds or thousands of cars all plugging in at the same time expecting the grid to give them power, but it’s not a risk that we need to be worried about in terms of it making the grid collapse. The best chargers all have demand-management capabilities. So, for example, if you had 10 charging stations, they can be controlled so they would never be charging, say, 22kW at once, because 220kW is quite a big load.”

Much like the way we are investing in our planet’s future by switching from petrol to electric vehicles, taking a forward-facing approach to power supplies is vital to South Africa’s future, Pullen stresses.

“If something isn’t working as well as it should be, it doesn’t mean you stop trying to improve anything,” he says. “So, yes, there is obviously an issue with the grid to provide consistent and sustainable power, but if we start ruling out new technologies, the grid’s going to be so outdated.

“It’s really important to embrace electric vehicles, battery storage, renewable energy and smart meters now – anything that helps the grid be smarter. There’s so much more that you can do with the grid. The more that someone like Eskom is embracing these technologies, it can only be a good thing, because it means they’re looking ahead to the future. South Africa cannot be left behind.”

1 May 2019

3 Intrepid EV Explorers

Rebecca Cooke News, Others, Post electric vehicle, news 0

For 21st century explorers, electric vehicles represent a new frontier in overland adventuring. As the power and capability of EVs develops there are new borders to cross, boundaries to break and records to set for intrepid travellers.

Check out these intrepid EV explorers who conquered the globe one EV charging port at a time.

1. Wiebe Wakker

For most of us a road trip might entail a week of country driving, coastal roads and a few picnics in scenic spots along the way. But Wiebe Wakker is not most of us. The Dutchman just completed the longest electric vehicle road trip taking three years to drive from the Netherlands to Australia. He set off from Amsterdam on the 15th of March 2016 in his fully electric vehicle named the Blue Bandit, headed for Sydney.

The car boasted a 150kW motor, a 37kW hour lithium ion battery with a range of 200km and a top speed of 180 km/ph.

Wakker set out to learn as much about sustainability and electric transport as possible on his journey and made pitstops at organisations and communities active in the sector to “show the challenges in various countries and explore innovative solutions and ideas.”

“I believe everyone can contribute to a more sustainable world. I try to do my part by showing the possibilities of sustainable mobility.” Says Wakker.

Wakker broke records by completing the world’s longest EV road trip when he arrived in Sydney, three years later in April this year.

Find out more about his journey, his car and his discoveries on the road via his website, PlugMeIn.

2. Chris Ramsey

Chris Ramsey made history by becoming the first person to complete The Mongol Rally in an EV. The rally renegade took on the 10,000+ mile challenge from the UK to Ulan-Ude.

Chris Ramsey and his wife Julie set off in their electric Nissan LEAF on July 16 headed for Ulan-Ude in Siberia, via Mongolia, along with 340 other petrol or diesel cars.

They arrived on Sunday 10 September after travelling across the mountain ranges, deserts and the steppe of Europe and Asia with no back-up, no support and no set route.

Ramsey said: “Over the past 55 days we’ve driven 10,000 miles across mountains, desert and grassland and our Nissan Leaf has coped with it all. I hope our adventure shows Scotland has taken the right decision to be ambitious and aim to phase out fossil fuel vehicles from 2032.”

Ramsey, who founded Plug In Adventures in 2011, has completed several previous rallies in his electric vehicle including John O’Groats to Land’s End, London to Monte Carlo and Scotland’s North Coast 500.

3. Marek Kamiński

Renowned Polish adventurer Marek Kamiński has made a name for himself mounting expeditions to the North and South Pole on foot.

In May 2018 he decided to turn his infamous adventurous streak to sustainable transport by testing the limits of EVs with his #NoTraceExpedition (see below tweet). Kaminski set out from his home in Poland to take on the mammoth 16,000km journey from Poland to Japan in a Nissan LEAF.

He made it to Japan in August 2018 after crossing two continents and nine countries with zero emissions in the 100% electric vehicle.

In his mission to challenge the myths around sustainable travel, Kaminski saw the Nissan LEAF as the perfect partner. The car produces zero tailpipe emissions and offers a host of features including Nissan e-Pedal and ProPILOT semi-autonomous driving system.

Kaminski said: “For me, this journey is not just about reaching my destination – it is also about making a simple, brilliant change to be more sustainable.

At Generation.e we know that EVs have the power to shape the sustainability of travel and we’re making the journey to clean mobility an unforgettable adventure. Don’t miss your chance to take on your own EV adventure. Join us for EVRT Africa Oct 2-10th, get your tickets online now here: https://www.evrtafrica.com/tickets

12 July 2018

London’s Electric Revolution gets a Boost from Zipcar

Julie Wurtz News, Post 0

The smart mobility movers and shakers were out in force last night as Zipcar UK throws a celebration event in London's Soho. I caught up with some familiar faces as well as meeting a few key people helping to shape our mobility future.

This evening I attended a cool and very underground launch event for a product that I have personally been waiting for for a long time! It was hosted in a basement of 51 Poland St. which was accessible only through Phonica Music Store, a record store that looks like it’s come straight out of the 90s. We were gathered to celebrate Zipcar’s introduction of electric vehicles to their car sharing fleet in London. Yes that’s right, the company that we all know and love for changing the world and the way we view car ownership has made the much needed move to offer electric vehicles.

Tonight Zipcar celebrated the introduction of 325 full electric vehicles as part of the new Zipcar Flex Fleet which is now available in 10 London boroughs. Westminster became the 10th Borough to welcome the service and I hope that the remaining 22 London Boroughs join soon. I say this as I believe there is a place for a well operated ‘free floating’ fully electric car sharing service in London, which will help to reduce carbon emissions, pollution, and congestion. Furthermore, the 325 electric vehicles have the potential to increase demand, and therefore hopefully supply, of electric vehicle charging stations which will help bolster infrastructure as the capital embarks on its electric revolution.

I’ve been an E-Car Club member for a while now so using 100% electric vehicle car sharing is nothing new to me, but the significance of a company as big as Zipcar rolling out EV is huge. It will have a rippling effect throughout the industry and I’m sure that the other car sharing companies will be quick to announce the introduction of more electric vehicles soon.

The introduction of the EV fleet increases the amount of ‘public transport’ options that are running on electricity. These modes of mobility include the new electric LEVC Black Cabs which are increasingly being spotted on the roads of London, the fleet of electric busses which were recently introduced by TFL, and then of course the range of taxi drivers who have already opted for EV.

The event attracted a variety of the country’s movers and shakers making things happen in the smart mobility and electric vehicle space. I had the pleasure of meeting Lukas Neckermann as I arrived, which bizarrely was in the Phonica Music Store above the launch venue. It was the first time that we had met and I informed him I was planning to buy his book ‘Smart Cities, Smart Mobility, Transforming The Way We Live and Work’.To my surprise and absolute joy, he told me not to worry about buying the book as I could have the one in his backpack. He even signed it for me which was a cherry on the cake! I also caught up with the main man Mr. Robert Llewellyn from the Fully Charged Show who was hosting the event, Charlie Jardine the founder of EO Charging, Joe Seal-Driver one of the main contributors to the UK’s sharing economy, and Tom Callow Director of Communication and Strategy at BP’s recently acquired Chargemaster. This was only a handful of movers and shakers I managed to speak with from around 100 that attended.

On show were three of the VW e-GOLF electric vehicles which will join the other 322 vehicles as part of the Zipcar Flex fleet in London.

During the event Robert Llewellyn hosted a panel consisting of:

Jonathan Hampson - General Manager at Zipcar
Mike Orford - Head of Press and Public Relations at Volkswagen UK
Greg Archer - Director of Clean Vehicles at Transport & Environment
Michael Hurwitz - Director of Transport Innovation at Transport for London

Michael Hurwitz closed the panel by inviting government and industry to work together to unlock the number of benefits that are possible with a transition to electric vehicles - cleaner mobility options, an opportunity to contribute to the balancing of the grid, and creating the right environment for increased renewables to come on line.

9 June 2018

Demystifying EVs - Part 2

Afeez Kay News, Post 0

This is our second piece about the misleading information and propaganda about EVs. In this blog, we will look at performance and EVs’ real impact on the environment. In a nutshell, EVs are a lot more fun to drive than fossil fuelled cars and they are also much better for the environment.

Range and Performance

MYTH: EVs are for sandal wearing liberals who don’t enjoy driving.

FACT: The Tesla Model S P100D takes 2.5 seconds to get to 60mph. That’s comparable with a $750,000 supercar.

The key difference between the way an internal combustion engine delivers its performance and the way an EV does is torque, which, as any car enthusiast knows is key to acceleration. There is no torque “curve” as with an internal combustion engine (ICE). Unlike combustion engines, torque in an EV is a straight line, as maximum torque is achieved from zero revs. This creates a unique driving experience as you leave even top end Mercs behind at the lights. In a quarter mile race, a Tesla Model S P100D Ludicrous can pretty much beat any internal combustion engine car in the world in a straight-line race.

Environment

You can imagine where the rumours that EVs are worse for the environment came from! Though we can’t prove it, it smacks of a PR agency hired by an oil company and told to make EVs look worse than fossil fueled cars.

MYTH: EVs just moves pollution from the tailpipe to the energy source.

FACT: One of the main differences of EVs from fossil fuel powered cars is that they get cleaner the cleaner the source of the electricity. Plug-ins can run on renewable electricity from sources such as the sun, wind and hydro powered generators.

Even if the source of the electricity is from the dirtiest coal powered power plant, based on the ‘Well To Wheel’ study of EVs vs fossil fuel powered vehicles, EVs are still significantly cleaner over their lifespan compared to their petrol or diesel equivalent.

MYTH: Battery chemicals are bad for the environment and can’t be recycled

FACT: Most electric car manufacturers offer a 10 year warranty on the lithium ion batteries that come with the cars as standard.

After years of use in an EV, the batteries will often have up to 80% capacity left. This means they can be repurposed into energy storage for the grid, houses, or to store energy from renewable sources to be used during peak energy demands.

Even if the batteries have truly come to the end of their lifespan, they can be broken down, melted, and separated for recycling as at least 90% of the components of an EV battery can be recycled for future use.

Lithium-ion battery recycling facilities are now being built in anticipation of the influx of second hand EV batteries from the 1st generation mass market EVs including the 2011 Nissan LEAF. These facilities will take time to be fully operational as the amount of EVs on the market is still growing.

To be part of the EV conversation and find out more about accelerating the adoption of EV’s in the transition to cleaner, low-carbon economies in Europe, you can participate in Global EVRT’s ESCP Europe Electric Vehicle Road Trip (EVRT) and/or attend our E-Mobility Conferences in London and Paris…

8 June 2018

Demystifying EVs - Part 1

Afeez Kay News, Post 0

In the modern world where some of the news you see on TV and in the newspaper is possibly fake, you’d not be surprised to hear that much of what you hear about electric vehicles (EVs) is utter rubbish. In a two-part blog series, we will look deeper into these myths and set the record straight! By all means please feel free weigh in with you comments and opinions.

Charging and Batteries

MYTH: EV adoption will only take off with a developed charging infrastructure.

FACT: Most cars are driven in cities and only cover a typical daily driving distance of around 45 miles. An older EV range is around 120 miles, while the new Tesla Model S P100D now has a range of over 300 miles. BMW, Renault, VW, Hyundai Renault and Chevrolet are all about to sell cars of a similar range.

Most of your charging can be done at home. If you charge at home you wake up to a fully charged car and will hardly ever have to use a public charger. Charging during off-peak hours, the cost of electricity can be as little as 70% the cost of petrol.

There are different types of EV charging speeds. They are Level 1 (rated at 3 KW), Level 2 (rated at 7 – 22KW), Level 3 & 4 rated at 43KW – 145KW DC fast/rapid charging. Even the slowest chargers will replenish the average EV overnight, though faster charging units are about to be brought on line.

An ultra-fast charging network is being developed in Europe. The infrastructure is being jointly developed by four major European car companies and Ford. The network will be using the CCS (Combined Charging System) protocol that will be able to charge a 300 mile range EV to 80% in around 15 minutes, meaning that you can have a cup of coffee while the car’s being charged, recharging yourself for the next leg of the journey as you do the car. The CCS is nearly double the speed of the current fastest network, the Tesla Super Charger network.

MYTH: The grid will crash if everyone has an EV and charge at once

FACT: Electrical energy use has been growing ever since it was first developed. If the lights went out governments would fall. If we were all so community minded to not buy an EV to save everyone else’s electricity perhaps we should pack our bags and head out to live in log cabins and whittle spoons for a living to save the planet and everyone else’s electricity?!

The fact is that as our energy use changes so it is being matched by governments. One day we will not need fossil fuel power stations or gas pumped into our homes for heat. When that day comes the infrastructure will be in place to make it happen.

Cost

MYTH: Electric Vehicles are too expensive for market penetration

FACT: All new technologies cost more until economies of scale can be brought into play. In the 1970’s only rich people owned cars – now almost everyone has one. The same applies to EVs.

While the technology is expensive at present, there are government tax breaks around the world to support the EV production and take up. As global production and take-up grows so these tax breaks will be reduced and the cost of EVs will eventually be cheaper than their gas powered equivalents.

The purchase and lifetime operating cost of an EV is lower than an equivalent fossil fuel powered vehicle as EVs require less maintenance or repair due to fewer moving parts.

MYTH: Battery replacement costs a fortune to replace after only a few years

FACT: This again is a question of economies of scale. They cost a lot less now than they did a few years ago and the cost is still falling fast. For example the Nissan LEAF battery production costs at the launch in 2011 was about $750 per kilowatt hour, however by October 2015, car maker GM said that they expected to pay a price of $145 per kilowatt hour for Li-ion cells in 2016 the Chevy Volt EV.

They don’t die as quickly as mobile phone batteries. The Tesla Model S’s battery will only lose on average 23 miles every 100,000 miles.

8 June 2018

Electric vehicle 101 - Everything you wanted to know

James Wight News, Post 0

15 August 2016

Best Stereo Headphones

Julie Wurtz News, Technology news, Tech

12 August 2016

Android Entertainment App

Julie Wurtz News, Technology Tech

10 August 2016

Combine Different Monitors

Julie Wurtz News, Technology news, Tips

12 July 2016

NASA Space Rocket

Julie Wurtz News, Technology news, Tech

7 July 2016

Laptop for Designer

Julie Wurtz News, Technology Tech

25 June 2016

Organized Working Space

Julie Wurtz News, Technology news

3 April 2016

Personalize Your Screensaver

Julie Wurtz News news, Tech

Vero eos et accusamus et iusto odio dignissimos ducimus qui blanditiis praesentium voluptatum deleniti atque corrupti quos dolores et quas molestias excepturi sint occaecati cupiditate non provident, similique sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollitia animi, id est laborum et dolorum fuga. Temporibus autem quibusdam et aut officiis debitis aut rerum necessitatibus saepe eveniet ut et voluptates repudiandae sint et molestiae non recusandae.

Itaque earum rerum hic tenetur a sapiente delectus, ut aut reiciendis voluptatibus maiores alias consequatur aut perferendis doloribus asperiores repellat epellendus. Temporibus autem quibusdam et aut officiis debitis aut rerum necessitatibus saepe eveniet ut et voluptates repudiandae sint et molestiae non recusandae. Itaque earum rerum hic tenetur a sapiente delectus, ut aut reiciendis voluptatibus maiores alias consequatur aut perferendis doloribus. iusto odio dignissimos ducimus qui blanditiis praesentium voluptatum deleniti atque corrupti quos dolores et quas molestias excepturi sint occaecati cupiditate non provident, similique sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollitia animi, id est laborum et dolorum fuga. Et harum quidem rerum facilis est et expedita distinctio. Nam libero tempore, cum soluta nobis est eligendi optio cumque nihil impedit quo minus id quod maxime placeat facere possimus, omnis voluptas assumenda est, omnis dolor repellendus. Temporibus autem quibusdam et aut officiis debitis aut rerum necessitatibus saepe eveniet ut et sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo.

. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur? voluptates repudiandae sint et molestiae non recusandae. Itaque earum rerum hic tenetur a sapiente delectus, ut aut reiciendis voluptatibus maiores alias consequatur aut perferendis doloribus.

News

#smartermobility

#covid-19

#eventsuccess

#virtualevents

#fullydigital

#sustainablecity

#sustainablecity

#futurecities

#futureconferences

#content

#trending

COVID-19 Causes Chaos Across the World

Brought to you by AAEP

1. Develop a quota and milestone-restricted policy for EVs

2. Boost International Trade: Introduce Tax exemptions on imported EVs

3. Develop a preferential funding scheme

4. Replace canvas roofing by retrofitting with PV Solar rooftop panels.

5. Collaborate with other transport providers and networks: install Solar PV Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) in Gautrain stations

6. Put South Africa on the map as an EV-friendly destination through our Electric Vehicle Road Trip South Africa

Why should you make the switch ?

Which EV models are currently available in South Africa?

How does it work and where can you charge ?

What are the initiatives, drivers and policies in South Africa to accelerate the adoption of Electric Vehicles and smarter mobility?

Policy

Infrastructure and Investment

1. Wiebe Wakker

2. Chris Ramsey

3. Marek Kamiński

The smart mobility movers and shakers were out in force last night as Zipcar UK throws a celebration event in London's Soho. I caught up with some familiar faces as well as meeting a few key people helping to shape our mobility future.

On show were three of the VW e-GOLF electric vehicles which will join the other 322 vehicles as part of the Zipcar Flex fleet in London.

Range and Performance

Environment

Charging and Batteries

Cost

How?

Why are Electric Vehicles so expensive?

What happens when you run out of battery?

Why should we care when we have so much oil?

EV image and existence: designs are mixed, some look weird, why’s that? Not a great selection to choose from right now, when will this change?

Worth your time

Discover our events

Subscribe to our newsletter