Electric cars have a big future. Here, SSE employees explain what they think of one of the newest, the BMW ActiveE and one of our experts outlines the challenges they'll pose to the electricity network.
Six SSE employees based at its Perth site were each asked to test drive the car for two weeks and provide feedback prior to commercial roll out of the all-new BMW i3.
Dave Densley, SSE’s Head of Sustainable Development said: “SSE is heavily involved in the development of electric vehicle technology and infrastructure so it was fitting that we were one of a select number of companies that were asked to take part in the trial.
“The BMW ActiveE is a great looking car so it wasn’t a problem getting interest from staff to take it for a spin. However, looking good and performing well are two separate things so it was great to get such positive feedback which I’m sure will be of immense value to BMW.”
It is estimated that around 500,000 Electric Vehicles will be on Britain’s roads by 2020. Electric vehicles have a key role to play in the creation of a carbon free economy.
The BMW ActiveE sports coupé is the electric version of BMW’s 1 Series and as it is a trial car, is a left hand drive. It has a 32 Kwh lithium-ion battery pack and a range of 99 miles. The four-seater car takes 8.5 seconds to reach 60 mph.
Noel Cummins
Community Liaison Manager
Lives near Dunblane
“I really enjoy driving, it’s one of my favourite things to do and I was lucky enough to be chosen for this trial. It was a great opportunity to get involved in new electric technology plus I hadn’t had much experience with BMW’s before.
“I have a 26 mile journey to and from work so I was keen to see how the car performed. Once you get over the left hand automatic drive bit it’s really just like driving a normal car”.
Leeann McLeod
Contract Administrator at SSE
Lives in Blairgowrie
“I really loved driving this car and it certainly attracted a lot of attention. I liked the fact that it was an automatic, I had never driven an automatic before but it saved having to change gears all the time.
“My commute to and from work is normally around 34 miles a day and was definitely suitable for this distance and I would just charge it up overnight at home. I am definitely thinking about buying and electric car when I come to renew my current car. In ten years I’m sure everyone will be driving one.”
Alan Scott
Connections Manager at SSE
Lives in Cumbernauld
“I am really interested in EV technology so when the chance came up to trial a car which was still in development I jumped at it. I commute around 98 miles a day to and from Perth and found that the car was a lot lighter on the pocket compared to a standard car. Probably around quarter the price of an equivalent petrol car to run.
"It’s also a really smooth drive - quiet, comfortable and easy. I normally just charged it at the fast charge machine at work with a top-up from a domestic socket at home and it easily covered my miles every day. I was very reluctant to hand back the keys at the end of the two weeks I spent with the car"
Thames Valley Vision is looking at the increased usage of new low carbon technologies and the impact this is having on our network. One of these new technologies is electric vehicles and in this video Mark Stannard, Thames Valley Vision Customer Manager, explains more about the challenge we face.
Staff member Noel Cummins talks about his experience with the BMW ActiveE: