ecotricity
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Ecotricity disputes Tesla's fastest charger claim, loses
Tesla and Ecotricity, a British energy provider using renewable sources, have a rocky relationship. Years ago the two came together to work on Tesla's Supercharger network in the UK, but disagreements led to a feisty lawsuit and an out of court settlement. Since then the pair have been exchanging blows through the UK's Advertising Standards Authority; Tesla filed a complaint about Ecotricity's website that was ultimately dismissed in April. Ecotricity submitted its own concerns about Tesla's site which, in a ruling published today, has also been thrown out by the regulator.
Ecotricity to end free EV charging across the UK
Since 2011, UK green energy supplier Ecotricity has operated electric vehicle charging points for thousands of EV owners across the UK, completely free of charge. Running from Land's End to John O'Groats and offering connectivity at nearly every major service station in the UK, the Electric Highway has contributed 30 million miles and £2.5 million worth of free travel. In December 2015, Ecotricity warned that free usage would come to an end, but this week the company began the switch to paid charging. It costs £5 for a 20-minute rapid charge, while existing domestic energy customers can continue using its points for free.
Tesla settles legal dispute to put its Superchargers on UK motorways
One of the perks of being a Tesla EV owner is having access to the company's Supercharger free refueling stations. Knowing a widespread network of Supercharger sites will be key to getting British bums in leather seats, Tesla said late last year that within six months, you'd be able to drive the length of the UK on complimentary juice. While that may already be theoretically possible if you fancy chancing the journey from Leeds to Edinburgh on a single charge, we haven't heard a peep out of Tesla since January, when it declared 20 Supercharger sites were now live. Expansion is back on the agenda, though, with Tesla announcing fresh plans to build seven Supercharger banks at motorway service stations "to enable routes to the West of Scotland and Eastern England." These will join the 22 currently operating sites, with more additions to the network due to be revealed soon.
Ecotricity looks to break 100 mph barrier with Ion Horse electric bike, at Isle of Man TT (video)
More than two years after breaking the world land speed record with its wind-powered Greenbird, Ecotricity has its eyes set on the record books once again. This time around, the UK-based green energy company is bringing its Ion Horse superbike to the Isle of Man TT raceway, in the hopes that it will become the first electric bike to average 100 mph over the course of the one-lap race. Developed by a team from Kingston University London and constructed in seven months, the Ion Horse is powered by a set of lithium polymer cobalt batteries, allowing it to blast from zero to 60 in three seconds, before topping out at 140 mph. Its engine also boasts up to 100kW of power, which should help the Horse make its way around the Isle of Man's sinuous, 37-mile circuit. The bike cost some £150,000 (about $245,000) to produce, but if Ecotricity breaks the aforementioned barrier during this week's TT Zero race, the team will receive an extra £10,000 (roughly $16,370) from the Isle of Man Government, in addition to all kinds of street cred. The race was originally scheduled for yesterday, but has since been postponed due to rain. In the meantime, though, you can head past the break for a video of the Ion Horse during a recent practice run, followed by the full PR.
