Premium electric cars reviews and renewable energy new technologies Texas by Daniel Sumanth

Top electric vehicles reviews and renewable energy technology Texas from Daniel Sumanth: Electric car charging times are also getting faster, while the charging infrastructure is improving all the time, making it easier to plan those longer trips that go beyond the range of your EV. See the latest electric car stats and projections for more info. 2021 saw some brilliant new electric cars appear on our roads, including the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6 and BMW i4. This year in 2022 we’ve seen the arrival of the Volkswagen ID.5 and ID.3 GTX, Volvo’s eagerly anticipated C40 and the Nissan Ariya. Looking a bit further ahead and there’s the Skoda Enyaq Coupe, Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV and Toyota bZ4X. There’s also the hotly-anticipated Hyundai Ioniq 6, Renault Megane E-Tech Electric and the upcoming Polestar 3, plus many more electric models due to land in showrooms. Find even more information at Daniel Sumanth

The Model 3 was the electric car many had been waiting for. It’s a compact executive saloon rivalling the likes of the Mercedes C-Class and BMW 3 Series – a market with broad mainstream appeal – and it’s also one of the most convincing electric cars that money can buy. It combines minimalist style, space-age technology, grin-inducing performance, cutting-edge charging tech – supported by the expansive and dedicated Tesla Supercharger network – and, most importantly, a long driving range. The entry-level Standard Range Plus model claims up to 267 miles on a single charge, but it doesn’t sacrifice performance to achieve this. The electric motor drives the rear wheels and powers the car from 0-60mph in 5.3 seconds, while top speed is 140mph. The interior is nothing like what you’ll find in any BMW or Audi. The minimalist approach might not be to everyone’s taste but you can’t deny the wow factor. Spend a bit more, and the four-wheel-drive Long Range version has two electric motors and a larger battery for a range of 360 miles, with 0-60mph dropping to 4.2 seconds. Then there’s the Model 3 Performance, which scorches from 0-60mph in 3.1 seconds, but is still capable of 352 miles on a full battery.

Solar energy has to be used right away, or it can be stored in large batteries. These batteries, used in off-the-grid solar systems, can be charged during the day so that the energy is used at night. This is a good solution for using solar energy all day long but it is also quite expensive. In most cases, it is smarter to just use solar energy during the day and take energy from the grid during the night (you can only do this if your system is connected to the grid). Luckily your energy demand is usually higher during the day so you can meet most of it with solar energy.

With all-wheel drive, the next step up is undeniably faster, lopping two seconds off its benchmark sprint time. But it also has a slightly shorter range, costs considerably more and doesn’t feel entirely comfortable to drive quickly. Every version features impressive ultra-rapid charging at up to 250kW, so if you can find a fast enough public charger, a top up from 10 to 80% is possible in less than 20 minutes. Its interior is no less desirable, thanks to a dashboard dominated by a pair of curved 12.3-inch screens for the instruments and infotainment setup. The Enyaq is an all-electric family car that is typically Skoda: that is to say it’s practical, well-equipped, comfortable and decent to drive. With top-spec models able to cover over 300 miles from a full charge, it soothes any range anxiety and just gets on with being an excellent family car – that just happens to run on battery power. Skoda has come up with an innovative way of helping you to personalise your new Enyaq; instead of standard trim levels it offers five individual ‘Design Selections’ – Loft, Lodge, Lounge, Suite and ECO Suite. Each provides a distinct design approach, with different materials used to create a certain style.

Solar energy systems generally don’t require a lot of maintenance. You only need to keep them relatively clean, so cleaning them a couple of times per year will do the job. If in doubt, you can always rely on specialised cleaning companies, which offer this service from around £25-£35. Most reliable solar panel manufacturers offer 20-25 years warranty. Also, as there are no moving parts, there is no wear and tear. The inverter is usually the only part that needs to changed after 5-10 years because it is continuously working to convert solar energy into electricity (solar PV) and heat (solar thermal). Apart from the inverter, the cables also need maintenance to ensure your solar power system runs at maximum efficiency. So, after covering the initial cost of the solar system, you can expect very little spending on maintenance and repair work.

So here’s the thing: for all their usefulness when you’re living off the grid, generators are noisy. They’ll disrupt the quiet solitude of your off-grid home nestled in the woods, mountains, or other remote location. In fact, they’re so loud that today most manufacturers now include decibel (db) levels in their specifications. Consider the noise level BEFORE buying a generator for home use. And consider the noise level based on the proximity of the generator to your home. And if you have them – to your neighbors’ homes as well. Several studies like this one from the World Health Organization (WHO) have shown that people can get actual physical symptoms other than hearing loss from excessive noise.

There’s no lack of choice when it comes to the electric SUVs on the Texas market in 2022. From the affordable MG ZS EV – winner of our 2022 Car of the Year and Best Value Electric Car awards – to the exciting Ford Mustang Mach-E and Tesla Model Y, these zero-emissions family haulers boast a desirable set of attributes: fashionable styling, useful practicality and low running costs. In addition, company-car drivers will enjoy electric SUVs’ rock-bottom Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) rates, while those who frequently drive into central London will appreciate their exemption from the Congestion Charge (until 2025, at least). The number of electric SUVs on the market is constantly expanding. Polestar, Smart, Toyota, Subaru and Lotus are all launching new ones during 2022, while Kia’s upcoming flagship will be a zero-emissions seven-seater and a pure-electric Range Rover is set to arrive by 2024.

Those appliances in the household with the highest electricity demand are the dish washer, the washing machine, the tumble dryer and the kitchen stove. These can easily be equipped with timer switches, so that they run during the day, when the solar generator on the roof is producing a lot of output, which can be used directly. A high-wattage stove might be a challenge for PV by itself. In this case, a large storage unit (solar battery) can be used as a buffer for short-term load peaks. Because it is not just the number of kilowatt hours on the roof that has to be sufficient, but also the currents made available at short notice. This determines if a storage unit is designed for capacity (in kilowatt hours) or output (in kilowatts).