Fully Charged Live is back for another year, with the festival of electric vehicles promising to be bigger, better and more electrifying than before.

At the time of writing, the event was trending on Twitter, so it must be doing something right.

If you’re not familiar with Fully Charged Live, it’s where the UK’s clean tech and renewable energy businesses gather at the home of British motorsport to showcase their latest products and services.

Our man Richard Aucock is at Silverstone and is reporting heavy rain but huge crowds at the opening day, but he says that Saturday is likely to be even busier. Ticket sales are up 60 percent, as the nation wakes up to the potential of green motoring.

The man behind Fully Charged Live is Red Dwarf star turned green advocate Robert Llewellyn, who is joined by motoring’s Jonny Smith, television’s Maddie Moate, radio’s Mark Goodier and physicist Helen Czerski.

Trying hard not to be starstruck, Richard has been wandering around the event, taking photographs and chatting with visitors. He dragged himself away from the Fully Charged merchandise stand (he can’t resist a good baseball cap) to deliver his five highlights of the first morning.

Electric vehicle overload

At Fully Charged Live, you’ll find EVERY electric vehicle available in the UK, with 200 EVs shuttling guests to the Silverstone Wing. Fortunately, Richard is driving to and from the event in a Jaguar I-Pace, so he won’t be feeling guilty on the way home this evening.

Why, hello there, 2019 @WorldCarAwards triple-winner! pic.twitter.com/JGAoAierT8

— Richard Aucock (@richardaucock) June 7, 2019

Aston Martin Rapide E

Fresh from its dynamic debut in Monaco, the Aston Martin Rapide E is here at Fully Charged Live in what is almost an ambassadorial role for electric cars in general. Well, if it’s good enough for Bond, it’s good enough for showgoers at Silverstone.

Although we suspect the majority of the visitors will be more interested in range and charging times, we’re going to focus on the 612hp and 701lb ft of torque available to the 155 lucky owners. Most have been snapped up, but some cars are still available. We wonder if they’ll have gone by the time Fully Charged Live closes its doors on Sunday evening?

A new 150kW rapid charger

You know how some celebrities open village fetes or unveil new cars? Well, Robert Llewellyn was on hand to pull the wraps off BP Chargemaster’s new 150kW rapid charger. Never one to miss a photo opportunity, AA president Edmund King was pictured with an Audi E-tron SUV.

With our friends from ⁦@BPChargemaster⁩ at #FullyChargedLIVE pic.twitter.com/BinKhUNeMS

— Edmund King OBE (@AAPresident) June 7, 2019

The charging points – which look suspiciously like traditional petrol pumps – will be coming to a BP forecourt near you from July. We say ‘near you’, but BP Chargemaster hasn’t confirmed which forecourts will be the first to receive the new ultra-fast chargers.

Electric Ferrari 308

It looks like a standard Ferrari 308, but rather than having a V8 engine, this one is powered by an electric motor from a Tesla. Well, did you expect to find a conventional V8 engine at Fully Charged Live?

It’s the work of Electrifi, a division of Crowley Carbon, a company investing €50 million in a range of high-performance electric cars. The Irish firm will take cars from the likes of Ferrari, Lamborghini and Aston Martin, then modify them with the latest Tesla batteries and motors.

Tesla Model 3

Thanks to its 329 miles of range, Fully Charged Live is calling the Tesla Model 3 a “game-changing” electric car, but the days of Tesla having things its own ways are long gone. Now, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar and the like are lining up to take a large slice of the EV pie.

The most eye-catching thing about the Model 3 is the interior. It’s minimalist to the point of emptiness. Just the things you need and none of the things you don’t, with everything accessible via the giant landscape touchscreen. Still, at least it has a pair of conventional cupholders.

Hot off the press is the news that the Model 3 will receive an over-the-air update this weekend, allowing all-wheel-drive versions to be charged at 200kW. Big news, that.

We’ll provide further updates from Fully Charged Live after Richard has finished stocking up on baseball caps. Rumour has it, he’s also going to interview Robert Llewellyn. Don’t forget to ask for his autograph, Richard.

The new car finance market fell by two percent in value and seven percent in volume in April, according to figures released by the Finance and Leasing Association (FLA).

Meanwhile, the percentage of private new car sales financed by FLA members through the point of sale (POS) was 91 percent in the 12 months to April 2019.

New car registrations fell by 4.1 percent in April due to a plunge in private buyer demand of more than 10 percent.

Fleet car sales were up 2.9 percent, but this wasn’t enough to avoid it being the second-worst April for registrations since 2012. Mike Hawes, Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) chief executive, said the declining market was “of clear concern”.

But while the new car market continues to struggle, there’s better news for the used car sector, with FLA reporting a four percent increase in value and a one percent rise in volume.

‘Subdued consumer confidence’

Geraldine Kilkelly, head of research and chief economist at the FLA, said: “Trends in the POS consumer new car finance market continued to reflect private new car sales.

“Subdued consumer confidence has also contributed to a slowdown in the POS consumer used car finance market in recent months.”

“However, new business volumes overall in the first four months of 2019 held steady compared with the same period in 2018.”

Earlier this week, the SMMT revealed figures showing another month of decline, with new car registrations down 4.6 percent in May. Diesel registrations were down for the 26th consecutive month.

Mike Hawes said: “Confusing policy messages and changes to incentives continue to affect consumer and business confidence causing drivers to keep hold of their older, more polluting vehicles for longer.”

In 2010, Südwestbank launched a classic car index to compare the performance of South German classic cars with other forms of investment. The index includes 20 classics built by Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, BMW and Opel, with the bank reporting that demand for historic vehicles remains high. Here, we reveal the performance of 16 of the classics, highlighting the increase in values since 2005.

Mercedes-Benz 230 SL (W113)

As the bank points out, past performance is not a reliable indicator of future trends, but with a valuation of €56,000 (£50,000), the value of Mercedes-Benz 230 SL ‘Pagoda’ has increased by 119.61 percent since 2005.

Mercedes-Benz 280 SL (R107)

Interestingly, the German leading index DAX has risen by 148.09 percent since 2005, but the Südwestbank classic car index gained 453.98 percent in the same period. Today, a Mercedes-Benz 280 SL is worth €22,500 (£20,000) – an increase of 136.84 percent since 2005.

Mercedes-Benz 250 CE

Jens Berner, classic car expert at Südwestbank, said: “From a return point of view, the purchase of a classic car only makes sense from a price of around 100,000 euros. So the experts of the Südwestbank advise investing in classic cars only as a mixture of the total assets.” The 250 CE is worth €12,500 (£11,000) – an increase of 151 percent.

Porsche 944

The Porsche 944 is one of just two cars in the classic car index to be worth less than €10,000, according to Südwestbank. That said, at €9,850 (£8,700), the 944 is still worth 181.43 percent more today than it was in 2005.

BMW Isetta 250

The calculation is based on an evaluation of the price data of the specialist car magazine Motor Klassik. The little BMW Isetta 250 is worth €14,800 (£13,000) today, an increase of 196 percent. Not bad for a microcar.

Mercedes-Benz 450 SEL (W116)

In relative terms, the mighty 6.9-litre Mercedes-Benz 450 SEL remains a bargain, with an index price of €14,900 (£13,000). That’s a small price to pay for what was, at its unveiling in 1974, one of the most advanced vehicles on the planet.

Mercedes-Benz 190 SL (W121)

Values of the Mercedes-Benz 190 SL are hovering around the magic €100,000 mark quoted by Südwestbank as being worthy of an investment. Today, you’ll pay around €99,500 (£88,000), which is 201.52 percent more than you’d have paid in 2005.

Porsche 356 C

We should point out the realities of relying on a classic car to provide a decent return on your investment. Because while you can sit back and watch your stocks and shares make a mint (or not), keeping a classic car in good condition requires time, effort and cash. So while a Porsche 356 C might be worth 215.91 percent more than the price you paid in 2005, you would have splashed out on insurance, maintenance and fuel.

Opel Kadett C GT/E

There’s also the stark reality that the bottom could fall out of the classic car market. It’s happened before and it could happen again. Meanwhile, cars like the Opel Kadett GT/E are riding on a crest of nostalgia, with modern buyers reliving their youth courtesy of the cars driven by their parents. A €12,100 (£11,000) valuation represents a 222.67 percent growth.

Porsche 911 SC 3.0

You also need the money to invest in the car, the expertise required to buy the right one, and somewhere to store the car. You’ll make the most money if the mileage is kept low. The Porsche 911 SC 3.0 from 1977 to 1980 is worth €35,500 (£31,000) – an increase of 222.73 percent.

Opel Manta B GT/E

The cheapest vehicle in the classic car index also happens to be one of the coolest. The second-generation Manta GT/E was Opel’s answer to the Ford Capri, and it’s worth around €8,650 (£7,700) in Germany. That’s an increase of 284.44 percent. Manta, Manta, Manta!

BMW 635 CSI

If we could ‘do a Cher’ and turn back time, we’d definitely go back to 2005 to buy the following five cars. The value of a BMW 653 CSI has increased by 330.59 percent to €18,300 (£16,000) …

Mercedes-Benz 300 SL

While you’ll pay a massive €966,000 (£850,000) for the iconic Mercedes-Benz 300 SL – an increase of 360 percent. At such a high price, is there room for further growth?

BMW 2002

But while you’ll require around a million euros to secure some ‘gullwing’ action, the BMW 2002 is a tad more affordable. Furthermore, with an increase of 395 percent, the return on investment is actually better than the 300 SL.

Porsche 911

Like fast Fords and Peugeot 205 GTIs, the values of classic Porsche 911s have been on the rise for a while, but a 740.63 percent increase for the 911 (1964 to 1967) is eye-watering all the same.

BMW 507

If you bought a BMW 507 in 2005, give yourself a pat on the back and treat yourself to a nice holiday in Bavaria. Values are up 812.70 percent since 2005, with a 507 costing around €1,725,000 (£1,500,000) in 2019.

A ‘major discrepancy’ between official petrol car CO2 emissions and real-life on-road testing has led an independent emissions testing agency to warn of an emerging ‘petrolgate’ scandal.

Emissions Analytics has discovered ‘unusual discrepancies’ during testing of petrol cars, which could suggest some firms are already manipulating strict new WLTP emissions and economy tests.

Official CO2 figures for petrol cars tested by the firm are ‘significantly underestimating the real-world emissions’. It suggests a 24 percent difference between official CO2 figures and real-world tests.

Four years ago, university researchers uncovered a similar difference when testing diesel Volkswagens, in what was quickly dubbed the ‘dieselgate’ scandal.

Ironically, real-world testing of the latest diesel cars shows they are broadly in line with official CO2 figures.

What are carmakers being accused of?

Emissions Analytics says ‘optimisation of the lab-based WLTP test has already set in, with carmakers adapting petrol vehicles to perform better in the WLTP test than they do on the road’. 

Under the tougher WLTP test, CO2 values for diesel cars tested by the firm rose over the older, discredited NEDC test, to 175g/km. This is close to the Emissions Analytics ‘real world’ average of 173g/km. 

But the figure for petrol cars actually fell to 151g/km CO2. This is far below the Emissions Analytics figure of 185g/km. 

“With the increased market share of petrol vehicles post-dieselgate, reduced CO2 emissions from these vehicles make the most impact in meeting fleet average emissions targets,” said Emissions Analytics CEO, Nick Molden

“This would make WLTP questionable as a source for gathering actionable data.”

An overly-complex switch to new WLTP economy and emissions testing is helping disguise the trend, “making it hard for any consumer to know what to believe,” added Molden.

Manufacturers may have got their house in order over diesel, he said, but “the same cannot be said for petrol.

“The reasons for this discrepancy bring back worrying echoes of the previous, discredited official rating system.”

Customer confusion

Official fuel economy and CO2 figures are in a “confusing phase” as car makers switch from the old NEDC test to the new WLTP test.

All new cars sold should now be certified to the latest WLTP test. Published fuel economy figures are based on the WLTP test.

Bizarrely, though, average CO2 figures are still based on the old, far more lenient NEDC test – and are not due to switch over until 2021.

“Unquestionably, this means the system is still open to manipulation,” said Molden. It “leads to consumer confusion, which is hardly what you might expect almost four years on from dieselgate.”

Molden says independent real-world testing of new car economy and emissions is “urgently required to address the shortfalls of the testing framework”.

Ships operated by the world’s largest luxury cruise operator emitted nearly 10 TIMES more sulphur oxide (SOx) around Europe’s coastline than all 260 million European cars in 2017.

Carnival Corporation, which operates 47 cruise ships, is the worst offender, followed by Roya Caribbean Cruises, the second largest operator, which emits SOx levels four times worse than the European car fleet.

This report by Transport & Environment revealed that Spain, Italy and Greece are the countries most at risk, followed by France and Norway. As major tourist destinations, these countries are exposed to dangerous levels of SOx air pollution from cruise liners, but less stringent marine sulphur fuel standards allow ships to burn the most sulphurous fuel along their coasts.

Closer to home, Southampton is named as the fifth most cruise ship-polluted European port, behind Barcelona, Palma Mallorca, Venice and Civitavecchia.

Some of the figures are startling. In Marseille, for example, the Transport & Environment report found that 57 cruise ships emitted as much nitrogen oxide (NOx) as one-quarter of the city’s 340,000 passenger cars in 2017.

In Norway, Denmark, Greece, Croatia and Malta, a handful of cruise ships are responsible for more NOx than the majority of their domestic car fleets.

Europe should implement a zero-emissions port standard, says the report, along with extending the emission control areas currently in place only in the North and Baltic Seas and the English Channel. 

‘This is unacceptable’

Faig Abbasov, shipping policy manager at Transport & Environment, said: “Luxury cruise ships are floating cities powered by some of the dirtiest fuel possible. Cities are rightly banning dirty diesel cars but they’re giving a free pass to cruise companies that spew out toxic fumes that do immeasurable harm both to those on board and on nearby shores. This is unacceptable.“

“There are enough mature technologies to clean up cruise ships. Shore-side electricity can help cut in-port emissions, batteries are a solution for shorter distances and hydrogen technology can power even the biggest cruise ships. The cruise sector [is] apparently not willing to make the shift voluntarily, so we need governments to step in and mandate zero emissions standards.”

The Carnival Corporation brand portfolio includes Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Seabourn, Cunard, AIDA Cruises, Costa and P&O Cruises. It also operates 25 ships under its own brand and carried over 4.7 million guests in 2016 – the most of any individual cruise brand.

In 2016, Princess Cruises agreed to pay a $40 million penalty for illegally dumping oil-contaminated waste into the sea and attempts by employees to cover it up.

But the operator continued to pollute the seas, including the discharging of plastic into waters in the Bahamas. On Monday, Carnival and Princess were ordered to pay an additional $20 million penalty, reports the New York Times.

The company said: “Carnival Corporation remains committed to environmental excellence and protecting the environment in which we live, work and travel. Our aspiration is to leave the places we touch even better than when we first arrived.”