In “Eco-transport: novelties of 2023.”, we provide useful information, practical explanations, and the main points to consider when working with smartphones and electronics.
We first published this round-up in May 2023, when four very different electric vehicles were in the news: a refreshed compact hatchback, a Chinese electric SUV shown ahead of production, an e-bike from a laptop maker and a compact electric unicycle. Below are the same four examples with the figures checked against manufacturer announcements, plus what these changes meant for anyone who services batteries and electronics in light electric vehicles.
Volkswagen unveiled the new ID.3 on 1 March 2023. The update focused on exterior design, interior materials and software, while the underlying platform stayed the same. According to the Volkswagen UK press pack from July 2023, the car was offered with a 58 kWh or 77 kWh (net) battery. The 77 kWh version had a WLTP range of up to 347 miles, or roughly 558 km.
For DC fast charging, Volkswagen quoted 30 minutes from 5 to 80% for the ID.3 Pro S at up to 170 kW, and 35 minutes for the ID.3 Pro at up to 120 kW. Those are best-case numbers. A cold battery or a charger that cannot deliver full power will make the session longer.
Chery's premium brand Exeed revealed the Sterra ET electric SUV on 7 April 2023 at an event held before Auto Shanghai. The interior was shown later, at the Chengdu Motor Show in August 2023. In 2023 the car was still at the announcement stage: sales in China did not start until May 2024, and production specifications were only confirmed at launch.
The original version of this article repeated power, acceleration and range figures that circulated when the car was announced. We have left them out because they do not match a confirmed production configuration. What caught the media's attention was the front end, with LED panels below the headlights that can display images.
On 20 March 2023 Acer announced ebii, its first electric bicycle, designed for city commuting. According to Acer's press release, the bike weighs 16 kg and has an aluminium alloy frame, a carbon belt drive and airless tyres that cannot go flat. Its battery is removable, the claimed range is up to 110 km, and a full charge takes about 2.5 hours.
What Acer called the "smart" part adjusts motor assistance to how the rider pedals and to the route. Over Bluetooth, the ebiiGO app shows suggested routes, battery level, speed and auto-unlock settings. Acer said that pricing, exact specifications and availability would vary by region.
Strictly speaking, the fourth example in the original list was not new in 2023. InMotion's V5F is a compact electric unicycle with a 14-inch wheel that had been on sale since 2016. InMotion lists a top speed of 25 km/h and a range of about 38 km for the V5F. We have kept it here as an example of a light vehicle for short trips, one that takes balance and practice before you ride it in traffic.
For electric transport, 2023 also mattered because of legislation. On 28 March 2023 the Council of the EU adopted the regulation requiring a 100% cut in CO2 emissions from new cars and vans from 2035, compared with 2021 levels. In practice, new cars sold in the EU after that date must have zero tailpipe emissions.
The second decision affects repair shops directly. Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 on batteries and waste batteries, dated 12 July 2023, entered into force on 17 August 2023. It also covers batteries for light means of transport (LMT) such as e-bikes, e-mopeds and e-scooters. According to the official EUR-Lex summary, portable batteries built into appliances must be removable and replaceable by the end user from 2027, and LMT batteries must be replaceable by an independent professional under the same rules from 2027. The regulation also sets collection targets and recovery targets for lithium, cobalt, nickel and copper.
E-bikes, e-scooters and electric unicycles now regularly turn up at workshops that used to handle only phones and laptops. A removable battery, a Bluetooth app, a controller full of sensors: each is one more part that can fail and has to be diagnosed properly. These packs run at higher voltages than a phone and store far more energy, so the job follows different rules.
Mechanic SIV120 digital multimeterout of stock
General rules for working with batteries, solvents and hot tools are collected in our guide to workshop safety for electronics repair. How temperature and charging power affect lithium-ion wear is explained, using phones as the example, in our article on whether fast charging shortens battery life.
The examples in this round-up show how broad "eco-transport" became, from a family car to a unicycle with a 14-inch wheel. For riders and drivers, the practical differences come down to range, charging time and whether the battery can be replaced. Technicians care about whether the battery can be removed, tested and replaced safely, and EU law has turned that into a phased requirement. If you are interested in environmental projects from Ukraine rather than vehicles, read our piece on Ukrainian eco-inventions.
The GSM Forsage catalogue has displays, batteries, tools and components for mobile electronics repair. Contact us about availability and wholesale prices.
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