An “EV hot hatch” is a small electric car that’s meant to feel fun to drive, not just get you from A to B. The host is saying this type of car is becoming more popular and more exciting lately.
The Vauxhall Corsa GSE is an electric version of the Corsa that’s aimed at drivers who want a fun, sporty hatchback. The hosts are talking about it because it’s part of the growing wave of electric “hot hatches.”
The “C10” here is a car model name being mentioned during a discussion with a PR person. The podcast is treating it as a specific vehicle that’s being talked about or promoted. The transcript doesn’t give enough detail to say more about what it is beyond that.
A hot hatchback is a small car (a hatchback) that’s tuned to be more fun and quicker than a normal version. It’s meant to feel sporty to drive, not just get you from A to B. The discussion is about electrified models trying to keep that same “fun compact” spirit.
Here, “electric” means the car runs on electricity from a battery, not gasoline. That can make the car feel quick right away because the motor responds instantly. They’re talking about electrifying the GTI name and what that means for driving fun.
The Volkswagen Golf is a popular compact car that’s meant for everyday driving. In this podcast, it’s mentioned in connection with electrification, meaning the model line is moving toward electric versions. That’s why it comes up in conversations about new technology in regular cars.
In the podcast, “Born” is a name used for an electric Volkswagen hatchback. The speaker is comparing its price and power to another small car. The point is whether it offers similar performance for less money.
“Off the line” refers to how quickly a car accelerates immediately from a standstill or near-standstill. It’s a common way to compare real-world launch feel, often tied to torque delivery and drivetrain response rather than top speed.
Prescott Hillclimb is a motorsport venue where cars are driven up a steep course against the clock. It’s often used as a practical benchmark for how a car behaves under sustained cornering and elevation changes, not just straight-line acceleration.
“Boot space” is the volume of the cargo area behind the rear seats (often measured in liters). It’s a key usability metric for hatchbacks because it determines how much luggage or bulky items you can carry.
Term
rear seat room
“Rear seat room” is a practical packaging metric describing how much space passengers have in the back seats. In small hot hatches, it often becomes a trade-off against front-seat comfort and overall vehicle size.
“Type 00” is a name used for a car concept shown to preview what a future model could be like. The podcast compares it to another car mentioned as “Jag GT.” The key idea is that it’s being talked about as a preview of future design or direction.
Jaguar Type 00 was the name for a Jaguar concept car. A concept car is basically a preview of what a brand wants to build, and the final production version can end up being different.
Jaguar Type 01 is the name Jaguar is planning to use for an upcoming GT. The “Type” naming is meant to echo Jaguar’s older sports-car history, and it’s part of how the brand is trying to feel more familiar again.
The Jaguar E-Type is a famous old Jaguar sports car. Mentioning it is a way of saying Jaguar wants the new car’s name to feel connected to its classic history.
“Camo” refers to camouflage used on test mules—prototype cars covered in patterned wrap or panels to hide their final styling. It’s common during development so photographers and competitors can’t easily identify the production look.
A Range Rover is a big, comfortable SUV made for luxury and everyday driving. It’s also designed to handle tougher roads if needed. People talk about it because it stands out and is meant to be a versatile all-rounder.
This is about a brand trying to use its past to make the new car feel more familiar. The hosts think Jaguar is doing that more now than it did when it first introduced the Type 00.
Concept
first quarter of 2026
“First quarter of 2026” just means the early part of the year—January through March. Breaking sales into quarters makes it easier to spot whether things are improving or slipping.
SMMT is a UK organization that tracks car industry data. When they quote SMMT numbers, it means the sales figures come from an official industry source.
The Volkswagen ID 7 is an electric car from Volkswagen. It’s built to be a more normal-looking, everyday sedan—so it’s aimed at people who want an EV but don’t necessarily want a small hatchback or a crossover.
The ID. Buzz is an electric van-style vehicle made by Volkswagen. It uses a battery and electric motor instead of petrol. The podcast brings it up as part of Volkswagen’s electric lineup and what people are excited about.
A “Chadamo plug” is a type of fast-charger connector for some EVs. The host is saying it can be annoying because it may charge more slowly and you might not find compatible chargers as easily.
This means the warranty can last longer if you keep getting the car serviced at the dealer. In this case, the host says it can extend coverage up to 10 years.
Wheel spin is when the tires spin but the car doesn’t accelerate as well as you’d expect. The host is saying the car sometimes struggled to put its power to the road.
The Kia EV3 is an electric car made by Kia. The podcast talks about it as part of the newer wave of EVs and mentions the “basic pack,” which usually means the standard version with a certain battery/feature level. The point is what you get if you choose the simpler, lower-cost setup.
CarPlay is Apple’s system that lets you use your iPhone through your car’s screen. It can make navigation and music easier because it uses the apps you already know.
EVED sounds like a rule or fee that can add to the cost of owning an EV over time. The key takeaway is that it may change your future running costs, so you should factor it in.
CATL is a company that makes EV batteries. The point here is that bigger batteries can mean longer range, but whether that matters depends on how you charge your car day to day.
“900 mile range” means the car claims it can go about 900 miles on one full charge. The hosts are saying that for many people, that’s more than they need if they can charge at home.
A home charger is a way to charge your electric car at home. It usually makes charging easier and cheaper because you’re not relying only on public chargers.
“Charging moments” just means picking the best times to charge your EV. If you can’t charge at home, timing matters because prices and charger access can vary.
Kilowatt-hours (kWh) tell you how much energy is in an EV battery. A bigger number usually means more range, but it can also make the car heavier and more expensive.
They’re talking about what happens when you tow a caravan with an electric car. Towing usually makes the battery drain faster, so you may need a bigger battery and better charging options.
“Roadside charging bays” are public EV chargers you can use on the way. The discussion is about whether they’re set up so you can charge while towing, without having to disconnect first.
“Roadside services” are the facilities you find on trips, like places to stop and charge. The point is that they need to be improved so towing EVs is practical.
“Charging while being hitched up” means you keep the trailer attached while you charge. They’re saying the charger setup has to make that possible, not just assume you’ll disconnect.
Concept
charging points at campsites
They mention charging at campsites, and that it’s still not common everywhere. The idea is that the charger has to be capable enough to actually work for EVs.
A “proper charging point” is the right EV charger for your car. They’re saying you can’t just use the same power outlet meant for a motorhome’s fridge and other stuff.
2.5 kilowatt is how fast the charger can put electricity into the car. It’s not a super-fast charger, but it can still work well if you’re parked for a couple of days.
3.6 kilowatts is the charger’s power level—basically the charging speed. It’s slower than fast chargers, but it can be fine when you’re parked for a long time, like over a weekend.
A rapid charge is a fast way to charge an EV. In this conversation, the point is that if you’re only charging while parked for a weekend, you don’t need a fast charger.
A Dodge Charger is a car that’s known for performance and a sporty look. In this podcast moment, it’s being mentioned alongside charging, meaning you can plug it in to recharge. The point is how ready it is to use after charging.
Destination charging is when you plug in your EV at a place you’re staying or visiting, and you’re not in a hurry. Since you’re parked for a while, even a slower charger can work.
The Genesis GV60 is an electric SUV, meaning it runs on electricity instead of petrol. The podcast mentions a feature you notice when you turn it on. It’s the kind of thing people talk about because it shows how the car’s tech works.
LIVE
Hello and welcome to the kilowatt half hour, a podcast about the world of EVs brought
to you by the team at electrifying.com.
Well hello, yes, do not adjust your set. It is me, James Batchelor, promoted from guest
last week to host this week, proving that life moves very quickly in the world of showbiz.
This week we've learned about a legendary badge being reimagined for the electric age,
more details about the new Jaguar and news that used electric car sales are looking
very good indeed so far in 2026. Joining me is Tom and Lucas. Hello guys, what have you been up to?
Hello, how are you Batchelor? Is this show business? Would you count this as show business
rather than just asking around in our studies? Well I'm just very excited about my job Tom,
clearly you're not. Well you're very shapeless aren't you? Well have you been up to Tom?
Well I've been going down rabbit holes as I tend to do and looking at figures and things
because we had an email from a reader who seems to be something to do with the property market
and I'll be doing a story on this so I'll give him a proper credit there but it was really
interesting because there are certain companies, mortgage companies, who will give you 0% finance
if you're doing things like installing an electric charge point or putting solar panels on your roof
because it adds to the value of your house and it also means that you make basically a profit
because the amount that you pay back on your mortgage is less than you save by charging your
electric car or by using solar. I thought this was really interesting but also he says it adds
to the value of your house so you get the money back twice. So I've been doing sums and stuff
I thought that was quite interesting. Well it sounds awfully complicated, I mean I'm just...
It's just one of those things where you know fitting solar panels or fitting a charge point
suddenly isn't just oh well that's a nice thing to do it actually makes proper financial sense on
a spreadsheet and I like things that make financial sense after a spreadsheet because I am tight.
There we are you said it yourself, yourself. Finally I've been telling you this
for years and now you finally admit it. You've probably been doing exciting things,
you've probably been doing exciting things like driving cars haven't you but not me, no.
Lucas do you understand a word of that or is that a bit too complicated for you as well?
No, no not at all to be honest, yeah absolutely gobbledygook as far as I'm concerned, I mean
I'll be lucky enough to be a first-time buyer one of these days but yeah I'd be lucky enough to have
a driveway let alone a charge point or even solar panels, hell a roof of my own would be nice in and
of itself. Well less about that, what have you been up to this week then Lucas? Well to be fair
it's been a while since I was last on this little podcast of ours and since well at that point I
don't think I'd really driven any of these but since then I've now driven officially more than
a hundred cars in my time in this lovely little industry of ours and yes I keep a list because
I'm that kind of nerd but since then I've driven things like the JQ8 which is granted a plug-in
hybrid, I also drove a Riva G Wiz Fiat Grande Panda which I was very fond of but yeah it's
been it's been a nice few months to start that is for sure but yeah I mean I'd quite like to
mention the fact that the EV hot hatch space seems to be heating up quite nicely, I mean I went and
did my first long-form video on the Corsa GSE which I'm sure we'll touch on a little bit later
and speaking of that car actually I'd just like to take a quick second to say thank you to Mason
who is the PR for Vauxhall and LeapMoto, crafty so-and-so that he is, about half an hour before
we started recording, a little care package came in the post for me and with a little card that said
we heard your somewhat of a frog fanatic so we hope this might make the leap into your collection
and that's the little friends that I've been blessed with here today so yes it will be joining
my collection of now 11 strong frog-related items that I keep on a shelf in my bedroom
but beyond that it's been a lovely little time since I last saw you.
It's a bribe, extra special nice things about the Corsa GSE.
No well yeah I would like to also promise you dear listeners that that will, that blatant bribe
will not be affecting my opinions on any upcoming Vauxhall or LeapMoto products thank you.
I've just checked the review you edited on the LeapMoto and it's suddenly a 10 out of 10 car is that
related? Well it's also, it's also blatant advertising for our for our viewers who are
watching on YouTube but there is advertising there for LeapMoto so we might, we might be hauled
into court about that I'm not entirely sure but I just want to clear something up Lucas,
correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't the, doesn't the G-Wiz predate you, weren't you born after the
launch of the G-Wiz? I think I might have actually, that was the late 90s wasn't it,
it was in 99 to 2000 and, I can't remember actually, the one I drove was from 2006 and I'm
born in 01 so read it and weep but I've been known to drive a few classics in my time if you could
call it that. Okay all right well even I'm starting to feel old at this moment goodness only knows
what Tom is feeling like, well let's move on pretty quickly then. Tom let's move on to the
news stories then, Lucas teased a little bit there about hot hatchbacks, this week there's been news
of a famous badge in the word of performance cars being electrified hasn't there? So the VW ID Polo
GTI is back, it's been officially uncovered, there was a concept car a couple of years ago
and I, it's a strange thing because when the ID ID II wasn't it originally in the concept car came
out I was fairly skating about it saying it was a bit boring but I think it's kind of grown into
itself hasn't it, we've all got used to it and the GTI one does look nice and it's got 226 horsepower
so that's plenty and it's going to be good fun and it's got that dashboard that does the retro
thing and looks like a Mark 1 Golf GTI which everybody thinks is great and I do find myself
liking it but then I start thinking well okay but is it really as exciting as some of the other
things like the Cooper Reval or you know I think it's going to be 35 grand and you can buy a Cooper
Bourne for that and it has similar power etc etc so I'm not quite going to join all the people
saying this is the best thing since because I do like it but I just want to check myself and think
well I'm not sure it's as exciting as everybody is saying, what do you think, are you convinced?
I think they've been quite clever because I think they're leaving room for something
spicier, something like a club sport or something and I don't think knowing VW, this is just the
first kind of step isn't it and I think they're probably testing the waters a little bit to see
how well it goes down but I wouldn't be surprised if there's some sort of club sport or variant of
it at some point, they do have to be a bit careful because there are going to be other GTI models
further down the line so they can't have too many GTIs can they but I don't know I think it's got that
that very classic golf GTI look about it which is sort of classy and upmarket
and I think yeah I think you get a knowing nod of approval from people who know about cars
from that with that car I think. Yeah would you have that or an LP? I'm inclined to agree to be honest
it's tricky isn't it because I love the way the LP looks, I love the way it drives but again that's
a car, that's a car that you know I feel as though they could do more with the LP and it's kind of
eight tenths of the way there isn't it the A290 so I don't know Lucas what do you think?
I think to be honest I think I'd have an A290 despite having was it 20 horsepower less it's
still quicker off the line than either the Polo GTI or the Cooper Val VZ and I haven't driven either
the Cooper or the Polo obviously but having taken an A290 up Prescott Hillclimb I can tell you that
it drives phenomenally for what it is and though you do lose quite a bit of practicality I've
just done a buy the numbers article on our website of these three cars come to mention it
but yeah the A290 is just smaller you don't get as much rear seat room and you don't get anywhere
near as much boot space I think it's more than 100 litres less on that car but I think they each
have their place I mean performance wise the Cooper and the Polo are identical as well as
boot space as well I think the Polo gets a little bit more range but to be honest in the real world
that's going to be about the same but yeah I take the LP personally because I don't have any kids
yeah I think with the Polo VW really leaning into how practical that car is which is the whole
point which is the whole point of the Golf GTI formula since 1976 isn't it it's got very good
performance but also you can carry a washing machine in the back can't you so um yeah it's
it's uh I'm very excited by it very excited anyway um let that's enough chat about the Polo ID Polo
GTI um Lucas there's been some news um of Jaguar this week hasn't there
yes uh we've seen that the new Jag GT actually has a full name now which is always
nice um we've known it as the type 00 in concept form and then just the Jag GT is a bit of a place
holder in the meantime but now we know it's going to be the type 01 which to be fair isn't a terrible
name obviously the type bit of that refers back to some of the old Jags of the past I think E type,
F type etc etc but the 01 thing I think you have to pronounce it as type 01 because if you say
type 01 makes it sound like a bit of a mistake but we've actually seen that it's got a name which
is good and we've seen it go around in all sorts of camo obviously we've seen the concepts quite
freely and openly but it's been camouflaged as some very interesting things I think at one point
it was spotted as going around the sort of Warwickshire area disguised as a Range Rover
which is a difficult thing to do for a low slung GT car but hopefully I mean we know that some
people have been out in it I know that Vicky had a go I know that Ginny's been up close and personal
with the prototypes as well so the sooner we can actually get it on the road it's going to be an
exciting thing indeed I mean we're expecting more than a thousand horsepower and in excess of 400
miles of range so it'll definitely be expensive but considering where it started with the big
splash it made with its controversial marketing campaign I think it's come quite a long way since
and I'm very much looking to see what direction it takes once it properly launches and we get to see
it on the road. Yes yeah I think what's quite interesting about the revelation of this name
is even though it's not massively different from the type 00 name that the concept had but
I think I detect a feeling from Jaguar over the past kind of few months that they are trying to
lean back into this their heritage they are aware of the fact that Jaguar's got 75 years of sports cars
it's you know and it's a it's quite a big shift away from how when they launched the type 00 you
know it was a copy of nothing kind of it was almost a rejection of of Jaguar's heritage
and moving the brand into a new era whereas now as we get closer to this production car you feel
as though Jaguar is trying to inch it back to to to what it knows best and and and how people
feel familiar with the brand so yeah it's a bit of an interesting one isn't it Tom?
Yeah I think if you look at Jaguar's heritage that's one of the few things that they've got
that separates them from the likes of Yang Wang or even Polestar who don't have any heritage and
they might have all the technology in the world and they might be able to you know float on water
or have suspension that can do bunny hops over speed bumps and things but Jaguar will just go well
we're above that you know we've got the technology now but we've got 75 years of heritage and I think
that does mean something especially to consumers in in Europe and probably America as well I mean
I know the Chinese are much more willing to accept new brands and new tech but if they're
going to compete they've got to compete using that heritage rather than just technology and
interesting style. Yeah yeah I totally agree with you um well the final news story which
was pretty big for us here at electrifying.com was the used electric car sales so last week
I was talking about new EV car sales this week it was the turn of used EV sales and they are for
the first quarter of 2026 so these are official figures from the SMMT overall sales were flat
so that's we're talking about all used cars here that's petrol, diesels, electrics etc
it was a tiny 0.2 drop overall so pretty much flat for the first quarter but March's numbers
will be the ones that cause eyebrows to raise because sales were down more than 2% and that is
you can attribute that to to the fuel prices surging petrol and especially diesel but when
it comes to EVs second hand EV sales were up almost a third but that does have to be put into
the context a little bit because that is 87,000 sales out of 2 million used car sales so it's
still a little small it's still a small proportion of used EV trans sorry of used car transactions
but it still represents one in 23 sales between January to March it's encouraging no doubt
and I think it shows that in the world of EVs EVs are becoming more popular and more appealing
to customers as time moves on right speaking of moving on let's move on then I think I'll
stop using the phrase moving on but let's move on to my favorite part of the kilowatt half hour
which is of course Barnard's bargains at Tom what has tickled your pickle this week
well it's one that since Vicky isn't on the podcast this week it's her favorite car so she
won't witter on about it for hours we are safe from that it's the Volkswagen ID 7 which occasionally
pops up as a bit of a bargain in the lease deals which I think normally means that Volkswagen's
having trouble shifting them but for no reason because it's a great car isn't it it's an ID 7
it's huge so this one is a match pro plus s which sounds like one of those caffeine tablets you take
when you're a student to keep you up when you need to revise but I think that's fairly top spec
isn't it 86 kilowatt hour battery 378 pounds a month which is really good you know you compare
that to some of the other cars that are around that money and it was like an Alpine A290 so this
is a lot more car for the money I think if you want a used deal there's a car that I had as a
long term about two years ago and I really liked it because it was just competent now the only
problem with it is that it's got a chadamo plug on it so if you do need to charge a lot when you're
out then it's a little bit of a pain because it's slow and you're limiting the amount of
charging points but if you're charging at home most of the time which I was I thought was really
nice and it's a Lexus UX if you remember those yes and it's this this one 2023 so not yet three
years old because it's a 72 plate it's only got six and a half thousand miles on the clock and it's
14795 and you think about Lexus if you keep the service you've got a 10 year warranty
yeah it's pretty nice isn't it and they also came in my favorite color of green do you remember
this one oh yes yes yeah I do remember that yeah yeah and that you're right that's it's a service
activated warranty isn't it so that basically that means if you take the car to a Lexus dealer
should be get its service they'll add an extra year on to that up to a maximum of 10 years
so you've effectively got 10 years worth of cover and and and also I mean let's be brutally honest
you know in you know 10 years after that car has been registered it's gonna be 2033 that car is
is not going to be worth probably a huge amount of money and yet you've got a warranty that still
covers it so it's quite extraordinary I remember I had one just before Christmas for a week and I
was going to do something on it and then I think the week after they axed it so it was kind of a
pointless press load but I do remember it was it was really nice apart from a bit of wheel spin
I seem to remember it had difficulty getting its power down it was a really lovely and refined
comfortable car and yet it's a car that everybody forgets about you're absolutely right
same yeah I seem to remember the switch gear was a bit scattered about and but yeah it just seemed
like an eminently sensible thing it wasn't exciting in any way but I just thought oh this is
really nice I like it so for you know if you look at 15 grand cars that are three years old and have
that little mileage on them then you know you're probably looking at some fairly mainstream stuff
and you could have a Lexus I know very impressive yeah right um well thank you Tom and if anyone's
interested in that particular Lexus do head over to our used car listings on electrifying.com and
check it out um so let's uh well let's move on to comments and questions that have come in
over the course of this week um Lucas can you uh let's start with you I mean we've had a bit of an
interesting question coming from Revlon F haven't we yes Revlon F has been in touch and says
I'm thinking of making my 2024 Kia Nero EV a permanent member of the family as my finance deal
ends shortly the car is great and has been totally reliable I even like polishing the
piano black trim every week or so which is something I really cannot relate to Mr. Revlon
we are a low mileage family and charge at home most of the time so I live with the relatively
slow charging speed on longer trips will I regret this what are the long-term costs of EV ownership
has technology moved on so much that I should consider something new instead I would be very
grateful of your thoughts okay interesting well firstly before I give my opinion on on the dilemma
I think it's pretty clear that we're doing something wrong obviously with piano black
trim you need to be polishing it every week as opposed to us motoring journalists who are an
untidy bunch and just like to moan about piano black trim instead so perhaps that's that's where
we're going wrong I don't know I mean my initial feeling of this question is it's it's only a two
year old car and if you still really like it just just hang on to it I mean it's still a very
competent car the Nero EV again that's another car that's kind of been put into the shadows a
little bit in the past few years what with the EV3 and and and neuroelectric cars but the basic
package still stacks up what do you think Tom yeah absolutely I mean it's a great car and if you like
it you get on with it and you know it's reliable then and absolutely keep it I mean electric car
technology is coming on in leaps and bounds but at some point you have to say well I'm going to get
on this now I don't think it's progressed hugely from 2024 has it it's it's not as if there's been
suddenly batteries which have twice as much capacity or charge twice as fast so I would
absolutely keep that if you like it I don't think it's it's going to change there's nothing like
carplay or one of those other things that makes a real difference to your ownership experience so
a Nero EV will have all that so I'd keep it yeah yeah yeah spot on yeah I suppose the only
the only thing about longer-term EV ownership which a lot of people don't think about is the
EVED which is going to cost people three PMR isn't it from next year yeah that's a very good point
yeah so people just need to factor that into their running costs in future I suppose is that
I mean it's still going to be cheaper than running a petrol or diesel especially at the moment
and just look at saving as much money as you can on things like electric car tariffs and
charging in in places like at work if you can yeah but that's the only other thing I can
think of that's going to cost him many money yes good point well made um Tom what's what's popped
into your post box this week so we've had an interesting counterpoint to the discussion
we had last which is about the CATL batteries with a 900 mile range and we were kind of debating
whether the batteries with long ranges were an improvement or whether we needed them and we I
think we were saying that some people will need them because that's going to be excellent for
them whereas for most people once they've got a home charger they'll find that they don't really
need a 900 mile range but Steven Muddell 1383 said he thinks would be particularly handy for EV
owners like me who cannot charge at home being a low mileage driver one charge would last me nine
weeks and I could pick and choose my charging moments when I'm near a cheaper one bring it on I say
which is an interesting thought but the amount you save by going to a slightly cheaper charging
point once in a while is very rarely going to make up for the fact that you're getting a battery
which is twice the size you need it to be I would say yeah yeah yeah it's a bit like towing behind
a fuel tank behind your diesel car because you it means you can go to the Tesco rather than to the
shell but you're all that time you're towing around a trailer with 100 litres of fuel in it
seems yeah yeah I think the initial cost of the larger battery as well as the more than likely
weight penalty that you're going to be paying for lugging it around as you say Tom is not really
going to be offset by the fact you can charge for a few pence less granted we keep saying the way to
drive an EV cheaply is to be able to charge at home yeah if you can't do that then that's you
know all by the by but I don't know if necessarily piling on the kilowatt hours is necessarily going
to net you that much of a benefit yeah it is an interesting topic and it's one I hadn't really
thought about much in the past but I mean we've had a lot of comments about this actually over the
past week a lot of people have been writing in one that did catch my eye was from Pfeiffer Chris
who said wouldn't this make EVs a better proposition for those who tow caravans well
I mean as I am a very proud tow car of the year judge I am in total agreement on this I mean I
think the combination of larger batteries to combat the loss and efficiency when you're towing
plus having roadside charging bays that are long enough for you to charge without
unhitching your caravan or trailer they are the solutions for people who tow with an EV
but as we know you know that's that's cars with massive batteries are not going to be cheap
and it's going to take a long time for roadside services to all have charging bays that are long
enough for you to to charge your electric car whilst being hitched up so yes I think larger
batteries a 900 mile range battery probably is the solution to to to your towing woes but
it's going to be a long time we're going to have to be waiting a long time for this I think so
do do they have charge points at campsites badge um some do yes and it's it's something
that's very much in its infancy um because of course you do have to have a proper charging
but this is one of the the kind the fallacies is that you do have to have a proper
charging point you can't just plug in your electric car into the same charging points which you
you plug into your motor for your motorhome to to power the fridge and the and all the
electrics in inside the the caravan or the motorhome so you do have to have a dedicated
charging point I have seen a few of them spring up actually particularly in like in the Cornwall
Endeavourn area it's of those very typical holiday destinations but um yeah it's it's
I wouldn't say it's it's nationwide yet um and it is something that does need to sort of speed up
a little bit I think I fused the campsite once by plugging in my leaf
which I was quite surprised about I had a a small discussion with the the campsite owner about
antics but yeah they only take 2.5 kilowatt but apparently it was the extended length of time
that it was trying to take to what's the issue I wasn't you can understand the the slow roll out
for campsite EV charging points at least right because I imagine most of them are pretty rural
and quite far out of the way um quite far from your local motorway at the very least so um it's
going to be difficult to fit that infrastructure there at least much more so than it would be in
a city or along a major thoroughfare so all in good time but good things come to those who wait
yeah I suppose even if you got like 3.6 kilowatts it's going to be all right isn't it I mean because
you're going to be it's not as if you're going to need a rapid charge because you're going to be
there for a weekend at least aren't you so yeah roll off with your caravan take the caravan off
go and park the car over by a charger plug it in and as long as it's ready two days later you'd be
quite happy exactly yeah I imagine yeah I mean it is the definition of destination charging really
isn't it so yeah and and I'm all for that you know I don't like the thought Tom that you're
getting a you know an ear bashing from a campsite owner because they've had a complaint from Mavis
in her caravan who can't watch Midsomer Murders because you've drained all the electricity from
the site but anyway right okay let's move on to some of the comments on YouTube that have
been coming in this week um firstly it's one that's been aimed at me so I should probably
address this one um this is uh John T 60 he said and this is in reference to my A on V
sorry this is in reference to the um podcast that we uh recorded last week where I was talking
about the Genesis GV 60 and I inadvertently said when you switch on the ignition the um
glass ball rotates as the gear lever of course John T 60 recognized the fact that
electric cars don't have ignitions I am very sorry John T 60 it is just a force of habit
um we've all been driving petrol cars for a very long time and it is one of those
phrases that is still in my head I'm afraid so uh apologies on that um just there must be others
so it must be like throttle I suppose throttle that would be uh yeah true there are other
layovers I mean what would you call it if not an ignition switch anyways it's just an on button
at that point I think it probably is yeah yeah but but because I mean what why is it an ignition
switch on a petrol because you're igniting the petrol start the combustion process yeah I suppose
so I guess if you have an ignition in an EV something's gone desperately wrong yes
I don't know it's just it's just it just slipped in in what I was saying I'm afraid so I huge
apologies point taken and I won't ever say it again okay my wrists have been well and truly
slapped um so um Lucas um now we were talking about this on the podcast last week we had a
comment about your presenting style in your voxel course of GSE video um Somalacrum said
bro should be narrating nature documentaries and at Bevolution UK or Bevolution said up there with
Morgan Freeman and because you are a guest on this week's podcast Lucas I thought it was only
fair and proper that you had a right of reply well firstly there were quite a few very kind
comments let's put it that way some of them bordering on flirtatious but hey I'll take
what I can get so thank you for that too but Morgan Freeman is a very very tall order I don't
think I'm anywhere quite so close to him yet and when you said comments about my presenting style
I'm worried that I'd annoyed somebody so this is a very pleasant surprise though I did I have
read all of your comments so thank you very much um but yeah no it's just nice to have such a warm
welcome to be honest though I'm sure the folks over at voxel were perhaps a little bit annoyed
that people tended tended to focus more so on my voice in the car I was discussing but I'm sure
that's all by the by in any case it's it's it's been very kind though have you want to be the satnav
voice or something won't they nobody would like me to narrate anything for them then do give me a
shout I probably shouldn't be soliciting business on a on a work call but alas here we are and if
you can afford my retainer then I might just narrate your life could you could you just say
turn left take the third exit turn right that's very good yeah take the third exit at the roundabout
I fear we stumbled we stumbled across luke's only fans page here so I think we need to move on last
oh well on the subject of sounding or looking like famous people uh there's this comment uh
from your a on the batch so brick top 7803 said you look like Richard bachelor a well-liked geologist
now is he is he your twin or something Richard bachelor I mean the same same surname
no I mean I was very intrigued by this comment I saw it too and I immediately googled Richard
bachelor geologist and I mean as good looking as Richard bachelor is and if you are listening
Richard please do feel free to come on one day it might be quite interesting to hear
your views on electric cars I don't know assuming you have any but as good looking as he is
there is quite an age difference so I can only assume that brick top 7803 has been watching
my video in 240p definition so I also googled him back and came across an
obituary so oh gosh Richard it's the same one crikey maybe he is maybe that one's listening
as well well on that rather spiritual note I think it's probably time to end I mean we've
only just gone over the half hour so I'm pretty proud of that because this is my first time
hosting the podcast I was worried we'd be knocking on the door of an hour but we haven't so
thank you very much the pair of you thank you for being kind to me and hopefully all of you
listeners and viewers have been enjoying this particular edition of the kilowatt half hour
of course you can find out a lot more about the stories we've chatted about and a lot more besides
on our website but until then goodbye
goodbye all right
About this episode
Financing and charging practicality take center stage: some mortgage companies offer “0% finance” for installing an EV charge point or solar, and the hosts argue home charging can beat headline range claims. The show also covers electrified hot-hatch momentum, including the “VW ID Polo GTI” with “226 horsepower,” plus Jaguar’s GT name shift to “type 01” and expectations of “more than a thousand horsepower.” Used EV sales are up “almost a third,” while Barnard’s bargains start with the “Volkswagen ID 7.”
James Batchelor has seized the host’s chair this week on the Kilowatt Half Hour, proving that in the glamorous world of podcasting, promotion can happen very quickly indeed. Joined by Tom and Lucas, the team dive into another packed week in the world of EVs, including the rebirth of a legendary hot hatch badge, fresh details on Jaguar’s long-awaited electric future, and encouraging signs from the booming used EV market.
Tom brings news of the electric Volkswagen ID.Polo GTI and asks whether it could become the EV hot hatch to beat, while Lucas talks us through the latest on Jaguar’s upcoming Type 01 and why the brand is leaning heavily into heritage with its naming strategy.
There’s also discussion around:
Why used EV sales are surging in 2026
The growing appeal of second-hand electric cars
The complicated world of funding solar panels and home chargers
Whether ultra-long-range batteries really matter
EVs for caravan towing
And the increasingly competitive electric hot hatch market, featuring the Corsa GSE, Cupra Raval, Alpine A290 and more
Barnard’s Bargains returns with more tempting lease and used EV deals, while the listener questions cover long-term EV ownership, keeping a Kia Niro EV beyond finance, and whether today’s technology is already “good enough” for most drivers.
