Stellantis is on the verge of expanding its quadricycle business beyond the Citroën Ami, Fiat Topolino and Opel Rocks Electric, having partnered with Swedish firm Luvly to evaluate its flat-pack production method. Luvly’s patented chassis design uses a series of large composite panels joined with extruded aluminium connectors, to which other key components (such as… Continue reading Stellantis taps Swedish start-up for quadricycle production tech
Author: Autocar Magazine UK
How firms are putting a new spin on EV motor tech
The problems associated with rare and difficult-to-obtain materials – as used in motors that power electric cars as well as batteries – provide a good reason for focusing on recycling and finding alternatives. Most EVs have permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSMs), where the rotor has permanent magnets embedded in it that are attracted to a rotating… Continue reading How firms are putting a new spin on EV motor tech
Radical Renault 5 Turbo 3E is ‘mini-supercar’ with 533bhp
The motors draw their power from a 70kWh battery pack that is fitted in a way that optimises agility and offers “spectacular” drift capabilities, claims Renault. It even has a dedicated drift mode and a rally-style vertical handbrake. The battery pack is good for a range of 250 miles, although Renault has admitted that it will… Continue reading Radical Renault 5 Turbo 3E is ‘mini-supercar’ with 533bhp
You can sleep in Xpeng’s new EV – but should you?
Have you ever noticed that there are regional market trends for seat adjustment mechanisms? I never had, until a wise colleague some years ago pointed one out. “Japanese and Korean cars very often have lever-style adjusters for seat recline,” he said, “whereas European and American cars [those without motorised seats, at least] tend to have… Continue reading You can sleep in Xpeng’s new EV – but should you?
What we learned after 3000 miles in a £70,000 Lexus RX PHEV
Rather bluff nose aside, this is a good-looking car to my eyes, with the neatly resolved rear in particular a big step forward over the slightly ungainly old RX. And it’s made all the more handsome by the sharp F-Sport Design addenda, which brings us full circle, back to the subject of driver appeal. This… Continue reading What we learned after 3000 miles in a £70,000 Lexus RX PHEV
Get your kicks on Route 66: why American road trips rule
The US is so big that you tend to default to jumping on a plane for any intercity journey. Indeed, the Google Maps journey planner in North America treats plane journeys the same way as it does train journeys here. For example: Phoenix, Arizona, to San Diego, California, is given as a 1hr 25min flight for… Continue reading Get your kicks on Route 66: why American road trips rule
Affalterbach battle: Can a CLE 53 keep up with a CLK Black Series?
There was extra bracing in the engine bay and swathes of carbonfibre just about everywhere – even across the chasm left empty by its absent rear seats. Yet its kerb weight matched its base car, despite a bank of blanked-out switches; there’s not even a parking sensor to be found, somewhat terrifyingly, given the car’s… Continue reading Affalterbach battle: Can a CLE 53 keep up with a CLK Black Series?
MWIC Bonus Episode 2: Autocar meets Bentley CEO Frank Walliser
In this bonus podcast episode, Autocar’s Editor-in-chief, Steve Cropley, meets Bentley CEO Frank Walliser, who previously enjoyed a long spell at Porsche, about all things Bentley – and how he won’t try to turn it into making cars that are too sporty. Make sure you never miss an Autocar podcast. Subscribe to our podcasts via Apple… Continue reading MWIC Bonus Episode 2: Autocar meets Bentley CEO Frank Walliser
Volkswagen ID 4
The ID 4’s interior shares many hallmarks with the other cars in the ID range. That of the Volkswagen Golf loosely inspires the dashboard topography but, as with the ID 3, the cockpit is even more minimalistic. The conspicuous lack of buttons and switches might even seem quite shocking to someone coming from, say, a… Continue reading Volkswagen ID 4
Why China won’t come to the aid of European car manufacturing
One analyst on the Volkswagen Group’s annual results call this week hopefully put it to CEO Oliver Blume that Volkswagen might want to partner with a Chinese firm to build the ID 1 small EV locally. Maybe MG parent SAIC, a long-time partner of Volkswagen in China, which is looking to build cars in Europe. The… Continue reading Why China won’t come to the aid of European car manufacturing