Chinese EV maker Zeekr is said to have filed for an initial public offering (IPO) in the US. The IPO filing, first reported by Reuters, allegedly reveals the Geely-owned company is seeking to raise more than $1 billion (£814 million) in investment as part of plans to take the Zeekr brand global as a rival to Tesla. Zeekr is… Continue reading Zeekr reportedly files for stock-market listing in US
Author: Autocar Magazine UK
Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo to lead ACEA
Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo has been elected to lead Europe’s automotive industry lobby group, the ACEA. The ACEA (short for Association des Constructeurs Européens d’Automobiles) currently represents 16 major manufacturers in Europe, including the BMW Group, the Renault Group and the Volkswagen Group. The Italian succeeds BMW CEO Oliver Zipse, who has led the organisation for the… Continue reading Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo to lead ACEA
Rivian halts van factory talks with Mercedes-Benz
American EV start-up Rivian has paused joint-venture negotiations with Mercedes-Benz Vans to prioritise its existing areas of business. The two companies signed a memorandum of understanding in September to establish a new company to manufacture three new electric vans in Europe. These would have been two new vehicles based on Mercedes-Benz Vans’ upcoming VAN.EA platform as… Continue reading Rivian halts van factory talks with Mercedes-Benz
What Car? Insight: Download the exclusive retail report now
Welcome to the latest issue of What Car? Insight – a monthly deep dive into the new car retail sector, with exclusive insight from industry leaders, advice from What Car?’s crack team of mystery shoppers and some of the most valuable consumer data available to the industry. Download it below to read an exclusive interview… Continue reading What Car? Insight: Download the exclusive retail report now
Skoda removes Octavia PHEV from sale due to order backlog
Skoda has removed the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) variant of the Skoda Octavia from sale as it battles with a growing order book backlog. The Czech firm confirmed to Autocar that the Skoda Octavia iV, which was priced from £33,110, had been pulled “to ensure we’re fulfilling customer orders in good time”. It’s understood that the order delay… Continue reading Skoda removes Octavia PHEV from sale due to order backlog
Bentley Bentayga Extended Wheelbase
When you set out to investigate the plush and highly specialised nature of the new, longer Bentley Bentayga EWB, it’s hard to know whether to start at the front of this mighty machine, or the rear. In the driver’s seat, you have access to new standards of ride and road ability brought by the combination… Continue reading Bentley Bentayga Extended Wheelbase
The business of battery testing: How EV hardware is made safe
If you ever take an electric car for a drive, spare a thought for the high-tech, high-voltage battery under the floor, because prototypes of it will have been subjected to two years of technical tortures before being declared safe for production. In detail, that battery will have been vibrated, squeezed, pressurised, dropped from a height, over-charged with… Continue reading The business of battery testing: How EV hardware is made safe
Under the skin: How ZF is fast progressing EV technology
Major supplier ZF has unveiled a new generation of modular electric drive units aimed at mainstream manufacturers. The line-up will be available from 2025 and includes new designs of electric motor-generators, a new type of EV transmission, inverters (the power electronics that sit between AC motors and DC batteries) and the software to integrate the… Continue reading Under the skin: How ZF is fast progressing EV technology
Greatest road tests ever: Daewoo Matiz SE Plus
Tested 11.11.98 Styled by Italdesign, the Matiz used a single-cam 796cc threepot to drive the front wheels via a Daewoo-developed five-speed manual gearbox. Suspension was by front MacPherson struts and rear trailing arms. Front vented discs and rear drums did the stopping. ABS was optional. The responsive, thrumming triple was eager to rev, providing subjectively… Continue reading Greatest road tests ever: Daewoo Matiz SE Plus
Porsche reveals new HD matrix LED headlight technology
Porsche has revealed the new HD matrix LED headlight technology it plans to introduce in 2023, claiming it sets new standards in ‘glare-free’ high beam lighting performance. Initially to be made available as an option on the facelifted 2023-model-year Porsche Cayenne and Porsche Cayenne Coupé, the new technology differs significantly from that used by current Porsche… Continue reading Porsche reveals new HD matrix LED headlight technology