A gloomy report from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) last week painted a very bleak picture of the latest crisis engulfing the automotive industry. Hot on the heels of Covid and the semiconductor shortage comes the energy cost crisis, which is now directly impacting the investment decisions of SMMT members. Some 41% of… Continue reading Editor’s letter: Sucking the energy out of the UK car industry
Author: Autocar Magazine UK
Ahead of the curve: How BMW is reshaping battery tech
Will battery technology be the end game for sustainable cars or will it eventually be overtaken by other alternatives? Either way, the vast quantity of research done to date points to the fact that battery storage is the most efficient way of using electricity on the move simply, because it doesn’t involve converting it from… Continue reading Ahead of the curve: How BMW is reshaping battery tech
Meet the student-built coupe that cleans the air as it drives
What’s better than a zero-emission electric car? Well, how about a negative emission car that removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as it drives? TU/ecomotive, a student team from TU Eindhoven in The Netherlands, has developed a prototype machine called Zem. It’s a sportily styled coupe, and it’s designed as a truly zero-emission car. Keep… Continue reading Meet the student-built coupe that cleans the air as it drives
Drivers still sceptical about electric vehicle savings
Car makers and the government are being advised to provide clearer information about electric vehicles after a recent study showed 38% of drivers know little or nothing about how much they cost to run. The survey of 2200 UK adults, conducted for World EV Day, suggested attitudes towards electric vehicles were generally positive. Two thirds… Continue reading Drivers still sceptical about electric vehicle savings
Analysis: Can Aston Martin work with new stakeholder Geely?
Geely takes a stake in Aston Martin, but not exactly how it planned to Previously rebuffed Geely is now an 8% stakeholder, but that doesn’t mean they will work together Having been publicly rebuffed on its offer to invest in Aston Martin back in July, Geely has gone round the back by hoovering up shares… Continue reading Analysis: Can Aston Martin work with new stakeholder Geely?
BMW M4 CSL
The new CSL’s standard-fit racing bucket seats are apparently quite uncompromising (you’ll need to return to the dealer’s workshop if you want their height adjusted), but our test car had BMW’s regular M Carbon buckets instead (the same ones which are optional on an M3- or M4 Competition, with seat heaters and electric adjustment). The… Continue reading BMW M4 CSL
New electric Citroen C3 coming in 2023 with rugged reinvention
The next-generation Citroën C3 is set to go on sale by the middle of the decade, with styling and construction heavily influenced by the Citroën Ami quadricycle and Citroën Oli concept car. A new C3 EV was confirmed to be in the works by branding executive Laurent Barria, who said the car will focus on… Continue reading New electric Citroen C3 coming in 2023 with rugged reinvention
Honda to launch more than 10 electric motorbikes by 2030
Honda will ramp up its electrification efforts by launching more than electric motorbikes by 2030 – which will include a range of Europe-bound sport bikes. The Japanese giant is the world’s largest motorbike manufacturer, and is planning a massive ramp-up of its EV line-up in a bid to sell reach one million annual electric motorbike sales… Continue reading Honda to launch more than 10 electric motorbikes by 2030
Volvo V60
Three in every 10 new cars sold by Volvo are, as of 2022, electrified Recharge models. Volvo has been investing heavily in fully electric models over the past few years, but its history with plug-in hybrids is now more than a decade old, and has won the company sufficient incremental commercial progress that right now… Continue reading Volvo V60
Skoda Superb primed to return with combustion power in 2024
The Skoda Superb is on track to be heavily updated for a fourth generation, returning in 2024 to take the fight to the Peugeot 508 with a choice of ICE and hybrid powertrains in a practical estate body. Skoda recently detailed a bold electrification plan under which it will introduce a new flagship electric SUV, an electric city car… Continue reading Skoda Superb primed to return with combustion power in 2024