Ionity to expand EV fast charger network at Extra services

EV charging network Ionity, backed by BMW, Daimler, Ford and the VW Group, has partnered with Extra MSA Group to expand its network of fast chargers at motorway service stations across the UK.  Up to six 350kW fast chargers will be installed at eight Extra’s motorway service areas, starting this year with the company’s £60m Skelton Lake,… Continue reading Ionity to expand EV fast charger network at Extra services

Audi Sport boss: We are fighting for V10 in next-gen R8

Audi Sport is fighting to ensure the V10 remains an integral part of the next-generation R8, despite the increasing likelihood the flagship supercar will go all-electric in its next generation. Speaking to Autocar at the recent Nurburgring 24-hour race, Audi Sport managing director Oliver Hoffmann suggested there was a strong desire to see the free-revving,… Continue reading Audi Sport boss: We are fighting for V10 in next-gen R8

Jaguar Land Rover boss: settling Brexit will be good for us

Settling Brexit could be positive for UK sales for Jaguar and Land Rover in Britain, according to Rawdon Glover, the firm’s UK managing director. Despite a difficult sales year for the brands, both have shown upswings – driven in part by new model launches – in the UK despite economic uncertainty prompted by the ongoing… Continue reading Jaguar Land Rover boss: settling Brexit will be good for us

BMW ‘could produce 100 electrified models by 2023 if demand was there’

BMW “could launch 100 electrified cars by 2023” if customer demand was there to buy them, according to the firm’s head of development, Klaus Fröhlich. His comments coincided with today’s announcement that BMW is pulling forward its electrified launch goal of 25 new vehicles by two years. Fröhlich says this is possible because of the flexibility of… Continue reading BMW ‘could produce 100 electrified models by 2023 if demand was there’

BMW accelerates electrification programme

BMW is speeding up its ambitious electrification programme, bringing forward its goal of launching 25 electrified models – more than half of which will be fully electric – from 2025 to 2023. The German firm says that it has accelerated the programme due to the growth of electrified vehicle sales, which it projects will increase… Continue reading BMW accelerates electrification programme

Seat tech boss: it’s ‘possible’ to stop cars speeding for good

One of the Volkswagen Group’s senior figures in in-car technology has confirmed it has reached the point where governments could insist that cars no longer break speed limits. Leyre Olavarria, head of connected car and infotainment for Seat, admitted that cars actively preventing drivers from breaking a speed limit does not pose a technical challenge, given ‘intelligent… Continue reading Seat tech boss: it’s ‘possible’ to stop cars speeding for good

Autocar confidential: Seat phones it in, Hyundai-Kia tries some DIY and more

In this week’s edition of Autocar confidential, we hear why Hyundai and Kia are bringing interior production entirely in-house, what’s wrong with Jaguar XE sales and more.  New Jag’s a sales drag Frustration over the comparatively low sales of the Jaguar XE continues to bubble among senior officials. Outgoing design chief Ian Callum called the situation “a source of… Continue reading Autocar confidential: Seat phones it in, Hyundai-Kia tries some DIY and more

New Defender: exterior view of reborn 4×4 leaked online

Land Rover has also confirmed for the first time that, as expected, the new Defender will be built alongside the Discovery at Jaguar Land Rover’s new £1 billion manufacturing plant in Slovakia. That could prove somewhat controversial, given the Defender’s status as a proudly British machine, although Land Rover has noted that all the design and… Continue reading New Defender: exterior view of reborn 4×4 leaked online

Maserati confirms UK prices for hardcore Levante GTS and Trofeo

Maserati has confirmed the new GTS and Trofeo variants of its Levante SUV will be coming to the UK, with prices starting from £104,900. Both models share a Ferrari-derived 3.8-litre V8 with the Quattroporte GTS performance saloon, in a state of tune that produces 542bhp in the GTS and 582bhp in the hardcore Trofeo.  The… Continue reading Maserati confirms UK prices for hardcore Levante GTS and Trofeo

UK firms join to develop ‘world-leading’ EV powertrain

A new British consortium aims to design and develop a global-use, world-leading fully electric powertrain with funding from the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC).  Led by GKN Automotive, a tier one electric vehicle driveline supplier, has joined up with Drive System Design and the University of Nottingham as part of the £8m project – doubled by… Continue reading UK firms join to develop ‘world-leading’ EV powertrain