The Volkswagen Group will invest €89 billion (£76bn) in new technology within the next four years as part of a push to make a quarter of all its sales battery-electric by the end of 2026. It has also announced plans to electrify more of its European factories, centring much of its flagship EV production in its Wolfsburg… Continue reading VW Group details massive £76 billion EV transformation plan
Author: Autocar Magazine UK
New electric BMW 3 Series for China revealed in leaked images
BMW’s plans for an electric-powered version of the current 3 Series have been laid bare in a registry filing made public by the Chinese Ministry for Information and Industry Technology (MIIT) on Thursday. The latest in a growing number of zero-emission BMW models will be marketed under the name i3 eDrive35L, according to information obtained by… Continue reading New electric BMW 3 Series for China revealed in leaked images
Why Honda is leaving F1 again
That’s unlikely to happen until F1’s new powertrain rules are introduced. In the interim period, Red Bull has found an ideal replacement to Honda power units: Honda power units. The company has bought up Honda’s Milton Keynes-based operation to become an engine constructor in its own right, albeit with the assistance of Honda engineers for… Continue reading Why Honda is leaving F1 again
Report: UK government offers Rivian incentives for UK factory
The UK government has offered a series of incentives to EV manufacturer Rivian in an effort to encourage the US start-up to build a new factory near Bristol in Somerset. According to the Financial Times, which cites people familiar with negotiations, the government has offered to build a new M5 motorway junction, develop training facilities… Continue reading Report: UK government offers Rivian incentives for UK factory
New Lexus ROV is hydrogen-fuelled hint at future 4x4s
Lexus’s hydrogen-fuelled Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle (ROV) concept is designed to demonstrate that “exhilarating driving can co-exist with a carbon-free society”. The UTV-style two-seater features exposed long-travel suspension, prominent mud-deflecting fenders, a full roll cage and chunky tyres – but Lexus maintains that it’s still “the kind of vehicle that people would expect from a luxury… Continue reading New Lexus ROV is hydrogen-fuelled hint at future 4x4s
Toyota to use solid-state batteries in hybrids before EVs
Toyota has hinted that it will deploy solid-state batteries in its hybrid vehicles before introducing the technology to EVs. Hybrids will continue to play a core role in the company’s electrification strategy, and powertrain boss Thiebault Pâquet told Autocar the benefits of solid-state technology include quicker charging, quicker discharging and reduced heat generation. “We can test and… Continue reading Toyota to use solid-state batteries in hybrids before EVs
Inside the industry: does new UK legislation ignore in-car tech?
Perhaps you, like me, were surprised when the government announced plans to tighten the use of phones while driving last month. From next year, anyone caught holding a phone to take photos, pick music or play a game while driving faces a £200 fine and six points on their licence. Previously, police had to prove… Continue reading Inside the industry: does new UK legislation ignore in-car tech?
Volvo XC90 to offer EV version, new look and tech-led cabin
Unlike the vast majority of mixed-powertrain platforms currently on the market, the SPA2 will be offered in two distinct forms. This will allow the electric XC90 successor to benefit from a completely flat floor, shortened overhangs and a more overtly cabforward stance, whereas the combustion-engined versions will have slightly more familiar interior proportions, given the… Continue reading Volvo XC90 to offer EV version, new look and tech-led cabin
New Morgan Plus 8 GTR is exclusive V8 special edition
Morgan has publically shown its Morgan Plus 8 GTR for the first time, a nine-strong special edition of a car which officially bowed out three years ago. Morgan says the GTR is a “gloves off” version of the Plus 8, with the project made possible after several chassis earmarked for an external project, believed to… Continue reading New Morgan Plus 8 GTR is exclusive V8 special edition
Mazda: Electric vehicles and synthetic fuels must co-exist
Vehicles powered by e-fuels complement rather than compete with electric vehicles and should be considered as a viable alternative on the path to carbon-neutrality, according to today’s guests on the Autocar Business seminar. Mazda European research director Christian Schultze said: “We believe that e-fuels aren’t in competition with the electrification route but complement it. E-fuels can be used already on existing… Continue reading Mazda: Electric vehicles and synthetic fuels must co-exist