Opel-Vauxhall is rethinking its plan to go all-electric from 2028, recognising that the European EV market is vastly different from how it had predicted when setting its transition timeline. The company announced in 2022 that it would launch its final ICE car in 2024 and was committed to that objective as recently as 2023, but CEO… Continue reading Vauxhall rethinks ICE phase-out as EV uptake falls below expectation
Author: Autocar Magazine UK
DS 4 to gain electric option and new name in mid-life facelift
The DS 4 will gain an electric option and a new name when it is facelifted this year. Since its 2021 launch, the premium hatch has been the brand’s best-seller in the UK, albeit with just 2303 sales. It has proved more popular in mainland Europe, where it sold 10,405 examples in 2024 alone. The… Continue reading DS 4 to gain electric option and new name in mid-life facelift
BT kills pilot scheme converting signal boxes into EV chargers
BT has ended its pilot scheme to convert streetside signal boxes into electric vehicle chargers – after carrying out only a single conversion. The telecoms firm previously said it would expand the scheme into West Yorkshire, converting some 600 cabinets, with a view to eventually completing 60,000 to 90,000 installations nationwide. The theory was that the use of existing cabinets… Continue reading BT kills pilot scheme converting signal boxes into EV chargers
Toyota to raid back catalogue for future electric car names
Toyota is set to raid more of its back catalogue for names of future electric models, rather than continue the alphanumerical naming convention it started with the bZ4X. The bZ4X arrived in 2022 as Toyota‘s first EV, with ‘bZ’ standing for ‘beyond zero’ (emissions), 4 being the size of the car in Toyota lexicon and ‘X’ referring to it… Continue reading Toyota to raid back catalogue for future electric car names
DS sets bold plan to rival Bentley and Rolls-Royce
DS aspires to rival Rolls-Royce and Bentley as it targets a move beyond the premium segment and into the luxury sphere. That’s according to design director Thierry Métroz, who said the Stellantis-owned French brand’s “dream is to be the Louis Vuitton of the automotive industry”. Speaking to Autocar at the Brussels motor show at the… Continue reading DS sets bold plan to rival Bentley and Rolls-Royce
My Week In Cars: New Steve Cropley/Matt Prior podcast (ep.123)
On this week’s My Week In Cars podcast join our hosts Matt Prior and Steve Cropley as they talk about Brooklands Museum and Bicester Motion’s first events of 2025. Steve has a nose around a Dacia Spring, we advise a listener which cars come with spare wheels, and Prior gets annoyed with a Hyundai advert.… Continue reading My Week In Cars: New Steve Cropley/Matt Prior podcast (ep.123)
Aston Martin Vantage Roadster brings 656bhp V8
The new Aston Martin Vantage Roadster is one of the most powerful drop-top sports cars on sale following an extensive, performance-focused upgrade. With 656bhp and 590lb ft from a reworked version of the existing twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8, the new Roadster packs substantially more power than its 505bhp predecessor and has been set up to be… Continue reading Aston Martin Vantage Roadster brings 656bhp V8
New 2025 Dacia Bigster undercuts SUV rivals at £24,995
The new Dacia Bigster SUV is available to pre-order now for less money than a Volkswagen Golf. The Romanian firm’s largest model yet starts at just £24,995 – nearly £3000 less than the cheapest Golf and far below the list price of many of its closest rivals. The Nissan Qashqai, for example, starts at £30,135, the Ford… Continue reading New 2025 Dacia Bigster undercuts SUV rivals at £24,995
St Helena opens world’s remotest EV charger in push to go all-electric
British businessman Derek Pedley, who is one of five people to already be running an EV on the island, told Autocar that the powertrain’s simplicity will lead to hundreds of EVs being imported within the next five years. His confidence has led him to begin importing a small fleet of electric Minis. He will also… Continue reading St Helena opens world’s remotest EV charger in push to go all-electric
Leapmotor: range-extenders key to hitting EV ‘tipping point’ in 2028
Stellantis’s new Chinese EV brand Leapmotor believes the addition of a range-extender (REx) powertrain to its C10 SUV will be an important factor in both its growth and the adoption of EVs in Europe. Leapmotor International is a joint venture set up to sell Leapmotor cars in Europe, owned 51% by Stellantis and 49% by Leapmotor itself. In the coming months,… Continue reading Leapmotor: range-extenders key to hitting EV ‘tipping point’ in 2028