US Motoring Press – Page 514 – I wish I had more to offer

When did cars outgrow that ‘vintage’ shape?

Every time a properly ‘vintage’ car appears in these pages, a colleague remarks: “The problem with old cars is they all look exactly the same.” Even as Autocar’s biggest history nerd, I find this difficult to totally refute, genre of car aside. All had that same in-sweeping bonnet, terminating in a vertically oblong grille between… Continue reading When did cars outgrow that ‘vintage’ shape?

Electric car makers blasted in battery material mining report

BYD and Mitsubishi declined to provide statements in response to the findings, either to Autocar or Amnesty International. In an attempt to improve supply chain visibility, the European Union will launch a battery passport from 1 February 2027, needed for all EV batteries over 2kWh. Gavin Harper, a critical materials research fellow at the University of… Continue reading Electric car makers blasted in battery material mining report

Vauxhall Frontera Electric

At 4310mm, the Frontera is close to 100mm longer than the Crossland, although it’s broadly the same width (1795mm) and height (1635mm). It’s basically the same length as the Astra, then, so Vauxhall rightly claims it has moved from the larger end of the B-SUV market into the smaller end of the larger C-SUV market. Sure,… Continue reading Vauxhall Frontera Electric

Vauxhall Frontera

Inside, the Frontera Hybrid is pleasingly spacious and comfortable, as you’d hope for a family SUV in this class. Despite its relatively low list price, it doesn’t feel particularly cheap and there are few visible signs of cost-cutting. As with the Electric version, the only really glaring aspect is the lack of grab handles above… Continue reading Vauxhall Frontera

All-electric MINI Countryman: why it’s better than ever

The MINI Countryman has quickly become a cornerstone of the modern MINI range. Defying the convention that all MINIs have to be MINI small to be MINI fun, the MINI Countryman packs a lot of extra MINI thinking and MINI character into its family-friendly SUV form. And now it’s available as a new all-electric MINI… Continue reading All-electric MINI Countryman: why it’s better than ever

New Rolls-Royce CEO: “We have to be a stand-alone business”

Chris Brownridge, CEO of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars for the past nine months, grew up in Hong Kong during an era when the then British colony had even more Flying Ladies per square mile than London’s Park Lane. Despite this, until December last year Brownridge’s professional automotive connection was entirely with BMW’s more affordable brands. He… Continue reading New Rolls-Royce CEO: “We have to be a stand-alone business”

Skoda produces one-millionth battery for VW Group vehicles

Skoda Auto has produced its one-millionth battery system at its main plant in Mladá Boleslav. The carmaker has been manufacturing high voltage traction batteries since 2019, when it launched battery production for the Superb iV with a plug-in hybrid powertrain. Currently, the company is focused exclusively on producing larger batteries for fully electric vehicles based… Continue reading Skoda produces one-millionth battery for VW Group vehicles

Skoda produces one-millionth battery for VW Group vehicles

Bajaj Auto to launch next-gen Chetak e-scooter this month

Bajaj Auto, which continues to see strong demand for its Chetak electric scooter and has clocked retail sales of 174,909 units in January-November 2024, up 184% year on year, is about to launch the biggest update for the Chetak yet. The strategy behind this update is to improve the Chetak’s practicality. Rivals like the Ather… Continue reading Bajaj Auto to launch next-gen Chetak e-scooter this month