New figures from My Car Check have highlighted the different risks associated with buying a secondhand electric or hybrid car. Most significantly, green machines are more likely to have outstanding finance than their petrol or diesel counterparts.
Goodyear has done it again. For the last few years of exhibiting at the Geneva Motor Show, the company has been taking the idea of concept tyres more seriously than most (think of “battery charging, shape shifting tyres” last year and an SUV concept plus “chip in tyre” technology the year before. The goal is clearly to challenge received wisdom and raise questions about the future of tyres – taking a thought leadership role in the markets, but especially with OEMs. This year Goodyear put its Eagle 360 centre-stage in Geneva. Of course the spherical tyre is striking for its shape and the suggestion that it will move the vehicle of the future with a built maglev propulsion system, but what is perhaps even more interesting for the tyre industry is the questions this product raises about future tyre manufacturing, distribution and retail business models. Tyres & Accessories spoke with Goodyear EMEA president Jean-Claude Kihn in order to find out more.
ESCP Europe Master’s in Energy Management students are driving Tesla Model S electric cars across seven European countries, having started in London, from March 12-19th to highlight ongoing climate change and clean energy initiatives.
The road trip was designed by students aiming to pursue careers in the energy sector, including the ESCP Europe Business School Energy Society and Alumni, with the intention of promoting sustainable transport as an effective method of transportation around the UK and Europe, without compromising on convenience or style.
Lorries driven by computers are to be trialled under government plans to ease motorway congestion and improve safety. It is understood as many as ten of the trucks will form a tightly packed ‘road train’ in the inside lane. The convoy – operated by one driver at the front – will be electronically linked using wireless technology, allowing the vehicles to drive closer together and free up motorway space.
A report from Bloomberg predicts that hybrid and electric cars will be cheaper than standard cars within six years, with sales of electric cars reaching 41m by 2040, or a third of the market.
When the DS E-Tense high performance electric GT rolls into the 2016 Geneva International Motor Show it will be fitted with bespoke Michelin Pilot Super Sport concept tyres. Created by DS Automobiles, the car was unveiled in Paris on 26 February. The French luxury brand says the Michelin concept tyres reflect its stylistic vision, while enhancing the exhilarating driving sensations it offers.
About 98 per cent of England’s motorway network is within 20 miles of an electric vehicle charge point, with 72 per cent of service stations now providing electric charging.
A Press Association article, quoted on the RAC website, reports that new figures show that motorists bought more plug-in vehicles last year than they did in the preceding five years combined. New plug-ins on Britain’s roads numbered 28,188 last year, according to the government and car industry-backed Go Ultra Low campaign.
Car leasing company, Flexed.co.uk states that there has been a surge in electric car interest in the wake of the Volkswagen emissions scandal. The Yorkshire-based company has found that both private and company buyers want to make the switch to green motoring after worrying how much their cars really are polluting the environment. Eco-consciousness is […]
A newly-presented Bosch battery technology for electric cars, a battery containing solid-state cells, may be production-ready in as little as five years and offer more than double the energy density of comparable current products – at a lower cost. The company says the recent acquisition of Silicon Valley start-up Seeo Inc. for an undisclosed sum will help make this possible, as thanks to the acquisition Bosch now possesses the first sample cells needed to further its development work.
A new automotive battery pack manufacturing research centre is to be set up in Coventry and will work on developing the next generation of traction batteries for electric and hybrid vehicles. The University of Warwick’s WMG will lead a 14 million consortium known as AMPLiFII (Automated Module-to-pack Pilot Line for Industrial Innovation). Government agency Innovate UK is funding the project to the tune of £10 million.
Kumho Tire has chosen the IAA motor show in Frankfurt as the launch venue for several new products, including the company’s self-sealing tyres and tyres for electric vehicles.
An increasing number of independent garages are carrying out routine servicing and repairs on electric, hybrid and other alternatively fuelled vehicles (AVFs), according to Autodata. The data firm has reported a 104 per increase in access to data relating to models in this category over the last quarter. The most popular information requested by Autodata subscribers included service schedules, interactive coloured wiring diagrams and wheel alignment specifications.
Continental AG supplying its third generation truck tyres and ContiPressureCheck to a joint pilot project between BMW Group and its logistics partner Scherm Group to promote environmentally friendly trucks. Conti is equipping a Terberg YT202-EV with 355/50 R22.5 Conti EcoPlus HS3 tyres on the steer axle; Conti EcoPlus HD3 in size 295/55 R22.5 on the drive axle; and 445/45 R19.5 Conti Hybrid HT3 trailer tyres in size on the trailer.
When Jonny Smith, presenter of the Fifth Gear television show, tweeted his urgent need for some road-legal rubber at Carfest, Toyo was happy to oblige. The manufacturer fitted its Proxes R888 to Smith’s electric drag racer – an unusual vehicle in which the TV personality hoped to impress the crowds at Chris Evans’ Carfest event, raising funds for charity in the process.
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