Industry

Newslines 18 October

18 October 2016

Alfa Romeo has opened UK order books on the highly-anticipated all-new rear wheel drive Giulia range, with prices from £29,180. Customers can also choose between four engine variants, two petrol and two diesel, which are all paired to a new eight-speed automatic transmission as standard; five trim levels – the Giulia, Super, Tecnica, Speciale and the … [Read more...]

Grid must charge resources for EVs

16 October 2016

A innovation project has been launched to examine how the UK’s electricity network can prepare for the increase in electric vehicle ownership. The Smart EV project is today launching its Consultation on Managed EV Charging at the Low Carbon Networks Innovation Conference in Manchester. The Consultation invites stakeholder views to ultimately secure a … [Read more...]

Land Rover Classic tours begin

16 October 2016

Land Rover Classic has opened its doors to the new Reborn Tour giving visitors the chance to experience the restoration of an early Land Rover live at the brand’s bespoke workshop and facility at Solihull – the ‘Home of the Legend’. The Reborn Tour and Driving Experience begins with refreshments and welcome from an experienced and knowledgeable Land Rover … [Read more...]

Weekend roadtest: Toyota Mirai FCV

15 October 2016

The future of motoring is on the road, here and now but in limited numbers. Very slowly and with little fanfare, the Toyota Mirai (meaning ‘the future’) has been introduced and is being sold to selected customers who can access hydrogen fuel. So far there are only about 20 Mirai models on UK roads and another 30 will come in 2017 but the … [Read more...]

V-Charge is next generation supercharger

15 October 2016

A new generation of supercharger has been developed and independently tested to transform performance in small engines. A mule Ford 1.0-litre GTDI engine equipped with a Torotrak V-Charge system matched the performance of a 1.5-litre unit, with driveability improved. The system and test car will now be used in a programme of visits for test … [Read more...]

EV sales charge to over 500K this year

14 October 2016

Europe will see more than half a million electric vehicles on its roads by the end of 2016, says a report by Transport & Environment (T&E) . In three years the EV fleet on European roads has risen from 100,000 to almost 200,000 by 2014, and almost doubled again last year and is on course to end the year at 600,000 at current rates of acquisition … [Read more...]

Circuit of Wales moves closer to reality

13 October 2016

The Circuit of Wales development is moving a step closer to reality. WheelsWithinWales understands promoters of the £370m project at Ebbw Vales have now raised additional private capital for the scheme which should meet Welsh Government requirements. Two previous bids for Welsh Government support to fund part of the project were rejected as falling … [Read more...]

Inside out design tests for new Ford engines

12 October 2016

Sophisticated design technology is being used to shape the inside of a new generation of Ford engines. Ford has used an innovative combustion-modelling tool for the development of its new EcoBlue range of high-efficiency diesel engines. The CONVERGE CFD software package from Convergent Science has been used by the Ford engineers to develop the new … [Read more...]

Getting more from our roads

11 October 2016

There are stark choices facing Europe’s road planners. They need to look to smooth flows and handle demand: add capacity to our current road network or manage the load more efficiently, according to two of the key speakers at the European Road Infrastructure Congress, http://www.eric2016.eu/ taking place this month. In a session entitled “Big data and … [Read more...]

Green investors will drive future car use and business