The forthcoming Aston Martin DBX going into production in Wales later this year has been undergoing cold-weather testing in Sweden’s arctic circle.
Pirelli’s R&D Sottozero Centre at the Flurheden Proving Ground provides a range of extreme environments, from snowy roads to ice handling courses, allowing Aston Martin’s vehicle dynamics specialists – led by Aston Martin Chief Engineer Matt Becker – to put the DBX prototype to the test.
Self-parking is now so common that it can be fitted to a Ford Fiesta.
But a survey by the online motor retail specialist BuyaCar.co.uk has discovered that around two thirds of drivers have only tried out their car’s ‘park assist’ feature a handful of times, before deciding it’s too slow.
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has kickstarted the search for its next generation of Technicians, Parts Advisors and Service Advisors to mark National Apprenticeship Week after its current crop recorded the highest pass rate ever.
While England saw the number of people starting apprenticeships fall last year to a seven-year low*, the brand bucked the trend and recruited a record 46 apprentices in 2018.
The US has become the second largest electric passenger car market in the world, selling 361,000 EVs in 2018, a 2.1% market share, and relegating Europe to the third place with 302,000 cars or a 2.0% market share.
A Transport & Environment study shows China continues to top the ranking with over one million EVs sold last year and an EV market share of 4%.
Just 4% of dealers have concerns about an economic downturn compared to 14% six months previously, suggesting a positive outlook for the future beyond Brexit.
Similarly, stock availability concerns affected just 4% of dealers, dropping from 10% the previous quarter.