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Better Place Electric Car visitor centre opens

Better Place have opened a visitor centre in Israel to demonstrate their battery swap technology for electric cars Last October we wrote about a start-up company in Israel – Better Place – that had a new way forward for electric cars by taking the purchase of battery packs out of the equation, and was developing a system for ‘Battery Swap’ stations where electric car owners could drive in and swap their battery pack for a fully-charged one in a few minutes. That story first brought to our attention our favourite quote of last year – by Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn – who said “A hybrid is like a mermaid: if you want a fish, you get a woman; if you want a woman, you get a fish.” Which probably explained why Nissan – and its partner Renault – got involved with Better Place. Better Place aims to address the main concerns of electric car drivers by making the battery packs in electric cars ‘swappable’.

Chrysler’s future will see Lancia back in the UK

Lancia Phedra - to be replaced by a rebadged Chrysler Voyager Now Fiat and Chrysler have had time to sort out what the future holds for their joint future we are starting to see some concrete details emerging from the US. Chrysler revealed its grand five year plan this week and it seems clear that the only Chrysler brand that will see the light of day outside the US will be the Jeep. But even the Jeep is going to find itself endowed with Fiat underpinnings from 2013.

London road casualties at lowest ever

THE NUMBER OF DEATHS and serious injuries on the roads of London has fallen to its lowest ever, showing a 23% drop in 2013 compared to the previous best figures. Pedestrian figures are down even more at 25% for the same period. In 2013, there were 132 fatalities on London’s roads, which is the second lowest figure since records began.