Explorer 2000 Antenna 458607 on 2040-parts.com

USED CAR BUYER CONFIDENCE “UNLIKELY TO IMPROVE” IN 2011 SAYS RAC

USED CAR buyer confidence is unlikely to improve significantly in 2011, meaning that demand for safety net products such as extended warranties will remain strong, says RAC Warranty. The company points out that at the end of 2010, used car warranties are still being enhanced – by both length of time and depth of cover – at around the same rates as during the worst parts of the recession, indicating that the mood of consumers remains cautious. Ian Simpson, sales and marketing director, said: “Next year, the measures that the coalition Government has undertaken to reduce public spending will really start to bite and that will have a definite impact on general confidence.

SAE approves new fast-charging standard for EVs, plug-ins

SAE International said it has approved a new technical standard that will dramatically reduce charging times for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and electric vehicles. The global engineering group said the new charging standard, developed with the cooperation of more than 190 automakers, utilities and equipment builders, will allow charging times to be reduced from as long as eight hours to as short as 20 minutes. Automakers want DC direct charging to take less than 10 minutes, or roughly the time it takes to fill a tank with gasoline.The goal is to accommodate currents as high as 500 volts distributed from public charging stations.

McLaren P1 will smash Nurburgring & Top Gear lap records

Ron Dennis has said that the new McLaren P1 will smash lap records at the Nurburgring and at the Top Gear track at Dunsfold. But that’s as much about the run-up to Geneva as the Motor Show itself as Ferrari had managed to keep LaFerrari under warps until just a few hours before it debuted. So interest and excitement were high and LaFerrari did little to disappoint.