1948 Plymouth Special, 2 Large Center Grill Connectors on 2040-parts.com

Volvo makes breakthrough in battery tech

Volvo has developed a new way of ‘storing’ energy for its future electric vehicles. The Swedish firm is exploring the concept of lightweight structural energy storage components made from carbonfibre, containing “nano structured batteries and super capacitors.” This technology is said to offer a lighter, more compact solution to the problem of energy storage, potentially removing the need for the heavy, bulky batteries used in current electric vehicles. On Bing: see pictures of the Volvo S80 Find out how much a used Volvo S80 costs on Auto Trader The investigation into the new technology is part of an EU-funded research project, undertaken by Volvo – the only major car manufacturer involved – and nine other organisations.

Careful young drivers penalised by hire companies

YOUNG DRIVERS with good driving records are being unfairly penalised by car hire firms. Rental companies are accused of imposing tough age limitations on those able to hire a car. In a study by the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM), it found car hire companies often have stringent minimum age limits that take no account of a driver’s clean record.

New Jaguar XJ: an owner’s review by Richard Madeley

Richard and his new Jaguar XJ outside the Colomb d'Or Restaurant in Saint-Paul de Vence. Regular readers will remember that Richard Madeley took a Jaguar XK Convertible for a blat down to Cornwall and back last year to give us his feedback. If you read that piece it won’t shock you to know that our old mate Richard has been waiting patiently to take delivery of a new Jaguar XJ since then.