Racers Group Porsche 930 Fuel Cell on 2040-parts.com

A Very Merry F1 Christmas!

2008 has been a pretty eventful year in Formula 1. Lots of highs and lows; arguments over penalties for some drivers and not for others; new venues with stunning facilities and some pretty impressive racing to boot. Which should give F1 Supremo Bernie Ecclestone some great options for his annual Christmas card to close friends.

Better Place EV Battery Swap business goes bust

It seemed like a good idea: take the cost of batteries out of the cost of buying an electric car and instead charge EV owners to use ‘Battery Swap’ stations where depleted batteries could be swapped for fully charged ones in the time it takes to fill an ICE car with petrol. But it’s all gone a bit Pete Tong. Better Place – which partnered with Renault in 2009 to make the battery swap technology viable – has failed to find anyone to add to the $750 million already involved in the project and has filed for bankruptcy.

Dacia Duster launched

Dacia has launched the Duster in to the European market Dacia is Renault’s Romanian brand and produces its own cars mostly based on Renault underpinnings. It currently offers none of its cars in the UK, but that could change with the Duster, although the initial roll-out doesn’t include RHD versions. The budget conscious Dacia Duster is Renault’s budget arm’s take on a budget, compact SUV.