Electric cars must get noisier, ICE cars must get quieter

Electric cars will have to make a noise to protect pedestrians It’s four years since the Lotus solution for making electric cars noisy raised its head, since when the US has had a go at the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act in 2010 to do the same thing, the Japanese are playing too, and Toyota revealed the Prius Vehicle Notification System, and now the EU has decided its time to act to make EVs emit ‘noise’. Despite the most appealing part of an EV being that it makes our cities quieter, legislators worry about the blind, partially sighted and distracted pedestrian (think earphones and a Smartphone) being mowed down by a stalking electric car and feel the need to act. So the European Parliament has decided that by 2019 new models of electric vehicle will have to make a noise in cities, and that by 2021 all new hybrids and electrics must be noisy too.

Milk float sets new speed record

A SUPERCHARGED milk float has picked up a new world record after reaching a speed of 84mph on a racing circuit. The specially-adapted vehicle, sponsored by Weetabix On The Go Breakfast Drinks, beat the existing top speed for a milk float of 77mph on the tarmac at Bruntingthopre in Leicestershire. Complete with bull-bars, and boasting a V8 engine, the float was crafted from a traditional 4mph electric float.

Volvo confirms 395bhp four-cylinder for new 2015 XC90

By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 08 July 2014 08:00 Volvo has confirmed engine details on the new 2015 XC90 - and it'll be crowned by the XC90 T8 plug-in hybrid, a 4x4 with 395bhp and around 60g/km of CO2. The Swedish seven-seat crossover hasn't been unveiled yet (expect full pictures in August 2014) and Volvo is busy building up the publicity machine with snapshots inside the new XC90 and now teasing us with engine details. The first photograph here is the XC concept car from the Detroit motor show 2014.