Tesla Expands UK Supercharger Network

FOLLOWING on from the recent UK launch of the right-hand drive version of its Model S electric car, Tesla has turned its attention to expanding its Supercharger network. The Supercharger is a public charging facility allowing owners to rapid charge their vehicles – around 20 minutes for a half charge – enabling longer journey times. In partnership with the Hyatt Regency hotel chain, Tesla now has Superchargers in London and Birmingham at the hotel’s Portman Square and Bridge Street properties respectively.

Chevrolet UK has its best ever year

Now admittedly, Chevrolet UK is not starting from a point of market dominance in the UK, but any manufacturer who has managed to increase sales in 2008 is obviously doing something right. Chevrolet UK has announced that in 2008 it managed to increase its market share in the UK by 12.5%, from 0.76% to 0.86%, with total sales for the year of 18,372 cars (which is only a smidge higher than 2007, but the lower total sales for the UK Car market in 2008 meant a significant increase in market share for Chevrolet). Chevrolet Cruze - Launches in the UK in 2009 These are not figures that are going to frighten the pants off Ford and Vauxhall, but they are an indication that a certain part of the car buying public in the UK are looking at price as a major factor, and are prepared to sacrifice a degree of driving joy to get in to a new car at a lower price.

Ford offers C-Max Hybrid owners rebates for overstated mpg

In the wake of Ford's decision yesterday to lower its fuel mileage estimates on the C-Max hybrid, the company says it will also offer a payment to C-Max hybrid owners and lease holders for the estimated average fuel cost between the new and former mpg figures. Owners will get a check for $550 while lessees will get $325. The window sticker on the C-Max hybrid will now read 43 mpg, instead of the originally promised 47 mpg.