Thule Fit Kit 1691 on 2040-parts.com

Volvo V40 Cross Country gets new T5 Drive-E and AWD

The Volvo V40 Cross Country gets the new T5 Drive-E engine Volvo are on something of a roll at the moment, what with the impressive 2015 XC90 on the way and the very convincing range of Drive-E engines rolling out across their range. And the Drive-E engines really are good; we had one in recently (review to come soon) and the new D4 in the S60 is quick, frugal, quiet and, really, on a par with the best diesels from BMW. And we don’t say that lightly.

UK buyers plugging into electric cars

Renault New figures suggest UK motorists are charged up about electric vehicles (EVs), with a record number of zero-emission cars now on Britain’s roads. Figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) suggest there are more than 10,000 electric cars on the road today, with as many as 1,200 EVs sold in March alone. In the midst of an EV revolution Compare that to the lowly 270 that were sold during the same month in 2013 and it becomes hard to argue that we’re not in the midst of an EV revolution, especially when you combine the figures with the 10,200 hybrid cars sold so far in 2014, up by 45% on last year.

London Motorexpo competition shows future EVs

London's 2012 Motorexpo show has showcased the work of the winners in its competition to design an electric vehicle of the future. The brief, to create a circa 2032 zero-emmission city car capable of transporting four adults and luggage, was won by Michael Vlcek, a first-year student at London's Royal College of Arts' (RCA) Vehicle Design department. Vehicles of the future Vlcek's proposal displayed a car with electric motors mounted in the wheel housings to maximise interior space, and a front-hinged opening to allow access via the rear of the car, where Vlcek positioned the rear lights on vertical vanes to improve aerodynamic stability.