Big price cuts for electric Vauxhall Corsa and Astra

Vauxhall has taken up to £4675 off the electric Astra and £4150 off the top-spec Corsa
Nearly £5000 off a top-rung Astra Electric as the brand seeks to make its EVs more affordableVauxhall is continuing its push to make its electric cars more affordable by slashing the prices of the Astra and Corsa EVs. 
The biggest cut is for the range-topping Ultimate-trim version of the Astra Sports Tourer, which has been reduced by £4765 to £40,695. The electric e

The world lost a great automotive designer in September, as it surfaced earlier this week that Bruno Sacco passed away at the age of 90. An Italian by birth, Sacco’s career and indeed the majority of his life took place in Germany. There, his flair for serious and orderly designs were put to use on the exclusive luxury wares from Mercedes-Benz.
Bruno Sacco was born on November 12, 1933 in the town of Udine, in the north eastern corner of Italy. He lived in Udine for his entire childhood, a

Despite plug-in hybrid (PHEV) models seeming like they’d be a good compromise between all-electric and combustion vehicles, the latest E-Vision Intelligence Report from JD Power has shown them trailing both in terms of sales volume. While traditional combustion vehicles remain the dominant option for American consumers, battery electric and standard hybrids both eclipse annual PHEV deliveries.JD Power reported that plug-in hybrid sales are presently stuck below 2 percent of the total new

The Ford Expedition is entering its fifth generation in 2025, and with the update comes new styling, more screen real estate, a new off-road trim, and a borrowed feature from the Lincoln Navigator. Ford said it spent more than 1,100 hours talking to buyers to design the SUV that meets the needs of the largest number of people. While much of the Expedition changed for 2025, the powertrain is a carryover. It’s a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 making 400 horsepower and 480 pound-feet of torqu

The much-feared dockworker strike has ended almost as quickly as it began. Union officials and port operators reached a tentative deal after just three days, and while that time may still cause a disruption in the flow of goods across the country, it will be far less impactful than if the two sides had taken longer to come together. Union leaders said the agreement yielded a 62-percent wage increase for workers, down a bit from the originally demanded 77-percent raise but better than the 50 perc

It took Tesla a few years to get the Cybertruck out the door, but when it did, the long-promised affordable models weren’t part of the deal. That’s changing, though only slightly, as the automaker has opened the order books for a more “affordable” Cybertruck variant starting at around $80,000. Looking at Tesla’s Cybertruck configuration site, only the most expensive trims appear, but current reservation holders have started receiving emails with invitations to order

As the calendar flips into the cruelest months (okay, so maybe we’re being a bit dramatic about winter – but not by much) drivers in many parts of the nation will be weighing the right time to mount winter tires on their vehicle. We know the benefits – major traction advantages in tough conditions, primarily – but with a multitude of options from a raft of different brands, choosing the right one can be something of a task.
As an option for this season, the RoadX brand ha

Electrification has become inevitable even for the Rambo LamboWhen Mini launched the previous generation of the electric hatch, it called it Cooper SE in most markets but decided to go simply with ‘Electric’ in the UK in order to avoid confusion with the common trim level name.No such qualms with the new Lamborghini Urus SE, which isn’t the fleet-friendly version with 17in wheels and cloth seats, but effectively the facelift of Sant’ Agatha’s controversial but pred

New car sales figures and waning EV market prompt call for urgent government support amid “serious concerns”
Demand from private buyers for diesel cars outstripped EVs in September, leading industry bosses to renew calls for urgent government support amid “serious concerns” that a waning electric car market “is putting environmental ambitions at risk”.
During the month, private diesel sales increased 17.1% compared with September 2023 – a

New car sales figures and waning EV market prompt call for urgent government support amid “serious concerns”
Demand from private buyers for diesel cars was more than for EVs in September, leading industry bosses to renew calls for urgent government support amid “serious concerns” that a waning electric car market “is putting environmental ambitions at risk”.
During the month, private diesel sales increased 17.1% compared with September 2023 &nda

Cameras are integrated into the wings to reduce drag
Striking concept car is a 4.8m-long coupé SUV claimed to emit 90% less carbon over its lifetime than today's CapturThe new Renault Embleme concept shows how hydrogen fuel cell technology could offer long-range transport while emitting 90% fewer lifetime emissions than today’s petrol Captur and even 80% fewer emissions than the Megane BEV.
The follow-up to the Scenic Vision, it’s powered by a similar hydrogen-fuelled range-ex

Ford imagined a lineage from the original Capri through to the new car
Amko Leenarts has shouldered criticism of the new Capri – and likes how much conversation it's generatedIt's easy for high-ranking executives to isolate themselves from more granular public feedback towards their models, but for designers there can be no hiding place.
Few of them need to be more in tune with public perception than Ford of Europe design boss Amko Leenarts, who is trying to change so much of wha

Skoda's new Elroq EVz is priced to compete with Chinese rivals
Czech company’s sales and marketing chief warns China will just set up shop in EuropeAny tariffs on Chinese electric cars will have “no effect” in slowing their march into the European market, Skoda’s sales and marketing chief has warned.
The EU will today vote to make the temporary tariffs on Chinese manufacturers – including BYD, Chery (owner of Omoda and Jaecoo), Geely (owner of&nb

Production of the Fiat 500e will remain stalled through the rest of October due to lack of demand. While the Mirafiori factory in Turin, Italy, was told to suspend work for a few weeks in September, Stellantis has decided to extend things into November.Despite being indisputably cute, the model hasn’t had the greatest run. The previous-generation 500C was praised as being a fashionable and nimble city car with an Abarth variant that offered enough pep to make it genuinely fun to drive. Ho

News from the Great White North: the province of Ontario is increasing speed limits on its major highways to 110 km/h (~70 mph). Road safety groups are surely firing up their press machines, gearheads are nodding in agreement, and most drivers will probably continue driving 20 over the limit like they always do.Until now, most major highways (called the 400-series roads) in Ontario were limited to 100 km/h or about 60 mph save for a few sections which were increased to today’s blanket spee

EV fires are one of the reasons detractors give for avoiding the vehicles, though they don’t flame up at any higher rate than gas models. New battery tech promises to reduce the number of EV fires, however, and one of the companies behind the technology said the components could become self-extinguishing in the future. LG Chem said it developed a battery material that can help prevent fires and extinguish them when they do happen. The company published a paper in the journal Nature Communi

Toyota is delaying production of a new EV model, citing “production preparation issues.” The company denies that the move is related to wavering EV demand, but won’t begin building the new model until 2026 at its plant in Kentucky. The automaker initially planned to build the vehicle, which is expected to be called the bZ5X, starting in the second half of 2025, with deliveries starting late that year or early 2026. Toyota said it would also cut the number of electric models it

Porsche has apparently been working on a six-stroke engine and even filed a patent with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) along with the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca. The motor is said to offer enhanced efficiency and power, along with cleaner combustion. However, it’s fairly common for the industry to promise the moon after announcing the revival of odd-ball technologies from the past or some totally novel powertrain.Let’s not forget that hydrogen power a

Inster measures 3.8m long, 1.6m wide and 1.6m tall
Korean brand aims to broaden appeal of electric cars with new miniature four-seaterHyundai is gearing up for an assault on the mainstream electric car market with the new Inster, priced from £23,495 – or £249 per month on PCP finance.
It's based on the Hyundai Casper, a diminutive city car that has so far been sold exclusively with a petrol engine in Korea. Its platform has been stretched by 230mm (with a 180mm of that growth i

Sales of the Polestar 2 have fallen
Appointment of a former CFO to lead the start-up tells all about its situation but there's hope on the horizonPolestar’s announcement in August that it was switching CEOs provided a window on the ailing condition of the electric car start-up spun out of Volvo. 
The CVs of the two CEOs were instructive. Out went former design boss Thomas Ingenlath and in came former chief financial officer Michael Lohscheller. 
Ingenlath had been promoted f

The tech in BMW’s electric models has been engineered to put you in charge. That’s why, for BMW iX driver Simon, range isn’t a worryFor drivers thinking about making the switch and going electric, it’s often range anxiety – worrying about how far an electric car can go, and whether it will run out of charge before you get there – that is one of the early concerns.
As BMW iX driver Simon explains, it’s a fear with little foundation. “Range, it&rsquo

The Renault 5 is back as a modern recreation of a small car legend – this time, with electric powerIt’s been almost four years since Renault boss Luca de Meo outlined his 'Renaulution' plan to lift the brand's desirability (and profitability) with a range of new models reimagining some of its much-loved icons from the past.At the heart of it all was a stunning remake of the Renault 5. The brand hopes this returning supermini can do what the original R5 did by bringing affordable mob

Petrol dropped by an average of 6.47p per litre during September, according to the RACFuel prices fell by 6.5p last month and are set to continue on a downward trajectory, according to the RAC.
Petrol cost 134.79p per litre on average at the end of September, down from 141.26ppl at the start of the month. This means that filling up a car with a 55-litre fuel tank is now £3.56 less expensive than it was at the start of September.
Diesel, meanwhile, fell from 146.00ppl to 139.5ppl over

General Motors is reducing the available engine options for the Chevy Colorado, leaving the pickup with just one. However, that powertrain is the 2.7-liter turbocharged TurboMax offering 310 horsepower and 430 pound-feet of torque. While obviously the most exciting powertrain on offer, streamlining the model does reduce consumer choice and will likely raise MSRPs.The manufacturer had already reduced options for the GMC Canyon, so it makes sense that platform-sharing Colorado would follow suit.

Flying cars are a thing, though it’s hard to imagine a world where they become anything slightly resembling mainstream. That hasn’t stopped Toyota from pouring funds into Joby Aviation, a company focused on making eVTOL (vertical takeoff and landing) air taxis, making it one of a few automakers deeply invested in the space.Toyota said it would invest $500 million into Joby Aviation with a goal of supporting its certification efforts and manufacturing. Toyota’s COO, Tesuo Ogawa,

There are no hitches with our top 10 hot hatches – but which pocket rocket claims the number one spot?Hot hatches are the Goldilocks performance cars – they're fast, mischievously good fun, whole-heartedly practical and some are even quite affordable. What is not to like?
The best hot hatches come from a recipe that has been around for decades: take an otherwise ordinary hatchback, up the performance and upgrade its powertrain and chassis technologies. 
Some car makers