World-first Triumph Stag and Morgan 4/4 EV classics revealed

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April 14, 2021

Electric Triumph Stag Electrogenic conversion

Classic car electrification firm Electrogenic has revealed its latest two creations – both of which it describes as electric car world firsts.

The Oxford-based firm has converted a 1976 Triumph Stag and a 1957 Morgan 4/4 to electric power, each using its own in-house tech.

The Stag Owners Club has verified the conversion to be an official world first.

Electrogenic replaced the somewhat notorious 3.0-litre Triumph V8 with its own ‘Hyper9’ high-voltage motor. This produces 107hp and, more notably, 173lb ft of pulling power.

It is powered by a 37kWh battery which is spread between the engine bay and the former location of the fuel tank and spare wheel.

Total range is around 150 miles and it can be charged with a Type 2 charger.

The Morgan uses the same Hyper9 electric motor, and the same battery cleverly located within the car’s existing chassis.

Uniquely, both vehicles retain a manual gearbox.

The conversions are described as sympathetic, with Electrogenic director Steve Drummond saying the firm uses “modern technology to bring out the best characteristics in the cars.

“For us, this means increasing power within the capability of the original vehicle, optimising weight distribution and not using too many batteries to keep the handling crisp and precise.”

Electric Triumph Stag Electrogenic conversion interior

The originality of the rest of the vehicle is maintained too. “For example, it means that we can repurpose the original instruments to keep the interior as untouched as possible.”

The objective is “to make the cars we’ve been entrusted with into ‘better versions of themselves’.”

Fellow co-founder Ian Newstead said the firm “loves the challenge of converting beautiful classic cars with technology that means they will be able to continue to be used guilt-free, even in our cities, for years to come.”

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500 Renault vans to serve as mobile Covid testing units

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Daniel Puddicombe

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April 13, 2021

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The Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) has ordered 500 converted Renault Master vans for use as mobile Covid-19 testing units.

The 500 vans will replace – and nearly double – DHSC’s existing fleet of 258 vehicles. The bespoke conversion offers twice the daily testing capacity of the previous vans, with each vehicle able to store 1,000 Covid test kits.

The Renault vans have been converted to ensure safe and comfortable conditions for staff and patients. Features include twin awnings with layouts to accommodate drive-through testing and staff welfare areas, pedestrian testing bays, onboard heating, hot water and hand-washing facilities, a generator for additional power, comprehensive charging and electrical access points, plus extra lighting,

Renault said the vehicles were developed within three months.

‘Controlling the spread of Covid’

“We are exceptionally pleased that the Renault Master is playing a part in helping the DHSC to continue its invaluable work in controlling the spread of Covid,” said Vincent Tourette, MD of Renault UK.

“Being able to provide such a substantial number of base vehicles in such a short timeframe presented a significant challenge, but it’s something that we and our factory were proud to overcome.”

It is yet to be determined how long DHSC will use the vans for.

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Smart traffic lights wait for slower pedestrians to cross the road

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Daniel Puddicombe

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April 13, 2021

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Slower pedestrians, such as elderly people and those with children, could be given more time to cross the road thanks to smart traffic lights.

The new system, developed by British tech company Now Wireless, uses artificial intelligence and cameras to predict when people are likely to cross a road. It also predicts how long it will take for them to use a pedestrian crossing.

No Wireless says its system can reduce congestion and stop-start traffic, as vehicles will no longer need to stop for ‘ghost pedestrians’ or a single person. The lights potentially only change when several people are waiting to cross.

The system uses cameras to detect people 15 metres away from the crossing and pairs this with AI analysis to ‘work out their intentions’.

‘Reduced risk of virus transmission’

It also enables people to cross a road without needing to push a button to stop traffic. Now Wireless says this means a ‘reduced risk of virus transmission by eliminating the need to touch a button’.

A number of parameters can be put in place to meet specific requirements for individual crossings, says the firm. For example, the lights could change after a specific amount of time elapses if the camera identifies a single person is waiting. Or they can change in a shorter time if many people are waiting to cross.

“As economies build back, information about pedestrian numbers, and making sure that crossing points operate efficiently, will be particularly important for urban areas,” said Brian Jackson, MD of Now Wireless.

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James May says young drivers are penalised by theory test rules

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Daniel Puddicombe

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April 13, 2021

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The Grand Tour’s James May has called on the government to extend the two-year validity of driving theory test certificates. His plea comes as many learners have been unable to take driving lessons, or the practical test, during the Covid-19 lockdown.

Leaner drivers with expired theory test certificates have to pay £23 to retake the test. It is claimed that 70,000 people have successfully passed the test, but must take it again due to delays.

There is already a large backlog of people waiting to take their practical driving test – estimated to be eight months long – and May says the government’s refusal to extend theory certificates is adding 332 learners to this queue every day.

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James May explained: “I know that the test is both very dull and quite difficult to pass. There’s a large group of – predominantly young – people out there who have successfully passed it and now, through no fault of their own, are going to have to take it all over again – and pay for it again. That’s if they even manage to book a slot.

“Just at a time when they need the most help to get out and get jobs as we emerge from lockdown, I think this is unfair and unreasonable.”

May continued: “The government seems to be arguing that they can’t change the law to extend the validity of theory tests. But that’s exactly what they’ve done in Northern Ireland, and they were quick to extend MOT validity for cars. I’m not sure why they’ve decided to penalise young drivers in this way. Perhaps they just want the money?”

The former Top Gear presenter’s call for action comes as driving lessons are allowed to resume in England and Wales.

High demand for lessons

According to the AA, more than 26,000 people have requested a notification for when lesson booking re-opens. Its Driving School offshoot has seen nearly 177,000 individual searches for driving lessons since December 2020.

“We saw huge demand for driving lessons after the first lockdown last year and anticipate even more people will want to learn to drive this year,” said Robert Cowell, interim managing director of AA Driving School.

“Although instructors met the challenges of their increased workload when the last lockdown ended, learners struggled to book tests and it resulted in further delays. We hope they have learned their lesson and will be releasing more test slots sooner.”

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Bentley reveals ‘sustainable’ Continental GT3 Pikes Peak racer

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John Redfern

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April 13, 2021

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Bentley is looking to claim a ‘triple crown’ of wins at one of the world’s most demanding motorsport events.

This summer will see Bentley enter a specially prepared version of its Continental GT3 race car into the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.

Along with the hopes of success in the Time Attack category, Bentley will also be testing the use of biofuel-based petrol.

The longest climb

Held since 1916, the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb challenges drivers over a 12.42-mile course that ascends by 1,440 metres (4,720 ft).

With 156 corners to master, and substantial drops at the side of the road, the Colorado event is not for the faint hearted.

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Fortunately, Bentley has already developed a winning reputation at Pikes Peak. In 2018, the luxurious Bentayga set a new record for Production SUVs with a time of 10 minutes 49.9 seconds.

The following year, Bentley used the Continental GT to claim victory in the Production Car category.

Winging it to the top

For 2021, Bentley has turned to the successful Continental GT3 race car as the basis for its Pikes Peak contender.

A carefully chosen biofuel will be used for the 4.0-l twin-turbocharged V8 engine, with a focus on maintaining performance as the altitude rises. Bentley promises that the short exhaust tailpipes, exiting from the side of the Continental GT3, will deliver dramatic sounds.

Aerodynamics are also key to the new GT3. The Pikes Peak car will wear the biggest rear wing ever fitted to a Bentley, with a two-plane splitter at the front and giant diffuser at the back.

New Zealand-born Rhys Millen, a multiple class winner at Pikes Peak, will be responsible for driving the Bentley.

A sustainable performance future

Aside from making a dramatic motorsport statement, Bentley intends to use the Pikes Peak experience to investigate which biofuels the company could use in future.

Bentley’s Beyond100 programme will see hybrid choices offered across the entire range by 2023. The brand will then become fully electric by 2030.

With plans to continue producing internal combustion engines for almost another decade, Bentley hopes that biofuels will create a sustainable interim solution.

Dr Matthias Rabe, Bentley board member for engineering, commented that: “Our powertrain engineers are already researching both biofuels and e-fuels for use by our customers alongside our electrification programme – with intermediate steps of adopting renewable fuels at the factory in Crewe and for our company fleet.

“In the meantime, the Continental GT3 Pikes Peak will show that renewable fuels can allow motorsport to continue in a responsible way, and hopefully it will capture the third and final record in our triple crown.”

Bentley will undertake testing of the new car in the UK, before having it shipped to the United States ahead of the event in June later this year.

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Number of young drivers falls to record low

By

Daniel Puddicombe

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April 12, 2021

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The number of young people with a full driving licence has declined to the lowest level on record.

According to DVLA data, 2.97 million people aged 16 to 25 in Great Britain hold a full licence, down from 3.32 million in March 2020. It’s also the lowest number since records started in 2012, when there were 3.42 million.

Driving tests and lessons have been suspended throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, while financial pressures have also increased.

The decline is sharper relative to the total number of young people, which has risen over the same period, according to a report by PA news agency.

According to a survey conducted by the Department for Transport in 2019, the most common reasons for 17- to 20-year-olds in England not getting behind the wheel were all financial: the cost of learning to drive (41 percent), of buying a car (31 percent) and of insuring it (30 percent).

Fewer than one in five (19 percent) of respondents said they were not interested in driving, and 12 percent cited the availability of other forms of transport.

‘A very stressful time for learners’

AA president Edmund King said: “This has been a very stressful time for many learners and indeed their instructors, who were unable to work”.

He added the disruption had been made worse by the government’s refusal to extend the maximum two-year period between passing the theory exam and taking a practical test.

There was “massive pent-up demand for both lessons and tests,” he claimed, and bookings were expected to “skyrocket when instructors can teach again”.

Steve Gooding from the RAC Foundation added: “Perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised by this fall in the number of full licence holders aged 25 and under in a year when the Covid-19 pandemic increased financial pressures for many, meant driving lessons and driving tests had to be suspended, and resulted in more young people being locked down in their family home.”

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Air quality group calls for MOT to include DPF test

By

Daniel Puddicombe

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April 12, 2021

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An air quality lobbying group led by an MP has called on the government to introduce stricter MOT testing for diesel particulate filters (DPFs) in order to reduce emissions.

At present, MOT testers only have to check for the presence of a DPF. However, the Westminster Commission for Road Air Quality says this is not good enough, pointing out that if the filter is damaged, particles will be emitted with reduced filtration. This could result in much higher particulate emissions.

The group – founded by Barry Sheerman, Labour MP for Huddersfield – cited research from Holland, which estimated 10 percent of diesel cars have damaged, faulty, tampered with or unlawfully removed DPF filters.

Members of the group include Renault Trucks UK, Siemens Mobility and the City of London Corporation.

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Based on this data, the introduction of diesel particulate filter testing during MOTs could reduce PM2.5 particles in the UK by 1,000 tonnes per year, the group said.

It added a Dutch MOT testing centre measured a diesel vehicle with a faulty DPF and found that one single polluting vehicle’s particle emissions would be the same as from all the typical idling diesel vehicles with working DPFs in a 360-mile long, three-lane traffic jam.

Barry Sheerman, MP for Huddersfield and the chair of the group, said: “As a Commission, we are committed to identifying and following best practice in achieving improved air quality – drawing expertise from home and abroad. More rigorous assessments of vehicles’ emissions levels would mitigate the harmful health impacts of high roadside air pollution and in turn, save lives.

“We will continue to relay to the Government the merits of being inspired by the successes from the Netherlands, and bring attention to best practice elsewhere.”

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Covid sees car insurance prices plunge to seven-year low

By

Daniel Puddicombe

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April 12, 2021

0

The cost of car insurance has fallen to its lowest point in seven years, with experts calling it a consequence of the coronavirus pandemic.

According to research conducted by Money Supermarket, the average cost of fully comprehensive insurance in the UK fell by £73.32 to £417.06 – a fall of 15 percent – in the first quarter of 2021, which represents the biggest quarter-on-quarter drop on record.

The firm claimed that, as drivers have been covering fewer miles, and there is a reduction of the number of vehicles on the roads, there is more competition for insurance sales, which causes insurers to lower premiums.

Meanwhile, fewer miles driven has led to fewer claims – which makes insurance more profitable and allows providers to reduce prices and pass this benefit on to customers.

From January to March 2021, every region across the country has benefitted from a reduction in the average cost of fully comprehensive premiums, Money Supermarket said.

In the West Midlands, policies were £101.54 cheaper between January-March 2021 than they were from October-December last year on average, representing a 17 percent fall in costs.

This is the largest drop of anywhere in the UK.

Yorkshire and the Humber, the North West, the North East and the East Midlands all saw prices fall by 15 percent.

Premiums for fully comprehensive car insurance are cheapest on average in the Crown Dependencies (£276.25), as well as the South West (£291.08) and Scotland (£324.31) and they are most expensive in London (£607.73), the firm added.

The cheap car insurance bubble ‘could burst’

“Extra competition for sales is causing insurers to lower premiums, as fewer claims means that insurance is more profitable and providers can therefore reduce prices and pass this benefit on to customers,” said Andy Teasdale, car insurance spokesperson at Money Supermarket.

“However, it is likely the bubble will burst at some point as lockdown eases and driving – as well as accidents and claims – start to rise again.

“It is unclear how many of those who have been working from home during the last year will potentially reduce their time in the workplace. If there is a significant shift, it could mean that we can enjoy lower premiums for longer.”

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Toyota chief Akio Toyoda is 2021 World Car Person of the Year

By

Richard Aucock

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April 9, 2021

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Toyota president and CEO Akio Toyoda has been named 2021 World Car Person of the Year by the World Car Awards organisation.

The charismatic Toyota leader beat four other global automotive execs to the top spot thanks to votes from 93 international motoring journalists.

Mr Toyoda succeeds last year’s winner, Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares, in being honoured as someone who has made a significant contribution to the global automotive industry.

“On behalf of all 360,000 Toyota team members around the world, thank you for this tremendous honour!” said Mr Toyoda.

“If you don’t mind, however, I would like to change this award from car ‘person’ of the year to car ‘people’ of the year – because it’s the collective effort of all our global employees, retailers and suppliers that has truly made Toyota what it is today.

“I for one couldn’t be a luckier or more grateful CEO.”

Under Mr Toyoda’s stewardship, Toyota’s image has been transformed. Long one of the world’s most successful car companies, it is now among the most exciting mainstream brands, producing models such as the GR Yaris, Supra and upcoming new GR 86.

“No more boring cars,” said Mr Toyoda early in his stewardship – and he is proving true to his word.

All the time, as the World Car Awards organisation points out, while actively participating in motorsports himself as a driver.

“Thank you again for this award,” he said, “and to my fellow car lovers, see you on the track!”

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‘Lotus Approved’ scheme launched for used cars up to 20 years old

By

Daniel Puddicombe

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April 9, 2021

0

Lotus is the latest car brand to launch a manufacturer-backed Approved Used scheme for secondhand cars.

Called ‘Lotus Approved’, the scheme can be applied by dealers to any Lotus up to 20 years old, provided it meets a pre-agreed set of criteria. These include passing technical and cosmetic checks, which the Norfolk-based carmaker says will ‘deliver a high-quality and consistent standard of pre-owned car throughout the Lotus network’.

In addition, Lotus dealers will be able to offer flexible finance on these cars.

A spokesman for Lotus told Motoring Research that while dealers have been able to market approved used vehicles before, they all worked to different standards. The Lotus Approved scheme introduces a set of criteria that has been laid down by the head office for the first time.

In order to be granted Lotus Approved status, vehicles must pass the following tests:

The car must be given a minimum 12-month warranty by the dealer supplying it
The car must have a full service history and the dealer must conduct a HPI or Experian vehicle history check.
The dealer must run a vehicle identity check with mileage verification
The car will undergo a multi-point vehicle inspection by a Lotus factory-trained technician
A Lotus factory-trained technician will take the car on a 10-mile road test
The dealer will conduct an appropriate service and/or MoT if either/both are due within three months
The dealer will offer a full vehicle valet
The dealer will include 12 months’ breakdown cover

In addition, every Lotus Approved car comes with a free Certificate of Provenance, which provides detailed vehicle information. Buyers will also get a few ‘Lotus collectables’, including an engraved aluminium plaque, a leather keyring, a presentation tin of four badges and a Lotus ink pen in a branded gift box.

Many manufacturers offer ‘approved used’ schemes for second-hand cars, but by including vehicles up to 20 years old, Lotus is going above and beyond most others. Ferrari’s used offering, for example, extends to cars up to 14 years old.

‘A win-win scenario’

Geoff Dowding, director of sales and aftersales at Lotus, said: “The launch of the Lotus Approved programme is another significant milestone in the transformation of our business.

“This is a win-win scenario for everyone; for customers new to the Lotus brand it delivers added value and peace of mind, and for our retailers it’s an opportunity to expand their customer base.”

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