The first electric vehicle (EV) public charging points to be installed in London’s lampposts have gone live, thanks to a partnership with Southwark Council and charge point provider char.gy.

The innovative scheme promises to significantly and quickly expand the electric car charging network by utilising existing infrastructure, rather than costly new installations.

50 open-access charging points are now being installed, in the Southwark areas of Borough & Bankside, and Dulwich.

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After initial trials in Marlow earlier this summer, London has been targeted by the scheme because 78 percent of residents there don’t have off-street parking. Tapping into the existing street lighting network aims to easily provide an affordable, scalable EV charging solution for them.

Significantly, Char.gy says it’s the only public lamppost charging provider to be approved under the Alternative Fuels and Infrastructure (AFI) regulations. This makes it a legal requirement for providers to allow ad-hoc public charging – without needing a specific subscription, membership, RFID card or cable.

It thus works via a smartphone app. “Users plug a standard (Type 2) charging cable into the char.gy unit and enter the location of the unit into their device to begin charging” says the firm. Those without a smartphone can do it by visiting the charge point’s dedicated web page.

There are both pay-as-you-charge and membership package tariffs.

Councillor Richard Livingstone from Southwark Council said the charging points “are being installed in residential streets, outside people’s homes, in response to feedback from our residents.

“These new charge points are making it easier than ever for people who live in Southwark to make the switch to electric vehicles.”

Char.gy CEO Richard Stobard says its units can be fitted onto nearly all on-street and car park lampposts, utilising existing infrastructure and “avoiding the need to dig up residential streets”.

Poppy Welch, head of national campaign for EVs Go Ultra Low, has praised the initiative. “For drivers in the UK without access to off-street parking, innovations like lamppost charge points from Char.gy are a great option. It’s good to see the work Southwark Council, a beneficiary of the Go Ultra Low Cities Scheme, is doing to allow people without off-street parking the ability to charge at home.”

“For other local authorities looking to roll-out on-street charging infrastructure, the Government is investing £4.5 million in the Onstreet Residential Chargepoint Scheme until 2020. They also want to see all new street lighting columns include charging points, where appropriately located, in residential areas with current on-street parking.“

The installation has been funded with help from London’s £13 million Go Ultra Low City Scheme. This aims to install more than 1,000 residential charging points across London by 2020.

A name can say a lot about a car. You know, for example, that a Hennessey Venom won’t be a wholesome family hatchback.

But what about the scariest car names ever? And do they match the character of each car? Data company Cap HPI has taken a brave pill, trawled back through its archives and rounded up the best (or should that be worst?)…

Lamborghini Murcielago

This supercar from the early 2000s carries the name of a famous fighting bull. Murcielago means ‘bat’ in Spanish. We’re pretty sure it doesn’t transform into a vampire, but we’ll gladly take an LP640 in pumpkin orange, for maximum Halloween appeal.

DF Goblin

From the supercar establishment to a barn-door kit car. The DF Goblin is an Ariel Atom-esque sporty machine. DF describes the Goblin as a “street-legal go-kart for grown-ups”. The Goblin sounds scary, but we bet it’s a lot of fun.

Rolls-Royce Wraith

Back to the long-established automotive marques. Rolls-Royce has adorned its cars with ethereal names for a century. The Wraith is perhaps its most menacing model to date.

Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat

Less spooky, more dangerous – that’s how we’d describe the Dodge Challenger Hellcat. A supercharged HEMI V8 utters the whine of a banshee as it makes every tyre’s worst nightmare come to life.

Spectre R42

What car could be spookier than something named ‘Spectre’? Lotus Esprit meets Noble meets Jaguar XJ220 in what looks a desirable 1990s supercar. Buy one of the 23 examples built… if you dare.

Ford Probe

A car called Probe has more X-Files connotations than Halloween or Paranormal Activity. Nevertheless, if you’re one for the more cosmic side of spooks and mysteries of, little else compares with Ford’s 1990s coupe.

Plymouth Prowler

Everything on this list so far has more or less been a car with a spooky name. The Prowler, however, does it properly. Just look at it! It screams machete-wielding maniac.

Alfa Romeo Spider

Now we’re on to good old fashioned phobias. Find yourself inside one of these pretty Alfas and the last thing you’ll feel is arachnophobia. The little roadster is a scary Spider in name alone.

Lamborghini Diablo

The Diablo is the forerunner to the Murcielago we started with. It’s an arguably scarier name, with obvious demonic connotations. It’s certainly a scarier drive, too, with earlier examples pre-dating Audi’s stewardship of the company. Pop up the doors for added horns.

Hillman Imp

As magical creatures go, imps aren’t generally considered terrifying. Nor indeed is the car to which they lend their name. The Hillman Imp was once a mainstay of basic motoring.

Pontiac Banshee

The Pontiac Banshee, like the mythical spirit after which it’s named, never came to anything beyond the speculative. Four Banshee concepts appeared over the course of more than 20 years.

AMC Gremlin

There aren’t many movies that are more quintessentially halloween than Gremlins. So, naturally, the AMC Gremlin had to make this list. This ’70s American subcompact was no looker, resembling its namesake in a number of ways.

Rolls-Royce Phantom

Of course, the spookiest car on this list has to be the most imposing. The Phantom even has a ghostly figure named the Spirit of Ecstasy atop its grille. Rolls-Royce officially makes the spookiest cars in the world, as well as arguably the best.

Electric motors and battery power is an inevitability for all new car manufacturers now. But what does that mean for us enthusiasts and racers?

Well, good news: Chevrolet believes electric vehicles and motorsport do not need to be mutually exclusive. It is using the 2018 SEMA Show to demonstrate this, with a 700 horsepower battery-powered 2019 Camaro.

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Based on the fearsome COPO Camaro, the eCOPO ditches the legendary and beloved V8 engine for a substantial electric motor instead.

Batteries ARE included

Powered by an 800-volt battery pack, the pair of electric motors in the eCOPO generate a staggering 600lb-ft of torque.

Electric power means all that torque can be accessed instantly, something which no doubts help with a quarter-mile drag strip time estimated to be under 9 seconds.

Chevrolet has mounted the battery packs strategically throughout the eCOPO Camaro for optimum weight distribution. An addition to the roll cage helps protect the precious batteries, whilst systems ensure they are in perfect health during any trip down the drag strip.

Plug-in, go fast

What makes the electric motor in the eCOPO more impressive is the potential for it to be bolted into other applications with relative ease.

Chevrolet has a strong history of producing powerful ‘crate motors’, offering big performance off the shelf. The aim is to make electric power no different to traditional internal combustion engine offerings.

The eCOPO’s motor uses the same mounting placement and crankshaft flange as the rest of the engines in the Chevrolet crate engine range. This meant the electric motor could be simply dropped in the Camaro’s engine bay, and connected to the same transmission as the fuel-burning regular COPO.

For the future this promises the opportunity to swap out traditional crate engines with an electric motor, making classic cars thoroughly clean and green. It might upset purists, but the promise of huge instant torque may well win them over.

At present this is very much a concept, but Chevrolet is serious about building electric crate motors. This will involve plenty of time spent at the drag strip, testing out the tyre-shredding abilities of the eCOPO Camaro.

Chevrolet is showing off the eCOPO Camaro at the 2018 SEMA Show alongside the conventionally powered 2019 50th Anniversary COPO Camaro. There are also more than 20 other Chevy concepts and modified cars on display at the Las Vegas event.

Fans of modified cars have converged on Las Vegas for the annual SEMA Show, home to the wildest creations on the planet. Here, we bring you pictures of some of the most outlandish, crazy and downright ludicrous cars at SEMA 2018. Brace yourself – we’re going in.

What is SEMA?

Since the 1960s, the Speciality Equipment Market Association (SEMA) modified car show is where aftermarket tuners, mainstream manufacturers and modified car fans have met to put on a display of tweaked performance cars and wild creations. Where else but Las Vegas could be home to such an event?

Ford Ranger

SEMA started small, but has quickly become one of the world’s preeminent car shows, with some manufacturers opting to unveil new vehicles there. This year, Ford has chosen SEMA to unveil seven rugged concepts based on the new Ranger (pictured).

Hoonigan

If we’re honest, this is the kind of thing we’d associated with SEMA. Hoonigan has recreated its Donut Garage yard at SEMA, with a promise to bring “its wildly-popular brand of automotive mayhem” to the show.

Ireson Motorsports Mini Cooper

“This is the baddest Mini on earth, BAR NONE,” says Ireson Motorsports, without a hint of modesty. In fairness, the team at Ireson may have a point, because this 1965 Mini Cooper is powered by two 550-horsepower Honda B16 engines. It also features a gull-wing door, nitrous, 22 gauges, four televisions and a Fred Shutrump paint job. Subtle, isn’t it?

Nissan GT-R

This Corsa Performance Nissan GT-R is a little more low-key, but we suspect the performance is anything but subdued.

Toyota Supra

Toyota will run the new Supra in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2019, while the Camry will continue racing in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup. The company is making a big song and dance about the new Supra at SEMA, which makes a change from endless teasers. Still, it’ll be worth the wait…

Hyundai Veloster

We love the Hyundai i30 N, so we’re a little disappointed that we don’t get a chance to play with the Veloster N in the UK. There are plenty of modified Velosters on display at SEMA, including this R-Spec version. Meanwhile, we’ll console ourselves with the fact that an i30 Fastback N is on the way.

Nissan 370Z Project Clubsport 23

The Project Clubsport 23 is designed to be an ongoing parts development platform. That’s to say that the Nissan 370Z on show at SEMA 2018 might be significantly different months from now as new parts are developed. It’s powered by a 400hp twin-turbocharged V6 engine mated to a six-speed manual transmission. Further upgrades include a bespoke dual exhaust system, Nismo brakes, Rays 18-inch rims and Eibach rear springs.

Volkswagen Jetta

This Jetta S is the work of Jamie Orr, who has fitted KW Clubsport coilovers, 20-inch Work Emotion T5R 2P alloys, Delinte DS8 tyres and ECS Tuning brake rotors. The 3D-printed body kit includes a rear spoiler, while the inside features Recaro A8 seats.

E30 BMW 3 Series

Who doesn’t love a modified E30 BMW? As the California plate suggests, there’s plenty of E30 LOVE on show here.

Chevrolet Blazer

The 2019 Chevrolet Blazer will go on sale in January and will be offered in L, Blazer, RS and Premier trims. Not that you will be able to order it in the UK.

Chevrolet Bolt

The Bolt is another Chevrolet you can’t buy, but we really wish you could. The EV offers 238 miles of electric range and costs $30,000 (£26,000) in the United States.

Toyota Celica Supra

The Toyota Celica Supra – or Celica XX in its domestic market – might look out of place at a modified car show. But it’s part of a bigger story and, dare we suggest, is one of the most appealing cars at SEMA.

Sleepers Speed Shop Porsche 911 SC

This Porsche 911 SC was modified by Sleepers Speed Shop and is part of the Eibach display at SEMA. There are some people in the Motoring Research office who’ll go weak at the knees when they see this.

Big Willy

We’re not sure the #BigWilly hashtag will make for safe viewing during office hours. Either this is a big Willys Jeep or those are incredibly small people stood next to the rear wheel.

GMC Sierra Denali

A modified GMC Sierra Denali – because you can never have enough wheels on your truck.

An eclectic mix

SEMA 2018: the only car show on earth where the exhibits make a modified Honda Civic Type R look subtle.

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• Ford begins building new Fiesta ST engine in Wales

Engines for the acclaimed Ford Fiesta ST are now coming from Wales as production of the all-new motor begins at Ford’s Bridgend Engine Plant.

£100 million has been invested in the facility to build the new 1.5-litre three-cylinder Ecoboost petrol engine, in a project dubbed the Dragon engine programme.

The Welsh government has supported the investment and Ford says the resultant line is all-new, fully-flexible and “state-of-the-art”. Engines produced on it will also go into the new Ford Focus.

“I’m personally very proud to see production start of this all-new engine here in Bridgend, said Wallace Yearwood, plant manager of the South Wales facility.

“It’s the result of a significant investment in the plant, a plant which has a long-established history of delivering world-class engines, and we will make this engine another success.”

“We are proud to have played a part in developing this world class manufacturing facility,” said Welsh energy and transport secretary Ken Skates, “and look forward to continuing to work with the company and workforce to ensure a bright future for the plant at Bridgend, despite the upcoming challenges of Brexit.” 

Ford adds the engine isn’t just built in Britain, but was also partly designed here. Engineers at the Ford Dunton Technical Centre worked with colleagues in Germany to create the new motor which, in the Fiesta ST, produces 200hp yet also averages 47.9mpg.

The news does, however, come in the same week Ford bosses temporarily closed the production line for Jaguar Land Rover engines. The former Ford-owned British brands still use V6 and V8 engines from the blue oval, and several shutdowns in its Midlands factories are having a knock-on effect with suppliers such as Ford. 

The company will cease producing engines for Jaguar Land Rover entirely in September 2020. 

While the new Ford Dragon engine is good news for Bridgend, BBC Wales’ Sarah Dickins says the new programme will only make a quarter of the engines Bridgend has been building up to now: it remains to be seen what will take the place of the JLR line when production ends – and what else Ford Bridgend, the largest employer in the region, can build. 

There is no shortage of extreme machinery on offer at the 2018 SEMA Show, but this latest offering from Wisconsin-based SpeedKore could take some beating.

Officially titled as ‘Evolution’, this 1970 Dodge Charger has certainly undergone a process of development. The car first found fame in The Fast and Furious movie, wearing the name ‘Tantrum and powered by a 1,650hp 9.0-litre turbocharged V8 engine.

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However, SpeedKore promises that the changes are huge, and that Evolution represents “the most advanced 1970 Dodge Charger” anywhere on the globe. A bold claim, but one that is backed up with fastidious engineering.

Turned down for what?

In a world where adding more power seems a natural occurrence, the Evolution Charger bucks the trend.

Outgoes the previous Mercury Racing engine, and in comes the 6.2-litre supercharged Hemi V8 from the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon. It has been upgraded from the stock 840hp, and now produces a verified 966hp at the rear wheels.

Whilst that may be almost 700hp less, SpeedKore maintains that this makes the Evolution easier to drive. And don’t worry, 1,000hp is still capable of offering “tremendous acceleration” according to SpeedKore Vice President Dave Salvaggio.

Classic lines, modern materials

Aiding that performance is a complete overhaul of the Charger’s construction. Lightweight carbon fibre is employed extensively, matched with bespoke billet aluminium components, to meet a target weight of 1,450kg (3,200 pounds).

Much like SpeedKore’s lightweight Demon, carbon fibre is used to create every body panel on the Charger. That includes a single one-piece carbon fibre roof, created in a special autoclave, along with the doors, bumpers and quarter panels.

All the carbon fibre panels are left with a polished clear coat, allowing the natural weave to be seen. The billet aluminium pieces, including the exquisitely detailed door handles, have a bronze-nickel coating to make them stand out.

Devil in the detail

Whilst the Evolution Charger might be impressive as a whole, delving into the individual details demonstrates the thoroughness of the build process.

Those door handles feature a narrow strip of carbon fibre running through them, whilst the boot is lined with meticulously stitched leather. In fact, the entire interior features a custom remake, with a bespoke dashboard, CNC-milled steering wheel, and Recaro bucket seats.

SpeedKore also produced a custom 14-point roll cage, mounting fuel and oil lines hidden inside to keep the carbon and leather clad interior neat. Even the classic Charger pistol-grip shifter gets a carbon makeover, connected to a Tremec six-speed gearbox.

Show stopper

All other major components feature motorsport-inspired upgrades. This includes the Penske adjustable coilover suspension, Brembo GT brakes, and HRE alloy wheels. The latter feature the same bronze-nickel colour, and are wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport 2 tyres.

SpeedKore won a Best in Show award at the 2017 SEMA Show, claiming the prize for a special Ford Mustang, created for Robert Downey Jr. Given the attention to detail applied to the Evolution Charger, it would seem a safe assumption that this carbon-clad muscle car will collect more silverware this year.

The new McLaren Speedtail is the latest (and one of the most controversial) in a long line of whale tail wonders. Indeed, cars have used big bums to stay steady at serious speeds, both on and off the track, for more than 50 years. These are some of the greatest whale tails in motoring.

McLaren Speedtail

The Speedtail, McLaren’s latest entry into the long tail club, isn’t actually called a ‘Longtail’. Lord oh lord, does it have one, though. It’s a full 17 feet long. All in the name of stability at speed, of course.

Porsche 935 GT2

The reborn 935 was Porsche’s gift to itself for its 70th birthday, built in tribute to the original whale-tailed Moby Dick racer of the late 1970s. Just 77 of these track-only specials will be built, each based on the 991 GT2 RS. Perhaps the most obvious modification is that extended backside.

McLaren P1 GT

Lanzante’s last (for now) fettled P1 is a tribute to the original ‘Longtail’ McLaren F1 GT of the late 1990s. It looks properly cool with a few extra inches at the rear, a fixed wing and four exhausts. Lovely green colour, too, also courtesy of the original Longtail GT.

Koenigsegg Regera

The Koenigsegg Regera employs a lightly extended rear end to help house electrical systems and extra cooling. Koenigsegg is proud of its hypercar’s gearless direct-drive transmission. Like the Speedtail, the hybrid Regera is also a ‘hyper GT’ rather than a track-focused supercar.

Hennessey Venom GT

The Hennessey Venom GT is a bit of a barn door hypercar, being, to all appearances, a heavily modified Lotus Exige. But 1,200hp courtesy of a twin-turbo V8 is as serious as any factory effort. Beautifully extended carbon fibre bodywork helps keep this 260mph+ hypercar on the straight and narrow.

Maserati MC12

The Maserati MC12 put the wing in whale tail. Essentially a Ferrari Enzo re-purposed for GT1 racing, the big Maser features a suitably engorged rump to hang serious aero from.

Nissan R390

Nissan’s little-known GT1 racer is perhaps the coolest unicorn on this list. Once again, it features that long, swooping teardrop style, designed to help the car remain rock-solid at speed. There’s more than a little of this in the new Speedtail.

McLaren F1 GT

The original Longtail, the racing F1 GT was a response to the Porsche 911 GT1 and Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR, and an effort keep the ageing hypercar competitive at Le Mans. Just three homologated road cars were made.

Jaguar XJ220

The Jaguar XJ220 was arguably the first mid-engined hypercar aimed primarily at top speed. The clue is in the name. This long-bottomed beauty came out somewhat half-baked, however. The promised V12 and four-wheel drive were swapped for a V6 twin-turbo engine and rear-drive. That promised 220mph top speed fell to 212mph, too.

Porsche 935 ‘Moby Dick’

The original Moby Dick is one of the most legendary racers ever made, in spite of it not being the success Porsche had hoped. ‘Moby Dick’ was a nickname given by Porsche engineers, given its extended whale tail appearance.

Ferrari 512 BBLM

In typical Group 5 racing fashion, the Ferrari 512 BBLM is a hare-brained exaggeration of the road-going Berlinetta Boxer. That includes an extended tail (in which you can see gorgeous snaking exhaust manifolds), plus ground-hugging bodywork. One of Ferrari’s coolest sports racers.

McLaren M6 GT

Before Speedtail, before the F1, there came the M6 GT. Bruce McLaren’s plan was to turn the abandoned prototype into one of the first bona fide supercars. Running a tuned Chevrolet V8 and wearing svelte, wedge-shaped bodywork (complete with a lengthy backside), the M6 GT was a knockout. The project was permanently shelved after Bruce’s death in June 1970, however.

Porsche 917 Langheck

Langheck, or ‘Long Rear’ in English, is the name that defined a body style. Extended tail gave the 917 the profile it needed to knock on the door of 250mph at Le Mans in 1970. This tapering tail has featured on countless Porsche racers since.

Ferrari 512 Coda Lunga

Locked in the heat of battle with Porsche, Ferrari’s own Long Tail (‘Coda Lunga’) took the fight to the Langheck. Like many of the Scuderia’s sports cars of the era, though, it wasn’t the runaway Maranello had hoped for.

Ford F3L P68

A longtail in form but not in name, the P68 Group 6 prototype was an attempt to carry on the legend of the successful Ford GTs. Hiding an F1-proven Cosworth DFV engine under swooping bodywork, it wasn’t exactly a smash hit on the circuit, but it’s an unforgettable shape nonetheless.

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