Looks like Ford may be working on a touchy/feely way to save the manual transmission, if only for niche petrol-powered sports cars like the Mustang or petrol-electric hybrids. A patent application filed by the company with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in December 2018 is for a “manual transmission with electric clutch.” The USPTO late last year gave the … [Read more...] about Ford files patent in the US for touchy/feely manual gearshift
New stretched version of 110 Land Rover is not the longest example
Patent drawings filed in the United States of a stretched-body version of the current Land Rover Defender 110 have been doing the rounds of the internet. The longer vehicle has been tagged by media as the new Land Rover Defender 130, after the original 130 which first appeared in the 1980s as a crew-cab and became a target for special purpose conversions. But the 130 is … [Read more...] about New stretched version of 110 Land Rover is not the longest example
Energy bigwig targets Toyota for being ‘so behind on EVs’
An energy supply company executive accused Toyota NZ of not being ready to meet the market for electric vehicles (EVs). “What’s that mean?” company CEO Neeraj Lala asked the woman. She replied: ‘Why are you so behind on EVs?’ Lala told the story at the launch – via the online Zoom platform – of Lexus’ first battery-electric model, the UX300e, a mid-size SUV, pictured … [Read more...] about Energy bigwig targets Toyota for being ‘so behind on EVs’
Ford seeks broader audience for 2022 work/play Ranger ute
The new Ford Ranger line-up due next year has been designed to further reflect the changing role of utes in New Zealand, from work-only vehicles to family carry-alls. It was something Mitsubishi identified with the fourth-generation Triton ute 16 years ago. Japanese executives forecast huge growth in the ute sector beyond 2005 and wanted what was then a polarising new Triton … [Read more...] about Ford seeks broader audience for 2022 work/play Ranger ute
New PHEV Mitsi Outlander will go further on electricity alone
Mitsubishi has given the powertrain in its 2022 PHEV Outlander more of everything, including boosting by 52.7 per cent the electric-only range of the SUV, from a maximum 55km to 84km. The extra range in electric mode comes from a 20kWh battery pack, a capacity 45 per cent greater than the outgoing model’s 13.8kWh. The upgrades result in a combined power output – from the … [Read more...] about New PHEV Mitsi Outlander will go further on electricity alone