The production version of Audi’s battery-electric e-tron SUV will be able to be fully charged in less than 30 minutes for a driving range of more than 400km. It will be the first mass-production electric vehicle (EV) capable of being charged with up to 150kW of power when it is launched in Europe late this year and New Zealand in 2019. The quick charge is via high-power … [Read more...] about Battery-electric Audi SUV can be charged in 30 minutes
Volkswagen's Piech
Skoda Karoq SUV offers more than the bear necessities
In 2003, Czech carmaker Skoda sold an average of two-and-a-half vehicles a week in New Zealand, its first year of re-entry after an absence of 10-12 years. Jump ahead to 2013 and it averaged 20 a week, breaking through the 1000 barrier. Now it has its sights on 2000, or 40 a week. But first, says Skoda NZ general manager Greg Leet, there’s the 2018 target of around 1800 … [Read more...] about Skoda Karoq SUV offers more than the bear necessities
Time will tell on Toyota’s new fixed pricing structure
Toyota NZ’s ‘agents’ say it will take a month or so before the effects are felt from the company’s ‘Drive Happy’ project, what managing director Alistair Davis (above) has said is the “biggest change (to the way cars are sold) in a century.” The new business model has been designed, says Davis, to do away with the long-time reputation dealerships have of practices like hard … [Read more...] about Time will tell on Toyota’s new fixed pricing structure
New Subaru Forester gets driver monitoring safety
The new all-wheel-drive Subaru Forester will land in New Zealand later this year, longer, wider but not quite as tall as the outgoing model. It is the third Subaru to be underpinned by the company’s new global platform, after the Impreza and XV. But it will be the first Subaru model to have a driver monitoring system. The 2019 Forester is 4625mm long, 1815mm wide, and … [Read more...] about New Subaru Forester gets driver monitoring safety
First 3D-printed car is built from aerospace aluminium
Meet the Hackrod La Bandita Speedster, the world’s first full-sized 3D-printed car, modeled using virtual reality and engineered with artificial intelligence. Hackrod is a digital manufacturing company based in California. It worked with German industrial giant Siemens to produce the La Bandita. Both want to customise cars based on Hackrod’s 3D-printed chassis made out of … [Read more...] about First 3D-printed car is built from aerospace aluminium