Jaguar Land Rover raise £500 million to fund expansion

Jaguar Land Rover raise £500 million Jaguar Land Rover is raising £500 million on the bond market to fund its expansion, including new models and new facilities. Hot on the heels of the Jaguar Land Rover joint venture deal with Chery in China comes the news that Jaguar has dipped in to the private bond market to raise £500 million to help with its bold and bullish plans to make JLR a major world player in the premium vehicle sector. JLR plans to invest £1.5 billion a year on expansion and is making sure its coffers can cope by issuing £500 million of senior notes due in 2020, with the net proceeds of the bonds being used for general corporate purposes.

Porsche Boxster E (2011): prototype Boxster EV

Porsche recently rolled out the first of three Boxster E electric vehicles, to take part in the 'Electromobility Region Stuttgart' local government initiative in Germany. The Boxster E is powered by two electric motors, capable of a peak power output of 180kW. Energy is stored in a 29kWh battery pack.  Not with the Boxster E. Three electric Boxsters are being built as part of a programme sponsored by the Baden-Wurttemberg state government (Porsche's home state in Germany) and WRS, the Stuttgart Region Economic Development Corporation.  Porsche's hometown of Stuttgart is one of eight model regions participating in a federal pilot programme sponsored by the Minitsry of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs to develop EVs and their supporting infrastructure.  The three Boxster E prototypes will take part in the programme, acting as mobile laboratories for testing EV usage and planning for EVs in urban infrastructure.  CAR's view? We reckon this electric Boxster E is much cooler than your usual EV council van.

Nissan hosts Taxi of Tomorrow Design Expo

Back in May, we reported that Nissan had successfully fended off competition from Ford and Karsan to be crowned New York's ‘Taxi of tomorrow'. In collaboration with an all-new infrastructure, the NV200 light commercial vehicle would serve the Big Apple from 2013. In preparation of this, the NV200 will be displayed at the Tomorrow Design Expo next month, allowing New Yorkers an opportunity to familiarize themselves with their new yellow cabs. The NV200 features a variety of amenities above and beyond the outgoing Crown Victorias, with the NV200's equipment list ranging from dual-zone climate control and new exterior lighting that includes the standard availability indicators and 'trouble light' (that silently notifies nearby police when the driver is in danger) to a 'horn light' to reduce horn usage and noise pollution.