16912.07 Omix-ada Flywheel Mt 4.0l, 91-99 Jeep Xj Cherokees, By Omix-ada on 2040-parts.com

Electric cars get a £500 million government cash boost – but will it get spent?

The new BMW i3 EV (pictured) will be subsidised until 2017. The subsidy of up to £5000 paid to buyers of electric cars has been with us for three years, but it hasn’t had much impact on EV sales and it did look like the government had decided to scrap it all together. But it looks like the coalition has allowed Nick Clegg to have his way with EV subsides in a move that will see £500 million injected in to promoting and supporting electric cars in the UK in the next few years.

Underground Racing Lamborghini cracks 250 mph--watch the video

Earlier this year, we told you about Underground Racing, a shop in Charlotte, N.C., that makes a business out of upgrading Lamborghinis with twin turbochargers to boost engine output to more than 1,000 hp. Now, a Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera upfitted by Underground Racing cracked the 250-mph mark at the Texas Mile event. Car owner Richard Holt made the 250.1-mph run in late March, but video was posted just this week.

Toyota to sell tens of thousands of fuel cell cars a year by 2020

Toyota FCV-R Hydrogen Fuel Cell Toyota is pushing ahead with hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and plans to be selling tens of thousands a year by 2012, starting with the Toyota FCV-R Toyota may have brought yet another hybrid concept to Geneva, and may we have moaned again about their obsession with flogging hybrid cars. But we can’t argue  they haven’t made a success of turning car buyers on to hybrid cars, however futile a long-term route we may think it is. But it seems Toyota do agree with us on electric cars with no plans to throw their weight behind the EV in a big way, but they are gearing up to try and do with hydrogen fuel cell cars what they’ve done with hybrid cars, and are expecting to be selling tens of thousands of fuel cell powered cars a year by 2020.