2008 Yamaha Yz 250f Frame on 2040-parts.com

Better Place Electric Car visitor centre opens

Better Place have opened a visitor centre in Israel to demonstrate their battery swap technology for electric cars Last October we wrote about a start-up company in Israel – Better Place – that had a new way forward for electric cars by taking the purchase of battery packs out of the equation, and was developing a system for ‘Battery Swap’ stations where electric car owners could drive in and swap their battery pack for a fully-charged one in a few minutes. That story first brought to our attention our favourite quote of last year – by Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn – who said “A hybrid is like a mermaid: if you want a fish, you get a woman; if you want a woman, you get a fish.” Which probably explained why Nissan – and its partner Renault – got involved with Better Place. Better Place aims to address the main concerns of electric car drivers by making the battery packs in electric cars ‘swappable’.

Formula One class of 2014: the official pictures

By Ollie Kew First Official Pictures 31 January 2014 11:30 The 2014 Formula One season is only weeks away. With 2.4-litre V8 engines in the bin and turbocharged 1.6-litre V6s with twice the electrical boost power powering the racers, a controverdial triple-points rule in Abu Dhabi, and wild-looking new nosecones thanks to the latest FIA crash regulations, the class of 2014’s machines are the most radically different F1 cars in decades. If the old adage of a pretty car being a winning car rings true this season, we suspect Sauber, Red Bull and Marussia will squabble for the title, with Caterham surprised to see themselves battling Lotus and Toro Rosso at the back of the field.

Peugeot 408 GT Coupe planned for 2016

Peugeot 408 GT Coupe planned for 2016 based on the 308 (pictured) The market for smaller four-door coupes has grown in recent years, and it looks like the Mercedes CLA – the four-door coupe version of the Mercedes A-Class – is a runaway success. That seems to have given Peugeot the idea that it should revive the ’40-something’ badge a couple of years after they dropped the 407 and 607 in favour of the 508 and build a new coupe, this time a four-door. The Peugeot 407 was a larger two-door coupe – the not quite as convincing update for the very good 406 coupe – which had an old-world coupe feel and was very much a niche product in Peugeot’s range.