Nissan mobility concept (2010): it's Nissan's Twizy

You'd be forgiven for thinking we'd mistitled a story about the Renault Twizy. It's not - take another look and you'll spot important differences. Like a Nissan badge.

Tesla Model S to get 4WD option in 2014

The Tesla Model S (pictured) to get 4WD option in 2014 The Tesla Model S is an astonishing success for Tesla, and has turned a company on the edge of financial chaos, and in hock to the government, in to a stock market darling thanks to strong sales and great reviews. Tesla’s next trick should be the arrival of the Model X SUV in 2015, which will be a jacked up Model S with 4WD and the promise of impressive performance at a price that will go right to the heart of SUV/SAV offerings from the Germans and Land Rover. But ahead of the Model X actually arriving in Tesla Showrooms and customers’ hands, it looks like Tesla are set to add a 4WD option to the Model S using the drivetrain they’ve developed for the Model X.

“Where is the sustainable vehicle design?”

The notion of a 'new paradigm in car design' was a theme running through talks by five panelists at London's Royal College of Art last week, who debated "Seriously now, where is the sustainable vehicle design?" Despite disparate backgrounds, there was broad agreement that a truly sustainable form of personal transportation is unlikely to come from an established automotive firm any time soon. Panelist Rob Holdway of Giraffe Innovation was most vocal in his approach to the subject, saying "Frankly, I think the car is unacceptable - we hear a lot about the sustainable car, but I don't think there is such a thing as a sustainable car". The audience - made up mainly of RCA students - also heard from Nico Sergent of Riversimple about how the company's seven-point business model, and its open source strategy, incentivized the company to build a truly sustainable car and mobility package that the current auto model simply doesn't allow.