Formula E Spark-Renault electric race cars arrive with the teams at Donnington

The 10 Formula E cars arrive at Donnington No one knows if the Formula E experiment – an ‘F1′ Grand Prix series for electric racing cars – will garner the same sort of interest as its ICE counterpart, but with the first Formula E race scheduled for Beijing in September we’ll soon find out. Ahead of that debut race, Renault and Spark Technologies has delivered the teams their cars – all the same Spark Renault SRT_01E – to the Formula E base at Donnington. After a series of tests at a variety of circuits earlier this year, the Spark Renault SRT_01E passed all its final systems and architecture tests, which has allowed this first batch of the final series cars to be delivered for the teams to practice ahead of the race.

BMW 7-series models hit by recall

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has issued a recall of 45,500 BMW 7-series sedans in the 2005-2008 model year range. The recall, which has its origins in a NHTSA investigation initiated in August 2011, addresses a software malfunction that may cause vehicles to roll away when parked. A glitch in the BMW Comfort Access keyless-entry and ignition system is responsible for the problem.

Toyota Yaris Hybrid-R concept (2013) at Frankfurt motor show

Toyota has released fresh information regarding its 414bhp supermini concept ahead of its debut at next month’s Frankfurt motor show. The Yaris Hybrid R drivetrain features Toyota Motorsport’s 1.6-litre racing petrol engine to power the front wheels and twin electric motors generating 60bhp apiece to run those at the back, giving the car all-wheel drive and a combined output of up to 414bhp. The car also makes use of a supercapacitor inspired by Toyota’s TS030 Hybrid Le Mans racer – energy generated under heavy braking is stored and can be quickly deployed to the rear wheels for an extra burst of power.