Arias Pistons 12.5:1 Compression 82mm Bore Honda B-series on 2040-parts.com

BMW i3 EV will cost from £30,680 – less than we expected

The new BMW i3 EV (teased above) will costs from £30k The new BMW i3 electric City Car is due to be revealed in production guise on 29th July, ahead of which BMW has revealed it will cost from £30,680 – meaning a showroom sticker price of £25,680 after the EV taxpayer ‘grant’. That price is for the pure EV i3 – not the range-extender – which comes with a rear mounted 168bhp electric motor, a top speed of 93mph and a range (in ideal conditions) of around 80 miles between charges. At a retail price of £25k, the i3 compares favourably with other EVs like the Nissan LEAF, which costs from £21k, and the Chevy Volt at £30k (although that is a range extender).

Extreme sports safety kit to inspire Volvo technologies

SWEDISH car maker Volvo is aiming to develop new safety technologies based on processes used to make extreme sports safety gear. The firm has announced a partnership with POC, another Swedish company, which designs lightweight, strong and high-tech safety equipment for climbers, snowboarders, mountain bikers and other extreme sports fanatics. The initial focus will be on the relationship between cars and cyclists, with the specific aim of developing a one-way method of communicating that the driver has seen the cyclist.

Nissan creates 'scent of the future'

NISSAN has created what it calls ‘the scent of the future’, representing what Planet Earth might smell like in an imagined world where everyone drove zero-emissions vehicles. By teaming up with master perfumer and Aroma Academy Scientist Dr George Dodd, the firm has created its ‘aromatic blueprint’ for the future. Dodd, reportedly inspired by long walks in the Scottish Highlands, has created an in-car fragrance that he says is proven to inspire ‘a positive sense of well-being’ in people who smell it.