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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’.

Maserati GranCabrio at Frankfurt

Maserati will be launching the Maserati GranCabrio at Frankfurt It’s taken Maserati a year or three to cobble together the Convertible GranTurismo, but they’ve finally got there and the new car is Christened – The Maserati GranCabrio – and will launch at the Frankfurt Motor Show next month. Unlike its cousin the Ferrari California, the GranCabrio gets a folding rag-top instead of a tin-top, which should help keep the inevitable weight gains for a cabrio in check. But it’s still not going to be light at pushing on two tonnes.

New Toyota Yaris Facelift price & spec – costs from £10,995

New Toyota Yaris Facelift price & spec – costs from £10,995 The 2014 Toyota Yaris has been given a bit of a facelift, as we reported back in April, and now, with the new Yaris going on sale, Toyota has worked out what the Yaris will offer for your money. The cosmetic changes are most noticeable on the front with a new cross-shape nose and upper and lower grills, diffuser and new LED lights at the back and a higher quality interior. Engine choices remain the 1.0 and 1.33 petrol engines, the 1.4 D-4D diesel and, of course, the 1.5 VVT-i Hybrid, with Active and Icon treim carrying over and Sport and Excel trims added (the Yaris Hybrid can only be had with Icon and Excel trim).