Minn Kota 1866077 Terrova Foot Pedal 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’.

Mercedes CLA (2013) first official pictures

Mercedes-Benz has revealed its new CLA, a four-door coupe based on the A-class, at an event held in Detroit on the night before this year's motor show opens. But to keep your attention on the big-selling E-class which also makes its debut here, the CLA won't be on Mercedes' show stand, and will make its official public debut at Berlin Fashion Week later this month. Where does the 2013 CLA sit in the Mercedes range?

New Mazda3 MPS – UK Details

The new Mazda3 arrives in the UK on 1st October Mazda has chosen to have just one MPS model which will come in at £21,500 otr. And the spec is good, including Bluetooth, surround-sound BOSE, a new MID (multi information display) with a compact satellite navigation system that uses a high-resolution 11 cm (4.1 inch) screen mounted in the dashboard’s upper section and auto dual zone climate control air conditioning. Not too shoddy at all.