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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’.

Volkswagen to launch budget brand, priced from £4800

Volkswagen is planning to launch a new budget brand to challenge the likes of Dacia – and the bargain basement minis will be sold in Europe too. Prices for the yet-nameless new cheap VWs will start from just €6000, or £4800, according to paperwork seen by CAR. How can VW build city cars so cheaply?

McLaren MP4-12C Goodwood hillclimb video

The McLaren MP4-12C tackles the Goodwood hillclimb As we reported last week, McLaren used the Goodwood Festival of Speed to give their new road car – the McLaren MP4-12C – its first proper public outing. But they didn’t settle for just having a static display or even a poodle round his Lordship’s grounds for the benefit of the crowd. They brought along their pair of F1 World Champions – Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton – to strut their stuff up the Goodwood hillclimb in the 12C.