Subaru Crosstrek Rear Decal (large 30 Inch) on 2040-parts.com

New car for sinkhole plunge owner

A TEENAGER from High Wycombe whose car was swallowed by a sinkhole has expressed her delight after a motoring website bought her a replacement. Zoe Smith, 19, discovered the 30ft-deep crater in the driveway of her family's home on February 2. She went into hysterics after discovering her prized Volkswagen Lupo had disappeared into the ground.

Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid – details

The Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid will show at Frankfurt The principle difference between the standard Prius and this new plug-in version is – you’ll never guess – that it adds the ability to charge the Prius’ batteries through a domestic outlet. The Prius can be fully recharged in around 1.5 hours, and the new lithium-ion battery pack – which replaces the old nickel-metal hydride pack in the regular Prius – is more compact and of higher output. Toyota claim that the plug-in Prius can cover round 12.5 miles on a full charge in pure ‘Electric Mode’, which is around double that of the normal Prius.

July 11: Visiting a rival

I will take it to work all week, including Wednesday when I go to Santa Monica to drive a Nissan Leaf electric car. I wonder how they'll take to seeing a competitor in the parking lot. Not far enough to worry about range, though I will look for a charging spot in Santa Monica.