Swobbit 7.5" Extra Soft Brush - Blue -sw77340 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’.

Porsche Macan gets 2.0 litre 4-cylinder petrol engine

Porsche Macan gets 2.0 litre 4-Cylinder petrol engine The new Porsche Macan looks set to change the rules for the compact SUV market, with class best handling and dynamics and performance that beats many a focused hot hatch. But despite beliefs Porsche would offer its first 4-cylinder engine in a generation at launch, the only engines on offer were a 3.0 litre diesel in the Macan S Diesel, a 3.0 V6 Turbo in the Macan S and a 3.6 litre turbo in the Macan Turbo, with expectations that the Macan wouldn’t get a four-cylinder engine util the end of 2014. But it looks like an early arrival for the four-pot Macan with news it’s getting a new 2.0 litre 4-cylinder petrol engine which delivers 237bhp and 258lb/ft of torque, enough to get the Macan to 62mph in 6.9 seconds and offer official economy of 37.6mpg.

2013 Ford Fiesta Van Facelift arrives (+video)

Ford has given their Fiesta Van a facelift for 2013 with much the same changes the new Fiesta gets – including the Aston Martin grill. Ford has decided it’s not just the new Fiesta that’s getting a touch of Aston Martin, it’s the Fiesta Van too. So the 2013 facelift for the Fiesta Van features most of the changes the new Fiesta gets, including that Aston Martin inspired grill on the nose.