Yamaha V Star 650 Seat 98-12 on 2040-parts.com

China to boost electric cars with 30% Government EV fleet

The BYD E6 EV (pictured) will benefit from China’s push on EVs The UK government has just announced its commitment to use electric cars for its own vehicles in an effort to boost the take-up of EVs, but China is going even further. China has ordered government officials to start buying electric cars (that means BEVs, plug-in hybrids and hydrogen fuel cell cars) in a big way, with instructions that 30 per cent of government cars must fall in to the ‘New Energy’ category by 2017, and an even higher percentage going forward. The aim is to cut pollution, and China expects to have 5 million New Energy cars on the road by 2020 and it is urging it government agencies and some city governments to start buying New Energy vehicles from Chinese makers like BYD and SDAIC, but also instructing them to build more charging stations and supporting infrastructure.

New Peugeot 108 Hatch & Top! Cabrio on sale July – costs from £8,245

The new Peugeot 108 (pictured) on sale July 2014 The Peugeot take on the Toyota Aygo and Citroen C1 – the new Peugeot 108 – is going on sale in July in the UK and will cost from £8,245 for the 1.0-litre three-door in Access trim, topping out at £12,245 for the 1.2-litre Allure five-door. Not only is there a choice of three-door and five-door 108s, there’s also a choice of two engines -a  68bhp 1.0-litre 3-cylinder and the new 1.2-litre PureTech VTi – and four trim levels - Access, Active, Allure and Feline  - although you’ll have to settle for Active or Allure if you want the Top! Cabrio.

One Lap of the Web: Packards -- Ask the man who knows way too much about one

-- For some light Wednesday reading, here's more information than you ever wanted to know about Packard. It includes the horrible neoclassics that plagued the 1970s, and the 1995 revival of the Packard name that attempted to stick a shortened rendition of the famous Packard grille in front of a 440-hp V12, all wrapped in a shape that looked like a melted Twix, as shown above. Our august associate editor Graham Kozak owns a Packard, so he could have filled us in on the details.