CAR TALK
PUTTING AN END TO “RANGE ANXIETY”
The Department for Transport has announced that it is to begin mapping the locations of charging points for plug-in vehicles across the UK. The National Chargepoint Registry should make it easier for motorists to go electric and evaluate where and how often they need to charge their car along their journey, reducing “range anxiety”.
AUDI A1 MOVES TOWARDS REALITY
Audi’s electric A1 e-tron has just made a big step closer to production. A pilot scheme testing a fleet of 20 range-extender electric A1s has begun in Munich. The scheme is examining customers’ usage and expectations of the 148mpg car which is capable of 81mph, 31 miles on electric power only and 155 mile range overall.
THE FUTURE GETS GREENER
Seat is continuing to develop two alternative electric and hybrid car technologies. The prototype Altea XL Electric Ecomotive zero-emissions car and the prototype Leon TwinDrive Ecomotive plug-in hybrid will begin testing in partnership with Spanish governmental institutions in Catalonia and Madrid. They should be in production by 2015.