Kia Optima Sportswagon Phev

The Americans call them ‘station wagons’ and coachbuilders (and now Mercedes) give us the ‘shooting brake’ but whatever you call them, estate cars have been around for many years and their demise is seemingly not imminent; estate cars have a certain coolness about them that’s for sure. Paul Beard finds out what Kia’s latest Optima Sportswagon PHEV has to offer.

Thinking Mainstream

Having set global sales records with the Leaf, Nissan is looking at new ways to broaden the appeal of electrification. In an uncertain market, Ken Ramirez, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Nissan Europe, says the direction of travel is clear.

Octopus Electric Vehicles

Fiona Howarth, CEO at Octopus Electric Vehicles, explains what the company is up to, how its services can benefit EV drivers and what’s in store for our electric future.

300 Miles In 5 Minutes

Lithium-ion batteries are the key technology of the next decade, the world’s next biggest commodity and an essential factor in the widespread market adoption of EVs. StoreDot’s Dr Doron Myersdorf explains why.

Id.ea

From the ashes of dieselgate, Volkswagen is reborn electric. This is the story of how the world’s largest carmaker fell from grace only to rebound as the world’s most important electric car maker.

Zero Hour

Zero’s latest electric bike changes the game, finds Jonathan Musk, with its distinctive design, ground-up approach and smart technology.

Pt5. Destination Suffolk

Join Tom Curtis on his ownership journey with his Nissan Leaf 24kWh. Tom bought his Leaf second hand and sight unseen, confident in the knowledge there’s little to go wrong. This time, Tom goes travelling… in winter… and finds out what range anxiety is the hard way.

Drone Racing

Welcome to drone racing, where first-person-view guided flying machines dart through fields and forests at speeds of up to 70 mph. This impressive sport brings to life Star Wars inspired scenes of flying through woods or other scenery. It may come to your home sooner than you think too, as both the BBC and Sky are considering televising race series. And  the best bit? It’s a sport that anyone can enter.

university solar challenge!

the biennial world solar challenge (wsc) is a daunting 3,000 kilometre drive across deserted outback australia, from darwin in the northern territories to adelaide in south australia. each participating electric car is powered by nothing more than the sun and a healthy dose of team grit, spirit and determination. autovolt caught up with some of the team at cuer (cambridge university eco racing).

Rear View

 What is biofuel?

Does The Mot Need Its Own Mot?

A little over a year ago, this column discussed the potential of extending the period of the first MOT for cars and motorcycles from three to four years.

Setting The I-Pace

With SUV sales predicted to hit 24.3 million by 2020 and the EV segment the fastest growing in the automotive industry, Jaguar has every confidence that an electric SUV should sell.

Volvo V90 - T8 Twin Engine

Over the years, Volvo has become synonymous with safety and solid build quality. Paul Beard is suitably impressed with their V90 in T8 guise.

Charlie Jardine

Charlie Jardine is the 26-year-old founder of EO Charging, one of the UK’s leading electric vehicle charging manufacturers. Charlie explains why we’ll all benefit from fully embracing the rEVolution.

Smart Forfour

Smart is the first Mercedes-Benz brand to have its cars adorned with the new ‘EQ’ nomenclature and is also one of the only car makers in the world to offer its entire range in electric form. Jonathan Musk drives the current generation to find out what it’s all about.

Robert Llewellyn

Robert Llewellyn is a serial electric car addict and enthusiast. Perhaps best known as Kryten from BBC’s Red Dwarf or for presenting Scrap Heap Challenge for more than a decade, Robert is a talented actor, comedian, author and firm advocate of electric vehicles.

Mark Preston

Mark Preston, Formula E Team Principal and founder of Street Drone, explains how his company, PrestonEV is helping address the growing STEM skills gap.

Toyota Yaris Hybrid

Recent updates for the Yaris family have progressed the regular petrol variants, particularly as the fresh 1.5-litre Toyota is simpler to drive than the withdrawing 1.3-litre.

Tesla Model X

Tesla is a remarkably ambitious company. When they first launched the Roadster, way back in 2010, nothing could have prepared the world for the Model S that came just four years later in 2014. While some say Tesla has only been a success because of the amounts of money being ploughed into it, that’s only half the story. The truth is they’ve rewritten the rule book of what’s possible with a car. It used to be simple. You buy a performance car, and expect some form of compromise, be it poor fuel economy or a lack of gadgetry. Maybe it had a compromised boot, because there was a dirty great big engine in it. With Tesla you can have it all. Want super high-performance and tech like no other? You can have that and throw in seven seats too. That Tesla, a relative start-up, has been able to show up the established motoring elite is impressive.

renault zoe z.e.40

is the zoe z.e.40 a game changer? yes, because even if the zoe isn’t your cup of tea, renault’s endeavours to bring electric range to the small ev category will likely spur others into action.

The Most Beautiful Electric Car In The World

It's a crisp winter day in the British countryside and Jimmy Hendrix plays in the background. Beth Lily Georgia is about to experience the swinging sixties as it has never been experiences before.

Hyundai Ioniq Phev

As the third in-line to the throne, does Hyundai’s plug-in hybrid Ioniq make sense over the Hybrid and Electric versions? Jonathan Musk finds out.

Kia Niro Phev

Two years ago, Kia launched the Niro hybrid SUV to the UK and now has added a plug-in hybrid version that gives better electric range and even lower emissions. Paul Beard takes a look at the latest offering.

What Is V2G?

A number of announcements have been made about vehicle-to-grid (V2G) lately – exciting developments that represent the first steps in the deployment of a technology that could have a considerable impact and help accelerate the transition to electric vehicles, and more broadly a low carbon economy.

Hyundai Nexo

Is hydrogen the fuel of the future? It’s a radical and provocative question that’s often immediately dismissed by battery-electric car drivers, but can Hyundai’s latest fuel cell powered car change common perceptions

Lexus Es Hybrid

The ES is Lexus’s newest volley at the executive class – but in a world full of diesel and plug-in SUVs, can a hybrid-only saloon make sense?

Tesla Model Y

Move over Model 3, Tesla’s fourth model is its most important yet, reckons Jonathan Musk.

Formula E Season 5

With its first race just four short years ago in 2014, Formula E has become the go-to championship for budding manufacturers to make a name for themselves in the world of electric racing.

An Arctic Adventure

Beth Lily travels from the UK to Nordkapp, the Northern-most point in Europe, and back in four very different electric cars: A Tesla Roadster, Tesla Model S, BMW i3, and a 30kWh Nissan Leaf.

How Will The Other Half Charge?

Keith Johnston, cofounder of Urban Electric, talks on-street charging, the problems and solutions for the future and why the companys popup plug-in could be the answer to EV adoptionand reducing air pollution.