After a decade of swiping and tapping, carmakers from Volkswagen to Porsche are rediscovering what my 1991 944 S2 never forgot — the joy of a proper button. For years, carmakers have been obsessed with turning dashboards into glowing glass slabs, a sort of Silicon Valley fever dream where every function, from heating to headlights, lives behind a touchscreen. It looked futuristic, yes. It photographed beautifully in…
From Tesla’s Model S in 2012 to today’s easing of planning rules, electric car adoption remains stubbornly slow. Infrastructure tweaks won’t change that overnight. There is no doubt that the government’s recent move to ease planning permission for pavement-charging and curbside EV bays, as reported in the article in The Times today, signals a desire to accelerate the uptake of electric vehicles (EVs). But we should pause…
As we navigate finding a suitable insurance policy for my 17yr old daughter and her freshly acquired Driver’s Permit, we’re now confronted with the reality that for many young drivers in the UK passing the driving test is just the first hurdle. Finding affordable car insurance is the real challenge. So why is insurance so expensive for young drivers, and what can be done to make it…
Over the last couple of weeks I've seen an uptick in articles highlighting the issues we face in the wake of the Government's recent announcement for the abolishment of new car sales of both petrol and diesels by 2030. The Guardian newspaper had this to say about the extraction of lithium - a key material used in EV batteries - while a Sunday Times article writes on…
Sadly, it has become abundantly clear that every corner of the world is being impacted by the coronavirus. The health and wellbeing of family and friends, and the global population in general, is at the forefront of our thoughts. After that, the health of the economy is a major concern. Small businesses will undoubtedly suffer as people are forced to stay home and self-isolate. Worryingly, many may…
Electric vehicles are gaining traction amongst consumers, no doubt, but before we see mass adoption there is one concern I have that hasn’t been properly addressed. Beyond high prices, limited range and poor charging infrastructure, a critical reason that I see why the shift to electric vehicles (EVs) will take longer is that people want bigger and therefore heavier cars. And crazily, it’s not just SUVs I’m…