Month: May 2024

The Commercial version replaces the two-seat Utility Wagon in the Grenadier line-up.

Ineos has released a Commercial version of its rugged Grenadier off-roader to replace the two-seat Utility Wagon.

The Grenadier Commercial features a full-length flat floor and a floor-to-roof cargo barrier behind the front seats.

Unlike the standard car, the Commercial has rear passenger window glass instead of aluminium panels, blacked-out glazing on the 30:70 split rear doors and permanently disabled chassis mounting points to prevent a second row of seats from being added – all features that qualify it for exemption from VAT.

It comes with a cargo capacity of more than 2,000 litres, can tow up to 3.5 tonnes and boasts 5.5 tonnes of winching power.

George Ratcliffe, Commercial Director of Ineos Automotive, said: “Customers in the UK have been asking for this addition to our model line-up since we launched in 2022, so we’re pleased to make this available so quickly.

“The versatility of the Grenadier platform allows this level of modification without any compromise to the driving dynamics or off-road capabilities.”

Underneath features a box-section ladder frame chassis with heavy-duty solid axle beams as well as up to three locking differentials.

The engine is the same as in the standard Grenadier, which is a 3.0-litre turbocharged in-line six-cylinder from BMW, and available in petrol or diesel guise.

The vehicle will be built at Ineos’s Hambach factory in France, which was acquired from Mercedes-Benz in January 2021.

Prices for the Grenadier Commercial start at £51,931 excluding VAT, with order books opening from today.

By Cameron Richards

Very few councils plan to increase the size of their parking bays, despite cars getting bigger.

Fewer than one in 10 councils across the UK plan on increasing the size of their parking bays despite modern cars getting bigger.

That’s according to data collected from 287 local authorities by Autocar, which also found that the most popular cars have grown since 2018, with their lengths going up by 97.7mm on average.

The three cars that have grown the most are the Peugeot 208, which is now 580mm longer than it was six years ago, the Toyota Yaris at 445mm longer and the Mazda 3 at 400mm longer.

The new BMW 7 Series is nearly a foot (0.3m) longer than the outgoing model, meaning it pokes out of most parking spaces in the UK.

Currently, there are five councils that have a maximum length restriction on vehicles, risking fines for their drivers if they don’t park in a space big enough for their car.

Mark Tisshaw, Editor of Autocar Business, said: “We know that cars are getting longer and wider, typically due to ever-stricter crash and safety legislation they must meet, and these figures show too few councils are adapting to this new reality.

“Fewer than one in 10 of them plan to increase the size of their parking bays, and in some regions you run the risk of receiving a fine for parking a car the size of a BMW 7 Series.”

He added: “Space sizes should reflect the UK vehicle parc so that motorists can park without fear of damaging other vehicles or being fined for overstepping a bay.”

Thurrock Council has a maximum car space length of 5,350mm, while Wokingham, South Hams, Broadland and South Norfolk, and Devon all have a cap at 5,000mm.

The Autocar data also found that since 2018 councils across the region have issued more than 357,000 parking fines for cars parked outside marked bays – netting them over £8m.

By Cameron Richards

Cheap and cheerful city car receives a major overhaul with an updated front and improved equipment levels.

Kia has revealed pricing and specifications for its freshly designed Picanto city car.

The Aygo X rival receives a new front end and updated interior, alongside new alloy wheel designs and paint schemes.

As standard, the new Picanto features Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, an eight-inch touchscreen navigation and multiple USB charging ports.

There will be four different trim levels to choose from, starting with the base ‘2’ specification which gets 14-inch alloy wheels, electrically adjustable heated door mirrors and cloth upholstery and comes in at £15,595.

Sporty GT-Line starts from £16,745 and features a gloss black radiator grille, LED headlights, power folding door mirrors and privacy glass.

Move up to the ‘3’ for an extra £800 at £17,545 and it adds heated front seats and steering wheel, automatic air conditioning, wireless smartphone charger and keyless entry and start.

The top-of-the-line GT-Line S boasts 16-inch alloy wheels, ambient lighting, blind-spot collision warning and forward collision warning.

Under the bonnet is a choice of two different engines. The entry-level 1.0-litre three-cylinder produces 62bhp and is available on every model except the GT-Line S.

A 1.2-litre four-cylinder engine that produces 77bhp is available only on the top-spec GT-Line S.

All versions come as standard with a five-speed manual transmission – with the option of a five-speed automatic gearbox available, too.

Prices start at £15,595 for the basic ‘2’ spec with a manual gearbox and rise to £19,145 for the GT-Line S with automatic transmission. The new Picanto is available to order now with deliveries expected in July.

By Cameron Richards

Residents of an East Lothian town can now charge their cars up using an old street cabinet.

The UK’s electric vehicle charging infrastructure continues to grow and while there are gaps in the allocation of chargers across the country, there are certainly more ways to top up than there ever have been.

BT Group announced last year that it would convert its old on-street cabinets into EV chargers, but how do they work and what sort of impact will they have on the overall network?

Here are a few key questions answered.

How many old BT Group cabinets are being converted to EV chargers?

As of today, a trial begins to see whether the old street BT cabinets will be of use to an EV owner. Currently, 600 charging points will be installed all over the country, with the first being completed today (May 1) in a street in East Lothian, Scotland.

What were the old BT Group cabinets used for originally?

Before they became surplus to requirements, they stored telephone and broadband cables – which means that all their electronic gubbins are already installed inside, which means that they can be easily converted into EV chargers.

Can I charge my car for free?

The first installation will be free to use for residents up until May 31. Users will also have to download an app to allow access to the charging point.

What is the point of upcycling an old broadband cabinet?

The whole point of this experiment is to not only improve the country’s EV infrastructure but to also help on-street charging.

Tom Guy, from BT Group said: “Our research shows 78 per cent of petrol and diesel drivers see not being able to conveniently charge and EV as a key barrier to purchasing one. ”

How many old cabinets could be transformed into EV chargers?

The BT Group looked into how many could be converted and that at the moment, a total of 4,800 street cabinets in Scotland alone could be suitable for the change.

Where is the next location?

As it stands, the pilot is looking at another site in West Yorkshire, though it’s expected that the roll-out will continue throughout the rest of the UK.

Where can I get the App to access the charger?

The Trail app is available to purchase via the App Store or Google Play Store. EV owners can connect their cars to get live updates and battery levels, smart estimated costs, charge times and access to their charge history.

The UK government has a target to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2035, and while EV uptake has slowed in recent months, it’s expected that further increases in charging infrastructure – including these BT ones – will help boost interest.

By Cameron Richards

The number plate is currently on retention with the winner of the auction having to pay a minimum fee of £300.

The private registration ‘SW 3’ is due to go up for auction and could become one of the most expensive plates sold via online auction.

The plate reflects one of the UK’s most expensive and prestigious postcodes such as Chelsea, Knightsbridge and Brompton.

It is expected that potential bidders will be located in and around the London area, but also the plate could attract those with the initials ‘S’ and ‘W’.

The reg plate can be transferred to any vehicle in the UK – as it is dateless.

It’s anticipated that it could be in the top five for most expensive plates ever sold with Collecting Cars, the online auction site which is listing the plate.

The top five consist of ‘6 OO’ that sold for £130,000, ‘1 GO’ for £138,000, ‘TOY 5’ FOR £150,000, ‘1 SJ’ for £162,500 and the most expensive yet is ‘Y 6’ £213,000.

Since its launch, the online auction house has sold nearly 60 registrations that have exceeded the value of £50,000 – with a total of 2,300 private plates in general totalling a value of more than £17.6 million.

It is yet to be announced when the auction will be taking place, however, the V778 retention document states that the plate has been off a vehicle for just over three weeks – meaning that the auction could be taking place very soon.

By Cameron Richards

The Dark Knight and Gotham use a 120kWh lithium-ion battery pack and produce 1,926bhp.

Pininfarina has revealed two more bespoke hypercars inspired by DC’s Bruce Wayne, the civilian persona of the superhero Batman.

The Dark Night and Gotham models followed quickly after Pininfarina also previewed another one-off hypercar last month called the Reversario.

The models were developed by Wayne Enterprises – a luxury brand created by Warner Brothers which shares its name with Bruce Wayne’s fictional company.

Both cars are powered by a 120kWh lithium-ion battery pack mated to four electric motors that produce 1,926bhp and can do 0-60mph in less than two seconds.

The Dark Knight model features black Alcantara and black leather upholstery, with a unique black and gold dual-tone stitch contrast. On the exterior, it features ceramic-polished alloys, Nero Profondo gloss paint and a Nero Torino finished roof.

The Gotham incorporates tan leather and stitching as well as bespoke quilting. On the outside, the car features 20-inch front alloy wheels and 21-inch on the rear as well as Argento Vittorio gloss paint and Nero Torino paint for the roof. The brand’s ‘F’ logo is also back-lit and made of brushed and polished aluminium.

Dave Amantea, Chief Design Officer at Automobili Pininfarina said: “Designing an all-electric hypercar inspired by Bruce Wayne is a dream assignment for our team, giving them creative freedom to place themselves into the imagination of someone as iconic as Bruce Wayne. These two exclusive specifications for our two hypercars represent the ultimate vehicles for the man behind the most famous mask in the world.”

There is no mention of how much these two hypercars will set you back, but we expect them to cost more than the standard Pininfarina Battista – which costs £2 million.

By Cameron Richards