More than 140 extra rapid EV charging points will be built in the UK as part of a new £5.8 million investment plan. The scheme, revealed alongside a new Go Ultra Low incentive to encourage motorists into ultra-low carbon vehicles, is backed by Renault, Nissan, BMW, Toyota and Vauxhall.
Bentley will add a diesel engine to its line-up in the future. VW Group boss Martin Winterkorn confirmed the engine won't be a V10, meaning it will be either a V8 or V12. Speaking to Autocar, he said: “Diesel for Bentley is decided. It won’t be a V10. But the V10 is not dead within the VW Group; there will be a successor.”
Volkswagen will offer 350 special-edition models of its Volkswagen Amarok pick-up when it goes on sale in April. The new Amarok Canyon is powered by a 178bhp 2.0-litre BiTDI engine, and comes with new off-road exterior trim as well as satellite-navigation, heated leather seats and 19-inch alloy wheels. The model costs from £28,990.
Toyota has kept its title as the world’s biggest car maker in 2013. The Japanese giant sold a total of 9.98 million units last year. The company wants to see the Toyota, Daihatsu and Hino brands grow sales to 10.32 million units combined this year, a rise of around four per cent.
Rumours that the Volkswagen Group is lining up a bid to acquire Alfa Romeo refuse to go away, although there are hurdles on VW's side to overcome before the issue of Fiat's reluctance to sell is addressed. While keen on the idea, VW Group boss Martin Winterkorn said the group “doesn’t have unlimited resources”. VW’s engineering resources are also understood to be at capacity already.
The Russian owner of Lada, Avtovaz, is said to be cutting its workforce by over ten per cent, meaning the loss of 7500 jobs. Renault owns a quarter of the company, which experienced a sales drop of 15 per cent in 2013.
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So that's roughly £41500 per
What Winterkorn doesnt want to hear