HOT TOPIC
// Dealers set to emerge from lockdown
Dealers across Auckland and Waikato are looking forward to reopening their showrooms and yards to customers after the government announced an easing of Covid-19 restrictions.
- AutoTalk says Waikato car dealers can reopen at level three step two
SPONSORED BY AUTOSURE
// Help your customers avoid expensive repair bills
Autosure mechanical breakdown insurance is available for petrol, diesel, hybrid and electric vehicles, and includes AA Roadservice Cover to give your customers peace of mind driving.
BEST OF THE REST
// VW Group working to create a breakthrough in wireless charging design
Volkswagen Group of America’s Innovation Hub Knoxville, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, are working together to “explore how to integrate breakthroughs in material science and recycling concepts to support electric mobility and sustainable transportation.” Their first collaborative project is to find a better way to recharge EVs wirelessly.
// Consultation snub over clean cars
The Motor Industry Association (MIA) is calling on the Ministry of Transport (MoT) to rethink its approach after learning the government will not be consulting on its draft regulations for the clean car discount.
// Hyundai, Kia confirm they’re diving into the world of solid state batteries
Solid state battery technology development is set to be one of the big talking points in cars over the next few years, as brands attempt to crack the code on a field that will further revolutionise EVs.
IN OTHER NEWS
// Shelby reveals its first electric car, a modded Mustang Mach-E
With Ford seemingly embracing electrification with open arms, its only a matter of time before its iconic tuning arm Shelby gets in on the action in some form.
// E-aircraft costs $2 to cross Cook Strait
ElectricAir founder Gary Freedman successfully made the first electric aircraft flight across Cook Strait on November 1, saying the fuel cost was just $2.
// Trade up despite port delays
Port of Tauranga has reported a 6.9 per cent increase in total trade to 6.8 million tonnes in the first quarter of the 2022 financial year.
// Ghost gets the Black Badge treatment
Rolls-Royce calls its Black Badge edition cars which debuted in 2016, darker in aesthetic, more urgent in personality and dramatic in material treatment.
// Dealer numbers arrest slump
The number of dealers in New Zealand edged up to 3,046 at the end of October, according to figures released by the Motor Vehicle Traders Register (MVTR).
// The Electric Road to COP26
EV drivers from Europe and the United Kingdom are on The Electric Road to COP26 the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow from November 1-12.
// AMG SL gets AWD and soft top
Mercedes-Benzs new AMG SL roadster gets all-wheel drive and is set to hit the New Zealand market in the second half of next year.
// Toyota boss’ clean car warning
Toyota NZ is planning for the bZ4X to arrive on our shores at the end of 2022. Chief executive Neeraj Lala says the model, part of the parent companys battery electric vehicle (BEV) series, is a step towards its low-carbon objectives.
// Auckland Transport showcases zero-emission buses at COP26
Auckland Transports zero-emission bus fleet features in a virtual exhibition at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, November 1-12.
// Big jump in emissions cuts
New Zealand will significantly increase its contribution to the global effort to tackle climate change by pledging to reduce net greenhouse emissions (GHGs) by 50 per cent by 2030.
// 50% less emissions by 2030: NZ Govt ups environmental pledge
In the build-up to this weeks United Nations climate conference in Glasgow, prime minister Jacinda Ardern and climate change minister James Shaw have confirmed a new national emissions target for the end of the decade.
// Opinion: Sydney Allard’s brain explosion
He specialised in building lightweight sports and racing cars powered by flathead Ford V8 engines. When he wanted them to go faster he inserted Lincoln V12s.
// Cupra used the help from race car drivers in the development of its all-electric Born
Cupra is using the help from race car drivers Mattias Ekstrm and Jordi Gen in the development of its all-electric Born. The drivers are helping Cupra to ensure that the car is practical for every driver,
ONE LINERS
- Forget flying cars, how about a hoverbike?
- Watch: Hyundai’s hybrid-powered i20 rally car captured in action
- EV or ICE? Which has lower service costs?
- Amazon discloses big stake in EV maker Rivian
- Did you know that Toyota still sells a Starlet?
HELPFUL RESOURCES
// Current National New Car Deals
Updated every Friday, here’s a complete list of current National deals for new cars, utes, and light commercials.
// Clean Car Calculator
Input vehicle make and/or model to calculate if the car will receive a rebate, fee or sits in the zero band (no change).