Autocar January 18, 2023

SOLID-STATE batteries are “the game-changer to come” in the world of electric cars and, according to Nissan Europe R&D boss David Moss, they are finally coming (p10). Nissan has put a time stamp on their introduction in a car for 2028 and will have completed advanced engineering of them by 2026. The company is working with world-leading material scientists from Oxford University on the batteries’ development and expects them to halve costs, double energy density and triple charging speeds over today’s lithium ion packs. Each of these improvements would be remarkable enough on its own, but together they will mark a breakthrough moment in opening up electric cars to the masses, making them more affordable and charging more akin to what we’re used to today when refuelling a petrol or diesel car. Nissan…

“Added firepower arrives alongside a chassis and drivetrain overhaul” The new Aston Martin DBS 770 Ultimate has arrived as a radically enhanced swansong for the firm’s brutish V12 grand tourer – as well as an enticing statement of intent for the marque’s future sports cars. Launching as Aston Martin celebrates its 110th birthday in 2023 – and the 75th anniversary of the DB nameplate – the 770 Ultimate is “the most powerful production Aston Martin ever”. Its 759bhp puts it some way clear of the standard DBS, which has 715bhp. There have been more potent road cars to leave Gaydon in recent years – not least the 1160bhp Valkyrie hypercar and 836bhp Victor coupé – but they have been highly limited and ultraexpensive propositions. The 770 will receive an extended build run made up…

“Straddling segments will provide the best balance of efficiency and practicality” The 508 is set to be reinvented for an electric-only third generation as Peugeot prepares to embark on its most drastic and wide-reaching shake-up in decades. From 2025, the French firm’s electric cars will switch from legacy PSA Group architecture to the new-era Stellantis STLA modular EV platforms that are being introduced to Peugeot and its 13 sibling brands. As previewed by the stunning Inception coupé concept earlier this month, these platforms will bring about a step change in the technical make-up of Peugeot’s EVs, introducing trick new wireless steering hardware, advanced autonomous driving functions, much more powerful motors and longer-range batteries with faster (and potentially wireless) charging capacity. Peugeot was careful to clarify that it has no plans to build a production…

Why does the Inception concept take the form of a car that you won’t build? “What we’re saying is that all of the technologies that you’ve seen will appear on Peugeot models across the range. So, if you like, it’s a manifesto. It’s really a showcase of technologies, as opposed to simplistically saying: ‘This is a great concept and we’re going to bring it to the market.’” Why invest in wireless charging technology when there’s no infrastructure to support it? “We’re investing for the future. And we have to remember that the speed of development of all aspects of electrification is so rapid. We’re saying these technologies will be introduced from 2025 onwards; we’re not necessarily saying that fast charging is [coming in] exactly 2025. We need to move forward and we need…

SUZUKI HAS PROVIDED a first look at its maiden EV with the eVX concept, an SX4 S-Cross-size crossover intended to “carry forward the brand’s 4x4 legacy”. Revealed at the Delhi Auto Expo in India, where Suzuki has a major presence, the concept features a 60kWh battery, giving it a range of 342 miles. Suzuki’s budget-friendly billing means a single-motor, two-wheel-drive powertrain is expected to feature in most of the production eVX variants. Slated for 2025, it is likely to be priced from around £30,000 to take on the Citroën ë-C4 and MG ZS EV. CHINESE SUBSCRIPTION SPECIALIST LYNK&CO PLANS UK LAUNCH Geely-owned Chinese brand Lynk&Co, a pioneer of car subscription, will come to the UK in 2024 with a new electric SUV. Currently without a name, the EV will be underpinned by the same SEA…

For anyone filling up their diesel car this month, the news that 2022 registrations of purediesel models fell by almost 40% and mild hybrids by almost 27% will come as little surprise because the financial benefits of opting for diesel over petrol have eroded. In the first week of January last year, a litre of diesel cost just 4p more than petrol (£1.49 compared with £1.45). Give or take a few pennies, this difference in their prices had persisted since 2003. Because the typical diesel car is around a third more fuel-efficient than its petrol equivalent, diesel’s modest price premium gave the vehicles an attractive running costs advantage. However, shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine last February, this price difference increased by 10p. Fast forward to the first week of 2023 and a…