Though traditionally the South Korean car market has been dominated by home-grown giants Hyundai and Kia, it seems BMW has set its sights on the area – with electric cars expected to play a key role.

The German carmaker has seen its share of the passenger car market in the country jump from 18 per cent to 26 per cent over the last three years, prompted in part by a free-trade agreement with the European Union. Now it wants to further its success by introducing two electric cars in the country in 2014 – the BMW i3 and BMW i8 (pictured).

Speaking to the Korea Real Time however, a BMW spokesman commented that the lack of charging infrastructure in the country is a major stumbling block. However, the government has committed to building 150,000 charging stations across the country by 2016.

BMW will be entering the electric car market in the country at the same time as Hyundai, which will introduce the Elantra electric car in 2014; while the Kia Ray electric car will be introduced in 2013.

Meanwhile, other carmakers are adopting a ‘wait-and-see’ approach in the country: with GM Korea to produce an electric Chevrolet Spark in the country but this will be for export only; while Renault will introduce the Fluence ZE electric car early next year for government organisations but doesn’t have immediate plans to introduce it at dealerships.

There are many knock-on effects of the automotive market turning to electrification – and one of them is the boost it will offer to the traction motor industry (traction motor, pictured).

According to a report by Frost & Sullivan, entitled Strategic Analysis of Electric Motor Technologies for Electric and Hybrid Vehicles in Europe, the European traction motor market will expand by 50 per cent for hybrid and electric vehicles and will reach 2.3million units by 2017.

Frost & Sullivan believes that emission regulations and government support is driving changes among vehicle manufacturers and that permanent magnet motors are likely to dominate the market. There are concerns however, about the availability and pricing of rare earth metals and this may open the market for other technologies including induction and hybrid motors.

Meanwhile, it is expected that the vehicle manufacturers will use different methods to source the electric motors – with around 30-40 per cent to outsource from suppliers; while others want to bring intelligence in-house.

Hybrid electric buses will soon be making their way to Reno, Nevada, after the US Federal Transit Administration (FTA) awarded $5.1million to Washoe County to purchase 10 hybrid buses and build a fuelling station.

Funding for the 10 buses is hoped to boost a service on Virginia Street – one of the busiest corridors in the region; while a fuelling station will be built at the RTC maintenance and operations facility. The money comes from the FTA’s State of Good Repair grant programme.

According to FTA administrator Peter Rogoff, the buses will offer a boost to residents heading to jobs near the corridor; and it will also help students using the University of Nevada at Reno.

Audi’s new A3 model will feature a powerful yet small 1.4 petrol engine, which thanks to its cylinder deactivation system, will offer CO2 emissions expected to be as low as 106g/km.

That would make it one of the lowest emission petrol-only model in its class. What’s more, while this frugal petrol model is not expected to launch until next spring, a 1.6 litre turbodiesel with CO2 emissions of just 99g/km will be available before the end of the year.

The 1.4-litre petrol model shuts down two cylinders when cruising to save fuel, boosting economy and slashing emissions.  With CO2 expected to be around the same as the 2.0-litre turbodiesel, but not be subject to the additional 3 per cent company car tax on diesels- the new petrol model could prove popular with private buyers and fleet companies alike.

The new A3 model launches in September, and will initially be available as a three-door hatchback with a choice of 1.4- and 1.8-litre petrol engines and a 2.0-litre turbodiesel. The three trim grades form a range which starts at £19,205 and stretches to £26,560.

Later on, a 1.2-litre petrol engine will also be slotted in at the base of the range and Audi will introduce its first electrified A3, the plug-in hybrid e-tron.

Source: Headlineauto.co.uk

Range anxiety and a lack of charging points remain two of the biggest put-offs when trying to convert business drivers to electric motoring.

Six in ten business drivers – surveyed by vehicle leasing company ALD Automotive – would not change their current vehicle for an electric vehicle.

Nearly eight in ten of these naysayers pointed to limited range as the main reason while 77% of them drew issue with a lack of publically available charging points.

Their gripe with charging infrastructure comes in the face of data which depicts Britain as one of the leading lights in Europe for charging points [link to full story].

London currently has the most charging points in Europe (654) while Britain boasts six of the ten most plugged-in European cities in terms of charging point to population ratio.

Anyway back to that ALD survey. Nearly a third of 1,000 business drivers surveyed would consider trading their current vehicle for an EV with the most tempting aspects being reduced CO2 emissions (73%) and lower running costs (69%).

Just 6% of them would go electric right now.

Despite the cold reception from business drivers, figures from the SMMT suggest that the decision makers are very keen. Nearly six in ten electric vehicles sold in the UK last year were picked up by company car fleets while 93% of EVs sold so far this year have gone to businesses.

Keith Allen, Managing Director of ALD Automotive UK, commented: “The survey results highlight that whilst some business drivers may consider changing to an electric vehicle in the future, lack of charging points and battery range still need to be addressed by the Government and manufacturers in order to convince business drivers to make that all important switch.”

Traffic congestion is giving city dwellers “urbanitis” according to a new study by leading car club, Zipcar.

Releasing its new City Index detailing the most common and prevalent stresses and strains among city dwellers, the car club firm defines “urbanitis” as the desire to challenge the status quo in urban environments.

The study of over 2,000 British adults revealed that transport and travel is a major cause of the Urbanitis syndrome. According to the study, over half of (54%) name congestion as a major source of stress closely followed by the sheer number of people (40%), noise (34%) and the ever-rising cost of city living (33%). 

The morning commute took the top spot as the biggest cause of anxiety with more than a third (36%) of those surveyed admitting that they feel stressed by the time they’d reached their desks.  A staggering 81 per cent of respondents report having been inconvenienced as a result of other people’s behaviour on their daily commute.

Top stresses for public transport commuters include inconsiderate commuters listening to loud music (29%), people barging past to get a seat (19%) and sitting next to someone with bad personal hygiene (19%). Commuters eating smelly food on public transport (11%) was also revealed as a bugbear.

Of course, Zipcar’s solution to the so-called Urbanitis? Why, join a car club of course, and ditch the idea of running your own car, saving money, reducing the number of cars on the roads and parked cars blocking the streets. 

Zipcar UK says: “Car clubs are the antidote to woes about traffic and worries about the environment, as every Zipcar takes 15 privately owned vehicles off the road.  So, not only do they complement public transport, but compared to the cost of owning a car, members can expect to save over £3,000 a year – and that extra cash alone can only be good for your wellbeing.”

For those occasions when public transport doesn’t quite work for you or business, car clubs like Zipcar are a convenient and cost-effective alternative.  Once you become a member, bookings are easily made in a matter of minutes either online or via a smartphone.

Coming to the party fashionably late, the Mazda CX-5 is the latest contender coming into the bustling compact crossover segment; and for Mazda the CX-5 is the first new model to benefit from its comprehensive SKYACTIV development work.

It is impossible to overstate just how important this new model is to the Japanese company, the CX-5 is brimming with new fuel efficient technology – from the ground-breaking new petrol and diesel engines found under the bonnet, to brand new manual and automatic transmissions, new low weight high tensile steel chassis, and clever safety technology, the company has a lot riding on it being a success.

Interestingly for a Japanese carmaker, Mazda is currently shunning the tried and trusted path set down by Toyota and Honda by rejecting full hybrid technology in this latest generation model; yes the CX-5 does benefit from a small electrical upgrade with the inclusion of i-stop (Mazda’s automatic start/stop engine management system), however fuel efficiency gains are through an OCD-like obsession with refining and improving conventional petrol and diesel engines, along with examining every single component to see where weight can be saved.

• More on the SKYACTIV Engine Technology

It is an obsession which has paid dividends as the CX-5 is approximately 100kg lighter than expected (and lightest in its class), or to put it another way that’s the equivalent of not driving around an international-class Rugby Union forward every trip.

As Peter Allibon, Sales Director at Mazda UK states: “SKYACTIV technology runs through every element of the car allowing Mazda to build a Compact SUV that delivers class-leading CO2 emissions and outstanding fuel consumption.“

The finished result of all that beavering away in R&D is a compact crossover with best-in-class CO2 emissions; the 2WD 150PS diesel CX-5 emits just 119g/km this translates into an impressive combined fuel economy figure of 61.4mpg. Even the 2.0-litre petrol CX-5 emits just 139g/km of CO2, and the powerful 175PS 2.2-litre diesel when coupled to the automatic transmission (the first time a Mazda has been available with an auto-diesel) still has impressive economy figures (CO2 emissions: 144g/km; 51.4mpg).

News just keeps on getting better when you spend time behind the wheel; from the onset Mazda’s SKYACTIV aspirations go way beyond merely creating a fuel efficient car. Seemingly just as much effort and perspiration has gone into ensuring the car provides a responsive and engaging drive. Engineers have taken inspiration from the short and snappy gearbox found in the MX-5 sports car, the result is a short shift manual gearbox which a satisfying crisp feel when shifting through the gears.

Belying the car’s proportions, the CX-5 feels nimble and quick; both petrol and diesel units offer brisk acceleration. Steering is on the light side at low speeds but feel much more connected to the car when travelling at speed. The prominent driving position ensures there’s excellent visibility front and rear.

Motorists can expect a wide choice of models when it goes on sale later in May; with two main trim levels – SE-L and Sport, a sub-trim Nav option available to further the car’s business and fleet appeal, and 2WD and AWD variants – although the new petrol engine is only available in 2WD.

Equipment levels are first-rate across the range; SE-L features 17-inch alloy wheels, dual-zone climate control, cruise control, Bluetooth, and a 5.8-inch colour screen. While Sport models gain 19-inch alloys, Bi-Xenon headlights, an improved Bose sound system, and a reversing camera. Early bird buyers will also find Mazda in a generous mood as include the integrated Tom Tom sat nav system for free.

• Mazda SKYACTIV first drive

Mazda UK MD Jeremy Thomson has expects to sell 4,000 CX-5s in the UK during 2012, with the 2.2-litre diesel 2WD tipped to the most popular model. He also expects diesel to account for 85% of sales, with around 3 in every 4 cars shipping with manual transmission.

Prices start from £21,395 OTR for the entry-level petrol unit, with the range topping out at £28,795 for the 175PS 2.2-litre AWD diesel in Sport Nav trim and the automatic transmission.

A new R&D programme has been opened with the aim of funding low emission and lightweight vehicle technology projects from small niche makers.

The new Niche Vehicle R&D Programme run by Cenex, Technology Strategy Board (TSB) and the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) was officially announced this week and will open for bids for grants from June 1, 2012 and close for bids on July 31, 2012. A total of £900,000 is available for niche vehicle manufacturers and suppliers who collaborate on low carbon projects through the programme.

Applications are invited from UK niche vehicle manufacturers and suppliers who have two or more collaborative partners and wish to conduct a project (maximum six months duration) to develop a new product or process around the theme of carbon reduction and lightweight vehicle design.

The new programme is designed to help small makers overcome the sometimes prohibitive costs of R&D and help them competitively develop and improve their product offering.

Rob Anderson, Programme Manager, Niche Vehicle Network, at Cenex, said: “Cenex has been supporting niche automotive companies to bring innovative new products to the market for over five years. Our programme complements the funding available from OLEV and the Technology Strategy Board Low Carbon Vehicles Innovation Platform and enables us to continue to support companies across the UK.”

An information day to discuss the programme and how to apply for grant funding will be held on May 30, 2012 at Heritage Motor Centre, Gaydon. Further details of this event and how to apply for funding can be found on the Niche Vehicle website www.nichevehiclenetwork.co.uk.

BMW offers drivers a no-brainer choice with the new 6 Series Gran Coupe. The 640d diesel has almost as much power as the 640i petrol. It is as fast to 62mph. It reaches the same top speed. As a six-cylinder turbo, it offers similar sound effects and refinement as admirable as the petrol. Crucially, it has a whole mountainside more torque, making it much more energetic and agreeable in everyday use. It costs less than £2000 more, which is a small price to pay for by far the preferable engine.

So why go for petrol? That’s what I thought when I drove it last week. The petrol is nice, and is fast when you work it hard, something it’s perfectly happy to do. But working something so hard doesn’t quite seem right in a car as elegant as this. This is an engine that works best in a 3 Series, rather than a 6.

And boy, does it work in a 3. The 335i is as charismatic as the best 3 Series of yore, with oodles of power and the most delightful straight six hum. In a world dominated by diesel 3 Series, it’s nice to drive something that feels so authentic.

But what about economy? Well, the key reason for choosing diesel in that 6 Series Gran Coupe isn’t just power or engine delivery – it’s a 13.8mpg advantage and CO2 emissions of 148g/km rather than 181g/km. The case for the 640d rather than the 640i is, on paper, absolute – even more significant than the in-use appeal. And a similar advantage is held by diesel 3 Series over the so-fruity 335i.

However, in practice, things are not quite so clear-cut – and here is where things start to get muddled. When I drove the 335i with relative sensibility, I averaged 47mpg. Honestly, I did. With a little more sense still, I topped 49mpg. Big engine gently used is a fairly lightweight car: just the thing for stretching fuel economy. The on-paper stats may not fully reveal it but even the least-green 3 Series has the potential to be green.

You sense as much from driving it. There’s a real effortless to it, an impression the engine has barely to be worked. A feeling you don’t get in the 280kg heavier 6 Series. In that car, the same feeling of effortlessness is only achieved by something with a lot more torque and a lot more muscle, to use its built-in heft to make light work of everyday use. The official stats show the promise if you’re steady: the reality of driving the 640d is likely to get closer to this than the comparable 640i.

This effect is something seen often in small, tiny-engined city cars and superminis. The stats say they should be averaging one thing, but the real world figures reveal something far removed. That’s because the real world isn’t like the lab, and an engine optimised to perform well here may not necessarily have anything in reserve to do the same in use, too.

Such is the importance of using some investigative skills when looking at the official cycle figures. If something is too good to be true, look deeper: it probably is. A small petrol-engined car with diesel-matching fuel economy on the official cycle actually have a high kerbweight, or blunt aerodynamics, or a simple plain lack of torque that means you’ll never be able to drive it in the fuel-optimised way? Them you’re unlikely to achieve what it says on the tin. Simple physics.

The BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe is clearly a no-brainer. This isn’t always the case though. Only from evidence in the field can accurate judgments be drawn. And don’t think it’s simply down to what engine a car uses, either. I’ve driven VW Group 2.0 TDI engines that have varied by double-digit economy figures simply because of the model they’re installed in – and we’re not comparing SUVs with Golf hatchbacks here. Even apparently similar cars can still vary by more than you’d think.

Fuel economy is a science, but it’s a complicated one. There are ways of simplifying it, which is what the official test aims to do – give car manufactures a strict, defined set of conditions that they can accurately replicate so direct comparisons can be closely drawn. Thing is, as they know the conditions, they can optimise their engines to perform well in them. That’s what leads to the difference between theoretical and actual fuel consumption – some perform better away from the ideal than others.

Those expecting a BMW 640i to be as impressive as a BMW 335i in real-world driving will be sadly disappointed. They’ll need to follow their nose and stick with the car they think will do best. As for the BMW 335d, well, the firm hasn’t even hinted at such a car yet. But, with all that torque and masses of power, I’d say it’s a potential fuel economy hero – on paper AND in the real world. If you can resist using all its searing pace, that is…

Richard Aucock

Take a look at the pictures and you might think this is something we’d usually reserve for an April Fool’s Day story – but no, this is definitely the real deal.

Yes, Honda has unveiled an all-new battery electric personal mobility device known as UNI-CUB – and, according to Honda, it gives its user all the freedom of movement that they would enjoy while walking.

The UNI-CUB is the latest take on the U3-X personal mobility device that was introduced back in 2009, and comes with proprietary balance control technology and an omni-directional driving wheel system. This will give the rider the chance to control speed, to turn and stop, and to move in any direction, simply by shifting their own weight. It is also designed to include omni-directional freedom of movement – making it similar to how a human walks. Indeed with the rider able to move forward, backwards, side-to-side or diagonally, they can quickly manoeuvre between other people.

So how does UNI-CUB work?

It comes with a two-wheel configuration – the front wheel containing the Honda Omni Traction Drive System; while the rear wheel facilitates turning. When the rider is using weight shift control, its incline sensor detects the direction the rider is leaning in and calculates the direction and speed that is wanted by the rider. It also comes with touch panel control via a smartphone.

In addition, it features saddle-style packaging so it’s easy for the rider’s legs to reach the ground while maintaining eye-level height with other pedestrians.

The UNI-CUB will now undergo demonstration testing with Japan’s National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation starting in June this year.