Month: November 2016

The motoring industry moves so fast, with new technology being developed every day and with the ever increasing revolution of electric cars, it’s safe to say that the motoring market has never seen this much change. To round 2016 off in style we thought we’d take a look at the best concept and confirmed cars to look out for as we go into 2017, enjoy.

NextEV NIO EP9

Sports cars are the pinnacle of speed, measuring 0-60mph times, top speed and power performance it’s often a market that is dominated by petrol powered fuel glugging beasts. Nevertheless, let me introduce you to the NIO EP9, a fully electric sports car that’s making headlines globally for its eye watering track times, insane acceleration and reaching insane speeds. Most wouldn’t expect so much horsepower in an electric motor, but that’s exactly what you will find in this little beast, 1360 horsepower from the multiple batteries around the car’s body.

Combine that with the four wheel driving ability and astounding aerodynamics and you’ve got yourself a vehicle that leaves a lasting impression in all departments. Now this is all well and good, but how long can it keep this up for before recharging is required, well amazingly the range is thought to be in the ballpark of around 265 miles this bring it into the realm of fuel powered cars, remember of course that it has much less effect on the environment . This means you have an extremely powerful car that also gives you the sort of range that makes it effective. All around a brilliant vehicle that is sure to breathe further life and competition into the electric car market.

Tesla Model 3

Tesla has taken the motoring world by storm, the renaissance of electric powered motoring has caused an unforgettable trend in motoring and will likely go down as the biggest shift in the car market in human history. Tesla however, have not stopped there, the presumed upcoming Model 3 is thought to turn the electric car market on its head once again by dramatically reducing the cost of buying and owning an electric vehicle. Planned to be priced at £28,000 the Model 3 is a dramatic drop in price compared to the model S that runs a cost of £57,900, as they label it, electric vehicles have just become “affordable”.

As well as the affordable price it’s expected to have the modern futuristic look we see on all Tesla models, a full panoramic sunroof, the usual tech and extras that give it that authentic electric car feel. To round that off the amazing claim of 0-60mph times under 7 seconds ensures you an unhindered performance.

Lexus LS

First shown at the Tokyo Motor Show, this concept car wowed attendees. The styling is surreal and a feature Lexus are unlikely to change for future lineups – so that’s something fans and watchers alike that can be happy about. A prominent design element people recognised immediately was the wide wheel base of the Lexus LS, allowing rear seat passenger to have improved legroom and a much more comfortable, comparable with most luxurious car manufacturers.

Land Rover Discovery

Land Rover has gone on a crusade within the last few years, introducing a range of luxury type jeeps that are separate from the Range Rover line whilst keeping the excellent off-road durability that is synonymous with the Land Rover lineup and heritage.

The 2017 Land Rover Discovery is the perfect combination between the Range Rover and the highly durable Defender lineup from Land Rover. More tech is something that is going to feature prominently on the latest Land Rover Discovery, with laser scanning technology that can adjust to a variety of settings within the vehicle to match the surrounding area that it’s driving through, as well as suspension and transmission. What does this mean for the driver? An intuitive driving experience that really adapts to its surroundings. However in the specs department not much appears to have changed on the surface, similar engine stats and configuration setups mean you’re really getting your upgrades in the form of the tech on the vehicle.

Mercedes X Class Pickup

In the perfect pickup you’ll find brute force, size and power and to compete with the toughest off roaders out there, Mercedes Benz has combined practicality, usability and style of the best of the best to make a superior version. Essentially provide motoring enthusiasts with two remarkable and futuristic concepts ‘Powerful Adventurer’ and ‘Stylish Explorer’ to redefine the pickup market.

It’s this elegant and clean design, by one of the most recognised car manufacturers in the world that gives this pickup concept the amazing concrete design that redefines your typical idea of a pickup. Giving motoring enthusiasts a vehicle that’s truly unique that can cater to more than just manual labourers. Expected to come with high-performance stats and all of the premium extra’s you would expect from a Mercedes vehicle, the Mercedes X Class is definitely one to look out for as we head into 2017.

So there you have it, five incredibly intriguing and thrilling concept vehicles that you should look out for in 2017. They might not be what’s classed as affordable, however as motoring enthusiasts they’re definitely an investment worth considering.

The motoring industry has seen a tremendous change in the last 10 years or so, aside from the internal tech in a car, we have also seen the complete introduction of both battery powered and driverless cars. Within the last couple of weeks a fully driverless car has been tested on the streets of the UK in Milton Keynes. As its immense motoring news, we thought we would give a bit of insight and additional knowledge on the driverless car vision for the future.

Brands such as Jaguar, Uber, Ford, and even Tesla have jumped onto the wave, each with plans to mass-produce and officially launch their autonomous self-driving cars.

Early Tests

The model tested in the UK was a small two-seater car, to give you a sense of scale; it was roughly the same size as a smart car. Although it can only reach 15mph, it has to be said that there was still a sense of distrust in the vehicle. As a security measure, a steering wheel was present in the testing vehicle, just in case the operator needed to take control.

The test went fairly well, there were no major incidents, no one was injured, and most importantly the test car did not crash. However, the trial limited the vehicle to a set of pedestrian routes; therefore, it’s hard to say how well it would perform and navigate through busy city streets across England, and if it’s even capable of doing so.

Many see this moment as a pivotal cornerstone movement for Britain on their route to becoming leaders in driverless technology. Especially with the new Bill introduced, which has intent to reduce the red tape around new technology, allowing Britain to make strides in this industry. The Bill was announced in the Queen’s speech in May 2016.

It is not just independent and often small firms pledging their interest in these schemes, big businesses such as Jaguar and Ford are also thought to have added their contributions into the plans – this could mean big things for the future of driverless cars. As technology advances and tests get better, you will see cars with the capability of driverless journeys and applications – similar to those being used today.

Incredible Tech

Some of the technology involved with the development of driverless cars is truly incredible. The specific model tested required 18 months of planning, which included accurate virtual mapping of the entire route that the car went on. In this scenario, it was a relatively small area, however, to make this work efficiently there has to be support for much wider areas, potentially whole cities.

One unusual but obvious question surrounding the whole driverless cars sector, is how are they going to be covered by insurance? Surely it is too risky for an insurer to insure a vehicle that is driven by a robot and cameras? However, insurers such as the AA and RAC are also thought to be involved in a plan to make it possible for driverless cars to be on our roads as soon as 2020.

The future

In all, we have a lot to look forward to in the future, the development of driverless cars is sure to make our roads a much easier, more stress-free place. There are obvious hurdles that need to be conquered. Safety is one crucial issue that has created an impression of uncertainty in this area. Ever since companies such as Tesla have experienced crashes, people have judged future security and the potential of the driverless car. However, it seems that whether people like it or not it is going to move forward. We’re sure that by the time they are ready for motorways they will have been thoroughly tested!