News

A land yacht may not be as practical a means of transport as a car, but it is green and surprisingly quick. British engineer, Richard Jenkins last week proved the point when he reached a speed of 126.1mph (202.9km/h) in a carbon-fibre model he designed himself, in the process smashing the world land speed record for a wind-powered vehicle....

The drivers of the future have been given hints and tips on road safety with the help of the slot-car racing game, Scalextric. Schoolchildren were shown the dos and don’ts of driving as part of the Project Kickstart campaign, which aims to educate youngsters on the hazards that they will face when they get out onto the roads. The latest...

A British company has taken orders for its new amphibious 50-seater coach, a new design that can travel at 70mph on land and 10mph on water and might provide a useful way of getting competitors to the 2012 Olympics. The £280,000 AmphiCoach is almost indistinguishable from a conventional vehicle, but as it enters the water its wheels retract...

British motorists are being hit with charges of up to £150 each on their car insurance due to the actions of others, the latest research has revealed. According to the study, dishonesty is the main reason for increased premiums, with factors such as damage caused by those without a policy and fraudsters adding to the price. According to the...

Apple has filed a patent for a sat-nav system that focuses on driver safety. The IT giant stated details of the device, which could be hard-wired into a vehicle or used in a docking station, in an eleven-page document. It states that there have been incidents in which such technology has proved to be a danger to drivers, as they are...

The organisers behind the 6,000 pay-as-you-go bicycles that will be available for hire in London from next year are worried that they will clutter the streets. As a result the bikes will not carry their own locks and people who use their own may find them cut off by the hire company. Once registered with the scheme users will be able to...

The eagerly-awaited Tesla Model S saloon concept car has been unveiled to journalists in California. Tesla claims the $57,000 car will have a 300-mile range, 45-minute fast charge capability and a 0-to-60 time of 5.5 seconds. A spokesperson for the Environmental Transport Association (ETA) said: “The car’s specification, performance and...

Car manufacturers promise a big future for alternative-fuelled vehicles and produce concept designs with alarming regularity, but judging by the number actually on the road, you could be forgiven for thinking that battery-powered transport will never amount to more than the city cars sold that have found a niche market in London. The...

Britain is a nation of "distracted drivers", according to research from moneysupermarket.com. A study by the price comparison website has shown that there are a range of bad habits which keep motorists’ attention away from the road. The worst offence, taking 77 per cent of the vote, is changing radio station or a CD while...

A new type of environmentally-friendly engine oil is made not from petrochemicals but recycled tallow, a completely biodegradable byproduct of farming. G-OIL claims to have a performance comparable with traditional petrochemical-based motor oils. Currently only available in America, the lubricant is the world’s first bio-based motor...