Electric cars have a small but fanatical following with proponents citing the environmental credentials, instantaneous torque delivery, low running costs, and refinement as reasons to buy one – and who are we to argue? After all, some of the claims are even true. But what you aren’t told is that all-electric vehicles (EVs) are the automotive equivalent of a zombie; dead but still mobile for the time being. Here are…

Conventional wisdom has it that electric vehicles are impractical, their limited range precluding their use as a ‘proper’ family car. This is, it has to be said, an argument that is hard to refute. The Renault Fluence Z.E. that I drove recently is a terrific family car within its own (somewhat limited) environment – but you couldn’t take it on holiday with you. Enter, stage left, the Chevrolet Volt, already…

Renault is investing heavily in the electric car market, having spent £2.6 billion so far with their alliance partner, Nissan. The Kangoo Z.E. van went on sale back in November 2011 – and Nissan has the LEAF, which uses the same motor and battery pack – and it has now been joined by the Fluence Z.E., the cheapest all-electric family car on sale in the UK. The Fluence Z.E. looks…

Fuel is only going to get more expensive; no matter how much fracking they do, the oil companies aren’t going to reduce the price of crude oil in our lifetime. So short of giving up driving what can a chap do? Well, you could drive a bit more economically. After all, if you do, you can then indulge in the odd hoon with a clear conscience… Here are Motoring Journo’s…

Invitations to drive new cars are part and parcel of a motoring journalist’s life and I have to confess to a weakness for one-marque days, when a manufacturer invites you to drive their range over a period of a few hours. There is something honest and open about exposing an entire model range to back-to-back scrutiny that signals strong confidence in the product. Such an invitation came from Renault recently,…

I don’t like electrically-powered cars as a rule. It seems to me that a hybrid car is a fine example of fudged engineering that also sits uneasily with my credentials as a bona fide car enthusiast. The use of a petrol engine as a power source in conjunction with an electric motor is a cop-out and an excuse not to do things properly. I understand that battery range, capacity and…