electric

China is working incredibly hard to reduce its pollution problems, especially in the north where cold air and industrial outputs conspire to produce thick, choking smog. A stroll around any Chinese city these days will demonstrate the country's commitment to the development and production of electric vehicles. There has been announced a ban on the production and/or import of petrol and diesel powered cars "in the near future" and some say this could be as early as from 2020, Aside from European and Japanese hybrids and the expected re-emergence of Volvo as an electric-only brand, what else has China been working on. We have photos...

The SAAB saga (no, that's not a new model) is still not over, despite news that a sale has been arranged.

The Nissan Leaf may be a great car (Nissan haven't given us one to drive yet) but as the UK disappears under another snow storm, it's clearly not the car for this year, or at least not this winter.

There used to be a game to make up versions of names for airlines and car manufacturers. For Lotus, it was said that the name was an acronym for "Lots of trouble, usually serious". Not any more - and the little factory in Norfolk remains a hotbed of innovation. Amongst its projects is serious work on hybrids.

Stuff a Prius - how about a hybrid Evora?

Whilst major motor manufacturers are struggling, specialist sportscar manufacturer Lotus is expanding its R&D and production facilities. And it has full order books.

Lotus Engineering is using the recession to develop and launch a range of new ecology and economy-friendly products. The latest, its Range Extender Engines comes just as oil prices climb above USD70 per barrel.