News

Automobile purchases pick up speed as internet and leasing burn rubber

The purchase of a new car takes less time than ever before and is increasingly accomplished partly or wholly online. The average time it takes to make a car purchase has fallen from 10 to 6 weeks in just a year and nearly one-third of buyers carry out at least part of their purchase online.

Bitcoin hits record near $45,000 after Tesla investment

Bitcoin hit a record-high near $45,000 on Monday after Elon Musk's electric carmaker Tesla invested $1.5 billion in the digital currency.

Coming soon: The facility taking tire recycling towards 100%

Michelin has announced the construction of its first tire recycling plant. The facility will be based near Antofagasta in Chile and should be able to recycle around 30,000 tons of tires per year.

Could this robot be your future car dealer?

South Korean automaker Hyundai has unveiled DAL-e, an automated and intelligent robot capable of welcoming and advising the brand's customers. Amid the covid-19 pandemic, this kind of customer service robot could help mitigate risk in situations requiring interaction.

Could cars soon communicate with bikes and scooters to avoid fender-benders?

American manufacturer Ford believes that the best way to avoid many of the accidents that involve cars and electric bikes or scooters would be to connect them, to enable them to "communicate" with one another. To this end, a consortium has been created to test all the possibilities offered today by technology to avoid collisions between cars and two wheelers.

A Belgian chef defies the pandemic with a camper van “drive-in”

Unable to open his restaurant due to the pandemic, a Belgian chef had the bright idea of turning his carpark into a restaurant where guests are served in their camper vans.

"We have come to the only restaurant in Belgium that is still open thanks to a unique idea that immediately bowled us over,” confided Françoise Gendebien, digging into a seafood platter while seated with her husband in their vehicle.

Five candidates, including 3 electric vehicles, for the title of "most beautiful car of the year"

The short-listed vehicles for the “Most beautiful car of the year” election are the Honda e, the Mazda MX-30, the Mercedes-Benz GLA, the Opel Mokka-e and the Skoda Enyaq iV. All that now remains is to see who the internet users will choose to take over from the BMW Série 2 Gran Coupé, elected last year. The winner will be announced on January 26 2021 at the ceremony held during the forthcoming Festival Automobile International.

 

UV light to disinfect your car

Mobile phones, door handles and other daily objects are all potential COVID-19 hosts. And what about the inside of our cars? To protect drivers and passengers, a French company has come up with an innovative solution that disinfects cars using virucidal ultraviolet light.

Imagine riding an inflatable electric scooter

In terms of innovation, the Japanese are often at the cutting edge. After unveiling an initial prototype in spring, Tokyo University is now showcasing a new version of its “poimo” (“POrtable and Inflatable MObility”) concept, namely an inflatable electric scooter! The objective is a means of transport that is easily transportable and highly modular.

This helmet promises to save lives

The French startup, KSH (Kosmos Smart Helmets), has developed a motorcycle helmet concept that is smart and safe; the helmet has already been unveiled during major trade fairs such as CES in Las Vegas (USA) and Viva Technology in Paris (France). From September 7, 2020, it’s organising an initial crowd funding campaign, via the KissKissBankBank platform, to launch production of the first models.

According to KSH, the helmet offers superior safety for motorcyclists. How?