Volvo EM90
Volvo is set to release its first ever fully electric premium MPV. The new EM90 will make its global debut on 12th November and pre-orders will start for customers in China on the same date. We don’t have much to go on so far based on the picture Volvo has shown but the Swedish marque will hope to build on the success it had in 2022, having sold 615,121 cars worldwide.

E-Bikes on Auto Trader
The UK’s largest automotive marketplace Auto Trader has started offering E-bikes for sale. The expanding of the ULEZ in London and cost of fuel has led to a rising popularity of E-bikes on UK roads and 1,500 from 45 manufacturers including Raleigh and Brompton have landed on Auto Trader’s site. Research carried out at the end of 2022 showed that 24% of Auto Trader’s audience said they were interested in owning an E-bike. Potentially, this may go some way to help the UK Government’s ambition of half of all journeys in towns and cities being walked or cycled by 2030.

Polestar 4 Gets Driver Assistance 
Polestar and Mobileye are to team up to make Polestar 4 the first production car to feature Mobileye’s Chauffeur autonomous driving technology. Mobileye produces leading advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) technology which is already fitted to over 150 million cars worldwide.

Polestar 4, which goes on sale in China today and globally in 2024, lays the foundation for this technology by featuring a Mobileye SuperVision-based ADAS from the start. First deliveries in China are expected before the end of 2023.

When launched in the coming years, Chauffeur is expected to offer eyes-off, point-to-point autonomous driving on highways, as well as eyes-on automated driving for other environments.

Polestar 2 Deliveries Begin
In other Polestar news….Polestar has started deliveries of the significantly upgraded Polestar 2. It went into production in 2020 and was the brand’s first volume car, with 150,000 having now been manufactured. Over 20,000 Polestar 2 cars are now on the road in the UK and Polestar has been the fastest growing car brand so far in 2023, with new vehicle registrations up by 174% compared to the same period the previous year.

Toyota GR68 Arrives at Beaulieu

Which of today's cars will be considered classics in the future? According to the Autocar Beaulieu Future Classic 2023 awards, it is the Toyota GR86. Autocar's Editor-at-Large Matt Prior described the GT86 as "a car with such enormous potential that its future classic status is guaranteed - if indeed it hasn't already started".

The GR86 is a more powerful successor to the GT86 and has arrived at Beaulieu in the New Forest and is on display at the National Motor Museum. The Toyota motor has a 2,387cc engine, a top speed of 140mph, and can reach 62mph in 6.3 seconds.

British Motor Show Appearance for Sunbeam 1000hp Land Speed

Thousands of visitors to the British Motor Show at Farnborough International Exhibition Centre enjoyed seeing the Sunbeam 1000hp Land Speed vehicle at close quarters. Taking the vehicle out of the Museum on tour was part of the campaign by the National Motor Museum Trust to raise funds for its restoration. 

Built by the Sunbeam company in Wolverhampton, the car was taken to Daytona Beach in Florida where it broke the 200-mph land speed record in 1927. The Museum aims to restore the car to its former glory so that it can be taken back to America for the 100th anniversary of its successful speed record run. One of the two V12 aero engines that powered the vehicle was also on display at the show.

Motorists Shunning Car Washes

Motorists in the UK are opting to wash their own vehicle by hand, with 18% of surveyed drivers quitting car washing services in the last 12 months according to exclusive eBay research. Saving money is the biggest motivator for those making the switch, with 67% taking the decision to save cash. And shockingly, 14% of people surveyed admitted they never wash their car.

The eBay research of 2,000 UK motorists revealed that 28% of the motorists surveyed clean the exterior of their cars at least once a month, typically spending an estimated 25 hours and 40 minutes each year doing so.

Cleaning tactics vary, though, with 23% opting to simply use hot water and washing-up liquid, followed by a quick spray with a hose. However, experts have warned that this may do damage to the paint work in the long run.

Words: Mike Booth
Pictures: Volvo, National Motor Museum - Beaulieu, Polestar & Auto Trader