Yamaha and Gordon Murray design a compact microcar.

In the current era of urban traffic and environmental problems there is increasing demand for downsizing and fuel efficient cars.  MOTIV.e satisfies these demands by utilising ground breaking manufacturing and materials technology while delivering a new level of driver experience which emanates from the Yamaha Motor Company DNA.

The MOTIV.e is created from Yamaha Motor's multi-wheel history and experience (2 wheel - 3 wheel and 4 wheel technology).  Yamaha Motor Company has always been dedicated to craftsmanship with a focus on 'quality mobility'.  The MOTIV.e builds on this philosophy and incorporates Formula One heritage, inspiration from motorcycle design and the latest technology to deliver an exciting and high quality driving experience.  The MOTIV.e delivers a new level of personal mobility.

Yamaha Motor Company chose Gordon Murray Design to cooperate in the design and development of the MOTIV.e which utilises Gordon Murray Design's revolutionary iStream® manufacturing technology.  Yamaha Motor Company and Gordon Murray Design are a perfect fit as a partnership with both company's Formula One and technology backgrounds.

The iStream® manufacturing system which incorporates Formula One composite technology delivers new levels of lightweight, safety, vehicle dynamics and manufacturing flexibility alongside low environmental impact.

The MOTIV.e design reflects Yamaha's rich heritage in high quality lifestyle products while introducing a technical and dynamic shape which is inspired by Yamaha Motor's Motorcycle products.  The iStream® design is centred on a steel frame incorporating bonded composite monocoque panels to produce a lightweight, rigid safety cell.  All independent suspension and low unsprung weight delivers new levels of ride and handling.  The all-new electric powertrain has been designed using 'state of the art' materials and technology.

The MOTIV.e represents a new starting point for urban mobility vehicles and sets new standards in the ultra compact 4 wheeler segment.

Editors Notes:

• Yamaha Motor Company Limited is a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company.  Yamaha Motor Company (headquarters is located in Iwata, Shizuoka) is a sister company of Yamaha Corporation who shares its brands and corporate philosophy.  Along with expanding Yamaha Corporation into the world's biggest piano maker, then Yamaha CEO Genichi Kawakami took Yamaha into the field of motorized vehicles on July 1, 1955. The company's intensive research into metal alloys for use in acoustic pianos had given Yamaha wide knowledge of the making of lightweight, yet sturdy and reliable metal constructions. This knowledge was easily applied to the making of metal frames and motor parts for motorcycles. Yamaha Motor produces motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, boats, marine engines including outboards, automobile engines, personal watercraft and snowmobiles.  For more information please visit www.yamaha-motor.eu/eu/index.aspx.

• Gordon Murray Design Limited is a British company operating from Shalford in Surrey. The Company is recognised as a world leader in automotive design and reverses the current industry trend for sub-contracting by having a complete in-house capability for design, prototyping and development. The Company is compact and focused and undertakes automotive and other engineering programmes in an efficient and innovative way. For more information please visit www.gordonmurraydesign.com.

• The iStream® assembly process is a complete rethink and redesign of the traditional automotive manufacturing process and could potentially be the biggest revolution in high volume manufacture since the Model T. Development of the process began over 15 years ago and it has already won the prestigious ‘Idea of the Year’ award from Autocar who were given privileged access in order to make their assessment. The simplified assembly process means that the manufacturing plant can be designed to be 20% of the size of a conventional factory. This could reduce capital investment in the assembly plant by approximately 80%. Yet the flexibility of this assembly process means that the same factory could be used to manufacture different variants. The iStream® design process is a complete re-think on high volume materials, as well as the manufacturing process and will lead to a significant reduction in full lifecycle CO2. For more information please visit www.gordonmurraydesign.com.

Renault's ZOE presented with award at the Houses of Parliament.

Renault’s “brilliantly green” electric supermini ZOE proved she also has bite after being declared the new eco champion in awards presented at the Houses of Parliament today.

Naming ZOE the overall Green Apple Awards winner, in conjunction with The Green Organisation, which recognises and promotes environmental best practice around the globe, members of the Midland Group of Motoring Writers voted using the experience they have with vehicles and knowledge of the technology that lies behind them. The French brand’s star plug-in electric model also carried off the prize for small family cars.

One of the judges said multi-award winning ZOE "could be the car that makes people consider electric cars as a viable option” and that it’s “the most mainstream electric car yet”.

He added, "Quite apart from being brilliantly green, it could also be the car that starts making our city centres and shopping centre car parks zero emissions and environmentally friendly. Arguably, it is the most real-world option presented to buyers to make a decision on whether electric motoring is for them. For this, it’s doubly significant, and why it’s my overall winner.”

A fellow judge said, "ZOE is a wonderful mix of a smart looking small family car and the sort of technology that wins friends the first time it's driven. It made me smile and the overall running costs are likely to keep that grin on owners' faces for years."

Another added, "It's a simply brilliant new entrant in the search for zero emissions motoring and fully deserves to stand at the top of the podium at the Houses of Parliament."

Renault’s best-selling Z.E. model is rapidly becoming a darling of the auto industry awards circuit, having already picked up several trophies only five months since it hit UK showrooms. The electric supermini was crowned top electric car at the Scottish Car of the Year awards last month, named the most environmentally friendly fleet car at the well-established BusinessCar ‘Techies’, and drove away with the technology award at the Fleet World Honours.

Ian Donaldson, Midland Group chairman, said: "We did not ask members simply to list the most fuel efficient cars as measured by the official statistics demanded by law, and easily accessed by anyone looking to buy a new car.

"We all know from experience that these figures can be misleading, sometimes to an enormous degree. We wanted our nominations to reflect the real world that hard-pressed motorists must live in, far away from the theoretical figures of the rolling road laboratory."

The flagship vehicle of the French brand’s four-strong 100 per cent electric vehicle range is stylish, affordable and practical – perfect for commuting, supermarket and school runs, and for households who simply want to downsize their carbon footprint, as well as their running costs.

With an official NEDC range of 130 miles, the longest of any mass-market EV, and with a real-world range on a full charge of around 92 miles in temperate conditions or 64 in cold weather, ZOE is the first affordable car for everyday use to have been designed from the ground up as an electric vehicle. Well-equipped in every trim level, plus a free domestic 32 amp (7kW) ZE ready Single Wall-box, it’s priced deliberately to lure buyers out of conventionally-engined superminis, with an on-the-road price tag comparable to many diesel superminis. Prices start from £13,995 (after the UK Plug-In Car Grant), with battery hire from £70 per month.

Renault group increases 46% in ten months to October.

Renault UK group car sales, including Renault and Dacia brands, for the 10-month period of January to October increased a record 46.1 per cent to 49,154 units, up from last year’s total of 33,640, according to SMMT figures released today. In the peak month of September and in October, the first peak period with the new Clio and all-new Captur crossover, retail car sales for the Renault brand increased by a record 32.1 per cent and a record 97.1 per cent for the group versus 2012; outpacing the retail car market growth of 14.9 per cent in the same period.  In these two months, with the launch of Captur, the Renault brand increased its volume in the growing B-segment by a record 76.0 per cent.

Total group sales for October year-to-date, including vans, were 59,058 units, surpassing the 2012 Renault full-year total registrations of 55,685 units. Commenting on the results, Ken Ramirez, Renault UK Managing Director, said, “The milestone signals a clear turning point for the Renault group in the UK market and demonstrates the increased value of the franchise. The launch of Dacia this year certainly contributes significantly to this growth along with a renewed range of Renault models that have re-energised the brand. We owe our impressive growth to customers, both loyal and new to our brands, who continue to recognise the quality, appeal and value of our products.”

GROUP HIGHLIGHTS

• Renault Group posts a car sales increase of 46.1 per cent for October year-to-date with a market share of 2.5 per cent compared to the same period last year (49,154 in volume compared to 1.9 per cent share and 33,640 units last year)
• Group car sales for the 10-month period have now exceeded the full year 2012 volume
• Retail car sales for the Renault Group for the same period jump a record 75.7 per cent to 3.4 per cent share (35,341 units compared to 2.3% share and 20,104 units last year)
• For the peak month of September and in October, retail car sales for the Group increased by 97.0 per cent compared to the same period last year (12,314 units compared to 6,248 units last year)

RENAULT HIGHLIGHTS

• Renault car sales for the first 10-month period reach 36,081 and a share of 1.8 per cent, an increase of 7.3% compared to the same period last year
• In the peak month of September and in October, retail car sales for the Renault brand increased by a record 32.1 per cent versus the same period last year
• In the same two months, with Clio, Captur and ZOE, Renault’s volume in the B segment increased by a record 76.0% against a segment increase of 7.7%
• Clio sales in the peak month of September and in October rank it in sixth place in the five-door retail B-segment
• Captur sales for the same peak month of September and in October put it in third place in the B-SUV segment, behind the Nissan Juke and Mini Countryman.  It outsells Peugeot’s 2008 by more than two and a half times-to one. (3,085 sales compared to 1,225). 72.5 per cent of Captur sales are in the retail market

DACIA HIGHLIGHTS

• Dacia sales reach 13,073 to date from the brand’s launch in January this year
• The brand launched with Duster and Sandero initially, with Sandero Stepway arriving in May and Logan MCV in September.  It is the fastest growing brand to date this year.
• 96.8 per cent of Dacia sales are in the retail market where it has a share of 1.2 per cent year-to-date.  It is also the fastest growing retail brand this year
• Duster sales total 6,677 to date.  In the retail C-SUV segment, Duster is ranked in sixth position
• Sandero sales reach 4,507.  Sandero Stepway launched in May and has totalled 1,738 sales to date

Expanding sales and more profitable business channels are reinforcing the Group’s upward trend, with the icing on the cake being multiple award wins and media recognition for both brands. A selection of plaudits throughout the year have included:

• Record quadruple haul at Scottish Car of the Year Awards: Small Car (Clio), Crossover (Captur), Electric Car (ZOE) and Budget Car (Dacia Sandero)
• Dacia Duster: Caravan Club Awards 2014 ‘Special Award’ and Towcar of the Year’s ‘Best Budget 4x4’
• Twin What Car? Awards ‘Best Buy’ category wins for Mégane Renaultsport 265 Cup – ‘Best Hot Hatch over £22,000‘ and Dacia Sandero – ‘Best Supermini under £12,000’
• BusinessCar “Techies” - ZOE – ‘Green Category’ winner and Captur – ‘Best Crossover’ - in the Next Green Car Awards
• Renault also scored twice at 2013 Fleet World Honours: Best Small Car and Technology Award

Most recently, a record seven Group models featured in The Sunday Times driving supplement ‘Top 100 Cars’ (Captur wasn’t listed, most likely as there was no Crossover category). Among the editorial comments were highlights such as:

• Clio and Sandero in Top 10 Superminis -  “Choose the TCe and you’ll be reminded that Renault once made the best small cars in the world… it’s still the most fun standard French hatchback to go on sale for a decade or more.”
• ZOE in Top 10 Electric Cars & Hybrids - “…the car has much to recommend it.  It’s the cutest hatchback powered by electricity.” Twizy also made the cut in the same category.
• Clio Renaultsport 200 Turbo EDC raced into Top 10 Hot Hatches & Coupes, with Grand Scénic earning a place in Top 10 MPVs.
• Duster – Top 10 4x4s - “Its greatest strength is that it shows up the many other soft-roaders for the over-priced, under-achievers that they are.”

Nissan takes number one spot for sales in Norway for October with the LEAF all electric car

• 100% Electric Nissan LEAF best selling car in Norway for October
• Family electric car is fourth best selling car in Norway for 2013 to date
• Increase in demand outside of major cities pushes Nissan LEAF to new EV sales record

The Nissan LEAF, the world's best-selling 100% electric vehicle, has for the first time claimed the number one spot in Norway's passenger car sales chart. In October, the zero emission family car outsold all of its internal combustion engine, hybrid and electric rivals, taking almost 6% of the total passenger vehicle market.

Nissan's second generation LEAF, which was launched earlier in the year, continues to lead the way in zero emission mobility. The Nissan LEAF consistently performs outstandingly in the Norwegian market, the undisputed electric car capital of the world, taking fourth in the sales charts for 2013 to date with over 3% of the market.

Jean-Pierre Diernaz, Nissan Europe Director of Electric Vehicles, is delighted with the latest Norwegian success, commenting: "We have had incredibly strong sales this year in Norway and with the introduction of the new Nissan LEAF in the middle of 2013, we have seen that level not just maintained, but exceeded. To get the number one spot is an extraordinary sales performance, even for the world's best selling electric car, but to be number four in the charts for 2013 so far is something we are incredibly proud of. We continue to be successful in the main Norwegian cities, but the majority of our growth is coming from rural areas, which shows the breadth of the Nissan LEAF's appeal."

Norway has been the centre of the electric vehicle market in Europe for some time, with a package of incentives including zero VAT and zero road tax for electric vehicles as part of efforts to improve air quality for all citizens.

Jacek Gorski, Nissan Nordic Europe Managing Director believes the success is because the car fits Norwegian customers' needs, commenting: "It is no surprise that we are beating even our April record of second position with the new Nissan LEAF, we knew that the latest version was an even better fit to the Norwegian lifestyle. The increased boot capacity, five seats and standard quick charging make it a great family car. In addition, our engineers have designed a Nordic pack including battery heater, just for the Nordic region, to maintain customer satisfaction even in our very cold winters."

USA - Mitsubishi also has great October

Mitsubishi Motors North America (MMNA) has reported October sales of 4,972, up 19.4 percent compared to October 2012.

Sales of the U.S.-built Outlander Sport led the way with 2,009 units sold, an increase of 19.9 percent for the month compared to prior year sales.

Sales of the all-new 2014 Mitsubishi Outlander showed a year-over-year gain of more than 65 percent in October.

"This marked MMNA's best October of sales since 2010," said MMNA President & CEO Yoichi Yokozawa. "Sales of our Outlander and Outlander Sport – "American's Safest CUV Line-up" – remained very strong, and we are continuing the roll-out of the all-new 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage 5-door sub-compact – the most fuel-efficient gasoline-powered, non-hybrid vehicle in America."

MMNA reported 475 Mirage sales in October.

Yokozawa added, "We are looking forward to November with great anticipation.  Mirage will be reaching dealerships in many additional markets and we will be dramatically increasing the television advertising for Outlander and Outlander Sport from last year."

Highlights of October sales:

• Outlander Sport sales were up 19.9 percent compared to October 2012 and are up 38.7 percent year-to-date.
• Outlander sales were up 65.5 percent for the month and 47.1 percent year-to-date.
• Lancer sales are up 22.0 percent year-to-date.
• Lancer Evolution sales are up 1.3 percent year-to-date.
• Lancer Sportback sales are up 6.6 percent year-to-date.
• Sales of the all-electric Mitsubishi i-MiEV are up 114 percent year-to-date.

FRANKFURT - VW e-load up!

• Van version of the smallest electric Volkswagen is designed for all-drive systems and could be set to supplement the fleet of light commercial vehicles

At this year’s International Motor Show in Frankfurt, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is presenting a further idea on the theme of ‘urban commercial mobility’: an electrically powered city delivery van called the ‘e-load up!’. It has four doors, four wheels and despite very small outer dimensions a whole host of space inside. A cargo management system enables the interior to be configured in many ways.

How big does a van need to be? The answer, of course, is the right size for the job. Too big is inefficient, and so is too small. In the case of an agile city delivery vehicle, which is just as suitable for service technicians as it is for couriers, pizza deliveries or social services, 3.54 metres is fine. The result is the load up! - an economical, highly flexible compact vehicle with a seat for the driver, a fold-up passenger seat and over 1 m3 of space in the back.

The concept. The idea behind the load up! is that a very small van that carries correspondingly small loads is able to operate more efficiently than a larger vehicle if, when larger volumes need transporting, the operator can rely on a fleet of sister vehicles. The key idea here is collective intelligence. The advantages are obvious: small, agile vehicles are ideal for large, congested cities. For reasons of efficiency conventional delivery vehicles are not dispatched from the logistics centre until they are full to capacity. This means that the first 10 parcels have to wait for the next 100 before they can be delivered. That’s not the case with the e-load up!. Its electric motor also makes driving in zero-emission zones possible. The e-load up! is small, inexpensive to maintain, flexible and environmentally friendly. It is a light commercial vehicle in the best sense of the term. It is based on the passenger car version of the Volkswagen e-up!, which is available to order now in certain markets. Given the right level of demand, a commercial vehicle version, such as the e-load up!, could be available soon.

The background. Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles presented an electrically powered concept vehicle six months ago at the Geneva Motor Show: the Volkswagen e-Co-Motion. The Hanover-based specialists for light commercial vehicles are confident that commercial customers in particular, as a result of their existing service infrastructures, have a good basis for the efficient utilisation of battery electric vans. However, with a length of 4.55 m the e-Co-Motion is in a different league to the e-load up!: an electrically powered vehicle of its class would, however, perfectly fill the gap in urban delivery services between the load up! and large trucks.

The facts and figures. Compared to the passenger model the cargo capacity of the load up! has increased from 951 to over 1,400 litres. This urban delivery van weighs 1.164 kg and can carry a total load of 306 kg – which certainly ought to be enough for any pizzas or parcels!

It is powered by an almost silent electric motor with maximum power output of 60 kW / 82 PS. Continual output is 40 kW / 55 PS. Its maximum torque of 210 newton metres is available from start-up. It accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h within 12.4 seconds and reaches a top speed of 130 km/h. The lithium-ion battery integrated into the floor has a storage capacity of 18.7 kWh. Thanks to the low vehicle weight, the e-load up! can travel up to 160 kilometres (NEFC) on a single charge.

As in the e-up! model, the interface for charging the battery in the e-load up! is concealed under the ‘fuel cap’. Available as an option is the CCS combined charging system standardised by Volkswagen and other manufacturers. It supports both direct and alternating current charging, so that the vehicle can be charged at the majority of charging stations, regardless of electricity source or charging speed on offer. In this way the e-load up! can be back to 80 per cent of its battery capacity in just 30 minutes. However, the power train concept of the smallest van in the Volkswagen fold goes one step further. If the customer wants a different form of drive system, that’s no problem either: the Volkswagen load up! can naturally be ordered with any of the passenger car version’s standard power units: from the economical petrol engine to the excellent natural gas one.

Facts at a glance

• Name: e-load up!
• Character: Urban, electrically powered very small delivery van
• World premiere: September 2013, IAA Frankfurt
• L/W/H in mm: 3540/1645/1477;
• Engines / performance: Electric motor 60 kW / 82 PS max. Maximum torque 210 Nm.
• 0 to 100 km/h: 12,4 seconds. Top speed: 130 km/h.
• Battery: Lithium-ion battery, capacity 18.7 kWh. Range: up to 160 kilometres (NEFC).