Watts

This is the measurement used to define the motor’s power output. In the UK, electric motors are allowed to be sold with an output up to and including 250 watts. Anything above this is not classed as an e-bike and is subject to licence and insurance legislation the same as mopeds.  

Voltage (V)

Voltage is a measurement of potential energy. E-bike batteries are sold in different voltages, ie 36V. The higher the voltage, the more work it can do with fewer amps needed. 

Torque

Simply put, torque is the amount of rotational power the e-bike motor puts out to turn the wheels and so assist the rider. It’s usually measured in newton-metres (Nm) and the higher the torque, the more acceleration the bike motor can provide. 

Newton-metres (Nm)

Newton-metres are a measurement of force multiplied by distance. The torque of an e-bike motor is usually measured in Nm (in the UK). So, for example, if the motor is in the wheel (hub-drive), Nm is the power of the motor in newtons multiplied by the radius of the wheel in metres. A motor that can deliver 50 newtons over 0.62 metres (a 700c wheel, which has a radius of 622mm) would be measured at 31Nm. 

Troubled Korean SUV manufacturer Ssangyong is set to be acquired by Edison Motors, a relatively young commercial vehicle firm, for the equivalent of just £170 million. 

The widely reported acquisition comes after a long period of financial trouble for Ssangyong. Majority shareholder Mahindra & Mahindra has been seeking to sell its 75% stake since June 2020, having cancelled all further investment in April.

The Indian manufacturing giant saved Ssangyong from bankruptcy in 2011, but slow global sales have limited the return on its investment. In December 2020, Ssangyong filed for bankruptcy, reportedly owing some 315 billion won (£194m) to its creditor, and was ordered to restructure itself by a bankruptcy court.

Now, six-year-old EV start-up Edison Motors is primed to take control of Ssangyong for 280bn won (£170m), according to reports from Asia. The move would provide Edison with a passenger car portfolio in addition to its current range of electric buses and trucks.

Edison was initially one of a number of interested parties and substantially outbid by an offer of 500bn won (£307m) from rival firm EL B&T. But with all other bidders now out of the race, Edison has become the preferred buyer.

Despite its financial troubles and declining sales in recent years, Ssangyong has been clear about its future product strategy. An electric version of the Korando crossover is due to arrive imminently, followed by a larger and more ruggedly styled SUV called the J100, which will serve as a rival to the Dacia Bigster.

Ssangyong is the fourth largest manufacturer in Korea, after Kia, Hyundai and GM Korea. Edison CEO Kang Young-kwon told The Korea Herald that, if successful, his company will invest between 800bn and one trillion won in Ssangyong’s revival, with a view to turning it into a viable rival to Tesla, Volkswagen and GM.

Ford looks to be testing a hybrid version of its hot Puma ST at the Nürburgring, which means a more efficient yet more potent powertrain option could be on the cards. 

The car was spotted with ST-Line badging but sported several of the design features bespoke to the full-fat ST, including its unique alloy wheels, bumpers and red brake calipers. 

The yellow sticker on the rear windscreen indicates a hybrid element in the powertrain. There was no charging flap on display, ruling out the possibility of a plug-in powertrain. That means the model undergoing tests was either a full-hybrid or mild-hybrid set-up. The latter is more likely, given the Puma is not offered with the 2.0-litre engine common to all full-hybrid Ford models.

The standard Puma is currently sold with a mild-hybridised 1.0-litre Ecoboost triple producing 123bhp, but the Puma ST is not yet available with an electrified powertrain. 

The model currently offers 197bhp, so a move to hybrid power would be likely to push the model over the 200bhp barrier while delivering improved economy figures.

The performance crossover is already set to receive a hybrid powertrain in a motorsport capacity in line with new World Rally Championship regulations in 2022, which will see all competing cars equipped with hybrid engines.

Ford’s new Puma-based WRC racer, built in partnership with Cumbria-based racing and motorsport engineering firm M-Sport, was revealed at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed and is driven by a 1.6-litre turbocharged engine mated to a 134bhp electric motor, producing far more power than the road-going version.  

Those are the stakes and fine margins both teams are playing to right now, moment to moment. It’s so easy to be wise after the event.

Texas ranger rides again

Hamilton has a phenomenal record in the US. He won at Indianapolis in his first season back in 2007, soundly defeating McLaren team- mate Fernando Alonso in what was only his seventh GP. He has subsequently won five more times in the US since the race switched to the Circuit of the Americas in 2012, four times in successive years. Of those five, the first one was particularly memorable and not just because it was Hamilton’s last victory in a McLaren. In a tense chase of Sebastian Vettel’s Red Bull, Hamilton pounced for the lead when the German lost momentum behind Narain Karthikeyan’s makeweight HRT.

He will be living on his instincts once again on Sunday, against a rival who has yet to win in Texas. One slip at this stage and all could be lost. If it’s a driver error that makes the difference, that’s one thing, but a car failure would be hard to bear – and not only for the unlucky chap in the cockpit.

Here, then, is the delicious dichotomy of motor racing: in its purest moments, it’s a sport centred on brilliant, driven, selfish individuals – but who count for nothing without the dedication and expertise of every person on their team who stands behind them. The pressure right now within Red Bull and Honda’s Milton Keynes bases and at Mercedes in Brackley and Brixworth will be off the gauge – but it’s also what these people live for.

Passenger accommodation is only an issue if you happen to be over six feet tall and are sitting in the back. On the whole, there’s lots of leg and shoulder room for all occupants.

The interior is also beautifully assembled and adorned with sumptuous finishes throughout.

However, while it may look like a tech lover’s paradise, with conventional buttons swept away in favour of a twin-touchscreen dashboard, this space-age set-up isn’t the most intuitive. The upper screen deals with the infotainment, sat-nav and (Apple CarPlay and Android Auto) smartphone mirroring, while the lower one operates the climate control, heated seats and other minor functions. Unfortunately, you have to look away from the road in order to touch the control icons on either screen, which can be distracting while you’re driving.

Prices for a nearly new A7 start at around £32,000, this getting you into an early 2018 car, probably a 40 TDI diesel in Sport trim. Budget between £35,000 and £40,000 for a 2019 A7 in high-spec trim or a 2020 version in a lesser one, and you will need £45,000 and upwards for a good 2021 car.

Buyer beware

Electrics There have been reports of electrical glitches and failures. The infotainment system can freeze and refuse to work, while the central locking eversing sensors and smartphone mirroring can also cause issues. There are isolated reports of engine warning lights staying on. Some owners have complained about rattles and squeaks within the cabin.

Engine The 2.0-litre petrol engine has had some issues reported relating to the tensioners and guides in the timing-chain system failing, so it’s worth checking if the A7 you’re looking at has had any work done. There have also been reports of stop-start system defects, which can delay accelerator response and disable the power steering.

Suspension The nuts on the eccentric bolt on the rear axle’s spring-link control arm have been known to break from stress fatigue.

Interior Some owners have complained of a mildly noisy centre differential and some rattles from the trim surrounding the gear selector.

The hottest variant of BMW’s popular 1 Series has received a round of updates to keep it fresh until the wider 1 Series range is facelifted, likely in 2022.

The M135i xDrive will receive track-inspired changes to its chassis components as part of the update, while also gaining a revised engine note and new exterior paint colours. 

The changes mean the model promises improved handling and sharpness, courtesy of retuned camber settings and tweaks to the springs and damping systems. 

A new hydromount has also been installed for the front suspension wishbones, while the mounts for the trailing and control arms at the rear axle have been redesigned. BMW says the changes mean roll behaviour has been significantly improved, as has the steering feel.

The M135i’s engine note has also been revised to better convey the model’s four-cylinder engine and twin-tailpipe combo, which, the firm says, features a sound unique to the model with a “characterful acoustic accompaniment”.

Other performance aspects of the car are unchanged. The model is still driven by a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine producing 302bhp and 332lb ft of torque, and has M Sport brakes, 18in wheels and a limited-slip differential as standard. 

The M135i’s interior also remains identical, but additional exterior paint colours have been added for the model, including non-metallic M Sao Paulo yellow and metallic Frozen Orange and Frozen Pure Grey. 

Prices have not been confirmed, but it is expected that the new M135i will maintain an entry cost of around £37,700. 

A familiar digital dial display is visible, too, though other elements of this prototype’s cabin are either covered up or unfinished. We can see a gearlever borrowed from Jaguar’s recently updated model range, but there’s no indication of it being for production. Haptic feedback controls can be seen on the steering wheel, too.

Earlier mules sported a quad-exit exhaust, suggesting they packed the range-topping V8 engine option, which for the fifth-generation car will be a 4.4-litre turbocharged unit borrowed from BMW.

One image (below) shows off the rear-wheel steering system that will make its debut on the new Range Rover. It’s not yet known which variants will receive the system, but it gives clues as to the flexibility of the car’s new MLA architecture. 

Previously, the shorter, standard Range Rover was caught on video at the Nürburgring, being pushed to its limits during the usual manufacturer pool, where makers bring prototypes of all shapes and sizes to be put through their paces. 

Featuring a wider stance aided by what looks like a more pronounced shoulder line, wider wheel arches and an imposing front end, the new SUV appears to balance a styling evolution with the tradition that customers expect. 

The man in charge of the 718 and 911, Frank-Steffen Walliser, told Autocar at the Frankfurt motor show in 2019 that he would “definitely” like to see a faster and even more focused RS version of the new 718 Cayman GT4 but that the decision hinged on prioritising development resources within Porsche. 

“Everybody’s asking for the RS,” Walliser told Autocar. “Can I imagine a GT4 RS? Sure I can. That’s not to say we will make a decision on it yet, as it is a challenge. Would I like such a car? Yes, definitely! Would I like more horses? Yes. But we need to put the resources where the market is; it would be a lot more expensive than the normal one.”

Porsche has never made a GT4 RS before, previously suggesting such a model would be too close in price and performance to 911 GT models. But the new 4.0-litre flat six found in the latest GT4 forms part of an all-new engine family, and it’s expected that Porsche will spin off further variants of that unit to justify the investment.

It’s understood that the brand is looking to reintroduce the flat six to more mainstream Cayman and Boxster variants as part of a facelift. Although Walliser would only confirm that Porsche has “started the thinking process” on this, he acknowledged that the US market has been less welcoming of the current four-cylinder models than hoped. “American customers aren’t asking for four cylinders, they’re asking for four litres,” he said.

Tuesday 

With annoying speed, the car events season is ending, even if a few of this year’s motorsport fixtures are stretching further into the gloom than usual, because the first few months of 2021 were so difficult. My usual regrets about shortening days are leavened by the multiple reminders that start dropping through the letterbox at times like these, reminding me to rejoin my usual car clubs and motoring organisations and promising new and better next year. My usual half-dozen memberships has expanded to seven, because I’ve just become a proud premium member at the British Motor Museum, newly offered.

It’s also time for us at Autocar to come over all commercial and encourage you to buy a Christmas subscription for someone you really care about who loves cars. There’s an enticing deal just announced; details here.

Wednesday

Part of the joy of watching this year’s mighty Formula 1 drama unfold has been seeing Williams succeed on the track beyond all reasonable expectation. 

Away from it, CEO Jost Capito has rocked the F1 world with his announcement of a plan for the team to become climate positive by 2030. Who knew that was even possible? I grabbed a few words with Capito away from the swirling reporters and cameras. How on earth can you make such a bold claim without knowing the future formula, I asked – but he was adamant that no matter what powers F1 cars come 2030, Williams will be able to remove more carbon than it creates. This isn’t just a nice story, he declared, but a duty. F1’s progress is followed by hundreds of millions, he said, and it can do much to change the behaviour and priorities for the masses.

It will be interesting to see how and how quickly F1’s authorities and the other big grand prix teams respond to the initiative.

Thursday

Have you ever owned, driven or perhaps even fought a war in a Daimler Dingo armoured car? It’s a venerable 50mph cross-country vehicle about the size of a modern Mini that was road tested by this magazine in 1943. This request for information has been posed by Kevin Bennett, editor at the Daimler and Lanchester Owners’ club, who is writing a book on the subject. If you have anything you think he could use, please contact me and I will put you in touch.

Those aren’t the only elements of concern in the Net Zero Strategy. The report states that “as we build back better from the pandemic, it will be essential to avoid a car-led recovery”, and  contains a pledge to shift from car usage to public transport, cycling and walking, in particular in urban areas. That includes significant funding for the creation of “segregated” cycle lanes. Given the fitness benefits of walking and cycling, these are welcome moves – but the concern is that they could make driving harder by stealth.

Concerns might also be raised about the government’s pledge to increase car occupancy, with a push towards mobility and car sharing – although this is presented more as an aspiration than a policy, with little in the way of specifics.

The report contains little that will make EVs more affordable, beyond a vague commitment to continuing plug-in vehicle grants (of which the government has reduced both the scope and value in recent years). The high cost of EVs is the largest barrier to entry at the moment, and policies such as urban ultra-low-emission zones are effectively closing off roads to all but wealthy motorists, with everyone else forced to car pool, walk, cycle or take public transport. 

To really drive EV take-up, the government needs to outline how it will ramp up the charging network, what steps it will take to help reduce the cost of EVs and encourage drivers to switch, and even provide clarity on how it will eventually replace the income from fuel duty.

If measures are introduced correctly, electric vehicles can offer affordable, low-cost transportation and personal freedom that can complement walking and cycling. But it’s key to ensure that everyone can still access affordable motoring in the bold new world.