AutoVolt Magazine - May-June 2017

In this issue

Main features in this issue are:

• IN PICTURES
EV and hybrid photos from the past two months.
• NEWS
A selection of electric & hybrid vehicles, eco, racing & tech news.
• HISTORY
The story behind the Volkswagen Golf Mk2 CitySTROMer from 1985.
• Tom Curtis’ Leaf
Part four of Tom’s ownership experience with his second hand Nissan Leaf.
• Keep an eye on things
Blink and Arlo Pro security camera product reviews.
• COLUMN: Robert Llewellyn
Explores the notion that EVs can travel further than he can.
• COLUMN: Mark Preston
On education for engineering.
• FIRST DRIVE: Toyota Yaris Hybrid
Tim Barnes-Clay drives the new Yaris hybrid in Holland to see how it compares with the outgoing model.
• FIRST DRIVE: Volkswagen e-Golf
Majorca is the chosen destination to test the new e-Golf Mk7.5 with a new battery and tech.
• FIRST DRIVE: Volkswagen Golf GTE
Back in blighty for the refreshed GTE and a blast around Woburn.
• REVIEW: Tesla Model X 90D
Electric SUV put through its paces. Is it as good as we think?
• REVIEW: Lets Race Formula E Sim
Experience the thrill of a Formula E car, without the risk of death.
• REVIEW: Toyota C-HR Hybrid
Toyota’s snazzy crossover with hybrid power tested.
• FEATURE: Mission to Mongolia, in a Leaf
We drive Plug-in Adventures’ modified Nissan Leaf ‘AT-EV’ and find out about the journey ahead.
• FEATURE: Yorkshire in an Electric Camper
Touring Yorkshire in a 1973 electric camper.
• BACK PAGES [IN EVERY ISSUE]
Get to grips with EVs using our handy guides, myths and glossary. included in each issue.
• REAR VIEW: BY LUCY HARGRAVE
The topic this issue: Should lorries run on hydrogen?

To find out more info about what’s inside this issue, visit www.autovolt-magazine.com

The latest EV and hybrid news, plus handy guides explaining electric and hybrid vehicles to both the beginner and enthusiast alike complement every issue.

Robert Llewellyn

Robert Llewellyn is a serial electric car addict and enthusiast. Perhaps best known as Kryten from BBC’s Red Dwarf or for presenting Scrap Heap Challenge for more than a decade, Robert is a talented actor, comedian, author and firm advocate of electric vehicles.

3 mins

Mark Preston

Mark Preston, Formula E Team Principal and founder of Street Drone, explains how his company, PrestonEV is helping address the growing STEM skills gap.

2 mins

Toyota Yaris Hybrid

Recent updates for the Yaris family have progressed the regular petrol variants, particularly as the fresh 1.5-litre Toyota is simpler to drive than the withdrawing 1.3-litre.

2 mins

Volkswagen e-Golf

The winding and narrow roads of Majorca might not seem the ideal location to test drive a new electric car, but in actual fact it is. The small island means there’s virtually no road trip too far, especially as the new e-Golf is equipped with a usable 35.2kWh battery, up from the previous car’s 24 kWh and offering 50% more range.

3 mins

Volkswagen Golf GTE

To begin with, I’m going to talk about the GTI. It’s a car that needs no introduction and has forever been entombed in glory in the mind of any car nut. They’re a fantastic car because they offer a superb compromise between do-it-all hatchback and sports car performance. Traditionally, they were the go to choice for those wanting something for the weekday and weekend in one car.

2 mins

Tesla Model X

Tesla is a remarkably ambitious company. When they first launched the Roadster, way back in 2010, nothing could have prepared the world for the Model S that came just four years later in 2014. While some say Tesla has only been a success because of the amounts of money being ploughed into it, that’s only half the story. The truth is they’ve rewritten the rule book of what’s possible with a car. It used to be simple. You buy a performance car, and expect some form of compromise, be it poor fuel economy or a lack of gadgetry. Maybe it had a compromised boot, because there was a dirty great big engine in it. With Tesla you can have it all. Want super high-performance and tech like no other? You can have that and throw in seven seats too. That Tesla, a relative start-up, has been able to show up the established motoring elite is impressive.

5 mins

Toyota C - HR Hybrid

Divisive cars are, by their very nature, going to split opinion. Toyota’s latest is certainly going to cause a stir around the dinner table, with its radical over-styling. Toyota has been late to the compact SUV sector but they’re hoping the C-HR will win over fans of the equally divisive Nissan Juke. However, the Toyota isn’t actually a true crossover as there’s no all-wheel drive option, so really it’s just a tall five-door hatchback.

4 mins

10,000 Mile Mission to Mongolia + in a Leaf!

Given half the chance to drive to Mongolia, most people’s reactions would be to come up with some kind of excuse not to. ‘No, sorry, I’ve got something on that month, would be an expected reply. And that’s if considering a bonafide all wheel drive purpose built machine, certainly not an off-the-shelf Nissan Leaf electric car.

5 mins

Yorkshire By Electric Camper

Ah the classic campervan. What could be better? The sights, the bird song, the fresh air, and a comfy place to lounge, cook and sleep at the end of a hard day’s sightseeing. Bliss. What could be better? Well, for one thing the classic camper that we all know and love is a typically noisy Volkswagen with ‘that’ flat-four air-cooled soundtrack thumping its way through the countryside. They’re agricultural, smelly, dirty and incredibly underpowered at best. You’re lucky to get up most hills and it’s no wonder there’s an enormous market for modding engines or even replacing them altogether with the likes of Porsche derived power plants. They’re a relic from a bygone era and, curiously, attract a certain level of misplaced nostalgia. Essentially, the original VW Camper is nothing more than an inflated VW Beetle and they were from Nazi Germany!

5 mins

Should Lorries Run On Hydrogen?

Last month, Toyota Motor North America, Inc. allowed the world to take a first glance at a closely held secret, which they had been guarding for the past two years called Project Portal.

2 mins

Read all stories from AutoVolt Magazine

AutoVolt Magazine Description:

Autovolt is the UK’s first electric and hybrid vehicle magazine, providing an authoritative voice for those who are excited about great automotive design, cutting-edge technology and environmentally sustainable transport solutions.

Autovolt Magazine is filled with news, reviews and information from the world’s key electric and hybrid car specialists.