Europe

Renault is now taking online reservations for its Twizy two-seater all-electric micro car ahead of its launch in Europe later this year. The announcement made at the Barcelona Motor Show relates to two models – the Twizy 45, which is equipped with a five-horsepower (4 kW) electric motor, and the Twizy, which is equipped with a 17-hp (13 kW) motor and comes in Urban or Technic trims. However, the purchase prices for all variants, which start at 6,990 euro for the Twizy 45, don’t include the battery, which will be leased from the company for a monthly fee. Read More

Liechtenstein is available for rent .... or at least enough of it to cater for 150 guests at a time. That's the deal being offered by marketing company Rent a Village and as you might expect for a Central European landlocked country, the asking price is quite steep at US$70,000 per night ... plus there's a minimum two-night stay. Those that can put together the necessary cash will be treated to a symbolic key to the state presentation upon arrival – either at the new state parliament or in front of the government building – and be able to enjoy all that Liechtenstein has to offer. With the country nestled in the Alps between Switzerland and Austria, this will mainly consist of picturesque mountain villages and winter sports such as skiing, snowboarding and snowshoe hiking. Read More

Despite ongoing efforts to wean itself off the teat of foreign oil, the U.S. car market is still almost twice as polluting as Europe and Japan. This new finding from automotive data provider, JATO Dynamics, comes despite the Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS) – better known as “cash for clunkers” – program that replaced over 690,000 vehicles on the roads with more fuel-efficient models and the fact that American consumers are significantly more inclined to adopt Hybrid technology than Europeans. Then why is it so? Read More

Renault is making getting in and out of its New Clio easier for Europeans with the introduction of Europe’s first original equipment swivel seat. Comprising a swivel base located beneath the original front passenger seat the optional swivel seat turns through 75 degrees at the pull of a lever situated underneath it. The seat locks automatically into place to ensure the passenger isn’t doing the twist as the vehicle is being driven. Read More

Madrid will host the first European version of the Solar Decathlon competition this summer which sees teams from universities throughout the world designing, building and displaying efficient and sustainable solar homes. The overall competition winner being decided after the completion of ten trials aimed at gauging each entry's energy efficiency and sustainability credentials. Read More

There are plans to build what will be Europe’s first rotating hotel in Croatia. The hotel will form the centerpiece of a new resort to be built near Split, the second-largest city in Croatia that is situated on the shores of the Adriatic Sea. It was the desire to give guests views of the Adriatic Sea from all rooms that led to the rotating design from Richard Hywel Evans of holiday resort designer specialists, RHE. Read More

Being a long-haul truck driver is by no means the safest job in the world, but it could be a lot more dangerous than most of us think. Figures released by the commercial drivers’ International Road Transport Union, the IRU, show that 17 percent of Europe’s long-haul truck drivers are victims of robbery during work-hours at some time over a five-year period. And thefts from long-haul trucks total in the region of EUR€8.2 billion (US$12 billion approx.) – every year. New initiatives by Volvo Trucks and the EU are being undertaken to improve driver safety and prevent these thefts. One particular anti-theft device in development is a lockable fifth wheel that can be remotely controlled, thus preventing the trailer from being separated from the truck and disappearing. Read More