Cars

With an average range of only 100 mi (161 km) per charge, all-electric vehicles still can't compete with more conventional cars. To level the playing field a bit, Fraunhofer is working on a new battery design that could increase an electric car's range to 1,000 km (621 mi).

Most of us are heavily reliant on our cars, and it's nice to know if your big purchase will be running smoothly after the new car smell has worn off. The latest JD Power Dependability Survey has revealed the cars least (and most) likely to cause you problems.

The conservative, dependable Camry gets a kick in the backside for 2018. Toyota has jazzed up America's best selling sedan with a nice modern interior, a new engine platform and a surprisingly sporty new look, with chassis changes that might make the consummate family car actually fun to drive.

The rise in speeds from 1894 to 1914 charts a wave of innovation: from one cylinder to 12 cylinders, from side-valve to DOHC 4-valve combustion chambers, from solid axles to pneumatic suspension and from 12 mph to 120 mph. Here's a look at the world's fastest cars throughout these formative years.

A 2017 Kia Niro EX has set a new Guinness World Record for the fuel efficiency of a hybrid car being driven from coast-to-coast in the US. The crossover completed the 3,715-mile journey with a consumption of 76.6 mpg.

Lotus has unveiled what it says is the fastest Exige it has ever made. The top-of-the-range Exige Sport 380 will hit 60 mph from a standstill in just 3.5 seconds and maxes out at 178 mph. It has been designed to compete with what Lotus terms "six-figure supercars."

Hyundai has added another string to the bow of its forward-thinking IONIQ range of cars. Joining the hybrid, plug-in hybrid and battery-electric IONIQ models is a conceptual autonomous model, with Hyundai designing the self-driving systems to be "as simple as possible."

It was only a couple of months ago that one Henrik Fisker electric vehicle firm was unveiling a new model and now we have another. Whereas the Karma Revero is borne of Henrik Fisker's original Fisker Automotive, though, the Fisker EMotion hails from his new Fisker Inc.

Back in 2014, newly launched British coach builder David Brown Automotive showed its first work, the Speedback GT. This week, the company is highlighting the car's British roots, showing a red, white and blue trio as it prepares to move into the next phase of development.

Australia's Motorclassica is not yet known in the same context as the world's two largest classic automotive shows, Retromobile in Paris and Techno Classica in Germany. Judging from our experiences at the event which finished yesterday, it soon will be.

Where 3D printing vehicles is concerned, Local Motors takes much of the headline chatter, but that's not to say others aren't dabbling with the technology. Last week, Honda and Kabuku unveiled a custom-designed electric vehicle for making deliveries, the body panels of which have been 3D-printed.

Hyundai launched its N sub-brand last year to develop high-performance cars. The latest car to emerge from this stable is the RN30, an aerodynamic, lightweight motorsport-inspired concept reworking of its new i30​ that's packed with driver tech.