Author: automoti
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Bio: Alastair Sloane has been a newspaper journalist for 50 years this year. He has had all sorts of newspaper roles along the way, including editing two dailies. He was the motoring editor of the New Zealand Herald for 16 years from 1996 until 2012. He owns a 1968 VW Beetle. Best days at the wheel include doing part of the Land Rover Camel Trophy route in Papua New Guinea, driving a Nissan Patrol over earthquake-hit roads in Guatemala, and a Ferrari Italia 458 on Enzo’s old hill-climb road in Italy.
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October 12, 2020 |
in Highlights, Industry news, Latest news |
Alastair Sloane |
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If ever there was a perfect time to launch a new range of campervans this is it, says Kevin Richards, the manager of the commercial arm of Volkswagen NZ. Why? Because New Zealanders are...
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October 5, 2020 |
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Alastair Sloane |
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Aston Martin might be best known for its luxury sports cars, but, like many of its rival automotive companies, it routinely takes part in third-party projects. Examples are the chronograph...
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October 1, 2020 |
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Alastair Sloane |
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In February 2004 I wrote this in the NZ Herald: ‘In the 1980s and 90s, Mazda pretty much went from one conservative passenger car to another, with the exception of the brilliant MX-5...
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September 25, 2020 |
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Alastair Sloane |
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The global battery market to power EVs and consumer electronics and to store renewable energy on power grids will be worth about $NZ175 billion a year by 2030, up from around $NZ42 billion...
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January 3, 2015 |
in Industry news, Latest news |
Alastair Sloane |
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Upgrades to the Tesla Roadster’s battery pack have improved the range of the all-electric two-door from around 370km to 650km, says company CEO Elon Musk. The changes mean good news for...
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January 2, 2015 |
in Industry news, Latest news |
Alastair Sloane |
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South Korean company Ssangyong will bolster its SUV presence in New Zealand this year with the Tivoli, a town-and-around compact that shows off the brand’s new design language. It will...
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December 22, 2014 |
in Industry news, Latest news |
Alastair Sloane |
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Volvo is about to demonstrate helmet-mounted technology that aims to reduce collisions between cars and cyclists. The two-way communications technology is integrated into both the helmet...
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December 19, 2014 |
in Industry news, Latest news |
Alastair Sloane |
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These are the first pictures ever of a real prototype of the next-generation BMW 5-Series. What we’ve seen so far are camouflaged test mules that hid the new technology underneath a mix...
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December 18, 2014 |
in Industry news, Latest news |
Alastair Sloane |
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Skoda has given the third-generation Superb sedan a slick new identity, courtesy of the Volkswagen Group’s design department. And it starts with a major overhaul of the front end, for...
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December 16, 2014 |
in Industry news, Latest news |
Alastair Sloane |
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The new Audi Q7 weighs in at 1995kg, around 325kg lighter than the outgoing model, shedding bulk that is roughly “the equivalent of a concert grand piano”, says the carmaker. Audi took...
