In terms of car news, 2020 was a rather special year. Almost every major car fair was canceled due to the corona virus, which came into play in March. Factories had to close and car brands often ended up in dire straits. Despite this, the car industry seems to have gained momentum, both literally and figuratively: electrification is taking place at a rapid pace. Time to look back on this rather bizarre year with the help of the 10 most read news stories!
In any case, one brand often finds its way to the top 10: Tesla. Three of the ten best-read news stories are about the car brand of the equally acclaimed and controversial Elon Musk. That makes sense, because Tesla is not sitting still. On Battery Day, the manufacturer shared what it is all about, from integrating the battery into the construction of the car (‘structural batteries’) to reducing the production costs of batteries. Speaking of those batteries: the news about the Chinese company Brighsun New Energy, which says it has developed batteries with a range of 2,000 km, also attracted wide interest.
In addition to all the news about EVs and batteries, the used cars were also popular. In the top 10 it goes both ways: on the one hand, you were interested in cheap cars for € 500 that you could use for a while, on the other side of the spectrum, however, are five luxury occasions that will keep your wallet. can destroy in record time. Finally, attention was also paid to the story of the buried Plymouth Belvedère, which was returned to life in 2007 after 50 years underground. Below you can review the 10 most read messages at your leisure.
10. The emergency lane: the buried Plymouth Belvedere
The story of the buried Plymouth Belvedere is the best read ‘hard shoulder’ of the year. In 2007, the car was dug up again after 50 years, only to discover that it had in fact become one unusable rust chunk. In the comments you agreed: the idea of ​​a time capsule is nice, but the implementation could have been better.
9. Top 5: used cars for less than € 500
Want to buy a moving car for less than € 500? Our barrel brigade proves that it is still possible in 2020. While searching in the occasion finder we found a Kia Rio, Mitsubishi Carisma, Citroen Saxo, Toyota Starlet and a Subaru Vivio within this budget. This article was food for discussion, because a number of responses show the necessary skepticism among cars in this price range, while others think it is a great idea to drive ‘from MOT to MOT’.
You can buy money for less than € 500.
8. Tesla Model 3, according to Obrist, better with fuel engine
Range anxiety is less and less of a problem with the increasing battery capacity, efficiency and charging speed of EVs. Nevertheless, Obrist, an Austrian start-up, saw the market for a ‘range extender’ in the Tesla Model 3 at the beginning of this year: a two-cylinder engine in the nose of the Model 3 ‘Hyper Hybrid’ must be combined with a battery of 17.3 kWh are good for an eight-radius radius of about 1,000 kilometers. In the past year, however, it has remained quiet around Obrist.
7. Five luxury occasions that can destroy your bank account
How do you get rid of your money quickly? Buy an older car from the top segment for relatively little money! The BMW 745i, Mercedes-Benz S 500, Volkswagen Phaeton, Porsche Cayenne and Cadillac STS are happy to help you burn your money further. In the reactions, Lexus often passed in review when it comes to how it should be done.
This Mercedes-Benz S-class is happy to help you with your money!
6. Ionity’s fast charge prices are skyrocketing
Ionity is the name of a charging station network set up by BMW, Daimler, Ford and the Volkswagen Group. Slowly but surely it is becoming a fairly large party in the field of charging stations. In order to attract customers, a rate of € 8 per charging session was initially applied, but this has been converted to € 0.79 per kWh. As more and more people are switching to EVs, the question is how the rates will develop in the coming year.
5. Tesla Model S Long Range Plus has enormous range
In fact, at Tesla there are no fixed cycles for renewal: the company is actually constantly bringing improvements to the market, be it through over-the-air updates or in the production itself. Despite the fact that the Model S is no longer a top seller in the Netherlands, the news about the improved range of the Long Range Plus was read well. We now also know that the variant is in the Dutch price list for € 86,005.
This year, the Model 3 was less popular in terms of sales numbers.
4. Striking range of ‘used’ Tesla’s Model 3
At the end of last year there was a true ‘addition run’ on the Tesla Model 3. Apparently quite a few people had missed the boat, because they clicked en masse on the above article. In terms of sales numbers, the Model 3 is now largely outclassed by the Volkswagen ID3, among others. In view of the changing addition rules, it seems likely that the hunting season for ‘used’ specimens with a favorable addition will start again next year.
3. Breakthrough: ‘New EV batteries good for 2,000 km range’
Manufacturers are fully engaged in the development of EVs and battery technology, but last year the Chinese-Australian company Brighsun came with a very startling revelation: a lithium-sulfur battery that would enable a range of 2,000 km. In April discussions were still ongoing with investors for large-scale production, but in practice car manufacturers have not yet embraced the battery concept. Maybe next year?
2020 was the year of the EVs.
2. Peugeot gets ‘new’ logo
The possible new Peugeot emblem attracted a lot of interest. It seems that the French are harking back to the past and incorporate a detailed lion’s head into a shield. The logo has not yet been definitively revealed, which will probably happen when Peugeot presents the new 308 to the public.
1. ‘Motorist fined on license plate may tear up bon’
Of course, getting a fine is never fun. When you can get out of it, that’s a bonus. Apparently this article gave citizens courage, because it is the best-read piece of 2020 on our website. Officers still have to put offenders aside during corona time in order to issue a valid receipt. The Subdistrict Court ruled that this had not happened in one specific case and quashed the fine, setting a precedent.