The Polestar Space is more reminiscent of a gallery than a classic retail space. The minimalist, Scandinavian-influenced interior design clearly focuses on vehicle design. Customers are advised by commission-free Polestar specialists.

Design, sustainability and technologies

Sascha Heiniger, Managing Director Polestar Switzerland: "We are delighted to open our first Polestar Space in Switzerland. Here we can now make our consistent approach to design, sustainability and intuitive technologies even more tangible. In the future, the Space will also serve as a platform for an in-depth exchange on these topics."

Consulting, configuration, leasing or purchase
As a digital brand, Polestar focuses on a transparent experience where customers can handle everything online, from consultation and configuration to leasing or purchasing the all-electric Polestar 2. At the same time, Polestar Space now offers interested individuals the opportunity to get to know models in live action and learn more about the topic of electromobility.

For the opening, Polestar rolled out a special version of the Polestar 2 in Space that won't be seen again anytime soon: the Polestar 2 Arctic Circle.
Background: The Polestar 2 is one of the most powerful electric cars in its class.

Based on this model, Polestar engineers have gone one step further and they have developed a variant inspired by winter rally cars.
That model was developed by Polestar chassis chief engineer and award-winning rally driver Joakim Rydholm and is designed for maximum driving fun and agility on snow and ice.

The car is on display until April 11, 2022. Maybe the video will make you want to visit.

Good customer satisfaction rating

Sascha Heiniger: "With our approach of combining online sales with personal advice without sales pressure, we are strikingly changing the buying experience familiar from the traditional automotive world."
And with great success: in an internal evaluation of customer satisfaction, the Swiss team scored the most points in a European comparison.

First Polestar destination soon in Geneva
The next milestone for the Swedish performance brand in Switzerland will follow in a few weeks with the planned opening of the first Polestar destination in Geneva.
Polestar Destinations complement the Polestar Spaces brand experience and are located in larger out-of-town locations.

Tests in Bern, Lugano, Zug and Aubonne
Vehicle handovers and test drives will continue to take place at the Polestar Handover Center at Oetenbachgasse 1a in Zurich - about a three-minute walk from the Polestar Space.
With the test drive initiative "2 on Tour" there is the possibility to test the Polestar 2 in Bern, Lugano, Zug and Aubonne. Further locations will follow in the next few months.

polestar.com

In the Heilongjiang region in China's extreme northeast, the electric car covered 15,000 kilometers at temperatures as low as minus 30 degrees Celsius. The drive, steering, brakes, suspension and electrical systems were put to the test on snowy mountain roads.

Experience for fine tuning
The Aiway's battery management system uses the waste heat from the engine to heat the interior and conserve charge. The electrical circuits, heating and air conditioning system, paintwork and window seals also had to prove themselves in the cold.

traction was also put to the test and convinced the manufacturer. The experience gained is now flowing into the final fine-tuning of the new model

ai-ways.eu

A wide range of experiences off the beaten track is designed to bring like-minded Jeep drivers together. From off-road training for beginners and advanced drivers, from relaxed day tours to exciting weekend trips, the Jeep Experience offers new experiences on and off the road.

Jeep promises that "home discoverers and lovers of surprising lost places will get their money's worth just as much as wanderlust sufferers", because the Experience leads as far as Romania, Great Britain, Oman and Iceland.

Advantage for customers of the Wave program
Jeep owners in the Jeep Wave loyalty program receive discounted rates when booking such a tour. Jeep Wave is included in all newly purchased or leased Jeep models offers clear benefits: Customers have privileged access to brand events and partnerships.

Also included in the Wave program is 24/7 roadside assistance and a two-year Jeep warranty. Newly, the off-road capability of Jeep models is enhanced by a global electrification initiative that transforms 4xe into the new 4×4 to achieve the brand's vision of Zero Emission Freedom.

jeep.ch

Racing enthusiasts, but also increasingly drivers of classic and youngtimers, want to optimize the handling of their cars. This makes for more driving fun and greater safety on the road. But what is actually permitted by law?

Anyone who wants to make changes to their vehicle need not expect to be reported to the police as a car poser. However, they should know what is permissible.

The Association of Swiss Road Traffic Offices asa provides the guidelines for testing motor vehicles and trailers. There, it is described which documents the road traffic office (SVA) wants to see when making an entry in the vehicle documents. The range extends from "not subject to notification and inspection" to the presentation of a document from a recognized inspection body (APS).

Testing of new chassis parts
Replacing the dampers, for example, does not require testing. In the case of deactivation of adaptive dampers or after lowering by more than 40 millimeters, the SVA requires a test report.

The task as a chassis manufacturer is to keep the required documents up to date for the customers. Each new landing gear application requires a new document, which the supplier creates or applies for from an APS. This involves considerable administrative and financial effort.

Judging criteria for veterans
Vehicles that are 30 and more years old can be registered as veteran vehicles in the ID card. There are also asa leaflets with the assessment criteria for entry as a veteran. A FIVA iD Card is considered a seal of approval for the condition of older vehicles.

When it comes to accessories such as suspensions, wheel spacers or alloy wheels, it is worthwhile to seek competent advice from a specialist. Not least because of the CH certificates, which require a workshop to confirm correct installation with a signature on the installation confirmation.

What the customer also needs to know: If several changes are made to the vehicle, this should ideally be carried out by the same company, because the installed parts must be matched to each other. For example, a wheel and tire combination with the original chassis may still have sufficient clearance, but when lowered, it may already touch the wheel arch due to the greater spring deflection.

Conversions for alternative drives
Electric vehicles can also be converted with KW chassis. At the moment, the suspension for the Tesla Model 3 and the Cupra Born is a well-selling application. A nice side effect is that the lowering results in an increased range of around seven percent.

As soon as it comes to approval and technical installation, it is worthwhile for customers to leave the optimizations to the garage owner as a specialist. KW installation partners, who receive ongoing training and are up to date on the latest technical developments, can meet these demands.

kwsuspensions.ch

Two-time Swiss champion and winner of the 2018 and 2020 SwissSkills Championships for automotive mechatronics, Florent Lacilla from Cottens, never lets his guard down at vocational competitions.

At the Euro Cup in Dresden, he was once again in top form and was able to celebrate his victory after a long day of competition.
The Freiburg native raves about his profession.

Florent Lacilla: "Diagnosis and troubleshooting fascinate me. I make the effort to go into detail."

The photo gallery shows him taking the test.

Outstanding participants from Switzerland
The best eleven automotive mechatronics technicians from Luxembourg, Germany, South Tyrol and Switzerland competed in the preparatory tournament for the World Skills Championships in Shanghai. The Swiss delegation was represented by the three best from the last SwissSkills Championships edition: Florent Lacilla, Pascal Barmetter and Yannick Henggeler.

Florent Lacilla achieved the best result at five of the six test stations, placing him well ahead of Stefan Missbach from Germany and Hannes Egger from South Tyrol. The excellent Swiss result was rounded off by Yannick Henggeler in fifth and Pascal Barmettler in seventh place.

Proving the worth of the dual vocational training system

Olivier Maeder from the AGVS Education Division accompanied the young professionals to Dresden. He is satisfied with the outcome.

Olivier Maeder: "Such performances also allow conclusions to be drawn about the strength of the respective vocational education and training system and about the work of the education partners school, inter-company courses and company."

For Maeder, the successful performance of the Swiss delegation is proof that cooperation in the dual vocational training system works well.

The next national showcase for the automotive professions will be the SwissSkills from September 7 to 11 in Bern. Internationally, Florent Lacilla will represent Switzerland at the World Skills in Shanghai with high goals.

Florent Lacilla: "I'm going there to win."

Photos: auto expert

agvs-upsa.ch

Good news for all those who use hydrogen on the road in eastern Switzerland. Less than two years after the opening of the world's first Avia hydrogen filling station, Osterwalder AG is responding to the high demand by putting the first hydrogen station for Brummis into operation.
This means that, for the first time, two fuel cell trucks can now refuel at the same time.

Relief for the Oberstrasse gas station
The site provided by Spar Handels AG offers a perfect opportunity to serve the surrounding logistics companies with green hydrogen. At the same time, it relieves the Avia hydrogen filling station at Oberstrasse 141 in St. Gallen.

Martin Osterwalder, Co-CEO of the Osterwalder Group: "With the new hydrogen filling station, we are not only demonstrating our commitment to this clean form of electromobility. We are also meeting a need. The surrounding transporters and retailers cover up to 600 kilometers a day with their hydrogen trucks and have to refuel once or twice a day. That pushed our hydrogen filling station at Oberstrasse 141 to the limits of its capacity."

Three million kilometers in just under 18 months
The retailers in the immediate vicinity did not ask twice during the official opening: Spar, Coop and Migros were the first to arrive at the new service station with their 36-ton trailer trucks.

Beat Hirschi, CEO of Hyundai Hydrogen Mobility AG: "There are currently 47 heavy-duty fuel cell trucks operating in Switzerland, which have passed the three million kilometer mark in just under 18 months. This means we have already saved more than 2500 tons of CO2 emissions."

The H2 filling station network in Switzerland is growing
While Avia is already opening its second hydrogen filling station in eastern Switzerland, the network of filling stations will also grow throughout Switzerland in the coming months. The new H2 filling station in Frenkendorf has already been in test operation since the beginning of March, and preparations in Chur and at other locations are in full swing.

avia.ch

A joint analysis by AutoScout24 and FinanceScout24 shows where there is the largest supply of electric cars in Switzerland and where savings can be made. The majority of the Swiss are currently still reluctant to embrace the alternative way of driving. 60 percent of those surveyed see themselves as laggards when it comes to electromobility.

This is shown by the Swiss Mobility Monitor 2022, a representative study conducted by the Institute for Marketing and Analytics at the University of Lucerne in collaboration with the Institute for Mobility at the University of St. Gallen, Zurich Insurance, the Link Institute and AutoScout24.

St. Gallen ahead of Zurich and Aargau
In 2021, more than 14,000 new electric cars were advertised - almost twice as many as in the previous year. Every seventh new car on AutoScout24 is now an electric car. However, if you look more closely at what is on offer, there were major cantonal differences.

Last year, St. Gallen was in the lead with more than 2500 newly advertised electric cars. That was more than 100 times as many as Appenzell Ausserrhoden at the other end of the scale. Zurich and Aargau also had a wide range of electric cars.

Gasoline and diesel still predominate
If we take a look at the search behavior of users on AutoScout24, the selection Electric was clicked twice as often in the fuel filter function last year as it was in 2020. A comparison of cantons shows that Zurich residents search for e-cars the most, followed by Bernese and Vaudois.

Search queries for gasoline and diesel vehicles still predominate. In eight out of ten cases, the fuel filter function is set after a combustion engine.

Pierre-Alain Regali, Managing Director of Automotive at Swiss Marketplace Group, says: "However, these figures should not be viewed in absolute terms. Many searches are not carried out in terms of fuel type, but specifically by brand."

The most popular makes of e-car were the Tesla S and 3 models, the Renault Zoe, the Audi e-tron and the BMW i3.

autoscout24.ch

Nissan is refraining from investing in Euro 7-compliant combustion engines. From 2023, new passenger cars will only be launched in Europe with partially or fully electric powertrains. The company expects 75 percent of its new cars in the region to be electrified by 2026. By the end of the decade, the target is 100 percent.

Holistic ecosystem is the goal

Guillaume Cartier, Chairman Nissan AMIEO Region: "Nissan is on the road to an electrified future - and Europe is leading the way. Nissan Ambition 2030 sets a clear direction. In doing so, we are not limiting ourselves to vehicles. In Sunderland, UK, we are creating the EV Center of Excellence EV36 Zero, a holistic ecosystem."

New models according to desire or need
The new portfolio reflects the diversity of driving habits of Nissan's customers. The new Juke Hybrid with its partially electrified powertrain is designed to combine performance and driving pleasure with lower fuel consumption. The new Qashqai features the e-Power drive, a serial hybrid system that allows the car to always run on electric power without range anxiety.

The new X-Trail also benefits from this drive - in combination with the e-4orce all-wheel drive. Finally, the Leaf, Ariya and Townstar trio will be powered by all-electric drive systems.

nissan.ch

More efficiency thanks to a hybrid drive, which was recently presented in a similar form in the HR-V. More comfort in the interior, coupled with a high degree of user-friendliness, is what the new edition in the compact class should offer.

The next Civic will initially only be available with this engine; Honda buried the diesel engine some time ago. The Civic e:HEV will hit our roads in the fall.

Lots of light thanks to enlarged glass surfaces
To make the silhouette slimmer and sportier, Honda has lowered the hood by 2.5 centimetres compared to its predecessor. The simultaneously enlarged glass surfaces allow plenty of light into the interior, while the low window line also improves visibility for rear-seat passengers.

The A-pillar is positioned further back than before. The highest point of the roofline is now further forward. Due to the gently sloping roof towards the rear, the Civic also looks like a hatchback.

The wheelbase has grown by 3.5 centimeters to 2.65 meters. This not only improves the driving dynamics, but also the space in the interior. The Civic has more cargo space thanks to its new plastic tailgate construction, which is 20 percent lighter than the previous model.

Top speed of 180 km/h
The cockpit emphasizes the horizontal. A honeycomb-shaped ventilation grille runs across the entire width of the dashboard and the instruments are shown on a 10.2-inch color display, which is only included as standard from the Advance equipment line upwards.

All versions of the new model are equipped with Honda's e:HEV (Hybrid Electric Vehicle) technology. Its lithium battery has 72 cells and stores around one kilowatt hour.

Two compact electric motors combine with the 2.0-liter direct-injection petrol engine to provide propulsion. The electric drive motor develops 135 kW (183 hp) and reaches its peak torque at 315 Newton meters. The top speed is limited to 180 km/h.

Sonar sensors on board for the first time
Of course, the Japanese developers have also thought about greater safety. A 100-degree wide-angle front camera with finer sensors detects pedestrians, road markings, boundaries and other vehicles including motorcycles and bicycles.

For the first time, sonar sensors are on board, four at the front and four at the rear. The collision warning system, lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control, blind spot assistant, parking assistant and traffic jam assistant work together to improve safety.

Continuation with the full hybrid SUV e:Ny1
The first generation of Honda's long-runner hit the roads in 1972, and since then more than 27.5 million units have been sold in over 170 countries. With the Civic e:HEV, the brand is completing the announced electrification of its model range for this year.

In 2023, a fully electric B-segment SUV, a compact full hybrid SUV and the new CR-V with plug-in hybrid drive are to follow in the form of the e-Ny1 prototype.

honda.ch

Fuoriserie by Maserati always starts on a white sheet of paper and offers a wide choice of designs and colors for maximum individuality. It is based on the inspiration of customers, who thus have the opportunity to take on the role of trendsetter.

Now the Mission from Mars has begun, and the customization options for the new Grecale are pushing the boundaries. The red dust and oxidized rocks of the planet Mars can be found on the Grecale Mission from Mars. A metallic paint with a special texture reminiscent of mineral dust and metal particles was applied to components outside and inside.

Fluorescent surface resembles metal
The exterior is painted in Galactic Orange. The fluorescent surface is reminiscent of liquid metal, with a strong and almost matte orange-red underneath.
And completing the exterior are special Vortex wheels. The rough surface is protected by a top coat with black coloring. A contrast is provided by the gray of the tires obtained from a special mixture dedicated to the planet Mars.

The 12.3-inch screen is the largest touchscreen ever seen in a Maserati. It offers a comprehensive experience inside and outside the car - all the way to another planet. Just look up and you can see the most important constellations.

Progress, passion and individualization
The boldest journey through space begins on Mars and ends in Milan, where the special Maserati, the epitome of the extraordinary, will be unveiled at an exclusive evening event. The Grecale Mission from Mars launches Maserati into the future as a synthesis of progress, passion and individualization.

For ordinary earthlings, the Grecale is available in three versions - GT, Modena and Trofeo - with drive outputs of 300, 330 and 530 hp. The all-electric Grecale Folgore version will follow a little later.

maserati.com