Electromobility is an important lever for the energy transition. In this context, the cooperation between Amag Retail and Clyde is of great importance for the future of mobility in Switzerland.

Mathias Gabler, Managing Director Amag Retail: "Sometimes it takes a little time to convince customers of the benefits of electromobility. For this reason, offering an e-car on subscription is a good opportunity to simplify access to renewable mobility."

Easy access to electromobility

Clyde has set itself the goal of facilitating access to electromobility for a broad target group of private individuals and companies, which will be supported even better with omnichannel sales. Through integrated cooperation, synergies within the Amag Group will be optimally utilized in order to diversify the product range for customers.

Clyde's offer clearly differs from Amag Retail's car subscription offer, which currently mainly includes combustion vehicles. In contrast, Clyde offers the electric car subscription with the Clyde Energy Benefit including electricity. Anyone who charges the car privately also receives a credit. In addition, local energy production with photovoltaics is promoted by significantly increasing the profitability of the systems with a high return tariff.

clyde.ch

There is also a need for younger people with a passion for classic cars, who enjoy driving, being admired and occasionally wrenching in the workshop. For this reason, the organizers of Switzerland's largest classic car trade fair Swiss-Classic-World, the classic car portal Zwischengas and the classic car insurer Belmot Swiss are looking for the best car for newcomers to the classic car or youngtimer hobby.

Bernd Link, organizer of the Swiss Classic World, which takes place in Lucerne at the end of May: "It's not about a lot of money. For as little as 10,000 to 20,000 francs, you can find great vehicles that are a joy to drive and often have the potential to at least retain their value."

Popular entry-level models

There is a choice of 50 entry-level models, popular in the scene and on intermediate throttles, worth around 30,000 francs. All are considered suitable for everyday use and can also be used for traveling. They have reasonable maintenance costs and are traded relatively frequently, so are readily available on the market.

Bruno von Rotz, founder and editor-in-chief of Zwischengas, is keen to counteract the somewhat declining interest in driving: "With this measure, we may be able to inspire young people and open their minds to the fun of classic cars. And the preservation of industrial products is also a good example of sustainability in action."

intergas.com

As part of the company founded by Alex and Nik Hirschi, Supercar Blondie is now launching the global digital car auction platform SBX Cars. The portfolio already includes vehicles worth more than 100 million euros at launch. The digital auction house is launching with numerous collector's items that have never been auctioned before. For example, a Mercedes-AMG One and a prototype of the Hyperion XP-1 will go under the hammer for the first time at an auction. A LaFerrari prototype, Tyde's first glass and all-electric hydrofoil yacht and other spectacular vehicles will also be on offer.

John-Player-Special-Boliden

In addition to the wide range of hyper sports cars, another highlight of the launch is the collection of genuine John Player Special cars from the Lotus F1 team from the 70s and 80s. The collection includes Grand Prix cars driven by Nigel Mansell, Elio de Angelis, Ronnie Peterson and Johnny Dumfries, among others, as well as the transporters and the personal plane of F1 team boss Colin Chapman.

Among the classic cars up for auction are a Mercedes 300 SL Gullwing, a Lamborghini Miura, a BMW 507, an Aston Martin DB5 and an Isdera 036i Spyder.

Account manager for buyers

With SBX Cars, consignors can be sure that their vehicle will be available worldwide at a live auction after just a few weeks. Sellers and buyers are also assisted by customer advisors who guide them through the process.

Auction Director Lance Butler: "SBX Cars provides an invaluable tool to the high-end collector community by creating an online network that allows our customers an easy buying and selling process while providing access to one of the world's largest audiences through Supercar Blondie."

sbxcars.com

In 2022, the transport performance of motorized private transport amounted to almost 90 billion passenger kilometers, representing growth of more than five percent. In the same period, freight traffic remained relatively stable with more than 17 billion tonne-kilometres being transported by road. At the same time, traffic jams on the national roads reached a new record of 39,863 hours.

Olivier Fantino, Managing Director of Roads Switzerland: "These figures demonstrate both the resilience and the importance of the national road network for the functioning of the country. Nevertheless, the bottlenecks on the national roads must be eliminated urgently in order to avoid an increase in the risk of accidents and a shift of traffic to the cantonal or municipal network."

Completion of the highway network

The reserves for motorway and conurbation traffic have increased further and amounted to around CHF 3.8 billion as at January 1, 2023. These funds are intended in particular for the elimination of congestion and the completion of the freeway network. 100 percent of the reserves created come from road users. They will make it possible to finance the 2023 expansion phase of the motorway network without increasing charges or taxes.

After deducting the mandatory offsetting measures, private road traffic will have produced around 11.73 million tons of CO₂ emissions, which corresponds to a 40 percent reduction per vehicle kilometer compared to 1990.

Olivier Fantino notes that "these good results testify to the industry's great efforts to bring ever more efficient vehicles onto the market."

strasseschweiz.ch

Abarth has been synonymous with sporty production vehicles and successful racing cars since 1949. A special exhibition is now being held to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the brand with the scorpion logo. The Heritage Hub, which is dedicated to the history of the Stellantis Group's Italian brands, is showcasing 38 vintage cars in Turin that have been brought together especially for the occasion, as well as current models from its own museum and from private collectors.

Record vehicles and tuning kits

The range extends from the first Fiat 500 tuned by Carlo Abarth (gallery left), in which his drivers set six world speed and distance records on the Monza racetrack in 1958, to the legendary Abarth 1000 SP from the 1960s and the new Abarth 695 75° Anniversario. The exhibition at the Heritage Hub will be open from April 12. Other Abarth vehicles can be seen in the museum's permanent collection. Tickets for the Heritage Hub and the special exhibition are available via the online booking portal.

Roberto Giolito, Head of Stellantis Heritage: "The special exhibition for the 75th anniversary is a wonderful opportunity to rediscover the record-breaking vehicles, tuning kits and legendary production cars that have shaped the brand's technical progress and motorsport successes."

Abarth 204 A based on the Fiat 1100

On March 31, 1949, Austrian-born Carlo Abarth (1908-1979) founded a company together with racing driver Guido Scagliarini (1914-2017), which they named Abarth & C.. Their first self-developed racing car was the Abarth 204 A, which was based on the Fiat 1100. Italian GP star Tazio Nuvolari won the Monte Pellegrino hill climb near Palermo with this car on April 10, 1950.

It was part of Carlo Abarth's strategy to use his racing activities to advertise his tuning kits for production vehicles. Among the best-known products were the exhaust systems, recognizable by their special sound and the scorpion emblem. By 1962, Abarth had produced 257,000 exhaust systems, 65 percent of which were exported.

fcaheritage.com

From lovingly maintained bread-and-butter classics to exclusive pre-war models, the 25th anniversary event of the O-iO on May 18 and 19 will feature a wide range of vehicles.

more than 270 vehicles will be on display in Sarnen and Engelberg.

Free of charge Whitsun fun

O-iO is free Whitsun fun for all participants and spectators, especially for families. Children and young classic car fans up to the age of 15 can put their photographic talent to the test in the photo competition. There are attractive prizes to be won, including three grams of gold for first place. Meanwhile, younger visitors can have fun on the bobby car track.

The Belle Époque special program is another focal point in the fascinating presentation of this era with authentic groups and vehicles from the period. Three bands will provide an exuberant atmosphere in Sarnen on Saturday from 4 pm. O-iO is therefore more than just a classic car meeting, it is a real folk festival. The passenger rides on Saturday after lunch are also among the highlights for the many spectators.

Tour on otherwise closed roads

A varied program awaits those taking part in the O-iO with their classic cars. In addition to the exhibitions in Sarnen and Engelberg, an idyllic tour on Obwalden's back roads is on the program on Saturday afternoon. The route includes the route of the Sarnen soapbox race. On Whit Sunday, the huge O-iO entourage will head to Engelberg, partly on otherwise closed private roads. One of the two routes leads over the Ächerli Pass. More information about the event can be found on the website.

o-io.ch

With slightly higher sales of CHF 84.2 million in 2023, the profit of CHF 1.4 million exceeded Mobility's expectations, especially as the cooperative was confronted with various additional expenses in a difficult economic environment. For example, the continued high prices of electric cars and the charging infrastructure as well as expenses for digitalization and the ridepooling pilot project in the city of Zurich had a negative impact on the income statement. Mobility also invested in specialist staff, which means that the company now employs 236 people.

 Mobility CEO Roland Lötscher: "We knew that 2023 would be challenging, so we are more than satisfied with the current result."

Growth and new app

Mobility again recorded growth in the number of customers. There are now 277 000 (+16 000) people using the 3 000 or so vehicles in Switzerland, of which more than 500 are now electric cars. At the same time, the number of cooperative members rose to 75,800 (+1,000). Businesses are also increasingly turning to shared cars again: 5350 companies (+three percent) were using Mobility's red vehicles at the end of 2023.

Mobility has done a lot in the past year to make car sharing even easier and better. This includes the new Mobility app, which includes practical functions such as a price calculator, interactive maps and a simple damage report. At the same time, Mobility 2023 has teamed up with other shared mobility providers to offer customers attractive additional services.

Investments necessary

Even though the expansion of electromobility in Switzerland has lost momentum due to difficult framework conditions, Mobility will continue to electrify many parking spaces and vehicles in the current year and invest accordingly. The goal remains: The aim is to be driving purely electrically by 2030. But it is not only in this area that the cooperative is undergoing a transformation. The digital systems and processes are also being further improved, which is likely to have a negative impact on the income statement over the next three years. More information on the 2023 financial year and Mobility's detailed financial report can be found on the website.

mobility.ch

The new Peugeot E-5008 built at the Sochaux plant is based on the extended STLA medium platform from Stellantis. The wheelbase of 2.89 meters and the overall length of 4.79 meters ensure a comfortably spacious interior. The model, which is available in six colors, is equipped as standard with the new Pixel LED lighting technology, which automatically adjusts the beam of the headlights to the traffic situation.

The GT version is also always equipped with a gloss black roof. The trunk capacity is between 259 liters (with seven seats) and 1815 liters (with two seats). Elegant aluminum inlays and LED ambient lighting, available in eight colors, extend across the dashboard and the front and rear doors.

Driving experience and more comfort

The compact, heated steering wheel as an element of the i-Cockpit has been extensively redesigned to offer an even better driving experience and greater comfort. The controls on it are new to ensure good ergonomics. The 21-inch screen appears to float above the dashboard, and in the center of the dashboard are the i-Toggles - buttons that can be programmed to provide quick access to ten selectable functions. There are also more than 40 driver assistance and safety systems on board.

Wide range of drives

Various drive solutions with permanent magnet synchronous motors are available. The front-wheel drive versions offer 157 or 170 kW (213 or 231 hp) with a maximum torque of 345 Nm. The dual-motor version with all-wheel drive offers a system output of 237 kW (322 hp). The front engine delivers 345 Nm, the rear engine an additional 170 Nm. The 400-volt lithium-ion NMC battery uses thermal management with circulating coolant to ensure fast charging, a long range and a long service life. It has a capacity of 98 kWh, which should enable ranges of up to 660 kilometers.

The Peugeot E-5008 is still available in certain regions with two electrified combustion engines, a 48-volt mild hybrid with 136 hp and a plug-in hybrid with 195 hp.

peugeot.ch

When shaping the future design DNA of McLaren Automotive, the sports car manufacturer from Woking names the five characteristics: epic, athletic, functional, focused and intelligent. These principles form the basis for the design of future models under the new Chief Design Officer Tobias Sühlmann (center gallery).

Stunning styling

The new design DNA enables the expansion of the product range with a distinctive appearance and future drive technologies. McLaren Automotive is now revealing the details of its future design language. The visual expression of this design DNA references McLaren's successful approach to motorsport engineering fused with lightweight supercar design.

Tobias Sühlmann: "Racing is in our DNA, and the beauty comes from this relentless pursuit of performance. We are deeply inspired by six decades of McLaren history, but we are not rooted in our past. Our design DNA will make McLaren a brand with new cars, more product differentiation and with performance by design at its heart."

Symmetrical main elements

The design signature of the front view is defined by two symmetrical main elements with horizontal alignment and a low nose. The design was inspired by the McLaren race cars, such as the side air intakes of the Formula 1 MP4/4 cars, a design element also found on the McLaren F1 and its LM and GTR variants with the large air intakes in the front bumper and the characteristic 'eye socket' headlights with integrated air intakes used on the McLaren 750S.

Spacious and comfortable inside

Building on McLaren's driver-focused design ethos, future McLaren models will feature a wrap-around cockpit inspired by racing DNA, allowing the driver to focus fully on driving performance. Through intelligent design, such as the integration of concave surfaces and a horizontal forward view, the interior will still feel spacious and comfortable.

mclaren.com

For many, the Easter Jeep Safari is the highlight of the year. Once again this year, more than 20,000 visitors gathered in the Moab Desert in the US state of Utah. Traditionally, Jeep also likes to present concept vehicles there. This time, four new models were on display.

Lower 40 Concept as in 2009

The Jeep Wrangler Low Down Concept is a nod to the Lower 40 Concept from 2009 and features a 6.4-liter V8 engine. Painted in dark Poison Apple Red, the body has been modified with the removal of the rear door handles, a bespoke carbon hood with see-through powerdome and an exclusively designed racing-style fuel filler flap. The interior features custom-made black leather seats with fabric inserts, an instrument panel without radio and a specially made, red-tinted bikini roof.

Hybrid drive system 4xe and design

The Wrangler 4xe Willys Dispatcher Concept combines the 4xe plug-in hybrid drive system with a design theme intended to evoke the early civilian Jeep SUV of the post-war era. The front and rear headrests have been removed to give the seats the vintage low-backed feel that dominated the road scene back then. A bikini roof protects the passengers.

The other two new models, the extremely off-road capable and air-suspended Jeep Gladiator Rubicon High Top Concept and the Vacationeer Concept with roof tent decorated with wood grain graphics on the inside, were created by Jeep Performance Parts.

jeep.ch