Freddie Holmes - Car Design News

Freddie Holmes

Deputy Editor

Freddie is the deputy editor of Car Design News and has been an automotive journalist for more than a decade, exploring everything from classic cars to electric and autonomous vehicles.

Design driven: Refreshed Tonale keeps Alfa on brand

CDN tries the refreshed Alfa Romeo Tonale and learns more about its unexpected links to the 33 Stradale and Giulia GTA

Freddie Holmes

June focus: Advanced design

This month we dig into the world of advanced design to explore how these hyper-creative teams work. And given this is a future-looking discipline, we consider the long-term strategy for advanced design teams following the closure of major studios

Freddie Holmes

Umeå UID 2026 degree show highlights

Car Design News shares a selection of mobility projects on show today at the Umeå Institute of Design

Freddie Holmes

Italdesign: People Awards win "meaningful recognition" for studio engineering team

Italdesign's chief technology officer Davide Casini reflects on his studio engineering team's win at the 2025 People Awards

Freddie Holmes

Slate on People Awards win: "We were all so excited about it"

Slate Auto's head of design reflects on what it meant to win two categories at the People Awards in 2025

Freddie Holmes

What are the opportunities in OLED lighting?

Car Design News audience members put live questions to a lighting supplier

Freddie Holmes

Design driven: 2026 Subaru Forester

While the design fundamentals are solid, an established brand has no excuse to sign off such a poor user experience

Freddie Holmes

Inside the studio: SP1 Design

One creative UK design studio has quietly gone about its work for the best part of two decades, proving that agility, quality and capacity are not mutually exclusive

Freddie Holmes

Polestar's UX/UI lead joins robotics start-up

Sid Odedra joins California start-up Figure AI to channel a personal interest in robotics

Freddie Holmes

Design driven: Xpeng G6 refresh

This electric fastback SUV has been subtly refreshed, but does it stand out any better than the previous version?

Freddie Holmes

Renault goes beachy with new concept

The Renault 4 JP4x4 Concept introduces an open air experience to the versatile runaround

Freddie Holmes

Lotus teases new mid-term strategy, and a V8

Famed British sportscar manufacturer is channelling its roots with a new 2030 strategy and news of a new V8

Freddie Holmes

Exclusive interview: José Navarro, head of design, Italdesign

Italdesign’s new design boss and longtime employee Jose Navarro speaks to Car Design News about the future of Italdesign, working at speed and a personal interest in robotics

Freddie Holmes

May focus: Lighting

Car Design News will be digging into the world of lighting design, with dedicated features throughout the month. What trends do we see so far and what do we hope to find out?

Freddie Holmes

Hyundai Ioniq 3: “We wanted to do something different, but for a logical reason”

Car Design News has a walkaround of the Ioniq 3 ‘aero hatch’ and reflects on Hyundai’s latest component to the ‘chess piece’ design strategy

Freddie Holmes

Could persimmon fruit create a viable leather alternative?

An unlikely contender in the vegan leather space has emerged. Car Design News explores how persimmons are being turned into automotive-grade surfaces

Freddie Holmes

GAC design boss: “Nobody's really willing step forward with something radically different”

GAC's global design chief spoke to CDN about standing out, countering homogeneity and balancing shock and awe tactics with products that genuinely resonate with customers at home and on the global stage

Freddie Holmes

Changan designer on CMF and the versatility of vegan leather

In outlining the CMF theme of the new Changan S05, Carine Giachetti-Schweitzer notes that leather alternatives have become increasingly useful, particularly in a market where textiles can sometimes be seen as ‘cheap’

Freddie Holmes

Leather supplier gives second life to ‘waste’ avocado and agave

Discarded material from two widely farmed fruit and plant crops has been repurposed to treat leather in a more sustainable manner. Freddie Holmes speaks to senior Pangea figures to see how this came about

Freddie Holmes

April focus: New materials and CMF

No April Fools here: it’s a serious and increasingly production-realistic topic

Freddie Holmes

Design driven: Changan S05

It is difficult to fault the Chinese brand’s next offering for Europe, but there is no shortage of capable and affordable EVs on the market. Will the Changan name cut through?

Freddie Holmes

John Sahs joins Mitsubishi

Following the closure of Nissan's latin America design studio, the designer has moved to Japan for a new role with Mitsubishi

Freddie Holmes

Lola launches period correct supercar, with a twist

Storied British brand Lola Cars has used its motorsport roots for a 'sustainable' V8 supercar. Car Design News was at the launch in London today

Freddie Holmes

Design driven: Porsche Taycan 4S Cross Turismo

In stretched wagon guise, the Taycan feels like the Porsche shooting brake we never had. But is it any good?

Freddie Holmes

Chris Lefteri joins Alcantara

Materials specialist Chris Lefteri has formally joined Alcantara in a newly created role

Freddie Holmes

BMW welcomes new i3 to the 3-Series family

The eighth-generation 3-Series is also the second generation of the i3. This time, its form is more in line with conventional BMW design principles

Freddie Holmes

VW design team builds ‘confident’ new SUV on Xpeng’s electric platform

The ID.Unyx 08 shows how one platform can support two distinct design languages. VW’s Frank Bruese speaks to CDN about the design process which took less than a year

Freddie Holmes

Andrea Mocellin: "You need to rely on your instincts"

The multi-disciplinary designer shares an insight into his go-to tools, and which newer solutions show promise

Freddie Holmes

Slate Auto talks "sustainable by design"

Tisha Johnson, Slate Auto's thoughtful and passionate designer, speaks to Car Design News about awards, exterior design, merchandise and students

Freddie Holmes

Niels van Roij on coachbuilding and shooting brakes

RCA alumnus and certified coachbuilder Niels van Roij has found an exciting niche in handcrafted one-off projects, many of which appear in the form of a shooting brake or 'bread van' format. The designer sat down with CDN to explain why it is still 'design' in a conventional sense, and details one project involving a Ferrari 550 Maranello

Freddie Holmes

"It's better to have a good idea than a good drawing" says Pagani designer

Pagani's advanced design lead Alberto Piccolo sat down with Car Design News to chat about the Huayra R hypercar, working with carbonfibre and why students should prioritise great ideas over perfect drawings

Freddie Holmes

Unpacking the Alfa-Maserati partnership that is Bottegafuoriserie

What exactly is Stellantis' new venture, Bottegafuoriserie? We caught up with its leadership duo Camilla Rostagno, head of Bottega and Davide Baldini, head of Fuoriserie to find out

Freddie Holmes

Autonomous driving changes how car interiors are perceived

Kia’s recently promoted VP of CMF design explains that autonomous driving will have lasting implications for colour and trim teams

Freddie Holmes

Design driven: Skoda Superb

This stately offering from the Volkswagen group’s typically sensible brand checks most of the boxes, but mechanical issues hamper an otherwise strong design

Freddie Holmes

Romulus Rost on autonomous vehicles

The 'retired' interior design maestro spoke to Car Design News about the opportunity and challenge that autonomous driving poses to modern car designers

Freddie Holmes

New AV shuttle has a compelling design, but will the project take off?

Freddie Holmes reports from the world premiere of a new autonomous shuttle near Ingolstadt, designed with a multitude of partners and led by the team at UE Studios

Freddie Holmes

Is Ferrari’s Luce interior a masterclass in HMI?

By working with product design royalty in Newson and Ive, the cockpit of Ferrari’s first electric car looks strong at first glance. It is also a lesson in channelling the positives of Big Tech with restraint

Freddie Holmes

Design is key for EV buyers, study finds

Key performance indicators like charging speed and range are no longer the differentiator for prospective electric vehicle buyers. So says new research from consultancy Escalent

Freddie Holmes

Classic three-wheeler reimagined as modern van

How do you take a modern van and channel the vibe of a three-wheeler from 1948? CDN speaks to Italian coachbuilder Caselani to find out

Freddie Holmes

Who’s where: Adil Benwadih joins Leapmotor

The designer will head up advanced design at the Chinese brand in Munich

Freddie Holmes

“Modern technology allows coach building to continue”

Jonathan Wells, chief design officer at British sportscar company Morgan, explains what it’s like working with wood and metal, and how the team has embraced modern processes

Freddie Holmes

“There’s more passion here than at a normal car show”

Car Design News chats heritage, concept cars and colour with Citroen design boss Pierre Leclercq from the show floor in Paris

Freddie Holmes

Design driven: Porsche 911 Carrera

A week with Porsche’s entry-level 911 reveals that it is far more than a blunt tool for backroad blasts

Freddie Holmes

Early design freeze brings purchasing power

A close relationship between design and manufacturing gives OEM purchasing teams more time to secure the right price ahead of production. Speaking from the sidelines of the Brussels motor show, Zeekr's interior chief Sergio Loureiro Da Silva points to the intersection between how a car looks and how much it costs to make

Freddie Holmes

Design driven: Xpeng G6

A week with the G6 reveals an accomplished vehicle in its own right. However, this newcomer is let down by familiar UX issues present across the market

Freddie Holmes

Watch: Autodesk on solving pain points in design

At the 2025 Automotive Innovation Forum in Germany, designers from Ford, Tata, Firefly and Incari share how digital tools are reshaping their daily workflows in this exclusive video from Car Design News

Freddie Holmes

Car design round-up: Caterham, Ioniq N and special editions galore

Car Design News takes a look at the news that may have gone under the radar this week, including the latest from Volkswagen, BMW, Peugeot and Caterham

Freddie Holmes

Exclusive: Sid Odedra on moving from Audi to Polestar

Following a visit to Gothenburg earlier this year and a surprise meeting with the UX specialist, CDN is now the first to report on his first few months at Polestar

Freddie Holmes

UAE studio Peec reimagines local icon

The Nissan Patrol might seem an unlikely candidate for the luxe treatment, but its connection to UAE culture means it makes more sense than you might think

Freddie Holmes

Urban Automotive: “OEM+ is about complementing already great designs”

Car Design News sat down with Urban Automotive founder Simon Dearn to discuss modification, styling and why certain cars just make sense for ‘OEM plus’ work

Freddie Holmes

Alpine launches new A390, a racing car in a suit

The new electric fastback expands the brand’s product offering and subsequently its customer base. CDN is in France for the official launch to learn more

James McLachlan

Freddie Holmes

Freddie Holmes - Car Design News

Freddie Holmes

Design driven: Refreshed Tonale keeps Alfa on brand

June focus: Advanced design

Umeå UID 2026 degree show highlights

Italdesign: People Awards win "meaningful recognition" for studio engineering team

Slate on People Awards win: "We were all so excited about it"

What are the opportunities in OLED lighting?

Design driven: 2026 Subaru Forester

Inside the studio: SP1 Design

Polestar's UX/UI lead joins robotics start-up

Design driven: Xpeng G6 refresh

Renault goes beachy with new concept

Lotus teases new mid-term strategy, and a V8

Exclusive interview: José Navarro, head of design, Italdesign

May focus: Lighting

Hyundai Ioniq 3: “We wanted to do something different, but for a logical reason”

Could persimmon fruit create a viable leather alternative?

GAC design boss: “Nobody's really willing step forward with something radically different”

Changan designer on CMF and the versatility of vegan leather

Leather supplier gives second life to ‘waste’ avocado and agave

April focus: New materials and CMF

Design driven: Changan S05

John Sahs joins Mitsubishi

Lola launches period correct supercar, with a twist

Design driven: Porsche Taycan 4S Cross Turismo

Chris Lefteri joins Alcantara

BMW welcomes new i3 to the 3-Series family

VW design team builds ‘confident’ new SUV on Xpeng’s electric platform

Andrea Mocellin: "You need to rely on your instincts"

Slate Auto talks "sustainable by design"

Niels van Roij on coachbuilding and shooting brakes

"It's better to have a good idea than a good drawing" says Pagani designer

Unpacking the Alfa-Maserati partnership that is Bottegafuoriserie

Autonomous driving changes how car interiors are perceived

Design driven: Skoda Superb

Romulus Rost on autonomous vehicles

New AV shuttle has a compelling design, but will the project take off?

Is Ferrari’s Luce interior a masterclass in HMI?

Design is key for EV buyers, study finds

Classic three-wheeler reimagined as modern van

Who’s where: Adil Benwadih joins Leapmotor

“Modern technology allows coach building to continue”

“There’s more passion here than at a normal car show”

Design driven: Porsche 911 Carrera

Early design freeze brings purchasing power

Design driven: Xpeng G6

Watch: Autodesk on solving pain points in design

Car design round-up: Caterham, Ioniq N and special editions galore

Exclusive: Sid Odedra on moving from Audi to Polestar

UAE studio Peec reimagines local icon

Urban Automotive: “OEM+ is about complementing already great designs”

Alpine launches new A390, a racing car in a suit

Luxury and utility combine for unexpected Genesis concept interior

Changan adds experienced commercial vehicle design lead

Review: Autodesk Innovation Forum 2025

The key trends influencing automotive lighting design

Lynk & Co teams up with Harman Kardon: “We saw a lot of synergies there”