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Architects design extravagant portable EVs solar-charging pavilion

Architects Synthetic Design + Architecture has designed a portable, solar-charging pavilion for electric vehicles using integrated photovoltaic cells. A beautiful, flowing form made from high-density polyethylene (HDPE) mesh fabric incorporating the photovoltaic panels, allowing the pavilion to act as a charger. Designed to combine structure, form and performance, carbon rods are twisted into curves by the digitally-designed mesh contours.

General Motors Europe opens new Design Center

Being a car designer is often percieved as a glamourous occupation, but few people realise that this typically means working in some of the least inspiring places. Wolfsburg, Detroit and Birmingham are just a few of the locations that are home to some of the largest populations of car designers around the world. GM Europe's location in Russelsheim, Germany is also one of the less glamourous locations but the new design center building opened this week aims to redress the otherwise rather industrial feel of the place where tomorrow's Opels and Saabs are created.

Volvo plans to polish its image with styling, high-tech engines

Volvo's brand image is stuck somewhere between "premium" and "luxury," but the Swedish automaker aims to move further upscale with a fresh design language and a new generation of vehicles powered by more fuel-efficient engines. New mid-sized and large models will begin arriving in 2014 based on Volvo's lightweight SPA platform. The vehicles will use Volvo's coming generation of smaller four-cylinder engines.