U.s. Old Car Thermostat. Hrt180. Item: 3826 on 2040-parts.com

Designing the sound of tomorrow's electric cars

By 2019, the European parliament has ordered that all new electric cars sold in the EU must be fitted with a device that emits noise to make them more audible to pedestrians. With safety legislation in America and elsewhere set to follow, this presents an opportunity to completely rethink the sound electric cars make. It's a chance to take it beyond a warning sound by considering something that harmonizes with its surroundings.

Audi e-bike glides in to Worthersee

Audi e-bike - a desirable object The Audi e-bike – a high-end pedalec – has been revealed at Worthersee and designed for sport, fun and tricks. If you’re going to make any form of transport work with an electric motor, then it’s really only sensible to make the EV bit just one part of the equation. That’s why range-extender cars are the only really viable alternative to a regular ICE car – if you ignore the extra cost – and why an electric bicycle makes so much sense.

Design Contest: LA Design Challenge 2008

The entrants for the fifth annual Design Challenge, part of the Design Los Angeles automobile designers' conference, have now been announced. Nine Southern California automotive design studios - including Audi, BMW, GM, Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota and Volkswagen - have been pitted against one another and asked to develop a concept which best answers a brief entitled 'Motorsports in 2025'. "Automotive designers have always been fascinated with motorsports and this year's Design Challenge has provided them with the opportunity to use their creative talent to look at these cars with new eyes, using innovative technologies and approaches," said Chuck Pelly, director of Design Los Angeles and partner in The Design Academy, Inc.