Volkswagen Passat Speedometer (cluster), 160 Mph 03 on 2040-parts.com

Renault confirms electric car production for 2011

It's hardly kept it a secret, but now Renault has officially announced that it will be putting its electric car range into production come 2011. You can read the full story on Renault's electric vehicle range in CAR’s December 2009 issue out on 18 November, in which Chris Chilton drives the mad concept cars. Yes.

Tesla teases Model S prior to debut

Prior to its world debut on March 26, Tesla has decided to whet the appetites of green-car fans by releasing a teaser image of its upcoming Model S sedan. Under the direction of former Mazda designer Franz von Holzhausen, the Model S features a rounded front nose, a front fender plate with an affixed Tesla emblem and a noticeably shorter hoodline. Unlike the Fisker Karma, the Model S will be powered solely on battery propulsion and do without a range-extending engine, which helps accommodate the shorter hood.

AutoWeek Design Forum: Audi studies details

Some say the devil is in the details, but the details are where Audi sets itself apart from the luxury field. Achim Badstuebner, Audi's head of exterior design, says the maker of sports and luxury cars is always focusing on small things--such as door handles, the C-pillars and its familiar five-spoke wheels--for design demeanor. "It should have the same power as that Audi DNA," he said on Thursday at the AutoWeek Design Forum.