06-08 Kawasaki Ex650 650r Seat on 2040-parts.com

Toyota EV concept confirmed for Detroit 2009

Toyota EV concept confirmed for Detroit 2009 By Ben Pulman First Official Pictures 23 December 2008 16:48 Toyota has (succinctly) announced that it will unveil a new battery-electric concept car at the Detroit motor show in January 2009. And that’s it – alongside a solitary teaser photo that’s all we’re getting out of the Japanese automotive giant for now. But a source inside Toyota GB confirmed to CAR that this concept is not the new Prius, and that the production version of the infamous petrol-electric hybrid will debut alongside this EV concept.

GM and PSA announce four joint vehicle programs

PSA Peugeot/Citroën and General Motors have confirmed they will develop four future vehicle projects as part of their ‘Global Strategic Alliance' as both parties grapple with dwindling sales and spiraling costs in the European market. The first is a joint program for a compact-class MPV for Opel/Vauxhall and a compact-class Crossover Utility Vehicle for the Peugeot brand. The second project has been confirmed as a joint MPV program for the small car segment for Opel/Vauxhall and the Citroën brand.

Video: FiDU technology creating lightweight, inflatable metal structures

This short video, featuring designer Oskar Zieta, details the process and design possibilities behind products developed with FiDU (Freie Innendruck Umformung – "free internal pressure forming") technology. Zieta, a Polish designer, explains how the lightweight yet robust metal appears as a soft object yet when you touch it you realize that it is actually a hard metal. "Working with FIDU technology is similar to carving clay," Zieta explains.