2012 Arctic Cat M8 Sno Pro 800 Front Left Lower A Arm / Control on 2040-parts.com

Hiriko folding car: The solution to urban car sharing? [w/video]

The Hiriko Driving Mobility Group has moved into the manufacturing trial of its two-seater electric microcar, which it hopes will offer a new car-sharing program that will transform the way we travel around our cities. The ‘first-mile' problem – moving between the commuter's home and mass transit hubs – and the ‘last-mile' problem – from mass transit to the workplace – has increased dramatically over the past few decades as more of us live in urban environments. 10 years ago researchers at the Michigan Institute of Technology (M.I.T.) decided to explore alternatives to shuttle buses and other ideas that failed to tackle the problem.

Frankfurt 2011: VW Nils EV Go-Kart Video

VW Nils revealed at Frankfurt There have been quite a few of these very small, go-kart-style urban commuter cars cropping up of late, but perhaps the Volkswagen Nils is the most promising. The most promising because if – and it’s a very big if – commuters take to the idea of a grown-up version of a soap-box Kart with an engine for getting to work, the VW Nils will possibly offer the best combination of practicality, refinement and cost. Yes, there’s the Audi Urban Concept to consider, but that will be more expensive (there’s a reason Audi makes VW 40% of its profits), so if commuters do actually find appeal in this route then the Nils is probably the front-runner.

Speakers confirmed for Interior Motives China Conference 2010

Speakers are being confirmed for CDN's China conference this year, an event that seeks to bring together the changing design tones of global OEMs with the best of local design. Titled ‘New brands and the search for a design identity', the conference will explore both global and Chinese influences in this exploding market, and include both international and Chinese design chiefs within global OEMs. The event is hosted by CDN's print magazine, Interior Motives, and takes place in Beijing on 21-22 April, just before the auto show opens to the press on 23 April.