2014 Subaru Bzr Engine Wiring Harness on 2040-parts.com

Electric cars get a £500 million government cash boost – but will it get spent?

The new BMW i3 EV (pictured) will be subsidised until 2017. The subsidy of up to £5000 paid to buyers of electric cars has been with us for three years, but it hasn’t had much impact on EV sales and it did look like the government had decided to scrap it all together. But it looks like the coalition has allowed Nick Clegg to have his way with EV subsides in a move that will see £500 million injected in to promoting and supporting electric cars in the UK in the next few years.

Vauxhall Adam Rocks – it’s a butch Adam Cabrio Crossover

The new Vauxhall Adam is about to spawn a cabrio crossover version based on the first official sketches of the Vauxhall Adam Rocks Concept. But it seems Vauxhall are not content with just having a funky little urban runaround to flog, they want to get in on the butch mini urban crossover market too. Or that certainly appears to be the aim looking at Vauxhall’s latest Adam project – the Vauxhall Adam Rocks.

Umea Institute of Design degree show 2010

Earlier this month, Car Design News attended Umea University's annual degree show. Covering student work from the MA Interaction Design, Advanced Product Design and Transport Design programs and the BA Industrial Design program, it was the first exhibition overseen by Umea's new Rector, Anna Valtonen, formerly head of Design Research & Foresight at Nokia. In a departure from the show's traditional format, this year saw keynotes and workshops spread over two days.