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New Mercedes B-Class Electric Drive goes in to production

The first Mercedes B-Class ED (pictured) rolls off the production line in Rastatt With the BMW i3 grabbing headlines – and flying out of showrooms – as BMW’s first electric car, Mercedes need to play catch-up with a convincing EV of their own, and that’s the new B-Class Electric Drive – an EV version of the regular B-Class – which has now gone in to production in Germany. Built alongside regular ICE versions of the B-Class at Mercedes’ Rastatt Plant, the B-Class ED (Electric Drive) looks practically the same as its more conventionally powered siblings – although the front bumper does look a bit different – and has an electric motor good for 177 bhp and 250 lb/ft of torque, can manage a scoot to 62 mph in 7.9 seconds and has a range of up to 124 miles. The range – at least the quoted range – is a chunk better than the BMW i3′s and on a par with the latest Nissan LEAF, thanks to EV technology provided by Tesla, and the wrapping of an EV drivetrain in a conventional series production car could appeal to more buyers than the ‘statement’ design of the BMW i3.

RCA students open Clerkenwell Week Design with Jaguar-inspired artwork

Two Royal College of Art students have designed a Jaguar-inspired sculpture to celebrate the opening of Clerkenwell Design Week in London. Ewan Gallimore and Claire Miller developed their idea alongside Jaguar's Advanced Design team in Whitley, Coventry, by using technologies applied in the creation of Jaguar production and concept cars. The two were the successful team from a selection of nine groups who submitted entries after Jaguar's challenge to the RCA's Vehicle Design and Textile Design departments.

One Lap of the Web: World of Wheels Edition

-- We reported on carbon-fiber wheels almost exactly a year ago. Back then, our Carbon Revolution test also came with a gaggle of obsequious matte-wrapped BMWs against a soundtrack of David Guetta and overpriced exhausts. This latest episode of "Inside Koenigsegg" examines the art of carbon fiber wheels at 280 mph.