Harley Davidson Custom Fenders & Gas Tank on 2040-parts.com

'Make electric cars loud and safer'

ELECTRIC AND HYBRID cars should be made louder to protect people with eyesight problems, an MP and charities have urged. Mary Glindon (North Tyneside) said the Government should first ensure the vehicles are safe for all road users after pledging millions of pounds in subsidies for the ultra-low emissions market. She believes sound generators should be fitted to the vehicles to ensure visually-impaired (VI) pedestrians are aware of them.

For new CAFE rules, automakers place high-stakes tech bets

Game-changing 2015 fuel economy rules are forcing vehicle development teams to make high-stakes bets on expensive technologies--bets that will separate the winners from the also-rans. Not only do federal rules target a 2015 fleet average of 35.5 mpg, up from the current 27.5 mpg for cars and 23.1 mpg for light trucks; they force automakers to bet on different technology packages for each vehicle segment. Companies that do best at mixing technologies while keeping down costs will have an advantage when buyers wince at higher stickers.

Infiniti shows image of Q30 concept car before 2013 Frankfurt motor show reveal

Infiniti has just released photos of its highly anticipated Q30 Concept, which will be shown to the public at the 2013 Frankfurt motor show. Even though it may be hard to tell from the photos and sketches which size category this concept car belongs in, the Q30 moniker places this car in a rather compact segment. Designing the Q30, Infiniti says it has tried to blend the features of a coupe, a hatch, and a crossover.