Monroe 905997 Front Coil Spring Insulator on 2040-parts.com

Battery breakthrough set to accelerate electric-car development

A team of scientists working at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are claiming a significant breakthrough in recharging times for lithium-ion batteries. According to findings published in the scientific journal Nature, MIT researchers Byoungwoo Kang and Gerbrand Ceder have unlocked the potential of lithium-ion batteries by patenting a unique process which is claimed to allow a typical laptop power pack to be fully recharged in less than a minute--an improvement in recharging performance of roughly 90 percent over existing lithium-ion batteries. Lithium-ion batteries generate electric current via the flow of lithium ions across an electrolyte, from an electrode to a cathode.

Cadillac teases Detroit 2013 concept at Pebble Beach

Cadillac teased a new concept car at the weekend at Pebble Beach to be unveiled in the steel at an unnamed American auto show early next year. We'll see you on the GM stand in Detroit then. During a press event Cadillac's Global Design Director Clay Dean said it was time for the brand to "reflect back not for nostalgia, but what made us great at the time." There were no further details about what we can expect from the concept but from what we can see from these renders is what appears to be a further move away from the geometry of the Art and Science form language towards a more sculptural surface treatment intersected by sharp, precise creases.

Honda HR-V images shown at New York auto show

Honda has released images of the upcoming HR-V compact SUV, known globally as the Honda Vezel. The HR-V will be based on the Honda Fit, though the model itself will not be debuting at this year's New York auto show. The HR-V is expected to go on sale at the end of 2014, though Honda has not released extensive details about this new entry into the crossover segment.