Steering Wheel Control Interface on 2040-parts.com

Ralph Gilles talks past, present and SRT future

Ralph Gilles -- SRT boss, Chrysler vice president of design, curator of something called the "Man Van," has become the public face of Chrysler performance, carrying the legacy of Firepower engines and 428 Coronets and the Dodge Viper RT/10 into the future with the Challenger, Charger and Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8s. Since "unofficially" helping form it in 2003, Gilles has seen SRT transformed into Chrysler's most coherent performance strategy since Plymouth Rapid Transit, a company-wide force so much greater than the flagship Dodge Viper. He was there from the beginning.

Toyota begins testing wireless recharging for electric cars

Toyota has announced that it will begin actual verification testing of its new wireless battery charging system for electric vehicles, one which charges the battery of a plug-in hybrid or a pure-electric car by having the car park over it. Toyota's charging system uses magnetic-resonance technology, which operates by transmitting electricity by using the magnetic resonance resulting from changes in magnentic field intensity between a coil positioned under the car, and a receiving coil built into the underside of the vehicle. This system eliminates the need for physically plugging in an electric car or a hybrid to an actual plug, and also has the potential to solve the problem of multiple types of actual plugs.

Nissan gets a new 'Leaf' on life

On Thursday, Nissan announced that its all-electric Leaf will be added to its Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles program. Starting in September, Nissan will back all used Leaf vehicles to provide years of performance and quality at a competitive value. The program will not only provide buyers with eight-year/100,000-mile battery warranty coverage, but also with five-year/60,000-mile coverage for battery-capacity loss that falls below nine bars, which is imperative when you're relying solely on electricity to power your vehicle.