UPDATED: Honda hints at new European advanced design studio

On the eve of the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show, Honda Design's Creative Director, Toshinobu Minami, announced that the company is looking to once again open a design facility in Europe. The announcement came during a presentation at the R&D Center in Waco, just outside the Japanese capital and, while not confirmed, Minami-san strongly hinted that the UK would be a likely candidate to play host to Honda's revitalized European design operations. He cited the country's existing manufacturing and administration facilities, as well as a wealth of new talent from the Royal College of Art in particular.

Volvo is working on cordless charging for electric cars

Imagine not having to actually exit and plug in your electric car (assuming you have an electric car to plug in), and instead just parking it over a special parking spot. That's the promise of a new technology that Volvo is working on, and if taken to the mass market once made commercially viable, it means electric cars will be able to recharge just by sitting over a charger built into the parking spot's surface. That would certainly eliminate the need for those bulky upright chargers that are spreading around the country.

Ford and Dow Chemical to experiment with carbon fiber

Ford is hatching a weight-loss plan for its cars and trucks that should result in a 750-pound-per-car weight reduction before the end of the decade. The company even hired a “personal trainer,” Dow Chemical, to help it get there. So, what's their plan?