Mercedes Benz W220 Right Front Electric Window Switch A2208213379 on 2040-parts.com

One Lap of the Web: KERS, Klass and autonomous cars

We spend a lot of time on the Internet -- pretty much whenever we're not driving, writing about or working on cars. Since there's more out there than we'd ever be able to cover, here's our daily digest of car stuff on the Web you may not otherwise have heard about. -- KERS, the kinetic-energy-recovery system, was first seen in Formula One a few years back.

BMW/Exa-sponsored project at ACCD

Art Center's BMW/Exa 7th term sponsored project, which we first reported on back in mid-February, recently had its final presentation at the conclusion of the Spring 2008 term. You'll recall the project tasked the students with redesigning a future X5 Sports Activity Vehicle with the express mandate improving its aerodynamic efficiency by at least 30 percent. To achieve this lofty goal, the co-sponsor on the project, Exa Corporation was going to provide both their engineering software PowerFLOW and their technical know-how to virtually test the students' Alias StudioTools design models and provide them with real world aerodynamic feedback.

GM transplants Chevrolet Volt technology into the Cadillac ELR hybrid

One of the headliners of the 2009 Detroit auto show, the Cadillac Converj concept, will become production reality. Cadillac confirmed some details on Wednesday afternoon and said that the coupe will be called the ELR. It will use a T-shaped lithium-ion battery pack, and a generator kicks on to extend range, similar to the Chevrolet Volt.