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Designing the sound of tomorrow's electric cars

By 2019, the European parliament has ordered that all new electric cars sold in the EU must be fitted with a device that emits noise to make them more audible to pedestrians. With safety legislation in America and elsewhere set to follow, this presents an opportunity to completely rethink the sound electric cars make. It's a chance to take it beyond a warning sound by considering something that harmonizes with its surroundings.

Lincoln MKX concept revealed ahead of Beijing auto show

Lincoln has pulled the covers off its new MKX crossover concept, which is set for a global debut at the upcoming Beijing auto show. Following on the heels of the MKZ sedan and the 2015 MKC crossover, the redesigned MKX will be the third of four vehicles Lincoln says it will introduce by 2016 (the restyled Navigator doesn't count, apparently). Larger than the compact MKC, the MKX concept wears many of its smaller sibling's styling cues -- from the new split Lincoln grille to the lightly sculpted beltline to the upturned full-width taillights.

Volt, Leaf win top safety rating in crash test

The 2011 Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf electric cars won the highest safety ratings in crash tests performed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, putting them in the top 57 percent of models tested so far this year. About 80 of 140 vehicles tested among 2011-2012 models have received the Institute's "top safety pick," the group's award for state-of-the-art crash protection that exceeds federal safety rules, Institute spokesman Russ Rader said. The Volt and Leaf received a "good" rating -- the highest of four rankings -- on each of four crash tests, said the Institute, which is funded by auto insurers including State Farm, All-State and Geico.