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.

Limited Edition MINI Countryman and MINI Paceman get Frozen Black Metallic Matt paint

MINI Paceman (pictured) with the new Frozen Black Matt paint job Matt paint finishes are not exactly everyone’s cup of tea, but for those with deep pockets – buying expensive cars – they’ve been an option for a while. And now BMW are extending their Matte paint finishes to MINI, with limited editions of the MINI Countrymnan and MINI Paceman being offered with the special Frozen Black Metallic Matt paint job. The Matt paint – which is textured and shimmers – certainly gives the MINI a new look and will be available on MINI Cooper S Countryman, MINI Cooper SD Countryman, MINI Cooper S Paceman, MINI Cooper SD Paceman, MINI John Cooper Works Countryman and MINI John Cooper Works Paceman.

Toyota Hybrid X concept (2007): first official pictures

By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 16 February 2007 09:47 Toyota Hybrid X: the lowdown Toyota's love affair with the hybrid continues: it'll show this Hybrid X at the Geneva Motor Show next month, hinting at a second Toyota hybrid to sell alongside the Prius. It's designed to showcase Toyota's new hybrid design language - a fresh look for its high-tech petrol-electric models, to differentiate them from its more conventional-fueled models. More excitement, less prosaic ordinariness, is the order of the day.