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2013 Fiat 500e: Electric 500 revealed ahead of L.A. debut

The Fiat 500e – the electric version of the 500 – has been revealed ahead of a debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show. On sale in U.S. 2013.

De Tomaso sold by Rossignolo

De Tomaso sold to unknown investors De Tomaso – the ill-fated Italian supercar maker – has been sold by Gian Mario Rossignolo after a financially fraught revival attempt. De Tomaso seems fated to lurch from one financial crisis to another – as it has throughout its history – with the latest efforts by former Fiat executive Gian Mario Rossignolo to revive the marque floundering for investment. And it looks like Rossignolo has given up the fight and sold out to unnamed investors.

New Mercedes B-Class Electric Drive goes in to production

The first Mercedes B-Class ED (pictured) rolls off the production line in Rastatt With the BMW i3 grabbing headlines – and flying out of showrooms – as BMW’s first electric car, Mercedes need to play catch-up with a convincing EV of their own, and that’s the new B-Class Electric Drive – an EV version of the regular B-Class – which has now gone in to production in Germany. Built alongside regular ICE versions of the B-Class at Mercedes’ Rastatt Plant, the B-Class ED (Electric Drive) looks practically the same as its more conventionally powered siblings – although the front bumper does look a bit different – and has an electric motor good for 177 bhp and 250 lb/ft of torque, can manage a scoot to 62 mph in 7.9 seconds and has a range of up to 124 miles. The range – at least the quoted range – is a chunk better than the BMW i3′s and on a par with the latest Nissan LEAF, thanks to EV technology provided by Tesla, and the wrapping of an EV drivetrain in a conventional series production car could appeal to more buyers than the ‘statement’ design of the BMW i3.