1999 - 2004 Subaru Legacy Outback Wagon Center Tail Light Panel on 2040-parts.com

Fisker battles problems as the Karma finally lurches toward launch

All Henrik Fisker wants is to build his plug-in hybrid cars and deliver them to customers--some of whom have been waiting three years since plunking down $5,000 deposits. Instead, he has been fending off criticisms aimed at his green-car company as shipments of his $103,000 Karma plug-in hybrid sedan have been delayed by cash flow troubles, regulatory snarls and a recall. But when a startup such as Fisker Automotive accepts a Department of Energy loan in a down economy, having the company tossed around like a political football comes with the territory.

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.

Porsche's Tony Hatter on the design of the new Cayman [w/Video]

Porsche design manager for Sports Cars Tony Hatter features in a short video explaining the design process and evolution of the new Cayman. Hatter explains how the design team worked towards seriously transforming the proportions of the car to give it a new image while keeping it looking like a Cayman. The Porsche 904's design was crucial in the process, inspiring several of the car's main aesthetic features.