2006 Toyota Prius Hybrid Battery Wire Harness #250 on 2040-parts.com

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.

Peugeot 3008 – new 163 HDi auto launches

The Peugeot 3008 HDi 163 auto is now available in the UK There’s absolutely nothing wrong with the Peugeot 3008 as far as we can see. It’s a very convincing crossover from Peugeot and has performed strongly since its release six months ago. We’ll be getting our chance to play in a few weeks when we have a 3008 Sport Hdi 150 booked in for review.

Willie G. Davidson chosen to receive 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award

Willie G. Davidson, Senior Vice President and Chief Styling Officer at Harley-Davidson Motor Company, has been chosen to receive this year's EyesOn Design Lifetime Achievement Award presented by the Detroit Institute of Ophthalmology. Regarded as the most prestigious award in automotive design, each year's EyesOn Design Lifetime Achievement Award winner is chosen by the industry's top designers and award winners from previous years.