2007-2009 Nissan Altima Sedan Door Window Deflector Rain Guard Sun Shade Visor on 2040-parts.com

Tesla teases Model S prior to debut

Prior to its world debut on March 26, Tesla has decided to whet the appetites of green-car fans by releasing a teaser image of its upcoming Model S sedan. Under the direction of former Mazda designer Franz von Holzhausen, the Model S features a rounded front nose, a front fender plate with an affixed Tesla emblem and a noticeably shorter hoodline. Unlike the Fisker Karma, the Model S will be powered solely on battery propulsion and do without a range-extending engine, which helps accommodate the shorter hood.

London Motorexpo competition shows future EVs

London's 2012 Motorexpo show has showcased the work of the winners in its competition to design an electric vehicle of the future. The brief, to create a circa 2032 zero-emmission city car capable of transporting four adults and luggage, was won by Michael Vlcek, a first-year student at London's Royal College of Arts' (RCA) Vehicle Design department. Vehicles of the future Vlcek's proposal displayed a car with electric motors mounted in the wheel housings to maximise interior space, and a front-hinged opening to allow access via the rear of the car, where Vlcek positioned the rear lights on vertical vanes to improve aerodynamic stability.

Fuel-tank probe rekindles old issue

The placement of fuel tanks on passenger vehicles has changed over the past three decades, and for good reason. Automakers gradually have repositioned the tank to an area in front of the rear axle, generally below the rear passenger seat. Statistically speaking, the tank in that location is less vulnerable in a high-speed, rear-end crash than in the previous location--between the rear bumper and axle.