2014 Ford Escape Touch Screen Navigation Radio on 2040-parts.com

Rinspeed XchangE concept previews cabin of self-driving cars

Ever wondered what you'll be doing in your car once cars become driverless? We'd probably just sit in the back seat and read the financial section of the paper (on some kind of transparent tablet computer, of course) to see how our Tesla shares are doing and make small talk about the weather with our imaginary chauffeur named James in a faux British accent, asking him to pass the Grey Poupon from time to time. But unlike us, coachbuilder Rinspeed is actually taking the yet-to-materialize issue seriously, and at the upcoming Geneva Auto Show it will debut its XchangE concept.

2015 Prius said to have even better fuel economy

The next Toyota Prius will get “significantly better fuel economy in a more compact package that is lighter weight and lower cost,” according to Satoshi Ogiso, the Prius program's chief engineer. Ogiso, who is also Toyota Motor Corp.'s managing officer, said the next-gen Prius' performance will reflect “significant advances” in battery, electric-motor and gas-engine technologies. He said Toyota is looking at improving miles per gallon to 55, compared with today's 50 mpg and that the next-generation Prius electric motors will be smaller and more powerful; in addition, its gasoline engine will be among the world's most efficient.

Kia Naimo EV Concept revealed

The Kia Naimo EV gets revealed in Seoul This week sees the start of the Seoul Motor Show. Which may not be at the top of our list of must-see shows, but with Kia and Hyundai taking over the world we do need to at least sit up and take notice. Today is press day at Seoul and Kia has rocked up with a funky electric CUV (Crossover Utility Vehicle) – the Kia Naimo – powered by a pair of 27kWh lithium-ion polymer batteries in the boot which power an electric motor that’s good for 108bhp and 207lb/ft of torque.