Ford's Mulally gets warm reception at CES

Ford CEO Alan Mulally introduced the Focus electric at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show on Friday in a presentation that was short on details about the car and long on cures for range anxiety. That's partly because Ford is saving details about the car for next week' Detroit auto show, and partly because range anxiety figures to be a major reason for all but the most committed customers to avoid electric vehicles like the Ford Focus electric. Mulally managed to avoid using the term, but said Ford is confronting range anxiety head-on.

LA Design Challenge 2009

The LA Auto Show has just announced the competitors in its 6th annual Design Challenge. The entries - coming from the Southern California design studios of Audi, General Motors, Mazda, Nissan and Toyota - all revolve around a set theme which asked designers to envision the ultimate ‘youthmobile' for the year 2030. Automobiles have always played an important role in Southern California, enhancing the social lives of youth and acting as a means of self expression.

Daihatsu hits Indonesian show with eight new concept cars

Daihatsu has launched a product offensive on the Indonesian International Motor Show in Jakarta, with eight concept cars all based around the theme ‘Compact ECO Mobility Best Friend'. As their endearingly Jenglish theme suggests, each of the cars is as compact as possible – Daihatsu is best known for producing Kei cars for its domestic Japanese market. (Incidentally the company's Tanto remains the most adorable of the Kei breed.) The UFC 2 (the blue car) is an evolution of the UFC that was show in 2012 and manages to squeeze seven seats into is handsomely contemporary body.