Arias Pistons 12.5:1 Compression 82mm Bore Honda B-series on 2040-parts.com

Feds researching fire risks from EV batteries, regulator says

Federal safety regulators have begun an $8.75 million study of whether lithium ion batteries in electric vehicles pose a potential fire hazard, officials said Thursday. Kevin Vincent, chief counsel of the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, said researchers are looking at whether the high-voltage batteries can cause fires when they are being charged and when the vehicles are in an accident.

BMW 1 Series Coupe

Details of BMW's latest addition have been officially released. The new 1 Series Coupe - which will be available as both a 128i and a 135i  when it goes on sale in North America - is a modern interpretation of the classic 2002, with a front-engine and rear-drive configuration. As expected, the new car looks a lot like a 1 Series hatch; the biggest difference being the newly created rear end.

Changan Raeton

Changan is predominantly active in the small car market, but the mid-sizes Raeton is aimed at entering the official and private vehicle markets, measuring in at a length of 4,920mm, a width of 1,825mm, while the car stands at 1,500mm tall riding on a wheelbase of 2,800mm. The development was based on the automaker's CD1-platform and was completed in its Turin-based European Design Centre, under the direction of Luciano D'Ambrosio and Chen Zheng. As early as the 2009 Shanghai auto show, Changan unveiled its CD101 concept car in attempt to explore the future design of the mid-size sedan.