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

What you missed before CES even started

CES officially opens Tuesday, January 7, but the news started happening the day before. What do we mean? Everything from jumping robots to an all-electric formula race car took a bow in Las Vegas on the eve of the Consumer Electronics Show.

Better Place Electric Car visitor centre opens

Better Place have opened a visitor centre in Israel to demonstrate their battery swap technology for electric cars Last October we wrote about a start-up company in Israel – Better Place – that had a new way forward for electric cars by taking the purchase of battery packs out of the equation, and was developing a system for ‘Battery Swap’ stations where electric car owners could drive in and swap their battery pack for a fully-charged one in a few minutes. That story first brought to our attention our favourite quote of last year – by Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn – who said “A hybrid is like a mermaid: if you want a fish, you get a woman; if you want a woman, you get a fish.” Which probably explained why Nissan – and its partner Renault – got involved with Better Place. Better Place aims to address the main concerns of electric car drivers by making the battery packs in electric cars ‘swappable’.

2014 BMW 5-series revealed

When the 2014 BMW 5-series goes on sale in August, the 528i will cost $50,425 while the V8-equipped 550i will sticker at $64,825. Those prices include a $925 destination charge. A diesel engine will be offered in the new 535d, for $57,525.