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

European car sales down 5.2%

EUROPEAN UNION car sales are still sagging despite the return of modest economic growth. For the first eight months of the year, passenger car sales were down 5.2% to 7.84 million compared with the same period last year, the European Auto Manufacturers' Association said - the lowest January-August figure since the group started keeping records in 1990. New car registrations in August fell five per cent from a year ago to 653,872.

Bill Ford outlines 'Blueprint for Mobility' vision [w/video]

Ford Motor Company Executive Chairman Bill Ford outlined a plan this week to develop connected cars to combat congestion on the roads in the future. His speech at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain was the first ever to be delivered at the annual communications industry event by an automotive industry executive. TED was there to capture the event on video (see left).

Ford at CES: Charge your car with science and wash your dishes while you sleep

Ford's C-Max Solar Energy Concept is a "plugless plugin," said Donna Bell, which initially sounds silly -- as if the carefully structured chaos and noise of CES may have finally gotten to her. But as someone who has been managing Ford's electric vehicle infrastructure for the past 20 years, she isn't being facetious. Solar panels on the roof of a car aren't anything new -- the Fisker Karma used them to power the radio and other in-car accessories, to cite a soon-obscure example.