Carburetor Choke Tube Gasket Fel-pro 72590 on 2040-parts.com

China to boost electric cars with 30% Government EV fleet

The BYD E6 EV (pictured) will benefit from China’s push on EVs The UK government has just announced its commitment to use electric cars for its own vehicles in an effort to boost the take-up of EVs, but China is going even further. China has ordered government officials to start buying electric cars (that means BEVs, plug-in hybrids and hydrogen fuel cell cars) in a big way, with instructions that 30 per cent of government cars must fall in to the ‘New Energy’ category by 2017, and an even higher percentage going forward. The aim is to cut pollution, and China expects to have 5 million New Energy cars on the road by 2020 and it is urging it government agencies and some city governments to start buying New Energy vehicles from Chinese makers like BYD and SDAIC, but also instructing them to build more charging stations and supporting infrastructure.

One Lap of the Web: Loewy, Knieval and an evil Capri

-- If you've been on Google today, you may have noticed the tribute to famed industrial designer Raymond Loewy who penned, among countless other icons, the Studebaker Avanti. Loewy was born on November 5, 1893 -- read more about his life and designs here, and about his Studebaker Avanti here. -- Courtesy of an English auto body shop, this series of photos is a must-see for anyone contemplating the purchase of an old car.

One Lap of the Web: Diesels, Deadmau5, Excalibur and Excelsior!

-- It's the 50th anniversary of Excalibur, the company with fine craftsmen who keep the neoclassical motoring dream alive, or in some vaguely zombielike semblance thereof. And while the Excalibur's retro vibes arose from the mausoleum of the Mercedes-Benz SSK, Hemmings has discovered Brooks Stevens's other neoclassic: the Excalibur 35X, meant to look like a Bugatti Type 35. Just 27 were built in Italy on the chassis of Opel Commodores, fitted with inline-sixes.