Douglas Md80 - Thrust Rating Temperature Indicator - 4024130-903 - Ins002 on 2040-parts.com

Volvo makes breakthrough in battery tech

Volvo has developed a new way of ‘storing’ energy for its future electric vehicles. The Swedish firm is exploring the concept of lightweight structural energy storage components made from carbonfibre, containing “nano structured batteries and super capacitors.” This technology is said to offer a lighter, more compact solution to the problem of energy storage, potentially removing the need for the heavy, bulky batteries used in current electric vehicles. On Bing: see pictures of the Volvo S80 Find out how much a used Volvo S80 costs on Auto Trader The investigation into the new technology is part of an EU-funded research project, undertaken by Volvo – the only major car manufacturer involved – and nine other organisations.

Ford Transit XXL (2007): first official pictures

By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 04 January 2007 10:59 Ford Transit XXL: the lowdown White van man has a new toy, and it's a big one: Ford's Transit XXL. Stretching the tape measure to 7.4m long, it's as long as two regular Transit Tourneo models and has limo-style legroom for seven builders. There are a few more creature comforts than in most Transits, too: captain's armchairs with individual DVD screens and games consoles, and leather trim throughout.

Beanz Meanz More Eco-Friendly Future Fords

THE car industry is full of interesting and unusual business partnerships, but this latest tie-up between Ford and Heinz promises to be one of the more intriguing. Far from seeking to produce 57 varieties of any particular new Ford model, the two firms are exploring the use of tomato fibre to develop a sustainable composite materials for use in vehicle manufacturing. For example, boffins believe that dried tomato skins could become the wiring brackets in future Ford vehicles or the storage bin a customer uses to hold coins and other small objects.