King Ka-39 Voltage Converter P/n 071-1041-01 (3354) on 2040-parts.com

CDR Insight Quarterly – Q1 2013

Car Design Research Insight Quarterly – Q1 2013 Independent consultancy, Car Design Research's 'Insight Quarterly' looks at the latest trends in the automotive design world and beyond, four times each year. Currently distributed to a handful of their design contacts in the industry, we'll be running these quarterlies to highlight the latest trends and insights from a firm who work regularly and closely with the design groups of many major OEMs. In this year's first Insight Quarterly, the team highlight the notion of 'designing for export'.

Audi A8 facelifted for the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show

Audi has facelifted the A8 range and is showing it for the first time here at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show. Honestly, it has: it is the facelifted car in our pictures. That even current owners may have to look twice says it all.

Better Place EV Battery Swap business goes bust

It seemed like a good idea: take the cost of batteries out of the cost of buying an electric car and instead charge EV owners to use ‘Battery Swap’ stations where depleted batteries could be swapped for fully charged ones in the time it takes to fill an ICE car with petrol. But it’s all gone a bit Pete Tong. Better Place – which partnered with Renault in 2009 to make the battery swap technology viable – has failed to find anyone to add to the $750 million already involved in the project and has filed for bankruptcy.