Moog T40251 Chassis Tool-steering Tie Rod End Tool on 2040-parts.com

Councils to cut roadworks red tape

COUNCILS in England could soon have the power to cut red tape and make road works much quicker and more accountable. The plan is to introduce permits for any company that wants to dig up a road, which means they will have to co-ordinate their work with other companies and local authorities to reduce the impact of delays on the public. The permit scheme could come into force as early as April 2015 and means anyone applying for a permit to carry out road works will need to present a convincing case for the work.

Royal College of Art's Class of 2013 launches real-time projects blog

The Royal College of Art's Vehicle Design Class of 2013 has launched a new blog that will allow the public to follow their projects and studio work from ideas to exhibition for the first time in the course's 40-year history. The blog, which is updated daily, allows people to follow the process of the 18 MA students' final projects and college work in real-time and give them a ‘behind the scenes' look at their progress. RCA student Ewan Gallimore, speaking on behalf of the class, tells Car Design News, "So much of the work and process is unseen and by regularly updating this blog we give the chance for people to follow and interact with the run up to our show.

Peugeot 208 Hybrid FE (2013) at Frankfurt motor show

Here’s Peugeot’s salvo in the fight to make cars more economical: the 208 Hybrid FE. The supermini concept can achieve a claimed average of 112mpg (and a maximum of 141mpg), and emits only 49g/km of CO2. Peugeot is especially keen to point out it’s a conventionally shaped supermini with five seats, unlike VW’s own super-frugal XL1, which looks decidedly sci-fi in comparison, but has a smaller boot than a Ferrari 458… The 208 FE is 25% slipperier and 20% lighter than a regular 208, but that’s only part of the reason it allegedly achieves such eye-opening numbers at the pumps.