Mopar V8 318 340 360 Chrome Valve Covers (a10659) on 2040-parts.com

Increase in crashes linked to mobile phone use

As many of us admit to taking selfies at the wheel, researchers have noticed a rise in the number of rear-end shunts on UK roads – despite many manufacturers now offering cars with collision avoidance systems that can brake automatically. According to new research by Accident Exchange, crashes involving one car hitting the back of another have increased by 7% in the last three years. Rated: self-braking cars that avoid a crash Nearly 1 in 10 admit to taking selfies at the wheel With each rear-end smash costing insurers £2,000 on average, premiums could rocket until driverless cars hit our streets.

Daihatsu Pico

The second of Daihatsu's entourage of models is the Pico. Following the layout of a two-seat quadricycle, laid out by the Twizy, the Pico has been developed as a vehicle ‘offering the appeal that only a compact car can provide to accommodate social and environmental changes such as the aging population, regional locations and delivery businesses'. The Pico features an LED central belt that circles the vehicle, relaying information such as the Pico's speed to pedestrians and other road users.

Tesla gives away its electric car secrets for free

Tesla Elon Musk, the CEO of the pioneering electric carmaker Tesla, has announced that the company is to "open source" all its technology patents in order to speed up the progress of electric car development. In an extraordinary press statement entitled 'All our patents are belong to you' – a reference to online memes and gaming culture, in case you were wondering – Musk has categorically stated that Tesla will not challenge any company that takes advantage of its technology when building rival electric cars.   Tesla gives away electric car technology: will not sue Having recently reviewed the Tesla Model S, this sounds great news for the future of the electric car, but commercial suicide for Tesla as a business.