Polaris Sport 440 Fuel Shutoff Petcock on 2040-parts.com

Electric car range drops by nearly 60% in cold weather

Electric cars like the Nissan LEAF (pictured) can lose 60% of their range when it’s cold We already know that the range of electric cars reduces as the car ages, with Nissan conforming that the LEAF’s range will drop by up to 28 per cent over five years. And now we have confirmation that the ambient temperature can have a big impact on range too, thanks to the AAA, America’s equivalent of the AA. The AAA took three standard EVs on sale in the US - Nissan LEAF, Ford Focus EV and Mitsubishi i-MiEV – and subjected them to test in different ambient temperatures.

2014 Michelin Guide reveals best new stops for hungry drivers

MOTORISTS will soon be able to enjoy the very best food in the British Isles as part of their journeys, as Michelin has confirmed a launch date for its 2014 guide to Great Britain & Ireland. The guide will be made available from October 4 as a book, for £15.99, and an Apple app for £5.99, giving drivers fingertip access to every Michelin-awarded restaurant, which in turn could make every long-distance drive a new culinary adventure. Michelin first founded the guide in its native France, where at the time the motor industry was more widespread than anywhere else in the world.

Worth a read: Wired's 'Why Getting It Wrong Is the Future of Design'

Wired has just published a series of short articles entitled 13 Lessons for Design's New Golden Age. While there are some interesting examples cited in the piece, the concluding article, ‘Why Getting It Wrong Is the Future of Design' by the former creative director of Wired magazine, Scott Dadich, feels like it has particular resonance for car design. Dadich's Wrong Theory uses disruptive examples from the world of art, plus his own experience of working at Wired, to explain how design goes through phases: establishing a direction, creating a set of rules that define that direction and finally someone who dares to break from that direction.