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Congress scales back tax break for car buyers

A proposed tax break for new-vehicle buyers is dramatically scaled back in the final version of the economic stimulus bill. Auto dealers and their allies had sought to make interest on auto loans and the sales and excise taxes on new-vehicle purchases deductible from federal taxes. Proponents say those measures are needed to boost showroom traffic and sales.

Audi Urban Future Awards 2010 - Phase 2

Imagine a utopia where digital technology allows for an uninterrupted traffic flow of autonomously driven pay-as-you-go ‘taxis' that liberate the urban landscape from the unnecessary clutter of road signs, traffic lights, parked vehicles and the pollution caused by street lights. This was the winning proposal from Berlin architect J Mayer H who has won the Audi Urban Future Awards. In this visionary cityscape for 2030, the car will transform from being a machine for maneuvering in traffic to a sensorial experience machine – the opened up urban space allowing its inhabitants to appreciate buildings and other monuments overshadowed by sheer traffic and its support systems.

Lotus Hybrid – the Lotus Evora 414E – at Geneva

The only photo we have of the Lotus Evora 414E Hybrid Last year we reported on a range extender engine developed by Lotus for use in hybrid cars. The range extender engine was part of a joint project between Lotus, Jaguar, MIRA and Caparo in conjunction with the Technology Strategy Board and was designed to provide charge – rather than drive – for hybrid cars. A solution that seems far more elegant than the current Prius-type setups.