Racor/parker S3220sul Aquabloc Gas Filter Element on 2040-parts.com

Driven: BMW i8

When BMW unveiled the Vision EfficientDynamics concept at the 2009 Frankfurt motor show, we wrote: "for our money, it's the first time a major carmaker has really attempted to communicate ‘green' technology in an aesthetic sense." Fast-forward five years and we've swapped the show halls of the IAA for a beauty spot on the north-west coast of Scotland. And, while the car's name has changed to i8, our sentiment towards this genre- and era-defining car remains. Admittedly the production car's design execution hasn't received the universal praise of its concept forebears, but, on a remote outpost of the British Isles, a Protonic Blue i8 couldn't look more exotic.

Volvo is working on cordless charging for electric cars

Imagine not having to actually exit and plug in your electric car (assuming you have an electric car to plug in), and instead just parking it over a special parking spot. That's the promise of a new technology that Volvo is working on, and if taken to the mass market once made commercially viable, it means electric cars will be able to recharge just by sitting over a charger built into the parking spot's surface. That would certainly eliminate the need for those bulky upright chargers that are spreading around the country.

Interior Motives Design Awards 2013

Earlier this evening, the world's top designers and automotive journalists gathered together at the Moon13 club in Frankfurt to watch sponsors Ford and Volkswagen reveal the 2013 Interior Motives Student Design of the Year: ‘Audi O Concept' by Nir Siegel, Cherica Haye and Hanchul Lee of London's Royal College of Art. Launched in January of this year and themed ‘The Connected Car', this year's contest attracted hundreds of entries from students spread across every corner of the globe. And at a ceremony hosted by acclaimed designer Chris Bangle earlier today, the following talented young designers realized their dream of winning an award:   Best Ergonomics (Sponsored by Visteon) and Student Design of the Year ‘Audi O Concept' – Nir Siegel, Cherica Haye & Hanchul Lee (Royal College of Art, UK) "The O Concept is not a normal car," claim its creators.