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Nissan’s new lightweight philosophy revealed

The leaked official drawings of the new Nissan Micra might have revealed the conventional styling of the company’s new supermini, but they gave little clue to the dramatically lightweight new platform that underpins it. The new Micra will be significantly lighter and more fuel efficient than the outgoing car due to a ruthless pursuit of weight reduction on the new V-platform (V = versatile), which on average has slashed 50kg from the new car's weight, and up to 70kg on some models. Project leader Noritaka Tsuru described the new package as a 'breakthrough car' that required a complete 'change in mentality' in how Nissan makes cars.

BYD E6 Electric Cars arrive in the UK for fleet trials

More than 50 BYD E6 EVs arrive in Southampton, ready for UK trials It’s three years since the BYD E6 was revealed at the Detroit Auto Show, with big claims for the future of BYD and the E6. And now the E6 has arrived in the UK. More than 50 BYD E6s have arrived in Southampton docks and are heading out for trials with UK fleet operators, principally the Taxi market.

Magna Electronics develops 'Touchskin' concept [w/video]

Electronics firm Magna is working on a new technology it calls 'Touchskin concept' that has the potential to eliminate traditional switches and instruments inside vehicles. As part of its ‘Intelligent Surface Technology', the Touchskin concept is set to be an integral part of a system that allows the user to control the car via intuitive gestures – such as pinching, tapping and swiping – as we've become so familiar with when using smartphones. The potential design implications are easy to see with the large amount of space made available by removing the traditional instrument cluster and its wiring and the removal of wired-in switches and buttons.