Stant 18329 Safety Vent Cap on 2040-parts.com

Mechanics qualifications gained using Haynes manuals

MOST MEN enjoy a good Haynes car manual, whether they really understand it or not, but a group of youngsters has used the workshop guides to achieve their first qualifications in car mechanics. The first wave of the Haynes Mechanix scheme has seen a mixed gender youth club group, aged 15-25 and from Islington in London, use Haynes manuals along with guidance from experienced mentors to fix real problems on a real car. The donor Volkswagen, known as Percy the Polo, was a theoretical MOT fail and needed replacement spark plugs, a brake fluid replacement and much more, to give the aspiring tinkerers a broad spectrum of challenges.

Hyundai ix35 FCEV Hydrogen Fuel Cell heading for Copenhagen

Hyundai has announced that the Municipality of Copenhagen is taking delivery of 15 Hyundai ix35 FCEV as Hyundai roll out the FCEV. We recently reported that Hyundai are planning to have the hydrogen fuel cell powered ix35 – the ix35 FCEV – commercially available by the end of 2012, and that’s on track with the news that Copenhagen is taking fifteen ix35 FCEVs for its fleet. The decision by Copenhagen to take a small fleet of ix35 FCEVs is part of their quest to have a CO2-free city by 2015 (we assume that means all plant life will end), but the important thing is that running hydrogen cell cars round city roads will get rid of NOx and particulates – which is what really matters.

Dassault Systèmes and Riversimple partner for eCar Design Contest

Dassault Systèmes, in collaboration with Riversimple and the 40 Fires foundation, launched their eCar Design Contest recently, designed to encourage cooperation and the development of ideas on an open source platform. The companies had been in talks for some time regarding a joint project and this competition – a completely holistic, closed-loop approach to the building, sale and use of a car – is the result of their successful collaboration. Christopher Reitz, head designer at Riversimple, says, "The open source platform is a fantastic tool.