Toyota Probox 2008 Rear Muffler [0032250] on 2040-parts.com

Fiat 500e EV LOSES $14,000 on every one sold – so please don’t buy, says Marchionne

Fiat lose $14,000 on every electric 500e The electric Fiat 500e arrived as a concept at the Detroit Auto Show in 2010 and finally arrived as a production reality at the Los Angeles Show in 2012 before going on sale in the US. The 500e is an appealing little car for zapping around town, especially if you only do a relatively low mileage every day and have somewhere to plug it in. But it is rather expensive.

2013 Ford Mondeo launches in China. UK & Europe still waiting.

With the UK and Europe having to wait until 2014 to get the new Ford Mondeo, Ford has managed to launch the new Mondeo in China this week. Of course, as we reported last year, it’s entirely possible that with Mondeo sales now just half of what they were in 2008 that Ford may even move Mondeo production to Mexico to build it alongside the Ford Fusion, the US version of the Mondeo which has been on sale since summer 2012. But Ford are adamant the move to Spain for the Mondeo is happening and, once complete, will mean Ford finally rolling the new Mondeo off the production line by the end of 2013 for the UK and Europe.

Design Services: Ficosa International

In the hierarchy of car design the exterior of a powerful sports car is usually regarded as the highest level whilst the design of some of the smaller functional components tends to sit at the bottom. But even for companies not obviously dependant on sexy curves to help them make money, design is increasingly being recognised as a critical ingredient for commercial success. Whilst most large suppliers have grown their design capability over the last decade, few have truly embraced the potential of having a focus on Design within their corporate strategy.