Automotive

Teens may not be poor drivers by their very nature, but they are inexperienced drivers, and as such they may not even be aware of the fact that they’re speeding, paying insufficient attention to the road, or driving like complete maniacs. A parent or other experienced driver can advise them when they’re riding shotgun, but sooner or later, they’ve got to be allowed out on their own. The tiwi, a new device unveiled at CES this month, is intended to act as an electronic version of that ride-along parent – it makes teen drivers aware of their transgressions when they’re driving alone. Read More

Home charging stations aren't included in the purchase price of the growing numbers of electric vehicles from major automakers, so unless you live next door to a public charging station or are one of the 4,400 Volt owners to snap up a free one from GM, you’ll be forced to shell out some extra cash if you want a faster charging option than is possible with the included 120-volt cable. At least Ford’s home charging station for its new Focus Electric is shaping-up to be little cheaper and more flexible than some competitor offerings. Read More

The Arab world has a new sporting superstar following the success of Qatar's Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah in winning the 2011 Dakar Rally – the longest and toughest motor race in the world. Al Attiyah headed a 1-2-3 finish for Volkswagen’s TDI diesel Touareg 3 race cars, while the usual suspects fought a tooth-and-nail battle on KTMs for the laurels – Depres and Coma battled throughout the event on times with Coma besting last year's winner at the end. In the truck section, Kamaz's Vladimir Chagin repeated last year's win while Red Bull sponsored the three major category winners for the third year in a row – we're not sure what that means but it's quite some feat. Read More

MINI’s track record of producing near production-ready concept vehicles is set to pay dividends again with the MINI Paceman Concept vehicle. The concept car, which made its world debut at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show, will be used as the basis for the seventh production model in MINI’s lineup. Described by MINI as the first crossover coupe in the premium small car segment, the Paceman Concept is based on the same platform as the MINI Countryman but with the styling of a coupe. Read More

Toyota celebrated 10 years in the U.S. for the Prius at the Detroit Auto Show 2011 this week, introducing three new additions to the eco-friendly range. In addition to the announcement of the Prius v which will be available in 2011 and Prius c Concept which is expected to go into production in 2012, the company also unveiled plans for Prius Plug-in Hybrid Vehicle (PHV) technology which will allow the next-gen hybrid vehicles from Toyota to be recharged using grid power. While the new Prius v offers a midsize hybrid-electric vehicle aimed at young families the Prius c Concept vehicle will fill the city compact niche when released. Read More

As the competitors in the Zero Race for EVs get set to cross the finish line at the end of the month, another team will be setting out on their own around the world journey. This time it’s Mercedes-Benz, which is aiming to demonstrate the efficiency and everyday use suitability of fuel cell technology and campaign for the development of a global hydrogen filling station network by circumnavigating the globe with three of its first series-produced hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, the B-Class F-CELL. Read More

Volvo is set to enter the electric vehicle (EV) market with the production of an all-electric version of their C30 three-door compact. An electric concept based on the C30 was first seen in 2007 and last year the C30 Electric was taken to the Paris and Los Angeles Motor Shows. Now Volvo has announced its plans to begin production of the EV with the first ten cars off the production line heading to Swedish energy provider Göteborg Energi in the coming months. Read More

The new Chrysler 300 made its world debut at the Detroit Auto Show this week. The American auto giant's new flagship sedan features a more aerodynamic profile, distinctive LED-illuminated running lamps, a dual-pane panoramic sunroof, luxurious interior and massive 8.4-inch Touch infotainment center. Read More

At the 2011 Detroit Auto Show Mercedes-Benz has announced that its SLS AMG E-Cell, which was first unveiled as a prototype last year, will go into production. Part of Mercedes-AMG’s “AMG Performance 2015” strategy that aims to continually reduce fuel consumption and emissions, the battery-electric drive gullwing super sports car, which generates 392 kW (525 hp) and 880 Nm (649 lb-ft) of torque via four compact electric motors positioned near the wheels, will be available to order from 2013. Read More