If recent reports are to be believed Honda may be shutting down their European design office that is headquarted in Germany. The office in question is a 3000-square-meter 2 floor building that originally opened in 1992.

The reports don’t point to any specific creations coming from said design studio other than the above pictured Open Study Model.

Keep in mind that these are just reports and Honda has not come forth and confirmed it so we will regard it as a rumor until then.

via autoblog

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As new electric cars continue to flourish and come out one by one, how much they would cost is the prime concern for most motorists. Basing it from the initial prices set out in the market, they are not that cheap. And now, the next best thing to do right now is to compare and see which electric car can fit into their budget and deliver their transport needs.

REVA initially made the headlines when it unveiled its electric car in India last February. And now, that same company reveals the price for its REVA NXG which is scheduled to go into full production by 2010. Average prices in Europe, will be around 14,995 EUROS for the lithium-ion NXR Intercity version, plus a monthly mobility fee for the batteries and other services.The REVA NXG pricing in Europe, excluding batteries is from 23,000 euros plus a monthly mobility fee.

The REVA falls under the M1 category three door, four seater hatchback family and can reach a top speed of 104 KPH and a range of 160 KMS. They boast of a keyless entry and operation and will include REVA’s exclusive REVive remote emergency charge.

Check out the gallery below:

(Source) Press

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We all know that authorities have a certain device to check if drivers are drunk or intoxicated. But while that has been a familiar sight, no device has been made especially for drug testing until today. Thanks to Philips, cops can apprehend drug using individuals with a device that can really be a big boost towards curbing the growing problems of drug addicts.

The device makes uses nanotechnology. Instead of blowing like what a person would do in an alcohol test, you are asked to spit. After 90 seconds it gives a color coded read out. It will detect any cocaine, heroin, cannabis, amphetamines and methaphetamine.

These Philips Roadside Drug Test devices are set to hit the Europe market by the end of the year. No word though on when the U.S. would get their hand on them for now.

(Source) Geekologie

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The first thing I think of when I see cars such as the Tata Nano are the safety hazards associated with driving such a small vehicle. Just imagine getting crashed into by a truck while driving one of those. Get my point?

Well, contrary to my belief, the Tata Nano has successfully made its way through crash testing in Europe which means that the car itself is in fact safe to drive. According to Autocar, Tata execs were “delighted but not surprised” at the successful testing of the budget car.

Of course, in the US our crash testings are a bit more strict than those elsewhere so the Nano will have to undergo some upgrades before it makes its way onto American soil.

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Transportation needs are important for people finding themselves in different places and normally, it is up to the available vehicles for rent to provide some transport solutions. And now, thanks to this extension in the working relationship of Europcar and easyJet, prospective travelers can still enjoy advanced booking on their transportation needs via the easyJet website.

Through the partnership with Europcar, easyJet customers also benefit from guaranteed Europcar car hire availability at particularly competitive rates across the latest model vehicles ensuring minimal CO2 emissions.

To celebrate the Europcar partnership’s extension, from June 15th easyJet passengers can receive exclusive car hire deals upon their arrival at the airport or at any one of Europcars 2,500 car rental agencies around Europe. Other benefits include free additional driver and upgrades through on-line booking. The offers apply to passengers for all easyJet routes and destinations around Europe and the Mediterranean region.

(Source) Press

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Chevrolet’s Camaro has been a picture perfect example of American muscle ever since its first production model was conceived. But what would happen if you dropped American muscle smack dab in the middle of the UK? Chevy is looking to find out.

They have recently announced that not only has their 2010 Chevrolet Camaro completely sold out despite the economical climate, but that they will begin selling the Camaro in Europe sometime in the near future.

Unfortunately no prices have been announced but the car is currently priced at $23,040 for a V6 touting 2010 Camaro and $35,423 for the V8 touting SS Camaro. The same goes for release dates, no word yet.

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2010 BMW 1-Series

BMW’s 1-Series range is entering the 2010 model year with two new engines. The first will be the 1 Series Coupe. The automaker is enhancing the two-door model’s lineup with the addition of the 120i Coupe that is powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder direct-injection gasoline engine. This gas engine speeds the 120i Coupe from 0 to 62 in 7.8 seconds and offers a top speed of 149 mph. Average fuel consumption in the EU test cycle is rated at 35.7mpg US with CO2 emissions of 153gr/km.

The second new model will be the 118d Coupe that sports a 2.0-liter turbo diesel kicking out 143HP. With this powerhouse that is joined to a 6-speed manual gearbox, the 118d Coupe goes from 0-62mph in 9.0 seconds and reaches top speeds of 130mph while returning an average fuel consumption of just 53.2mpg US with a CO2 emission rating of 119gr/km.
Both the 118d and 120i Coupe will be go on sale in September in Europe.

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It seems that a man by the name of Simon Lewington from Leicesterhire decided to attach a sled to the back of his truck and give his 6-year-old son the ride of his life.

Well that’s all fine and dandy but the man decided to take a route straight through city streets and even passed a police station while doing it. The act wasn’t all bad as he did put a helmet and goggles on the 6-year-old and claims to have never went above 8 mph.

The consequence? Well, after Lewington was caught he was slapped with a suspension of his license for 1 year along with 180 hours of community service. Remember dads, if you’re going to tow your kid on a sled using your truck, do it on PRIVATE property.

Read (BBC)

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It seems that “the world’s cheapest car” is finally going to make its way to North American dealers, if the Indian automaker Tata Motors has anything to do with it, that is.

We’ve been hearing about the Tata Nano for some time now with intentions of a US debut dating back to March but a solid price point and release window were no where to be seen. Well, Ratan Tata, an exec from the company, has come forth and said the following regarding the Nano:

“It will need to meet all emission and crash standards and so we hope in the next two years we will be offering such a vehicle in the U.S,

But just how much will it cost? Well, according to CNN, the Nano is making its way to the UK in 2011 at a price point of about $2,300. This coupled with its 65 MPG fuel rating is sure to have some Americans drooling.

$2,300 for a brand new car? Count me in. But wait, how fast does it go?

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It seems Volkswagen is actually looking to introduce a new pickup to market entitled the Amarok. While it almost seems like whoever came up with the name picked letters at random out of a hat, this is not the case; VW let us know that Amarok means “wolf” to the Inuit people and translates to “he loves stones” in “the languages spoken in South America”. Either way, VW is obviously trying to market this car as a heavy duty pickup.

Anyways, there are no real specs or even real pictures to go by as of now with the above being just a concept. However, we do know that the Amarok will debut as a double-cab sporting 4WD pickup with a single-cab model hitting market shortly after.

Volkswagen says their Amarok pickup truck will launch in South America early next year, Central America in spring of next year and Russia, Africa, Australia and Europe sometime after.

Read (Autoblog)

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If everything goes well, we may soon see Samsung Vehicles being sold at Saturn stores. That is if Roger Penske gets anything concrete from his initial ice-breaking meeting with Renault executives. For the record, Samsung builds four passenger vehicles, all on Nissan underpinnings.

It’s not known which vehicles would be sold by Saturn or whether they would be current Samsung offerings or new ones based on Renault engineering. Also unclear: the corporate relationship between Penske and Renault-Nissan.

Curiously, it seems that Penske wants to place something new in the market. And with the turn of most motorists towards alternative cars outside that of the usual reliable car brands, you have to think what type of market study Penske saw that opened this all up.

It costs a lot to build cars in Europe, and the Astra, which, while finished more like a premium model inside than most in its class, was also priced a little bit higher and therefore didn’t sell as well as it could have, especially in this down market where price is everything. The new Saturn owner certainly won’t want to make that mistake.

(Source) CNet

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It seems that Citroen exec Jean-Marc Gales is setting his sights high for the company he joined after giving up his post as Mercedes-Benz. How high you ask? Well, he wants to secure the title of Europe’s #3 automaker.

But how is he going to pull this off? Well, he is taking the company in what he describes as an unorthodox approach. Autoblog quotes Mr. Gales as saying the following:

It’s not important for us to produce 6 or 7 million cars to survive… We have another strategy, we believe in alliances, we cooperate with Ford and BMW on engines and gears, the most expensive parts to develop in a car.

This is a brave statement by Gales as the company currently sites at #7 in relation to Europe’s other automakers. Who’s #1? Volkswagen, duh.

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TDl BlueMotion

Next year Volkswagen is planning to launch a new petrol-electric hybrid version of its Touareg in its BlueMotion range but before that comes out, another variation of the good-looking SUV will get the environmentally conscientious stamp of approval.

The new Touareg TDI BlueMotion, just launched in Europe, comes with a 225hp (168kW) V6 TDI turbodiesel engine. This is the same engine found in the standard Touareg TDI clean diesel model that was introduced recently in the U.S., but thanks to a number of fuel saving adjustments the BlueMotion model is up to 10% more fuel-efficient than the already frugal standard model.  Pricing for the new model starts at €50,450 (approximately $70,500) but no word on a U.S. launch.

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It seems that the car scrappage schemes are finally paying off. At least that is that it seems like for Mazda plants in Japan which have reportedly resumed operations after being suspended due to plummeting sales ever since the recession set in.

We are all aware that Europe had been in the forefront of this scheme which aims to entice motorists to trade in their old cars for discounts on new ones. Apparently a lot of them grabbed the deal to which rising demand is now occurring hence business as usual for car companies to satisfy the new demand.

This leaves a bright spot in the car industry. Apparently other cars are bound to follow the lead of Mazda of Japan but no one knows when that would be. This is the best news we have gotten from the auto industry to date!

(Source) RAC

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K2 Energy Solutions has revealed that they are constructing a new 90,000 square-foot facility in Varkaus, Finland. The new facility will be used to manufacture safe and eco-friendly high-capacity batteries for Europe’s advanced industrial, energy and transportation needs, and is being constructed in conjunction with K2’s European technology partner, European Batteries.

Utilizing the world’s most advanced lithium battery technology, K2 and EB are working in close collaboration to create the world’s most advanced rechargeable battery. Through this alliance, the companies intend to develop a safer, more efficient battery chemistry that is specifically designed to address Europe’s need for high-capacity rechargeable batteries.

The $44 million facility is expected to be completed in Fall of this year, with full battery production beginning in early 2010.

(Source) Press

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