Umeå Institute of Design degree show 2011

The annual graduation exhibit for the Umeå Institute of Design began last week. With just nine automotive students amongst those receiving honors, the concise yet elaborate degree show was unequivocally Scandinavian. Marking the show's opening, the two-day event featured a presentation by Richard Seymour (of Seymour Powell), student presentations, copious amounts of local cuisine, and a break-dancing interlude.

Top-Selling Fiesta Earns Best Used Car Award From CAP

THE FORD Fiesta, Britain’s best-selling car, has been declared Used Car of the Year 2012 by car valuation experts CAP. Top of CAP’s criteria when choosing its Used Car of the Year were affordability, practicality, reputation and popularity in the used car market. Commenting on its decision, Mark Norman, of CAP, said: “It is always tempting for the motoring media and other industry observers to take ‘the petrol head’ approach when giving awards to cars which excite them, but the CAP Used Car of the Year Award recognises the contribution a car makes to both consumers and dealers.” Ford’s Fiesta continues to top the UK sales charts and the range is being further strengthened by the arrival of new models featuring class-leading fuel economy from six powertrains with CO2 emissions under 100g/km, as well as innovative new driver assistance and safety features.

MIT researchers rethink electric-car batteries

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology say a new battery design for electric vehicles could be a lightweight and inexpensive alternative. The goal for the team's three-year project, launched in September 2010, is to have a functioning prototype ready to be engineered as a replacement for existing electric-car batteries. At this point in the project, the prototype uses a “semi-solid flow” to separate the two functions of a battery--storing energy and discharging it when needed--into separate physical structures.