Design

Local Motors uses crowdsourcing to involve many developers The power of Web communications and the capabilities of modern design tools from the likes of Siemens PLM are being leveraged by Local Motors in crowdsourcing the design of vehicles and their components. The company is also using what it calls micro-factories to produce the designs and providing its services to other companies. Read full story

QNX CAR 2 all about infotainment system personalization QNX Software Systems says Car 2 is the first pre-integrated software stack for car infotainment that leverages the power of HTML5 on a software foundation proven in more than 30 million vehicles worldwide. Read full story

Oak Ridge collaborates for cheaper carbon fiber Lightweight vehicles of the future will require strong carbon-fiber composite structures, but low-cost fibers are needed for market viability. Overcoming the challenges to cheaper carbon fiber is exactly what a research team at Oak Ridge National Laboratory is aiming to do at its new Carbon Fiber Technology Facility in Tennessee. Read full story

RAV4 EV races to market After just a 22-month development program, engineers from Toyota and Tesla have produced an all-electric version of the popular SUV. Read full story

DIY fold-up micro-EVs aim for urban mobility on demand Electric two-seaters and charging stations can supply efficient "first- and last-mile" transportation for commuters from homes and workplaces to mass transit. Read full story

Fiat explores multipurpose design with 500L Head of Fiat and Abarth Design, Roberto Giolito, regards multipurpose vehicle design as being "under-explored" and explains what Fiat is doing about it via the new 500L. Read full story

Engineering firm all about functional excellence With the aim of becoming a center of excellence in electric vehicle development, Applus IDIADA is bringing its technical capability in that arena to the SAE 2012 World Congress in Detroit April 24-26. Read full story

Jeep pickup among concepts for Moab The recent reveal of two Wrangler-based concept trucks again raises the question as to whether Jeep will add a production pickup to its lineup. Read full story

Acura shows new flagship concept The upmarket Honda brand has added hybrid power and four-wheel steering to its largest sedan and renamed it the RLX. Read full story