The year 2016 is right around the corner, and for the many electric motorcycle manufacturers in this country and around the world, it can’t come soon enough. A new study by Pike Research says that by that time, there will be a dizzying 466 million electric motorcycles spread around the globe. Think that sounds a little fishy? Think again: The electric motorcycle business is ramping up in a big way, and the past few years have seen the birth of a number of startups dedicated to bringing EV technology to the 2-wheel world.

Mainstays of the moto EV crowd -- such as Mission Motors, Zero Motorcycles and Brammo -- are already offering their wares to consumers who seem thirsty for a near guilt-free form of transportation. 

Honda Motor Co.'s new CR-Z sporty hybrid is the car that nearly wasn't.

The wedge-shaped, two-seat hatchback was almost killed twice because engineers weren't convinced it was a unique concept and because U.S. bosses originally didn't want it.

When Norio Tomobe was appointed chief engineer of the project in the summer of 2004, the car was still a blank sheet. And in the early years, the working model had a traditional gasoline engine.

"We had serious doubts about whether this would bring new value," Tomobe said during a recent interview at Honda's headquarters here. "I really struggled for a new idea, and we decided to start over from scratch. The hybrid finally gave us the wow factor."

 

One of the cornerstones of Ford's resurgence has been its focus on delivering leading in-car technology across its fleet. As drivers' personal and car-related technologies merge, though, they expose themselves to thieves and scam artists in yet another area.

Storing personal information on technology devices -- whether your phone or the console above the cupholders -- can lead to compromised security, hacked accounts and even identity theft (as I discovered recently -- and a big thanks to whoever spent more than $700 of mine at a gas station in Williamsburg, Pa). For example, the 2011 version of the MyFordTouch infotainment system connects with users' mobile phones, via Bluetooth, and accesses "clouded" online information via its Traffic, Directions and Information app, while also acting as a rolling Wi-Fi hot spot; theoretically, hackers could access a user's address book, home address and other information, as well. 

For the first time, General Motors studios across the world have submitted design studies for the next-generation Chevrolet Corvette.

Late last year, Ed Welburn, GM's vice president of global design, invited GM's 10 styling studios to submit design proposals.

Some "were absolutely phenomenal," Welburn said. "There is a lot to pick from. The direction that we take is very important, and the decision has not been made."

Global input on the Corvette's design is one of several steps GM is taking to attract buyers in Europe, where the car has little appeal, and young U.S. buyers who favor imports.

"We have challenges in the States with the Corvette," Welburn said in an interview at the Geneva auto show. "The average age of the customer is really rising."

 

Bad news for commuters and road-trippers alike: Well ahead of the summer driving months, gas prices are close to the high-water mark thus far in 2010, at $2.753 per gallon (only slightly below the year's current high, at $2.758). Even worse, analysts expect fuel to top $3 per gallon by spring.

Higher prices at retail pumps are the result of higher wholesale gas prices, which in turn have been bumped up by an 18 percent spike in crude oil prices. 

Audi is developing a reincarnation of the A2 small car that will slot between the A3 and the A1 minicar introduced in Geneva last week.

"There's clearly room for another product and another concept between the A3 and A1," Audi CEO Rupert Stadler said on the sidelines of the Geneva auto show.

Michael Dick, Audi's board member for technology, said in an interview that the company's push to add electric variants will play a role with the next-generation A2 "in the near future."

The German media have reported that the A2 is expected by 2014. A decision on a U.S. model has not been made.

 

I'm just now back from Versailles, France, after two days driving the redesigned Jaguar XJ -- a full-sized luxury sedan that exceeded every expectation I had for this flagship vehicle. (A quick note: Jaguar might consider taking a cue from Henry Ford and offering the XJ only in black. When we stepped out of Pershing Hall, the swanky Paris hotel and lounge, the gleaming, ebony XJ waiting at the curb drew nonstop stares and flattery from picky, style-conscious Parisians; one needs nothing more than that arresting hue.)

           

The biggest surprise about the XJ wasn’t how modern and elegant it looked on the street, though it is easily more eye-catching than a Mercedes S-Class and more handsome than any BMW 7-Series. After all, designer Ian Callum, the former design chief for Aston Martin, had already put Jaguar on a roll with the lovely XK sports car (and for good reason: It's nearly a  dead ringer for his Aston DB9) and the midsize XF sedan.

The XJ, on the other hand, has drawn some skepticism, as to be expected with any break-the-mold design. When my editor Josh Condon saw it during its North American reveal at Pebble Beach, he thought it looked suspiciously like a stretched version of the XF -- a notion with which I tended to agree before my drive. But while it’s become a cliché, you don’t really "get" the XJ until you see it on the street. In the flesh, gripping the pavement, it looks madly appealing, with a larger, more imposing grille than the XF and a decidedly more posh profile.

 

It's Friday, let's turn to something amusing -- well, amusing if you're not a Beatles fan, apparently.

European carmaker Citroen has turned to that most anti-consumerist of pitchmen, John Lennon, to hawk its DS-3. In the commercial, which you can see after the jump, the Beatles legend says: "Looking backwards for inspiration, copying the past — how is that rock 'n’ roll? Do something of your own. Start something new."

Sort of an ironic sentiment for Citroen's commercial, considering the company is looking to capitalize on a long-dead front man for a legendary band that's been dismantled for decades, huh?

While many Beatles fans are outraged, Sean Ono Lennon, the singer's son, has rushed to the commercial's defense, insisting it was not financial consideration but rather a desire to keep his father's image alive that led to John Lennon's appearance in the ad.

Watch the video, below, draw your own conclusions and let us know what you think in the comments section.