A closure panel including an outer shell for closing an opening defined by a vehicle body and an inner reinforcement. The outer shell and inner reinforcement are formed as a plurality of additive layers. The inner reinforcement includes an integral thickened edge formed around the periphery of the outer shell, an integral latch buttress provided on a first side of the inner reinforcement and a pair of integral hinge buttresses provided on a second side of the inner reinforcement. Internally threaded protrusions may be formed as additive deposits on the integral buttresses.

A closure panel including an outer shell for closing an opening defined by a vehicle body and an inner reinforcement. The outer shell and inner reinforcement are formed as a plurality of additive layers. The inner reinforcement includes an integral thickened edge formed around the periphery of the outer shell, an integral latch buttress provided on a first side of the inner reinforcement and a pair of integral hinge buttresses provided on a second side of the inner reinforcement. Internally threaded protrusions may be formed as additive deposits on the integral buttresses.

In a car body or component thereof with at least one first component of sheet metal of a first aluminum alloy and at least one second component of sheet metal of a second aluminum alloy, the first and second aluminum alloys are of type AlMgSi and in the sheet metal of the second aluminum alloy a substantial part of the elements Mg and Si, which are required to achieve artificial ageing in solid solution, is present in the form of separate Mg.sub.2Si and/or Si particles in order to avoid artificial ageing. By reduction of the hardening capacity of the second component during artificial ageing of the body as part of the paint baking cycle, the car body has an improved impact protection for pedestrians in comparison with solutions according to the prior art.

In a car body or component thereof with at least one first component of sheet metal of a first aluminum alloy and at least one second component of sheet metal of a second aluminum alloy, the first and second aluminum alloys are of type AlMgSi and in the sheet metal of the second aluminum alloy a substantial part of the elements Mg and Si, which are required to achieve artificial ageing in solid solution, is present in the form of separate Mg.sub.2Si and/or Si particles in order to avoid artificial ageing. By reduction of the hardening capacity of the second component during artificial ageing of the body as part of the paint baking cycle, the car body has an improved impact protection for pedestrians in comparison with solutions according to the prior art.

A snowmobile including a hood, a hood cap connected to the hood, and a door, which together define a storage compartment. An antenna is mounted to an upper portion of the hood cap above a headlight. A main body panel is removably coupled to a chassis of the snowmobile by way of a fastener assembly. A first trim panel is removably coupled to the main body panel. The first trim panel has a first thickness and extends a first distance from a side of the snowmobile. A second trim is configured to be coupled to the main body panel in place of the first trim panel. The second trim panel has a second thickness that is different from the first thickness and extends a second distance from the side of the snowmobile that is different than the first distance.

A snowmobile including a hood, a hood cap connected to the hood, and a door, which together define a storage compartment. An antenna is mounted to an upper portion of the hood cap above a headlight. A main body panel is removably coupled to a chassis of the snowmobile by way of a fastener assembly. A first trim panel is removably coupled to the main body panel. The first trim panel has a first thickness and extends a first distance from a side of the snowmobile. A second trim is configured to be coupled to the main body panel in place of the first trim panel. The second trim panel has a second thickness that is different from the first thickness and extends a second distance from the side of the snowmobile that is different than the first distance.

This disclosure details exemplary portable power systems for vehicles. The portable power systems may be configured as a secondary battery pack that is removably stored within a front trunk of a vehicle. The portable power systems may include a plurality of individually removable battery units that can be used to extend vehicle driving range or power electrically powered devices that are separate from the vehicle. In some embodiments, when the portable power system is stored in the vehicle and an electrically powered device is connected to the portable power system, the vehicle may be controlled in a Following Mode in which the vehicle is autonomously moved to follow an operator of the electrically powered device.

A rainwater collection system is provided for a motor vehicle. That rainwater collection system includes a rainwater collector, a gate for the rainwater collector and a controller. The controller is configured to open and close the gate in response to data input respecting the occurrence of precipitation, a level of windshield washer fluid in a windshield washer system of the motor vehicle and in accordance with other monitored parameters including motor vehicle speed and battery voltage level. A related method is also disclosed.

A vehicle front structure is provided that can absorb collision energy with respect to not only a load from above but also a lateral load. A vehicle front structure includes a cowl side panel, a front hood, a fender panel forming a seam with the front hood, a fender upper cover disposed extending in a vehicle front-rear direction, and a bracket connecting the cowl side panel and the fender upper cover to each other and serving to dispose the fender upper cover at a predetermined position. The fender upper cover has an attachment wall to which the bracket is fixed and an inclined wall extending upward from an end of the attachment wall on an outward side with respect to a vehicle width direction while being inclined inward with respect to the vehicle width direction, and covering the seam from inside a vehicle.

An opening-and-closing body configured to open and close an opening moves across a first section in which the opening-and-closing body moves in the closing direction against its own weight and a second section in which the opening-and-closing body moves in the closing direction according to its own weight. The driver drives the opening-and-closing body in the closing direction continuously from the first section to the second section. The predictor predicts that the drive section of the opening-and-closing body will shift from the first section to the second section when the driver drives the opening-and-closing body in the closing direction toward the second section from the first section. The drive controller decreases the driving output of the driver for driving the opening-and-closing body in the closing direction according to the result of the prediction made by the predictor.