Global auto major Toyota Motor Corp plans to introduce its hybrid sedan Prius in India as an answer to soaring fuel prices and growing concerns over emissions, a top official at its Indian joint venture said.

“We are preparing to bring Prius into the Indian market though we have not set any timeline yet,” Toyota Kirloskar Motor Ltd vice-chairman Vikram Kirloskar told IANS in an interview.

“In the run-up, we have to develop skills to service it and make spare parts available across the country,” he added. » Read the rest of the entry..

General Motors and 34 utilities have agreed to collaborate with the Electric Power Research Institute on research and development to facilitate integration of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles into the power grid. Plug-in hybrids can average nearly 100 miles per gallon using a combination of electricity and gasoline.

The collaboration was announced today in San Jose at the Plug-in 2008 Conference - the first convention and expo to explore technical advances, challenges and market research on electric transportation.
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France’s government has made clean energy a priority, and the country is host to numerous projects at the forefront of research into electric vehicles, supported by France’s excellent R&D tax credit.

France is now leading the way in research into fuel alternatives and the reduction of carbon-dioxide emissions, with a particular focus on the development of electric vehicles run on new-generation batteries with high-energy density or electricity produced by fuel cells. Using the latest electronics, these batteries provide a vehicle with a minimum range of approximately 150km.The processing since the 1980s. » Read the rest of the entry..