Toyota is about to pass another major milestone in the race to build the next-generation of hybrid vehicles with the announcement today that it will construct a new $192 million plant in Japan solely to manufacture batteries. The plant is being developed jointly with Matsushita Electric – the company behind Panasonic – and will be constructed in Shizuoka prefecture, in central Japan. The plant will initially produce nickel-metal hydride batteries for Toyota’s current hybrid fleet as well as the next-generation Prius hybrid due at next year’s Detroit Auto Show. The Nikkei reports that a second battery plant will be built for newer lithium-ion batteries that will eventually make their way into Toyota’s new plug-in hybrid vehicle due at the end of the decade.
Mercedes-Benz is expected to be the first major carmaker with a lithium-ion powered hybrid vehicle when it launches a new S400 hybrid sedan next year, and GM is also hard at work readying its Volt plug-in hybrid for a 2010 launch. Earlier this month GM engineers reached a new milestone in testing, with initial prototypes of the car reaching the goal of 40 miles of electric-only driving.
Courtesy of Motor Authority
The first official images of Ferrari’s latest model, the all-new GT California convertible have finally been released after months of tantalizing spy shots and recent teasers. The new model will be available exclusively as a convertible and will feature several firsts for Ferrari including a new automatic folding hard-top, mid-front engine position and dual-clutch technology. Both the chassis and bodywork are aluminum, and power is derived from a new 4.3L V8 unit with direct injection and a ‘flat’ crankshaft design. The new mill generates 460hp at 7,500rpm and allows the Ferrari California to sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in less than 4.0 seconds.
Drive is sent to the rear wheels via a brand new seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox and is controlled with the same F1-Trac traction control system that debuted on the 599 GTB Fiorano. Brembo brakes featuring carbon-ceramic discs are fitted as standard.
