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Toyota has established a hybrid vehicle battery joint venture in China to supply the vehicle it plans to launch there in 2015.

A top Toyota boffin has discussed the opportunities and challenges associated with dedicated short-range communication (DSRC) technology before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce's Subcommittee on Communications and Technology.

News 14 Nov, 2013

We list ten upcoming new 4x4s and SUVs, with a smaller Land Rover Discovery leading the charge

Apps could replace traditional controls according to Skoda interior designer Marwan Khiat.

Japan's mainstream automakers have reached a framework agreement to provide financial assistance to developers of electric vehicle charging infrastructure in the country.

General Motors CEO Dan Akerson could step down as early as next year though he has not formally notified the board of his plans and an official search for his successor has not yet begun, people close to the matter told Reuters.

General Motors CEO Dan Akerson could step down as early as next year though he has not formally notified the board of his plans and an official search for his successor has not yet begun, people close to the matter told Reuters.

A Vancouver resident inspecting the row of new

Ford may sell in Europe the five-door Ka unveiled by company executives in Brazil. Ford currently sells the three-door Ka based on the Fiat 500 in the region.

Subaru, about to achieve five straight years of annual sales records in the United States, will stop building Toyota Camry sedans at its Indiana assembly plant by 2017, according to local media reports.

TRW expects its business for highly advanced safety technology to boom as automakers push to launch cars that can drive themselves.

TRW expects its business for highly advanced safety technology to boom as automakers push to launch cars that can drive themselves.

Toyota says it will not sell as many cars in Germany as it originally hoped this year after failing to keep up with demand for its hybrid cars in the market.

Tesla says three employees at its California plant that builds electric Model S sedans were injured by hot metal from a casting press during an industrial accident.

Tesla says three employees at its California plant that builds electric Model S sedans were injured by hot metal from a casting press during an industrial accident.

Tesla Motors said it doesn't expect production delays of its Model S sedan after three workers were injured at its only assembly plant.

The various performance tires in this review are all designed to provide superior grip, especially on ice. They are more suited for highway driving, which also means that they could lack traction in deep snow, although you won't feel it as much when driving AWD-equipped vehicles. Sporting the mountain/snowflake logo, these tires also meet Law 42 of the Quebec Highway Safety Code. They fit most luxury car models available on the market.

Check the table below to see how performance winter tires stack up against each other.

From Lotus F1 Team

Finnish driver Heikki Kovalainen will join Lotus F1 Team for the final two races of the 2013 season as a stand-in for regular race driver Kimi Räikkönen, who is currently undergoing back surgery.

Kovalainen - a veteran of 109 Grand Prix starts - has previously driven for Renault F1 Team, McLaren, and Caterham F1 Team. Over the course of his six seasons in Formula 1 to date, Kovalainen has scored 105 World Championship points.

He has qualified on the front row five times, taken one pole position at the 2008 British Grand Prix, achieved two fastest laps and finished on the podium four times; including victory at the 2008 Hungarian Grand Prix.

Prior to racing for Lotus F1 Team in its former guise of Renault F1 Team in 2007, Kovalainen performed various test duties for the squad between 2004 - 2006. He completed his seat fitting at Enstone on Wednesday 13th November, before proceeding directly to Austin to join up with the race team.

Heikki Kovalainen and Eric Boullier. (Photo: Lotus F1 Team)

“Obviously we had to move quickly following the news of Kimi's non-participation in the final two races of this season, and we found ourselves facing a difficult decision in terms of who should take the wheel in Austin and São Paulo,” said Eric Boullier, Team Principal, Lotus F1 Team.

“On the one hand we had our reserve driver Davide Valsecchi - who is a talented young driver that has shown a great deal of promise - and on the other we had the opportunity to bring in a seasoned Formula 1 competitor in Heikki. Whilst we have every faith in Davide's abilities, we are obviously involved in a tight Constructors' Championship battle, so it was decided that the experience Heikki could bring to the team would be invaluable as we aim to finish the year in the best position possible. We must thank Tony Fernandes and Caterham F1 Team for their professional conduct in allowing Heikki to join us for the final races of this season.”

“It is a fantastic opportunity for me to join Lotus F1 Team for the final two races of 2013. We've seen this year that the E21 is a car which can win races and finish on the podium, so I will be pushing hard for the best results possible,” said Heikki Kovalainen, Race Driver, Lotus F1 Team.

“Jumping into a car so late in the year when you have not been competing in the races all season will be a challenge, but I know the team at Enstone well so I have no concerns about getting up to speed. This is a great opportunity for me, so I would like to thank Tony Fernandes and Caterham F1 Team for allowing me to take advantage of it.”

The IndyCar Series has decided to change the rules for testing and, for 2014, all teams will be given 18 test days, plus two extra days if they test Indy Lights drivers.

Those days will include all tests, including with engine manufacturers, teams, open sessions, straight-line sessions and full-sized wind-tunnel runs.

The first open test will be held at Barber Motorsports Park on March 17-18. The second will be on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course April 30 and the third Aug. 27 at Auto Club Speedway in advance of the season's final race.

Chevrolet and Honda will be permitted five test days, with mileage incurred by the team not part of the 10,000-mile season limit.

Will Power at Fontana. (Photo: IndyCar)

The Formula 1 technical regulations will be changing dramatically next season, and that includes the gearboxes.

In Austin for the US Grand Prix, we discussed the matter with an F1 engineer.

Current gearboxes have 7 forward speeds, plus reverse. Next year, with the introduction of the new turbo hybrid V6 engines, the gearboxes will need to have 8 forward gears.

“That's one more gear than this year because these will be fixed. Today, we have to homologate 32 gears and we select the seven we need for each race from that lot. Next year, we will have to use the same gear ratios whatever the track we race on,” said the engineer.

It will be like a standard road car where the gears are fixed.

“We will be allowed to make just one change to the ratios in 2014 because we may make mistakes in choosing them. We may be too long on certain tracks while too short on others. So we will be using the same gear ratios at Monaco, the slowest circuit of the season, and Monza, the fastest track,” he explained.

Changing gear ratios will become a thing of the past in F1.

The new regulations also specify that drivers will need to use a gearbox for six consecutive events, an increase from the current five.

Mercedes W04. (Photo: WRi2)