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Automakers are beginning to nudge the hydrogen fuel cell vehicle out of the illusion factory that is Southern California and into the broader conversation about the future of clean transportation.

Toyota's top fuel cell engineer predicts the automaker will slash the cost of the next hydrogen-fueled powertrain to between one-third and one-fourth the cost of the current system.

Retired Ford executive Paul Mascarenas has joined ON Semiconductor's board of directors. Mascarenas, 53, also joined the semiconductor supplier's science and technology committee, the company said Thursday.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles expects its net industrial debt to drop by about $894 million because of its planned Ferrari spinoff, a U.S. regulatory filing showed.

Opel is succeeding in turning around its tattered image in Germany, the brand's marketing chief Tina Mueller said.

Opel is succeeding in turning around its tattered image in Germany, the brand's marketing chief Tina Mueller said.

Toyota has struggled until now to fill the void at the secretive workshop in Japan where the Lexus LFA was assembled ever since the last $375,000 sports car rolled off a line in December 2012.

Wilbur Ross, the billionaire turnaround artist who launched International Components Group in 2006, is stepping down as IAC's board chairman to take a senior position at the Bank of Cyprus.

Delphi's sale of its air conditioning business is being complicated by potential problems with one of its South Korean joint venture partners, sources said. France's Valeo, Germany's Mahle and Japan's Denso are interested in the unit.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles expects its net industrial debt to drop by about $894 million because of its planned Ferrari spinoff, a U.S. regulatory filing showed.

Toyota is pitching the Mirai hydrogen fuel cell car as a godsend for the planet. Heat and water are its only byproducts, not climate-altering carbon dioxide. But just how clean is that exhaust water vapor?

From press release

Daytona International Speedway President Joie Chitwood III announced on Wednesday that the UNOH Battle At The Beach wouldn't be taking place during Speedweeks 2015.

"After much consideration, Daytona International Speedway will not host any future UNOH Battle At The Beach events. For the past two years, the UNOH Battle At the Beach has produced thrilling racing on our backstretch,” said Chitwood.

“It was necessary for us to make this difficult decision given that we will open 40,000 new seats during Budweiser Speedweeks 2015 as part of the DAYTONA Rising redevelopment project and will remove the backstretch grandstands prior to 2016 racing season.

"We are pleased to see the NASCAR K&N Pro Series and the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series will remain in Central Florida during Budweiser Speedweeks at New Smyrna Speedway and encourage fans to attend those exciting races The University of Northwestern Ohio (UNOH) has been a great partner in supporting the Battle At The Beach and we look forward to continuing to work with them to grow our relationship."

Williams Formula 1 team announced Thursday that it has signed a new multi-year partnership agreement with the global consumer goods company Unilever, beginning in 2015.

Through its leading performance deodorant brand Rexona, Unilever was a sponsor of the Lotus team until the last Grand Prix of 2014 in Abu Dhabi.

From 2015, the Rexona logo will appear on the sidepod, front wing and front wishbones of the Williams Mercedes FW37, as well as the team environment and apparel.

The press release mentions that Williams Advanced Engineering, the technology and engineering services business of the Williams Group, will be working with Unilever to provide support in the areas of sustainability and efficiency.

The brand Rexona on the Lotus E22-Renault at Austin. (Photo: Auto123.com/René Fagnan)

Sahara Force India Formula 1 driver, German Nico Hulkenberg will compete in two events of the 2015 FIA World Endurance Championship, Porsche has confirmed.

Hulkenberg will contest the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps as well as the famed 24 Hours of Le Mans behind the wheel of a works 919 Hybrid LMP1.

The German remains a Formula 1 driver with Sahara Force India next season.

The two endurance races do not clash with Formula 1 Grands Prix.

Nico Hulkenberg explained the chance to drive for Porsche at Le Mans was something that “probably attracts every race driver”.

“I've been a Porsche fan for a long time and have been watching their return to the LMP1 class closely. The desire grew to drive that car at Le Mans.

“I am very pleased the 2015 Formula 1 calendar allows for it and I'm grateful to my Sahara Force India Formula One Team's generosity to let me go for it. Now it's up to me to work hard to satisfy both commitments.”

Porsche 919 Hybrid LMP1. (Photo: Porsche)

From Formula1.com

Finnish driver Kimi Raikkonen believes the recent changes at Ferrari, including the recruitment of four-time World Champion Sebastian Vettel and former Marlboro man Maurizio Arrivabene, will help drive them forward in 2015.

Sebastian Vettel was formally confirmed as a Ferrari driver on the day before of the season-ending race in Abu Dhabi, having signed a three-year deal with the Scuderia.

Monday after the race, Ferrari then announced that Arrivabene had taken over from Marco Mattiacci as F1 team principal.

"I've known Maurizio Arrivabene for a long time I believe he is an extremely competent person and perfect for the role of team principal that he has been given," Raikkonen told Ferrari's official website.

"Maurizio has known Ferrari and the business of Formula 1 for a long time and I believe he has the ability to motivate and push the team back to the level it deserves to be at. Everyone in the team, in every area of activity will now have to tackle a lot of hard work to get the new car ready."

Mauruzio Arrivabene and Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari, in Abu Dhabi. (Photo: WRi2)

Speaking about the arrival of Vettel, Raikkonen added: "It was nice that he joined us in the garage for the first day of testing, although I have to say that didn't surprise me, because I know what he's like and his approach to work.

"I think we can enjoy ourselves on track together, both of us fighting to be ahead of the other, while also working as a team to reach the common target of progressing in order to get the Scuderia back to the level it should be at.

"The team's priorities are clear and we are well aware what are the areas that did not match up to our expectations. I am sure that thanks to the knowledge we acquired over the course of the season, we will be able to develop a more competitive car. I have every confidence in the ability of the team."

Several Formula 1 cars that participated in the recent last in-season test session in Abu Dhabi carried a strange looking beam attached to their air box.

This beam, made of carbon fibre composite material, carries an aerodynamic device called a pitot tube.

Force India (Photo: Force India)

It is a pressure measurement instrument used to measure fluid flow velocity. The tube is used to measure the local velocity at a given point in the flow stream and not the average velocity in the pipe or conduit.

Engineers can therefore compare the speed of the air flow at various locations of the car to the real speed of the car.

The Ferrari beam carries two pitot tubes. (Photo: Ferrari)

We asked one engineer why one pitot tube was located on top of the beam.

“The pitot is mounted at that height so that the teams can get an accurate measurement of the true speed of the car relative to the air without that measurement being affected by the car's own movement through the air,” he told Auto123.com.

“A pitot mounted closer to the car, usually on the top of the monocoque, will be approached by air that has had its speed and direction changed by the car itself, and therefore will not give an accurate measurement,” he explained.

The pitot tube located on the top of the chassis of the Mercedes W05. (Photo: Mercedes AMG)

British motorsport magazine Autosport Thursday reports that McLaren Formula 1 team may try to run again its MP4-29H/1X1 before the first official test session of 2015.

McLaren test driver Stoffel Vandoorne managed to complete only five installation laps during the last in-season test in Abu Dhabi Tuesday and Wednesday.

The interim car, a 2014 MP4-29 chassis mated to the new Honda 1.6-litre turbo hybrid engine, suffered a series of disturbing electrical gremlins.

The British team will thoroughly investigate the issue back at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking.

Stoffel Vandoorne, McLaren-Honda. (Photo: WRi2)

However, Eric Boullier, McLaren's director of racing, told Autosport that he did not rule out using another filming day to run the car before the first test of next season, if Honda cannot solve all the glitches on a test bench.

When asked whether the McLaren-Honda would run again before the first 2015 test in Jerez, Boullier replied: "Not now, but maybe. We will see after the investigation and running on the dyno and correcting all these issues.

"We brought the basic technical layout of our engine here. It didn't work - but a lot of it can be solved on a dyno.

"I'm not talking about driveability or pure performance - for that we need a car on-track - but we can make sure all the systems are working on a dyno before Jerez,” the French engineer explained.

From GMM

Sebastian Vettel says he is not expecting to race a winning Ferrari in 2015.

After winning four titles on the trot, the German notably struggled this year, and not just because of Red Bull's struggles with the Renault engine.

He was also soundly beaten by new teammate Daniel Ricciardo, and the situation gave Vettel pause to begin looking around for a change of scene.

"It wasn't a decision I made overnight," he told the German newspaper Welt on Thursday.

"After the disappointing results of the first half of the season it became a possibility that I could leave Red Bull," said Vettel, undoubtedly referring to performance-related exit clauses in his contract.

"So this led to more detailed discussions with Ferrari. The interest was there. I think the timing was just right with everything," he added.

However, he is arriving at Ferrari - undoubtedly the sport's most iconic and important name - amid a period of great turmoil for the Maranello marque.

Motorhome Ferrari. (Photo: WRi2)

He replaces Fernando Alonso, arguably F1's most highly rated driver who after five title-less years in red finally lost patience with the increasingly tumultuous situation and is now set to return to McLaren.

Sebastian Vettel said: "I am not fooling myself that we will be able to take on Mercedes next year.

"I am very aware that we at Ferrari have a big job coming up that will take time -- especially when Mercedes has such a huge competitive advantage."

But he said he is confident he will not emulate Alonso's failure to add another title to his tally even after an extended period of trying with Ferrari.

"Every change is a step into the unknown," said Vettel, "and therefore a risk. But I thought a lot about this decision before taking it.

"If I was not convinced that I can be successful there, I would not be doing it."

He is not, however, prepared to set any deadlines, having committed to Ferrari for at least an initial three-year period.

"At first," said the 27-year-old, "I just want to prove that it was the right decision -- for Ferrari and for me. That will take some time."

Halla CEO Im Kee Young said he's still considering buying back the group's former automotive heater and air conditioner maker after a buyout fund agreed to acquire a stake in the business, Halla Visteon Climate Control.

Chrysler Group will send recall notifications to owners of vehicles equipped with potentially defective Takata airbags nearly two weeks earlier than planned, the company said late Wednesday.