Drive

Volvo presents first pedestrian airbag

STOCKHOLM, May 25 — Swedish brand Volvo is the first carmaker to offer an airbag aimed at protecting pedestrians. The feature is available on its 2013 V40 model.The device, which is located under the hood, automatically inflates in a few hundredths of a second to cover about a third of the windshield when activated. It can only be launched at the relatively low speeds of 20 to 50 km per hour and has been tested on crash test dummies.The goal is to protect ... Read More
Mazda Motor Corp’s Roadster, which is known as the MX-5 in international markets, is displayed at its showroom in Tokyo, May 23, 2012. – Reuters pic
Mazda Motor Corp’s Roadster, which is known as the MX-5 in international markets, is displayed at its showroom in Tokyo, May 23, 2012. – Reuters pic

Toyota plans 8 compacts for emerging markets

TOKYO, May 25 — Toyota Motor Corp said today it would roll out eight compact car models tailored for emerging markets by 2015 in an attempt to catch up to front-runners such as Volkswagen AG and General Motors Co.Toyota, which lost the crown as the world’s top automaker last year, is looking to reduce its dependence on the mature North American, European ... Read More

Nissan announces electric van production from 2013

BARCELONA, May 24 — Nissan Motor Co announced yesterday it will launch global production of an all-electric van, the e-NV200, as early as next year in the Spanish city of Barcelona, creating 700 jobs.The Japanese carmaker said it would invest €100 million (RM400 million) in Spain to start production in its 2013 financial year at its Barcelona plant, which ... Read More

Tesla to launch electric sedan in US on June 22

FREMONT (California), May 23 — Tesla Motors said yesterday it would begin deliveries of “the world’s first premium electric sedan” on June 22, slightly ahead of schedule.Several customers will receive their cars that day at an invitation-only event at the Tesla Factory in Fremont, California, said the company created in 2003 by Elon Musk, a co-founder of ... Read More

Fiat’s Elkann gets behind the wheel for Mille Miglia

BRESCIA, May 18 — John Elkann, the media-shy chairman of one of the world’s biggest car companies, got behind the wheel and demonstrated his driving skills yesterday in Italy’s legendary four-day Mille Miglia rally race.The 36-year-old head of Fiat, which now control Chrysler and was founded by his great-great grandfather Giovanni Agnelli in 1899, will take ... Read More

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