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Toyota to share hybrid technology secrets
Toyota is to give other manufacturers access to its patents for hybrid electric vehicle technology.
In an attempt to bring down the overall impact of emissions and promote the uptake of electrified vehicles, the Japanese firm is letting rivals look at almost 24,000 patents awarded over the past 20 years that relate to electric motors and power control units.
Access and royalty-free licences will be granted until 2030 to 23,740 patents - 5,680 of which were already available in relation to fuel-cell electric vehicles.
Toyota will also be providing other brands with technical support for developing and selling electrified vehicles that use Toyota-sourced components - although this will be fee-based.
Shigeki Tareshi, Toyota Motor Corporation executive vice-president, said: "Based on the high volume of inquiries we receive about our vehicle electrification systems from companies that recognise a need to popularise hybrid and other electrified vehicle technologies, we believe that now is the time for co-operation.
"If the number of electrified vehicles accelerates significantly in the next 10 years, they will become standard. We hope to play a role in supporting that process."
Since making the world's first mass-produced hybrid car the Prius - in 1997, Toyota has continued to be a leader in petrol-electric powertrains.
Hyundai adds new 'Play' trim to i10 and i20
Hyundai has released a new trim level for its i10 city car and i20 supermini ranges.
Named 'Play', the spec is a typical mid-life update, bringing high levels of equipment for a lower price than customers would pay by adding all the additional features individually.
The i10 Play starts from €12,900 - matching its mid-spec SE grade on price. However, it heaps on the luxury features, giving the dinky city car 15inch alloy wheels, rear privacy glass, black door mirrors and, best of all, a seven-inch infotainment system with DAB and compatibility with smartphones through Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
The i10 Play is available with a single engine - the 1.0litre three-cylinder petrol, boasting 66bhp and a five-speed manual gearbox. It's available in a choice of five colours.
The i20 takes a similar approach but beats its SE equivalent on price.
It's available from €16,700 and features a similar specification to its smaller i10 sibling - 16-inch alloy wheels, rear privacy glass, black mirrors and the same 7-inch infotainment display.
The i20 also comes in a standard two-tone paint finish, with a black roof to compliment the same choice of body colour as the i10. It's available with either the 1.2-litre, 82bhp four-cylinder or the 1.0-litre, 98bhp turbocharged three-cylinder engines. Both are paired to five-speed manual gearboxes.
Both i10 and i20 models also feature exclusive 'Play' badging to mark them out from the rest of the range.
Play models are now available to order, with first examples already in showrooms.
Long-range Nissan Leaf e+ becomes permanent member of model line-up
Nissan has announced that the all-electric Leaf e+ is now a permanent member of its model line-up, after strong customer support for its limitededition predecessor.
Launched as the Leaf e+ 3.ZERO, the car was originally limited to 5,000 models for Europe, but after taking more than 1,200 orders within 24 hours of its reveal Nissan decided to push the car into mainstream production. Pricing for the long-range model begins from €41,500.
The Leaf e+ features a larger capacity battery pack than the standard model, with 62kWh on tap over the 40kWh offered as standard. Nissan claims that the larger battery gives the Leaf e+ a range of 239 miles on the WLTP cycle - up from the standard car's 168mile range.
That's still a way down on the Hyundai Kona Electric's 279-mile claimed range, however - and that car starts from under €34,600 in its longestrange configuration.
The e+ is also compatible with 100kW fast chargers, allowing motorists to charge
the battery to 80 per cent in around 40 minutes. That should certainly make this Leaf more suitable for those who travel longer distances.
The electric motor has also received an upgrade. The Leaf e+ uses a 215bhp motor with 340Nm of torque. That allows for a 0-60mph sprint of 7.1 seconds, before going on to a top speed of 98mph.
The e+ is based on top-spec Tekna trim, bringing a generous specification as standard. Nissan's full suite of ProPilot driver assistance tech is present and correct, while inside buyers benefit from Nissan's latest eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system as well as a sevenspeaker Bose stereo.
A metallic blue trim on the front bumper is the only external differentiation, though e+ models do ride an almost imperceptible 5mm higher than standard cars due to the larger battery pack.
First deliveries are expected to begin in the summer. The Leaf e+ costs from €41,500, while standard-range models cost from €32,400.