Auto briefs: Photography, new headquarters, financing tech

The use of a vehicle's onboard cameras for a photography exhibit, the opening of a new North American headquarters, and an investment in auto financing technology were among the items promoted by automakers recently.

• Volvo is showcasing a creative new use for its onboard safety cameras. The automaker recently teamed up with Barbara Davidson, a Pulitzer Prize winning artist and photographer, to use an XC60's cameras to photograph scenes around Copenhagen, Denmark. The collection of about 30 photographs, dubbed "Moments," was recently featured in London and will travel to other countries during the year.

• Toyota has cut the ribbon on a new $1 billion North American headquarters in Plano, Texas. The 100-acre corporate campus is part of the automaker's "One Toyota" initiative, announced three years ago to consolidate a number of operations in one location. The headquarters include a number of sustainable features, including a solar array of more than 20,000 panels and a rainwater harvesting system capable of collecting up to 400,000 gallons to use in irrigation. Toyota says the campus will support up to 4,000 jobs in northern Texas, and that it plans to make $10 billion in capital investments in the United States over the next five years.

• Volkswagen recently announced that its financial services arm, VW Credit, is making an equity investment in AutoGravity. This company allows vehicle buyers to quickly come up with financing offers using a smartphone. VW Credit has also partnered with AutoGravity to develop its own smartphone app.