Toyota cars in the Philippines not affected by safety recall

The local unit of Toyota Motor Corp. assured its customers that its products are not affected by the recent safety recall in the United States.

Elijah Marcial, public relations officer of Toyota Motor Philippines Corp. (TMP), told ANC in a phone interview on Wednesday that its cars and car parts do not have any defects and will still be sold in the country.

“We received information from Toyota Motor Corp. that all Philippines’ Toyota and Lexus models are not affected by the new US ‘stuck gas pedal’ safety recall,” she said.

Honda to produce hydrogen for fuel cell cars

Honda Motor Co has said it has developed a compact machine to produce hydrogen at a household garage to replenish fuel cell electric cars that run on electricity generated by the chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen.

The Los Angeles Center of Honda R&D Americas Inc is testing the “solar hydrogen station” intended for ultimate use as a “home refueling appliance capable of an overnight refill of fuel cell electric vehicles,” Honda said.

China overtakes US as world’s biggest car market

China has overtaken the US to become the biggest car market in the world as government policy initiatives spur demand.

China sold more than 13.5m vehicles last year, the official Xinhua news agency said today, compared with 10.4m cars and light trucks sold in the US, the lowest level in 27 years.

Toyota Plans Hybrid Production at Miyagi Plant

Japan Today reported that Toyota Motor Corp plans to produce hybrid vehicles at a new assembly plant that will start operating in 2011 in northeastern Japan, sources familiar with the move say. Toyota intends to manufacture a Vitz-class subcompact hybrid model at the plant in Ohira, Miyagi Prefecture, which would be one of the automaker’s key domestic production hubs for gasoline-electric cars along with its Aichi and Kyushu factories.

Maruti Suzuki concept car at 2010 AutoExpo could be Made-in-India

After unveiling its A-star concept in the 2008 Auto Expo, Maruti Suzuki is all set to unveil its second concept car at the forthcoming Auto Expo scheduled for early next year. Though the company has not revealed anything, there is speculation that this concept car would be the first made-in-India car by Maruti Suzuki India Limited.

India’s largest carmaker, which had earlier reported that it will build a car on its own by 2012, has recently indicated to the media that it will launch the car based on its existing platform for the ‘Made-In-India’ car.

10 Cool concept cars

Concept cars came back – with a vengeance – after World War II when America entered a golden age of prosperity and rising expectations. Nothing said “New!” like the annual GM Motorama shows, where the public caught a glimpse of radical new designs and often bizarre trends. Today, concept cars are like fixtures of the automotive world, showcasing new ideas, designs and features, but most of them never make it to the street. What if they did?

Let’s look at a collection of 10 very cool concept cars from the past few years unveiled at motor shows around the world, and dream a little…

GENESIS COUPE EARNS POPULAR MECHANICS 2010 AUTOMOTIVE EXCELLENCE AWARD

Popular Mechanics honored the all-new Hyundai Genesis Coupe with a 2010 Automotive Excellence Award in the “Fun to Drive” category. Genesis Coupe outperforms the competition with its dynamic rear-wheel-drive handling aimed at true sports enthusiasts. This is the second time Hyundai has earned a Popular Mechanics Automotive Excellence Award; the 2006 Sonata received the honor for its excellence in safety.