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Toyota investing $500M in Uber; two expand collaboration on automated vehicle technologies

Green Car Congress

Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) and Uber Technologies, Inc. The initial “Autono-MaaS” (autonomous-mobility as a service) fleet will be based on Toyota’s Sienna Minivan platform. Toyota will also utilize its Mobility Services Platform (MSPF), its core information infrastructure for connected vehicles.

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Chrysler Group partnering with NextEnergy to evaluate vehicle-to-grid technology

Green Car Congress

Chrysler Group is working with NextEnergy to evaluate vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology using four all-electric minivans. The battery-powered minivans are connected to a charging module that, using NextEnergy technology, can simulate any electrical grid in the world. Final results will be compiled later this year.

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Chrysler Readying Roll-out of Pentastar V-6 Engine Across 13 Models; Average 7% Fuel Efficiency Improvement

Green Car Congress

Chrysler says that the Pentastar will provide an average fuel efficiency improvement of up to 7% across the model range—overall corporate fuel efficiency is targeted to improve by more than 25%. Cast aluminum pistons with low friction rings are fitted to forged steel connecting rods. up to 4.0L in the current product portfolio.

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President Obama Announces 48 Projects to Receive $2.4B in Grants for Next-Generation of Batteries and Electric Vehicles; To be Combined with $2.4B in Industry Cost-Share

Green Car Congress

General Motors Corporation. General Motors Corporation. KEMET Corporation. Develop, validate, and deploy 220 advanced plug-in hybrid electric pickups and minivans. Louis Science Center; Smith Electric Vehicles US Corporation (SEV-US); Kokam America Inc. Brownstown, MI. Cells will be from LG Chem, Ltd. Technology.

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2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe: The legendary SUV brand’s first plug-in hybrid

Charged EVs

That’s not surprising—the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid, the company’s only previous plug-in hybrid, is a well-executed PHEV with an EPA-rated 32 miles of usable electric range that retains all the virtues of the Pacifica minivan. The combination is connected to a transfer case that distributes power mechanically to all four wheels.

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How Carmakers Are Responding to the Plug-In Hybrid Opportunity

Tony Karrer Delicious EVdriven

But Fukui said he saw no significant value in researching plug-in hybrid models, which can be recharged by connecting to a power plug. Some of our engineers think we must go beyond lithium-ion," said Katsuaki Watanabe, president of the Toyota Motor Corporation, referring to what is now the leading battery technology for electric vehicles. (

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