LEAD IN:

Japanese auto brand Toyota has showcased the second generation of its hydrogen fuel cell saloon car in the Netherlands.

The all-new Mirai claims a range of 650 kilometres without refuelling and is set for launch this year in Japan, North America and Europe. But lack of infrastructure persists.

STORY-LINE:

While most of the auto industry hurtles toward battery-electric vehicles, Japan's top car maker is also banking on hydrogen.

At an event in Amsterdam, Toyota is showing off its second generation Mirai fuel cell saloon, due for launch later this year in Japan, North America and Europe.

This version claims up to 30 percent more range thanks to a redesigned fuel cell system and new three-tank layout.

According to communications executive Vincent Dewaersegger, that means a range of 650 kilometres without refuelling.

"It's a small revolution, it can do 650 kilometres in one tank," he says.

"And you should remember, it's five minutes to refuel for a hundred percent refuel-refill, which is very good."

Toyota first introduced its hydrogen-powered Mirai sedan back in 2014 and has since sold 10,000 models.

A fuel cell mixes hydrogen with the oxygen in the air to generate electricity that can power a motor.

The main challenge is a lack of infrastructure. According to the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA), there are currently just 125 hydrogen stations in the EU.

Toyota is also showing off its new RAV4 plug-in hybrid in Amsterdam.

It's the fifth generation of the popular SUV and the first to offer a plug-in hybrid option.

Toyota luxury brand Lexus is showcasing a future vision of electric cars with this LF-30 concept car.

The LF-30 offers a vision of electric mobility in the 2030s with autonomous driving technologies and four in-wheel electric motors.

A steer-by-wire system eliminates mechanical connections, allowing more flexible control.

"It's not easy to define what type of car this is," says designer Ian Cartabiano.

"So, it's somewhere in between sedan, coupe, crossover, ultimate luxury car. I'm excited by the fact that we created a new category of luxury performance vehicle."

Lexus is also presenting the UX 300e, its first electric vehicle.

Its 54.3 kWh lithium-ion battery claims a range of 400 kilometres and a top speed of 160 kilometres per-hour.

Toyota's new GR Supra runs on traditional petrol.

With the new two-litre version, Toyota says it has lessened the weight, meaning a different driving experience.

"The biggest difference is the weight," says marketing executive Tatsuya Namura.

"There's a reduction of 100 kilograms, which really influences how the car drives and how you feel the car is driving."

Toyota also used the Amsterdam event to launch its new high-tech mobility brand, Kinto.

Under pressure from rideshare companies Uber and Lyft, Toyota is planning to offer car-sharing and ride-hailing services through Kinto.

"These customers of the future don't just want to own vehicles, they want to use them, some people want to just lease them, don't put them on their balance sheet," says Johan van Zyl, the president and CEO of Toyota Motor Europe.

"So therefore, we also need to ensure that we will be able to deliver on the new mobility services to customers and that we've launched today the Kinto brand, which is (an) umbrella brand for all the mobility services we're going to launch in Europe in future."

Amsterdam, Netherlands - 14 January 2020

1. Wide of screen, showing promo for new Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel cell car

2. Various of new Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel cell car

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Vincent Dewaersegger, Communications Executive, Toyota:

"The platform has been designed from the beginning for hydrogen component, so we could really have much more freedom in terms of styling, and we could have this kind of a coupe-like styling. Also, it's a new technology, more efficient and also, we have more tank capacity, more tanks. So that means the two together, we can really increase the range by 30 percent. So, it's quite, for me, it's a small revolution, it can do 650 kilometres in one tank. And you should remember, it's five minutes to refuel for a hundred percent refuel-refill, which is very good."

4. Mid of new Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel cell car

5. Mid of screen, showing new Toyota Mirai's hydrogen tanks

6. Mid of screen, showing new Toyota Mirai's range and refuelling time

7. Wide of new Toyota Mirai

8. Various of new Toyota RAV4 plug-in hybrid SUV

9. Various of new Lexus LF-30 electric concept car

10. Setup shot of Ian Cartabiano, LF-30 Chief Designer, opening LF-30 door

11. Close of Lexus LF-30 interior

12. SOUNDBITE (English) Ian Cartabiano, LF-30 Chief Designer:

"It's not easy to define what type of car this is. So, it's somewhere in between sedan, coupe, crossover, ultimate luxury car. I'm excited by the fact that we created a new category of luxury performance vehicle. And personally, I really love the profile and I love the shape language of this car. I love how it moves from fluid to extremely sharp at the rear and to me as the artist, that gets me excited."

13. Wide of Lexus LF-30 electric concept car

14. Various of Lexus UX300e electric car

15. Various of new Toyota GR Supra

16. SOUNDBITE (English) Tatsuya Namura, Marketing Executive, Toyota:

"The biggest difference is the weight. There's a reduction of 100 kilograms, which really influences how the car drives and how you feel the car is driving."

17. Close of new Toyota GR Supra interior

18. Mid of new Toyota GR Supra

19. Wide of Toyota presentation, announcement of Kinto brand

20. Close of Kinto logo onscreen

21. Setup shot of Johan van Zyl, President and CEO of Toyota Motor Europe, speaking during presentation

22. Wide of screen, reading (English): "Mobility for All"

23. SOUNDBITE (English) Johan van Zyl, President and CEO of Toyota Motor Europe:

"These customers of the future don't just want to own vehicles, they want to use them, some people want to just lease them, don't put them on their balance sheet. So therefore, we also need to ensure that we will be able to deliver on the new mobility services to customers and that we've launched today the Kinto brand, which is (an) umbrella brand for all the mobility services we're going to launch in Europe in future."

24. Various of Toyota LQ concept car

25. Various of Toyota personal mobility technology

LEAD IN:

Japanese auto brand Toyota has showcased the second generation of its hydrogen fuel cell saloon car in the Netherlands.

The all-new Mirai claims a range of 650 kilometres without refuelling and is set for launch this year in Japan, North America and Europe. But lack of infrastructure persists.

STORY-LINE:

While most of the auto industry hurtles toward battery-electric vehicles, Japan's top car maker is also banking on hydrogen.

At an event in Amsterdam, Toyota is showing off its second generation Mirai fuel cell saloon, due for launch later this year in Japan, North America and Europe.

This version claims up to 30 percent more range thanks to a redesigned fuel cell system and new three-tank layout.

According to communications executive Vincent Dewaersegger, that means a range of 650 kilometres without refuelling.

"It's a small revolution, it can do 650 kilometres in one tank," he says.

"And you should remember, it's five minutes to refuel for a hundred percent refuel-refill, which is very good."

Toyota first introduced its hydrogen-powered Mirai sedan back in 2014 and has since sold 10,000 models.

A fuel cell mixes hydrogen with the oxygen in the air to generate electricity that can power a motor.

The main challenge is a lack of infrastructure. According to the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA), there are currently just 125 hydrogen stations in the EU.

Toyota is also showing off its new RAV4 plug-in hybrid in Amsterdam.

It's the fifth generation of the popular SUV and the first to offer a plug-in hybrid option.

Toyota luxury brand Lexus is showcasing a future vision of electric cars with this LF-30 concept car.

The LF-30 offers a vision of electric mobility in the 2030s with autonomous driving technologies and four in-wheel electric motors.

A steer-by-wire system eliminates mechanical connections, allowing more flexible control.

"It's not easy to define what type of car this is," says designer Ian Cartabiano.

"So, it's somewhere in between sedan, coupe, crossover, ultimate luxury car. I'm excited by the fact that we created a new category of luxury performance vehicle."

Lexus is also presenting the UX 300e, its first electric vehicle.

Its 54.3 kWh lithium-ion battery claims a range of 400 kilometres and a top speed of 160 kilometres per-hour.

Toyota's new GR Supra runs on traditional petrol.

With the new two-litre version, Toyota says it has lessened the weight, meaning a different driving experience.

"The biggest difference is the weight," says marketing executive Tatsuya Namura.

"There's a reduction of 100 kilograms, which really influences how the car drives and how you feel the car is driving."

Toyota also used the Amsterdam event to launch its new high-tech mobility brand, Kinto.

Under pressure from rideshare companies Uber and Lyft, Toyota is planning to offer car-sharing and ride-hailing services through Kinto.

"These customers of the future don't just want to own vehicles, they want to use them, some people want to just lease them, don't put them on their balance sheet," says Johan van Zyl, the president and CEO of Toyota Motor Europe.

"So therefore, we also need to ensure that we will be able to deliver on the new mobility services to customers and that we've launched today the Kinto brand, which is (an) umbrella brand for all the mobility services we're going to launch in Europe in future."

Amsterdam, Netherlands - 14 January 2020

1. Wide of screen, showing promo for new Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel cell car

2. Various of new Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel cell car

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Vincent Dewaersegger, Communications Executive, Toyota:

"The platform has been designed from the beginning for hydrogen component, so we could really have much more freedom in terms of styling, and we could have this kind of a coupe-like styling. Also, it's a new technology, more efficient and also, we have more tank capacity, more tanks. So that means the two together, we can really increase the range by 30 percent. So, it's quite, for me, it's a small revolution, it can do 650 kilometres in one tank. And you should remember, it's five minutes to refuel for a hundred percent refuel-refill, which is very good."

4. Mid of new Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel cell car

5. Mid of screen, showing new Toyota Mirai's hydrogen tanks

6. Mid of screen, showing new Toyota Mirai's range and refuelling time

7. Wide of new Toyota Mirai

8. Various of new Toyota RAV4 plug-in hybrid SUV

9. Various of new Lexus LF-30 electric concept car

10. Setup shot of Ian Cartabiano, LF-30 Chief Designer, opening LF-30 door

11. Close of Lexus LF-30 interior

12. SOUNDBITE (English) Ian Cartabiano, LF-30 Chief Designer:

"It's not easy to define what type of car this is. So, it's somewhere in between sedan, coupe, crossover, ultimate luxury car. I'm excited by the fact that we created a new category of luxury performance vehicle. And personally, I really love the profile and I love the shape language of this car. I love how it moves from fluid to extremely sharp at the rear and to me as the artist, that gets me excited."

13. Wide of Lexus LF-30 electric concept car

14. Various of Lexus UX300e electric car

15. Various of new Toyota GR Supra

16. SOUNDBITE (English) Tatsuya Namura, Marketing Executive, Toyota:

"The biggest difference is the weight. There's a reduction of 100 kilograms, which really influences how the car drives and how you feel the car is driving."

17. Close of new Toyota GR Supra interior

18. Mid of new Toyota GR Supra

19. Wide of Toyota presentation, announcement of Kinto brand

20. Close of Kinto logo onscreen

21. Setup shot of Johan van Zyl, President and CEO of Toyota Motor Europe, speaking during presentation

22. Wide of screen, reading (English): "Mobility for All"

23. SOUNDBITE (English) Johan van Zyl, President and CEO of Toyota Motor Europe:

"These customers of the future don't just want to own vehicles, they want to use them, some people want to just lease them, don't put them on their balance sheet. So therefore, we also need to ensure that we will be able to deliver on the new mobility services to customers and that we've launched today the Kinto brand, which is (an) umbrella brand for all the mobility services we're going to launch in Europe in future."

24. Various of Toyota LQ concept car

25. Various of Toyota personal mobility technology

LEAD IN:

Japanese auto brand Toyota has showcased the second generation of its hydrogen fuel cell saloon car in the Netherlands.

The all-new Mirai claims a range of 650 kilometres without refuelling and is set for launch this year in Japan, North America and Europe. But lack of infrastructure persists.

STORY-LINE:

While most of the auto industry hurtles toward battery-electric vehicles, Japan's top car maker is also banking on hydrogen.

At an event in Amsterdam, Toyota is showing off its second generation Mirai fuel cell saloon, due for launch later this year in Japan, North America and Europe.

This version claims up to 30 percent more range thanks to a redesigned fuel cell system and new three-tank layout.

According to communications executive Vincent Dewaersegger, that means a range of 650 kilometres without refuelling.

"It's a small revolution, it can do 650 kilometres in one tank," he says.

"And you should remember, it's five minutes to refuel for a hundred percent refuel-refill, which is very good."

Toyota first introduced its hydrogen-powered Mirai sedan back in 2014 and has since sold 10,000 models.

A fuel cell mixes hydrogen with the oxygen in the air to generate electricity that can power a motor.

The main challenge is a lack of infrastructure. According to the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA), there are currently just 125 hydrogen stations in the EU.

Toyota is also showing off its new RAV4 plug-in hybrid in Amsterdam.

It's the fifth generation of the popular SUV and the first to offer a plug-in hybrid option.

Toyota luxury brand Lexus is showcasing a future vision of electric cars with this LF-30 concept car.

The LF-30 offers a vision of electric mobility in the 2030s with autonomous driving technologies and four in-wheel electric motors.

A steer-by-wire system eliminates mechanical connections, allowing more flexible control.

"It's not easy to define what type of car this is," says designer Ian Cartabiano.

"So, it's somewhere in between sedan, coupe, crossover, ultimate luxury car. I'm excited by the fact that we created a new category of luxury performance vehicle."

Lexus is also presenting the UX 300e, its first electric vehicle.

Its 54.3 kWh lithium-ion battery claims a range of 400 kilometres and a top speed of 160 kilometres per-hour.

Toyota's new GR Supra runs on traditional petrol.

With the new two-litre version, Toyota says it has lessened the weight, meaning a different driving experience.

"The biggest difference is the weight," says marketing executive Tatsuya Namura.

"There's a reduction of 100 kilograms, which really influences how the car drives and how you feel the car is driving."

Toyota also used the Amsterdam event to launch its new high-tech mobility brand, Kinto.

Under pressure from rideshare companies Uber and Lyft, Toyota is planning to offer car-sharing and ride-hailing services through Kinto.

"These customers of the future don't just want to own vehicles, they want to use them, some people want to just lease them, don't put them on their balance sheet," says Johan van Zyl, the president and CEO of Toyota Motor Europe.

"So therefore, we also need to ensure that we will be able to deliver on the new mobility services to customers and that we've launched today the Kinto brand, which is (an) umbrella brand for all the mobility services we're going to launch in Europe in future."

Amsterdam, Netherlands - 14 January 2020

1. Wide of screen, showing promo for new Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel cell car

2. Various of new Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel cell car

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Vincent Dewaersegger, Communications Executive, Toyota:

"The platform has been designed from the beginning for hydrogen component, so we could really have much more freedom in terms of styling, and we could have this kind of a coupe-like styling. Also, it's a new technology, more efficient and also, we have more tank capacity, more tanks. So that means the two together, we can really increase the range by 30 percent. So, it's quite, for me, it's a small revolution, it can do 650 kilometres in one tank. And you should remember, it's five minutes to refuel for a hundred percent refuel-refill, which is very good."

4. Mid of new Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel cell car

5. Mid of screen, showing new Toyota Mirai's hydrogen tanks

6. Mid of screen, showing new Toyota Mirai's range and refuelling time

7. Wide of new Toyota Mirai

8. Various of new Toyota RAV4 plug-in hybrid SUV

9. Various of new Lexus LF-30 electric concept car

10. Setup shot of Ian Cartabiano, LF-30 Chief Designer, opening LF-30 door

11. Close of Lexus LF-30 interior

12. SOUNDBITE (English) Ian Cartabiano, LF-30 Chief Designer:

"It's not easy to define what type of car this is. So, it's somewhere in between sedan, coupe, crossover, ultimate luxury car. I'm excited by the fact that we created a new category of luxury performance vehicle. And personally, I really love the profile and I love the shape language of this car. I love how it moves from fluid to extremely sharp at the rear and to me as the artist, that gets me excited."

13. Wide of Lexus LF-30 electric concept car

14. Various of Lexus UX300e electric car

15. Various of new Toyota GR Supra

16. SOUNDBITE (English) Tatsuya Namura, Marketing Executive, Toyota:

"The biggest difference is the weight. There's a reduction of 100 kilograms, which really influences how the car drives and how you feel the car is driving."

17. Close of new Toyota GR Supra interior

18. Mid of new Toyota GR Supra

19. Wide of Toyota presentation, announcement of Kinto brand

20. Close of Kinto logo onscreen

21. Setup shot of Johan van Zyl, President and CEO of Toyota Motor Europe, speaking during presentation

22. Wide of screen, reading (English): "Mobility for All"

23. SOUNDBITE (English) Johan van Zyl, President and CEO of Toyota Motor Europe:

"These customers of the future don't just want to own vehicles, they want to use them, some people want to just lease them, don't put them on their balance sheet. So therefore, we also need to ensure that we will be able to deliver on the new mobility services to customers and that we've launched today the Kinto brand, which is (an) umbrella brand for all the mobility services we're going to launch in Europe in future."

24. Various of Toyota LQ concept car

25. Various of Toyota personal mobility technology

Cars that run on hydrogen and exhaust only water vapor are emerging to challenge electric vehicles as the world's transportation of the future.

At the Los Angeles Auto Show Wednesday, Honda and Hyundai automakers unveiled hydrogen fuel cell vehicles to be delivered to the general public as early as next spring.

Toyota promised a mass-produced fuel cell car by 2015 at the Tokyo car show earlier.

Hyundai Motor Co. will be the first to the mass market in the U.S. It unveiled a hydrogen-powered Tucson small SUV that will be leased to consumers for $499 per month for three years with $3,000 down.

Hydrogen cars are appealing because unlike electric vehicles, they have the range of a typical gasoline car and can be refueled quickly. Experts say the industry also has overcome safety and reliability concerns that have hindered distribution in the past.

But hydrogen cars still have a glaring downside � refueling stations are scarce, and costly to build.

Consumers can expect costs in line with some luxury models.

Hyundai is offering to pay the hydrogen and maintenance costs. The company will start leasing in the Los Angeles area, where most of the state's nine fueling stations are located. California lawmakers have allocated $100 million to build 100 more. Honda wouldn't reveal any pricing details.

Hydrogen cars, experts say, have an advantage over battery-powered electric cars because drivers don't have to worry about running out of electricity and having to wait hours for recharging.

Hydrogen fuel cells use a complex chemical process to separate electrons and protons in hydrogen gas molecules. The electrons power a car's electric motor, which turns the wheels.

Since the hydrogen isn't burned, there's no pollution. Instead, oxygen also is pumped into the system, and when it meets the hydrogen ions and electrons, that creates water and heat. The only byproduct is water.

A fuel cell produces only about one volt of electricity, so many are stacked to generate enough juice.

Toyota said its new fuel cell vehicle will go on sale in Japan in 2015 and within a year later in Europe and U.S.

Toyota's fuel cell car is a "concept" model called FCV that looks like a sleeker Prius gas-electric hybrid.

Honda, which has leased about two-dozen fuel cell cars since 2005, took the wraps off a futuristic-looking FCEV concept vehicle in Los Angeles.

Honda executives predict that it will take five years for the hydrogen refueling stations to reach significant numbers outside California, and up to 25 years to go nationwide.

But skeptics say hydrogen fueling stations are more expensive than electric car charging stations, partly because electricity is almost everywhere and new and safe ways for producing, storing and transferring

hydrogen will be needed.

AP TELEVISION

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Los Angeles, California

1. Wide, convention floor at Los Angeles Auto Show

2. Wide, pan across cars covered with fabric waiting to be revealed

3. Wide, Chevrolet logo advertising new "Colorado" mid-size pickup truck

4. Medium, smoke and colored lights around new Subaru WRX, silky fabric slides off to unveil new car model in cherry red

5. Medium low, man peers in driver's side door of Subaru WRX

6. Wide, Honda stage with water and lights and concept car under wraps

7. Medium, screen above stage reads reads "Honda FCEV Concept"

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Tetsuo Iwamura, President and CEO, American Honda Motor Co.

"Today we want to focus on what we believe has the potential to become the ultimate solution to realizing ultra-low carbon mobility. And that is the fuel cell electric vehicle."

9. Wide, Iwamura speaks on stage in front of veiled concept car

10. Tight, rear bumper of concept car as Iwarmura walks in front

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Tetsuo Iwamura, President and CEO, American Honda Motor Co."The Honda FCEV concept!" (wide, fabric is whisked off car and music swells)

12. Wide, Honda sign on convention floor

13. Medium, woman tries to open door on concept car

14. Medium, man takes photo of car with cell phone

15. Tight, rear license plate pan up to Honda logo on rear bumper

16. SOUNDBITE (English) John O'Dell, Edmunds.com green vehicle analyst "Hydrogen fuel cells basically mix hydrogen and oxygen together, separate out the electrons and produce the electricity on board. In actuality, a hydrogen fuel cell car is an electric vehicle."

17. Tight, front of Honda concept car, zoom out to entire car

18. Tight, Honda insignia on front of car

19. Medium, photographer takes photo of car 20. SOUNDBITE (English) John O'Dell, Edmunds.com green vehicle analyst "The way Hyundai for instance tests its fuel cell tank? They light the car on fire. They've burnt up entire fuel cell vehicles to see what happens.

The pressure vent on the tank releases, the hydrogen goes up in a fan shape, it burns like a butane lighter, straight up in the air. And it dissipates in a couple of minutes."

21. Tight, curves on concept car, zoom out to entire car

22. Tight, Iwamura speaks to Japanese reporters

23. Medium pan, concept car

24. SOUNDBITE (English) John O'Dell, Edmunds.com green vehicle analyst "It's a more compact package and it's lighter than a big battery pack that you need for a plug-in electric vehicle."

25. Wide, audience waiting for Hyundai press conference

26. Medium, people at Hyundai presser

27. Wide, Hyundai Tucson ix35 hydrogen fuel cell compact SUV spinning slowly

28. Tight, Hyundai fuel cell vehicle spinning 29. Wide, Hyundai stage

30. SOUNDBITE (English) John Krafcik, President and CEO, Hyundai Motor America "You've got driving range of up to 300 miles. You can refuel them in just a few minutes. And there's endless choice in size and configuration.

That's because it's more space- and weight-efficient to multiply the number of fuel cells than it is to multiply the number of batteries."

31. Wide, Krafcik on stage

32. Medium, Hyundai Tucson compact SUV

33. Wide, Toyota display at convention

34. Tight, Toyota sign

35. Tight zoom out to medium, worker polishing Dodge Challenger anniversary edition

36. Medium, model in white dress and boots with Dodge Challenger

SHOTLIST:

Detroit - 11 Jan 2009

1. New Cadillac Converj Concept electric car is driven onto stage at unveiling at motor show

2. Mid of media

3. Unveiling of Buick LaCrosse CXS non-electric car

4. Rick Wagoner, Chief Executive Officer of General Motors walking to stage

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Rick Wagoner, Chief Executive Officer of General Motors:

"I think it is fair to say in today's world we need to be doing both. So we have a significant number of hybrid offerings for example here in the States and we will expand that this year to two more, and in order to meet the fuel economy requirements that we have coming in the future we will see more and more expansion of that technology. Having said that, I think if we look a little bit farther down the road, we think that the electricity has huge capability really to significantly diversify energy sources that our industry uses. So we think it's fundamental and critically important. So I guess the answer is that we are working on both of them as hard as we can."

6. Ford Battery Electric Vehicle demo

7. Ford Magna power source

8. Close up of electric cables

9. Wide of Ford display

10. Ford unveiling new Taurus

11. Cutaway of photographers

12. SOUNDBITE: (English) Derrick Kuzak, Vice-President of Ford Motor Company:

"We are making sure these platforms can accommodate three different kinds of electric power systems. Hybrid, plug-in hybrid and pure battery electric vehicles or BEVs."

13. Chrysler unveiling 200C EV concept electric vehicle

14. Front of Chrysler 200C EV

15. Jeep Patriot electric vehicle

16. Mid of Patriot EV engine

17. Mid of plug in fuel cap

STORYLINE:

Just weeks after ending a year marked by dismal sales and a federal bailout of General Motors and Chrysler, US automakers on Sunday touted new products with a focus on fuel efficiency and new technologies that they say will help ensure that their cars and trucks will roll off assembly lines for years to come.

Amid a crowd of several hundred cheering employees, dealers and retirees at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, General Motors Corporation announced plans to build a 40-mile-per-gallon minicar for the US market, and it unveiled an electric-powered Cadillac concept car.

Meanwhile, Chrysler's chief executive told reporters that while its key new products wouldn't show up in dealer showrooms until next year, the automaker expects to survive 2009 and remain an independent company.

Ford Motor Company said that by 2011, it will sell an electric car that can go up to 100 miles (161 km) on a single charge, and it will offer plug-in versions of its gas-electric hybrid vehicles a year later.

Late last month, the Bush administration approved 17.4 (b) billion US dollars in short-term loans for GM and Chrysler after both automakers warned that they could soon run out of cash without federal help.

Ford didn't take any government money because its executives said it had access to enough credit to get through the industry's sales slump.

The chief executives of all the automakers told reporters on Sunday that their companies were on a path to recovery.

GM Chief Executive Officer Rick Wagoner said the company's restructuring plans submitted to Congress, which include concessions from the United Auto Workers union and other cost cuts, combined with GM's lineup of new products, will make the company prosper when the worldwide auto market recovers.

Chrysler's Robert Nardelli said that while his company's plan for new vehicles has a hole in it for 2009, the automaker will make it to 2010, when it plans to introduce an electric car and a subcompact.

It also has a new 300 sedan, Charger performance car and Jeep Grand Cherokee in the works.

Many analysts have predicted, however, that Chrysler will be acquired by another automaker by next year, or sold in pieces by its majority owner Cerberus Capital Management LP, a New York private equity firm.

Ford's executive chairman, Bill Ford Junior, said the company was working on four high-mileage electric vehicles to be introduced in the coming years.

Ford plans to have a battery-powered commercial van on the market in 2010.

GM's stable of 17 new or upcoming models displayed on Sunday also had a focus on fuel efficiency.

The Chevrolet Spark subcompact, a three-door hatchback that was called the Beat when GM unveiled it as a concept car in 2007, is set to go on sale in Europe next year and in the US in 2011.

GM also announced that the Chevrolet Orlando seven-passenger crossover vehicle will go on sale in North America that same year.

But the surprise of the automaker's event was the unveiling of the Cadillac Converj concept car, which is designed to go 40 miles (64.3 kilometres) on electric power alone after being recharged from a standard wall outlet.

A small gasoline engine would extend the range to hundreds of miles.

It's the same powertrain technology GM is using in the Chevrolet Volt, a much-anticipated extended-range electric vehicle set to go on sale next year.

Chrysler unveiled a concept version of an electric-powered sedan and added the Jeep Patriot small SUV to the stable of electric vehicles it is developing.

Toyota Motor Corporation confirmed plans to have an all-electric vehicle on US roads by 2012, introducing an ultra-compact battery-powered concept car at this year's Detroit show.

Honda Motor Co. unveiled its next-generation hybrid, the Insight, and said the car will arrive in US showrooms this April.

Honda's much-anticipated car is expected to compete head-on with the Toyota Prius, which remains the top-selling hybrid in the US.

Honda said the 2010 Insight will have a lower price than the Civic Hybrid, which has a base price of 23,650 US dollars.

SHOTLIST:

1. New Cadillac Converj Concept electric car is driven onto stage at unveiling at motor show

2. Mid of media

3. Unveiling of Buick LaCrosse CXS non-electric car

4. Rick Wagoner, Chief Executive Officer of General Motors walking to stage

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Rick Wagoner, Chief Executive Officer of General Motors:

"I think it is fair to say in today's world we need to be doing both. So we have a significant number of hybrid offerings for example here in the States and we will expand that this year to two more, and in order to meet the fuel economy requirements that we have coming in the future we will see more and more expansion of that technology. Having said that, I think if we look a little bit farther down the road, we think that the electricity has huge capability really to significantly diversify energy sources that our industry uses. So we think it's fundamental and critically important. So I guess the answer is that we are working on both of them as hard as we can."

6. Ford Battery Electric Vehicle demo

7. Ford Magna power source

8. Close up of electric cables

9. Wide of Ford display

10. Ford unveiling new non-electric Taurus

11. Cutaway of photographers

12. SOUNDBITE: (English) Derrick Kuzak, Vice-President of Ford Motor Company:

"We are making sure these platforms can accommodate three different kinds of electric power systems. Hybrid, plug-in hybrid and pure battery electric vehicles or BEVs."

13. Chrysler unveiling 200C EV concept electric vehicle

14. Front of Chrysler 200C EV

15. Jeep Patriot electric vehicle

16. Mid of Patriot EV engine

17. Mid of plug in fuel cap

STORYLINE:

Just weeks after ending a year marked by dismal sales and a federal bailout of General Motors and Chrysler, US automakers on Sunday touted new products with a focus on fuel efficiency and new technologies that they say will help ensure that their cars and trucks will roll off assembly lines for years to come.

Amid a crowd of several hundred cheering employees, dealers and retirees at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, General Motors Corporation announced plans to build a 40-mile-per-gallon minicar for the US market, and it unveiled an electric-powered Cadillac concept car.

Meanwhile, Chrysler's chief executive told reporters that while its key new products wouldn't show up in dealer showrooms until next year, the automaker expects to survive 2009 and remain an independent company.

Ford Motor Company said that by 2011, it will sell an electric car that can go up to 100 miles (161 km) on a single charge, and it will offer plug-in versions of its gas-electric hybrid vehicles a year later.

Late last month, the Bush administration approved 17.4 (b) billion US dollars in short-term loans for GM and Chrysler after both automakers warned that they could soon run out of cash without federal help.

Ford didn't take any government money because its executives said it had access to enough credit to get through the industry's sales slump.

The chief executives of all the automakers told reporters on Sunday that their companies were on a path to recovery.

GM Chief Executive Officer Rick Wagoner said the company's restructuring plans submitted to Congress, which include concessions from the United Auto Workers union and other cost cuts, combined with GM's lineup of new products, will make the company prosper when the worldwide auto market recovers.

Chrysler's Robert Nardelli said that while his company's plan for new vehicles has a hole in it for 2009, the automaker will make it to 2010, when it plans to introduce an electric car and a subcompact.

It also has a new 300 sedan, Charger performance car and Jeep Grand Cherokee in the works.

Many analysts have predicted, however, that Chrysler will be acquired by another automaker by next year, or sold in pieces by its majority owner Cerberus Capital Management LP, a New York private equity firm.

Ford's executive chairman, Bill Ford Junior, said the company was working on four high-mileage electric vehicles to be introduced in the coming years.

Ford plans to have a battery-powered commercial van on the market in 2010.

GM's stable of 17 new or upcoming models displayed on Sunday also had a focus on fuel efficiency.

The Chevrolet Spark subcompact, a three-door hatchback that was called the Beat when GM unveiled it as a concept car in 2007, is set to go on sale in Europe next year and in the US in 2011.

GM also announced that the Chevrolet Orlando seven-passenger crossover vehicle will go on sale in North America that same year.

But the surprise of the automaker's event was the unveiling of the Cadillac Converj concept car, which is designed to go 40 miles (64.3 kilometres) on electric power alone after being recharged from a standard wall outlet.

A small gasoline engine would extend the range to hundreds of miles.

It's the same powertrain technology GM is using in the Chevrolet Volt, a much-anticipated extended-range electric vehicle set to go on sale next year.

Chrysler unveiled a concept version of an electric-powered sedan and added the Jeep Patriot small SUV to the stable of electric vehicles it is developing.

Toyota Motor Corporation confirmed plans to have an all-electric vehicle on US roads by 2012, introducing an ultra-compact battery-powered concept car at this year's Detroit show.

Honda Motor Co. unveiled its next-generation hybrid, the Insight, and said the car will arrive in US showrooms this April.

Honda's much-anticipated car is expected to compete head-on with the Toyota Prius, which remains the top-selling hybrid in the US.

Honda said the 2010 Insight will have a lower price than the Civic Hybrid, which has a base price of 23,650 US dollars.