(September 25, 2012) Reuters reports that Toyota has scrapped plans for widespread sales of a new all-electric minicar, saying it had misread the market and the ability of still-emerging battery technology to meet consumer demands.

Toyota said on Monday that it would only sell about 100 battery-powered eQ vehicles in the United States and Japan in an extremely limited release. The automaker had announced plans to sell several thousand of the vehicles per year when it unveiled the eQ as an pure-electric variant of its iQ minicar in 2010.

(September 24, 2012) PONTIAC, Mich. — Last week students at Walton Charter Academy teamed up with chemistry adventurer Ion Jones on a global quest to explore rain forests, deserts, glaciers, ancient temples and prehistoric carbon deposits. While the journey — presented courtesy of Chrysler Group and PPG Industries — is imaginary, the science involved is real.

(September 24, 2012) SHANGHAI — General Motors, SAIC, Shanghai GM and the Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center (PATAC) have opened China’s largest proving ground, capable of conducting 67 driving conditions over 37 miles of test roads.

The 2.18 square miles Guangde Proving Ground in Guangde County, Anhui, represents an investment of $253 million. Shanghai GM and PATAC are overseeing the proving ground’s operation, which includes comprehensive support facilities.

(September 23, 2012) AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Chrysler Group is taking out of service its test fleet of advanced plug-in hybrid-electric vehicles (PHEVs) to conduct a battery-pack upgrade. “This action is being taken to build upon the lessons from the initial deployment and to concentrate resources and technical development on a superior battery,” said Michael Duhaime, global director-electrified powertrain propulsion systems.