Turns out there will be at least one more surprise in store at Cobo Hall. Here's what we now know about the vehicles that Toyota is bringing to the Detroit Auto Show next month:

• the 2010 Prius
• a brand new battery electric vehicle

I wish we could tell you more about that BEV, but the entirety of the press release is as follows (it's so short there's no need to throw it after the jump):

TORRANCE, Calif., Dec. 22 -- Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. will display a battery electric vehicle concept at the 2009 North American International Auto Show. This display marks the world debut of this concept vehicle.

I'm pretty sure this is what they call a tease. This could be something along the lines of a Nissan Pivo or maybe an NEV or maybe even a true highway-speed electric car. Got any ideas?

[Source: Toyota]

Transport for London is looking for an iconic bus to become a heir of the Routemaster, as bendys (those accordian buses) are also common in other European cities and aren't catching on in London. One proposal caught our attention because it's a complete rethinking of the bus' structure to reduce fuel consumption and make it "greener" by giving additional uses to the platform. It's the OnRoute and Freight*BUS concept. The outside retains some of the looks of a real London bus, the inside is all new.

The new structure is based on two ideas: distributed in-wheel electric motors and an array methods to produce electricity used in the bus: simple batteries, fuel cells, hydrogen tanks, LPG-fueled EV generators, and the like. Those generators would be fitted in a 200mm deep space in the main floor of the bus and on the side of the bus driver. Then the structure can become a platform that allows many possible configurations, including freight transport. According to the creators, buses work only at 20 percent capacity during off-peak hours. The seats are flexible and hung from the ceiling, so changing the configuration is possible in seconds. Routes would be created that link hubs for cargo and routes that serve people. The architecture of the bus also allows for mixed use, which is also good for the environment.


[Source: On Route]

Nissan is slowly giving up details about the Nuvu, an all-EV concept that will be unveiled at the Paris Motor Show. According to the Japanese marque, it's a "new vision" about the type of cars we'll be driving during the mid 2010s. It's a small vehicle, only 3 meters (about 10ft) long and can seat 2+1 passengers (the +1 is an additional folding seat). The Nuvu is an all-electric model and, although it's not the model that will be on sale in 2010, it showcases new technologies that will be used for the future production model. No specifications about range or power were given, but Nissan tells us that it's got a 1.98-meter wheelbase (6.5 ft), it's 1.70 meters high (5ft 7in) and 1.55 meters (5ft 1in) wide. The Nuvu also incorporates solar panels in the shape of a branch and leaves on the car's roof to feed some juice to the car's battery. Nissan also said that the car uses natural, organic and recycled materials to create an "airy and roomy" interior. If produced, this sounds like a competitor for the Smart and the Toyota IQ, for sure.

[Source: Nissan]

Click above for more high-res shots of the Honda OSM.

Honda has unveiled a new roadster concept at the British International Motor Show. Named the OSM (for Open Study Model), it shares space with the Honda FCX Clarity and the CR-Z sports hybrid on the Honda stand. Although the press release (found after the jump) does not mention which powertrain defines the prototype as "low emission," it does mention that it's a lightweight vehicle. Honda's intention is to design a car where style meets green credentials. "We're trying to show that low emission cars can be attractive," says Andreas Sittel, Project Leader for OSM. "There is no reason why a car that's more environmentally friendly can't look great too – and be sporty and fun to drive."

[Source: Honda]

BergToys has a great idea for a human-powered children's toy: Moov. The concept is your basic kid's big-wheel or push scooter but the parts of the toy are interchangeable and they allow a child to make several different kinds of vehicles. The creativity of the child is also opened up because they can create vehicles not in the manual. How about a unicycle? Hey BergToys, make one for us bigger kids because I wouldn't mind transforming my mountain bike into a scooter or a recumbent three wheeler. Want one for junior? The website says "We are doing our utmost to complete it a.s.a.p." Can't wait! In the meantime, check out the video of the Moov below the fold.

[Source: BergToys]

Easily the hottest green car at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show was the Sintesi, Pininfarina's hydrogen fuel cell concept. Below the fold is an amazing video of the unveiling of the car. Also below the fold is a quick look inside the car by AutoCar. Autoblog also took some amazing close up shots of the exterior and interior of the car you can see in the gallery below. Hydrogen fuels calls are very far away but Bolloré and Pininfarina did enter a partnership to a build a four-seat, 155 mile range electric in 2010. Will the Bolloré and Pininfarina produce an electric car that looks like the Sintesi? Keep your fingers crossed.


[Source: YouTube, Autoblog]

The GMC Denali XT concept debuts at the 2008 Chicago Auto Show this week. The flex-fuel, two-mode hybrid pickup truck reminds me a lot of Toyota's A-BAT hybrid pickup concept. The Denali XT has a more coupe-ish look and feel than Toyota's A-BAT. As you can see in the video above, GMC uses the paint job to make it look lower than it actually is. The low-slung, car-like look of the pick-up is not an illusion though: the Denali XT concept is based on the same chassis as the Pontiac G8 and Chevrolet Camaro.

If the Denali XT is ever released (GM management is still deciding), it will not only be the first flex-fuel hybrid but the first hybrid pickup that also comes with direct injection, active fuel management, cylinder deactivation, and has a combined MPG rating of 25 MPG, all while churning out 326 horse power and 3,500 pound towing capacity. The Denali XT is the perfect example of how the new CAFE standards impact vehicle design. I seriously doubt GMC would have done something like this if not for the new CAFE standard.

[Source: YouTube]

Seems the test drive date is not the only thing changing about the Volt. Bob Lutz tells Wired News the Volt will sell for more than the originally estimate of $30,000. How much more? Costs might go down on the second-generation Volt but Bob leaves open a price close to $40,000 for the first-gen Volts. Here is exactly what he said:

WN: What's the target market for the car? Will it be a high-end car, a mid-range car?
Lutz: I've always said I'd like to be able to sell it at around $30,000. The way things look now, it doesn't look like that's going to be possible. It looks like it's going to be more.
WN: How much more?
Lutz: I don't know. You'd like to have it at about $30,000 for the customer, but what I'm hearing from the team is we're not going to get there. They say we might get there on the second generation, and they say if they had a lot more time they might be able to cost-optimize it. I don't want to wait for cost optimization. I'd rather come out in 2010, and if it costs closer to 40 than 30, well, that's too bad.

When will we get to the see the new Volt design? "That I can't tell you. Sooner rather than later. I'll just say that" says Bob. I hope that design change is not too dramatic Bob. I don't know if I can take news of another big change.

[Source: Wired News via GM Volt]

Tom Albert of Alexandria, VA, and Nick Williams of Washington, DC. will test drive fuel cell Equinoxes for the next few months. GM North America Sales VP Mark LaNeve handed over the keys to Tom and Nick at the 2008 Washington Auto Show this week. In the video above, Tom and Nick talk about how they came to be a part of the Project Driveway program. Tom says his wife, Heather, is expecting a baby in two weeks and Nick could not top that explaining he learned about Project Driveway on the internet. If you can't make it to the show but want to know more about GM's fuel cell vehicles, post a question in comments and I will ask on your behalf. The Washington Auto Show is over in just two days, so post your question quickly.

Episode 18 of the Autoblog Green Podcast sees us reminiscing about the North American International Auto Show, recently passed in Detroit. We start with the reconfigured Saturn Vue Hybrid from AFS - the "extreme hybrid" claiming a narrowly defined150 mpg. AFS's claims point up the need for a new way to accurately rate mpg for hybrid and plugin powertrains. We touch on the Chrysler green trio, and Saturn's own Vue Two-Mode - one of three versions of the Vue that will have a flavor of hybrid powertrains (two mode, li-ion/phev, mild).

Everyone in Detroit had a Diesel, too, many displacing 2.2 liters and having four cylinders. We also talk abit about Ford going mainstream with their EcoBoost engine technology rather than trotting out ever larger V8s - big power doesn't always mean big cubes, and EcoBoost is more than small motors with big compressors strapped onto the exhaust manifolds. We wrap up by touching on the news that the ALMS series will see a fleet of Corvettes running cellulosic E85. The rules of the series allow lots of different technologies to run wheel to wheel, so alternative powertrains could be the next area where we see racing improving the breed. 43 minutes, and we're done, thanks for listening!

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