Good oil: Cleaner New York taxis

New York City has introduced hybrid Ford Escape taxis to help to meet the city's clean-air standards. The Escape Hybriddelivers up to 7.8 litres/100km (36mpg), making it the city's most fuel-efficient and clean-burning sports utility vehicle.


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Car washes and vandals need no longer pose a threat to radio aerials - thanks to scientists at the University of Maryland in the US. They have developed a flexible material that is said to be virtually unbreakable, yet is as good at picking up radio signals as conventional antennae.


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Toyota will launch the new four-wheel-drive Daihatsu Terios in Auckland in a few days. The Terios mixes what Toyota says are "small-car running costs with strong off-road styling cues and a dynamic, fun-to-drive appearance". The carmaker warms to the task: "Its roomy, four-door, five-seat body succeeds in being compact yet practical, avoiding the bulk, high fuel consumption and negative image of some four-wheel-drives." Compared with the previous model, the new Terios is 230mm longer and 190mm wider.

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Ford in the US is planning a reality TV show in which participants develop a concept car with Ford designers. The carmaker is capitalising on a reality TV trend in which advertisers assume most of the costs to produce a programme that is as much brand advertising as entertainment.

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 Toyota plans to promote its Yaris small car in the US with 10-second commercials in programmes beamed to mobile phones. Fox Entertainment calls the programmes "mobisodes", a combination of mobile and episode. Fox plans to broadcast to video-capable cellphones two-minute snippets of programming related to its Prison Break TV show. The commercials for the Yaris and other Toyota vehicles will precede the snippets. Toyota says it is the first company to sponsor mobisodes.

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 Joshua Abeyta was charged with arson in Colorado after he allegedly set fire to a Pontiac dealership, causing US$300,000 ($470,000) damage. Police said Abeyta had no connection to the company except that he was angry with his mother, who drives a Pontiac.