Good oil: Coupe in clean clothing

Peugeot's hydrogen-powered concept has a range of 320km, gets to 100km/h in a dawdling 15 seconds, has a top speed of 130km/h. It will be unveiled at next week's Paris motor show. Called the 207 Epure, it's a thinly disguised version of Peugeot's 207 coupe/cabriolet. It is powered by an electric motor and battery pack combined with a 20kW fuel cell designed in partnership with the French Atomic Energy Commission. The hydrogen cylinders are stored under the boot floor, allowing space for the folding metal hard top and luggage.

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Toyota, General Motors and Ford are about to clash over pick-up trucks in a United States advertising blitz that is shaping up as one of the most expensive ad fights in automotive history. GM is expected to spend nearly US$400 million ($607 million) launching its new pick-up trucks. Toyota has earmarked US$100 million to plug its Tundra pick-up, and Ford is prepared to defend its majority share of the pick-up truck business. Such a defence, say analysts, will cost Ford at least US$100 million in advertising. DaimlerChrysler will be under intense pressure to protect its flanks because trucks are a key part of the Dodge product line.

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A Canadian company says it has developed the world's first "hands-free and eyes-free" system for accessing emails in the car. It reads a brief summary of the emails to the driver, who can then tell the system which ones to expand.

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Police in Louisiana "smelled the strong odour of marijuana" when they stopped country singer Willie Nelson's tour bus near Lafayette. They found half a kilo of it in a bag on one of seats. Nelson, 73, was at the wheel. He was given a traffic ticket but was soon on the road again in Bio-Willie, the bus he fuels with bio-diesel.

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Although Ford in the US is in financial trouble it has agreed to buy the Rover nameplate from BMW. The Rover name has been BMW's property since the 1990s. Ford bought Land Rover from BMW in 2000 and retained rights to first refusal on the Rover name. Ford says it has no plans for the Rover name, but bought it in the interests of Land Rover. Chinese carmaker Nanjing bought the rights to sell vehicles under the MG Rover badge and says it will do so in two years.

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A man in Indiana who duct-taped what his girlfriend described as a "large mortar-style firecracker" to a football helmet he was wearing was badly hurt when it exploded. Kaleb Spangler, 21, was with friends in a car when he lit the fuse and waited for the bang. He had been drinking.