In brief: Unplug-and-drive

Volvo V60. Photo / Supplied

Volvo will reveal a plug-in hybrid version of its V60 wagon next month. The virtually production-ready car drinks petrol at a miserly 1.9l/100km by using the turbodiesel to drive the front wheels, and an electric motor the rear.

Reinventing the wheel
London's Royal College of Art challenged students to design a compact electric vehicle for the future. The winning design, chosen by Citroen, was E-3POD Antistatic, a single-seat three-wheeled car that sits the driver inside the hubless third wheel.

Ford's photo op
Ford is hauling thousands of images from its archives and scanning them for digital sale. They are chosen from 16,000 boxes, 75 filing cabinets and hundreds of CDs at Ford's Michigan headquarters.

Baby on way
Mazda's Minagi concept promises a baby CX-7 and a new face that will lead the way for other cars. Mazda says its March 1 release at Geneva will debut the new design but won't confirm that the car will be built.

Eco policy extended
Ford's Focus Electric uses sound-deadening derived from wood fibres, and soybeans in its cushions. Even plastic drink bottles become wheel-arch liners as Ford seeks to cut its use of oil-based plastics.

Pass winners
Winners of our passes to the Ellerslie Concours d'Elegance are Rob Carter, Papamoa; Gloria Sorenson, Howick; Nic Alley, Beachhaven; Norman Burgess, Cockle Bay; Jim Rendall, Huntly; Patricia Reyland, Manukau.