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Electric cars to be powered by AA-style batteries

A NEW COMPANY is claiming its new design of battery could see future electric cars powered by batteries no bigger than the current AA size. LipraLoof Techologies Ltd, a new start-up, has teamed up with City Car Club to trial the new technology in its fleet of vehicles. The new batteries use a complex mix of metal hydrates to create a quad, or 4A battery, which produces far more power than a standard battery.

Future products: Ownership change may revive 2 small Porsches

Now that it's owned by Volkswagen, Porsche reportedly is planning two small vehicles that the German sports car maker's previous management had nixed. Porsche is expected to increase the size of its Boxster roadster, leaving room at the bottom of the range for a smaller midengine car engineered jointly with Volkswagen. A small SUV also is likely to be added.

Meet the new Mercedes-Benz SL400

This is our first photo of the upcoming Mercedes-Benz SL400 luxury roadster, a model that effectively replaces the SL350 as part of a series of subtle changes brought to the SL lineup. The move aims to goose sales of the luxury roadster two years after it first hit showrooms. The SL400 is powered by Mercedes-Benz's twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 direct-injection gasoline engine unveiled in the E400 early last year.