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Toyota’s Take On Personal Transport Hits The Streets

JAPANESE car maker Toyota has launched the first public trials of its ultra-compact i-Road electric three-wheeled ‘personal mobility vehicle’ to find out how it shapes up in the cut-and-thrust of real-world urban driving. Consumer testing in Tokyo is set to run through to early June, with 10 of the single-seater vehicles taking to the city streets. The 20 people involved in the programme range from industry experts through to members of the general public, so that Toyota can gain a wide range of feedback on what the i-Road is like to drive, how easy it is to use around town, how it affects people’s decisions about what journeys to make.

Lotus won’t be sold – Bahar suspended over expenses

Lotus owners Proton have said that Lotus is not up for sale and reports say Lotus CEO Dany Bahar has been suspended over his expenses. There’s been a lot of show and not much real go since Dany Bahar took over at Lotus. Grandiose plans launch a whole range of supercars from a small niche manufacturer in the flatlands of Norfolk was always a strange call, and the sort of bills loss-making Lotus seems to be meeting make, on the face of it, little commercial sense.

September sales hint at improvement

A 10 percent increase in new-vehicle sales in September is sparking optimism that the year will have a strong finish. And analysts say that deals might get better over the next few months as Toyota and Honda finally recover from shortages caused by the earthquake that hit Japan in March. Those brands might increase spending on incentives to woo buyers back into their showrooms.