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Toyota FT-EV concept unveiled at Detroit auto show 2009

By Ben Pulman Motor Shows 10 January 2009 20:00 This is Toyota’s new FT-EV concept, the first of three eco-friendly cars being unveiled at the Detroit motor show over the next few days, the other two being the all-new third-generation Prius and the hybrid-only Lexus HS250h. The FT-EV is Toyota’s way of confirming that it will build a battery-electric vehicle (BEV) in 2012, but it’s also using the concept to promote its other environmentally friendly vehicles. The FT-EV concept is built on the iQ’s platform, and designed for commuters with daily journeys of less than 50 miles.

Who's Where: Lars Falk appointed Vice President Product Design for Volvo Cars China

Swedish designer Lars Falk has been appointed Vice President Product Design for Volvo Cars China. In his new role, Falk will lead and develop an emerging design organization which will cover both production design and advanced/strategic activities for the Volvo brand. "I am privileged to set up a small yet efficient design organization which will cover both production design and advanced/strategic activities for the Volvo Cars brand," Falk told Car Design News.

Big news on GM's big SUVs

Good news and bad news for General Motors' large cash cows, the full-sized SUVs. The bad news: The massive sport-ute market has shrunk roughly in half to around 300,000 a year. The good news for GM: This drove some competitors either out of market or into the near-niche category, leaving the new-for-2015 Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban, the GMC Yukon and Denali, and Cadillac Escalade with a big share of this very profitable segment.