Companies step up efforts to market eco-friendly cars

Companies are gearing up efforts to market environmentally friendly cars and are stepping up research in renewable energy sources. Hyundai Motor Co.’s Singaporean distributor Komoco Motors Pte. Ltd. said it may unveil a hybrid version of one of its cars in the second half of 2009, but has not decided which model. Meanwhile, manufacturers are experimenting on hydrogen cars, including General Motors Corp., Daimler AG, Suzuki Motor Corp., Nissan Motor Co., BMW AG and Toyota Motor Corp., which has said it wants to launch hydrogen cars in 2015. Companies are building on the concept of an electric car and are developing it as a hydrogen car, which manufacturers call a fuel-cell hydrogen vehicle (FCHV) or FCV. The Japanese government has shown its full support of research efforts by collecting data from Japanese carmakers for the Japan Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Demonstration project, which aims to develop a hydrogen car for public use. (February 25, 2009)