Up until recently,
Volkswagen has remained publicly skeptical about the viability of
hybrids in the marketplace, having slaked itself on those (admittedly nifty) TDi whirling dervs. But there are new signs that Wolfsburg won't rely solely on their torque-happy
diesels to capitalize on revitalized consumer interest in all things eco (and wallet) conscious.
Take Wednesday's announcement, for example. The automaker has reportedly inked a deal with Sanyo Electric to co-develop nickel metal hydride batteries with an eye for use in hybrids. This isn't a new arena for the electronics maker, which also provides the Honda Accord Hybrid and Ford Escape Hybrid with cells.
In addition to increased output and heightened durability bogeys, the joint venture R&D project minimize size and weight constraints in order to increase efficiency and ease packaging concerns.
[Source: Just-Auto]