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]