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BMW i5 returns as next rumored i Project vehicle

Hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle enthusiasts may want to give each other some high-fives when they hear the latest news about BMW's reputed i5. The German automaker has been rumored to be on the verge of expanding its i brand beyond its i3 battery-electric and i8 plug-in hybrid cars for a long while. The latest rumors say that BMW could be working on a hydrogen-powered i5 crossover. BMW is in the "final stages of consideration" of expanding the sub-brand, Bloomberg News says, citing comments BMW executive Ian Robertson made this week at the Frankfurt Motor Show. There may be more light-weighting efforts, and an alternative powertrain is sure to be in order, but there are few details beyond that. BMW of North America spokeswoman Rebecca Kiehne declined to comment to AutoblogGreen. Since 2013, BMW has worked with Toyota on hydrogen fuel-cell drivetrains and might further expand that relationship, MarketWatch says, citing BMW financial chief Friedrich Eichiner. The two automakers have already worked together on a prototype BMW 5 Series sedan with a hydrogen-powered engine. That car was unveiled this summer. Earlier this year, we heard reports about an i5 that would actually be a hybrid-electric vehicle of sorts, and an extremely powerful one. That rumored vehicle – again some sort of modified 5 Series – would actually contain one gas-powered engine and two electric motors, all combining for more than 540 horsepower. If these latest rumors turn out to be true, they would mark a change in things, but we won't be surprise if we hear yet another version of what the i5 will be before it's all said and done.

Toyota sells off Tesla shares, too

The incredible rise of Tesla's stock price has done little to now stop two major shareholders from ditching their stake in the American EV manufacturer. First, Daimler, parent company of Mercedes-Benz, ditched its four-percent stake, and less than a week later, Toyota is doing the same thing, selling off an undisclosed bit of its Tesla investment.
The move comes as Toyota winds down sales of the RAV4 EV, which gets its batteries and electric motor from Tesla at the company's Fremont, CA factory.
"We have a good relationship with Tesla, and will evaluate the feasibility of working together on future projects," Toyota spokesperson Kayo Doi told Bloomberg via email.

Toyota, Suzuki partner on hybrids, EVs, building cars for each other

NAGOYA, Japan — Toyota and Suzuki on Wednesday said they planned to produce electric vehicles and compact cars for each other to better compete with fast-changing technologies in the global auto industry. The agreement follows an initial R&D tie-up announced by Japan's No. 1 and No. 4 automakers in 2017, and will see more vehicles produced by Suzuki for Toyota, one of the world's biggest carmakers. Although Suzuki is far smaller, it is a dominant force in the fast-growing Indian market. The two automakers have been pooling their strengths. Toyota is a leader in hybrid technology and is investing heavily in automated driving, while Suzuki specializes in affordable compact cars — as many automakers struggle to keep pace with ballooning investment in EVs and self-driving cars. Under the latest agreement, Suzuki will source gasoline hybrid systems for cars it sells worldwide from Toyota, which pioneered hybrid vehicles with the Prius more than 20 years ago, the companies said in a joint statement. In return, Suzuki will produce two compact models for Toyota in India based on its Ciaz and Ertiga models. Further cooperation with Suzuki will help Toyota expand its presence in India, the world's fifth-largest passenger car market where it has struggled to grow sales due to lean demand for its lower-cost models. The deepening partnership between the two automakers will enable cost-conscious Suzuki to tap into Toyota's R&D firepower to develop lower-emission vehicles and self-driving cars — areas which Suzuki has admitted it is struggling to keep up. "We believe that the expansion of our business partnership with Suzuki ... will help give us the competitive edge we will need to survive this once-in-a-century period of profound transformation," Toyota President Akio Toyoda said in a statement. The two automakers will deepen their cooperation in India, where Suzuki's hybrid vehicles will be made using engines and batteries locally produced by Toyota. They will also join forces in Europe, where Toyota will produce electric vehicles based on its RAV4 SUV crossover and Corolla wagon for Suzuki, while Suzuki will supply Toyota with gasoline engines for compact vehicle models sold in the region. Suzuki will also produce its Baleno, Vitara Brezza, Ciaz, and Ertiga models for Toyota which will be rebranded and renamed as Toyota models for the African market.