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Four Wheeler crowns Ultimate Factory 4x4... who wins?

Nearly every automaker doing business in the SUV or pickup truck segments offers a package designed to improve the off-road capabilities of its wares. But, of course, not all such factory kits are created equal. How, then, to separate the wheat from the chaff? Gather each of them up and put them through their paces, naturally.
The folks from Four Wheeler and PickupTrucks.com joined forces to run just such a comparison test, with the winner named the Ultimate Factory 4x4. A total of seven vehicles showed up to the fight: the 2012 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor, 2013 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, 2012 Nissan Frontier PRO-4X and Xterra PRO-4X, 2012 Ram Power Wagon, and 2012 Toyota 4Runner Trail and Tacoma TRD T|X Baja Series.
With the contestants in place, the whole crew put each vehicle through a battery of tests that included skidpad and acceleration measurements, a hillclimb, a rocky stairstep course and a rock garden. Considering the nature of the beasts, on-road ride and comfort were not part of the routine.

Japan could consolidate to three automakers by 2020

Sergio Marchionne might see his dream of big mergers in the auto industry become a reality, and an analyst thinks Japan is a likely place for consolidation to happen. Takaki Nakanishi from Jefferies Group LLC tells Bloomberg the country's car market could combine to just three or fewer major players by 2020, from seven today. "To have one or two carmakers in a country is not only natural, but also helpful to their competitiveness," Nakanishi told Bloomberg. "Japan has just too many and the resources have been too spread out. It's a natural trend to consolidate and reduce some of the wasted resources." Nakanishi's argument echoes Marchionne's reasons to push for a merger between FCA and General Motors. Automakers spend billions on research and development, but their competitors also invest money to create the same solutions. Consolidating could conceivably put that R&D money into new avenues. "In today's global marketplace, it is increasingly difficult for automakers to compete in lower volume segments like sports cars, hydrogen fuel cells, or electrified vehicles on their own," Ed Kim, vice president of Industry Analysis at AutoPacific, told Autoblog. Even without mergers, these are the areas where Japanese automakers already have partners for development. Kim cited examples like Toyota and Subaru's work on the BRZ and FR-S and its collaboration with BMW on a forthcoming sports car. Honda and GM have also reportedly deepened their cooperation on green car tech. After Toyota's recent buyout of previous partner Daihatsu, Nakanishi agrees with rumors that the automotive giant could next pursue Suzuki. He sees them like a courting couple. "For Suzuki, it's like they're just starting to exchange diaries and have yet to hold hands. When Toyota's starts to hold 5 percent of Suzuki's shares, this will be like finally touching fingertips," Nakanishi told Bloomberg. "I absolutely do believe that we are not finished seeing consolidation in Japan," Kim told Autoblog. Rising development costs to meet tougher emissions regulations make it hard for minor players in the market to remain competitive. "The smaller automakers like Suzuki, Mazda, and Mitsubishi are challenged to make it on their own in the global marketplace. Consolidation for them may be inevitable." Related Video:

Recharge Wrap-up: Japan's new hydrogen rules could help Toyota, New Delhi pollution worse than thought

The European Union is funding Fastned EV fast-charging corridors in Germany. The EU has set aside 2 million euros as part of its Trans-European Transport Networks program for Fastned to build the charging stations along major highways in Germany. The EU plans to help fund a network of 155 fast-charging stations along popular routes in Germany, Sweden, Denmark and Holland. Of those, Fastned will build 94 stations in Germany and Holland. Read more in the press release below. Revised hydrogen rules in Japan will make it easier to create hydrogen fueling infrastructure. Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has created guidelines allowing for liquefied hydrogen at filling stations, exceptions to required distances between precooling equipment and public facilities and less expensive materials for hydrogen storage. Toyota stands to gain from the new standards, as making fueling more readily available makes it easier to sell customers on the Mirai fuel cell vehicle. The result could be fiercer competition between Toyota and Tesla in Japan. Read more in the press release below, and at Tech In Asia. New research finds that New Delhi roads suffer from much worse pollution than the average levels recorded throughout the city. Pollution along roads is up to eight times higher than the numbers shown by urban background pollution monitors. With half of the city's population living within 300 meters of a major road, it's a major health concern. Joshua Apte of the University of Texas, Austin, recorded various pollution levels from inside vehicles in hopes of showing the difference between ground-level pollution and the lower numbers at monitoring sites. In the process, Apte found himself developing bronchitis on a quarter of his visits to the city. Read more at the Columbus Telegram. Featured Gallery 2016 Toyota Mirai View 15 Photos Related Gallery Fastned Fast Charging in Germany News Source: Fastned, Japan Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Tech In Asia, Columbus TelegramImage Credit: Toyota Green Tesla Toyota Electric Hydrogen Cars recharge wrapup