A Chinese car firm that...

A Chinese car firm that turned to making cars to find an application for its battery technology has unveiled not one, but three new cars at the Detroit Motor Show...

BYD, which had already revealed details of its petrol electic hybrid hatchback, the FD3M also unveiled a new people carrier, called the E6, and a supermini called the FO. outlook express 2gb limit

A company official insisted...

A company official insisted that the MPV, unveiled recently at the Tokyo Motor Show, wasn"t simply a "pie in the sky" prototype. "There"s a lot of it which we will see in the future, particularly the seating arrangement," he confirmed. "It has three rows of two chairs, but the middle pair are the ones that fold out of the way. Traditionally, that"s always been the role of the rearmost seats."

The fresh interior will debut in an SUV crossover vehicle in the next three years. The car will be built on a new platform, which will also form the basis of a Ford Mondeo-sized saloon being planned for 2008.

A dashboard black box...

A dashboard black box that moni tors motorists’ performance is being used to make novice drivers safer behind the wheel.

Staffordshire County Council has become the first local authority in the country to pilot the device. It works by measuring how hard the car accelerates and brakes, and the G-force created through corners.

A Gloucestershire company...

A Gloucestershire company is selling the hatchback, and because it comes from South Africa it"s right-hand drive. The first batch of cars is on its way here now, and Jason Jones of Rangeworthy-based Beetles UK - the man behind the initiative - can"t wait for it to arrive. "VW offered us the chance to sell the Golf as we already import the Type II camper van from Brazil," he said.

There are three different five-door models available, all factory fresh. Each version benefits from updated interiors and modern switchgear, while body-coloured bumpers improve the car"s exterior appearance.