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Toyota previews a Lexus that drives itself

Ahead of a debut at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, we have video of an Autonomous Lexus – the Advanced Active Safety Research Vehicle. Even avid petrolheads have to admit that there are times when they’d rather let the car do the work, especially in congested urban environments. Wouldn’t it be good to stick the car in to auto drive when you’re stop-starting at 5mph and either have a kip or do some work?

Buick prices LaCrosse four-cylinder model, due early next year

The Buick LaCrosse will get a four-cylinder engine that could get up to 30 mpg early next year. The LaCrosse, Buick's highly touted new sedan, will start at $26,995 with this powerplant. The direct-injection 2.4-liter Ecotec four-cylinder makes 182 hp and 172 lb-ft of torque.

MIT researchers rethink electric-car batteries

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology say a new battery design for electric vehicles could be a lightweight and inexpensive alternative. The goal for the team's three-year project, launched in September 2010, is to have a functioning prototype ready to be engineered as a replacement for existing electric-car batteries. At this point in the project, the prototype uses a “semi-solid flow” to separate the two functions of a battery--storing energy and discharging it when needed--into separate physical structures.