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GM to build electric motors in-house

General Motors will develop and build electric motors for a rear-wheel-drive hybrid to launch in 2013. GM claims to be the first major U.S. automaker to produce electric motors in-house and says it is investing $246 million in the project.

Schreyer: More than a designer of products I wish to be an architect of Hyundai's brand image

There's no denying Peter Schreyer has been instrumental in turning around Kia's image from a manufacturer of wheeled white goods in a creator of design-led products. Now his attention turns to sister company Hyundai in his role as chief design officer for both companies and his plans are no less ambitious. "More than a designer of products I wish to be an architect of Hyundai's brand image," he told an audience at Hyundai's European headquarters, explaining how his job is not simply 'styling' but communicating the brand's message right down to details such as the seatbelt warning buzzer.

Honda EV-Ster

One of Honda's many debutants at Tokyo 2011 was the EV-Ster concept. The tiny two-seat roadster boasts an electric rear-wheel drive layout beneath the ‘dynamic and innovative' exterior styling. The heavily defined flanks and short over-hangs give the EV-Ster a sporting stance, the extensive use of carbon composites further confirming this, whilst the DRG boasts the familiar alternate energy family graphics.