Toyota to provide Subaru car maker with hybrid vehicle technology

0 Comments | AFP, February, 2005

TOKYO (AFP) — Japan's top automaker Toyota Motor will provide hybrid-vehicle technology to Subaru-brand carmaker Fuji Heavy Industries, helping it exploit the key North American market, a report said.

Toyota plans to supply its hybrid power system to Fuji Heavy, which will use it to make hybrids a mainline product in the North American market, which accounts for 35 percent of its group sales, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun said.

Fuji Heavy on its part is considering supplying Toyota technology with lithium-ion batteries it has developed with electronics maker NEC for use in hybrid vehicles, the economic daily said without citing sources.

Working-level talks on the technical cooperation have already been taking place, with Toyota president Cho Fujio and his Fuji...