Porsche seeks Toyota hybrid technology, paper reports
TOKYO - German luxury carmaker Porsche has asked Japan's Toyota, the world's second-largest auto maker, to share the hybrid technology used in its popular Prius model, a Japanese newspaper said on Tuesday.
Toyota is taking a positive view of the proposed deal and expects to start negotiations soon, the Asahi Shimbun said without citing sources.
Toyota's hybrid engines incorporate an electric motor alongside a gasoline engine. The motor is used for low-emission driving in the city, while the gasoline engine kicks in at higher speeds on the open road.
Porsche is likely to want to use the technology in its Cayenne offroader, rather than in smaller sports models, the Asahi said. Developing its own hybrid technology would be difficult for a relatively small company, the paper said.
The Prius hybrid was voted 2005 European Car of the Year this week, after picking up the corresponding title in North America in January.
Toyota, which became the first company to mass market a gasoline-electric hybrid in 1997, has already sold its technology to Nissan and Ford, the Asahi said.
No one was available at Toyota for comment on Tuesday, a national holiday.
Source: Detroit News
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