Stuttgart - Mercedes-Benz is planning to offer every fifth car with hybrid-drive by the year 2015 starting with a new hybrid every year from 2009, the car maker announced recently.

The head of the car maker's marketing division, Klaus Maier, said that the combustion engine would remain a key element of the model line-up for the next 20 to 30 years.

Stuttgart - German motorists are offering curious excuses when stopped by police for using a cell phone behind the wheel, according to the Auto Club Europe (ACE).

"I didn't use it to make a call. The warm battery is against earache," said one motorist while another said: "It is a support for my seesawing jaw."

Both cases went to court, but the judge rejected the "unconvincing excuse" in both cases.

A driver also failed to impress authorities with the argument that he was using an electric shaver whilst singing to a tune on the car radio.

Munich - A speed difference of only 10 kilometres an hour is the thin line between life and death, according to a crash test recently conducted by Germany's automobile association (ADAC).

At a moderate speed of 80 km/h on a country road, the driver can still bring the vehicle to a standstill within 50 metres when braking hard.

But at a speed of only 10 km/h more at 100 km/h, the vehicle would crash into the obstacle at a speed of 64 km/h, the test found.

At that speed, the crash test vehicle, a Renault Laguna, still had an intact safety cell with the dummy driver, passenger and children on the rear seat, risking no serious injury, according to the test results. The airbags still functioned.

Tata Motors is all set to quit Singur. It is disclosed by West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee. The company is facing stiff opposition from Trinmool Congress and other local parties. Trinmool Congress leader Mamta Benergee is demanding 300 acres of land from the total land allotted to TATA Motors. TATA intended to produce world’s cheapest car, Nano, at its Singur plant. 

Leading automobile manufacturer, Hindustan Motors Ltd would launch a high-premium sports utility vehicle in the Indian market. Explaining the plans of the company, Vice-President, Y V S Vijay Kumar said that the company intends to launch SUV in the end of current financial year. 

Mr. Kumar was here in Chennai to attend tie up function with Pune-based Opulent Auto Care. The price of SUV 'Outlander' would be around Rs 30 lakh. He expressed satisfaction on the sale of 'Montero'. The company has sold about 600 units of vehicles so far.

Berlin - Germany hardened its stance Friday in a dispute with the European Union and Porsche about state influence over Europe's biggest carmaker, Volkswagen.

German Justice Minister Brigitte Zypries said Germany would keep legislation that grants the state of Lower Saxony veto powers at VW, despite this week's proclamation by Porsche that it has an effective majority of VW.

"There is no reason completely to abolish the Volkwagen Law. The EU Commission should accept that," Zypries told members of the Bundesrat upper chamber in Berlin, referring to a threat by the European Commission to fine Germany.