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Australia may offer money to keep Toyota making cars there

In the wake of last month's announcement that Ford will cease automotive and engine production in Australia after 2016, many are wondering what the country's other automakers will do. Holden has already confirmed it will stay the course despite Ford's exit.
Much of the GM subsidiary's reason for sticking around has to do with a deal made last year between Holden and the Australian government. In order to secure a GM investment of $1 billion and a commitment to keep manufacturing in Australia through 2022, the government threw in an extra $215 million. According to Australia's Minister for Innovation and Industry, Greg Combet, the government is now in talks with Toyota for a similar deal.
Toyota operates one plant in Australia, the Altona manufacturing and engine plant in Victoria. The facility produces the Camry, Camry Hybrid and Australasia-only Aurion for both the local market and export. The report from GoAuto indicates that negotiations with the Australian government would include adding production of a third, all-new model at Altona, possibly the new RAV4, because it shares many parts with the Camry.

BMW i5 could get Toyota-sourced hydrogen power

It's starting to feel like the automotive landscape is right on the cusp of a boom in hydrogen-fueled vehicles. After all, the Toyota FCV is nearly ready, Volkswagen is readying a fuel cell concept for this week's Los Angeles Auto Show and Hyundai already sells its Tucson Fuel Cell. The next big name to add to that list might be BMW, as the company's co-development deal with Toyota starts to bear fruit.
According to Autocar, BMW may use a version of the fuel cell system from the Toyota FCV in the future i5. As part of its eco-oriented i sub-brand, the i5 is expected to be a stretched version of the i3 (pictured above) with extra rear legroom and cargo space. It's unclear at the moment whether a battery-powered pure electric powertrain will also be available. If accurate, then the rumor could give the Bavarian brand a counterattack against Mercedes-Benz' planned fuel cell vehicle in 2017.
BMW and Toyota first signed the memorandum of understanding to co-develop fuel cells, lightweight technology and a sports car back in 2012, and they made the arrangement official in late 2013. So far, few details on the progress of the work have been disclosed, but the performance model has been rumored to use a front-engine, all-wheel drive layout with supercapacitors.

Japanese spark plug giant NGK pleads guilty to price fixing, to pay $52M fine

The ongoing investigation by the Department of Justice into price fixing in the automotive industry has nabbed one more company breaking the law. Japanese parts giant NGK Spark Plug Company agreed to plead guilty to a felony count of pricing fixing and bid rigging in the in the US District Court in Detroit. Its punishment is a $52.1 million criminal fine and to continue to cooperate with the DOJ's sleuthing into the problem.
According to the DOJ, NGK conspired to fix prices on spark plugs, standard oxygen sensors, and air fuel ratio sensors on vehicles from major automakers in the US, including the former DaimlerChrysler, Honda and Toyota, in a scheme that ran from at least January 2000 to July 2011. The charge claimed that the company and its co-conspirators held meetings where they agreed on bids and price quotes that were submitted to the automakers.
With the latest plea, the DOJ has caught 28 companies and 26 executives for price-fixing and bid rigging in the auto parts industry, and they have collected $2.4 billion in criminal fines. In 2013, the feds brought nine Japanese suppliers down at once, to collect $740 million. Scroll down to read the DOJ's complete announcement of the case.