Toyota is hard at work on its first production hydrogen fuel cell EV, a model the automaker’s chairman said will hit the market at some point in 2015.

Speaking to reporters at the Economic Club of Washington, D.C., chairman Takeshi Uchiyamada confirmed “that we will sell the feul cell vehicle in the year 2015… in order not to waste the investments that the infrastructure companies will make, it is our role that we keep this promise on introducing it to the market in the time that we promised.”

Toyota’s entry will arrive right about the time Honda begins reinvesting in its efforts with a second-generation fuel cell vehicle based on its FCX Clarity.�

The hydrogen-powered vehicle – expected to take the shape of a sedan – will list for around $50,000 in the United States. Conceptually, it won’t diverge far from the Toyota FCV-R show car that debuted in Tokyo almost two years ago. The R in the car’s name denotes “reality,” not performance. 

Just 10 hydrogen fueling stations in the U.S. are open to the public, nearly all of which are in Southern California. That’s where Honda and Mercedes-Benz have run their FCX Clarity and F-Cell pilot programs. 

However, just a few days ago, California governor Jerry Brown signed into law legislation that will see vehicle registration fees used to construction at least 100 additional hydrogen fueling stations over the next decade. <![CDATA[
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Mitsubishi’s new 74-horsepower subcompact hatchback won’t be a common sight on American roads, the Japanese automaker says.

With sales expectations of just 7,000 units annually, the low volume and low profit margin Mirage will hardly be Mitsubishi’s savior in the U.S., a market where Mitsubishi sells about a tenth as many cars now as it did a decade ago.

By comparison, Nissan and Chevrolet each sold more Versas and Sonics last month than Mitsubishi intends to sell Mirages in an entire calendar year.�

Mitsubishi decided to market the Mirage based on feedback from its dealer body, which sought a less expensive car to lure buyers into showrooms. The Mirage reprises a retired nameplate in North America, although the new car set to hit the market later this year is quite a bit smaller than its predecessor. 

In fact, the Mirage fills a void in the American market. Stretching about 149 inches from head to toe, it’s about a foot shorter than most other compact cars. And, with just 74 ponies, the Mirage is also considerably less powerful. But Mitsubishi is banking on buyers being intrigued both by the Mirage’s low price – $12,995 to start – and its industry-leading 44 mpg highway rating. 

The 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage hits dealers next month.<![CDATA[
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Just weeks after our spy photographers nabbed Mercedes-Benz’ upcoming 2015 C-Class in the buff, a new report has shed light on just what to expect under the new luxury sedan’s hood.

Like the facelifted E-Class, the 2015 C-Class will benefit from the new option of a 2.1-liter turbodiesel four-cylinder with 195 horsepower and 369-lb-ft of torque, according to a Car and Driver report. Rated at 45 mpg highway in the larger, heavier E-Class, expect the mill to return even loftier figures in the C-Class.

Other available engine will include a turbocharged gasoline four-cylinder with 210 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque, as well as a V6 that will serve as the top non-AMG motor. While specifics of the latter motor have yet to be confirmed, it will likely either be a variant of the existing 3.5-liter V6 or the new twin-turbo 3.0-liter from next year’s E400.

A seven-speed automatic will serve as the dancing partner for all three engines at launch, but it will eventually be replaced by Mercedes’ nine-speed auto. Each powertrain will be offered with all-wheel-drive in place of the standard rear-wheel-drive setup.

Sadly, the manual transmission in the spy photos will almost certainly not be offered in the U.S.

The 2015 C-Class sedan, which will be assembled in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, will greet the public for the first time at the 2014 Detroit show, with the convertible expected to debut later in 2014.

Spy Photos

The 2015 C-Class has been spotted before, but the four-door was sporting heavy camouflage. However, our spy photographers managed to sneak behind enemy lines and snap a few shots of the C-Class in the buff.

In the absence of thick body cladding, it’s clear than the next C-Class will adopt the sculpted body lines that debuted on the 2014 S-Class flagship. Codenamed “W205”, the 2015 C-Class’s exterior design will be highlight by a long hood and a short deck lid.

In addition to the exterior shots, our spies were also able to snag a lone picture of the C-Class’ interior. Although still masked, it’s clear that Mercedes’ 3-Series rival will feature an evolution of the automaker’s current interior design language.

Base versions of the 2015 C-Class will use a turbocharged four-cylinder while up-level models will employ a large V6. Diesel and hybrid versions of the C-Class are also planned. And, of course, the range wouldn’t be complete without a fire-breathing C63 AMG model.

The C-Class will use either an eight- or nine-speed automatic transmission.

Look for the 2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class to make its world debut during the upcoming auto show season.

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As the armed forces of the United States begin to wind down operations across the Middle East, surplus – and sometimes unused – military-grade vehicles are finding their way into municipalities across the country.

Most recently, the Sheriff’s department in Dallas County, Texas, was given what the military refers to as a $600,000-valued Mine-Resistance Ambush Protected (MRAP) Tactical Vehicle. The Dallas sheriff’s office was financially responsible, according to a county memo, only for “transporting, fuel, painting and registration.” 

Built in 2007, the MRAP was not used in combat, although its run flat tires and mine resistant armor indicate its intended purpose. The vehicle, according to the Dallas Observer, was picked up at Fort Hood in Central Texas.�

The Dallas Sheriff’s office says that the vehicle will be used to execute warrants and that it will “provide an overall safety arch.” Although Dallas County is large and urban, its crime rate is relatively low and Leftlane could find no evidence of land mines ever being a problem. 

But Dallas’ sheriff’s office is one of a growing number of cities to have received a decomissioned MRAP tactical vehicle for law enforcement use. In August, reports of MRAPs being placed into law enforcement agency use surfaced in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and on the campus of Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio.<![CDATA[
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