The long-awaited Mercedes S400 hybrid has finally been officially unveiled, and the results are somewhat surprising. While the S400 BlueHYBRID is still billed as the first series-production car to market with a purpose-built lithium-ion battery, it's not as impressive a hybrid system as may have been anticipated.

Hybrid concepts are among the hottest offerings on the international concept car scene, which is understandable given current political and economic trends. Keeping pace with the times, Renault has joined its French rivals with the announcement today of a new hybrid concept vehicle set to grace the carmaker’s stands at next month’s Paris Motor Show. The latest concept is called the Ondelios and is described as a luxury crossover designed for the environmentally conscious.

The Chevrolet Volt is expected to be shown next week as part of General Motors’ centenary celebrations at its Detroit headquarters, but an advance copy of the photos to accompany the release has leaked into the open ahead of schedule. The photos, which clearly depict the car alongside several executives, show the car has taken a significant departure from the concept’s sharp creases, but as expected will share the same basic outline and proportions.

Holden's seven millionth vehicle rolled off the production line today, creating a record manufacturing achievement in Australia's automotive history. The milestone vehicle was built at Holden’s Elizabeth plant in South Australia – one of the most flexible plants in General Motors' worldwide operations with 43 models based on six variants of the Commodore manufactured at the site.

The future of hybrid and electric vehicles at Nissan was made clearer today in an announcement that revealed the company’s own hybrid drive system and plans for a future all-electric car. Nissan has been selling a hybrid version of its Altima sedan in several markets for the past two years but the core technology of the vehicle, the petrol-electric hybrid drivetrain, is based on technology borrowed from Toyota. A company executive has revealed that there will be no dedicated hybrid model to use the new powertrain, however.

A law suit filed by Mercedes-Benz against battery supplier Cobasys in the United States last week claims the company failed to deliver batteries as required under their contract. The supply holdup could now push back production or even result in the cancellation of the upcoming hybrid ML450 SUV (concept pictured), even though it’s not due to make its global debut until late in 2009.

Ford and General Motors are reportedly in talks about co-developing new powertrain technologies as the two Detroit giants struggle to reduce costs in the wake of massive losses this year. According to sources at both companies, GM first approached Ford over a month ago and since that time there have been at least three meetings that have taken place between the two.

Small-scale Malaysian car manufacturer Proton is developing a new range of in-house engines, including a new hybrid powerplant, as part of its strategy to increase its export program. The new hybrid system is currently in testing and is expected to begin retail sales shortly after 2010.