Kia Motors Corp. will unveil a plug-in hybrid concept vehicle next month at the Chicago auto show. The company says the sedan, dubbed the Ray, indicates the potential packaging of a plug-in production model.

Kia Ray hybrid concept car

Kia’s teaser photo of the concept, which was penned by the automaker’s North American design center in Irvine, Calif., shows a coupe-like profile, a panoramic glass roof—with perhaps a solar panel—and distinctive LED taillights.

No other details were announced. But several media reports say the vehicle likely will get a variation of the gasoline-electric system used in last year’s Hyundai Blue Will concept. That car teamed a 152 hp direct-injected 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine to a 100-kW electric motor.

Kia plans to introduce its first hybrid, utilizing a liquefied petroleum gas-electric system, within the next year in Korea. It also will begin road testing gasoline- and diesel-electric hybrids later this year in Europe.

Toyota Motor Corp. is recalling about 2.3 million cars and trucks in the U.S. to fix accelerator pedals that could stick.

All but 600,000 of the vehicles also were part of a campaign launched last September in which 4.2 million Toyota and Lexus vehicles were recalled to fix floormats that could catch the accelerator pedal and cause it to stick. Toyota says the new initiative involves a possible mechanical flaw within the pedal mechanism that is unrelated to the floormat.

Toyota initially maintained that cases of sudden acceleration were isolated to the design of the driver-side floormat. In addition to redesigned floormats, Toyota later decided to change the shape of the accelerator pedal, install a brake override system and, in some cases, modify the floor pan under the foot pedals.

The company says it subsequently began investigating reports of sticking accelerators in vehicles that didn’t have floormats. It determined that when some pedal mechanisms become worn, they may stick in a partially depressed position or return slowly to the idle position.

If the problem occurs before a vehicle is serviced, Toyota points out that motorists can simply take their foot off the accelerator and apply a steady pressure to the brakes. It warns against pumping the brakes, which it says could deplete vacuum assist, requiring stronger brake pedal pressure.

The latest recall affects the Avalon, Camry and Corolla cars; Matrix hatchback; Highlander, RAV4 and Sequoia SUVs; and Tundra pickup trucks built in the past three years—including 2010 models.

Ener1 Inc.’s EnerDel Inc. is investing $237 million in a lithium-ion manufacturing facility in Indiana that will have the capacity to produce battery packs for about 600,000 hybrid-electric vehicles or 60,000 all-electric cars. The project will more than double the company’s present capacity.

Located near EnerDel’s Indianapolis headquarters, the new plant will be financed through a $118.5 million grant awarded under the federal stimulus package. EnerDel plans to spend $60 million in this year. It also is receiving $140 million in state and local incentives, and it has applied for $9 million in federal grants.

EnerDel will immediately begin to occupy more than 211,500 sq ft of newly constructed space, with a two-year option to purchase the entire 423,000-sq-ft facility. It is currently hiring engineers, production workers and other staff for the plant.

EnerDel has partnerships with Mazda, Nissan, Think and Volvo. Volvo showed its C30 concept EV at the supplier’s press conference yesterday. It noted that the vehicle, which is powered by EnerDel’s lithium-ion batteries, will be produced soon.

Starting this season, NASCAR is relaxing some of its on-track rules in a bid to enhance competition and reenergize public support, which suffered a rare down year in 2009 after years of growth.

Under the changes, “bump drafting” will be allowed again. The technique involves bumping into the rear of a leading car to push both cars ahead, a practice that was banned in 2006. NASCAR also will loosen restrictor plate requirements to give competitors more engine power. Aesthetically, the rear wing will be replaced with a more traditional racing spoiler.

Noting that banging fenders is part of the sports history, NASCAR officials say the rule changes encourage drivers to “mix it up.”

“If you ain’t rubbing, you ain’t racing,“ NASCAR President Mike Helton said, repeating an old stock car adage in explaining the reasons for the changes. He points out that steady improvements in vehicle and safety systems over the last decade will help permit more aggressive racing without jeopardizing the drivers.

Personnel changes include promoting Cup Series director John Darby to managing director of competition, with oversight of all three NASCAR series. He will continue in his current role until a replacement is hired.

Several additions have been made to NASCAR’s Research and Development Center in Concord, N.C., which is headed by Mike Fisher. The new hires include Brett Bodine as the director of racing, Tom Gideon as director of safety and Jamie DiPietro as manager of safety inspections.

PSA Peugeot Citroen SA’s Citroen unit says it cut nearly 5 lbs of weight in its new C3 model by using an expanded polypropylene rear seat structure in place of steel units. The structure is supplied by JSP of Japan, which markets the material under the ARPRO name.

Compared to the previous-generation C3 rear seat, ARPRO provides a metal weight reduction of 4 lbs. The rest of the savings is achieved through lower polyurethane content and a simpler fastening system, which also lowers assembly costs.

In addition to weight benefits, the new seats have led to higher perceived quality among consumers, according to Citroen. This is attributed to ARPRO’s deformation resilience and molding accuracy that enables improved alignment with visual design features such as leather stitching.

Another purported advantage is the material’s consistent performance from the prototyping stage to mass production, which JSP says allows for time and cost savings.

In addition to Citroen, JSP has supplied ARPRO seat systems to Daimler AG and Volvo Car. Applications with other OEMs and suppliers include interior trim, sun visors and impact protection systems.